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...

Murder on the Desert Express

Following the events on the steamship Pride of Alexandria, the Royal Explorers Society have loaded the Golden Sarcophagus onto the overnight train to Luxor and the dig at the Valley of the King's.  They intend to take the Mummy home and rebury it.  Deep...

Unfortunately Agent TinTin of the Belgian Secret Service, and his so called Red Headed League have taken an interest, arranging for Desert Raiders to attack the train whilst their agents hidden aboard attempt to steal the Mummy.  No survivors!

The Secret Service have smuggled several agents onto the train, and the Royal Society must discover just who they are.  (By a dice roll within 6cm.)  Damn those underhand red headed Belgians...

Terrain template: The Desert Railway
A truly classic cinematic battleground where warring Companies could create absolute carnage. Do not forget running along the roof.
Benefits:Excellent service, great accommodation.
Hazards:Restricted space to manoeuvre. Falling out or off can be fatal. On the roof there are low bridges and other hazards to consider. The Collateral damage rule will apply (9.2.3).
Suggested Terrain:Pretty obvious.

The Game The Explorers must make their way from First Class to the baggage car.

5 Plot Points (Sequential)
·        Trouble on the footplate
·        Who shot the waiter?  Cold soup in the restaurant car
·        Second Class Salon... Assassins on the roof.
·        Third class ambush... the Red Headed League.
Major Plot Point·        The Baggage car and the red-headed traitor revealed.

Her Royal Britannic Majesty`s Explorers' Society 

Lord Randolph Farthingdale,

   Pistoleer, Patron

Dr Howard Parker, 
Encyclopedic Knowledge, Archaeology, pipe smoker

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

Jeebers the Valet, Marksman
Mrs Angelina Peele. Librarian, Gunfighter and Tomb Robber.

Other Passengers 
(One or more of these will be a Belgian Agent)

Mr Micheal Hucknall, wax cylinder salesman (Holding back the years)
Prince Harri of Ethiopia (don`t get me started)
The Dowager Lady Jilly Anderson and Miss Nicola Kidman, her nurse. (It's only love)
Mr D. Lewis and Mr E, Stoltz, shyster lawyers (fakes)
Lieutenant Grint of the Egyptian Army (money's too tight)
Mr Sheeran, umbrella salesman (on the A Team)
Mr Bettany, Missionary Preacher. (If you don't know him by now) Pistoleer

There is also a section of eight Egyptian Army Askaris in third class under Raqib (Sergeant) Ras Abulbar (Strongman)

Talents used in this game
Pistoleer, (3 shots/dice, hits with pistol on 5 or 6)
Patron (Wealth assists in campaign rolls)

Encyclopedic Knowledge (Plot point rolls on 4-6), 
Archaeology, (Related Plot Point rolls on 3-6)

Sword master (2 dice Melee hits 5 or 6)

Marksman (Rifle shot hits on 5 or 6)
Librarian, (Plot point rolls on 4-6)
Strongman (2 dice in melee hits 5 or 6)
Gunfighter (Two guns 3 shots/dice on each) 
Tomb Robber. (Related Plot Point rolls on 3-6)

When I decided to make the desert railway I wanted to do the same 2D/3D style I did for the steamship.  The trouble is that the carriages were so narrow that the first one I did (First class naturally) made handling the figures difficult.  It meant going for a more 2D template with the exception of first class and the engine itself.

Sixteen Desert Raiders on camels are placed to chase the train.  They only get three turns to get aboard and be replaced by dismounted figures, before the camels can'`t keep up (I am well aware that a train is generally considered to be faster than a camel, however I would point out that this is a Nineteenth Century Egyptian Railway, which wheezes rather than rumbles.)

The Raiders will have access to the roof and be able to drop down between carriages.   They are armed with Rifles and scimitars and lead by Abdul Abulbar, rogue and hero, brother and sworn enemy of the Egyptian Army Sergeant on the train.

His Lordship puts two bullets into Lt Grint.

Sheeran and Kidman are also revealed as Belgian spies... or is it possible the Royal Society are just killing random auburn haired individuals?

Jeebers the Valet takes command of the Askaris

And on the carriage rooftops Mrs Peele begins to kill the Raiders

In the baggage car...

Her Ladyship gets stuck in

And on the roof more killing...

Plot Point Five. Mrs Kidman appears... again... inexplicably...prepared to use her hatpin assassination technique. 

Lady D'Arcy steps up as his Lordship reloads

Kidman jumps from the carriage and is left behind

As the train slowly pulls away from the piles of dead bodies the Society Archeologist reflects on the day he has enjoyed...

Next Time with the Royal Explorers' Society: Trouble at Dr Howard Parker's Archeological dig in the Valley of the Mummy...

 

A Passage to Egypt

In our last episode Her Britannic Majesty's Explorers Club foiled the plans of Professor Chou En Ginsberg, MA (Failed) the Red Tong, in his attempt to steal an Egyptian Mummy being exhibited in the British Museum.  

 Accompanying the exhibits, now being returned to Cairo, along with the Museum Curator and a dowdy Librarian, the Explorers have taken the steamship Pride of Alexandria, and passage to Egypt to solve the Mystery...

 
As fate would have it the ship is actually under the control of the maniacal Prussian "the Brown Hatter," and his armoured troopers.  Not only that,  but the Red Tongs have stowed away and are determined to liberate the Mummy.

 SS. Pride of Alexandria

TERRAIN: THE STEAMER
The trade of empires and nations travels the globe in the holds of these rugged craft.
Benefits: The enemy has nowhere to escape, but then again, neither do you.
Hazards: Going overboard is probably fatal. Throwing grenades about near the hull could doom you all.
Suggested Terrain: Open decks, gantries, cranes, open holds, the bridge, mast etc.

The Game

5 Plot Points (Random Order)

·        The dead crewman

·        What's in those crates?

·        The Si-Fan Assassins

·        Attack from the Shadows

Major Plot Point

·        The Rise of the Occupant of the Golden Sarcophagus
 

Her Royal Britannic Majesty`s Explorers' Society 

Lord Randolph Farthingdale,

   Pistoleer, Patron

Dr Howard Parker, 
Encyclopedic Knowledge, Physician, Archaeologist.

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

Mr Jeebers the Valet, Marksman

The Tang terror

    Chou en Ginsberg and the Red Tongs

Professor Chou en Ginsberg B.A (Failed) the Tang Terror
Fah Lo Suee the Professor's manly daughter,
Dim Sum, the Professors number one dim son. 
Jack E. Chan, Martial Artist agent of the professor.
10 x Red Tongs, martial artists with oriental weapons
3 x Tigermen of the Si-Fan Assassins

The Hatter in his trademark brass picklehaube

    Der Braune Hutmacher und sein Gepanzert Truppe
The Brown Hatter, True Identity Unknown, in brass picklehaube.
Dr Brunel, mad inventor with spring loaded top hat
Hauptmann Jurgen Krupp of the Armoured Truppe... Sprinter, Napalm bomb chucker,
9 Armoured troopers with shock lances and arc pistols.

Mrs Angelina Peele and Sir Binky

     Mrs Angelina Peele (Librarian gunfighter and Tomb Robber) and Egyptologist Sir Binkey Snetterton-Winkle, Museum Curator and leather pouch collector.

Jeebers, his Lordship's Valet serves canapes in the first class lounge.

Out on deck the Royal Society discover plot point one (it clearly says so) a dead crewman

But the result at Plot Point Two is not so favourable.  Si fan Assassins

The Fight for Plot Point two over three rounds.  Lord Farthingdale empties his revolver hitting three times, Lady Jamelia cuts the head from one assassin, whilst even Jeebers kills one.  Dr Parker... enjoys his pipe...

On the deck we meet the Librarian and the Museum Curator out to take the air... after all that shooting?  Really?

But its "attack from the shadows" as the Brown Hatter's men trigger the next plot point.  Jurgen Kruppe of the Armoured truppe prepares to lob a napalm grenade into the deck passage

The Curator fails his pluck roll and is blown overboard.  Oh dear!

One of those Oh! moments. Mrs Angelina Peele, Librarian, produces two automatic pistols and blazes away, clearing Kruppe and his men from the bridge wing.  She is immediately invited to join the Royal Society.

Bypassing the bridge the Explorers go for the forward hold.

But the forward hold hides a deadly secret.  The Red Tong are hiding in crates, and appear wielding their angry choppers.  Lady Jamelia goes into action with her Indian sword, whilst His Lordship and the gunfighting Librarian blaze away.  Jeebers snipes from the deck level.

Dr Parker goes to plot point three to enjoy a quiet pipe whilst the shooting is all going on.  He rolls a 6 and in a moment of epiphany discovers the truth about the Golden Sarcophagus.  Running back to the hold he shouts "Don`t open the box!"

But oops, its Plot point five and the last tong opened the box.  Imhotep and his mummy mates rise up.  Time to retreat!

You have to hand it to Dr Brunell, as he lobs an exploding clockwork top hat down onto the Mummies.  

But drawing Imhoptep's attention was probably a mistake, as the Mummies swarm the bridge

The Mummies make short work of the Brown Hatter and his men, but they are weakened.

Last stand in the First Class Salon.

The gunfighting Librarian blows the head off one of the Mummies, whilst Her ladyship gets the other one with her sword. 

Dr Parker claims the last plot point, making a 5 out of 5 win for the Royal Society.  He rolls terribly, and fails to notice that those mummies are not quite dead.  I mean they are dead, but also pretty much not.  He decides that the Explorers must take the Golden Sarcophagus back to the Royal Societies dig in the Valley of the Kings.  Game five will be  Murder on the Desert Express...

    A preview of game five and my scratch built 2D/3D desert railway engine.  Dr Howard Parker relaxes with his pipe on the footplate.  Just what is the boy smoking?