[Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

[ghost-angel]

The following three posts are the logs from a three session Pulp Game our Star Hero group played. They are converted from the actual chat logs as the group plays on Open RPG.

 

Wade has a Southern accent, it made spell checking interesting. Any spelling mistakes not in his speech still left are because the spell checker was going berserk and I simply missed it.

 

The Players:

Samantha (ghost-angel): Thief, demolitions expert; Nationality: French

Wade (starwolf): Suvivalist, great-white hunter; Nationality: Southerner, US

Mike (Dale Ward): wheel man, bruiser; Nationality: New Yorker, US

Azif (solron915): weapons expert, swordsman; Nationality: Bedouin

Caspareillo (starwolf's wife): magician; Nationality: New Yorker, US

 

The GM: Nolgroth

 

The following is dedicated to the memory of Dale Ward.

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Part One

1924, Peru, Somewhere in the Andes Mountains. . .

 

The Andes mountains of Peru are bitterly cold. The search for the Yachockta Sceptre has not gone well, with one of the guides slipping on the treacherous ice and falling into a ravine. If this were our intrepid adventurers only worries things would be normal. The other two guides ran off in the night as you neared some mountain pass they called Breio do Diabo.

 

"What's dat mean?" The Irish, Mike, boxer asks as the group makes their way, now guide less, around the mountain.

 

"Hmmmm.... Something of the Devil." Wade answers, the guides spoke in Portuguese to themselves. Wade acted as the groups translator this time as both he and the guides spoke Spanish. "So we have lost ouah guides..." He says, as they are trapped on the side of a mountain with a snow storm moving in, "And we have los ouah way in search of ouah goal."

 

As if to punctuate our adventurers predicament, a lone wolf howl echoes through the snowy mountains.

 

"Who's idea was this again?" Samantha says trying to diminish her already small profile against the wind and cold.

 

"Yes and this not the Sahara." Azif seems to be in agreement with Samantha regarding the lack of warmth.

 

"I t'ink we need a fire." Mike says as if reading the minds of the other two.

 

"Most likely awl of ya'lls idea toghter" Wade says with a smile. Adventurers Inc! is lead by no one person, as they all well know.

 

"Well, I suppose it could be worse. There could be Germans." Samantha muses, mostly to herself.

 

"What we need is shelter from the storm" Azif says, their present predicament on his mind.

 

"Oui." Samantha nods with a bit of a shiver.

 

"Well we need not worry about food... there is fresh wolf on the hoof..." Wade looks around the forested landscape of the mountain side.

 

"I ain't eatin' no dog meat" Mike growls.

 

"Yes and i believe he thinks the same of us" Azif says.

 

"Wolf, not dog. There is a difference. I'd imagine wolf has a gamier taste to it." Samantha chips in.

 

"Then my thick friend you will be hungry." Azif notes to Mike, who only makes a face in response.

 

Wade has already moved onto the next task, shelter, as he scans the surrounding area with his binoculars. There are no caves readily apparent to the hunter. "Well I suggest we set up the tents and try to ride out the storm..." He shrugs, being used to adverse conditions he thinks nothing of the situation at hand as the first flakes of snow start to fall, they can all tell the incoming storm promises some nasty wind. "We need to watch in shifts against the wolves and make sure we do not get buried in the snow." Wade moves to the burros to get the supplies to set up camp.

 

"When we get out of this place, I plan on a nice vacation on a Greek island, long vacation." Samantha takes the binoculars and keeps watch as the others set up camp.

 

Azif and Wade start to build snow walls to act as wind breaks while Mike and the quiet Casparelli quickly set up a pair of tents. Samantha keeps an eye on the area, watching the shadowy forms of wolves slip between the trees.

 

"Do we have fire starting equipment" Azif asks as they finish setting up several hours later, the snow is starting to come down and the wind is picking up.

 

"I got my trench lighter" Mike says.

 

"Any wood?" Azif asks.

 

"Just yer head." Mike jokes.

 

"bicker when we're back in civilization." Samantha says a little more tersely than his her normal tone.

 

"Aww, I don't mean nuthin... just funnin' 'im." Mike responds.

 

"Yes my princess, ask and we shall obey." Samantha can't tell if Azif is being sarcastic or not.

 

Mike, in the mean time, racks a round in his Springfield and sets the safety. Azif notes it as a good idea and readies his M1917 as well.

 

"Two per watch." Mike says, the group deferring to his expertise in the survivalist arena, "I'll take first watch with Casparelli, then Sam and Azif, then Mike and Me again." He says. The others nod.

 

"And if the storm gets too heavy, no watch, everyone in tents. I like unfrozen friends." Samantha nods.

 

"Well it looks like you me together in the middle of the night, my princess." Azif smiles.

 

"It does." Samantha nods.

 

The first watch goes without incident. Samantha and Azif are sitting on the cold mountainside, snow falling and the wind whipping through the trees. They don't speak, merely huddled against the cold in mutual contempt for it, when both turn towards a sound by the wind breaks.

 

"You hear that?" Samantha whispers as she half stands.

 

Azif shoulders his rifle, aiming towards the wind break, "Yes." He whispers back.

 

"Cover me." Samantha, unarmed, moves slowly toward the wind break, keeping out of Azif's line of fire. It's a routine the group has been through many times before.

 

Samantha gives a glance over her shoulder at Azif and nods slightly as she turns back and peaks over the low snow wall. Her eyes lock with a pair of yellow eyes of a wolf mere inches from her face.

 

"Wolf!" She cries diving, almost falling, down behind the wall in surprise.

 

The wolf immediately leaps over the wall to attack Samantha as she rolls quickly out of the way of its teeth and claws. A rifle crack from Azif hits the animal in a foreleg. Samantha scrambles to her feet, both her and the wolf letting out a yelp. Samantha scrambles back towards the fire as Azif fires again, this time the wolf falls to the ground dead.

 

Mike, Wade and Casparelli all come scrambling out of the tents at the sound of the rifle fire, all armed and ready for Action!

 

"Old rifle still shoots good, you ok Samantha?" Azif pats his weapon and turns to Samantha.

 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just, you know. bit spooked." Samantha says standing back up.

 

"Now see ah told ya'll there'd be fresh meat foah thuh lawduh..." Wade smiles wide.

 

"Yes , I shoot you clean, Wade." Azif nods.

 

As they check the area their attention is drawn to a low rumbling coming from up the mountain.

 

"C'est mal. I don't like the sound of that." Samantha looks up the mountain side.

 

"Oh no..." Wade says.

 

"Avalanche." Azif completes the thought.

 

"Get into the clear!!" Mike yells as Azif looks around wildly, Casparelli seems unfazed as he takes in the area.

 

"We'all bettah move... now." Wades gives his sage advice.

 

"Go behind a big tree." Casaprelli's says with an air of calm.

 

The group moves quickly, no strangers to dangerous situations they don't panic. They grab their packs and head quickly for the cover of the trees. Samantha and Casparelli both quickly find trees they can climb and make their way up off the ground. Wade follows their example as Mike and Azif head for trees themselves.

 

The avalanche hits with stunning force, sweeping over the camp like a wave. The tress snap like twigs and within moments our heroes are tobogganing down the mountainside, those who hadn't made it up a tree are caught in the icy wave.

 

Their collective screams punctuate the rumbling of the avalanche as it carries them roughly down the mountain.

 

It seems like their tumble down the mountain side with the snow and rocks lasts forever. Suddenly their screams raise in pitch as the adventurers go tumbling through the air in a mass of trees, snow and rocks over a cliff edge. After a long fall, they come crashing into someplace dark.

 

"Holy cow.... is everyone alright...?" Wade shakes off the landing.

 

"Fine." Casparelli, seemingly unphased and calm, says standing up himself.

 

"May Allah be praised we are alive, yes." Azif sighs with relief.

 

"Yeah... anybody get the license on that truck?" Mike gets up slowly.

 

Samantha gets up, dusting herself off, "Aside from the cold and the dark. . . anyone up for another ride?" She says as cheerfully as possible.

 

"Be careful ya'll till we can get some light." Wade cautions, "Ah wouldn't want anyone to fall again in the dawk."

 

Mike pulls out his trench lighter, lighting a cigar before holding up his lighter, Azif rummages through his pack, pulling out a torch and lightning it. "Best t'ing I liberated when I got outta da army!" Mike says proudly.

 

"Well we have light... lets take stock of our equipment.... do we all have our packs and weapons?" Wade asks the group as he checks his own pack.

 

"I'm more interested in where we are than what we got." Mike says looking around the area. Adventurers Inc! has found themselves in a roughly circular room. There are tall pillars supporting a large dome. It looks strangely pre-Helenic greek.

 

"Have my rifle, pack and sword, yes i am all here." Azif takes stock.

 

"Rope, check. lock picks, check. dynamite, check. blasting caps, check. All the important stuff is here." Samantha takes stock and rearranges her disarrayed pack a bit.

 

There is some snow still dropping from above, where it looks like there are gaps in the wall around the bottom of the dome as Wade takes stock of the situation, "Verah well... we seem to have crashed into some buildin... and weah ah out of the storm..."

 

"I say we found the temple my friends." Azif holds the torch up to create as much of a lighted area as possible.

 

"Huh. Not the most graceful entrance I've ever made. But I think we found something, whether or not it's what we wanted to find." Samantha moves around the room to find an exit.

 

A large archway leads out of the room and into a large hall with a vaulted ceiling. Columns, topped with arches line the wall of the hallway. Samantha checks for any recent use, finding nothing, as the others check the room.

 

"No animal tracks, so it's not something's den." Samantha joins the others. "This architecture is certainly interesting for this part of the world."

 

"Ah think my friends that weah ah bettah off than weah were befoah." Wade says taking the large room in.

 

"Wade my friend, do some people like spiders?" Azif holds his torch near the tiles on the floor.

 

"No." Casparelli says a bit nervously. Wade looks over at him then back at the murals.

 

"Spiders. Bugs with too many legs. But better than fire ants." Samantha quips as she joins the others.

 

A shallow pool takes up the center of the room, long since dried out. Around the end the tiles are arranged in a spider motif.

 

"Hmmm... thayut is strangley disturbin..." Wade muses.

 

"In the desert spiders are small and do no harm to Bedouins," Azif says, "I would feel much better if I were back in the desert."

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Part Two

When last we left our intrepid adventurers they had just fallen into a strange room in the Andes after an avalanche. The room contains an ancient fountain with a spider motif. What is such a place doing here in the Andes?

 

As they examine the fountain they find it is more of a large basin than anything. It looks as if it were designed to collect water falling from the small holes above.

 

"Hmm, apparently it collected rain and runoff." Samantha muses as the group takes a closer look.

 

Cracks in the floor radiate outward from the central basin, concentric circles appear every so often. Taken as a whole, is appears that the room was etched with a spider-web motif.

 

"Ya'll need tuh keep a sharp eye, in the lower jungles there are spiders as big as a man's head and very deadly... this motif makes me wary." Wade says grimly.

 

"Interesting. We should check out the other end of that hallway before the torch dies completely." Samantha replies. "Down the hallway, oui? Or should we wait here for the rest of eternity?"

 

"Hey afiende are we looking for spiders on this trip?" Azif asks grimly.

 

"I ain't lookin' fer no spiders..." Mike answers quickly. "ugly cusses, if ya ask me."

 

"No Spiders." Casparelli says flatly, almost sounding afraid.

 

"then why are we here in this spider temple?" Azif continues.

 

"Because that's where we stopped falling." Samantha remarks from the edge of the torch light, her curiosity about the hallway getting the better of her.

 

"Don't most spiders live in warmer lands?" Azif asks the group at large.

 

"One would hope so." Samantha says.

 

"Well, it don't seem very cold down here... not as bad as up there in the wind." Wade says.

 

The group starts down the only exit from the spider fountain, a vaulted hallway, arched with columns every few feet creating deep shadows ahead of their torch. The spider motif continues, with spiders etched into the walls themselves, the ceiling above holds ancient dusty cobwebs. The end of the hallway is occupied by a large shape, a little taller than your average man and irregularly shaped. Wade raises his rifle, looking wary.

 

"Relax big guy." Samantha says, peering closely at the mound.

 

"I don't like what I see Afiende." Azif says, he sword coming up.

 

"Just bein careful Sam dahlin." Wade says without taking his sights off the mound.

 

"I'd just as soon light it up with this torch." Azif replies.

 

"I have dynamite if it comes to that." Sam shrugs.

 

"I think I see a flash of metal in there or something else maybe." Azif peers at the mound.

 

Mike steps forward and probes the mound with his knife, the others stand ready. The mound reveals itself to be a cocooned carcass, the glint was from a metal belt buckle.

 

"Uh oh. Dis guy ain't goin nowhere." Mike says to the group over his shoulder.

 

"Ah, ick." Samantha wrinkles her nose.

 

"What is it?" Azif asks cautiously.

 

"It's a body." Mike says matter of factly.

 

"With luck that was the last meal some time ago." Samantha says.

 

"Weall ah do declaeh... that is a most unpleasant demise..." Wade remarks.

 

"Get the knapsack is you can." Azif moves in with the torch to give Mike more light, Samantha inspects the area, looking up as well, as they enter the room. Mike begins to cut through the cocoon, pulling the fibers away from the body.

 

The room is rectangular, the ceiling and far end both outside the range of the torch. Wade remains wary, watching the edge of the torchlight for movement, Casparelli looking nervously at the cocoon as Azif and Mike cut the pack loose.

 

"It is too bad we do not have a bow and arrow so we could see what is above us with a lit arrow." Azif says.

 

"I'll add that to my next Paris shopping trip." Samantha replies a bit dryly.

 

Mike checks the contents of the freed pack from the dead man, pulling out a small book, a canteen and an electric torch.

 

"Well we have another light source." Azif says as Mike tries the electric torch.

 

"If it works." Mike clicks it on, nothing happens, "See...?" He smirks.

 

"hmm... Mike that theah book maht give us a clue as to how long this poor boy has been down heah.." Wade says taking the book and flipping through it.

 

"I think I have some batteries that might fit that." Samantha rummages through her pack and comes up with a spare battery for the electric torch and takes it.

 

Casparelli, despite his obvious dislike of the webbing, inspects the body, finding mostly a skeleton and shriveled skin.

 

Wade tries to read the book in the dim light of the torch as Sam fiddles with the electric torch, "What's the book have to say?" She says, "Ah, here we go." She turns on the torch giving the group much more light to work with.

 

Samantha immediately points the electric torch upwards to try and see the ceiling, seeing nothing but old cobwebs she lowers it again.

 

"Well it looks to be a journal but ah cain't make it out... it is germanic in natchuh" Wade shrugs.

 

"I speak German... sauerkraut! See?" Mike cracks a joke.

 

"Can any of ya'll read the Germanic languages?" Wade asks more seriously.

 

"I speak German." Samantha replies.

 

"Good enough dahlin." Wade hands the book to Samantha.

 

"Can you read it too?" Azif asks with a smirk.

 

Samantha just glances at Azif as she flips through the book.

 

"A thought has occurred to me. Foah the ceilin to be this hagh we must be headin into the mountain." Wade says as Samantha reads through the book.

 

Samantha frowns, "It's a journal." She says and reads the final entry. "The Nazi's were hear a year and a half ago." Samantha says, backing slowly away from the room.

 

"So?" Mike says.

 

"Whatever ate him, is likely still around." She replies.

 

"Oh." Mike says a bit meekly.

 

"What ate him, does the book say?" Azif asks.

 

"Giant spiders. The last entry is very. . . what is the word, strange? Very strange." Samantha shakes her head.

 

"What does it say?" Azif prods for information.

 

"And whut pray tell is thuh layust entry dahlin?" Wade echoes his request.

 

"She spins her webs to capture Chaos, but Chaos does not like to be so, ah, constrained." Samantha reads.

 

"Verah curious indeed." Wade nods his head.

 

Mike turns to the massive set of doors at the end of the room they're in. Two stories tall they continue the spider motif, with a massive spider carved into them split down the middle of the two doors.

 

"Ah, wouldn't you need a large set of doors to keep spiders in." Azif says.

 

"Or out." Mike adds.

 

"Or, ah, out." Azif nods.

 

"Somebody shine some light on these doors." Mike steps up to them.

 

"Well, the doors are possibly the only way out." Samantha points the electric torch at them, Azif comes closer with the torch as well.

 

"I'd like to check out the rest of the hall." Azif says.

 

"Anyone guessing a theme here?" Samantha moves to inspect the doors more closely, "Well then, how do we want these doors opened?" She says with a smile.

 

"Giant spiders behind large doors." Azif muses, Casparelli looks a bit spooked at the thought.

 

"Caehfully Sam dahlin... caehfully." Wade cautions, raising his rifle just in case.

 

"But we came looking for the scepter." Azif points out.

 

"The Germans came looking for the same thing." Samantha says.

 

"I would guess that they did not find it going that way." nods at the door and looks towards the darkness of the back of the room. "Let's see what this room holds before we open that set of doors." He says.

 

The group moves cautiously down to the other end of the room. It's situated much like a church, with rows of stone benches going down each side, a raised platform is on the other end.

 

"I think the door is for the spiders." Azif says.

 

"Comforting." Samantha remarks as they inspect the seats and platform.

 

"Ah shuah hope not." Wade muses.

 

"The German's duiary did say Giant Spiders, and as much as they're bastards they aren't given to exaggeration." Samantha points out. "Someone say Cathedral."

 

"Or temple." Azif nods.

 

"Ah am not so worried about thuh spiders as ah am about whoevah uses this heah chapel." Wade says grimly.

 

"It looks like this hasn't been used in a while. Possibly since our German over there was eaten." Samantha notes the dust covering the entire room.

 

"Well there is nothing remarkable over here either , just abroken bunch of wood that used to be something." Azif says from the raised platform.

 

Wade heads towards the front of the area to inspect the dust on the floor, finding tracks from what is likely standard issue German boots heading towards a small door in the back corner.

 

"Hey ya'll it looks lahk thuh Nazis wuz headin to that theh little doah." Wade says from over towards the door. Mike and Casparelli both draw weapons and cover Wade as he tries the door.

 

Azif gathers up the broken wood from the head of the alter and puts it in a spare pocket on his pack before following the others into the room beyond. They enter a small room with stonework shelves, and bronze plates and cups on the shelves. Most look to have remain undisturbed for quite some time, except one set that has much less dust than the others.

 

"Hmm... again most curious.... shall we press on?" Wade looks at the group.

 

"You want to open the giant doors?" Azif questions them.

 

"Nope... at least not yet... ah would like to explore foah a bit befoah dinnah..." Wade gives a big grin.

 

"I agree." Sam doesn't echo the grin however.

 

"Lead on then." Azif motions with his sword towards the small door leaving the room. It opens easily enough to reveal a hallway. Directly across the way is another doorway, an archway can be seen down the end of the hall.

 

"Door or archway?" Sam looks both directions.

 

"Open the door and look inside then we decide." Azif says.

 

"You got it." Wade opens the door slowly. The door opens to what was once a dining room, a dry rotted table occupies the center, while the splinters of chairs can be see about the room. A cupboard sits at the opposite end.

 

"Everything here is abandoned. I wonder if the Germans came through and killed whatever was left?" Samantha says dryly.

 

"Hmm, puhaps they did." Wade agrees.

 

"Then where are the bodies?" Azif asks as Wade starts heading towards the archway.

 

The hallway opens into an small open cavern, split by a chasm. A natural stone bridge cross the open space, leading to a cave entrance on the other side.

 

"uh-hmm... here we go." Wade says as they gather on the ledge. A charnel smell is carried on a draft from across the way.

 

"Pleasant scent." Samantha says making a face. "Let me go across and see how sturdy the bridge is." She steps towards the stone bridge.

 

"Uh... carrion... this must be weah thuh othuh nazis are." Wade says raising his rifle, "Go to Sam dahlin... ah got yuh covered."

 

"Wait... maybe I should go instead..." Mike offers up.

 

"Maybe that big door doesn't hold the spiders out but in." Azif muses.

 

"Relax, this is my specialty." She winks at Mike as she hands over her pack and electric torch.

 

"Ah'm not worried about you dahlin, it's what lives in thuh cave ah don't want botherin ya'll as yuh cross." Wade tells her.

 

"I'm a fast runner." She says moving over to the bridge. "You guys just work on shooting if anything decides to chase me out."

 

"So is the gazelle as the lion brings it down..." Wade tells her.

 

"Maybe the gazelle needs to hire sharpshooters to cover its back." She shoots over her shoulder and examines the bridge itself. As she gets close to the bridge her boots squish into mud, or some other substance. "Point a light up would someone?"

 

Wade trains his gun upwards as Casparelli shines the electric torch up at the ceiling. Azif and Mike keep their weapons trained on the cave as a precaution. The light doesn't illuminate the ceiling, but it does a reveal a large black mass of something moving. Samantha quickly backs away from the bridge as Wade reflexively fires his rifle.

 

A mass of bats suddenly takes flight, so many that they quickly fill the area, the adventurers soon find themselves ducking and dodging the many flying creatures. Mike ducks quickly against the wall of the cavern while Samantha expertly weaves through the mass and ends up against the wall, the others fall and stumble backwards against the wall, it takes a minute for the creatures to vacate the area. Mike just frowns at Wade who brushes the last bat off him and watches it fly after the others and gives a sheepish look.

 

"I will be glad to be back in my desert, Afiende." Azif says picking himself up. A loud hissing noise comes from the cave across the way suddenly, "That i do not like what say we leave here."

 

"Ya'll we could just destroy the bridge....Sam dahlin did mention dynamite." Wade mentions.

 

"Please do, Sam." Azif nods in agreement.

 

"Bat guano. Bridge is covered in it. No more gun fire." Samantha picks up her pack.

 

"whut does gun fiah have tuh do with bat guano... pray tell." Wade looks puzzled.

 

"Won't bat guano burn?" Azif asks.

 

"Oh good... no gun fire, but dynamite is okay?!?." Mike says throwing his arms out.

 

"Burn or explode. There's a lot of it." Samantha says picking the electric torch back up as well.

 

"Why cain't we ignite the bat guano and burn it off then cross?" Wade says, getting back into the spirit of adventure.

 

"Depends, want to find out what's hissing over there?" Samantha says shining the electric torch towards the mouth of the cave. Nothing but the open cave reveals itself.

 

eithah find out or destroy thuh bridge so it cain't cross to us as we exploah thuh rest of this heah domicile." Wade says.

 

"Well, we could ignite the guano and hope it just burns off the bridge." Samantha shines the light across the bridge.

 

"We can tie a rope to these metal rings." Mike says examining the wall, finding a ring embedded in it across from where the bridge starts.

 

"How much time do we need to get back?" Azif asks the others.

 

"That's whut I wuz thankin Sam dahlin." Wade nods in agreement.

 

"I would suggest tossing a piece of burning wood from a safe distance." Samantha looks at the others.

 

"I have some wood to start a fire then and we can see what happens." Azif says getting some of the wood he gathered up earlier out.

 

"Agreed. Azif my deah friend, light it up." Wade says.

 

"Where should we toss it?" Azif asks lighting a piece of wood on the torch.

 

"The middle perhaps." Samantha suggests, Azif tosses the wood to the center of the bridge.

 

The bat guano takes a moment then lights up and begins to burn with a foul stench and black smoke. The group is forced to retreat while the bridge burns itself off. "Explore the other end while that burns off?" Samantha says as they make it back to the small room with a door they can close.

 

"Agreed." Wade nods.

cait

The group heads to the large double doors, Azif aims his rifle a the doors while Wade steps forward, "Wade let someone else open the door and prepare your cannon." He says as Wade is about to try the left door.

 

"Veah well." He says with a resigned sigh and steps back and gets his rifle ready.

 

"Let me, I'm no good with those things." Samantha steps forward. She pushes the door, which swings gently open despite its size to the cold morning air. The doorway leads to a platform, two short stair cases lead down to another level area where several old tents are set up, they have seen far better days.

 

"German camp?" Samantha offers up as the group moves into the sunlight.

 

"I would think." Azif says as the others look around.

 

The group checks the camp for supplies, aside from a general state of disrepair there are a number of well preserved supplies, including some food that might still be good. While waiting for the guano-fire to burn off the group resupplies and sets down to breakfast.

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Part Three

Peru, Abandoned German Camp, Temple Of The Spider God

 

The last of the smoke dissipates from the bat guano the group set on fire to clear the bridge off. After a meager breakfast of scavenged rations they take stock of the abandoned German camp, finding a number of useful supplies. They manage to replace everything but their tents after the avalanche fall from the early morning.

 

"Well do you think the bat goo has burn off the bridge yet , Wade." Azif sips the last of his coffee.

 

"Most lahkly my friend... that theah smoke ovah yonda is dyin out." Wade answers as he closes his pack up. "Shall we proceed.. Ya'll?" Wade says.

 

"Let's go see what made that hissing sound before we started the fire." Azif says, shouldering his pack.

 

"Nothing friendly I'm sure." Samantha coils another length of rope up as the group prepares to head back inside.

 

"Ah shall take point till we get the bridge..." Wade makes sure a round is chambered in his rifle and starts off.

 

"Please, this time not bat shooting with the big gun." Azif suggests.

 

"Ah shall endeavah to be moah cahful." Wade smiles his big grin. The group moves forward, Azif holding up the rear as they prepare to march back into the temple. "We should leave the lahge doahs open so's that it lets in thuh laht." He adds.

 

Azif turns and heads back to a pile of crates right before the group sets off, "Hey Mike, you OK?" Mike had suddenly sat down against the crates, "Hey! Mike's not moving!" Azif hollers out, the group turns as one back to their companion to see what's wrong.

 

"That's not good." Samantha says as Wade runs over to Mike.

 

"what is thuh mattuh?" Wade drops his pack and kneels next to Mike and Azif.

 

"I don't know." Azif says, "He's hot to the touch."

 

"Fever? C'est mal." Samantha shakes her head.

 

"leats get him undressed ya'll we need to dump him in thuh snow." Wade starts to pull of Mike's heavy jacket, "Sam dahlin kin ya staht a fiah?"

 

"Sure thing." Samantha goes to start a fire, with help from Casparelli. Wade and Azif work to strip Mike to check for bites and to get him into the snow.

 

"Ah think he has jungle fevah from these heah skeeter bites." Wade says as they put a mostly naked Mike into the snow to try and break the fever.

 

"Do we have any medicine for that with us?" Azif asks, Mike's body begins to shiver at the contact with the cold air and snow.

 

"If we can break his fevah he may be able to make it back to wheah we can get a real doctah and some quinine... if not we will lose ouah deah companion." Wade says, "Now we need to pull him outta the snow and wahm him up and hope." He says.

 

Samantha and Casparelli have a fire going quickly. Mike and Azif pull him of the snow and Wade starts to pull off his own jacket.

 

"What are you doing?" Azif questions his friend.

 

"He needs ouah body heat then once wahmed up we let him rest by thuh fiah" Wade explains. Azif follows Wade's lead and both men get Mike's body temperature back to normal and pull his clothes back on. Mike wakes up briefly and then falls into a deep sleep. "Thank you mah friends we may have saved his lahf. He is sleepin but weak. We need to finish up this little suiorrey and get back down thuh mountain so he can get to a real doctah." Wade says pulling his own clothes back on.

 

"I will never understand Americans." Samantha just shakes her head.

 

"Well we can't leave him here alone , one of us will have to watch over him." Azif says grimly, "I'll stay her with Mike ,you guys go find that scepter."

 

"We'll move quickly then." Samantha shoulders her pack again as she, Wade and Casparelli prepare to explore the cave beyond the bridge.

 

"If I scream really loudly come running with guns." Samantha says with a smile as the three head into the temple.

 

Back at the bridge the air is hazy and the bats have not returned. The stench in the air is unbelievable but the desires effect of more traction on the bridge has been obtained. Samantha quickly ties off a rope to an iron ring mounted into the side of the stone wall by the entrance. She ties the other end around her waist, "Cover me, but warn me if you're going to shoot." She tells Wade and Casparelli.

 

"Ah will wahn yu if ah have to shoot dahlin." Wade raises his rifle, Casparelli keeps a wary eye on the cave mouth on the opposite side.

 

Samantha moves across the twelve foot bridge with ease, it reminds her of walking on the moist roof of some London museum in a fog. Once on the other side Samantha ties the rope off on an iron ring in the opposite wall, pulling out the slack to create a handhold to cross the bridge on. Casparelli crosses, followed by Wade.

 

"Hmmm ah wondah." Wade leans over to look down the chasm they are crossing.

 

"Wonder what?" Samantha inquires.

 

"Just a bit down yonda is anotha ledge." Wade points down the side of the cliff face.

 

"I wonder what's down there too." Samantha peers over then ties off a second rope.

 

Wade inspects the dust leading to the cave mouth entrance, finding only a single set of boot prints going in. "Well mah friends someone went in but did not come out again." He says as Samantha prepares to go down the cliff side.

 

"How many someones?" Samantha asks tossing the rope over the cliff edge.

 

"Only one Sam dahlin." Wade says. "Down or in?"

 

Samantha shines the electric torch at the cave mouth, which goes back maybe ten feet before turning sharply to the left.

 

"Ah think we should go in at least a shoaht way." Wade muses and goes to the edge of the cave mouth. Wade keeps to the right side, rifle at the ready, as he moves slowly past the opening. He moves to the turn in the cave and sees it narrows and the ceiling gets much shorter as the path turns downwards. Samantha is next to Wade providing as much light as she can for him to see. Casparelli guards the entrance nervously, keeping an eye out for anything.

 

"I can't decide what's more enticing. The dark tunnel or the unexplored platform below." Samantha muses.

 

"Eithah choice is shoah tantalahzin." Wade agrees.

 

Samantha looks up at the much taller Wade, "I'm thinking you'd rather see if the platform has more head room?" She asks.

 

"Ah'm thinkin ya'll are correct Sam dahlin." Wade says heading back to the cave entrance.

 

"Cover me babe, I'm going over the edge." Samantha says and rappels down the cliffside. Wade covers her with his rifle.

 

Azif makes his way to the bridge as Samantha climbs down, Wade looks at him worriedly.

 

"Ah no Mike isne'e dead is he?" Wade frowns.

 

"No, he is awake but weak, and drinking water." Azif says crossing the bridge.

 

Wade looks relieved and points down at Samantha, "We ah goin theah mah friend."

 

"I like it up here my friend but if you go so will I." Azif looks dubiously down at the quickly descending Samantha.

 

Samantha reaches the bottom and inspects the narrow ledge. There is a very narrow crack in the rock. Judging size Samantha will have no problem getting her small frame through, but Wade would be another matter. "Well, it's not much better down here. Small crack in the wall you probably won't fit through Wade." She calls up to her companions.

 

"Come on back up dahlin." Wade says after a moment.

 

Samantha stiffens as an all too familiar scent of decayed flesh wafts up from the crack. Samantha has sudden visions of giant spiders and climbs the rope in record time. Pulling the rope up after her Samantha catches her breath, "Well, I think I found the rest of the Germans." She says, "At least, smelled them."

 

"Where?" Azif asks.

 

"If the stench is right, down there. Somewhere." She points over the cliff side, double checking to make sure no spiders are crawling up.

 

Wade looks at Samantha with a raised eyebrow then nods. He goes and shows Azif the end of the cliff tunnel they had discovered earlier. Azif examines the low ceiling, "Well I won't be able to crawl and carry a rifle , so here you hold her." He draws his sword and hands his rifle to Wade, who holds back a comment about being the groups pack-mule.

 

"Want me to go first? I'm pretty sure I fit better than the rest of you." Samantha offers to take point, regretting it the moment she says it. Her only thought is that someday her curiosity will get her very dead.

 

"You or Azif dahlin." Wade says, Azif on the other hand starts to crawl down the low passage without comment.

 

"He can go." Samantha nods, but follows Azif with the electric torch so he has some light to work with.

 

Azif looks back at her and motions forward, "Your choice."

 

"Go, you have the big knife." Samantha responds.

 

"As you wish my princess." Azif smiles, holds his kerosene lantern between his teeth and proceeds forward. About nine yards in he stops short at a drop that goes down about seven feet. Azif can barely make out the floor through the mass of spider webs. "I do not like the looks of the floor below as it is cover in spider webbing, my friends." Azif says over his shoulder.

 

"One of two options springs to mind." Samantha answers, "Bravely go forward, or light it all on fire and deal with the spiders as they come screaming out at us."

 

"Ya'll kin back out and ah kin recon by fiah." Wade calls down after them.

 

"We have any spare kerosene?" Samantha asks Azif.

 

"My friends there are spiders down there as I just saw a small one , Fire it is, Move Back." Azif quickly undoes the cap to the lantern, breaks the glass lense and tosses it down the hole and starts to crawl out quickly. Samantha scrambles back ahead of him.

 

"Well, I was going to be more elegant about it." Samantha says standing up as she gets out of the low area.

 

"You can give a stick of tnt and I'll toss that at them too." Azif smirks as he pulls himself out of the low area.

 

"I think I'll avoid dynamite until I know the integrity of the cave thanks." Samantha smiles.

 

"No mah friend, that theah might just collapse the hole then we maght nevah find the sceptah." Wade agrees with Samantha.

 

"Yes but the spiders would be hard pressed as well." Azif counters, Wade just raises an eyebrow, in the background a loud wooshing noise let's the group know the web caught fire and went up quickly.

 

"Remind me never to give you explosives." Is the only response Samantha can think of to say.

 

"Ya'll ain't skeered of a itty bitty spidah ah ya?" Wade asks, as if on cue high pitched keening noises come from the end of the cave along with smoke. Wade ties his bandana over his face and aims his rifle at the end of the tunnel. Azif readies his sword as well.

 

"The germans journal mentioned giant spiders. And they ate him. I'll be a little, cautious for now." Samantha says and runs out to make sure nothing is coming up the side of the cavern through the crack. Casparelli joins her, his pistol drawn. All Samantha sees is smoke and the faint flicker of flame from the crack below, but no spiders.

 

"First rotten corpses, then bat guano, now burnt spider. A real treat for the nose this outing is." Samantha remarks, and notices Casparelli looks spooked, the man starts jumping at shadows.

 

"I hate spiders." He whispers hoarsely.

 

"Dead ones ain't bad it the live ones." Azif says coming out of the cave, Casparelli looks like he's either ready to throw up or pass out.

 

"maybe we should go back outside and check on Mike." Casparelli suggests, hope in his voice.

 

"Casparelli could use some air I think." Samantha says, "I'll take Casparelli out, you two keep an eye on things here." She guides her wobbly friend back across the bridge.

 

"Thanks." Casparelli says as they leave the cave area and he follows Samantha outside.

 

Azif and Wade lean against the edge of the cave wall, looking bored. The flames and keening noises have died down.

 

"Well you want to wait here for awhile longer, my friend?" Azif asks after a minute. Wade looks over at Azif who hunches his shoulders and looks down the cave.

 

"well mah friend shall we give a rebel yell and chawge the bastad yankee spidahs?" Wade has a big grin on his face.

 

Azif's grin is just as large, "As you wish."

 

"Heah we go."

 

Casparelli's color returns to his face as he gets some fresh air. Samantha leans against the huge doors just outside of the wind when she hears a loud rebel yell followed by a bedouin war cry. 'This won't end well.' She thinks to herself. "I think those yells mean the boys found something to fight. We should probably run to help." Samantha looks at Casparelli.

 

"I guess if I have to." Casparelli doesn't want to get anywhere near the spiders if at all possible.

 

"You could cover our exit. But I'm sure we could use your help." Samantha pushes off the wall and grabs another length of rope before heading inside. Casparelli reluctantly follows.

 

Azif and Wade land at the bottom of the pit, the smell of burnt spider corpse is almost overwhelming. Towards the back of the cave, further into the mountain, natural steps have formed. At the top of the stairs the spider webs are thick, large sacks can be seen hanging inside them, from the depths skittering noises can be heard.

 

"Well Afienda we maybe in for it now." Azif says, brandishing his sword. Wade simply raises his rifle in the direction of the skittering in answer.

 

Azif spots the source of the noise first, "You see it?"

 

"Just bahely mah friend." Wade searches the shadows.

 

"It's big, real big." Azif circles to the right and moves forward to get closer. Without warning a spider the size of a Saint Bernard leaps out at Azif, who charges forward with a yell, sword raised. The two meet at the base of the stairs, Azif's sword cleaves through one of the spiders forelegs, the spider catches his hand as he ends his swing and it's fangs sink in.

 

Wade takes aim and fires his rifle in the cave, the spider skitters back a few feet and slumps down dead.

 

"Owww mah eahs..." Wade comments as the final echoes of the rifle shot die down.

 

"I must remember someday to get earplugs." Azif shakes his head clear.

 

"We need to look at that theah spidah bite mah friend." Wade says walking over to Azif while reloading the rifle.

 

Up top Samantha ties off the spare rope she bought and snakes it around to the hole and drops it down, it doesn't quite get all the way but the short jump isn't anything the everyone group can't handle. And it's the only way back up. "Do you think that maybe next time you wait for everyone? Charging in like that will get you killed some day." Samantha says dropping into the cavern and walking over to the two men.

 

"Yeah, someday but not today." Azif responds, Wade just gives Samantha a big grin. "So go find that gold stick."

 

"Ah thought they was all fried... then this heah bigun up and chomped ouah arab friend." Wade nods at Azif's hand.

 

"Ouch. You're OK I hope?" Samantha looks at the spider bite.

 

"I think so." Azif responds, "It's just a little spider bite." Azif laughs.

 

Wade checks the wound and applies a tourniquette, "Azif mah friend you must loosen that every 15 minutes or so or you can get a fevah in yo ahm and lose it altogethah.... ah think."

 

"Next time we hire a doctor." Samantha shakes her head and shines the light around the cavern.

 

"I don't think one would go with us. To much work for him to do." Azif smiles, flexing his hand, "Sam you found the scepter yet?"

 

"I can't be losing any of you boys to monsters you know." She chides them and moves up the steps, sweeping the spider web away. "No. More stairs though." She says not looking over her shoulder.\

 

"A new way out maybe." Azif says.

 

"They go up." Samantha shrugs, "I'll go first, someone just have a gun ready." She says and leads the way with the electric torch. "Let's go. I think Casparelli wants to get back to run of the mill danger as soon as possible."

 

Wade follows after her, gun at the ready.

 

"Wade, give me my rifle." Azif says coming up behind them, Wade hands him his rifle as Casparelli falls into the rear guard. The stairs curve as they go up, shortly the group reaches a branch. One branch goes off to the side, the other continues upwards.

 

"Hallway or more stairs?" Samantha says over her shoulder.

 

Wade bends down and examines the dust, he finds a set of German boots that continue up the stairs and spider tracks that goes everywhere. "The German's continued upwards." Wade says standing back up.

 

"The German made it this far. I'm not wondering if the idiots let something out." Samantha says.

 

"Follow the boots, yes." Azif nods upwards.

 

Samantha continues onwards, Azif takes up the rear guard with the rifle in case something decides to come out of the hallway they passed. The top of the stairs end at a bridge over a shallow ravine with a river running through it. The bridge is easy to cross and the other side opens into a large square room made of dressed stone and looks like the same stone back in the temple area. There are pillars spaced evenly down the center creating a form of walkway. The ceiling is vaulted and higher than the light from their electric torches can effectively illuminate. There are webs in the ceiling, carcasses of bats can be seen in them.

 

"Well, I think we found where we wanted to go." Samantha says, not yet stepping into the room.

 

"Hmm... so mah friends do we buhn these heah webs as well?" Wade asks keeping an eye on the webs above them.

 

"I"m for it." Azif pulls some wood from his pack, "Sam it's your turn to start the fire." He gets out a lighter.

 

"Give me a piece of wood." Samantha holds out her hand. She takes the lit wood and tosses into the room to the left side. The added light of the webs quickly burning off reveals frescos on the walls and ceiling and illuminates a large spider statue in the back, standing fifteen feet tall and half again as wide.

 

"Ah hope that theah spidah is not to lafe scale." Wade says softly.

 

"Me too." Azif absently rubs his wounded hand.

 

"Creepy." Samantha muses under her breath. "Ok, enough of this. Let's go see if the scepter is in here. With our luck some German carcass back in the other cave has it." Samantha says as the flames die down leaving just the electric torch light and a lantern to illuminate the eery quiet.

 

Wade takes the lead and examines the dust at the entrance, "The tracks go strait in." Wade informs the others. Casparelli hangs out by the other side of the bridge with a lantern keeping up the rear guard. Wade and Samantha move into the room carefully.

 

Azif leans against the doorway, suddenly tired, "Ahhh Wade is it time to untie my wrist?" He asks.

 

Wade pulls out his pocket watch, "Whay yes it is mah friend." He informs Azif. And heads back to check on the Arab. The veins on Azif's arm are dark and purple, Azif himself doesn't look that well either. Wade pulls out his knife and cuts the spider bite open and tries to milk out any poisoned blood.

 

Samantha carefully makes her way to the back of the room underneath the spider. Four of the spider statues legs are folded in, holding a gold scepter, "Got it!" She says and turns around, to find she's the only one in the room. Seeing Wade taking care of Azif who has slid down the door frame she decides to examine the statue, they've come too far to give up. The statues doesn't appear to have any mechanical parts, but there are etchings in the legs with unknown symbols, glowing faintly with phosphor. "Well, I'm a bit creeped out. How's Azif?" She says turning around to look at the others across the room.

 

"He is gettin bad Sam dahlin." Wade says and looks at Casparelli, "Suh can ya'll help Sam to hurry Mike and Azif need a doctah."

 

"Get the scepter first then we go out together." Azif says, trying to stagger to his feet.

 

"Why don't you start getting him out of here. I can deal with this. There's still the matter of getting him up that rope." Samantha says, remembering the time a series of collapsing walls chased the group out of an Incan Temple.

 

Wade stands up and goes into the room, he follows the German's tracks closely and stops several feet from the statues, "Ouah germanic friend nevah made it to the statue."

 

"Hey, I made it farther than the Nazi. Go me." Samantha smiles, "How fast can you run then?"

 

Casparelli helps Azif to his feet, not wanting to go near the giant spider if he can help it, statue or not. Wade catches up to the two and helps get Azif across the bridge and start down the stairs.

 

"We ah headin out Sam... let er rip." Wade calls over his shoulder.

 

Samantha grabs the scepter, lifting out of its perch and starts to run, behind her a strange hum starts and a bright glow emanates from the etchings.

 

Suddenly a bright light flashes. . .

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

You'll note - there's no conclusion.

 

We may never actually play out the conclusion - as we picked our Star Hero game back up, and there was actually a very nice fade back into that game from this one (I'm putting those logs together too). There may never actually be a played out scenario that concludes this unless Nolgroth has more in mind behind the scenario. . .

 

 

[Edit: nice typo in the Thread Title no? any moderator want to come along and fix long into log? Oi]

[Nolgroth]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Nice thread. Looks vaguely familiar.

[solron915]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

That was as much fun as playing the game . I almost wish we had finished the game. But maybe someday. Great job G-A I truly enjoyed reading it as I did playing in it.

[Njiall]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Part One

1924, Peru, Somewhere in the Andes Mountains. . .

 

The Andes mountains of Peru are bitterly cold. The search for the Yachockta Sceptre has not gone well, with one of the guides slipping on the treacherous ice and falling into a ravine. If this were our intrepid adventurers only worries things would be normal. The other two guides ran off in the night as you neared some mountain pass they called Breio do Diabo.

 

"What's dat mean?" The Irish, Mike, boxer asks as the group makes their way, now guide less, around the mountain.

 

"Hmmmm.... Something of the Devil." Wade answers, the guides spoke in Portuguese to themselves. Wade acted as the groups translator this time as both he and the guides spoke Spanish. "So we have lost ouah guides..." He says, as they are trapped on the side of a mountain with a snow storm moving in, "And we have los ouah way in search of ouah goal."

 

Uhmmm... Why the guides spoke in portuguese?

[starblaze]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Just curious, why were the characters in the Andes? What was the backstory to it all?

[ghost-angel]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Uhmmm... Why the guides spoke in portuguese?

 

Umm.. because?

 

Just curious' date=' why were the characters in the Andes? What was the backstory to it all?[/quote']

 

Looking for the Yachockta Sceptre.

 

The backstory is thusly: The PCs are adventurers that managed to hook up through various schemes, plots and other outings. So they formed a loose association, working together as often as not. When a big expedition comes into one of their hands they gather the group and head off.

 

The whole thing was a three-session "one off" while one of the regular group was on vacation. Our normal game is a Star Hero campaign called Gemini Ascendant.

[Njiall]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Umm.. because?

 

 

 

Because it seems strange to me that the guides of the andes, that I suppose that they will be from Peru, speak in Portuguese among them.

[Nolgroth]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

Uhmmm... Why the guides spoke in portuguese?

There is a reason that I cannot disclose here because all of my players but one frequent the boards. I also had other historical inaccuracies, such as Grecian style architecture in the Andes mountain. None of it makes sense from a historical accuracy standpoint, but there is a reason. I think at least one of my players properly deduced the why, but maybe not.

[Njiall]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

There is a reason that I cannot disclose here because all of my players but one frequent the boards. I also had other historical inaccuracies' date=' such as Grecian style architecture in the Andes mountain. None of it makes sense from a historical accuracy standpoint, but there is a reason. I think at least one of my players properly deduced the why, but maybe not.[/quote']

 

OK, that explanation is sufficient for me

 

I asked because it was strange to me that they spoke Portuguese when the only country of south america where it is spoken is Brazil. I am reading the Champions Universe Book now and I have seen Brazilian characters with spanish name and characters of countries of Spanish speech with Portuguese name… for that reason this subject has called my attention.

[Nolgroth]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

OK, that explanation is sufficient for me

 

I asked because it was strange to me that they spoke Portuguese when the only country of south america where it is spoken is Brazil. I am reading the Champions Universe Book now and I have seen Brazilian characters with spanish name and characters of countries of Spanish speech with Portuguese name… for that reason this subject has called my attention.

If you really want to know, I can PM you.

[Njiall]

Re: [Game Long] Adventurers Inc!

 

If you really want to know' date=' I can PM you. [/quote']

 

I want to know!