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Author Topic: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid  (Read 4311 times)

Offline agentbalzac

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  • Posts: 123
Upper Egypt, September 189-

Having secured a long lost map purporting to show the location of the long-lost Crown of Lower Egypt, Akhenaton moved swiftly up the Nile and out into the burning sands in a series of journeys.  Stirred by imminent danger, several Companies pursued him, finally tracking him down to a hidden valley, where, at an oasis dotted with palm trees, stood the shattered ruins of a forgotten dynasty, shunned by locals and hitherto neglected by archaeologists.

Here stood a gate leading mostly to a dusty collection of ruins:  shattered piles of stone and buried statuary,  their features etched smooth by the passing millennia.  A stone cliff described the far boundary of the site, beyond it the plateau stretched searing and relentless, sloping down and ever down into the dead wastes of Qattara.

The desolate precinct of the Broken Pyramid.


One feature dominated the desolate precinct: a Broken Pyramid, one side collapsed to a dune, the other offering a staircase of massive stone blocks.  Once they may have been dressed and smooth, but now they appeared impassive: too large and distant to have been robbed - they were likely ancient even to visitor of the Middle Kingdom...  In the stones was a dark hole, black and terrifying, daring the foolish to venture forth and discover what malignant secrets dwelled within.

Lead by the God-King and his capering band of red-cowled cultists, other Companies scampered forward towards this sinister presence:  that of the famed African Explorer Captain Frederick Selous of the British South African Company, esteemed Member of the Royal Geographic Society; the old rogue Lord Curr and his band of adventurers Mohan Singh and Mad Mick McFarlane; the wheezing steam-powered wheelchair of the crazed biologist Professor Phineas L'Estrange and his hideous Lizardmen, last seen in Siberia;  the immaculate yet ruthless ladies of the HM Royal Navy's 2nd South Hampton Air Assault Brigade in their crisp white No.3 Pattern Tropical service dresses, pith helmets and .30-03 Martini-Henry rifles (bayonets fixed), lead by Captain the Lady Constance Wilder.

Akhenaton scampered across the dust, his white shoes scuffing up small puffs while cultists fanned out behind him to disrupt and deter pursuit.

Another view of proceedings: The Companies have wasted no time in getting stuck in to each other as they race across the sands.


Lord Curr's Compn'y set off in regardless, but soon tangled with the Royal Navy Ladies, bursts of (arc-)rifle fire crackling in the dessicated air.  Further away, L'Estrange's voice could be heard uttering sibillant orders to his reptilian soldiers and they were soon fighting claw and spear with the Zulu escorts of Captain Selous. 

The enigmatic Akhenaton seemingly vanished and re-appeared, as if treading a path of shadows, hesitating briefly to survey the Pyramid from among the shade of a palm thicket.  Emerging from the sands came a skeletal warrior, stepping forth at last from a thousand-year vigil with sword raised and shield at the ready.

Akhenaton, God-King, contemplates his destiny, while an ancient guard tries to hold back the fates...


'Mad' Mick McFarlane hurled a grenade at some cultists.  Something within it failed, and he was cut down by pistol fire for his troubles.  Mohan Singh, normally a rock of strength, thudded to the earth, felled by a slashing sword cut before his machine gun could reap its deadly harvest.

Captain Constance deploys her troops against the ancient evil


The gruelling approach to the Broken Pyramid was soon littered with corpses from among all companies, even as the terrifying Mummified Priest who routinely trailed in Akhenaton's wake traded blows with another skeleton in a hideous battle of the already dead.  Unseen, jackals and hyenas sniffed the air and changed course for the valley...

Ignoring this, the God King strode up the side of the Pyramid, his immaculate pin-striped Saville Row suit unruffled as he paused and then jumped down into the dark passage.

What secrets dwell within?


A Zulu warrior followed shortly after, past a pile of crumbled blocks and down into a long sloping tunnel which turned abruptly to the right.  Even as others piled in behind him, Akhenaton strode forward.  The corridor was soon filled with flashes of arc-light, the ringing of sabres, and the gurgles and screams of the dying.  Oddly regular was the psssh-clank! pssh-clank! of L'Estrange's steadily advancing wheelchair.

A brave Zulu warrior enters the tomb...


The final corridor opened into a large chamber, upon whose walls were inscribed hieroglyphic, but whose salient feature was a large sarcophagus at the opposite end of the room.  Pursued by Zulus, Akhenaton approached, stood briefly still and heaved up the lid.  Spitfire and bullets raked his suit, and glanced off his strangely oiled ebony skin, but nothing could distract him as he lifted out the ancient Crown of Lower Ægypt, a diadem of shining gold and fabulous jewels, un-dulled by the eons.

Akhenaton, seemingly unstoppable, discovers the sarcophagus


Back min the passageway, Lord Curr battled fatally with the Lady Marines, and Zulus exchanged blows with L'Estrange.

The mummified priest returns to a world of the dead...


Abruptly Akhenaton turned, cut down a Zulu with his kopesh - the spattering blood defiling the carved pictograms - and walked back down the hall, the glimmer of triumphant smile playing about his face, even as his eyes silently screamed only death. 

Momentarily united against this greater threat, all the other Companies turned their weapons upon him.  But L'Estrange was cut down, his strange sciences failing him, and Captain the Lady Constance Wilder, leader of the Royal Naval Airship Assault force, staggered from his blow.  Awakened by the fracas, a swarm of scarab beetles erupted from the corners and shadows, as if the images of iridescent cartouches came horrifyingly into life.

Undaunted by death and mayhem, Phineas L'Estrange ploughs onward...


Scenting victory, the God King stepped on, but did not reckon with her Ladyship.  Never one to be terrified, she scrambled to her feet and lunged forth, the cold Sheffield steel of her boarding cutlass plunging into the rotten blackness of his ancient heart.  As the crown fell from his dying hands, the walls themselves seemed to scream, and were suddenly silent again.

Captain Wilder swept up the crown even before it stopped rolling, thrust it into her grenade bag, and clambered back toward the daylight.  Meanwhile Captain Selous, who had tried to set an ambush for whomever emerged from the pyramid, fought a desperate rearguard action against yet more skeletons.  Captain Wilder straightened her dress, squared her shoulders, and quick-marched off with the treasure...

Will the minions of the Broken Pyramid allow their treasure to remain plundered for long?


*********

Another absolutely spiffing blast of a game of In Her Majesty's Name with my fellow adventurers at the Perth Miniatures Gamers Group last night:  Lucas (aka Lord Curr); Anthony (Professor L'Estrange); Neil (Captain Selous, MRGS, British Explorer); Paige (Captain Wilder's 2nd South Hampton Air Assault Brigade) and myself (the God-King Akhenaton's Cult). This story is the second in a trilogy, this one directed by Ben, who provided some spectacular terrain and a challenging storyline.  It looked good for Akhenaton for much of the game, but a Pluck Roll of 1 did for him in the end!

Next time we shall see if Captain Wilder can escape the hazards of Egypt and complete her mission...

For this game we played 200 point mini-companies, and borrowed (and tweaked) the card-based activation system from the Fistful of Lead series of skirmish games.  It worked really well for this big multiplayer game, keeping everyone involved.

I hope you enjoyed this rollicking tale.

Offline lethallee61

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 274
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2018, 09:58:11 AM »
Fantastic stuff - I have definitely got to visit this club at some point.

Nice to know people are having this much fun in my home city.
Enjoying the game is ALWAYS more important than winning the game.

Offline clandaith

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 82
    • The Fat Old Gamer
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2018, 03:41:25 PM »
Awesome AAR.  I love the table. 

Offline Marine0846

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Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2018, 03:19:18 PM »
Another well told battle report.
Love the whole story line.
Thanks for another excellent story.
Semper Fi, Mac

Offline Dan55

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 187
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2018, 10:25:51 PM »
Wow, it looks like it was a great fun game.

Offline DeltaBlue

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 60
  • wait who planted the claymore?!?
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2018, 11:03:01 AM »
impressive game, may I be cheeky and ask who makes your undead skeletons?
GM (me) - you spot a 70 year old grey hair little old lady.. Clutching large leather bound book and a uzi.

“Tom”- “She has a Book!!!”

“Danny”- “I put a bust of M4 fire between her eyes” rolls…

Phil- “if he misses I put a shotgun slug in her face” 

That’s the Delta green baby"

Offline Craig

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2078
  • Youth & Talent are no match for Age and Treachery.
    • The Ministry of Gentlemanly Warfare
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2018, 03:19:31 PM »
Great terrain and a fun read  :D
My sincerest contrafibularities
General Lord Craig Arthur Wellesey Cartmell (ret'd)
https://theministryofgentlemanlywarfare.wordpress.com/

Offline Borderguy190

  • Bookworm
  • Posts: 79
Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2019, 05:52:29 PM »
I've only played on game of IHMN, but loved it.  Its diwn on my list of projects, but it is coming.  Thanks fir a fantastic AAR, great terrain, and little push to get going.

The Lady's Brigade, are those pointed out in some supplement or are they home brew? That company might intrest my daughter. 

Offline Mad Lord Snapcase

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Re: IHMN AAR - A Crown for Their Majesties, Chapter 2: The Broken Pyramid
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2019, 06:26:40 PM »
Excellent game.   :-*