Pulp Alley AAR – Tomb of the Serpent Campaign – Cairo Caper

I teased about this game more than a month ago and I think it is time to tell the world of what the CSSS (Corpo di Spedizione della Santa Sede, or The Expeditionary Corps of the Holy See) was up to in the outskirts of Cairo.

In the last Pulp Alley-installment, The Evil Below, Monsignore and the gang found a crucial clue to the whereabouts of some ancient relics needed to get to the Tomb of the Serpent. Everything points to Cairo and cult activities there. 

The CSSS packed themselves into a plane to Cairo, a rather small plane as funding had suddenly dried. There were only four seats in first class, and those were swiftly taken by Monsignore, Sister Innocenza, Sister Sicaria and Ms Meschina, a Cairo guide who promised to help the gang getting to the right place at the right time. The unfortunate rest of the gang, Father Scuro and Sisters Morta and Maledetta, had to settle for second class... the uncomfortable luggage compartment. They were sure to be both cold and sore when they arrived at the destination, not that that could possibly cause any trouble when they arrived. Right?

The plane got an urgent radio-message from traffic-control when they closed in on the airport. It seemed the airport was beleaguered by red-clad cultists demanding the blood of all infidels. The CSSS made a quick decision to land on the outskirts of Cairo and find a suitable ride into the city and their safe-house.

The landing went without mishap, but they could see red-clad cultist observing the plane as it stopped. The gang jumped off the plane, intent on quickly finding a car or lorry that could help in escaping the red-clad hordes they could hear in the distance. Well, most of the gang, anyway, as the stowaways had to get themselves out of the baggage compartment and get some circulation going.

The first class passengers will have to find some wheels, while the second class passengers will have to get their blood-circulation going.

"Where do we start?" asks Suora Innocenza. "There is obviously one man here who see and hear everything. The snake charmer!" says Monsignore.

Mosignore strides forward and, while avoiding the lethargic snakes, he asks "Gentle sir, we are in grave need of a transport."
The snakecharmer says "What. Talk louder, I can't hear!"
"Have you seen a car around here!!!"
"What! Insults this early in the day. You can see I'm blind and you start mocking me!"
Monsignore squats, notices the empty eye-sockets in the weather-beaten face in front of him, swats away a snake with pulled fangs, throws some small change in front of the man and shouts "Apologies. We need a car. Eternal blessings if you could lead us to one"
"Ask Jermaine" is the short answer from the old man who quickly retrieves the money. "Can I change the blessings into hard cash?"
Monsignore looks at him, rises, kicks him in the stomach, retreives the money and mutters something about heretics.

While Monsignore interrogates the old man, Suora Innocenza and Ms Meschina runs into a narrow alley. Suora in the lead as she is an incredible sprinter. 

Suora Sicaria is still by the plane. She looks at the low buildings, flat roofs... a plan is taking shape. Something she has always wanted to do. Something absolutely not permitted in the Vatican. Who could possibly complain... But should she really? What will Monsignore say? She falters. Thinks. Looks back at her compatriots by the plane. What the hell... it's now or never.

Monsignore shouts "The German. Find the German!"
Ms Meschina asks the stern-looking man in front of her "Are you the German?"
The man looks at her and says "Ursäkta?" 

Monsignore comes running, sees the confusion before him and starts yelling about cars in German. His language lessons are useless as Herr Karlsson looks confused and says "Ni får ursäkta, men jag pratar bara ärans och hjältarnas språk. Men det förstår ni väl inte, förbannade papist!" The carpet salesman sees an opportunity and before Monsignore understands what has happened he is the proud owner of a Afghan mat. A very expensive Afghan mat. The carpet salesman, Jermaine, is the proud owner of a lot of Italian lira and points the easy mark towards his brother, Ahmed.
Suroa Innocenza is just confused. There are so many alleys and no clear taget to pummel. What is a girl to do? She waits.

Meanwhile Suora Sicaria is running down another alley. "Out of my way, heretic!" She's on a mission of her own.

She feel like a little girl when she scrambles up a ladder and starts running on the flat rooftop. She has dreamt of this. Jumping from roof to roof. She abandons all modesty.
Monsignore sees a black figure on a nearby roof as he is packing a rather large mat. Is that...? No it couldn't possibly be... 

With the mat safely tucked inside his smock he runs round the corner right into the waiting arms of Ahmed. "You want wheels, Padre? I have wheels, for the right price." Monsignore starts counting lira...

Ms Meschina looks around and sees someone that just might help her. "Dear sir, I value information very highly. If you could point me towards someone with a car or truck I will reward you handsomely."
The fruit-merchant smiles broadly as he reaches for her money "My brother is just the man you are looking for. He should be just a couple of alleys away, carrying fruits to my stall from his truck. He is easy to recognize as he wears a red fez. He is a bit odd, though."

Suora Innocenza see everyone else run, so she does the same, it's just that she is faster than the others so she is suddenly in the lead again. She stops, getting her breath. A man carrying a sack of pomegranates stops by her side. His eyes dart this way and that, his face twitches. He giggles. 

Meanwhile, Suora Sicaria is in heaven as she gracefully jumps from roof to roof. 

Until it is a rather long jump to the next one. She tries to stop, but...

...falls and hits a rather handy cushion in the form of a heretic old man. Not too bad a landing. Well, at least not for her. That's what's really important, though, as she is on a mission from God. The other guy is just... what's it called... collateral damage!

Soura Innocenza starts arguing with the man in the Red Fez. A man who smells suspiciously of petrol. "Why do you smell so awful?" He starts laughing. "Are you a total idiot? Talk to me!" He does not. 

Our heroic guide sprints by, shouting to Suora Innocenza.  "It him! He's got keys to a truck. Get them while I try to find the truck!"

Monsignore, who is now a proud owner of two extremely expensive wooden wheels, hears it all. He runs to the fez-clad man. "My dear man, we are on a mission from God. We must find the Tomb of the Serpent, and to do that we need that truck of yours. I'm willing to pay everything I have to get it. You can even get a genuine Afghan mat..."
The fez-clad man starts to giggle. "The Tomb of the Serpent?" he says. "I know the Tomb! I was there! You are doomed! We all are!"
Monsignore sighs. "Yes, I'm sure you do and I promise you, you will be doomed unless you hand over those keys" He is really surprised when said keys are pressed in his hand. "Dear sir. I am eternally grateful. May I ask your name, so we know who to bless."
He is gapes when he hear the reply "I am Aziz. They call me Mad Aziz, because they don't understand what I and Professor Pacoli saw at the Temple."
Monsignore grabs Mad Aziz's hand. "Follow me" he says.

Ms Meschina has just found the truck and she charms the man set to guard it against thieves and infidels. He is suddenly all for inter-religious talks and promises that the truck is hers if she could just show the keys.
Mission accomplished! That was easy.

...or not...

...really not...

Meanwhile, at the plane. Three black-clad heroes have just massaged their legs into something vagely useful as they hear loud shouts of "Kill the infidels" among the houses. The pilot revs the engines. "Ehr, got to go" he shouts while the plane start moving, gaining speed.
They are stranded!

A risen priest meets a risen nun and a risen and annoyed old man. The old man decides to take it out on some random beggar and legs it as fast as he can, while said nun mutters something about "Can't these savages let their dead rest like we sane people do?" She hits the mummy over its head, without any effect, when she adds "Well, except Jesus, of course"

Two well armed cultist closes in on Ms Meschina...

...while an insane mob and some well armed cultists set their sights set on Monsignore. 

Fighting risen priest is hard work, especially as they have hands of steel. Suora Sicaria falls under a flurry of blows, while Soura Innocenza runs to her support.

The insane mob takes a collective decision to try to suround the infidels, but their long red robes gets tangled in the wall they try to jump, with disastrous results. Two of them down, knocked senseless. Not that they had much sense before...

A father and two sisters runs as fast as they can towards the yelling and shots in the distance. Well, the padre is held up, as he sees a fantastic Afghan mat for sale. It would make a terrific present to Monsignore. He starts to haggle.

Nuns are made of stern stuff, as the risen priest notices when Suora Sicaria kicks him in the gonads before she gets up. Fortunately for him, or rather it, as it were, said gonads were removed when he was embalmed. I guess that is one reason he is so grumpy. Who wouldn't be?

Soura Innocenza makes a strategic move to protect Monsignore and Ms Meschina. They must hold out as long as possible.

Cultist start shooting, but to no effect as Soura Innosenza shoots back and they have to take cover.

The rest of the insane cultists try to best Soura, but...

...she is a close combat killing machine and they are not. The surviving cultist decides to be sane for a moment and runs away.

Suora Morta lobs a grenade at one of the cultists, while swearing like a soldier. It's a dud.
She actually does look very much like her brother, Soldato Morto. She sounds like him, too. The brother that has suddenly disappeared, just when he was about to go on a business trip to Spain. Strange that.
Monsignore has decided to not look too far into this...
The cries of "Kill the infidels!" can be heard all around the curageous priests and nuns. Is this the end?
Suddenly rifle-shots can be heard...

...the cavalry has arrived in the form of Foreign Legion soldiers. It's actually not as strange as it might seem, as the French Legation, situated just a few blocks away, got a frantic radio-message from a panicked pilot, telling about stranded priests surrounded by maddened cultists. As good Catholics the soldiers bravely cut and shot through the hordes. Saving the day in the nick of time.
Our heroes take their truck, and Mad Aziz that might be of use in their further adventures, to the safety behind the Legation walls.
All is quiet until the Legion doctor have to tend to a broken nose of a very surprised priest who mutters something about an ungrateful boss who show no gratitude and seem to be perveresly pleased to burn some rugs and two wooden wheels.

This scenario was based on the Cairo Caper from the Tomb of the Serpent campaign, but I made it more difficult, to be a bit more of a challenge. The minor plot points are placed one after the other, at the start of each round, and the major plot point is obviously the truck. The thing is, the plot points must be unlocked in order and if any plot point isn’t unlocked at the end of the round the alarm is raised, meaning lots of cultist. Also, if there is any brawling or shooting it will raise the cult hordes. The cultist were finally set loose as the Major plot point was unlocked.
It all went very well for the Catholics up until the final plot point was taken and the cultists arrived. They had to protect Monsignore and the Level 3 Scout, Ms Meschina, who had all the plot points in their protection, for two rounds. Until help arrived. 
The solo-rules worked like a charm, and it is a real pleasure to be able to have a game in my gaming room whenever I like to (or rather, whenever I have made some suitable terrain ready). Lots of fun.
Last AAR I presented more of the mechanics of the game, but this time I felt like telling the tale instead. I rather like that. 
What do you think?

Teaser

I set up the gaming table yesterday evening, preparing for the next Pulp Alley solo-game. 

It's a suburb to Cairo using all of my 3D-printed arab houses.

Next project is to print even more houses, but more suitable to inner city.

I think I need more civilian arabs also. Any idea where I can find some?

Pulp Alley AAR – The Tomb of the Serpent campaign – The Evil Below

Time to dust off the CSSS (Corpo di Spedizione della Santa Sede, or The Expeditionary Corps of the Holy See) again.

In the last game of Pulp Alley Monsignore thought, for a brief time, that he had gotten his hands on the fabled Ring of Pharaohs. It turned out that the ring was a fake, but he was lucky, as one of the clues his companions had uncovered hinted that the real ring could be found in an ancient cemetery outside Rome. Unfortunately it was clear that the Cult of Aphopis also knew about this. Time to hurry, as the CSSS needs to be there before the cult finds the ring.

This scenario is set in an ancient graveyard infested with flesh-eating ghouls. The ghouls will strike against lonely character, so if anyone (but not cultist) activates with no friendly characters within 6”, he or she encounters a random Peril. Also, if a character goes down with no-one within 6” the ghouls will strike and that character is automatically removed from play.

The statue, out of focus to spare your nerves.

The ring can be found within a gruesome statue of a cultist. Sounds easy? Well, at the end of each round the statue teleports to another pedestal, and those pedestals need to be toppled to be inactivated. This means that the pedestals counts as minor plot points and the statue is the major plot point, if and when you catch it. The statue is also so gruesome that anyone who comes into contact with it needs to take a horror check, with another one needed if they fail to unlock it.

I had a great time going through my boxes and printing some new stuff for this. I actually had lots of suitable stuff already, but printed some extra pieces just for this scenario. That printer is really chucking out terrain-pieces, and everything printed is circled in red. Lots, as you can see.

Plot points marked in yellow.

The CSSS, from left to right. Front Row: Padre Scuro (ally), Sister Innocenza (sidekick), Monsignore Cadaverico (leader), Sister Sicaria (ally), and Sister Morta (ally, replacing Soldato Morto, her brother, who had identical stats to her. Note the grenade she hides behind her back. Poor Soldato Morto is also forced to learn Spanish. Wonder what Il Duce is up to…)

Back row: Sister Malvagia (lvl 2 Brawler that we got from the Network of Supporters Perk), Signorina Meshina (a lvl 3 Scout backup), Padre Peste (lvl 1 Shooter Contact) and Sister Maledetta (follower).

I felt it was really important to succeed this time, so I bought a backup, contact and even gear (that weren’t used) with resources gained in earlier adventures.

Today’s cultists. A really tough Serpent Priest, a Militant Cultist with a rifle and four Fierce Cultist with hand-weapons. Their job is to stop the heroes.

The CSSS (circled in yellow) split in two groups, the smaller to attack the Erol Otus temple before them and the larger to split in two and try to topple the pedestals on the high cliff and at the Altar of the Fish-God.

The cultist (red) hides behind some suitable cover.

This is the first time I play with the second edition rules. Nothing groundbreakingly new, but some small things here and there that I think lifts the game.

When playing solo you decide who goes first, heroes or baddies, and they activate all their characters before the other side activates. The first three characters to activate will each draw a card from the Solo-deck and apply whatever is indicated. Often bad, but sometimes good, so it is a good idea to decide whether you should activate first and risk the solo-cards or activate second and lose your momentum.
The cultists will first activate the cultist closest to a hero, then the second closest etc. 

Well, Monsignore was impatient and whipped his minions into action.

First to activate was Sister Sicaria who was grabbed by undead hands that held her fast (she drew a nasty Solo-card, failed a challenge and couldn't move this turn. That was a good representation of what could go wrong with activating first).

The other Solo-cards were harmless, and the league is closing in on the pedestals, to be ready to topple them next turn.

Padre Peste looks a bit annoyed to be used as a speed bump...

The cultists attacks Sister Innocenza, who doges a bullet, knocks a cultist down and parries the attacks of another. She is also a speed-bump, and a very effective one at that.

These cultist just move into better positions.

End of round and the downed cultist recuperates and is ready for some serious action.

The Statue teleports to the Altar of the Fish-God. Bad news for these sisters as they understand that they have no chance of unlocking its secrets. Simply far to dangerous.

Monsignore activates first, misses the challenge of the Solo-card, meaning he can't run this turn, but that is not what he want to do anyway. He approaches the pedestal, avoids the inherent Peril of it (he has Danger Sense and automatically passes the first Peril each turn) an easily topples it with a well-placed shot on its fundament (he just passes the Shoot Challenge). First pedestal down! 

When you have completed a Plot Point you get a Reward, that might help you this game and will also give you some important assets to use in later games. They can be Contacts, Gear, Backups, Tips, Experience Points or something special. You also get Reputation from plot points, and these will give you some extra benefits when you have enough. 

Next to activate is Signorina Meschina, who easily passes the Challenge of the Solo-card, steps up to the pedestal, inspects it, sees that the booby-trap on it isn't properly set, and gives it a well-placed kick. It topples! Second pedestal down!

Next is Sister Innocenza. She fights two opponents and have to split her attacks between them. She decides to play defensively and Dodges the attacks of the first cultist. She succeeds and retreats out of reach of the other cultist.
Padre Scuro moves up and readies his shotgun.

The rest of the league moves into position for next turn, and Sister Sicaria takes a pot-shot at one of the cultists, to no effect. 

The two cultist attacks again, and the shooter moves forward and start a shoot-out with Padre Sicario. No-one is hurt, strangely enough.

A cultist rushes Padre Peste and promtly knocks him out of the game. 

The other one takes cover behind the central temple while the Serpent Priest walks forward and send out a stream of negative energy towards Monsignore, who protects himself with his cross, that easily absorbs the vile energies (okay, he passed an easy Challenge)

An arial view of the grave-yard and the combatants

The statue teleports again, this time to the Demon Dais.

Monsignore starts and is more than 6" from a friend, meaning he will encounter a Peril, but his Danger Sense saves him again. He easily overcomes the Solo-card, and then rushes down the steps and avoids the cultist standing close by.

He takes a shot and the cultist is down.

Next, out of picture, Signorina makes a hasty retreat on to the central temple.
After that the idea was to waste the last Solo-card on Sister Maledetta, who isn't the most powerful character. A speed-bump... She has no problem with that card, then passes her Peril and after that miraculously overcomes the challenge and topples the pedestal. Everyone just looks at her. What is it with that woman? She is really proving her worth.

Padre Scuro blasts away with both barrels...

...and that annoying cultist falls.

Sister Innocenza slogs it out, out of picture, with the two cultists, with no effect.
Sister Sicaria lets loose with her gatling gun and the cultist closest to Monignore falls.
Sister Morta readies a grenade, ready to throw it where it will cover the gap between the cliff and the mausoleum, thereby protecting Monisgnore from a rush from the Serpent Priest (you place the Blast Marker where you want it to be, and if no-one is there it will stay in place for the rest of the turn or until someone stumbles into it and thereby take a radom Challenge)

The cultists activates and attacks Sister Innocenza. She is wounded by the first attack, but fells that cultist. The second cultist is lucky and gives Innocenza a slap that makes her teeth rattle. She falls!

The Serpent Priest won't risk a grenade, so he lets loose with his negative energies again, but to no effect.

Lots of downed characters...

... and several are knocked out of the game at turn end. Sister Innocenza is up, though, as is the shooty cultist.
The statue teleports to the only free pedestal...

...where there is a welcoming committee.

My cunning plan for this turn was to let the cultists activate first this turn, to avoid any nasty surprises. Priority one was to give the good sisters the time they needed to unlock the major plot point, while the others were speed-bumps and tried to take out the remaining cultists.

The close combat between cultist and Sister sees both fall, while the Militant Cultist shoots at Padre Scuro, who falls and is immediately attacked by ghouls living under the temple. He is automatically out of the game as there is no friendly (standing) character nearby.

The Serpent Priest charges Monsignore and both characters are wounded. Not at all bad, actually.

My first character to activate was Signorina Meschina, who becomes hysteric when she comes into contact with the statue. But she is of stern stuff, stays focused, deftly defuses another booby-trap and finally topples the statue. It scatters and in the wreckage she finds a ring. This looks like the real thing. It is The Ring of Pharaohs!

The Serpent Priest is beset by nuns and after a short and bloody combat he succumbs.

With that it is essentially over. There is another round of combat, where the Serpent Priest tries to fight but falls to a flurry of blows. Everyone with a plot point retreats while those that don’t carry anything form a defensive perimeter that the two remaining cultists have no chance of getting through.

Cultists and ghouls retreat. The CSSS collect their fallen (injured, but not dead) comrades and travels back into the Vatican.

Safely back in his study, Monsignore goes through what clues, omens and snippets of information he’s got. Everything points to Egypt. The Tomb of the Serpent, where the god Apophis sleeps, is hidden somewhere in the desert, and the only way to find it seem to be to find an ancient map, a tablet and key. They are in Cult-hands in Cairo.

It is time to take the fight to the enemy. Monsignore schedules a meeting with the Pope. He needs some support.

To be continued! (As soon as I have painted the last of the newly printed Egyptian houses)