Captain Larry's Fate - A Savage Showdown Vignette

Captain Larry was a fair man.  Choosing between making money and doing a good deed (while making money), Larry chose the latter, rendezvousing with starlet Ruby Diamond to aid her escape. 


The good Captain was the last line of defense as the starlet's entourage made it onto his ship.  As he tried to dive into the water to catch the vessel, only to catch two bullets in his back. 

Somehow, Larry managed to avoid drowning and bleeding out, bobbing through the water.  He washed up on a beach far from the desert town of Soahi.

 As Larry woke up on the beach, he was wracked with pain and dying of thirst. 

He stumbled into the jungle, looking for some natural cures and fresh water.  He found a trove of mild anesthetic plants right near a bunch of bananas that had fallen from a tree.  Larry pounded the plants against the bark and shoved the mess into his wounds.  Finally getting some relief, he grabbed a banana and savored every bite.

As he reached for a second banana, something grabbed hold of his hand.  Scrambling away, Larry stood mere feet away from the largest elephant he had ever seen!

Larry unwisely tried to make a run for it....

 If not for a few well-place rocks, the Captain would have been trampled for sure. 


As all hope seemed to dwindle away, a high pitch whistle screeched through the jungle and the elephant stopped in its tracks.   Two women emerged from the trees, weapons at the ready.  

Sensing that the stranger was more in danger than a danger, they handed him a canteen.   They introduced themselves as Julie from the Jungle Patrol and Hayden, a Big Game Huntress.  The stationary elephant was Julie's pet, Mungous, and Larry had happened to interrupt his lunch. 


The lady adventurers took Captain Larry back to the Jungle Patrol shack for food and medical attention. 


Once recovered, Captain Larry told the duo his story.  Despite just recently returning from Sohai, Julie agreed to escort him back to the desert town... just in time for Christmas.


Good natured Captain Larry wanted to return... for revenge on Lt Colonel Thaddeus Ovaltine and the local gangs of Sohai.


After Maja selected Captain Larry as one of her characters for the Christmas game, the inevitable question came up, "How did Captain Larry survive?"  With the fate of Christmas at stake, there was no time for a long story during that game, but we did break out the Rory's Story Cubes later to figure out specifically what happened.  I'm very happy the girls picked an elephant for the surprise monster, rather than dinosaurs (they're coming soon enough).   This also creates a back-up plan, just in case the adventurers for "Season 2" all get eaten in the jungles of Africa.  Between some of the "tougher" female heroes on the docket, plus more sailors to order from Pulp Figures, a possible Season 3 could get down and dirty... and vengeful.

(Savage Showdown) #12 Informal Inquiries

It had been a few weeks, but the desert town of Sohai had finally recovered from the Christmas Eve chaos that plagued its streets.   Normalcy had returned, if by normalcy you mean street brawls, illegal operations, and two-fisted action to get through your day.

With the latest batch of visitors to arrive came a new rumor:  Someone had in their possession, a rare treasure map leading to riches in the south.  Some investigation was required to narrow it down to the right individual, but in Sohai, a few simple questions to the wrong person might result in a bit more than a punch in the nose. 

Our heroes:

Millie, Age 6:

• Kacey Barbara, photographer on assignment in Egypt for the Daily Outlook of Detweiler, Maine.   Armed only with a camera, a short knife, and her wits.
• "Sailor Bart"  A sailor she met on the docks with a bit of a chivalrous streak towards the naïve photographer... and perhaps a secret agenda.

Maja, Age 7:

• Julie of the Jungle Patrol. Julie had just recovered from her Christmas Eve injuries.  A map leading to her jungles sounded right up her alley.
• Hayden.  A big-game huntress, Hayden had hung out with her ally during her convalescence, and was itching to return to her posh safari lifestyle.

Good 'Ol Dad,  Age: Old Enough

• Maja Millie:  noted Archeologist and Egyptologist.  Renowned for her fast feet and her disgust for handguns.
• Nils Lingonberry, Swedish Adventurer and almost hapless sidekick to Maja Millie.

Note:  As we've had a large carousel of characters, I had the girls roll for first pick (Dad would be last on the rotation.)  I had brought out a large Chessex case of figures to choose from, and lo' and behold, neither of them could find Maja Millie, the most powerful (and popular) character, even though I put right in the middle of the figures.  Win for Dad!

The Zapdos Market, just off the Avenue of Jackels

Objective:  Ask around looking for info before confronting one (or more) of the supposed map owners.

Rules: 

• Four figures (with pink markers) could possess the map.  A character needed to make two successful inquiries with other townsfolk before asking the pink character. 
• Characters could walk up to NPCs on the board and attempt a random attribute check for one successful inquire.  Certain characters and areas with a white marker could earn two inquiries.   
• However, failure results could vary from nothing for a friendly NPC, to a wound for unfriendly NPCs.
• Each character could make a check on any one NPC once.
• Pink characters could be used for a single inquiry, but could not then be used to check for a treasure map.
• All NPCs moved four inches in a random location at the end of every turn.  Dad had one minute to make this happen.  Dad controlled what the NPCs do if they encountered a character.

TURN ONE:  The characters all scattered to the four winds.  On the NPC move, a group of military police encountered Julie and gave her a hard time, before heading further into town.  Maja declined on using a Bennie to try and soak the wound given, so Julie was -1 to all rolls for the rest of the game.

Julie gets in a little trouble. 

TURN TWO:  Kacey and Sailor Bart had no focus.  Each objective that attracted them were in opposite directions, so they just kept moving forward.

Hayden had a lovely conversation with Dr. Edmund Penhew, cult leader and mad scientist (SUCCESS!)   

"No thank you, Dr. Penhew.  I'm already a member of the Stonecutters."

Julie found a stray dog, but could find no clues on it.  Lucky for her, it didn't try to bite her, either.

Maja Millie raced to ask Morty, a former sailor on Captain Larry's boat, about leads.  *SUCCESS*  "There be a feller who sailed with us a bit.  He was a bit quiet.  He might have a map or two."

Nils Lingonberry accosted a merchant marine by the name of Bucky, but earned a fat lip for his style of questioning.

Maja Millie presses Morty for info.

TURN THREE:   Not seeing any nearby leads, Hayden bit the bullet and talked to Dr. Scotty McScotchguard, a travelling doctor.  After rebuffing the huntress, they doctor fell sway to the much subtler advances of Kacey. 

The good doctor is the center of female attention.

Sailor Bart entered a building and started sprinting up the staircase.   Julie was about to turn a corner and accost another citizen, until she realized it was the infamous Lt Colonel Ovaltine!  A failed roll against him could prove costly to her. 

"Oh no!  Not Lt Colonel Ovaltine!  That misogynistic pig!"

Julie's decision was prudent, as during the NPC phase, Gerald the Saint turned the corner and spotted his nemesis, the Lt. Colonel.  The retired mobster didn't appreciate a fellow who wouldn't take no from a dame, again and again.  The two exchanged shots, with only a few grazing wounds.

*Zoinks!*

TURN FOUR:  Julie drew a Joker.  Not only did she win initiative and get +2 on all die rolls for the turn, but a roll on the Fortune and Calamity chart earned her control of an NPC of her choice, as well as the benefits of the Joker! 

Julie finally turned the corner, grappling the Lt Colonel into a full nelson.  Gerald then dashed forward and cold-cocked him. 

Maja Millie met a pair of Military Police far more congenial that the brutes that beat up Julie.  They directed her towards a suspicious pair in the marketplace (2nd SUCCESS!)

Sailor Bart reached the roof of the building, staring at a board laid between it and an adjacent building.

TURN FIVE:  Julie searched Ovaltine for clues to no avail.  Nils dashed over to see what the ruckus was about, but his encounter with Gerald the Saint proved just as detrimental as the Lt Colonel's.

*DOUBLE KAPOW*

Meanwhile, on the rooftops of Sohai, Sailor Bart performed some phenomenal tricks on the board above the marketplace.  This helped him little with his inquiries, but the shenanigans distracted all the NPCs in the marketplace, so there was no end phase movement for them.

Sailor Bart's acrobatics.  Who is Maja Millie speaking with?

TURN SIX: Sailor Bart performed simple front somersault off the roof and onto a car.... right in front of two military police.  Fortunately for him, the nearby gunshots had distracted them.

Nothing like a valet who jumps into action.

Maja Millie talks to a mysterious stranger

TURN SEVEN: Nils recovered from Gerald's punch, saw the police coming, grabbed his hat and dashed off the board.

Nils scrambles away to safety (Zero Successes)

Kacey decided to interview Dr Penhew, but the mad cultist/scientist just wanted to take an afternoon stroll.


 

"What country is this that a man can't take a afternoon stroll bedecked in ceremonial garb for a human sacrifice?"

Sailor Bart tried his best to hot wire the car, but the best he could do was honk the horn and turn on the headlights. 

Not many cars to practice hotwiring on while you're on the high seas...

TURN EIGHT:  Kacey ventured over to the Gerald.  Her sincerity and politeness unsettled the mobster.  "Lady, I don't know nuttin' about a map.  I just know I don't want to get caught by the police again..."   (2ND SUCCESS)

Excuse me, kind sir... Is that man still breathing?

Sailor Bart ran from the immobile car and ran into the market, into the arms of his "lover" Hayden?   They knocked over a few (semi) innocent civilians to get away from the law.... and elope. 

The Getaway Duo....

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?????

Truth be told, the game was over on Turn Six.  While chaos reigned all over the board, Maja Millie simply moved from person to person, grabbed her clues, and found the treasure map on the mysterious stranger in the marketplace.  However, rooftop theatrics and ground level fisticuffs demanded we play things out. 

Millie wanted someone to cross the board between buildings (which was my intention when I set it up).  Both girls wanted some "kissy kissy love story" amongst all the clue searching, so Sailor Bart made a dash for it, tried to steal a car, and eventually ran off with his beloved.  Everybody wins, with a few complications.

There you have it, the twelfth and final episode of the "Egypt Game" with my girls.  What originally started as a simple Treasure Hunt game has turned out some great drama, some fantastic rolls, an island rescue, crazed dinosaurs, zombies, and a whole storyline involving a Hollywood starlet.  I've seen grown adults do less with weekly four hour role-playing sessions. 

This isn't the end of the game, rather the beginning of a new storyline, a "Volume 2" if you will. 

The treasure map is actually a fragile papyrus scroll with a crude map and some hieroglyphics.  It details an Egyptian settlement much further south than had ever been recorded by the scholars.  The translation was sketchy at best, but the site may be the final resting place of certain artifacts that had yet to been unearthed by archeologists: The Sword of Soken, the Shield of Ma-nu-fa, and the Damar J'hai, an extraordinary gem of immense size and rumored to have magic powers to affect the future.   

Its location is a hazardous tributary of the Nile, deep within the uncharted jungles of Africa, in an area surrounding tribes only name in whispers, Mchawi Mfalme.  The Jungle of the Witch King.

With the reoccurring injury to Julie of the Jungle Patrol, the sudden elopement of Hayden, and even Gerald the Saint's desire to lay low for awhile, Maja Millie's choices for an expedition were limited.  Nils would always tag along, and Kacey Barbara's press credentials proved for some added fame to the fortune they hoped to acquire.  Maja Millie was also able to get in contact with her old friend Bob Njano, Slayer of the Desert Chupacabra.  Bob was able to find three natives qualified to act as guides, as well as crack shots with a rifle.  Their final companion was chosen out of financial necessity.  Lord Jon-Smythe Cuppenbrush was a soldier, explorer, and adventurer with plenty of escapades from the Sudan to the Indian subcontinent.    He had only had passing interest in the map, but when Maja Millie obtained it, he offered to finance a good portion of the expedition.  It seems unsure if the gentleman's motives are financial or merely seeking a good adventure, but Lord Cuppenbrush is content to let Maja organize the campaign, opening up his coffers when asked.



Front Row (L-R) Kacey Barbara, Nils Lingonberry, Maja Millie, and Lord Jon-Smythe Cuppenbrush
Back Row:  Bob Njano and three of his friends

As always, my best scenarios are pleasantly inspired by the awesome work of others.  Another shout out to Preacher By Day.

(Savage Showdown) #11 It Crashed Upon the Desert Sand

Sohai is a rough town, full of treasure seekers, hardened mercenaries, and men trying to escape the rest of the world.  Every night is full of gun shots, glass breaking, and a general mayhem pervading the desert air.  Every night, except one:  Christmas Eve.

Every Christmas Eve, the bars and clubs shuttered by dinner, most people heading home to spend one night with their family and friends.

Now, a few innocent souls who reside there may ask, "Where do the mean people go that have no friends?" and the best answer that can one can give them is that those poor folks commiserate together in the darker corners of town, and perhaps a few friendships are made for future Christmases.
For the soldiers patrolling town, working Christmas Eve was a gift in and of itself.  The one  quiet, safe night out of the year.  The loudest interruption might be a radio transmission about a distant sandstorm.

This Christmas, there was a murmur going through the streets.  At first, it was a report of a dust storm that might juuust clip the edge of town, but then there was a loud bang.  The rumors started spreading:  Meteor, an exploded hooch still, even the failed flying experiment of a local science kook.  The true answer was even stranger:  a large sleigh, far better suited for the Russian Steppes than the desert, had struck the palm trees in front of the Hotel Hatari.  Even stranger, people kept finding boxes festooned in bright papers  and gaudy bows, all over the town.

For the heroes of the town, the truth was obvious:  Santa had crashed in the worst place in the world.  It was up to them to recover the gifts and save Christmas. 

For the worst of the ne'er do wells, it was a chance to advance their street cred.  Murder, robbery, and torture were routine, but stealing presents for Santa Claus?  That would shoot them straight up to the top of any naughty list!

Team Millie (Age 5)

*Maja Millie - Speedy Archeologist with a "No Guns" Policy
*Nils Lingonberry - Swedish Adventurer
Dr Stewart Vuitton - World Famous Surgeon and Aeroplane afficiando.

Team Maja (Age 7)

*Julie of the Jungle Patrol  - Back for a second unscheduled visit to Sohai.
*Captain Larry - But waitaminute, Cap'n Larry died last session... It's a Christmas miracle!
*Hayden -  Big Game Huntress

Team ViscountEric

*Dr Edmund Penhew - part-time archeologist/wizard/weird scientist.  Definitely a bad guy.
*"The Steam Beast"  - a masked mass of muscle, steel, and steam. 
*Claus (Non-Santa)

Something Odd Has Crashed Outside the Hotel Hatari

Objective:  Get as many presents as you can.  Of course, many of Santa's gifts took a bit a tumble, so successfully grabbing one required a random skill check, giving a choice of two (Agility, Strength, or Heart), but a sometimes it was the higher of the two skills (if it was just repacking a doll) or the lower (if the kid in question was getting a pet cobra).  Presents run off the table edge were safe. 

Claus from the bad guys had a jump on the rest, filling a sack full of swag from the sleigh and trying to dash away, dash away, dash away home.

Team Millie:  While Maja Millie and Nils crept up towards the sleigh, Dr Vuitton flew up the stairs to the roof of an apartment building and found a flailing clockwork ninja.  Luckily, he was able to deactivate it and run back down the stairs.

Stewie Vuitton reaches the first gift,  a clockwork ninja!

Team Maja had a bout of bad luck.  That trio had just gotten into town and spending the night with lukewarm coffee at Big Daddy's Donuts, the only shop open on Christmas Eve.  Captain Larry and Julie help each other to climb up to the roof of the shop while Hayden wandered onto the main road.  Julie checked the present and a giant jack in the box sprung to life, knocking her off the roof and onto the street below.   The head of the jack in the box hit the palm of Captain Larry's hand and he leisurely shoved it back into its prison.

Julie takes a tumble.

With no one paying any mind to Claus, Penhew unleashed his plan.  He cast on charm onto Maja Millie, making her believe the nice man in the strange purple robes deserved a Christmas present, like the one over there.  She fetched a nearby gift and dropped it at his feet. 

Nils can't stop the power of Penhew.

Nils knew something was wrong with his friend and had two choices: plead to her to break the spell, or stop the sorcerer.  Two missed shots, a wild haymaker, and a singed backside from a magic bolt, and the Swede was hiding behind a column, pleading with his friend.

The Steam Beast noisily lumbered through the back alleys, encountering no opposition, save scaring off a local and his team of pack mules.   It reached down to pick up the present, only to find it was a broken jar of marbles.  The colorful spheres went everywhere and the creature made a cruel tumble.

This is sooooo embarrassing....

Maja Millie and Nils decided checking out Santa's sleigh was safer than fighting some wrapping paper obsessed magic-user.  Stewie Vuitton had just gotten back from stowing away his present, saw Penhew and fired at him with his handgun. 

Penhew seemed impervious to bullets (or they missed), but with another wave of his hand and Stewie seemed under his spell.   Stewie and Penhew grabbed the Steam Beast and headed out of town.

Soon thereafter, the other characters could feel sand hitting their faces, an obvious warning sign of the sandstorm that was coming.  But this sand stuck to their faces, then turned to water....

Snow?!?

Amongst the flurries emerged the man himself, Santa Claus.  Our heroes clamored around him.

Thank God the magic dust shrinks presents and makes the reindeer fly.

He had one more home to deliver to in the area, just before the sandstorm hit, scattering his reindeer.  Some nice nomads had helped him round them up, and it appeared some nice souls found most of the presents.  

"Don't worry about the ones that went missing.  I always carry a few extras.  This isn't my first Rod-e-HO-HO-HO!!!" 

Despite an impressive effort by the bad guys, Captain Larry was determined to be the individual winner, being the only one to snag two presents.  Outside of Julie's fall and a failed attempt by Penhew to charm Hayden, Team Maja did yeoman's work finding presents and avoided the drama. 

It only took four weekends to get some time to time to run a Christmas game for the girls, and by that time it was the day after New Years! 

I had planned the first "volume" of Savage Showdown scenarios to fill up 12 scenarios, before moving onto a new theme.  I've got one more city adventure to run before the group "hopefully" decides to travel south with new clues.  The new scenarios are simpler, I don't have much on my to-buy list to fill out the other characters, and they might work with a few of the kids' friends.

But we also have the issue with the kidnapping Stewie Vuitton, if they need to rescue him. Just this morning I happened to have based and primed the figures I would need for that game. 

Of course, like many of my recent games, the scenario was previously played out with better figures, better terrain, and just as much fun by Preacher By Day

(Savage Showdown) #10 Don't Miss the Boat

Ever since the film crew for the latest feature, Witness of a Hero descended upon the sleepy village of Sohai, there had been nothing but trouble.    First, crazed fans and corrupt soldiers tried to kidnap the film's star, Ruby Diamond.  She escaped their clutches, but her trusted driver, John Partridge, was killed.   Then, Ruby's dog, Rosie, went missing, and there was a running fisticuffs in the streets to find it and claim the reward.

The man who found Rosie was Lt Col Thaddeus Ovaltine: treasure hunter, archaeologist, and leader the Rough 'n Ready Riders mercenary company.    He was also the man primarily responsible for Miss Diamond's kidnapping attempt.  He had narrowly escaped capture in the attempt, but his Riders had all either been killed or run off.   Being fabulously wealthy had its privileges and he managed to purchase the service of a few disgruntled government troops to rescue. 

The reward money was chump change for such a wealthy man, but Ovaltine finally had an opportunity to meet his beloved face-to-face.   The starlet had no idea that her puppy's savior was the same man that tried to kidnap her (botched Notice roll), but no sooner had Ovaltine started to spew romantically about how they were mean to be together (botched Persuasion roll), than Ruby called for her bodyguard and dashed off to film her last few scenes. 

Even with government troops on his payroll, Ovaltine couldn't get near Miss Diamond again, thanks to her own batch of easily bribed soldiers. 

With filming complete, it was time to leave, but the film's producers soon discovered that the nearby train station and rural roads were swarming with too many bandits and scoundrels for even their own private army to handle. 

Enter Captain Larry.  He had participated in the dog hunt for the money, but he also had a slice of decency inside his cold heart.  He let the film know, that his ship's services were available to get Miss Diamond out of town discretely.  The retired mobster, Gerald the Saint was further employed to walk Rosie for a few nights, until one night, he didn't return with her, instead taking her to Captain Larry's ship. 

Under cover of darkness, Ruby and local hero Ted Mosby, Aviator, slipped out of the hotel and made their way to a small shack, where they would wait in safety until Captain Larry made to signal to rush to the boat.    Rush might be an overstatement, because a girl in heels can't run, and a fairy lady such as Miss Diamond wouldn't be caught dead running.  The crew had their work cut out for them.





Ruby and Ted started at the small shack (upper left) and needed to board the ship (just past lower right) to succeed.



The crew of Captain Larry's ship (and Rosie) started on the docks.

Turn One:  As the sun began to break the horizon, a single flare was shot into the air.  Captain Larry had arrived.   His men stormed the dock and advanced into the desert to meet their objective.  Ted and Miss Diamond walked with flare, purpose, and a desire for cover.  



Morty:  "Sumthin's out der!"

The duo could hear group quickly moving towards the shack.  Ovaltine and his men on payroll had discovered the plan and were making one last try to nab her!

Turn Two:  The sailors had bigger (and closer) fish to fry, as a small horde of  locals came barreling out of the dunes.  The rumors of the actress' late-night disappearance formed liquor-aided worries than the film company was ditching town without paying many of the locals that had been hired as extras.  Seizing Ruby would guarantee payment, one way or another. 

For Ted Mosby, Aviator, a quick shot fell one of Ovaltine's men, but a strong desire for survival forced him to hide within what little cover was available.  



Angry Extras

Turn Three:  Ovaltine's new men proved to have little mettle in this endeavor, as a few shots by Ted and sailor Old Pete froze them under cover of some palm trees.  The other sailors proved less than reliable.  Morty, packing a Tommy Gun, sprayed a wall of bullets at the locals, but couldn't injure a soul.    The locals returned fire, and if not for Morty's chronic back problems, which kept him hunched over, the sailor would surely be dead (a benny to soak all the damage may have helped as well). 

Almost there, Miss Diamond...

Turn Four:  The locals seized the initiative and charged Captain Larry, Morty, and Redshirt Lance.  Each was wounded, but held their ground.





The locals charge.

Turn Five:  Ted and Ruby dashed off closer to the ship, just in the nick of time,  as Ovaltine finally convinced his men to charge out of cover.  The Lt Col sprinted in front of his and tried to take a pot shot at Old Pete. 

*click*

*click click*

Despite an opportune shot, it appeared that he had forgotten to load his rifle AND bring any ammo along.  His sidearm would have to do. 



Back with sailors, blows were finally landing.  Captain Larry clobbered one man, Redshirt Lance a second, and Morty shook off his attackers, took two steps back before leveling his Tommy gun, and wiping out all but one of his attackers.



Morty tries to clear the board



Turn Six:  With Ted and Ruby under cover and rushing towards the ship, Ovaltine's men turned their attention on the sailors.  No sailors meant the starlet wasn't going anywhere.  A few quick shots fell Morty before he could turn around and fire, while three soldiers and one local jumped on Captain Larry.    Wounded, and against overwhelming odds, the captain slugged two into submission, forcing the other two to flee. 



Captain Larry - Undaunted!

Turn Seven:  Ruby Diamond made it aboard, and the other sailors quickly followed suit.  The locals routed and the Ovaltine's men found cover and took some useless pot shots at the boat.  Mission accomplished!

Turn Eight: Only, it wasn't.  Ruby Diamond quickly realized that Captain Larry wasn't aboard.  She screamed his name as the other sailors shoved off into safer waters. 

But Larry would make one last valiant effort to reach the edge of the water, before two shots hit him in the back and he collapsed into the water. 





The fate of Captain Larry:  Unknown.



As it has become SOP in the games with my daughter, Maja, even with bonuses.   The sailors pulled a Joker for initiative, earning them a +2 for all the units actions, a roll on the Fortune and Calamity chart which netted them an increase to a skill or ability (Maja wisely up shooting to a d8), and in a hail of gunfire and dicerolling, she accrued a mountain of misses, and the few that landed didn't do enough damage to rip a sheet of paper.   The good news was that my futility was even worse, forcing Ovaltine's men to freeze and overwhelming numbers of the locals to achieve little. 

But the three part story of Ruby is over, with her on her way back to Hollywood, and perhaps a leading man role for Ted in his future.  Ovaltine will sulk, but soon be back to his dastardly ways. 

And Captain Larry?  He may return, depending on plot convenience.  



Maja, Triumphant!

As with many of the "Egypt" games I play with my daughter, this one was wildly influenced/inspired/stolen from Preacher By Day's game of the same name. 

(Savage Showdown) #9 That Silly Dog

The desert town of Sohai was already a busy place with a movie filming right outside its borders and a Hollywood starlet residing in its swankiest hotel. 
However, disaster swept through the film crew and the town's citizenry, as it was discovered that acclaimed actress Ruby Diamond's dog Rosie had turned up missing!  News of a substantial reward for the return of her pet sent numerous "search parties" to the far reaches to find the dog.

The dog was spotted in the wee hours of the morning, in a deserted bazaar.  Three groups were the closest.

On a quiet, pre-dawn morning on the streets of Sohai, a dog does it's business on an obelisk

#1 -  Adventurer and archaeologist Maja Millie had teamed up with Ruby Diamond's saviour, Ted Mosby and two locals.  - Run by my daughter, Maja.

#2 - Lieutenant Colonel Thaddeus Ovaltine and three corrupt government soldiers had escaped the kidnapping attempt of the starlet and decided to join forces to capture the dog, split the reward money, and give Ovaltine another chance to woo Ms Diamond.  Run by my friend Brian

#3 - Captain Larry and his sailor bros were in it for the money, but knew that Ovaltine was up to no good.  Run by me!

Special Rules:  Numerous sacks, crates, and containers lay scattered across the board.    If a figure got within an inch of the item, they could make a random skill check.   If successful it was a one time bonus, with a raise it was a permanent bonus towards capturing the dog.

Turn One:  Rosie was chasing her tail around the obelisk which allowed Maja Millie's and Ovaltine's group to move up quickly.    Captain Larry recommended caution, but his sailors didn't obey his orders.   Morty the Mook dashed over to what obviously was a pile of kibble and tried to fling a sack over his hulking shoulder.   Perhaps the kibble got in contact with water and became extra-heavy, perhaps Morty didn't lift with his knees. Perhaps the dice gods rolled catastrophically, but within seconds, Morty was laying on the ground clutching his back. 



Morty, asking for improved chiropractic care on the crew's health care.



Turn Two:  Maja Millie was renowned in these parts as being a fast runner, and her fleet footedness allowed her to run up behind Rosie the dog. 

"Here puppy puppy."

Rosie was startled by the sprinting human and was just about to dart off, when out of nowhere, Lt Col Ovaltine and a big sack of dog treats (+2 permanent bonus) appeared.  



"Milk Bones for my Beloved's canine..."

Turn Three:  Ovaltine's government allies tried to get in position to run interference with the other groups.  Two soldiers got into it with some of the sailors, while the other tried to nab Maja Millie.  The archeologist was too nimble for the native, and with a juke move, evaded capture, hooked a leash onto Rosie collar, and began to drag her towards the table edge. 







Maja Millie steals the dog away, only to lose it seconds later.

The dog's carefree nature hindered Maja's natural speed, so it was easy for Ovaltine to run alongside them, and with a slash from his long knife, cut the leash. 

Turn Four:  Captain Larry had finally managed to race across the street, and watching the dastardly Ovatline's deeds first hand, drew out his revolver and leveled it at the Lt Col's head.



*click*  *click*



"That's the last time I give Morty the job of loading me revolver...."     

The soldier finally caught up to Maja Millie, stopping her from her pursuit of Ovaltine, but earning a knockout elbow to the nose in return. 





"Quick somebody stop him before he ..."

Turn Five:  Captain Larry couldn't keep pace with Ovaltine, and his futile throw of his empty revolver only managed to knock off the Lt Col's sun hat.    Ovaltine successfully threw the bag of dog biscuits ahead of Rosie to encourage her to move faster.  No one was able to catch him... 

Except for the two locals helping Maja Millie.  Both came dashing out of different alleys and tried to gang tackle Ovaltine. 

They missed, only succeeding in colliding into each other....



"... nevermind."

Thaddeus Ovaltine gets the reward money (split four ways among the soldiers, he is a man of honor), as well as a chance to woo his beloved Ruby Diamond.  What will transpire during that meeting?  You'll need to stay tuned for Episode #10, coming soon!!!!

Some unfortunate initiative orders and short rolls for the random movement for Rosie ensured that the game devolved into a miniatures version of Fumble Rumble... with a dog. 
No real dogs were harmed during this game.

This scenario was directly inspired/borrowed/stolen from Preacher by Day's AAR: That Darned Cat.


Next:  Episode #10:  Don't Miss the Boat