We have been playing The Black Bird by James L. Cambias, which was originally published in the Volume 4 of the Transmissions of the Royal Martian Geological Society (Players please refrain from reading these adventures!).
So far they have been approached by a Mrs. Rowena Preston, who recently arrived on Mars only to discover he husband murdered and his experimental cloudship stolen! The Group decided to help her out (as she promised a cut of whatever the cloudship could be sold for when recovered) and traced it to a pirate operating out of Kharkarham.
Shortly after their arrival in Kharkarham they spotted the pirate’s chip and followed the captain into town…
Some Sudanese fuzzies standing in for Martian extras until I get some more proper figures…
They managed to trap him in a dead end street and murdered his two guards and a bystander he’d hastily recruited to help against the alien Earthlings. Having rendered the captain unconscious they carted him off to their ship, bribing some local officials along the way (for the corpses left in the street).
Haarn Shoolo deftly evaded the pursuing pirate ship. During the group’s interrogation of the Pirate Captain they discovered (when Miss Johnson inquired how exactly a pirate from Karkarham even found out about such a vessel being built in Parhoon) he had actually been HIRED to steal the ship, but then double crossed his employer when he found the ship would be worth far more to him as a new pirate ship! Somehow they made the connection that “Mrs. Preston” may actually be the “Frau Gutenburg” he claimed hired him.
Challenger led the group down to her cabin to confront her only to find a pistol being shoved in his face and “Mrs. Preston’s” Irish maidservant, Rose, covering them with a double barreled shotgun! All were forced back up on deck where there was a bit of a stand off….
Haarn yanked the wheel of the ship throwing everybody off balance (and nearly throwing at least one character overboard – who had to benny his agility roll). It was enough to distract and throw Mrs. Preston and Rose off-balance and a confused melee ensued:
Melee on Halfbuilt model of Haarn Shoolo’s coudship…
The overconfident Thurston Howell jumped up on the guwale railing of the ship and raft afterwards to give Mrs. Preston a good whack with his walking stick – for his troubles she shot him square in the chest (four wounds – soaked only one!). Miss Johnson was also shot in the brawl, though she was only grazed on the arm. Rose was run through by the Baraak, the beastly High Martian savage, and ingloriously heaved over the side.
…and that’s pretty much where we left off.
You can read Thurson Howells letter to his mum about it or Lt. Mongomery’s letter to his dad about their escapades elsewhere on this blog.
Hopefully next week will be the stunning climax to this adventure!
1 comment:
Looks like great fun
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