The Coyote Kid and the Curse of Karn - Episode 1

[Ruarigh]

I ran a .45 Adventures game the other night for my regular opponent as the start of a campaign. The report has already been posted on the .45 Adventures Speakeasy, but I thought I would share it here for a wider audience too, in the hope that you all enjoy it.

This campaign draws on our Wargods of Aegyptus campaign as background, and may see some of the same characters returning.

The Coyote Kid and the Curse of Karn - Episode 1
In which a mysterious attack sets our heroes on the trail of an ancient scroll.

Prologue
The night’s peace was rent by the harsh staccato chatter of a Tommy Gun. Brad Peppard, known on stage as The Coyote Kid, leapt from his bed. Pausing to hastily don his trousers he grabbed his .45 and peered out of the window of his caravan. Once more the Tommy Gun opened up. He could see the muzzle flash over on the other side of the circus camp site. The fire from the gun revealed four shadowy figures running from one of the caravans. Brad ran to help the victim of the assault. It looked like the attackers had gone after old man Aston. Brad could think of no reason why anyone would attack that crazy old coot. Sure his rambling stories could really drive you up the wall, but he was harmless, and he was a pretty good help around the circus. As Brad reached the caravan, the old man staggered out, blood streaming from his body. He had caught a burst full in the chest and blood-flecked foam was bubbling up on his lips. Brad realised the old man had taken a lung hit and was a goner. By rights he should already be dead, but some inner strength kept him alive just long enough.

“By Horus,” gasped the old man, his breath bubbling and rattling in his throat, “I have been hurt before but this is the end for me. Those creatures that attacked me have stolen a valuable scroll. You must recover it from them and guard it for it is the protection of this world.”

“Sure, old man,” returned Brad, “I’ll get it back for you. You just rest and we’ll get you fixed up.”

“No, Brad, you must take up where I left off for my time here is done. I must journey to Tuat soon.”

The old man was clearly getting weaker now and Brad realised that the end was not far off so he replied, “Yeah, I’ll get those scum for you and get the scrolls back. Then you can tell me what this is all about.” The old man had almost gone now, but he managed to gasp one final instruction.

“I leave all my possessions to you. You must read the scrolls. They will tell you what to do.” With these last words he gasped once and was still.

“Brad, what’s happening?” Mary-Lou had run up just as the old man died.

“C’mon, Mary-Lou,” raged Brad, “We got some business to take care of.”

Over by the street, the attackers had reached a parked Maggi’s van. Brad and Mary-Lou raced for his battered Bentley and set off in pursuit, racing through the streets of Mayhem City after the van. It was no contest really. The van did not have the power of the Bentley and Brad was easily able to catch up with the speeding van as the night’s dark turned into the twilight of dawn. Thinking quickly, he decided not to risk battering the Bentley more than it already was, so he hauled out his .45 and blazed away at the van. Suddenly it careered out of control as a tyre burst and it rammed the gatepost of the botanical gardens. Brad slammed on the brakes as the attackers leapt from their stricken vehicle and fled into the park. What he saw when they did this gave him pause for thought. Although two of the figures were clearly human, one appeared to have tentacles where his face was, and the other seemed to have a pale blue aura around it. This last turned briefly to look at him and he saw that its eyes were glowing an infernal red just before a jet of eldritch scarlet energy slammed into the Bentley, rending its frame. Brad and Mary-Lou were thrown clear. By the time that they had recovered, moments later, the attackers had disappeared into the gardens. One beturbanned figure lagged behind and Brad took a moment to fire three quick shots at it. He grunted with satisfaction as he saw the figure fall. As it did so, it dropped a couple of objects which were quickly caught by the wind and blown across the park.

“C’mon, Mary-Lou, let’s get them.”



Brad and Mary-Lou sprinted into the gardens after the scrolls.



Episode 1 Scenario (Shootout in the Park)
Dramatis personae
Brad “Coyote Kid” Sheppard, a hero (Grade 3 Performer)
Mary-Lou Jones, his sidekick and the brains behind the operation (Grade 2 Performer’s Assistant)

Ahmed, an inhuman villain (Grade 2 Inhuman Gat Man)
The Husk, an inhuman monster (Grade 2 Inhuman Monster)
A Servant of Set, a henchman (Grade 1 Thug)

This scenario is the same as the Shootout in the Park scenario in the .45 Adventures rulebook. Brad and Mary-Lou begin at the gates to the park. Ahmed, The Husk and the Servant of Set begin in the woods opposite them. The scrolls have been scattered by the wind and the characters must try to recover them.

The Game
Brad sprinted towards the gates of the gardens. Mary-Lou decided to try for a shortcut and headed over to the wall, clearly aiming to leap over it and flank the three villains. As they did so, the three killers emerged from the woods on the far side of the gardens and sprinted towards some likely looking piles of papers.



The Servant reached the first of the piles but found it really was only a pile of old newspapers. The Husk had headed over to the left of the Servant, while Ahmed was running to the right. By now Brad was at the gates. Mary-Lou tried climbing the wall around the garden but fell back onto the pavement. She gave up in disgust and ran to join Brad. As she did so, there was a shout of triumph from the Servant. “Boss, I found part of it!” The next second a shot rang out. Brad knew from the sound of it that it was a heavy calibre rifle like the police marksmen used. No one appeared to have been hurt by it, but it did mean that searching the gardens in the early dawn light might be more dangerous than expected. As Mary-Lou joined him, the arcane light flared in the Husk’s eyes and a bolt of searing energy lanced towards Brad. “Ugh,” he grunted as it hit him. He returned fire, but the bullet barely seemed to slow the inhuman monster as it glided swiftly towards him. Another shot rang out. Brad saw Ahmed stagger as though hit by a marksman’s bullet. But then he had other things to worry about as the Servant charged him with a fearsome cry in a foreign tongue that seemed as though it might freeze the blood.



Brad and Mary-Lou were made of sterner stuff and stood to face this attack. The melee swirled backwards and forwards as the other villains also charged in, driving Brad and Mary-Lou back through the gates.



At this point Mary-Lou got her first proper sight of the Husk. She visibly paled as it approached but steeled herself to face it. Moments later it was all too much for her and she sprinted away, unable to face the unearthly horror of this creature. Brad was left alone, fighting the three of them. All were wounded and it was going to be a close thing whether they could take Brad down or not. But the villains clearly had a plan. As Ahmed and the Husk drove Brad backwards, the Servant searched and soon shouted that he had found the other part of the scroll. Brad had been virtually standing on it, but had failed to see it!

“Get the scrolls to the Baron,” hissed Ahmed, “we will meet you at the docks.”

Obediently, the Servant raced away as fast as he could. A moment later, Ahmed raced after him, leaving the Husk to delay Brad. Brad fought more fiercely than before as he saw the objects of his chase escaping, but the Husk held him up long enough while the others escaped and then it broke off from him and glided swiftly away.



Brad briefly contemplated chasing after it, but decided that he should check up on Mary-Lou. After all, he now knew that these monsters were working for someone called the Baron and that they had a base of operations at the docks. He had friends who could find out the rest. Next time he would be better prepared …

Will Brad get the scrolls back?
What is in them that is so important?
Who was Aston?
Will Mary-Lou manage to run all the way back to the circus?

Tune in next month for another exciting episode of The Coyote Kid and the Curse of Karn!

More pictures in my photobucket album:
http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z263/Ruarigh/Scenario%201%20Shootout/

[Driscoles]

Very nice report and pictures.- I like short story reports. Good read. Thanks !
Björn

[Operator5]

Ruarigh posted this over on the Speakeasy as well and it's getting rave comments, both for how it was written and his beautiful city park board. A great showing for using cardstock terrain.