"Here There Be Vampires"
The Adventure
The sheriff is found dead, the posse deduce the 3 no-good cowbowys are vampires and deal with them accordingly...
The 3 ranch Vampires returned in the night to murder the sheriff, they needed the blood and didn't like him anyhow..
His body is found in the morning (or during the night by the posse if they were awake) hanging from his porch drained of blood. A Medicine (7) pass will confirm that Sheriff Wilson actually died of blood loss before he was hung, the blood escaped from 3 pairs of puntures, one on his neck and one on each wrist, a further Medicine (5) or a cognition (9) success tells the posse that the punture wounds were from more than one source, the fang marks are of different sizes.
The heroes should by now figure who the Vampires are (exept Greely of course) and will no doubt want to inform Nolan Edwards of this or perhaps they can't wait for action and will ride out to the ranch by themselves.
Nolans reaction to this is that the 3 ranchers may well be Vampires but he still suspects O Neill, or maybe there is another, of being the head vampire. He will go with the posse all the same as he vows to destroy the creatures of evil. Smart posse members may convince Deputy Weeks to go with them also, he's looking to avenge the sheriffs death but posse members shouldn't rely on him too mush - at the first sign of vampires he freaks out!. If the posse choose not to go to the ranch just yet then that's fine, play this chapter later and go to the next one for now. If the posse need direction most townsfolk know where the ranch is and will happily direct the posse there, it is 4 miles west of town (and is best approached during the day!)
Lacking a scanner I can't give you the exact layout of the ranch but this shouldn't matter too much, the important thing is that there is a fenced off area for the cattle - including the Ghoul Bull, a pet of the Vampires - a two story house, a barn containing a hayloft and horses, a basement under the house (where the 3 Vampires usually sleep) and that's about it. "Gloves" is on guard when the posse arrives, he is upstairs out of sight and will spy the posse out of the window, he has Daywalk so he is able to withstand the suns effects for a short while. Exactly what will happen in this encounter depends upon the heroes, but when they approach the ranch read the following...
All is silent as you near the apparently deserted ranch house, cattle chew grass to your right but seem to be keeping a lazy eye on your progress, in fact one of them - a very large bull - begins wandering in your direction, an odd look in it's eyes. Fortunately there is a wooden fence separating you from the beast...
As soon as the posse realise that the bull wants blood, or they turn their back on it, then it will charge and attack, running straight through the fence as if it were balsa wood, everyone must make a guts (5) check before the fight begins (Bull Ghoul stats in Major Players section), if things are going too easily for the posse then perhaps "Gloves" starts taking pot shots at them from the window with a rifle before retiring to the cellar...
After the bull encounter the posse are probably going to be seriously pissed off or freaked out, if Nolan is with them he states that the bull was a slave of the damned and the evil within the Ranch must be destroyed now, before nightfall (if it is already nightfall then the posse may be in trouble!).
As far as getting into the house is concerned this shouldn't be too hard, there are locked/bolted storm shutters at the rear of the house leading to the cellar, or the front door can be broken down. Evil Marshals may want to have booby traps lying around the house, the Vampires are expecting the posse after all!
Nevada Dan will be in the cellar, the other two Vampires can do as you wish, just make sure you crank up the tension and have the posse worry about who exactly is hunting who! Remember that "Gloves" prefers to use his peacemakers, Nevada uses claws and fists, and Eugene Smith carries a double barrel shotgun and can turn into a wolf - have one of the Vampires escape somehow if you wish so they can hinder the posse during the finale.
For a few ideas about what could go on read my report on how my posse faired at this scene...
All is not over yet, even if the posse managed to kill all three of the Vampires. Nolan, if present, will point out (after examining any bodies) that these Vampires are not vey old and were probably not responsible for killing the Mayor and his wife, the team will have to keep on looking to find who the head Vampire is. Nolan still suspects Jacky O Neill (although by now the posse probably will not) but he may ask them to also keep their eyes on Bobby Whittaker, Nolan has noticed him active only at night and he has a habit of wandering off into the desert with a Mexican fellow, Nolan has also heard that he plans one of these jaunts tomorrow night - Nolan has to stay in town but perhaps the posse could follow Whittaker to find out what he's up to?
Searching the house - the Vampires didn't have too many possessions of worth, a shotgun + shells, whatever the Vampires were carrying, a few trail rations and about $50.
If this chapter has been played late (i.e the posse has already found out that O'Neill and Whittaker are not Vampires) and the heroes still do not have a clue who the head Vampire is then perhaps you can have them make some Search tests and find a clue that suggests that John Greely is a Vampire, say perhaps a few letters from Greely to the ranch Vampires, or maybe Eugenes shotgun belongs to Greely and has his initials carved into it. Basically make them suspect that Greely is a Vampire, if they still don't figure it out then tough luck!
Bounty
Each Vampire destroyed: 1 red chip
No casualties (that includes Nolan and the deputy if they are present!): 1 white chip (each)
Discover Greely is a Vampire: 1 white chip
Any particularly good ideas/strategies during the ncounter also deserve a white chip