Following the adventure, I rolled for advancement for the characters. Throckmorton and Cordelia had been rendered out of the fight so neither of them was permitted to roll for their Star Power, but all the characters were allowed to roll for their Rep. Geoff was the only one to succeed at this, so he is now Rep 5.
Throckmorton rolled for his Shooting, Melee and Influence skills because he had successfully used them. He increased his Melee and Influence to 5 but failed to increase his Shooting.
Cordelia successfully used her Archaeology and Ancient Egyptian but failed to score an advancement on either of them.
All characters then rolled for new skills but none acquired them. With this bit of final book-keeping out of the way, they are all ready to go on their next adventure. What will it be? Lost Vikings? Yetis in the Himalayas? An encounter with She Who Must Be Obeyed? Or possibly the return of Kamenwati?
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
Showdown
After what seemed like months trekking through the jungle, the daring heroes eventually broke through into the mountains of Abyssinia. Cordelia had been studying the scrolls they had found constantly and now it seemed that she understood them much better. They had made camp the night before on a hill which provided a good vantage point. There had once been a village here and the remains of the huts provided some shelter, which they were able to improve with materials that were lying around. Thus, with safety and comfort assured, they were able to spend a peaceful night.
The following morning, as they ate their breakfast, Cordelia was engrossed in the scrolls she had found. She had actually been up half the night studying them too. While not normally a garrulous type, she was positively non-communicative when ruminating over an archaeological problem. Suddenly she paused with her tea-cup part way to her mouth. SHe looked up and around before turning to Throckmorton, "What do virgin's breasts look like?"
The Colonel was stunned and turned scarlet with embarrassment. What kind of a question was that? I mean, such a discussion might well be expected in the barracks between a pair of privates, but a well-bred lady should not be asking such things. Behind the Colonel, Geoff's normally expressionless face twitched briefly as what passed for a smile crossed it. Throckmorton spluttered into his tea a bit and hummed and hawed until Cordelia continued, "Would you say that those two hills over there look like a virgin's breasts, Throckmorton? This scroll says that the way to the crown lies between the virgin's breasts."
"Well, um, ah, I can't say that I have specifically examined any virgin's breasts," stammered the Colonel, embarrassed beyond all recognition. "I suppose that one might consider those hills to resemble such a thing."
With the shape of a virgin's breasts agreed, they set out through the jungle in that direction. The distance to cross was not vast, but any journey through the jungle would always be slow. It was the nature of such expeditions that they often covered less than five miles in a day and inevitably involved some back-tracking and much cursing from the porters.
Several days later, they had reached their objective. The pass between the two hills was devoid of trees, so they could see across the canopy of trees to the surrounding mountains. This whole area was enclosed by mountains, forming a bowl, within which people must live. They could see the tips of three pyramids jutting majestically above the trees, and smoke rose from many places around the bowl, indicating settlements. The distance to the far mountains must be ten miles at least, so this whole place looked like an enclosed world, cut off from the outside world apart from this one pass leading in. Cordelia examined the area and then said, "Our goal lies where lines drawn from the antelope's head, the hippopotamus' back and the tallest peak converge. Geoff, we shall need you to map our route to there and guide us in."
"Yes, Miss Baxendale," came the response. She had often told him to call her Cordelia, but he resolutely refused to be so informal. Geoff led the way. The other two were experienced travelers and explorers, but would still have become lost in the gloom beneath the forest canopy. Geoff's unerring instinct for a trail kept them right though. Occasionally they had to make detours past small settlements of mud huts with grass roofs. They did so quickly and quietly, sometimes getting a glimpse of sultry maidens, naked to the waist but with the heads of cats, or stolid dwarfish creatures that looked more hewn from rock than born. The people of this area were clearly not of human stock. The only humans they glimpsed on their travels were poor things, dirty and downtrodden. They were more beasts of burden than people but there was nothing that our heroes could do for them at this time so they pressed on. Eventually they reached a small clearing. A collection of ramshackle huts stood to one side of a pair of obelisks and a large plinth with five golden sphinxes on it. Behind these was a large circular gate of ancient design. This object was clearly older than anything else in the clearing, but rusty stains in front of it bore mute evidence to sacrifice and ritual. Throckmorton shuddered at the thought that human beings might have been slain here to appease some nameless god. Then he realised that the being called Kamenwati was already here. Time to gird my loins, thought Throckmorton. He drew his trusty Webley and told the others to ready themselves. Kamenwati had obviously followed similar clues to those that the three heroes had followed, but he had not recovered the crown yet. Well, that was a bonus. Better yet, Kamenwati appeared to be alone. That would certainly make things easier.
I deployed both of Kamenwati's followers but the die rolls called for them to be moved off-table. The die rolls permitted Geoff and Cordelia to remain where they had been deployed.
Geoff moved through the huts to the left of the hawk-headed beast, while Cordelia and Throckmorton moved directly towards Kamenwati through the long grass and brush. Kamenwati saw them coming and bellowed, "I warned thee not to meddle, now it will go the worse for thee. Thy flesh shall be stripped from thy bones as thou yet lives. Thy woman shall be a plaything for my soldiers and thy servant shall learn the nature of true hard labour as he constructs my resting place!"
"I care not one jot for your rantings, beast," muttered Throckmorton in return as he advanced to the nearest obelisk. He raised his trusty Webley and let rip. His shot ricocheted from the arch-beast's armour, and Kamenwati stood unflinching. Meanwhile Geoff had been working his way through the ruined village. He took up position behind a tree and raised his rifle for a shot. Once more sparks flew from the armour but the huge hawk-headed monster was unphased. He shouted once and a soldier ran up with his bow and fired an arrow that bounced off one of the golden sphinxes near Cordelia. A maiden with a hawk's head also appeared, moving quickly through the trees towards. Geoff.
The bird maiden failed her fast move roll completely, otherwise she would have been in melee with Geoff on her first move.
With his followers attacking, Kamenwati ran full tilt at Throckmorton, screeching out a hideous battle cry. Kamenwati's huge sword crashed into the obelisk as Throckmorton ducked and chunks of stone showered the pair of them. His sword stick was not going to be able to parry that thing. The hawk maiden screeched a challenge and veritably flew at Geoff. Her sword cut down for his head, he ducked and rapidly brought his rifle butt up to her chin. She fell to the floor wounded. Overcoming his qualms, Geoff laid her out properly with another blow to the head. The archer fired again and once more hit the golden sphinx beside Cordelia's head. Cordelia's return shot also went wide. By now, Geoff had moved to join her but his shots at the archer were no more effective than hers had been at him.
After wounding the bird maiden, the heroes won the initiative so Geoff was able to put the bird maiden out of the fight immediately. Had they not won, then she would have been back on her feet attacking him.
Kamenwati poured a flurry of blows down on Throckmorton, but the heroic Colonel ducked and weaved between the blows as he sought a chance to land his own point on the creature. With one particularly vicious blow the creature left its side open. Throckmorton lunged but Kamenwati turned at the last moment and his armour took the blow instead. Throckmorton quickly turned his lunge into a cut for the beast's head. Blood spurted from a deep wound and the creature staggered back, leaping to its feet almost immediately. Enraged, Kamenwati renewed his assault on the Colonel. Blood dripped into his eye but the fury of his assault was undiminished, but Throckmorton's cooler head told and he opened a wound in Kamenwati's thigh. The hawk-man's leg gave way under him but he was immediately back on his feet to slice at the Colonel once more. Shocked by the savagery of this attack and by a cry from behind him as Cordelia was hit by an arrow, Throckmorton nearly did not duck in time and his pith helmet was knocked from his head by a blow that might have taken his head off. He quickly gathered himself, ducked under the massive bronze sword and planted the point of his sword in Kamenwati's arm. The immense hawk-creature was now pouring blood and showed signs of slowing but he was by no means done.
Here we see Throckmorton wounding Kamenwati a couple of times. Each time Kamenwati's Star Power failed to stop all the damage, but he managed to pass enough dice on the crisis test to get back on his feet immediately.
Behind the Colonel, the archer had hit Cordelia with an arrow but she shrugged its effects off, even though blood was flowing from her shoulder. Geoff was laying down fire as fast as he could at the archer, but it was all sound and fury. Not one shot hit the hawk soldier. A second arrow struck Cordelia and she fell like a pole-axed steer. Geoff immediately ducked behind the cover of the sphinxes. This was a bit much for him.
Cordelia failed a crisis test for being wounded and went OOF. Geoff promptly failed his crisis test and ducked back.
Quick as a flash, Throckmorton leapt onto the wounded Kamenwati and thumped him mightily, knocking him right out. Enraged by the treatment meted out to the fair Miss Baxendale, Geoff jumped up and leapt over the sphinxes, intent on dishing out some justice to the archer, who showed no signs of remorse for his actions. The archer was caught flat-footed at this and Geoff's righteous rifle butt put paid to the archer's intention of hurting anyone else.
Again the heroes won the initiative at the right time. With Kamenwati wounded and on the floor, Throckmorton was able to put him OOF immediately Geoff got lucky against the archer and wounded him. The archer failed his crisis test and was OOF. Victory to the heroes.
With their foes unconscious, Throckmorton and Geoff quickly tied them up and saw to Cordelia. Although she had been wounded, it was not serious and she was soon on her feet. With the enemy out of the way, the group searched large gateway. Cordelia's interpretation of the scrolls and the hieroglyphs on the two huge obelisks indicated that the crown was concealed below it. Close examination showed that there was a large hollow beneath the main stones, and the Feathered Fetish was indeed in a cedarwood box within that recess. It was a large crown in the Egyptian style. Golden feathers surrounded it in a shining halo that would make the wearer seem at least a foot or two taller than they were. There was an indefinable aura about the crown, which suggested that it had sat on the heads of some of the most powerful kings that had ever lived. It was a truly awesome piece and the British Museum would pay handsomely for it.
"Now," said Throckmorton, "Let's go home. I have a yearning for jam and scones, and a fine cup of Oolong, right after we drop this thing off at the BM. I imagine some Egyptologists will be quite interested in it."
The three heroes packed up their kit and got ready to set off. It was only at this point they noticed that their captives were no longer there. Two sets of footprints had left a trail disappearing into the trees. Bloody scuff marks in the dirt showed where they had dragged something, or someone, with them.
"Hmm, that's dashed awkward," mused the Colonel, "Right, we had better get cracking in case they come after us. Chop, chop, people, let's get going."
Throckmorton was lucky in his combat with Kamenwati. His star power saved him a lot of hurt, unlike Kamenwati's star power, which failed him when he most needed it. Although he was out of the fight, his "Hard as Nails" power kicked in, so he kept fighting. However, his Rep was reduced and Throckmorton was able to reduce it further until Kamenwati was reduced to Rep2. Throckmorton then won the initiative and was able to subdue Kamenwati automatically. Geoff's shooting was abysmal, despite getting a lot of dice for it. He was much better in melee, despite having fewer dice than his opponents. Cordelia's shooting was poor, as expected and she was unlucky in being hit twice by the archer. Overall, it could have gone very badly for our heroes, but luck was on the side of the righteous this time. Next time may be a different story ...
The Heroes:
Throckmorton
Cordelia
Geoff
The Villains:
Kamenwati (Rep 5 Villain)
Bird Maiden (Rep 4 Femme Fatale)
Archer (Rep 3 Soldier)
Travel to Lost World on foot.
Final Showdown at location of the Feathered Fetish
The following morning, as they ate their breakfast, Cordelia was engrossed in the scrolls she had found. She had actually been up half the night studying them too. While not normally a garrulous type, she was positively non-communicative when ruminating over an archaeological problem. Suddenly she paused with her tea-cup part way to her mouth. SHe looked up and around before turning to Throckmorton, "What do virgin's breasts look like?"
The Colonel was stunned and turned scarlet with embarrassment. What kind of a question was that? I mean, such a discussion might well be expected in the barracks between a pair of privates, but a well-bred lady should not be asking such things. Behind the Colonel, Geoff's normally expressionless face twitched briefly as what passed for a smile crossed it. Throckmorton spluttered into his tea a bit and hummed and hawed until Cordelia continued, "Would you say that those two hills over there look like a virgin's breasts, Throckmorton? This scroll says that the way to the crown lies between the virgin's breasts."
"Well, um, ah, I can't say that I have specifically examined any virgin's breasts," stammered the Colonel, embarrassed beyond all recognition. "I suppose that one might consider those hills to resemble such a thing."
With the shape of a virgin's breasts agreed, they set out through the jungle in that direction. The distance to cross was not vast, but any journey through the jungle would always be slow. It was the nature of such expeditions that they often covered less than five miles in a day and inevitably involved some back-tracking and much cursing from the porters.
Several days later, they had reached their objective. The pass between the two hills was devoid of trees, so they could see across the canopy of trees to the surrounding mountains. This whole area was enclosed by mountains, forming a bowl, within which people must live. They could see the tips of three pyramids jutting majestically above the trees, and smoke rose from many places around the bowl, indicating settlements. The distance to the far mountains must be ten miles at least, so this whole place looked like an enclosed world, cut off from the outside world apart from this one pass leading in. Cordelia examined the area and then said, "Our goal lies where lines drawn from the antelope's head, the hippopotamus' back and the tallest peak converge. Geoff, we shall need you to map our route to there and guide us in."
"Yes, Miss Baxendale," came the response. She had often told him to call her Cordelia, but he resolutely refused to be so informal. Geoff led the way. The other two were experienced travelers and explorers, but would still have become lost in the gloom beneath the forest canopy. Geoff's unerring instinct for a trail kept them right though. Occasionally they had to make detours past small settlements of mud huts with grass roofs. They did so quickly and quietly, sometimes getting a glimpse of sultry maidens, naked to the waist but with the heads of cats, or stolid dwarfish creatures that looked more hewn from rock than born. The people of this area were clearly not of human stock. The only humans they glimpsed on their travels were poor things, dirty and downtrodden. They were more beasts of burden than people but there was nothing that our heroes could do for them at this time so they pressed on. Eventually they reached a small clearing. A collection of ramshackle huts stood to one side of a pair of obelisks and a large plinth with five golden sphinxes on it. Behind these was a large circular gate of ancient design. This object was clearly older than anything else in the clearing, but rusty stains in front of it bore mute evidence to sacrifice and ritual. Throckmorton shuddered at the thought that human beings might have been slain here to appease some nameless god. Then he realised that the being called Kamenwati was already here. Time to gird my loins, thought Throckmorton. He drew his trusty Webley and told the others to ready themselves. Kamenwati had obviously followed similar clues to those that the three heroes had followed, but he had not recovered the crown yet. Well, that was a bonus. Better yet, Kamenwati appeared to be alone. That would certainly make things easier.
I deployed both of Kamenwati's followers but the die rolls called for them to be moved off-table. The die rolls permitted Geoff and Cordelia to remain where they had been deployed.
Geoff moved through the huts to the left of the hawk-headed beast, while Cordelia and Throckmorton moved directly towards Kamenwati through the long grass and brush. Kamenwati saw them coming and bellowed, "I warned thee not to meddle, now it will go the worse for thee. Thy flesh shall be stripped from thy bones as thou yet lives. Thy woman shall be a plaything for my soldiers and thy servant shall learn the nature of true hard labour as he constructs my resting place!"
"I care not one jot for your rantings, beast," muttered Throckmorton in return as he advanced to the nearest obelisk. He raised his trusty Webley and let rip. His shot ricocheted from the arch-beast's armour, and Kamenwati stood unflinching. Meanwhile Geoff had been working his way through the ruined village. He took up position behind a tree and raised his rifle for a shot. Once more sparks flew from the armour but the huge hawk-headed monster was unphased. He shouted once and a soldier ran up with his bow and fired an arrow that bounced off one of the golden sphinxes near Cordelia. A maiden with a hawk's head also appeared, moving quickly through the trees towards. Geoff.
The bird maiden failed her fast move roll completely, otherwise she would have been in melee with Geoff on her first move.
With his followers attacking, Kamenwati ran full tilt at Throckmorton, screeching out a hideous battle cry. Kamenwati's huge sword crashed into the obelisk as Throckmorton ducked and chunks of stone showered the pair of them. His sword stick was not going to be able to parry that thing. The hawk maiden screeched a challenge and veritably flew at Geoff. Her sword cut down for his head, he ducked and rapidly brought his rifle butt up to her chin. She fell to the floor wounded. Overcoming his qualms, Geoff laid her out properly with another blow to the head. The archer fired again and once more hit the golden sphinx beside Cordelia's head. Cordelia's return shot also went wide. By now, Geoff had moved to join her but his shots at the archer were no more effective than hers had been at him.
After wounding the bird maiden, the heroes won the initiative so Geoff was able to put the bird maiden out of the fight immediately. Had they not won, then she would have been back on her feet attacking him.
Kamenwati poured a flurry of blows down on Throckmorton, but the heroic Colonel ducked and weaved between the blows as he sought a chance to land his own point on the creature. With one particularly vicious blow the creature left its side open. Throckmorton lunged but Kamenwati turned at the last moment and his armour took the blow instead. Throckmorton quickly turned his lunge into a cut for the beast's head. Blood spurted from a deep wound and the creature staggered back, leaping to its feet almost immediately. Enraged, Kamenwati renewed his assault on the Colonel. Blood dripped into his eye but the fury of his assault was undiminished, but Throckmorton's cooler head told and he opened a wound in Kamenwati's thigh. The hawk-man's leg gave way under him but he was immediately back on his feet to slice at the Colonel once more. Shocked by the savagery of this attack and by a cry from behind him as Cordelia was hit by an arrow, Throckmorton nearly did not duck in time and his pith helmet was knocked from his head by a blow that might have taken his head off. He quickly gathered himself, ducked under the massive bronze sword and planted the point of his sword in Kamenwati's arm. The immense hawk-creature was now pouring blood and showed signs of slowing but he was by no means done.
Here we see Throckmorton wounding Kamenwati a couple of times. Each time Kamenwati's Star Power failed to stop all the damage, but he managed to pass enough dice on the crisis test to get back on his feet immediately.
Behind the Colonel, the archer had hit Cordelia with an arrow but she shrugged its effects off, even though blood was flowing from her shoulder. Geoff was laying down fire as fast as he could at the archer, but it was all sound and fury. Not one shot hit the hawk soldier. A second arrow struck Cordelia and she fell like a pole-axed steer. Geoff immediately ducked behind the cover of the sphinxes. This was a bit much for him.
Cordelia failed a crisis test for being wounded and went OOF. Geoff promptly failed his crisis test and ducked back.
Quick as a flash, Throckmorton leapt onto the wounded Kamenwati and thumped him mightily, knocking him right out. Enraged by the treatment meted out to the fair Miss Baxendale, Geoff jumped up and leapt over the sphinxes, intent on dishing out some justice to the archer, who showed no signs of remorse for his actions. The archer was caught flat-footed at this and Geoff's righteous rifle butt put paid to the archer's intention of hurting anyone else.
Again the heroes won the initiative at the right time. With Kamenwati wounded and on the floor, Throckmorton was able to put him OOF immediately Geoff got lucky against the archer and wounded him. The archer failed his crisis test and was OOF. Victory to the heroes.
With their foes unconscious, Throckmorton and Geoff quickly tied them up and saw to Cordelia. Although she had been wounded, it was not serious and she was soon on her feet. With the enemy out of the way, the group searched large gateway. Cordelia's interpretation of the scrolls and the hieroglyphs on the two huge obelisks indicated that the crown was concealed below it. Close examination showed that there was a large hollow beneath the main stones, and the Feathered Fetish was indeed in a cedarwood box within that recess. It was a large crown in the Egyptian style. Golden feathers surrounded it in a shining halo that would make the wearer seem at least a foot or two taller than they were. There was an indefinable aura about the crown, which suggested that it had sat on the heads of some of the most powerful kings that had ever lived. It was a truly awesome piece and the British Museum would pay handsomely for it.
"Now," said Throckmorton, "Let's go home. I have a yearning for jam and scones, and a fine cup of Oolong, right after we drop this thing off at the BM. I imagine some Egyptologists will be quite interested in it."
The three heroes packed up their kit and got ready to set off. It was only at this point they noticed that their captives were no longer there. Two sets of footprints had left a trail disappearing into the trees. Bloody scuff marks in the dirt showed where they had dragged something, or someone, with them.
"Hmm, that's dashed awkward," mused the Colonel, "Right, we had better get cracking in case they come after us. Chop, chop, people, let's get going."
Throckmorton was lucky in his combat with Kamenwati. His star power saved him a lot of hurt, unlike Kamenwati's star power, which failed him when he most needed it. Although he was out of the fight, his "Hard as Nails" power kicked in, so he kept fighting. However, his Rep was reduced and Throckmorton was able to reduce it further until Kamenwati was reduced to Rep2. Throckmorton then won the initiative and was able to subdue Kamenwati automatically. Geoff's shooting was abysmal, despite getting a lot of dice for it. He was much better in melee, despite having fewer dice than his opponents. Cordelia's shooting was poor, as expected and she was unlucky in being hit twice by the archer. Overall, it could have gone very badly for our heroes, but luck was on the side of the righteous this time. Next time may be a different story ...
The Heroes:
Throckmorton
Cordelia
Geoff
The Villains:
Kamenwati (Rep 5 Villain)
Bird Maiden (Rep 4 Femme Fatale)
Archer (Rep 3 Soldier)
Travel to Lost World on foot.
Final Showdown at location of the Feathered Fetish
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Into The Jungle
With the information about the crown in their hands, Throckmorton and his team sailed southwards. Eventually the boat could take them no further. They had followed the Nyle as far the boat could go and were well into Sudan now. This was a dangerous land, as General Gordon had discovered, but they still continued warily on foot through the thickly forested areas alongside the Nyle looking for further information about the crown. If they could find it before Kamenwati then they could forestall his plans. Despite the scrolls, which gave valuable information about the crown, they could not locate it.
Travel to jungle
Find an object: DF4 (Fail)
Travel to jungle
Find an object: DF4 (Fail)
Monday, 18 May 2009
Text Me
As they sailed southwards, they passed ancient ruins on both sides of the Nyle. Less frequently they passed small villages with goats milling around beside them. They passed few boats and there was no sign of Kamenwati's barge. This far south Aegypt was largely a wasteland now. Once it had been the home of a thriving empire that ruled much of North Africa, but now the ancient gods had abandoned it and left it to moulder and slowly die. The Nyle still flooded every year. The farmers could still plant their crops and be sure of a good harvest. They could still fish the waters of the Nyle and be sure of a good catch. But, the money was all in the north, in Alexandria and Cairo. The farmers in the south were those that hung on and lived a simple lifestyle. Many of their children left for the cities, only to fall prey to the vices of the city when they arrived. British occupation was a mixed blessing. It brought money, but it also brought other problems and it focused all its effort in the areas most accessible to British fleets and British merchants. Throckmorton was pragmatic. He understood the problems of empire and recognised its failings as well as its advantages and he had plenty of time to muse on this and other problems as they travelled.
A few days after his escape from the hawk-headed warriors, Throckmorton sighted a ruin near the bank of the Nyle. This one looked like it had not been dug out by antiquarians yet. He ordered Osman to land near it so that he and his intrepid cohorts could investigate further. The trio jumped ashore, leaving Osman to tend to his boat. They were wary after the last attack.
As they approached, they recognised the ruins as the remains of a mastaba tomb and a large one at that. Someone of importance must have been buried here. The tomb was mostly buried under sand now but two small obelisks remained visible flanking the main entrance. Cordelia rushed over to examine them while Geoff carefully scanned their surroundings for signs of attack. Throckmorton took out his pipe and lit it. It looked like they might be here a while and he might as well settle down.
The hieroglyphs on the obelisks had been scoured by the wind and sand over the ages. It was hard to make out what they said. As far as she could tell, this was the tomb of Emuishere the Fleet of Foot, a Harbinger of Bastet. There was no explanation of what being a Harbinger of Bastet meant though and the context did not clarify anything. The deeds of this Emuishere were manifold according to the obelisks. She had been a great warrior; well, that was novel, a woman warrior. It was certainly not unheard of but Aegyptian culture had no previously recorded woman warriors that Cordelia knew of. Most of her deeds seemed to relate to keeping Aegypt safe from the minions of the Eater of the Dead. This was indeed passing strange. These deeds seemed to read like a penny dreadful and not real archaeology.
Cordelia made up her mind as she worked her way through the writings on the obelisks.
"Colonel, we must enter this tomb and investigate further. This is not your usual tomb and I have a feeling that it relates to our quest. Osman's ancestor may well have been right, even if Osman cannot himself remember the details."
Time to break out the shovels then. They spent the rest of the day clearing sand from the tomb entrance. The overnight camp was uneventful and by midday the following day they were able to enter the tomb. Inside the tomb was brightly painted, although the paint quickly faded as it came into contact with modern air. Still, it was possible to see that the tomb was once as well-decorated as any of the pharaoh's tombs. It was also a maze of tunnels and they could not find the main burial chamber at all. Cordelia was frustrated. To find this and not be able to investigate it fully was torture for her enquiring mind. Still, she did glean more of Emuishere's tale. The paintings depicted this woman warrior fighting hordes of creatures that looked like mummies in the paintings. Most of the people were depicted with the heads of animals too, like Kamenwati.
In an urn in one of the chambers they found a series of half a dozen copper scrolls. The atmosphere in the tomb had preserved the scrolls beautifully and there was not a trace of patina on them. They could not find the main chamber, but perhaps Cordelia could return and investigate properly at a later date. These scrolls might well be more valuable than the gold that probably lay with the embalmed remains of Emuishere.
It took some time to interpret the scrolls. The hieroglyphs were more ornate and developed than those that Cordelia was used to, and the language, while similar to ancient Aegyptian, was different in many subtle ways. The texts described more of Emuishere's deeds. She seemed to have led a life completely dedicated to warfare. There was no mention anywhere of a husband or children, just service to her goddess. Perhaps she was some kind of priestess, but why would the goddess of love have warrior priestesses? This was never made clear. Then suddenly Cordelia came across a section that mentioned the Feathered Crown of Aegyptus. Throckmorton had mentioned that Kamenwati wanted this crown as a prelude to his plans for domination of Aegypt. The object described was a large headdress with a halo of golden feathers fronted by the uraeus, clearly a symbolic linking of the protective powers of Isis and the Aegyptian vulture with the spitting cobra image that was a sign of royalty. The scroll told of how this crown was imbued with powers that granted the wearer dominion over all that gazed upon him. It was a symbol of the godhead of the wearer and simultaneously granted the wearer the status of a god, or did that read that it made them into a god? The language was difficult and Cordelia stumbled over it. Still, it was clear that this crown was a tribal fetish of some description and that it would grant influence over those that believed in its power.
As she explained all this to Throckmorton, it became increasingly clear that the crown might well be the focus of the tribal unrest in the south. They would have to keep going and search out Kamenwati himself. This time they would defeat him, seize the crown and return to His Majesty for safekeeping.
Find an object: DF 1 (Succeed easily)
Get the clue: DF 4 (Succeed with difficulty)
10 Clues
A few days after his escape from the hawk-headed warriors, Throckmorton sighted a ruin near the bank of the Nyle. This one looked like it had not been dug out by antiquarians yet. He ordered Osman to land near it so that he and his intrepid cohorts could investigate further. The trio jumped ashore, leaving Osman to tend to his boat. They were wary after the last attack.
As they approached, they recognised the ruins as the remains of a mastaba tomb and a large one at that. Someone of importance must have been buried here. The tomb was mostly buried under sand now but two small obelisks remained visible flanking the main entrance. Cordelia rushed over to examine them while Geoff carefully scanned their surroundings for signs of attack. Throckmorton took out his pipe and lit it. It looked like they might be here a while and he might as well settle down.
The hieroglyphs on the obelisks had been scoured by the wind and sand over the ages. It was hard to make out what they said. As far as she could tell, this was the tomb of Emuishere the Fleet of Foot, a Harbinger of Bastet. There was no explanation of what being a Harbinger of Bastet meant though and the context did not clarify anything. The deeds of this Emuishere were manifold according to the obelisks. She had been a great warrior; well, that was novel, a woman warrior. It was certainly not unheard of but Aegyptian culture had no previously recorded woman warriors that Cordelia knew of. Most of her deeds seemed to relate to keeping Aegypt safe from the minions of the Eater of the Dead. This was indeed passing strange. These deeds seemed to read like a penny dreadful and not real archaeology.
Cordelia made up her mind as she worked her way through the writings on the obelisks.
"Colonel, we must enter this tomb and investigate further. This is not your usual tomb and I have a feeling that it relates to our quest. Osman's ancestor may well have been right, even if Osman cannot himself remember the details."
Time to break out the shovels then. They spent the rest of the day clearing sand from the tomb entrance. The overnight camp was uneventful and by midday the following day they were able to enter the tomb. Inside the tomb was brightly painted, although the paint quickly faded as it came into contact with modern air. Still, it was possible to see that the tomb was once as well-decorated as any of the pharaoh's tombs. It was also a maze of tunnels and they could not find the main burial chamber at all. Cordelia was frustrated. To find this and not be able to investigate it fully was torture for her enquiring mind. Still, she did glean more of Emuishere's tale. The paintings depicted this woman warrior fighting hordes of creatures that looked like mummies in the paintings. Most of the people were depicted with the heads of animals too, like Kamenwati.
In an urn in one of the chambers they found a series of half a dozen copper scrolls. The atmosphere in the tomb had preserved the scrolls beautifully and there was not a trace of patina on them. They could not find the main chamber, but perhaps Cordelia could return and investigate properly at a later date. These scrolls might well be more valuable than the gold that probably lay with the embalmed remains of Emuishere.
It took some time to interpret the scrolls. The hieroglyphs were more ornate and developed than those that Cordelia was used to, and the language, while similar to ancient Aegyptian, was different in many subtle ways. The texts described more of Emuishere's deeds. She seemed to have led a life completely dedicated to warfare. There was no mention anywhere of a husband or children, just service to her goddess. Perhaps she was some kind of priestess, but why would the goddess of love have warrior priestesses? This was never made clear. Then suddenly Cordelia came across a section that mentioned the Feathered Crown of Aegyptus. Throckmorton had mentioned that Kamenwati wanted this crown as a prelude to his plans for domination of Aegypt. The object described was a large headdress with a halo of golden feathers fronted by the uraeus, clearly a symbolic linking of the protective powers of Isis and the Aegyptian vulture with the spitting cobra image that was a sign of royalty. The scroll told of how this crown was imbued with powers that granted the wearer dominion over all that gazed upon him. It was a symbol of the godhead of the wearer and simultaneously granted the wearer the status of a god, or did that read that it made them into a god? The language was difficult and Cordelia stumbled over it. Still, it was clear that this crown was a tribal fetish of some description and that it would grant influence over those that believed in its power.
As she explained all this to Throckmorton, it became increasingly clear that the crown might well be the focus of the tribal unrest in the south. They would have to keep going and search out Kamenwati himself. This time they would defeat him, seize the crown and return to His Majesty for safekeeping.
Find an object: DF 1 (Succeed easily)
Get the clue: DF 4 (Succeed with difficulty)
10 Clues
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Talk Me To Death
Throckmorton came to. His head was throbbing.
"I suppose I should be grateful that he only used the flat of his blade on me," he thought.
Looking around, he saw that he was on a barge on the Nyle surrounded by hawk-faced warriors. The warrior called Kamenwati was seated on a large ebony throne at one end of the barge. Humans were chained to the oars of the barge and were rowing as though their lives depended upon it. Perhaps they did. The welts on their backs certainly indicated that the overseer was merciless. Seeing that Throckmorton was awake, Kamenwati rose to his feet and came forward to address him.
"So, foolish mortal, thou thought that thou could'st steal our sacred artefacts and drive us from our land, this very Aegyptus. Be glad that thou wilt not see the end of thy nation's dominion in this land. The Nyle calls to us and I have risen to its call. I shall lead our forces against thy troops and crush them under my chariot wheels. My people are ready to follow me. We are preparing the way. Once I have the Feathered Crown of all Aegyptus I shall be as a god unto my people once more and thou shalt be naught but an ant to be crushed under my sandals."
Kamenwati ranted on in similar vein. It was painful to listen to and Throckmorton suffered greatly as a result, but at least he was well in body, even if his brain was hurting now. While Kamenwati was ranting, Throckmorton was working his bonds. to see if he could get his hands free.
Kamenwati won the Talk Me to Death test by 1 success so Throckmorton suffered but was not killed out of hand.
As Kamenwati extolled his own strength and glory, Throckmorton was able to slip a hand free from the rawhide ropes that bound him. In the heat he was sweating somewhat and his sweat helped the ropes expand a little. With his hands free Throckmorton thought he might now stand a chance. Kamenwati had started strutting backwards and forwards as he ranted. The warriors were all watching Kamenwati now. Their eyes reflected the predatory look of their leader. As Kamenwati turned his back on him to stride back down the barge in masterful fashion, Throckmorton saw his opportunity. His feet were still bound but he leapt to his feet and dived for the side of the barge. Throckmorton stumbled as he hopped but still managed to tumble over the side before the warriors could catch him.
Both scored the same number of successes on the Escape table so the character escapes. Cue the chase scene.
Just before he hit the water, Throckmorton took a deep breath. He allowed himself to sink below the barge, while he removed the rope from his ankles. Then, his chest starting to feel tight, he struck out under the heavy silt-laden Nyle waters towards the bank and the reed beds that lined it. Above the water, the warriors were in uproar, although Throckmorton could hear nothing of this. Nor did he hear Kamenwati yell, "Catch him, you fools!"
By the time he reached the reed beds, Throckmorton's chest was burning. He doubted he could ever reach them without surfacing, but still he forced himself to try. He could see the reeds ahead and with his lungs bursting, Throckmorton surfaced among them. He gasped and spluttered as he got air into his lungs. Looking back the way he had come, he could see the warriors in uproar on the barge but they had not spotted him. He moved carefully away from the barge through the reeds for what seemed like an age before he lost sight of it, but eventually he succeeded.
Geoff and Cordelia had decided the continue their quest. They had agreed that the best way to find Throckmorton was to find the object of their quest. Clearly the warrior they had encountered was involved somewhere. Therefore, they believed that if they found one they would find the others. So, it was a great surprise when they were hailed in English from the shore by a rather bedraggled Throckmorton.
Throckmorton beat the warriors on the Chase table and escaped with no consequences for himself. Back to looking for clues now.
"I suppose I should be grateful that he only used the flat of his blade on me," he thought.
Looking around, he saw that he was on a barge on the Nyle surrounded by hawk-faced warriors. The warrior called Kamenwati was seated on a large ebony throne at one end of the barge. Humans were chained to the oars of the barge and were rowing as though their lives depended upon it. Perhaps they did. The welts on their backs certainly indicated that the overseer was merciless. Seeing that Throckmorton was awake, Kamenwati rose to his feet and came forward to address him.
"So, foolish mortal, thou thought that thou could'st steal our sacred artefacts and drive us from our land, this very Aegyptus. Be glad that thou wilt not see the end of thy nation's dominion in this land. The Nyle calls to us and I have risen to its call. I shall lead our forces against thy troops and crush them under my chariot wheels. My people are ready to follow me. We are preparing the way. Once I have the Feathered Crown of all Aegyptus I shall be as a god unto my people once more and thou shalt be naught but an ant to be crushed under my sandals."
Kamenwati ranted on in similar vein. It was painful to listen to and Throckmorton suffered greatly as a result, but at least he was well in body, even if his brain was hurting now. While Kamenwati was ranting, Throckmorton was working his bonds. to see if he could get his hands free.
Kamenwati won the Talk Me to Death test by 1 success so Throckmorton suffered but was not killed out of hand.
As Kamenwati extolled his own strength and glory, Throckmorton was able to slip a hand free from the rawhide ropes that bound him. In the heat he was sweating somewhat and his sweat helped the ropes expand a little. With his hands free Throckmorton thought he might now stand a chance. Kamenwati had started strutting backwards and forwards as he ranted. The warriors were all watching Kamenwati now. Their eyes reflected the predatory look of their leader. As Kamenwati turned his back on him to stride back down the barge in masterful fashion, Throckmorton saw his opportunity. His feet were still bound but he leapt to his feet and dived for the side of the barge. Throckmorton stumbled as he hopped but still managed to tumble over the side before the warriors could catch him.
Both scored the same number of successes on the Escape table so the character escapes. Cue the chase scene.
Just before he hit the water, Throckmorton took a deep breath. He allowed himself to sink below the barge, while he removed the rope from his ankles. Then, his chest starting to feel tight, he struck out under the heavy silt-laden Nyle waters towards the bank and the reed beds that lined it. Above the water, the warriors were in uproar, although Throckmorton could hear nothing of this. Nor did he hear Kamenwati yell, "Catch him, you fools!"
By the time he reached the reed beds, Throckmorton's chest was burning. He doubted he could ever reach them without surfacing, but still he forced himself to try. He could see the reeds ahead and with his lungs bursting, Throckmorton surfaced among them. He gasped and spluttered as he got air into his lungs. Looking back the way he had come, he could see the warriors in uproar on the barge but they had not spotted him. He moved carefully away from the barge through the reeds for what seemed like an age before he lost sight of it, but eventually he succeeded.
Geoff and Cordelia had decided the continue their quest. They had agreed that the best way to find Throckmorton was to find the object of their quest. Clearly the warrior they had encountered was involved somewhere. Therefore, they believed that if they found one they would find the others. So, it was a great surprise when they were hailed in English from the shore by a rather bedraggled Throckmorton.
Throckmorton beat the warriors on the Chase table and escaped with no consequences for himself. Back to looking for clues now.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Kamenwati, The Wounded Eye of Horus
The search for clues about the strange new tribe led the daring group to many temples along the Nyle. Their search was in vain, but it led them to an unexpected discovery. Osman had assured them that information about their goal lay in one of the many ancient temples that dotted the landscape alongside the great river. They just needed to find the right temple. He had heard it from his father, who had told him of his grandfather’s tales about this fetish that the Colonel sought. Unfortunately, he had obviously not been paying attention properly and so their quest was extended.
Although Throckmorton won the initiative, his shot only wounded Kamenwati, who was able to get straight back up and charge Throckmorton, wounding him and knocking him to the floor. Kamenwati then won the initiative immediately after, so he was able to put Throckmorton out of the fight. Following that the heroes scored a 6 and could not act, while the villains were able to act and ran off with the tied up Throckmorton. The civilians in this fight were more like static terrain than anything else. I may have to try the flock of seagulls rule for them in the future.
3 Soldiers (Rep 3)
Then, one day, they docked beside the Great Temple of Bastet at Nasfuret. Their search of the temple was fruitless once more and the group were getting ready to depart after Cordelia had examined just one more set of hieroglyphs. Then suddenly a voice rang out; a challenging cry like a hunting hawk pierced the quiet of the temple. The three looked up and saw a towering figure standing in the main temple entrance, flanked by three similarly-garbed warriors. The figure was wearing old-fashioned armour and was carrying a huge sword. He had a large hawk-headdress on, with a halo of feathers around it, while the others had plain hawk-headdresses on. Two of the other warriors were armed with swords and bows, while the last carried a huge bronze pole-arm. The newcomer roared out his challenge.
"By Set's hairy nostrils, fiend, thou'llt not desecrate our lands with your quest. Return whence thou came and thou shalt live. Refuse and thou shalt die. I, Kamenwati the Wounded Eye of Horus, have spoken. Speak now, fiend. Wilt thou go or die?"
Throckmorton was not faint of heart though and would not be intimidated. His response was swift and to the point.
"Grimes, do you think you can bag that odd-looking bird in the middle there?"
Geoff lifted his rifle, took one shot at the warrior with the halberd and dropped him where he stood. The other three immediately ducked for cover behind the pillars.
"Thy strange magics shall not defeat me, foolish mortal. I am Kamenwati, son of Seti, son of Djefre. I have the power of my ancestors in my arms and have never been defeated."
Throckmorton won the Getting the Upper Hand test and got one shot off. All of the enemy ducked back when their fellow was wounded and put out of the fight, leaving no targets for Cordelia and Throckmorton to shoot, which was the only option available to them.
Throckmorton followed up his advantage by moving out to the side so that he could draw a bead on the leader of the group. His Webley barked once and Kamenwati jerked as the lead slug tore through his body. He fell to the floor, but quickly leapt to his feet again with an eery screech of anger. Meanwhile, Cordelia moved up to shoot at one of the warriors behind a pillar, He saw her coming and hastily fired an arrow in her direction. The barbed arrowhead took her in the leg and she fell to the floor, blood pouring from the wound. Geoff moved out and shot at one of the warriors, his bullet chipping stone from the pillar behind which the warrior was hiding.
Although wounded, Kamenwati leapt to his feet and charged towards Throckmorton. His sword swung once and the Colonel dropped to the floor. He followed this up by dropping his sword and tying Throckmorton up. Cordelia leapt back to her feet and snapped off the arrow as the warriors prepared to flee. She and Geoff both moved to a position for a shot at Kamenwati, but both missed. Stunned by this turn of events they did not move quickly enough and before they could react, Kamenwati had thrown Throckmorton over his shoulder and run off, followed by the two standing warriors. Geoff and Cordelia gave chase but the fleeing warriors had disappeared as if into thin air by the time they emerged from the temple gateway.
Although Throckmorton won the initiative, his shot only wounded Kamenwati, who was able to get straight back up and charge Throckmorton, wounding him and knocking him to the floor. Kamenwati then won the initiative immediately after, so he was able to put Throckmorton out of the fight. Following that the heroes scored a 6 and could not act, while the villains were able to act and ran off with the tied up Throckmorton. The civilians in this fight were more like static terrain than anything else. I may have to try the flock of seagulls rule for them in the future.
The remaining warrior still lay on the floor, bleeding like a stuck pig. The others had left him for dead, but a quick examination showed that he still lived. Cordelia tore up the warrior's tunic and patched up his wounds. Perhaps they could learn something from him. While patching up the warrior's wounds, Cordelia made an astounding discovery.
"Geoff," she cried, "Come here."
Geoff came over to join her.
"Look, it's not a mask! This man really does have the head of a hawk!"
The discovery astounded the pair of them but practicality soon took over. Quickly they brought the warrior round and began to question him. He seemed to have a rudimentary grasp of modern English, although with archaic overtones, but she soon discovered that he spoke a dialect of Ancient Aegyptian. She was quickly able to determine that these warriors had indeed emerged from the mountains near the source of the Nyle but when she asked about the fetish, the warrior refused to speak further. It was clear that he considered it too sacred to profane by discussing it with an outsider.
"Do you think, Geoff, that these are the degenerate remnants of the Aegyptian gods? Think what this means for our study of the ancient Aegyptians. Think what this means for archaeology! These people may have direct connections to the ancient peoples of this country. This is fantastic."
Find an object. DF 5 (Fail)
Villain encountered (Goal is to capture Throckmorton - Successful)
Villain encountered (Goal is to capture Throckmorton - Successful)
One enemy captured and questioned successfully.
Everyone recovered all their wounds after this fight.
9 Clues
The Heroes:
Throckmorton
Cordelia
Geoff
The Villains:
Kamenwati (Rep 5 Villain)
The Heroes:
Throckmorton
Cordelia
Geoff
The Villains:
Kamenwati (Rep 5 Villain)
3 Soldiers (Rep 3)
Other:
3 Civilian bystanders
Friday, 15 May 2009
Supplies
While Throckmorton was visiting with his friend, the others were sorting out supplies. Osman had a boat they would be taking, but they needed additional food, water and porters. Unfortunately, as soon as they heard where the expedition was heading most of the locals melted away. Eventually the group managed to get everything together but not without having to grease more than a few palms. Then began the real work of packing it all up and storing it away on the boat. Cordelia sat and twirled her parasol as she watched the porters loading the boat. As she sipped on her drink, she was grateful that she was a lady and did not have to do this sort of thing. After all, it looked ever so tiring.
Find an object. DF 1 (Success but with complications)
Get the clue. DF 3 (Success)
8 Clues
Find an object. DF 1 (Success but with complications)
Get the clue. DF 3 (Success)
8 Clues
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