GURPS: Castle Falkenstein One-, er, Two-Shot!

[tshiggins]

Hello, everyone. I recently suggested a GURPS: Castle Falkenstein to the Denver GURPS Meetup Group, and everybody asked me to do a one-shot adventure to see if it would be a campaign they'd enjoy. So, I put one together. It went a bit long, and two of the players had to leave early, so I'll actually finish it up, on Saturday.

The nice thing about G:CF is that history provides a plethora of story arcs and adventure ideas. I pulled this particular adventure together based on events recognizable to most. I changed some of the names of the NPC individuals and corporations, to protect the innocent (namely, me). Some of the descendants of these families still survive, and at least one of the corporations still exists, and I didn't want to offend anybody.

Anyway, despite domestic emergencies, the first part of the adventure went well enough. So, I'll submit it for your entertainment and edification. The first post is the letter that states the commission received by the group. The dramatis personae are as follows, presented with the name of the player, followed by the name of the character:

Jonathan: Dr. Stanton Burleigh, a British gentleman and sorcerer of the Order of the Golden Mean. The one approached with the commission, and the one who put the group together.

Clacy: Miss Elizabeth Atherton, a London native with a chequered past, who wishes to pursue the path of an adventuress.

Lloyd: Professor Kurt Von Slonecker, a citizen of Bayern and sorcerer of the Order of the Illuminated Brotherhood of Bayern.

Tod: Lt. Sutter Bringinham, formerly an infrantry officer in the Army of Virginia, Confederate States of America. He lost his family farm to carpet-baggers after the war. No fan of slavery (which he considers decadent), he fought for the right of Virginians to live as they chose. An admirer of Robert E. Lee, he nonetheless blames the Confederate loss on the sort of foolish arrogance represented by Major-Gen George Pickett, as well as Gen. J.E.B. Stuart and other cavalry commanders.

Brian: Mr. Frederick Haggard Russell, a native of the British Colony of South Africa, who works as a safari guide and big-game hunter.

Christopher: Herr Johann von Landau, the second son of the famous Landau dynasty, carriage-makers for Bayernese Royalty. He was brought up in the shadow of Castle Falkenstein, and in the shadow of his older brother, who stands to inherit the family fortune and the Landau Carriage business. Johann has decided to seek his own fortune on his own terms.

The commission:

Cotts & Co.
49 Strand
London

9 July, A.D. 1867

Gentlemen,
The Board of Directors of this financial institution have been apprised of the discussion held at the Oriental Club 3rd July this Wednesday past, in which one of our officers recently arrived from India discussed with you rumours of a Discovery in South Africa. While the Members of the Board recognize that rumours seldom provide a sound basis for investment, this one seems possessed of stronger Foundations than most. With this in mind, the Members have expressed the desire to engage your services to establish the veracity of this recent Intelligence.
The substance of this Intelligence is as follows: a middling clark recently left Her Majesty’s Colonial Office in Capetown, Colony of South Africa, and joined this Establishment. Upon taking his new position, he informed the Executive-in-Charge of New Opportunities of the discovery of a potential source of lucrative mineral resources in the lands north of the Cape Colony, proper; to wit, he reports the receipt of some substantial rumours to the effect that diamonds have been found.
This young man reports that after some discrete investigations of his own, he narrowed the location of this Alleged discovery to property located near the confluence of the Orange River and Vaal River, on the Frontier between the Orange River Sovereignty and the uncontrolled Territory of West Griqualand. Our source reports that, though the Boers of the Orange Free State lay claim to the territory, they can exercise no control of it due to ongoing conflicts to the south, between them and the Negro Kingdom of Basutoland, led by one Chief Moshoeshoe. According to the Intelligence, the territory is populated only Sparsely, and the half-caste Griquas exercise greatest control of the region.
The Board believes that should rumours of the discovery of Diamonds prove veracious, the lack of effective governance of this region may prove opportune. To that end, they wish to engage the services experienced Gentlemen of Good Character to discretely establish the veracity of the rumoured discovery, assess the security situation, establish the competence of its governance, and survey the most efficacious means of transport to and from the region.
If this proposal holds no interest for you, we would ask that you read no further and destroy this letter at once. The officer who met with you at the Oriental Club reported favourably of the integrity of your character, and we would trust that Gentlemen of Integrity would adhere to the laws of propriety and continue to exercise discretion should a subject arise that may lead to discussion of this matter. Please feel free to take a moment to consider whether or not you wish to continue
Alternatively, if this proposal incites your interest and you should like to pursue it, please continue your perusal.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Should you choose to accept our proposal to act as Confidential factors, The Board will authorize you to make all speed to Port of Elizabeth, on the Algoa Bay, and establish your credentials as Gentlemen on Safari Holiday. You will secure competent local guidance, and then proceed Northward to the settlement of Clear Water, also known to some guides as Griqua Town. Our Intelligence indicates that this settlement acts as the last depot for travelers, and is located no more than two days west of the Confluence of the rivers in question.
From there, you are to proceed East to the Vicinity of the Confluence of the Orange and Vaal Rivers, and establish any Facts that may lie at the Foundations of the rumours received.
During this journey, you are to continuously represent yourselves as on Holiday, and avoid any and all discussion of this firm, and its arrangement with you. Should you fail to uphold this Most Vital requirement, the Board will consider this agreement Null and Void, and will deny any association with you.
In exchange for your efforts on behalf of Cotts and Co., the members of the board agree to cover your expenses with an initial stipend of £500 each, followed by a second stipend of £1,000 each payable upon your return. Additionally, should the Intelligence prove fundamentally sound, we shall offer each of you one half of one percent of the voting shares of any corporation created to capitalize upon this opportunity. The Board also agrees to offer you the option to purchase additional shares before the initial release of the stock, to the market at-large.
Should you agree to pursue this matter, the Board requests you voyage to Port Elizabeth, after taking sufficient time to set your affairs in order, and to arrive there no later than 1 October A.D. 1867. We shall expect to hear back from you no later than 1 February 1868, with a full report of your findings.
Good fortune and good hunting.

Regards,

George H. Campbell, Esq.
Agent, Cotts & Co.
Enc: Map of Cape Colony and environs

http://catalog.afriterra.org/viewMap.cmd?number=680

[tshiggins]

(I've divided the session log into several parts, to make it a little easier to follow.)

Castle Falkenstein One-, er, Two-Shot
Campaign Log

A group of gentlemen and one “lady” of questionable stature (unaccompanied by either maid or husband) debarked from the steam cruiser “Pride of Portsmouth” (Nigel Pierce, Capt.) on Oct. 1, 1867 in the bustling town of Port Elizabeth, Cape Colony, South Africa. The warm spring winds swept them into town where they took lodgings at the Hacklewood Hill Inn, a lovely new establishment some distance west of the port proper, in a fine neighborhood.

The Hacklewood Hill guestbook for that date duly holds the names of Professor Kurt von Slonecker and Herr Johann von Landau, both of Bayern; Miss Elizabeth Atherton and Dr. Stanton Burleigh both of London; and Lt. Sutter Bringinham of Virginia, formerly in the service of the Army of Virginia, CSA.

They took the lodgings at the suggestion of Capt. Pierce, who said he tried to spend at least an evening or two there, when he makes port on the Algoa Bay. Indeed, a few days after their arrival, they were pleased to reacquaint themselves with him, and treated the captain to dinner in exchange for the excellent repasts at his table, aboard ship. They reported excellent service and superb fare, even though Miss Atherton noted a distinct discomfort by the women of the inn, at her presence in the company of so many men. Her lack of proper female companionship demonstrated to them that the “lady” placed little value on her reputation.

The group also noted the presence of several visiting businessmen, a British officer with his family, and a large, solid looking Swedish gentleman in upper-class clothing who kept his nose buried in entomology books, most of the time.

On the second morning, just after breakfast, Prof. von Slonecker performed a magickal ritual and went into a trance that resembled a coma and lasted most of the day. He woke up in early evening, exhausted, and reported that he had traveled astrally to the probable destination.

Prof. von Slonecker reported that a large number of men and women he described as both whites and of mixed blood (“mulatto” as Lt. Bringinham termed them) engaged in the practice of digging up small blue pebbles with a greasy sheen, from a hill about a day’s ride east of the confluence of the two rivers. A large ranch house lay close to the hill, and about 100 tents and shacks lay between it and the mining sites.

The sorcerer reported the miners seemed to work small claims, and he saw several of them trade the stones to the people in the ranch house, in exchange for supplies. Prof. von Slonecker reported no traffic on the road to the area, and that the camp seemed to have cropped up only a short time ago – probably within only a few months. He said he observed no obvious signs of any central authority.

Dr. Burleigh took out an ad in the local newspaper, the Port Elizabeth Herald, in search of a safari guide. Miss Atherton promptly scandalized the inn staff further, as she accompanied Lt. Bringinham to a nearby tavern where they met applicants. After a couple of days of lackluster candidates, they made the acquaintance of one Frederick Haggard Russell. Mr. Russell apparently knew the proprietor and presented a rugged appearance, but spoke well and asked the right questions about the proposed safari. Intrigued, the pair agreed that he should accompany them back to the Hacklewood Hill Inn, to meet the rest of the party and discuss the matter further.

Much to his confusion (and somewhat to his consternation), the group informed Mr. Russell they had no interest in a safari to an area rich in game, within a few days travel of Port Elizabeth. Rather, they wished to travel to the confluence of the Orange River and Vaal River, well outside the northern border of the Cape Colony, proper, and asked about the best route of travel.

Somewhat flabbergasted, Mr. Russell informed them that the most direct route would take at least 40 days, and closer to 50, even in the best of times. However, it led not just through territory of the Boers (notorious for their lack of fondness for trespassers in general, and Englishmen in particular) but also came entirely too close to the heart of an ongoing war between the aforementioned Boers and the native Basuto people, led by King Moshoeshoe. The best indirect route, which skirted to the west of the Boer lands to reach Griqua territory, would add at least 10 days to the trip, declared Mr. Russell.

Somewhat nonplussed by this answer, Lt. Bringinham asked why a trip of some 360-400 miles would take the better part of two months, at least. Could the group not take fast horses, instead, and cut the time in half? A surprised Mr. Russell replied that a safari of that duration would require at least two large wagons, that all wagons in South Africa used oxen due to the lack of available draft horses, and that oxen could travel no more than six hours a day to cover no more than 15 miles at best, and 10-12 miles more reasonably. To Mr. Russell’s increasing consternation, Lt. Bringinham expressed continued support for travel by horse, to which the guide inquired how the group intended to carry the trophies bagged during this (increasingly odd-sounding) safari outing?

That argument carried the day and Lt. Bringinham retired gracefully from the field. Now impressed by Mr. Russell’s logistical legerdemain, they asked his opinion of the requirements of the trip. He replied the group would need two wagons, capable of hauling one ton of cargo, each, and noted the locally-manufactured voortrekker wagons suited their needs admirably, and had (in fact) been designed for that very task. He had one wagon, already, and knew of another available for long-term hire, along with its teamster-owner George MacLaren. Mr. Russell also recommended the services of a cook, as well as a second teamster, as he felt he should scout ahead of the group, rather than drive his wagon, himself.

Herr von Landau surprised Mr. Russell by volunteering to drive the second wagon, as his family had made their names and fortunes through the manufacture of superior wagons and carriages for the nobility. As such, von Landau said he grew up around horse-drawn conveyances of all sorts, and not only could drive them with considerable expertise, but also knew how to keep them in good repair. Mr. Russell expressed considerable pleasure at this intelligence, and even more surprise that a gentleman would volunteer for such a task at all. That meant the party needed only the cook and Mr. Russell recommended an experienced native with an unpronounceable name full of tongue-clicks. To their relief, the guide said the cook would answer to “Hans.”

At that point, financial negotiations commenced in earnest. Mr. Russell opened with a powerful salvo of £250 per month. An outraged Miss Atherton counter-attacked with an offer of £150, and battle was joined. After considerable mayhem and bloodshed, the two agreed to an armistice and drew the border at £200 per month – almost twice Mr. Russell’s normal wage.

It took another 10 days to secure the services of “Hans” and Mr. MacLaren, purchase the needed supplies as well as horses for the group, check the wagons for any needed maintenance before the unexpectedly long trip, and pack everything in them. Mr. Russell showed up with a terrible hangover, early in the morning of Oct. 14, and upon inquiry, disclosed that Oct. 13 had been his birthday. The party offered him hearty congratulations, and the group set out.

The first 10 days started out well enough, with mild temperatures and increasingly dry conditions as springtime progressed in the southern hemisphere. Lt. Bringinham firmly rebuffed Mr. Russell’s attempts to learn more about the group’s true purpose, and everyone reacted with bemusement as Dr. Burleigh occasionally wandered out, waved various oddly-shaped pieces of metal near them, asked if they felt anything, and wandered away in disappointment when he learned they had not.

Toward the end of that period, Mr. Russell reported with some unease that a group of a dozen or so cavalry had preceded them on the road ahead, and he’d seen signs of them starting several days ago. He hadn’t mentioned it before, because he thought them most likely a troop of British cavalry on patrol. However, the travelers had since passed the point where most regular patrols would have turned, and they had yet to meet the returning horsemen.

The group expressed some concern, and both Lt. Bringinham and Mr. Russell began to keep a watch for signs of the group’s campsites. The passing days had all but erased the tracks of the increasingly-distant cavalry troupe, but the men did find several old fire-rings, and cast about for any information they might glean.

After several such sites, it struck Mr. Russell that what they hadn’t seen appeared far more interesting than anything they’d actually found. They found no discarded brass cartridges, and no sign of spent primer caps for older-model rifles. The camps had been policed up expertly, and the riders hadn’t even left any partially-burnt cigar butts, paper, or tin-cans that might provide some indication as to their identities.

Lt. Bringinham, a veteran of the recently-ended Civil War in the United States, said that indicated a group of well-disciplined, properly led, cavalry soldiers. Mr. Russell, a hunter and not a soldier, expressed some dismay at this hypothesis, as did Hans, the cook, and Mr. MacLaren, the hired teamster. They expressed even more dismay at the distinct lack of surprise expressed by their erstwhile employers.

[tshiggins]

In the jungle, the mighty jungle

The group lost the tracks of the cavalry troupe shortly thereafter, as the increasing time and distance erased them from the veldt. However, the occasional fire-ring indicated the horsemen remained on the road some days ahead. The tripped passed congenially enough for the next week, until the safari party had its first experience with some of South Africa’s unique and special fauna.

The group had grown used to the odd, and even terrifying, nocturnal roars and shrieks that punctuated the South African night. However, all had expressed interest in learning more about potential threats, and how best to secure their camp. Mr. Russell had thus split the evening into three watches, led by himself, Mr. MacLaren and Hans, and had paired them with willing members of the safari group.

Mr. Russell had explained that the time of greatest danger lay just after sunset, and he and Lt. Bringinham took the first watch. The early evening of Nov. 8 proved most educational, as the dun-colored lightning of three charging lionesses took them by surprise, immediately following the echoes of coughing roars heard in the nearby brush.

A quick glance by the two sentries showed the lionesses headed at full bolt toward the string of slowly panicking oxen. Mr. Russell shouted, “Right!” as he snapped the stock of his pristine new .45-70 Remington Rolling Block to his shoulder. Lt. Bringinham shouted, “Left!” as he did the same with his well-used .56-60 Spencer.

The two outside lionesses continued the charge toward the bawling oxen with predator intensity as the center cat peeled off and made straight for a closer target – the officer from Virginia. Lt. Bringinham maintained fire discipline with the cool focus of a combat veteran and his shot cracked at the same instant as the hunter’s. The right cat’s head jerked as the bullet slapped into her face, the left cat augured into the turf, the third cat leapt at the Virginian and slammed him into the turf as he desperately tried to swing his rifle around.

Claws lacerated agony into Bringinham’s chest and his eyes filled with teeth for the eternity it took Russell to let go his rifle, draw his pistol and put a round into side of the lioness. She flinched aside at the sudden shock of pain, as Russell’s rifle landed on the turf. He shot her again as she turned to snarl in baffled rage, a stunned Bringinham managed to draw his pistol and the two men put her down as she turned to flee. The two then flinched violently at the boom and crack of a passing eight-gauge shotgun slug fired by a wide-eyed night-shirted von Landau into the twitching body of the first lioness shot by the Virginian.

As Russell scrambled to calm the agitated carriage-making cannoneer, a partially-shaved von Slonecker dashed to the side of the bleeding Virginian, followed closely by Miss Atherton bearing a First-Aid kit. Miss Atherton ripped open Mr. Bringinham’s shredded tunic and began to clean his shredded chest, as Prof. von Slonecker laid out his goblet athame and wand, clutched his medallion, and began a ritual chant. Mr. Russell joined her efforts as Mr. Burleigh poked his head out of his tent and asked about all the fuss.

They got the wounds cleaned and bandaged, just as Prof. von Slonecker completed his ritual. Bringinham relaxed as he pain eased, and the two noted that though the wounds remained deep, most of the bleeding stopped. Within three days, the Virginian was back on his feet, the wounds reduced to fresh red scars. He declared himself a newly-converted True Believer in magick, and an enthusiastic supporter of sorcery in general.

The experience thawed relations between Lt. Bringinham and Mr. Russell, and the men became friends. Finally, at one point as they stood watch together, Lt. Bringinham swore the hunter to secrecy, and disclosed the nature of the expedition. Mr. Russell acknowledged that he’d known it was a ruse since shortly after he agreed to act as guide, but expressed considerable surprise at the exact nature of the party’s goal. As an outdoorsman, Mr. Russell spent a far more time in the wild than in the towns, and acknowledged he usually learned the news weeks later than anyone else. However, the high stakes certainly explained a lot of the odd behavior he’d seen recently – though Mr. von Landau and Dr. Burleigh remained mostly inexplicable.

[tshiggins]

A ghostly reconnaissance

The group continued up the increasingly disused track, crossed the Vaal River and forded the Sand River. On the other side of the Sand, about a day away from the settlement sometimes called Griqua Town, and sometimes Klaar Water, they approached a large Griqua kraal to gather news and refill their water barrels.

Much to their dismay, the group learned that the cavalry troop of which they had seen signs was the last of three such groups to have crossed the Sand River in the past six weeks. According to Mr. Russell, the only one who could understand the Griqua’s oddly accented Afrikaans, each troop dressed in a manner similar to the Boers -- broad-brimmed hats, dun-colored jackets and dungarees reinforced with leather at the knees and elbows, riding boots, bandoleers and thick full beards. However, unlike the Boers, the riders all carried similar equipment and identical weapons.

When asked to describe the weapons, the Griqua pointed at the stock of the Spencer rifle sticking out of Lt. Bringinham’s saddle holster. The Griqua exclaimed in delight as the Virginian pulled out the Spencer, confirmed that it was indeed the same type, that all the “Boers-not-Boers” carried the model, and promptly offered to trade three cows for it. The Virginian politely declined to trade, the Griqua rancher upped the offer to five cows but insisted on all the cartridges, and the group digested the implications of a troupe of perhaps 50 experienced cavalry armed with a repeating cartridge rifle. A rifle the worth of which had been proven on the battlefields of the Civil War, and which was one of the most widely available on the docks of the America and Europa. A rifle that remained sparse in the rest of the world – or so they had thought.

The shocking news prompted an immediate strategy session, and the group furiously debated a range of options that included everything from an immediate return to Port Elizabeth (as the cause had clearly become hopeless), to the possibility of seeking employment with the obviously well-organized and well-financed opposition. After much debate, the group decided the first option was cowardly, the last was dishonorable, and they really needed more intelligence to better inform their understanding of the options.

With that, Professor von Slonecker retired to one of the trusty wagons, and performed the ritual that allowed him to leave his body. Knowing that the astral reconnaissance would take some time, Mr. Russell pulled out his fishing rod, and made his way back to the river as the other members of the group tended to minor chores or tried to trade for fresh supplies. The latter endeavour proved fruitless, as the Griqua explained the cavalry troop had purchased the surplus from the winter, and what they had needed to last until harvest.

The chanting within the wagon stopped after a bit, and all seemed quiet until a pale and shaken Mr. Russell trotted unsteadily back to the wagons. He reported that, apparently, within moments of the completion of Professor von Slonecker’s thaumatological efforts, the river has suddenly attained the sheen of blood. Moreover, he said, a large white shape that looked suspiciously like a giant alligator swam just beneath the surface, and he had decided to leave off fishing for the afternoon.

As the rest of the group blinked in astonishment at this tale, Dr. Burleigh noted that thaumic energy had a complex nature of which most laymen remained unaware. It was not merely one type of energy, he explained, but rather had four different aspects. Moreover, he said, depending on their nature, each magickal ritual required one, and only one, aspect of this energy.

However, Dr. Burleigh said, the mysterious ebb and flow of this powerful force meant that, sometimes, a sorcerer had to try to cast a spell with thaumic energy of an incorrect aspect. Most skilled practitioners could do so successfully, he explained, but the use of improperly aspected energy resulted in “harmonics” – uncontrollable side-effects over which even the powerful of sorcerers could exercise little control.

The length of Professor Slonecker’s ritual suggested that his colleague had been forced to use thaumic energy of the improper aspect, Dr. Burleigh said, and that the harmonics had temporarily called into being the phenomena witnessed by Mr. Russell.

When asked if he was sure the ritual had succeeded, Dr. Burleigh replied in the affirmative, and noted that failed rituals had results he called, “unmistakable.” He then strolled back to the second wagon, and pulled out his rifle.

The British sorcerer’s assessment proved accurate less than two hours later, as Professor Slonecker emerged from his magickal repose. The Bayernese mage reported he had thoroughly scouted not just Griqua Town, but also the nearby countryside, and had seen no sign of any cavalry troupe. Upon cross-examination, he insisted the town was so small that he could make no mistake, and the party was forced to conclude that the potential opposition had moved out of the settlement.

[tshiggins]

You wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through

That made it imperative to learn the location of the force and, after a quick snack and toilet, Professor von Slonecker returned to the wagon. Dr. Burleigh noted it was a good time for a brisk stroll, and the rest of the group went about their business – little noting that the British mage had retained his rifle. The second ritual of the day commenced, and again seemed rather lengthy. It ended when a dome of utter darkness snapped into existence around the wagon, and a snarl emerged from within.

Suddenly concerned for the safety of their comatose companion, Mr. Russell brought his rifle to bear, while Lt. Bringinham pulled out his pistol and drew his officer’s saber. As the lieutenant walked toward the blackness, he heard a shattering squall and a large black panther burst from within, its glowing green eyes locked on him. The Virginian drew a bead, and his pistol spoke at the same time as the rifle in Mr. Russell’s hands. At the same instant, Mr. Russell felt the sudden weight of a shotgun barrel rest on his shoulder, as Herr von Landau drew a bead and unleashed his blast. The massive slug fired into the midst of the swirling melee caused neither help nor harm to either combatant, but did leave the hunter partially deaf.

The lead slugs that did hit seemed to have less effect than usual, the beast pounced; Lt. Bringinham desperately parried with his sword as he ducked the slashing claws, and drew a line of blood across the chest of the cat. The creature yowled at the bite of the sword, lashed out with its paw, scored deep furrows in Bringinham’s abdomen and howled with pain as Mr. Russell’s second slug hammered into its side. The Virginia officer dropped his pistol to let it swing by its lanyard, he took his sword in both hands and narrowly missed his thrust as the ebony cat flowed aside.

Both men flinched as Herr von Landau’s artillery spoke once again, but the panther remained oblivious as the slug whistled several feet over its head, and tried to slash at the Virginian once again. It shrieked as Lt. Bringinham parried its paw with the steel blade, and then disintegrated into flying smoke as the Mr. Russell’s rifle spoke a second time.

Lt. Bringinham propped himself up with his saber, thin tendrils of smoke curling from the streaked blade, as the rest of the group sprinted for bandages. The wide-eyed Griqua’s looked on a few more moments, shook off the shock of the sudden violence, bolted inside the thick walls of the house and slammed the reinforced door. Miss Atherton declared a second tunic of the lieutenant’s a total loss, and cut it away so she and Mr. Russell could dress the wounds.

Several hours later, the dome disappeared; Professor von Slonecker emerged, and reacted with dismayed surprise at the sight of Lt. Bringinham’s wounds. As he prepared to cast his healing spell, he tut-tutted the lieutenant’s sudden second thoughts about magick. The sorcerer’s confidence proved well-placed, as the flow of thaumic energy proved most auspicious. The spell not only instantly healed the lieutenant’s wounds; it erased the red scars left by the lioness, weeks before.

The professor reported that his astral reconnaissance had proved nearly as useful as his spell. He said the main ranch house at the mine-site now had four large wagons around it. The wagons sat at each corner of the building, the harness tongue toward the building, which left the rear of each wagon pointed outwards. Moreover, he said, while he didn’t see any of the mysterious cavalry in the mining town itself, he found them camped in a concealed dell between two hills, a bit more than a mile away. They had established a well-ordered bivouac, Professor von Slonecker reported, showed no signs of a campfire, and the men seemed to subsist on tinned rations eaten cold.

Based on this new intelligence, the group decided to forego a visit to Griqua Town, and instead approach the mining site cautiously. They backtracked to the Vaal, crossed over, and worked their way east along its southern bank. They reached the Orange River, forded it, and then cut north to bypass the mine to the west, and found a place to conceal the wagons a mile north. Along the way, the group decided that Mr. Russell and Lt. Bringinham would ride ahead to the kraal, and present themselves as freelance cartographers hired by the British South Africa Colony to draw a map of the area.

Once the camp was settled, the two men set out. Late in the day, of November 22, 1867, the two mounted men rode out of the bush and into the haphazard mining settlement. Greeted with mutters and dark looks by the Griqua miners, the hunter and the Virginian realized the miners thought them a part of the force that had taken the ranch house. A quick glance to the rear showed that the Griquas who had cleared out of the way as they rode in, had reappeared behind them, rifles in hand.

[tshiggins]

Mercenaries

An old Griqua man appeared in front of the travelers, and in Afrikaans demanded they get out of the settlement and go back up to the ranch house, “with the rest ev your kind.” Mr. Russell responded, in Afrikaans, that the pair did not know the men at the kraal, they were makers of maps in the employ of the British Colony, and they just needed supplies. The old Griqua relaxed and told them few supplies were available to anyone since the four wagons and a cavalry escort, more than a dozen men in all, arrived at the kraal the previous week. The hunter thanked him for the information, but said they had run short of food and had to try. With that, the Griqua crowd parted to let the two men by, and Mr. Russell and Lt. Bringinham rode toward the main house of the Boer kraal.

As they approached, they noticed two riflemen on the roof of the building. As they reined their mounts to a halt, the door opened, a heavily-bearded man in traditional Boer attire emerged, and greeted them in Afrikaans. Mr. Russell replied in the same language, made inquiries about supplies and learned the kraal had none available, save some home-brewed beer. Mr. Russell accepted the offer, and the Boer went into the house. He emerged a few minutes later with two tankards and a porcelain carafe.

The Boers act as servants to no one, so the rancher handed over the carafe along with the tankards, and introduced himself as Piet van Kimber while the visitors poured the cool, frothy brew. As Mr. Russell and Lt. Bringinham took their first swallow, the door opened again and a tall man, booted and clad in Boer style, strode toward them. As he drew near, Mr. Russell noted the too-crisp crease in the trousers, the too-new boots, and the broad-brimmed hat that hadn’t seen nearly enough wear. He wasn’t surprised when the “Boer-not-Boer” spoke in Old Country Dutch, and usurped Mr. van Kimber’s prerogative by asking them their business.

The hunter launched into the Tale of Two Cartographers as the man’s sharp glances took in their equipment. After a long look at the American’s tack, and the stock of the rifle outside the saddle-holster, the man declared it did not at all resemble the equipment normally supplied by the Cape Town Colony government. Mr. Russell replied that neither he nor his companion represented the British Colony, per se, but merely served as contractors to draw maps of the area. Moreover, he noted, Lt. Bringinham wasn’t even British, but rather an American from Virginia whose military experience suited him for the task.

The man eyed Mr. Russell for a moment, and then stated coldly that the British Colony had no need for (and by implication would never receive), any maps of the area. His demeanor improved markedly as he extended his hand to Lt. Bringinham greeted him in accented English. Lt. Bringinham barely managed to conceal his shock as the “Boer-not-Boer” noted that he hadn’t expected to see an American Confederate “this far west,” and inquired about the Virginian’s military background.

The lieutenant covered his surprise at the question, as he had no notion that any other former Confederate traveled anywhere in Africa. His own presence had been something of a fluke, as he had only met Dr. Burleigh during the latter’s brief stint as an observer stationed with the Army of Virginia. Dr. Burleigh had a professional interest in the application of steam technology to modern warfare, and had gotten some up-close and personal experience as the Union Army deployed Gatling-armed, armored steam-carriages, late in the war. The deployment of steam-powered weaponry had a devastating effect on the relatively lightly industrialized Confederacy.

After the war, the Virginian had lost his farm to northern carpet-baggers and had relocated to England in an effort to make a new start. He’d contacted Dr. Burleigh, who had seen the advantage of having a military veteran on the expedition. Utterly unaware of the presence of any former colleagues, the question left Lt. Bringinham momentarily non-plussed.

The Virginian recovered quickly, however, and replied that he’d taken the cartography position as a way to fund his trip across Africa. He had no real ties to the British Colonial Government of South Africa, save that of employment by them, and would willingly entertain offers. This response pleased the Dutchman, who introduced himself as Gustaaf Vandousen, and said he would arrange the introduction to his “employer.” However, when Lt. Bringinham tried to learn more, the mercenary sidestepped most of the questions, but did acknowledge the employer planned to arrive “by air.”

Meanwhile, back at the kraal, Mr. Russell shared a drink with the Boer, Mr. van Kimber, and tried to speak to him in the language of the Zulu, in an effort to converse with some privacy. The Boer spat on the ground and insisted the hunter stop speaking, “that trash.” Mr. Russell switched back to Arikaans, and asked the Boer about his circumstances. Normally reticent, the situation had clearly begun to fray the Mr. van Kimber’s nerves. When Mr. Russell said quietly he had little desire to work with the men who would steal the land and home of another, Mr. van Kimber’s resolve cracked.

The Boer herdsman quietly admitted that he’d offered no resistance to the 16 mercenaries who had taken his home, because he wished to protect his wife and children. He said the men had arrived about a week ago, and thus far had done little more than keep for themselves the stores originally purchased to sell to the miners. They did, however, mention the imminent arrival of someone they called, “the employer,” and tried to prevent the van Kimbers from contacting the neighbors.

In that, at least, they had proven unsuccessful. Mr. van Kimber said he’d managed to get word to his closest neighbors, the De Beers. Even though many of the Boers had traveled south to fight the Basutos, Mr. van Kimber said a Boer mounted Kommando force was probably on its way, and could arrive at any time. Mr. Russell promised to help all he could, and Mr. van Kimber replied that he’d do everything possible to keep the Kommando from killing the hunter, as the Boers had no love for the English.

However, Mr. van Kimber expressed concern about the safety of his rescuers, as he disclosed that the four wagons stationed at the corners of his home contained strange devices. At Mr. Russell’s prodding, the Boer said the devices resembled nothing different than cannon made from multiple barrels, with hand cranks on the side. Mr. Russell recognized the description as the Gatling repeating guns which had proven so devastating during the recent war in America.

At that moment, Lt. Bringinham returned with Mr. Vandousen and, unaware that most Boers spoke English reasonably well, announced that he might accept a position with the mercenaries. An appalled Mr. van Kimber turned pale and shot an accusatory glance at Mr. Russell, but held his tongue. The two “cartographers” accompanied the mercenary inside, and saw that the large main room of the house had been filled with partially-unpacked equipment such as lathes, crucibles, retorts. What appeared to be a small, but well-equipped, machine-shop even included a small steam-engine to run the powered devices.

The Virginian had a drink with Mr. Vandousen, and then told Mr. Russell to mount up, as he wished to bring the rest of the group to the ranch. The hunter did so without comment, and the men rode off to the camp. Once they arrived at the camp, the pair disclosed the details of the situation, and the members of the group began to ponder how best to deal with the unexpected complication.

[tshiggins]

That's where the session ended. Below are the best quotes from the night:

(When the character's name appears, it means the quip was made in-character. When the player's name appears, it was an OOC comment.)

Lt. Sutter Bringinham (Unclear about the thaumatological arts): Everywhere, there are people doing poofy crap with their stuff?

Brian: Yeah, I know something's up. I make £100 a month, maybe £125 on a really good month. You guys are paying me £200.

Bringinham (Before the hunter, Frederick Haggard Russell, saved his life. Twice.): Where are we going? £200 a month, that's where we're going.

Russell: Is there any reason why this wouldn't be a troop of British cavalry?
Dr. Stanton Burleigh: None that you know of. This ruins the sense of solitude.

Johann von Landau (Freaks out and shoots the dead body of a lioness): I haff killed ze beast! I haff saved your life!
Bringinham (Shot the lioness previously, now lying prone and bleeding from deep claw-wounds inflicted by a second lioness): Uh, I don't think so.

Russell: In the future, as a general rule, it's best to first shoot the lioness that's charging you.

(Von Landau unloads both barrels of his 8-gauge shotgun, at a faerie beast in swirling melee with Bringinham. The slugs whiz past the ear of Russell, and miss both combatants. The combat ends, with Bringinham wounded by large claws. Again.)
Von Landau: I haff saved your life, again!
Russell (to Burleigh, who watched all this from 50 yards away.): Do you have the skill at Armoury, for small arms?
Burleigh: Well, yes. I suppose I could make repairs or alterations to your weapon...
Russell (Points at von Landau): No, I don't want you to touch my rifle. I want you to do something to his gun, so the next time he pulls the trigger, it just goes "click!"

Brian: Hey, Tod! Your character's new name in the native language translates to, "catnip."

(The group listens to von Slonecker's report, after he astrally scouted the diamond mine.)
Russell: I should've held out for the £250 a month...

Von Landau: Now, I think we should consider our options, here. Clearly, this "Employer" has the advantage in this situation, and he may need some professional assistance from a skilled group of independent contractors.
Russell: No.
Burleigh: I don't think so.
Bringinham: It wouldn't be the honorable course, and this reminds me too much of what the Yankees did to us, after the war. Besides, what makes you think you'd have anything he needs?
Von Landau: Everybody needs an import-export specialist!

[Agramer]

Really good job :))

This is something Id like to play.Youre doing great in "bringing the ambience".

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Agramer

Really good job :)

Me Too. For extra Badass GM points, he ran this thing on his own birthday.

[Agramer]

Lol,Id play anything he GMs...

forbid him 2 play ;))