(Savage Pulp) #3.11 The Sacrifice

It was supposed to be Cold Wars this weekend, down in Ocean City, Maryland.  I have my time off approved since it was originally announced, but COVID continues to overstay its welcome and the convention was wisely cancelled.  

I had planned a Cold Wars at Home weekend, but I'm double grateful for the cancellation.  My girls' AAU schedule was released late and we had a local tournament in Scranton for most of Saturday and Sunday.  I bristled the idea of friends skipping the cons for yet another kid's travel sport, but it appears that I'm in that trajectory for all least the next 6-7 years.  

As a consolation, my eldest daughter, Maja agreed to play the penultimate episode of our long-running Pulp campaign's third season. 

When we last left our heroes, famed archaeologist Maja Millie had been kidnapped, and her loyal friends were dedicated to finding, and rescuing her.  Swedish adventurer Nils Lingonberry led a team who found clues leading to a hidden grove behind a tourist trap.  There, Maja Millie had been strung up by the cultists in some strange ritual circle.  Speed and stealth would need to be in great commodity if the group wanted to save their friend.

Maja Millie and the Hight Priest of Rådjurens Herre

Nils had brought two friends, retired English explore, Lord Jon Cuppenbrush,  Ted Mosby, Aviator, and had enlisted the proprietor of the tourist trap, one Stinky Sven, to try to help rescue Maja Millie.  

Our heroes: (Front) Lord Jon Cuppenbrush, Nils Lingonberry
(Back) Ted Mosby, Aviator, Stinky Sven.

The secret grove

The rescue operation started without much complication.  Inside of splitting up, or flanking the ritual, the group all dashed off to the left of the monoliths.

Nils was the first one to reach the monoliths, and unfortunately must have snapped a branch on the group by accident, alerting the cultists nearby of his presence. 

Nils got the jump on the cultists and got into a better position, to unload his pistol onto the still-unsuspecting cultist, and negating the further element of surprise.

*BANG* One cultist down. 

Ted Mosby and Lord Cuppenbrush arrived shortly thereafter, and their combine firepower took out a second cultist.

The other startled cultists slowly finally moved towards the attacks, save the High Priest, who was still trying to complete the unknown ritual.

Stinky Sven had managed to sneak around undetected and reached the captured archeologist.  Even with his trusty shovel, he couldn't find an easy way to shred her ropes.

Two cultists, armed only with clubs and knives, jumped onto Ted.   Two other cultists with shotguns, got into position to protect the High Priest, and blow the interlopers away.  

Nils helped Sven out with the ropes, and turned his attention with the High Priest, at close range.

Nils unloaded his revolvers into the High Priest, but apparently his dark arts kept his alive from such grievous wounds.  

While the gunfire was ineffective on all sides, the two cultists on Ted finally overwhelmed the pilot, and he crumpled to the ground.  

RIP Ted Mosby, Aviator.

Many turns into the battle, the High Priest was already prepared to sacrifice his prize and summon something from the great beyond.  

Hey, where'd she go?

With Maja Millie vanished, the ritual continued unabated, but the summoning of a dark eldritch creatures from the unnamable corner of the universe needed a sacrifice to satiate its blood loss for a little while longer.  

The Unspeakable Horror decided the priest was a fine alternative.

The priest tried to subjugate the creature into his control, using an eldritch blast, but it missed, nailing Stinky Sven instead.  He flew off the circle and lay completely motionless, possibly dead.

RIP Sven, we barely knew ye.

Knowing his own cultists would quickly run in fear from the abomination, the High Priest chose the next best alternative:  He high-tailed it out of there before the survivors  realized what was happening.  The old bear tale rang true:  If a bear attacks, you don't have to be the fastest, just not the slowest.

Run away!  Run away!

At this point we had hit Turn Six and we played through two more turns before the game rolls dictated the end of the game.  The cultists clumsily tripped up each other to avoid being devoured by the fell beast, while our heroes, led by the speedy Maja Millie, took a circuitous but safer route to keep the cultists between them and the mythos creature.  

The High Priest tripped up his own man to ensure his own survival.  Evil is truly evil. 

GM Notes:  With this episode the stories of Maja Millie and company come to an end.  We may revisit them from time to time, but the season finale, (#3.12) will return to all the chaos in Sohai, and Season Four sets up a new ensemble cast.  

Inspiration for the scenario came from Mysterious Bill and Jozi's Tin Man.  

I'm just happy enough my kid gamed with me (and both kids did great at the tournament, that's for a non-gaming post.)  The idea of multiple games for the con weekend was a bust, and with multiple Kickstarters ready to close, I'm still pondering the virtual dealer hall options.  

Next: The Rockin' Season Finale!