Chapter Two: Something strange is afoot
Oyster Bay 3rd March. 1937.
Wokinghouse blinks and stares at the armoured figure with the twin rockets strapped to his back. “Goodness me... Mansfield, is that you?”
Rocketman examines the bruised and battered man for a moment, then nods. “We meet again Professor.”
“We do indeed, and what a jolly old show this is! If you hadn’t turned up when you did, our goose would have been cooked!”
“It did seem that way. What on Earth is going on? Who are these people?”
“I’m not entirely sure” the older man exclaims. “I was approached in Miami by a man who claimed to be from the American government, but I was assured that this was not the case...”
“Assured by whom?” Mansfield interupts.
“Pardon...? Oh, I was travelling with one of our lot, that is to say, one of your lot... well, one of Sir Hugh’s men at any rate, a chap named Carter, I didn’t catch his christian name. He went to investigate the matter and that was the last I heard of it, or him. I didn’t think much of it at the time, you secret division fellows come and go all the time.”
“When was this exactly?”
“Exactly...? Well, lets see. I waited in Miami before my meeting, then I caught the flight.. so it would eight days ago now.”
Mitchell approaches, lighting a fresh cigar.
“What d’ya wanna do with the stiffs?”
Daniel blinks at him in confusion. “Pardon?”
“Well you can’t leave corpses in this heat” Mitchell explains. “They’ll swell up real fast and start stinking the place up. I suggest we heave ‘em in the lagoon. The ‘gators’ll get rid of the evidence so the local flat feet don’t catch our trail.”
“Oh I say” Professor Wokinghouse swallows in distaste.
Mansfield shrugs. “It can’t be otherwise I’m afraid. We’re not here with the sanction or good will of the American goverment, so we shouldn’t leave any inconvenient dead bodies behind... Go ahead Joe.”
Mitchell nods approvingly.
“By the way” Professor Wokinghouse asks as he watches the men begin to drag the bodies to the water front, “how on Earth did you find us?”
“We were lucky enough that your unfortunate pilot had just broadcast his position moments before the plane went down. We came straight here as this is the only mooring on Oyster bay, at least according to our maps. It was our great fortune that you just so happened to arrive ten minutes after we got here.”
“Heavens!”
“Indeed. A few minutes earlier and I’m afraid we would have been too late.”
“No, thats not what I meant” the professor cries in agitation. “I just remembered, the men in the boat were coming here to rendezvous with more of their people!”
“Do you mean to say there are more of them coming here?”
“Thats exactly it!”
Both men turn to look toward the main road where the lights of distant vehicles are beginning to glimmer through the undergrowth.
“Whats that?” Mitchell asks.
“More cultists!” Mansfield shouts. “Every one get under cover!”
Every one scatters into the shadows, but even as weapons are prepared there is a sudden commotion from the water front.
“What the hell?!” Ben Campbell’s deep voice cries out.
“Look out!” George cries.
“What the deuce is going on?” Mansfield shouts.
Suddenly a horrific scream rends the night and Ben Campbell staggers into view, a huge pale, green worm-like creature tearing at his throat. The big Canadian pulls frantically at the creature but its cruel jaws are already clamped on his neck and he falls to the ground, writhing in agony.
“Get that thing off him!”
Mitchell rushes forward and pulls the worm away. Blood spatters across the ground as he throws it to one side and Ben Campbell falls face first into the dust.
“What the hell!” Mitchell curses and stamps on the dreadful creature. “What the hell is that?”
“Is he dead?” Professor Wokinghouse cries
“Never mind that now!” Mansfield pulls the Professor to cover as the head lights of two vehicles suddenly bath the tree tops in light. “They’re here. Every one get under cover!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wokinghouse blinks and stares at the armoured figure with the twin rockets strapped to his back. “Goodness me... Mansfield, is that you?”
Rocketman examines the bruised and battered man for a moment, then nods. “We meet again Professor.”
“We do indeed, and what a jolly old show this is! If you hadn’t turned up when you did, our goose would have been cooked!”
“It did seem that way. What on Earth is going on? Who are these people?”
“I’m not entirely sure” the older man exclaims. “I was approached in Miami by a man who claimed to be from the American government, but I was assured that this was not the case...”
“Assured by whom?” Mansfield interupts.
“Pardon...? Oh, I was travelling with one of our lot, that is to say, one of your lot... well, one of Sir Hugh’s men at any rate, a chap named Carter, I didn’t catch his christian name. He went to investigate the matter and that was the last I heard of it, or him. I didn’t think much of it at the time, you secret division fellows come and go all the time.”
“When was this exactly?”
“Exactly...? Well, lets see. I waited in Miami before my meeting, then I caught the flight.. so it would eight days ago now.”
Mitchell approaches, lighting a fresh cigar.
“What d’ya wanna do with the stiffs?”
Daniel blinks at him in confusion. “Pardon?”
“Well you can’t leave corpses in this heat” Mitchell explains. “They’ll swell up real fast and start stinking the place up. I suggest we heave ‘em in the lagoon. The ‘gators’ll get rid of the evidence so the local flat feet don’t catch our trail.”
“Oh I say” Professor Wokinghouse swallows in distaste.
Mansfield shrugs. “It can’t be otherwise I’m afraid. We’re not here with the sanction or good will of the American goverment, so we shouldn’t leave any inconvenient dead bodies behind... Go ahead Joe.”
Mitchell nods approvingly.
“By the way” Professor Wokinghouse asks as he watches the men begin to drag the bodies to the water front, “how on Earth did you find us?”
“We were lucky enough that your unfortunate pilot had just broadcast his position moments before the plane went down. We came straight here as this is the only mooring on Oyster bay, at least according to our maps. It was our great fortune that you just so happened to arrive ten minutes after we got here.”
“Heavens!”
“Indeed. A few minutes earlier and I’m afraid we would have been too late.”
“No, thats not what I meant” the professor cries in agitation. “I just remembered, the men in the boat were coming here to rendezvous with more of their people!”
“Do you mean to say there are more of them coming here?”
“Thats exactly it!”
Both men turn to look toward the main road where the lights of distant vehicles are beginning to glimmer through the undergrowth.
“Whats that?” Mitchell asks.
“More cultists!” Mansfield shouts. “Every one get under cover!”
Every one scatters into the shadows, but even as weapons are prepared there is a sudden commotion from the water front.
“What the hell?!” Ben Campbell’s deep voice cries out.
“Look out!” George cries.
“What the deuce is going on?” Mansfield shouts.
Suddenly a horrific scream rends the night and Ben Campbell staggers into view, a huge pale, green worm-like creature tearing at his throat. The big Canadian pulls frantically at the creature but its cruel jaws are already clamped on his neck and he falls to the ground, writhing in agony.
“Get that thing off him!”
Mitchell rushes forward and pulls the worm away. Blood spatters across the ground as he throws it to one side and Ben Campbell falls face first into the dust.
“What the hell!” Mitchell curses and stamps on the dreadful creature. “What the hell is that?”
“Is he dead?” Professor Wokinghouse cries
“Never mind that now!” Mansfield pulls the Professor to cover as the head lights of two vehicles suddenly bath the tree tops in light. “They’re here. Every one get under cover!”
PLAYER ONE: OLEG
Rocketman. Dougal. Hamish. Vesper. (Hostages if freed)
PLAYER TWO: PALLE
‘Mad Dog’ Mitchell. George Macarthur. Marcel Messnier. Arthur Spencer. Mr Smith.
PLAYER THREE: GOEG
Cultist with SMG. 3 x Armoured cultists with rifles. Armoured cultist with LMG. 4 x Annelids
PLAYER FOUR: JAN
Cultist with SMG. 3 x Armoured cultists with rifles. Armoured cultist with LMG. 4 x Annelids
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Starting
Players one and two start in cover in the lower half of the cul-de-sac, with an exception for Mr Smith who may begin in the workshop, making improvised weaponry.
Players three and four; the cultists, begin in their vehicles on the road. Each vehicle contains five cultists and may be placed any where along the main road. The Annelids, which begin stealthed, start any where on the table top, but no closer to an enemy element than four inches.
Map
As in Chapter One
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Victory Conditions
Either side wins automatically by defeating two thirds of the opposing side.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special rules
Rocketman has four Hero Points in this game.
Any element attempting stealthed movement inside the scrap yard is hampered by all the junk lying around and suffers a -1 penalty.
Piles of junk and old cars give a +2 advantage against enemy fire. Wooden balconies, fences (its old wood) give +1.
The two buildings closest to the road are houses, the southern of the two being older and in poor condition. It also has a small workshop to the west of the main building. Next along the cul-de-sac is a commecial building of some kind (which is currently on fire due to the exploding flame thrower in Chapter One). Across from it is a storage shed for the fishing boat, and standing on the water, next to the jetty, is an abandoned house.
If Player Two wishes, Mr Smith may begin the game in the work shop, making one d6 molotov cocktails.
The cultists arrive in two vans, each containing five elements. Once these vans have been placed on the table, they function solely as terrain features.
This game was played on Thursday 10th November. 2011.
Players were Jan, Goeg, Oleg and Palle.
The game began with the Cultists parking their vans at either side of the entrance to the cul-de-sac and disembarking to either side. The first group of cultists (Goeg) took the southern flank and the second group (Jan) took the northern. Rocketman (Oleg) and his friends (Palle) scattered around the western end of the cul-de-sac, whilst Mr Smith was in the workshop making molotov cocktails.
The first group of cultists took up positions on the balconey of the second house and from this cover began to seek out targets in the darkness. The second group of cultists fractured with one cultist left to guard the road, and cover the cul-de-sac, one cultist inside the first house, to act as a sniper and the remaining three (including the group's SMG and LMG) moving along the darkness of the northern table edge.
Goeg gathers his cultists i a firing squad
Despite the immediate deployment of ten heavily armed cultists, there was no instant fire fight. A few shots rang out, keeping people on their toes, but very quickly the focus of the game shifted to the annelids; the hideous worm like creatures which were crawling about in the darkness, seeking their prey. The first victim was the female hostage, who was attacked from the rear, and very graphically, died when an annelid sought out the fastest way into her body.
The female hostage is 'violated' by an Annelid
The British agents quickly realised that the annelids, or worms as they were called, were a pressing concern, so for the next hour or so, whilst the fire fight with the cultists gradually intensified, Rocketman set about as a one man pest control, using his superior powers of observation and determination to exterminate as many annelids as possible. In this he was mostly successful, but he was unable to help Arthur Spencer, who had been shot in the back and was lying helpless before an advancing annelid, so it fell to Mitchell to pick up the wounded man and carry him to cover.
Arthur Spencer in a tight spot
Eventually the annelids were more or less all defeated and then the sporadic fire fight which had been going on back and forth along the cul-de-sac began to heat up. The first group of cultists were still gathered around the second house, but most had moved off the balconey in order to prevent them all being taken out by a single attack. The second group of cultists was strung out in and around the junk yard and not getting very far. Mitchell and Arthur Spencer had been pushed back by this advance, but largely avoided it by crossing the road under the cover of darkness, with Mitchell carrying Spencer.
Marcel Mesnier and George Macarthur had entered the abandoned house on the water front, within which they encountered another of the large aubergine-like plants growing from the remains of several dead bodies. This one however was both bigger than the first, gave off a curious smell, and was moving. The large large aubergine-like bulb at the top of the was pulsing and writhing and it was obvious that something within was trying to get out. Messnier ignored this entirely and positioned himself with his rifle at a window on the upper level of the house. George paused to examine the plant, then put a revolver round into the bulb. This only caused the thing to move all the more frantically, but George didn't hang around to watch, prefering instead to position himself at the top of the steps looking down. He was unable to see what was happening from this position but he could hear the wet, gurgling sounds of ...something.
The British press home their final attack
The cultist sniper had seen Rocketman and had taken a pot shot at him, but to no avail. Rocketman moved up to the undergrowth as the British shuffled to launch a coordinated attack against the first group of cultists. This attack saw Rocketman taking to the air to swing around and attack from the rear, whilst Vesper threw a molotov cocktail from the front door of the second house. Initially the attack faltered with the molotov doing very little harm, but once Rocketman and Vesper were close enough, the cultists proved inept at hand to hand against two such formidable fighters. The first group of cultists was defeated whilst the second group was stung out and disorganised. The game end as a second defeat to the British.
Any element attempting stealthed movement inside the scrap yard is hampered by all the junk lying around and suffers a -1 penalty.
Piles of junk and old cars give a +2 advantage against enemy fire. Wooden balconies, fences (its old wood) give +1.
The two buildings closest to the road are houses, the southern of the two being older and in poor condition. It also has a small workshop to the west of the main building. Next along the cul-de-sac is a commecial building of some kind (which is currently on fire due to the exploding flame thrower in Chapter One). Across from it is a storage shed for the fishing boat, and standing on the water, next to the jetty, is an abandoned house.
If Player Two wishes, Mr Smith may begin the game in the work shop, making one d6 molotov cocktails.
The cultists arrive in two vans, each containing five elements. Once these vans have been placed on the table, they function solely as terrain features.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Conclusion
This game was played on Thursday 10th November. 2011.
Players were Jan, Goeg, Oleg and Palle.
The game began with the Cultists parking their vans at either side of the entrance to the cul-de-sac and disembarking to either side. The first group of cultists (Goeg) took the southern flank and the second group (Jan) took the northern. Rocketman (Oleg) and his friends (Palle) scattered around the western end of the cul-de-sac, whilst Mr Smith was in the workshop making molotov cocktails.
The first group of cultists took up positions on the balconey of the second house and from this cover began to seek out targets in the darkness. The second group of cultists fractured with one cultist left to guard the road, and cover the cul-de-sac, one cultist inside the first house, to act as a sniper and the remaining three (including the group's SMG and LMG) moving along the darkness of the northern table edge.
Goeg gathers his cultists i a firing squadDespite the immediate deployment of ten heavily armed cultists, there was no instant fire fight. A few shots rang out, keeping people on their toes, but very quickly the focus of the game shifted to the annelids; the hideous worm like creatures which were crawling about in the darkness, seeking their prey. The first victim was the female hostage, who was attacked from the rear, and very graphically, died when an annelid sought out the fastest way into her body.
The female hostage is 'violated' by an Annelid The British agents quickly realised that the annelids, or worms as they were called, were a pressing concern, so for the next hour or so, whilst the fire fight with the cultists gradually intensified, Rocketman set about as a one man pest control, using his superior powers of observation and determination to exterminate as many annelids as possible. In this he was mostly successful, but he was unable to help Arthur Spencer, who had been shot in the back and was lying helpless before an advancing annelid, so it fell to Mitchell to pick up the wounded man and carry him to cover.
Arthur Spencer in a tight spotEventually the annelids were more or less all defeated and then the sporadic fire fight which had been going on back and forth along the cul-de-sac began to heat up. The first group of cultists were still gathered around the second house, but most had moved off the balconey in order to prevent them all being taken out by a single attack. The second group of cultists was strung out in and around the junk yard and not getting very far. Mitchell and Arthur Spencer had been pushed back by this advance, but largely avoided it by crossing the road under the cover of darkness, with Mitchell carrying Spencer.
Marcel Mesnier and George Macarthur had entered the abandoned house on the water front, within which they encountered another of the large aubergine-like plants growing from the remains of several dead bodies. This one however was both bigger than the first, gave off a curious smell, and was moving. The large large aubergine-like bulb at the top of the was pulsing and writhing and it was obvious that something within was trying to get out. Messnier ignored this entirely and positioned himself with his rifle at a window on the upper level of the house. George paused to examine the plant, then put a revolver round into the bulb. This only caused the thing to move all the more frantically, but George didn't hang around to watch, prefering instead to position himself at the top of the steps looking down. He was unable to see what was happening from this position but he could hear the wet, gurgling sounds of ...something.
The British press home their final attackThe cultist sniper had seen Rocketman and had taken a pot shot at him, but to no avail. Rocketman moved up to the undergrowth as the British shuffled to launch a coordinated attack against the first group of cultists. This attack saw Rocketman taking to the air to swing around and attack from the rear, whilst Vesper threw a molotov cocktail from the front door of the second house. Initially the attack faltered with the molotov doing very little harm, but once Rocketman and Vesper were close enough, the cultists proved inept at hand to hand against two such formidable fighters. The first group of cultists was defeated whilst the second group was stung out and disorganised. The game end as a second defeat to the British.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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