Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Evelyn and the Spector in the Adventures of Doom


In 1935, Devon and Guy Lareux decided they needed a pair of "acquisition specialists". The antiquities business had turned more competitive since the Great War. With trouble brewing "over there" again they thought it best to leave the more dangerous retrievals to younger souls.

It was a warm Chicago summer day when Evelyn Drake responded to their ad. She had excellent recommendations from her instructors at Radcliffe and even a letter from the famed Alice Hamilton--the first woman professor at Harvard. She was petite, blond and appeared vulnerable in a way that always inspired men to help her--she rarely needed it. She was well dressed, but Devon was a shrewd judge and could tell by her worn luggage and scuffed Marshal's boots that she was probably wearing her only "good" dress and a gifted hat. She was a trained pilot, well educated, young and capable. She was perfect.

Joshua Spector was in nearly all ways the opposite of Miss Drake. He was tall and muscled with rough features and dark eyes. His father worked the docks. His mother worked as a maid. His clothes were worn, his knuckles scraped and he needed a shave. Still... he had other talents. He had just returned from Japan after training with the old masters--quite a rare opportunity for an American. Devon smiled as he remembered a favorable wager he had placed about the youth with his brother, Guy. Devon recognized a diamond in the rough and the surprise discovery of Josh's training and proved him right. Joshua had an uncanny ability to slip in unoticed. He virtually disappeared in the dark. He could jump like a cat and kick like a mule. The junk katana he picked up from a second rate Chinese trinket shop became a deadly weapon in his hands. After proving himself in retrieving Old Gilmore's map and key, Guy had been satisfied as well. They hired Spector.

Thus begins the Adventures of Doom... a pulp fiction table top roleplay game. Set in 1935 Chicago just before WWII and in the middle of the Great Depression.

In their first adventure, Evelyn and Joshua retrieve a stolen talisman from the Rising Sun Hotel from the Yakuza controlled Red Fist Gang. The pair sneak to the roof where they subdue a wandering guard. Then proceed to the small "penthouses" of the hotel's 4th floor. Although stealthy, the hyper alert gang members spot Spector. But the young ninja takes them down quickly. Evy takes down her own guard and knocks out the loud-mouth gang groupie in the hall. The last man to deal with is Big Mosaki. Josh swings at the mountainous man who ducks the blow. Unfortunately he ducks right in to Miss Drake's improvised chair attack. The chair smashes across his face leaving him staggered and easy for Spector to finish off. The pair retrieve the talisman and return to Devon victorious.

1 comment:

Masada said...

In the next episode of AoD, Evelyn and Josh are sent to New York to decipher a strange letter written by ailing Egyptologist, Dr. James Henry Breasted. James has returned from Egypt with pneumonia. In his feverish state he has drafted a 12 page, rambling confession about something called the "Pharaoh's Heart" and someone named "Kinkaid". Evy and Josh have tea with Frances Breasted who then decides to fund their trip back home to Chicago to search the University for the Pharaoh's Heart. James provided a single name in connection with the mysterious object, Bernard. After some investigation they discover that Bernard was the Head Janitor in James' building some 20 years ago, but the man has been dead for some years. Encouraged to search the facilities of the building the duo discover catacombs of pipe tunnels below the University. Before long a very old iron door is discovered for which Joshua has a key (from James' desk). The iron door guards an ancient secret as onyx dogs come to life in defense of the lost object. Will the pair find the Heart before becoming permanent inhabitants of the lost tomb? Stay tuned for next week.