Night encounters.

It started getting dark. That's when the screeching started outside. Some creature in pain and letting the world know it.

The outside lamp went out...

Crash.

Sounded like something heavy landing on the roof. More crashing as the something stomping around...

Hatfield put on his hat and jacket, picked up his gun, loading it and went outside to have a look...

There was something on the roof. Something man-sized with wings. It dropped to the ground between Hatfield and the cabin door. Hatfield fired as the creature rushed him. A searing pain as it retreated slightly. He had to get away... Stuart! - he backed away, heading towards the light of Stuart's cabin.

It was hard to see the creature in the dark. Swish of wings as it swooped, snap shot and it was gone... quiet for a while as he staggered towards the cabin. Then the light went out..

The creature was back... more shots and screeches... but he had reached Stuart's cabin... and as the door of the cabin started to open the creature was gone...

Stuart wasn't convinced about Hatfield's story but the wounds were real. What was it? A demon? Some leftover from a bygone age? It was still out there. The noises kept up all night, only dying down as daylight approached...

Used HoTT combat rules with modifications to stretch combats out a bit. So Hatfield was a shooter (+3), the creature a Flyer (+2). Hatfield wins, creature hurt and either backs off or leaves. Creature wins Hatfield hurt to a degree determined by how badly he loses - very, as it happened, on the first combat, so I considered him bowled over with bad claw marks. Next round Hatfield won - so I had the creature fly off and take out the light at Stuart's cabin before coming back.

I had considered taking this one further but really it doesn't warrant it - it was a short episode that helps sorting out how to usefully modify HoTT for this kind of action - worked well as did (I think) using black and white to illustrate night.I'll mark it a success.