The Return of The Tang Terror

With the terrors of the Red Helmet's armoured driller seen off the members of the Royal Society of Explorers are  continuing the work at Dr Howard Parker's excavation site in the buried city of ancient Tanis.  It's in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

It was here that the Mummy of Imhotep was originally discovered, before being (disastrously) loaned to the British Museum, and it is here that Lord Randolph Farthingdale and Dr  P intend to rebury the Golden Sarcophagus. .. and rebury it really deeply.

The Royal Society are cleaning up the dig site, after the attack of the Red Helmet, Dr Brunel and the armoured truppe.  Dr P is however worried about the Chinese cooks he has employed.  They look slightly familiar!  Another concern is the possibility of desert raiders.  I have not rolled for the traits or numbers of enemies, since it will be a surprise when they arrive.

Terrain:  The Archeological Dig

The Valley of the Mummy one of the most inhospitable places on earth, where the Royal Society are digging up the ruins of Ancient Tanis.

Benefits: The odd bit of broken pot.  The Native digging team, here to dig, not to fight.

Hazards: Occasional hostile natives, dust, heat, flies and an untimely death all await the unwary.   Don't forget to watch out for the snake pit and the huge "gate to the stars" artifact.
Suggested Terrain: Tent compound with water tank, dry ditches, piles of sand and bits of ancient wall.

Her Royal Britannic Majesty`s Explorers' Society

Lord Randolph Farthingdale, 1872 Webley Bull Dog .44 Short Rim fire, five shot pocket revolver. Traits: Leader, Pistoleer

Dr Howard Parker, Archeologist Gasser 1870 Model Army Service revolver, old Holborn short stem walnut pipe.  Archaeologist, currently smoking "Lebanese two stroke shagg"  Traits: Lucky, Encyclopedic Knowledge,

Lady Jamalia D'Arcy, Sasta-Vidya Swordmistress, Khanda 2 edged Punjabi Sword, two Katar H hilt daggers. Traits: Swordswoman

Mr Clarence Wigamore, Valet.  Purdy shotgun, Durham Constabulary Truncheon. Traits: Brawler

Mrs Angelina Peele. Librarian, Gunfighter and Tomb Robber. 2 x .50 Tranter Calibre RIC Webley short barrel revolvers.  (General Custer carried this model, allegedly)  Traits: Two Guns

5 Plot Points (random)
1 Peril Point
·        The murdered Archaeologist
·        The Scarab of the Pharoah
·        The Si-Fan Assassins strike.
·        A scream from the tents.  
Major Plot Point· The Eye of Ra.  "A million years into the Sky Ra, sun god, sealed and buried for all time his Gate to the Stars.  Woe on any who disturb it's rest."

Peril point What's that coming over the Hill?  Is it a Raider?

The Royal Explorers Society rebury the Mummy.  Mrs Peel stands watch with her huge calibre RIC revolvers

And from the tents charge the Si-Fan, Tiger assassins of Chou En Ginsberg.  They want that Mummy!  Their leader is Dim Sum, number one Dim Son.

The Sons of the Desert appear and charge at the diggers.  "Leave our mummy alone!"

The view from the Eye of Ra.  I draw three cards and take the turns in order. 

The diggers flee, and hang on... that's Dr P, pipe in hand, leading the rout... err getting his people to safety!

Mrs Peel burst fires the .50 RIC revolvers, dropping two of the raiders.  What a woman!  What a calibre!

Lord Randolph engages the Si-Fan with his Webley Bulldog.  The little five shot pocket pistol serves him well,  and he dispatches a Si -Fan Tiger Assassin

And then another Tigerman falls as they close in.  The Peril point reveals that these are not cooks but Chou En Ginsberg's Red Tongs!  Der!

His Lordship's Valet Clarence fires the Purdy shotgun, blowing the head from one of the raiders and wounding a second.  The firepower of the Royal Society speaks for itself!

The Si-Fan close in on his Lordship.  It's Melee, but I allow him to fire the Bulldog, killing a Si-fan.  Essentially it's a melee weapon too.  A two inch barrel pocket pistol for goodness sake.  He also readies his swordstick.

It's the Indian Sastra Vidya Martial Arts vs Kung Fu as Lady D'Arcy displays her skills with the khanda against Dim Son.  Two nines is a really respectable throw and she removes his arms!
Royal Society Members will enjoy the irony, Shaolin Kung Fu may well be derived from Sastra Vidya, but her Ladyship is the Sastra Protégé.

Lord Randolph also uses all of his luck with a double zero.  Yet he has driven them back.

The burst fire from Mrs Peel's pistols and the Purdy Shotgun's blast have driven the Raiders back too  Its looking like a clean sweep for the Royal Society with zero losses...

But Dr P wanders off to smoke his pipe and finds plot point five!  Oh dear! He finds and activates The Eye of Ra.  The sand swirls and the good Doctor, and his pipe, vanish.

"A million years into the Sky Ra, sun god, sealed and buried for all time his Gate to the Stars.  Woe on any who disturb it's rest."

It appears that Dr P has found the Stargate... and gone to visit Ra.  Let's hope Ra is a pipesmoker!  What will the Queen say?

Game Analysis
Unbalanced.  The Royal Society's firepower that can lay low an attacker. I need to reconsider my options.  Even when the Tong closed in Lord Randolph was able to reduce their numbers to the extent that they broke, and he had only a pocket pistol, his swordstick didn`t get used.  On the other flank the shotgun and two gun burst tactics totally destroyed the desert raiders, who were mostly gentlemen armed with swords (and only one of the Tong had a gun)  
Next time out the Society will face rifles, a weapon that out ranges them for a fairer game, possibly wielded by the Red Headed League of the infamous undercover Belgian Secret Service...