[color=9e0b0f][u][b]John Blackburn- The general store. [/b][/u][/color] Following the Father, the group made its way to the general store. A rather plain and sparsely stocked store but if they needed to replace some mining/scouting equipment it looked like most of it was here... [i]What really matters though is the price. [/i] The father then spouting the typical religious nonsense about things they didn’t know. “It’s not natural I don’t believe. Everything is of the Father of course, and I have never read anything about it in the Good Book, but I read plenty enough about temptation and that Ghost Rock she is a temptation. You’ll see.” “I wouldn’t rely on that book for everything father.” John reply “After all it says nothing about the people of Indian or china yet you don’t think they are magic, do you? Taking out a notepad and pencil John jotted down some notes and observation as the father opened up a locked box which housed the Ghost rock. Despite the boxes size giving the impression of an large object it was instead an large number of rags bunched up filling the majority of the box. There is an immediate magnetism as the lid opens. A desire to see that object laid bare, to examine it intimately. [i]It’s magnetic? interesting [/i] That was went the father said something rather… odd “Don’t mean to say you boys are fools now. I know well enough how much money these things bring and how much they’re driving the expansion out West. I suppose everyone knows that. Just. It just. It feels to me like the thing for a mind of its own. Feels to me like it killed Charles and it know’d what it was doing.” [i] Rocks can’t be alive, can they? Could be possessed but why would a something posse a rock? [/i] Putting his glove back on he brushes aside the rags to reveal the a rather large piece of cratered white rock, presumably the Ghost rock. “Looks a bit like coal at first don’t it? Like white coal?” It did indeed look like white coal but looking closer John noticed it had Sharp edged mini little craters. At first, he though these could have caused by the mining but he noticed several of them where almost identical and not something accidently caused. perhaps this piece had been craved? Especially if the old miner had decided to keep it. Flipping to an empty page in his notebook John drew a rough sketch of the Ghost rock and it's craved mini craters. Could be useful if they had to describe the rock to some native Americans. “Is it possible to meet the mine owner?” [b]---- The graveyard---- [/b] When John asked to meet the miner owner he didn’t expect this. The father had taken the group to back to chapel to freshly filled in grave with a rather modest headstone compared to some of the others, several of which had that odd flag on them. Standing by the grave the father procced to tell the story on the mine owner. Supposedly he was a Good man who’d help build sellina and that it was only a few months that he’d found the ghost rock. However, after finding the rock something had happen to Charlie he came back “real quiet” and didn’t want to talk about the mine, or the rock, or the fortune. Didn't bother to try to sell all that equipment. Was always nervous and always hungry." What the father descripted happen to Charlie reminded john of a few soldiers he seen or heard about “losing it” rather bad battle experiences although those men never died… They went… crazy, imagining themselves back in the battle and attacked their fellow soldiers when they went to help them. The solider man then asked the question of the day “Was it the rock that did this to him.” "That's the question isn't it? It's one that's been ticking in the back of my head." He rubs his wrists in thought, trying to figure out how honest he should really be but deciding to just unburden himself. "I'm a Father, you understand yes? I've devoted my life to the Good Book. I believe deeply in the Lord. In his power and his wisdom. In his central goodness. And this entire experience, it has thrown me for a loop." “We are missing a piece of the Puzzle… what happened at the mine.” John replied “but it’s getting bloody late now and there is still one of the panthers lurking about… let’s continuing this in the morning.” [b]The next day- The bed and breakfast. [/b] John awoke earlier smell of sizzling bacon. The father may have been deluded fool believing in some false sky god but atleast he or someone he hired cooked good food. Getting dressed in black suit (although today he decided not to put on the vest) John picked up his suitcase and went outside. Looking around for an toady to recruit John noticed the guy that been beaten up yesterday in the bar by Frenchie. His nose already healing well though still swollen. “You there." John said as he approached the man. "I apologise for what happen yesterday, the Frog can take things to the extreme sometimes.” “Anyway, I assume you are looking for work correct? Well I may be able to help you, for today atleast.” John added on as he handed the man an Union American dollar bill “Me and friends are looking for the father’s friend Charlie’s ghost rock mine” “I am willing to pay 10 dollars to anyone who can take us there. Additionally, at 2 dollars per day I’m also looking for two labours to carry some equipment for us and likely some mining depending on the state of the mine….” [i]Is 2 dollars enough? Let’s see what says. [/i] “please spread word of this around town. If you can find all three: the guide and two labours there’s an extra dollar in it for you.."