Empire of the Dead Game 3

This weekend saw the third in our irregular series of games for our narrative Empire of the Dead campaign. Big Steve has been weaving together various plot threads for us through out of game posts and messages.

Following the action outside the police station in the last game, Quartermaine's Department 13 was dealt a terrible blow as Dr. Erasmus was snatched from the British Museum where he was studying the book recovered in the first game. He was snatched by the same winged creatures that attacked the police station (and are definitely NOT Nightgaunts).

So, following up on reports from the rural countryside of Essex that there had been sightings of winged creatures around Horndon on the Hill (just a few miles form where TGP, Big Steve and I grew up - so we know the area), Quatermaine and his Agents took a steam launch up the river from London to investigate further...

The setup. Horndon on the Hill. Hills to the north, woods to the west and the The Swan pub to the east. Still haven't rebased those trees more than a year after their last outing...

Our Heroes begin their investigations by assembling at The Swan public house. Quartermain is accompanied by Frank, as ever, and four of his Department 13 Agents, Agents 3 through 6. He's also brought along a surgeon from the Hanoverian Guard, just in case Erasmus is injured.

Inspector Reid of Hell Division is still recuperating after a carriage fell on him in the last game. In his place are a pair of sturdy sergeants, a brace of police officers armed with pistols and rifles plus F.I.D.O. the steam dog and his handler.

As Quartermain is briefing the assembled team (and arguing with the sergeants about who is in charge), there is a clatter of hoofbeats and a large, darkly gothic coach pulls up. Several swarthy men armed with swords and pistols jump down and open the doors to reveal three very beautiful but very pale young ladies dressed in the best Hammer Horror school of flimsy attire, with in built push-up attack bodices. Stepping out after them (following a brief discussion about what was likely to have happened if he made more of a dramatic, and shall we say, "transformational" entrance) was a tall, pale man dressed in formal clothes with a red lined opera cape.

Strange Foreign Types in a very ornate carriage. Quartermain does not hold with this sort of thing. 

Introducing himself as "The Count" he advised that he was an associate of Mad Maggie and she had suggested that he would be able to assist. Since he had secured lodgings in Purfleet, not far from Horndon on the Hill, and Maggie had to remain behind in London, The count offered the services of himself and his brides. When asked what he could bring to the proceedings, The cont advised he had certain "abilities".

This was the first time AGG had really had a powerful character to use. Up until now the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee has mostly been minions and cannon fodder. The Count and his occult spice girl groupies certainly were a step up.

The Protagonists assemble.

View West - down table -  across the Essex countryside towards the woods.

The three groups then had a brief discussion. The Hell division bobbies would proceed along the hills to the North of the table. Quartermain and his agents would flank to the south through the crop fields and The Count and his brides would move through the centre.

Sporty Bride, Posh Bride and Baby Bride

As Quatermain and the bobbies set off, The Count and his girls tore away, moving incredibly fast through the evening. As they moved west towards the setting sun they caught sight of a giant, looming shape. The dying rays of the sun picked out a huge human figure constructed from trees and branches -  A Wicker Man!

Sounds of raised voices could be heard and then a mournful howling begins. This is not the Twilight Bark, but instead comes from something altogether more wild, toothy and Dire. At the same time dark shapes can be seen wheeling and swooping amongst the clouds. The shapes are too large to be birds and Quartermain thinks he may see some sport in the near future....

Wicker Man

Now visible, and screaming madly, is the figure of Erasmus, trapped in a cage in the chest of the Wicker Man. As they closed the rescuers could now see a large crowd of villagers surrounding the base of the wicker man, along with the wood and kindling piled up there. Several of the villagers were holding torches aloft and they all seemed to be swaying and chanting.

The villagers assemble to burn Erasmus.

The Bobbies, seeing what was clearly an unlawful burning of an Emeritus Professor, decided to stamp their authority on the situation. Hurrying forward they blew their whistles and began a cascade of dropped 'aitches as they ran through the mandated cliches: "Ello-ello-ello", "What's all this then?" and "Come along now, Sir. Let's be 'avin you"

The villagers (I don't want to be religiously intolerant, and I know things are done differently in the country, but we are rapidly approaching the juncture where they will be labelled "cultists") respond to the police's show of power by throwing their torches onto the pyre and setting the wicker man alight. 

The Bobbies blow their whistles according to protocol. Unfortunately the villagers are not familiar with the current sections of the Public Order Act. 

The Spice Brides continue to sashay towards the villagers at a swift clip and The Count seems to leap into the air and turn into a rapidly moving cloud of mist! He races up to the villagers and then out of the mist emerges a hideous bat-creature that flaps up towards the cage in the chest of the wicker man. As it flies it shouts over it's shoulder "Do not fear, Quatermaine. It is I, The Count!". Quatermaine resists the overwhelming urge to unload both barrels of .600 Nitro Express at the Eastern European Gentleman ("Bloody Easter Europeans, coming over here and rescuing all our professors... ")

Meanwhile, the dark shapes circling in the clouds suddenly dive down and attack the horses and coach. They are revealed to winged beasts that are definitely not Nightgaunts. The land on and around the carriage and the gypsy left guarding it leaps to attack one. With a string of Slavic curses he cleaves its head from its body. Quatermain takes a shot at long range at one of the others, but misses. Erasmus recognises the boom of the elephant gun and starts to call out to Quatermaine, just as the Count flies up and rips the door off the cage. Erasmus, not a fan of flying creatures, begins shrieking hysterically.

Whilst this is happening the bobbies and the Spice Brides notice a wizened crone near the back of the crowd of villagers. She is reading from a book and is accompanied by what the bobbies decide are two enormous dogs - because they can't be wolves as there are no wolves in the Essex countryside. Certainly not wolves that are four feet to the shoulder. The "big dogs" let out a spine curdling howl and charge forward, scattering the villagers as they push through.

Typical country evening in Essex.

The Spice Brides approach the villagers and attempt to terrify them by hissing and displaying their fangs in a menacing manner. Posh and Baby succeed and their two targets flee in terror. Sporty still faces off against one of the villagers (which is ironic, because many people think Sporty is actually the most talented of the Spice Brides, as demonstrated by her successful solo career). The Gypsy on the coach attacks and despatches another of the not-Nightgaunts, but the remaining two slaughter the last of the horses.

Sporty faces off against a villager whist Posh and Baby terrify their targets and force them to flee.

The bobbies amble down the hill and Fido and his handler, backed up by a sergeant and a bobbie move towards the centre of the field and engage the dire wolves. At the coach the gypsy engages the last two not-nightgaunts. He kills one and the other takes to the skies again, circles around and dive down on the Department 13 agents. A fusillade of fire attempts to down it, but it weaves through the shots and grabs Agent 6 in its steely claws, hoisting him aloft before dropping him to his doom.

Agent 6 is dropped by the winged creature. Quartermain has lost his first man.

At the Wicker Man the Count is trying to calm the hysterical Erasmus, but eventually just gives up and casually backhands him into unconsciousness. He then picks him up and leaps back into the air with him clutched in his talons (as Big Steve pointed out, for the Count, this is very much like trying to walk home after the pub with a fresh doner kebab in you hand, but not being able to eat it...).

The villagers, seeing the Spice Brides bearing down on them and Dracula flying overhead, decide that they have made their required religious observance for this week and since the main attraction - burning professor - is off the menu, they turn and begin to race into the woods en mass.

However, the crone sweeps her arm around and points her finger at the ground. There there is an ominous grinding and shuddering and the earth bursts open and disgorges a hideous creature made of mud, twisted roots and clumps of earth. This animated Earth Golem strides off towards the police.

There is also a terrible and ominous crash from deep within the woods. Far into the dark depths the trees are seen shaking and being pushed aside. With a terrible crash, one is seen to fall.

The Count (Ah-Ha-Ha-HAAAA!) flies off after subduing the panic stricken Erasmus.

The police are now engaged with the two dire wolves. F.I.D.O. the Steam Dog engages one of them whilst the Thin Blue Line moves around behind the Spice Brides to engage the other. The Earth Golem advances slowly. Quatermaine and the Agents are attacked by the not-Nightgaunt again, but manage to wound it and drive it off.

The Witch waves her arms again and sweeps them in an arc from the burning wicker man towards Baby Bride. A ball of fire leaps from the conflagration and strikes the blonde vampire. She shrieks in pain and rage and is knocked down and crawls away to cover to nurse her charred flesh. The other brides back away, hissing.

Suddenly the trees burst apart and a hideous creature emerges. It has a trio of stumpy, goat like legs, dripping, loathsome drooling maws along its flanks and a body made of knotted, coiling tree roots and tentacles. The tentacles grope at the air above the beast, coiling and writhing obscenely.

At the sight of this abomination the police, the brides and their minders and the Hanoverian surgeon have to test their pluck. One of the police sharpshooters on the hill decides he'd rather be elsewhere, as does one of the coppers from the thin blue line and both of the Spice Brides Order of the Dragon and Gypsy minders.

One of the 1000 Dark Young of the Goat of the Woods. Iä Shub-Niggurath!

The Dark Young charges up the hill, facing a barrage of well aimed fire from the bobbies who held their ground. Good solid shots pepper the monstrosity, but have no effect. The Dark Young tramples over the bobbies. One dives away, but the other is crushed under its noisome hooves.

F.I.D.O. despatches his dire wolf and turns and charges the other, currently being engaged by a trio of bobbies. The Earth Golem lumbers on and Department 13, having driven off the not-Nightgaunt, open fire on it. Their shots fall on target and make nice "splat" sounds, but do little else.

Dark Young, Dire Wolf and Earth Golem. Dracula escaping at top right.

Sport Bride and Posh bride charge towards the witch. At the last moment a few of the villagers regain their courage and move to block the Brides approach. Sporty Bride tears her target to pieces and Posh puts hers down, but he's not out of the fight yet.

Posh and Sporty go after the witch.

The rest of the villagers rally and charge back out of the woods. The Dark Young tramples over the hill and down the other side, squashing another police officer.

The combined efforts of F.I.D.O and the bobbies bring down the second dire wolf, just as the Earth Golem is about to reach them. Quatermain and Department 13 fire on the villagers guarding the witch. In a continuation of the appalling nights dice rolling, I fire 12 shots needing 4+ on a D10 to hit. I got 1 hit - ironically from the surgeon. Quatermain was not demonstrating his reputation as the Empire's finest shot tonight.

The villagers return from the woods.

The Dark Young turns around and charges back over the hill as the Order Of the Dragon Minders head parallel to it to rejoin Baby Bride. She recovers just in time for it to thunder past her.

F.I.D.O. and the bobbies engage the Mud Golem, but their attacks are largely ineffectual. The remaining sharpshooter bobbie on the hill continues to pour fire into the Dark Young. This will prove to be a .... poor choice.

The Brides despatch step into the gap they created by tearing apart two villager and Sporty Bride leaps at her with a hiss and flash of comely ankle. Plus, boobs. The crone proves to be surprisingly resilient, though, and shakes off Sporty's attacks.

Department 13 create a firing line and open up on the villagers surrounding the crone from the southern side. The agents take down her human shields one by one and Quatermain redeems his abysmal shooting that evening. He takes careful aim and fires the massive elephant gun, blowing the witch to pieces. The Earth Golem collapses into a pile of mud and twigs and the Dark Young is released from it's binding. It charges up the hill and stomps the steadfast police sharpshooter into human pate.

Quartermain establishes a firing line

Meanwhile, the last not-nightgaunt dives down on one of the fleeing bobbies. He and Dracula's Coachman open fire with pistols, knocking it from the sky. The policeman puts his foot on the beast and gives it two rounds, rapid to the back of the head.

Bobbie and Gypsy fend of flying creature.

With the Crone dead, the villagers flee into the woods. The unbound Dark Young charges back towards the Wicker Man, but seems to be moving aimlessly and Baby Bride, her Minders and the bobbies manage to get out of its way.

Quartermain runs towards the body of the crone, keen to secure the book. The brides, covered in bits of crone, grab it before he can get there.

The scene is set for a tense stand-off, with Quatermain and the Department 13 agents facing off against the blood splattered, scantily clad Brides with everything lit by the flames from the collapsing wicker man. In the background the Dark Young runs into frame from the right.

Quatermain adopts his commanding voice and demands the book. The Brides hiss and claim their master has need of it, and besides, they have Erasmus at Carfax Abbey. In the background the Dark Young skids to a halt, turns around and runs right, out of frame.

There is a series of clicks as pistols are cocked and safeties are taken off an unfeasibly large elephant gun. Quatermaine demands the book again and raises his gun. In the background the Dark Young runs back into frame from the right.

The Brides hiss and throw the book at Quatermaine swearing that this is not the end of the matter. Quatermain says he thinks it is and throws the book into the fire. In the background the Dark Young turns and runs off to the north.

With the book destroyed and Erasmus (presumably) safe, the parties head back towards The Swan inn to find the Gypsy carriage driver crying over his poor dead horses. Transport is hastily arranged for a trip to Carfax Abbey....

Empire of the Dead - Game 2

Yesterday we played game 2 of our narrative campaign for Empire of the Dead by Westwind Productions. The campaign is being run by Big Steve (who, I am obliged to point out, is actually normal sized, but was bigger than Little Steve, so became Big Steve). The factions are:

Me: Department 13 ("Shoot first and question the corpse later")
AGG: Whitechapel Vigilance Committee ("No officer, it's not a sword, I'm a whaler and it's just a really big flensing knife")
TGO: Whitechapel Police: Hell Division ("10: Say 'BARK', 20: Goto 10")

Following the last game, H:Division had interrogated the Chinese prisoner, and he  had been tried for the murder of the women and baby in the park. He had been sentenced to hang and Inspector Reid was given responsibility for the security of the event. Given the "unusual" events of the Chinamans capture, Reid took the unusual step of asking for assistance from the stout fellows of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee. He also, reluctantly, sent word to the Home office and requested Quatermain attend (plus I threatened to withhold the roast chicken lunch I was preparing if he didn't send for me...)

The execution was due to take place in an enclosed yard behind the Whitechapel police station. The yard was adjacent to a small square enclosed on three sides, with a busy road on the fourth. The yard was separated from the square by high walls (which I built in about 6 hours the night before - the flock was applied that morning!) and contained the Gallows and a storage warehouse. The cobbled street in the yard is actually a textured yoga mat.

H: Division had Inspector Reid, a Police Sergeant, six bobbies including two with rifles, the desk Sergeant and FIDO the iron hound and handler.

The WVC had "Mad" Maggie Malone, Bob the Butcher, Fagin and six stout fellows all armed with swords and two with pistols.

Department 13 had Quatermaine, Frank and six Hanoverian Guardsmen. The guardsman had rifles and swords. Frank had his whacking club and a pistol and Quatermain had his elephant gun and a pair of heavy pistols.

The square and the yard with Whitechapel road at the bottom of the picture. Police station is to the right.

The yard with gallows at bottom left, storage warehouse top left and F.I.D.O the iron hound and handler just inside the (working) gates.

The square. Police station to top. Prisoner just being escorted out of station. Quatermaine and Hanoverian guards standing sentry duty against the wall of the yard and various ne'er do wells of the WVC milling around.

The prisoner is escorted into the yard. WVC follow the police.

Inside the yard the police head towards the gallows, protected by more Hanoverian guard and a couple of stout coppers.

The WVC emerge from the shadows to follow the police. Their new leader, Mad Maggie Malone (or crazy cat lady as we came to know her) emerges, wild eyed, foul mouthed, crazy haired and with  a frightening temper. AGG loves her!

The brave Hanoverian soldiers protect the gate.

One of the Hanoverian soldiers, Quartermaine's loyal manservant "Frank" and Quatermaine himself stand guard.

The execution party guard the scaffold. The Hanoverian Lieutenant and two of his soldiers, plus the police sergeant and a stout bobby.

Snipers (well, bobbies with guns) on the rooftop of the police station.

There is an ominous boom from overhead and the overcast sky is suddenly split for a fraction of a second by an midnight black fissure that dissipates as soon as it has been seen. Moments later a dark, inky cloud begins to boil out of the sky, covering the whole area in its shadow!

Suddenly, four covered wagons peel off from the Whitechapel road and begin moving toward the yard. Quatermaine, the Hanoverian Guard and the police snipers watchfully wait to see if they are just legitimate traders coming to sell their pies and sausages of dubious provenance to the gawking onlookers, or if they have nefarious intentions.

The carriages charge!

With a thunderous clattering of hoofs on cobblestones, the carriages accelerate towards the gate. The defenders outside the wall open up with rifles and Quartermaines elephant gun. The first round of fire is mostly ineffective, but a second turn of firing brings three of the carriages to a halt with dead or wounded horses. One topples over in front of the gate, partially blocking it. From the others emerge more of the insidious orientals!

The fourth coach charges towards the gate and with a crash, a horrible splatter and an impressive display of carriage driving, it thunders over the wounded horses that were blocking the gateway, killing them in the process.

The Oriental thugs emerge from the halted carriages

 Meanwhile, on the roof of the police station, the two snipers hear the flapping of wings and are set upon by winged beasts (definitely not Nightgaunts) with vicious claws that descend from the darkened skies!

The snipers have company...

Inside the yard there are seven flashes and puffs of smoke and black clad orientals (definitely not Ninjas) appear on the gallows and around the storage building! They hurl throwing stars at those closest to them, hitting one of the Hanoverian guard who, startled, retreats behind some convenient cover (the nearby police). The WVC take pot-shots at carriage as it roars across the yard...

The second WVC shooter manages to wound the horse, and a shot from one of the Hanoverian guard kills it. The horse collapses, but the yoke digs into the courtyard, causing the carriage to cartwheel end over end! Inspector Reid and his bobby are standing right in it's path - the bobby dodges out of the way, but Reid is struck by the carriage and flung away, smacking into the rear wall of the yard with a sickening thud.

Reid is squashed by the gyrating horse and carriage

Outside in the square, the orientals close with the defenders. Quatermaine drops his elephant gun and draws his pistols, blazing away and taking down one of the attackers. The Hanoverian guards open fire, then brace to receive charge. Some of the orientals charge, but some hold back and fire, ineffectually, with pistols. Frank despatches his assailant with his traditional tribal war cry: "UMBONGO!"

Inside the yard the Hanoverian guard and the police fire on the black-clad orientals on the scaffold and knock one down and force the other to retreat. The WVC in the centre of the yard split up, Maggie and a couple of the men with her head over to the carriage. The two chaps with the highly illegal pistols open fire on the black-clad... ok, lets just call them Ninjas on the roof of the storage shed and Bob the Butcher charges into melee with the two Ninjas in front of the shed. Between him and the nearby bobby they put one down for good and knock the other over.

Action in the yard...

In the square outside the meleé continues. Frank charges the oriental with the pistol and after a swift tussle forces him back, discombobulated. A passing WVC deliveryman, seeing the action steers his wagon off the road to join in, nervously leaving the valuable horse and carriage unattended to join the fray (AGG had put one of her figures on a carriage in the road and forgotten about him - we reasoned he was a member passing as part of his day job, hence his late arrival...). Inside the station the desk sergeant calmly walks to the armory and unlocks a shotgun...

Passing member of the WVC on the right.

On the roof of the station, the police snipers are putting up a valiant defence against the flying beasts, but one of the brave bobbies is impaled on the creatures iron hard claws. It braces to leap into the air, but a masterful shot from Quatermaine causes it to release him and stagger back (he is the Empire's greatest hero, after all). Just as the coppers are gathering their wits, two more of the creatures land and begin to batter their way into the station, tearing a hole through the roof and ripping open the nearby hatch!

That's the maintenance budget blown...

Inside the yard the WVC rush up the stairs of the gallows to attack the Ninjas. The Hanoverian Guard take a shot at the one Ninja they can see, killing him, and then turn and head back towards the gate. As they run through the yard there is another puff of smoke from which emerges an elderly oriental gentleman.

A dramatic entrance (and a lovely purple robe, according to AGG)

At the same time another puff of smoke clears to reveal a hideous sight - a womans head sways atop a flayed open ribcage, long, silky black hair swirls behind an obscene, serpent-like body made of roped and coiled organs and entrails! It's a Penanggalan! The demon spits a ball of acid at the WVC members, but misses and instead hits the steps up to the scaffold. The police Sergeant and Fagin, the WVC fence, lose their nerve at the sight of the demon and flee. The elderly oriental gentleman concentrates on the Hanoverian lieutenant and he is immediately dissolved into a bubbling puddle! The two guardsmen are made of stern stuff, however, and charge the sorcerer! One of them strikes a telling blow with his sword, only to have the blade snap off, as though he had struck at a statue instead of an elderly man!  

Extreme dieting can lead to demonic possession.

Outside in the yard the guardsmen, Frank, Quatermaine and the late-coming WVC deliveryman continued to fight with the orientals, but were gaining the upper hand. The desk Sergeant nonchalantly opened the door to the police station and let rip with the shotgun, killing one of the Orientals and discombobulating the other. The terrified chinaman ran to hide behind the nearby dead horse.

In the yard Butcher Bob and the Iron Hound had despatched the ninjas on the ground by the warehouse. Three chinamen had emerged from the overturned carriage and been set upon by Maggie and the members of the WVC. The two WVC shootists continued to take pot-shots at the ninjas on the roof, whilst one of the Ninjas disappears in a puff of smoke, only to reappear behind the captive chinaman that was to be hanged! One of his guards struck the ninja forcefully upon the noggin and he retreated back into his smoke cloud.

Meanwhile, the stairs to the gallows collapsed due to the demons acid and dumped the WVC bruiser to the floor. The demon spits acid at him again, but his leather jerkin protects him. He raises his sword... err, flensing knife... and attacks the creature, hacking wildly at it. He strikes a mighty blow and the demon is pushed back. Maggie spies the creature out of the corner of her eye and charges over, fighting claws raised as she howls at the beast! She hurdles the remains of the stairs and leaps on the creature, hacking, slashing and biting at it. Her frenzied attacks find their mark and it disappears in a puff of acrid smoke.

"Oi! Naff off, you demon minger!" 

 On the roof of the station the two snipers are just about holding their own. One of the creatures has entered the station and is making its way down towards the desk sergeant. One of the snipers beats off his opponent and vaults the wall onto the porch roof. From here he snipes at one of the ninjas on the roof of the warehouse. The other bobby is knocked down and the creature sinks its claws into him again. Quatermain, only able to see one of the beasts, takes aim and blows the head off the other one.

Inside the station the Sergeant sees the approaching winged beast and flees out the front door, after discharging his shotgun into the ceiling. A Hanoverian guard, come to investigate the noise, sees the Sergeant run past him in terror, peers through the door and sees the winged beast bearing down on him. With Teutonic calmness he raises his rifle and shoots the creature in the head, killing it with one shot.

In the yard, the Fido the steam dog jumps on the ninja hiding in his smoke cloud and brings him down. Maggie's boys despatch the last of the chinamen from the carriage, and the WVC bruiser on the gallows brings his Ninja down. The elderly oriental gentleman steps back into his smoke cloud and disappears again.

Out in the square Frank, the tardy WVC deliveryman and the other Hanoverians mop up the last of the orientals, as the two remaining winged beasts on the roof take flight, one grasping a policeman in it's claws. Quatermain takes aim with the elephant gun at extreme range and fires. The beast is hit and windmills towards the ground, dropping the bobby who falls to earth somewhere near Liverpool Street (Quatermaine: "Poor chap. Probably for the best, though. Dammed thing would only have laid eggs in him or something.")

As the sound of battle dies down the skies clear and the plaintive wail of the WVC deliveryman can be heard "Oh no! Some buggers only gone and nicked me wagon! Mr. Grimshaw will 'ave me knackers for this!"

Empire Of the Dead - Game 1

On Saturday we played our first game of Empire of the Dead by West Wind Productions. Myself, AGG, MBB and The Ginger One are playing a narrative campaign being ably game-mastered by Big Steve. The factions are as follows:

Me: Department 13 (aka "bloody meddlers")
AGG: Whitechapel Vigilance Comitte (aka "unwashed ruffians")
MBB: The Diogenes Club
TGO: Whitechapel Police: Hell Division (aka: "It's the coppers!" and "useless flatfoots")

Big Steve provided all the figures and scenery, including a fantastic scratch-built church, apart from the grass baseboard which I had. Cotton wool and teddy-bear stuffing stood in for the London fog. The scenario had been building up to the first game through a series of pre-game moves conducted by e-mail. A spate of grizzly murders had taken place in East London, concentrated around the Manor Park Cemetery. A body, horribly mutilated, was discovered there and seized by the police. Department 13 then seized the corpse from the police.The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee had noticed a rise in armed men threatening extortion on it's turf and engaged them in battle, causing the police something of a headache.

On a misty evening three of the factions all decide to take a look at what is going in in Manor Park cemetery...

Foggy Manor Park Cemetery

The factions all arrived from the slums and tenements of the East End and proceeded into the fog. Department 13 had Alan Quatermaine, his loyal companion "frank" and Agent One and Agent Two. Police H division had Inspector Reid, a Police Sergeant and four bobbies. The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee had sent their leader, Mr. Lusk, along with seven stout fellows armed with saps, half a house brick in a sock, various bits of wood and broken bottles.

Department 13 at the bottom, Hell Division in the middle and the WVC at top

The factions moved into the park. The bobbies left one of their number by the park gates to keep an eye out, and call for reinforcements if required.

Department 13. Agents One and Two to the right, "Frank" and Quatermaine to the left.

Vision was limited to 4 inches due to the foggy conditions, and noises were muffled. Suddenly, a woman's screams were heard from further inside the park. The factions began to move quicker through the fog now. One of the police spotted a blurred shape through the fog and moved to investigate, then one of the WVC spotted another.

The oriental visitor receives a warm, East End "welcome" kicking.

Out of the fog loomed an elaborately dressed oriental man, hacking at a woman's body. As soon as the Chinamen saw the bobbies and the WVC they rushed them, swinging exotic oriental swords! The police and the WVC heavies traded blows with the orientals to cries of "What's all this then?" and "He's taking a liberty!" After a few rounds of combat they were disabled. The police despatched one of their officers to handcuff and drag the unconscious Chinaman off for questioning, whilst the WVC gave the other a "mild" kicking for taking such liberties, then discussed what to do with him,

Meanwhile, Department 13, Inspector Reid and Mr. Lusk converged on the church. A sinister chanting could be heard from all around, seeming to come from everywhere in the fog at once.

 Department 13 arrived at the church first, to hear a babies cries cut short by a sickening thump, as a figured darted towards the church doors. Agent One and Two held positions by the door, as Quatermaine took aim with his enormous .600 Nitro Express Elephant Gun and Frank moved up into the doorway.

Frank found the tragic sight of a dead infant, it's brains dashed out against the church doors. He and Agents One and Two moved into the church, with Quatermaine following up. The WVC decided to send two chaps off to investigate the walled graveyard to the left of the church and the small graveyard behind it. Reid sent his two bobbies off to the right of the church whist he followed Department 13 in through the church doors, leaving the Sergeant to guard the gate.

Inside the church Department 13 was greeted by a grisly sight. Unused for years the church was dusty and dank but the most terrible sight was that the floor was littered with skulls! Frank spotted a trail of footprints in the dust, leading to a set of stairs at the back of the church, leading up into the tower. Department 13 hurried on.

Meanwhile, the bobbies had dragged the unconscious Chinaman to the road and summoned a Black Mariah carriage to take him away. One of the bobbies then returned to the cemetery to have a word with the WVC chap who was sitting on the chest of the second unconscious Chinaman about due process, rights of the arrested and not giving a downed man "a good shoeing just to be on the safe side".

In the church, Quatermaine and his merry men reached the top of the tower. Agent One, Quatermaine and Frank stealthily crept through the trap door, whilst Agent Two blocked the stairs. On the tower roof the Department 13 officers saw a man in heavy cloak and robes attacking a white, marble altar with a sledgehammer. Quatermaine raised his elephant gun and called out to the man who span around to reveal a hideous and deformed countenance.

Clearly up to no good. Picture from the West Wind website.

Reasoning that such a hideous individual must be up to no good, and that he'd already killed the baby downstairs, Quatermaine adopted the "shoot first and scrape up the residue for questioning later" approach and let him have both barrels of Elephant Gun to the face. The enormous boom echoed around the park, deafening all on top of the tower and showering those outside with bits of tentacle and gore.

Quatermaine and his agents sprang into action, taking samples of the dead chap's blood and splattered gore and studying the altar that the fellow was so intent on destroying. Agent One discovered an ancient looking book in a hidden compartment, written in French ("Damm Frenchies, might of known they'd be up to something!").

Inspector Reid had by now reached the top of the stairs where he engaged in a brief scuffle with Agent Two with cries of "Police business, let me pass!" and "Queen's Business, you can't go up there!". Agent Two, with the advantage of height, kept the inspector from passing. Outside the church the bobbies and WVC had thoroughly searched the graveyards near the church and had begun to head back towards the church. At the front gate to the cemetery the bobby was still waiting for the police carriage to arrive. His companion had taken charge of the other unconscious Chinaman and the grumbling WVC member ambled off into the fog to link up with Lusk.

Back atop the tower, Frank carefully removed the book from the altar using his knife and Agent One quickly wrapped it in his jacket. As the book was removed from the altar the sinister chanting stopped. Quatermaine called down to Agent Two to let the inspector up. Presented by the sight of a headless corpse and Quatermaine literally holding the smoking gun the inspector was curious as to recent events ("What the bloody hell happen here, Quatermaine!"). Quatermaine, using his best innocent face, advised that the headless individual had been engaged in suspicious activity and when challenged, attacked he and his men, who then defended themselves. Honest, guv.

Back down in the graveyard things took a further sinister turn as, with a grinding and crunching of disturbed Earth, the graves began to burst open as the dead shambled to life!

BRAINNNSSSSS! Image from www.stevenaustinart.com/

The bobbies in the graveyard to the right of the church immediately caught sight of the shambling corpses bursting from their graves, as did the two WVC heavies behind the church. All of them decided being inside the church would be safer than being outside and sprinted for safety. In the middle of the cemetery Lusk and his companions could see activity in the walled graveyard, and vague shapes moving all around them. On the tower roof Reid, Agent One and Agent Two ran back down the stairs, whilst Quatermaine and Frank, in true heroic style, jumped off the tower and onto the church roof. The Sergeant at the church door ran back inside the church.

The zombies quickly moved towards the nearest warm flesh. Lusk and his men started moving towards the church, conducting a fighting retreat. Lusk fired a few shots at the approaching zombies, to no apparent effect, and the heavies with him attacked with the downed Chinamen's swords.

Lusk and his men fight off the undead

The zombies began to pile up around the walls of the church, and the pack follwing the two WVC members from the back of the church lost sight of them as they sprinted around the corner and into the church. The zombies then started to smash their way in through the stained glass windows.

On the roof Quatermaine and Frank edge along and jumped down onto the porch roof where they see the horrors that are shambling towards them. Quatermaine, made of stern stuff, grits his teeth and reloads the elephant gun...

Inside the church the bobbies and WVC members scramble for cover as they recover from the shock of seeing the dead rise. Agent One and Agent Two calmly take aim and begin to blast the zombies as they smash through the windows.

The Zombies burst into the church

Quatermaine and Frank snipe at zombies from the rooftop. One of them starts to climb up onto the roof and Frank beheads him with a lovely front foot sweep stroke from his giant club. In the Graveyard Lusk and his men are sorely pressed, as zombies close in on every side. Despite a valiant fight, they are overwhelmed and Lusk and three of his men are torn to pieces. Quatermaine leaps down off the roof to try and assist Lusk, but is set upon by zombies. A fierce fight ensues. Quatermaine despatches one with his hunting knife as another swipes at him and knocks him down.

Frank leaps down and engages another group of zombies as the bobbies charge out from inside the church. 

Quatermaine is down!

Meanwhile, the bobby guarding the Chinaman in the cemetery sees the zombies approaching and, with a shriek of fear, sprints for the front gate. The bobby guarding the front gate sighs with relief as the police carriage arrives and loads the first unconscious Chinaman in the back. Just as he finishes this his fellow copper sprints past him to hide behind the carriage, babbling about "dead men walking". As a brace of zombies clamber over the cemetery wall, the carriage driver, deciding zombies are definitely "not my job, guv!" snaps the reigns and the carriage speeds off. The two police officers, confronted by half a dozen shambling corpses, sprint for the "safety" of the nearby alleyways.

Inside the church more zombies burst in. Agent One and Two despatch several and the tough fellows of the WVC engage several more with cries of "you muppet!" and "this geezers brown bread!" (actually, what AGG said as her men pounded the zombies was a good deal coarser - I love a woman who knows how to swear with conviction). The police Sergeant and Inspector Reid shoot at zombies breaking in through the other wall. The weight of fire reduces the threat, but not before two more members of the WVC are torn to ribbons. 

"Oi! Out of my church!"

With the immediate threat passed, Agent One and Two charge out of the church to take positions behind the church wall. Agent one takes a pot-shot at the zombie looming over Quatermaine and blasts it to pieces. Quatermaine stands up and despatches two zombies in quick succession. Frank is mobbed by zombies and, despite destroying several, is wounded. Agent Two comes to his aid and despatches the last. Outside the church walls the two bobbies fight off four zombies. Reid and the Sergeant emerge from the church after despatching the last of the zombies inside with the aid of the WVC bruisers. The combined fire-power of Quatermaine, Frank, Agents One and Two, Reid and his Sergeant quickly despatch the last of the rotten rotters.

The last of the zombies are despatched at the church gates

At the front gate, the two bobbies gather their wits and charge back to prevent the shambling dead from dispersing into the slums of the East End. They batter the putrid fiends with their truncheons but despite a valiant effort they are overcome. A handful of corpses shamble off into the foggy night to wreak havoc in the slums of the East End...

As the sounds of battle die down and the fog began to clear it was time to take stock. Two bobbies and five members of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, including their leader, Mr. Lusk, were dead along with a Chinaman and the unidentified woman and baby. A handful of zombies had shambled off into the night to set upon the residents of the East End. On the positive side, a dangerous criminal in Mr. Tentacle Face had been defeated (that's Quatemaine's story and he's sticking to it) and Department 13 has secured a mysterious and obviously dangerous book before it could fall into the hands of the "incompetent flatfoots" or the "uncivilised ruffians".

Since the game ended we've had a statement issued by the police:

"Yesterday evening officers of H Division took steps to break-up a Chinese organisation responsible for the trafficking and enslavement of dozens of innocents.

The criminals, who have been using the Manor Park cemetery to obfuscate their despicable activities, were confronted by officers of the law and a gunfight ensued.

All of the villains were either killed or apprehended, those captured will be questioned and leads followed. Three police officers lost their lives during the operation. I pay tribute to their courage, diligence and dedication to duty.

Members of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee provided assistance to a number of police officers, I am grateful to them for their continuing support in the name of law and order.

Inspector E. Reid.
H Division
Metropolitan Police"

The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee has already elected it's new leader, Maggie "Hellcat" Malone, the landlady of the Black Eagle pub, notorious for her fighting, drinking and coarse language (I make no comment on similarities to AGG on any of those counts).

This was only the second war game that AGG had ever played, although we do a lot of boardgames and some RPG's together, so I was interested on her views following it:

"Even though my team was utterly, utterly destroyed by the zombies, I really enjoyed the game. I'm now looking forward to my Peggy Mitchell-esq landlady taking over the reigns of the WVC"

I also really enjoyed the game. The rules seem nice and straightforward, and the differences between the factions nicely defined, Department 13 had few, but capable figures and the WVC had a horde of lesser figures with the police somewhere in between. I'm really looking forward to the next set of inter-game moves and our next scenario.