Pulp Cowboy

[Timben]

I've created my own “pulp action hero” much like George Lucas’s “Indiana Jones” and Sam Rolfe’s "Paladin of Have Gun – Will Travel.” My character is basically, a Pulp Cowboy. I have started my first series of Books. It is set in 1890. My story is about the adventures of an international gunfighter for hire. You see, I want my hero to feel pain, to feel remorse. And when he goes to make a mistake. He wants to go back and fix it. I sincerely hope that doesn't sound like "Indiana Jones".


I've basically have run into a snag. Without diving into holy relics, I was thinking of using a fictional treasure chest that was filled with the usual cache of gold. But that has utilized to death. And I do love "Indiana Jones" so, any help would be considerably appreciated. I swear I'm not looking to clone, rip-off or steal ideas from George Lucas's "Indiana Jones" films. I wish to add some horrific supernatural treasures into the story. The only problem is I am completely at a lost. I am using a fictional mine in Kenya where the supposed treasure has been dug up. However, I am not clear on what exactly should be buried. I thought of using "The Key of Solomon" but I don't know how that would work. And what type of curse it would influence the antagonist.

I even thought of creating the fictional mine as a lost crypt for Lucifer. Not rightly sure that would work either.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

IIRC, in the early fifteenth century a Chinese exploratory fleet sailed to the east coast of Africa.

Come up with some plausible Chinese treasure with supernatural powers and have a renegade Chinese citizen smuggle it aboard the fleet and hide it in Kenya. Kilimanjaro would be an obvious landmark.

The very implausibility of the event could be a plot device. "Chinese treasure? In Kenya? Mad, sir, you are mad!"

[sir_pudding]

What is the GURPS relevance?

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by fredtheobviouspseudonym

a Chinese exploratory fleet

I like it. It's got a historical touch that might be at least somewhat unfamiliar, an excuse to do some research on Zheng He, and an easy entry point for Chinese-style supernatural effects, again a bit different from the usual.

You could also go for Kenyan mythology.

[Dargaron]

On a similar note, you could use Necho II's "Phoenician" expedition. Supposedly, an Egyptian Pharaoh in the late 8th century sent an expedition down the Red Sea, around Africa, and back to Egypt via the Mediterranean. Herodotus reports (and doubts) the story, but in your world, it's fair game.

Apparently, his son and successor removed Necho's names from various monuments (which was a serious coverup/shaming in Pharaonic Egypt, since the name was one-fifth of the Egyptian soul), so have the expedition be related to whatever shameful thing Necho was doing? Have it take place at the end of his life, in order to place the temptation of the "whatever-it-is" out of the reach of Necho.

Necho was known for engineering achievements (the first serious attempt at a Red Sea-Mediterranean canal, for example), so maybe this "Key of Lucifer" unlocks "impossible" genius, but pairs it with a destructive level of hubris? Now an up-and-coming colonial official with an unhealthy classical streak is trying to find the relic, for the glory of England/Germany/USSR/US of A!