Dakota Smith's Oriental Adventures, Part 4: The Lost City

[mikedemana]

A view of the Board for "Dakota Smith and the Lost City" -- the fourth chapter in our Pulp Alley adventures set in the 1930s Orient

I ran this scenario -- the 4th in a series -- for my Sunday night gaming group about a month ago, and am just now getting around to writing up a battle report. It was crunch time at the end of the school year, so I apologize if there are few details...

In previous chapters, Dakota Smith and his rival teams of archeologists were hot on the trail of the Portuguese monk, Brother Virigi, who knew the location of the Lost City in the jungles of French Indochina. After rescuing the monk from the cookpot of cannibals, the French archeological team were led by the monk to a splendid ruined city, built in the Middle Ages by the Khmer Empire, and since lost to time. A number of fine temples stood crumbling amidst the encroaching jungles -- untouched for centuries. However, the French did not have time to stare in amazement and wonder. The other archeologists had tracked the French party, and soon came upon the site themselves.


Dr. Lambert, from the French archeological party, investigates a crumbling statue in the Lost City

Still others were on the archeologists' trail, too, and soon emerged on the scene. The sinister Order of the Fire Coral, a secret martial arts society, sprang into action and did their best to hinder the archeologist's search of the ruins. In particular, they frustrated the search of Harris McLeod and his team -- representatives of the British Archeological Museum. Lady Shannon's band of Irish fortune hunters soon exchanged gunfire with Pierre Fournereau's French team. The martial artists were persistent, and relentlessly attacked the archeologists as they explored the ruins. Despite their persistence, the archeologists found important inscriptions in the temples of the Lost City. Translating them revealed exciting information. They described the location of a mythical relic, The Tears of the Buddha. Legends say this crystal vial contains actual tears from the Buddha, and has magical powers. Stories claim that all who consume even the tiniest drop of the liquid immediately lose all aggressive or violent thoughts, and succumb to an overpowering urge to be at peace with the world. Upon reading an inscription below a frieze of carvings, Dakota Smith growled, "That's why Von Jaeger is here! Those damned Nazis want to find a way to make a weapon out of the Tears!"


Allen, playing Dakota Smith, wears the fedora which indicates he has control of the Initiative under the Pulp Alley rules. Meanwhile, Mike, who controls Lady Shannon's Irish, laughs as Allen designates who will move next.

Perhaps the Tears were also the secret the agents of the Fire Coral had been trying to protect all along. Although the three martial artists fought long and valiantly against the Europeans, each of the archeological teams were able to decipher enough clues to point them in the direction of the Forbidden Temple, which the inscriptions say housed the vial. As the agents slunk away into the jungle, their leader admonished them not to give up. They would track the foreign devils, and continue their mission to kill them or drive them off. What's more, the Westerners had no idea what lay ahead of them when they would try to cross Lost Valley...!

[aggro84]

I love your work.
The eclectic collection of well painted miniatures is only trumped by you amazingly, imaginative, gorgeous terrain!

[FramFramson]

This much fun borders on the illegal!

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Another great game, I just love your scenery!

[Michi]

That really looks fun - and forwarding the fedora to the initiative holder is a great idea for a relic hunter scenario!

[Prof. Dinglebat. Phd.]

That really looks fun - and forwarding the fedora to the initiative holder is a great idea for a relic hunter scenario!

And if you only play solo you get to wear it all the time. 

[Prof. Dinglebat. Phd.]

Very, very VERY pulpy.