(Savage4) Tomb of the Serpent - #4.3 The Haunted Hall

There were more dreamers around the world, who dreamt of Egypt, who dreamt of ancient artifacts.  For one group, their dreams led them to Scottish Borders, through West Linton and Blyth Bridge, past Kirkurd Church and solemn gravestones, then down a narrow, tree-lined path to Fotherington Hall.  They recognized the building immediately.

I know there are some nice set-ups for Tomb of the Serpent, but my kids are more amused by building it out using Jenga blocks. 

Our Heroes

"Mango" Tangier, Dolores "El Dobbie" Gato (Wild Card) Diana "Dibby" Boyle (Wild Card) , and Aurelio Farmer

Dolores "El Dobbie" Gato was already on her third career.  Disgraced nobility, turn rooftop cat burgler, turned South American explorer, she only really trusted her right hand gal, Diana "Dibby" Boyle, a former nightclub singer known to go toe-to-toe with famous boxers who got a bit too frisky after the performance.   "Mango" Tangier was a seaplane pilot who needed to ditch his last plane (and very illegal cargo) into the Carribean, and Aurelio was a former reporter who fell in love with the concept of treasure hunting and adventure, but... just wasn't very good at it. 

TURN ONE:  Of course, the group split up in three directions.   Mango flew up the center hallway, kicking in doors, looking for anything they would help them find the relic.  

What he encountered was a strange robed individual... with no face! 

That person quickly had no pulse as Mango blasted him with his shotgun.  If anyone else was in the hall, they certainly knew they had visitors.

TURN TWO:  Dibby had a single-minded focus to reach the fireplace for some reason, but she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around when Aurelio's rifle went off.  A different dead cultist, with a giant knife, lay dead.

So far, so good.

More trouble was near, as the cultist with a tommy gun starting making too much noise in the darkness, the sound of metal clicking, and ... a dog barking?

Dolores had gone solo, and started to move a painting in the room... too many safes in walls from a past life.  The visage of a ghost appearing did surprise or hurt her all....  The faceless cultist who attacked her drew blood.   She needed to get rid of both of them, fast! 

Dolores drawing a LOT of attention. 

Mango had found a body of the maid at the end of the hall. Searching her uncovered a key that looked very old and important.    

TURN THREE:  

Mango didn't have much of a chance to think about it, as another cultist (with a hood, face status unknown) ran up and pistol-whipped him! 

Meanwhile, Dibby dodged a rain of bullets to get to the fireplace, and Dolores had her hands full with two cultists and a ghost, but held her own. 

TURN FOUR:   Gunfire was exchanged in the main room, the tommy gun finally silenced by Dibby.   Aurelio moved up carefully to investigate the barking.  

TURN FIVE:  Dibby pulled one of the wall sconces and she could hear a secret passage open... somewhere.  Aurelio found the source of the barking: a very scared old dog, properly belonging to the (probably deceased) master of the house.  He couldn't get the dog calmed down.  

TURN SIX:  Dibby wanted to explore more, but the sight of cultists running OUT of the building, rather than attacking signaled something was very wrong.  She starting moving out of the hall, firing at the escaping cultists.  Her shots were matched with Dolores' who had managed to compliment the faceless cultist with a headless one from her machete.  Grabbing her rifle, she was firing back at the cultists and ghost as she headed to the door.  

Mango couldn't take control the dog.  The rumbling floor gave the old canine a reason to run and it made it out okay.    Mango also grabbed the unlucky and unconscious Aurelio, a nice bump on his head.  

The explosion was deafening and the ensuing fire drove everyone out of the hall.  The cultists serving some evil master escape into the night, probably with the relic. 

When asked what to do now, Dolores answered calmly, "I've had other dreams,  I know where to go to next..."

I am converting the Temple of the Serpent campaign for Pulp Alley, into Savage Showdown (Savage World lite), the system, we've been using for our Pulp "Egypt" games for over a decade.  Episode 4.2 was a nail-biter until the end.  This one made me realized that there should be at least one more character in these crews.  I did find it amusing that the leader of each game thus far has been bogged down for most of the game, allowing the others to try and finish the scenario.  

After a decade of playing with the girls, I've learned to let them do their silly things, and I'll tweak things in the write-ups.  I had originally thought we would get Maja's gang up and running, but I was blessed with a lot more Millie time as I ran them back and forth from friends' houses.  Millie showed off her Gen Alpha energy, adding annoying phrases and number combinations in the names, but a simple request in ChatGPT gave us the names used in the scenario, as well as pretty elaborate back stories I toned down.  

Next: Episode 4.4 - The Thing in the Well