A Story Interlude till the Next Adventure

A Story...

Adalberto sneezed as the dust from his work got into his nasal passages again.  This exhalation led to even more dust rising into the air which led to even more bouts of sneezing.  To whit Adalberto had to retreat blowing his nose noisily into his expensive silken laced monogrammed handkerchief.

“Damn it Berti, you make more noise than those geese outside!” exclaimed Niles as he dumped another batch of scrolls onto the work table.  He lent over the table and opened the window which allowed some fresh air in, but with it came the strong gust of wind, which sent a number of papers to scatter across the room.

Adalberto glared with watery eyes at Niles Starling, and drew his puny frame up into an erect state before a coughing fit hit him again.  Once it was over he said in a breathless voice.

“Mister Niles I must again remind you I am Adalberto de Franangelo, not this Berti you have anglicised.  I insist that you must address me by my correct name if you want my help in deciphering these texts.”

“Oh, all right Berti, if you insist!”

“It is Adalberto, Mister Niles!”  At this Adalberto voice started to rise, his face flushed red and he was on the verge of one of those famous Italian outburst, when... yes you guessed it, an interruption occurred!

The door to the room opened and into the room stepped the hero of these stories, none other than Lord Ackerley Wishart, accompanied by Sir Garfield Talbot and Barrington Mallory.  

Adalberto had the wind taken out of his sails and he turned his complaint instead to Lord Wishart.

“Lord Wishart, I am glad you are here.  I cannot work under these appalling conditions.”

Ackerley looked around at the mess on the floor, and of course jumped to the wrong the conclusion.

“I pay you a fraction of a minute fortune to decipher these texts Berti...”

“I am Adalberto de Franangelo!” shouted Adalberto in depesperation and hope that someone in this room of idiots would listen to him.

“Yes, yes, Berti was it...”

Adalberto dropped to his knees wheezing and coughing into his handkichief, “I am Adalberto de Franangelo...” he kept repeating to no one but himself.  Sir Garfield came over and clapped him on the shoulder sympathically and whispered in his ear.

“Don’t fret old boy, yes they are mad as hatters.  Try not to let it get to you.  I know your name, that’s all you need to know Adalberto.  Just ignore them, it helps, otherwise you will go mad.”

“Why are these papers all on the floor for?  I’m not paying you for a sedimentary filing system am I?”

At this Ackerley picked up one of the pages and peered at it.  He then did a double take, clutched the page with both hands and paled visibly to all present.

“Good God, I don’t believe it.  After all these years, I may be finally rid of the hag.”

Looking at the other wondering occupants in the room he smiled and said.

“Right, pick up the rest of the pages on the floor and let’s put this manuscript back together.  We have an adventure of epic proportions to conquer and an evil to put to eternal rest.”

Things have been rather unsettled at home these past few weeks.  I'd been involved in a neighbours home invasion and had a knife pulled on me.  My daughters long term relationship broke up and I've had to change all the locks on the house, and a number of other things that prey on your mind when you have to worry about the baser nature of humanity and how they may affect you and your family and home.  Once things have returned to some sort of normality and I can find my sanity (not that there was any there to start with) I'll share some more adventures in due course.  So enjoy the precursor story I had worked on before the unpleasantness hit my life.

Into the Horror of it all!

How did I manage to miss this!???

The Horror Deck for Pulp Alley!

Well have no fear (oh dear a pun), I am here and shall remedy this with an adventure in due course.  Will have a rummage through my monster collection, while I have some Cthulhu games, none of them are any of the newer one with the nice monsters....  might have to mug invite some friends who have the games over.  Sadly I think they may smell a rat though.

So I've printed off my cards, and shall have a muse.

Stay tuned...

Introduction Video - Will it work?

Well here is an introduction video.  Just a test to see if everyone can see it, hear it.

Please leave comments, can you understand me is the all important question I need answered!


Hello Video

Cheers

John

Pulp Alley SOLO AAR - The Lost Idol

It's adventure time again.  With some of the changes with abilities I've made the reluctant decision to "retire" a character, but only for the solo adventures.  Don't fear Jabari will return, he's only being replaced for the moment by the Mother from Hell.  We all have them, God know I had one.

The Temple board that will be this adventures storyboard.

The treasures, yes treasures this time.  Ackerley at the insistence of his Mother, and most notably his wife, has got to replenish the family coffers.  This means a bit of dodgy temple looting, something that Ackerley is some what hesitant to do, but does in a pinch.

The Major Plot.  This ugly, multi-eyed monstrosity is the local tribes forgotten deity.  Long forgotten by the locals it sits forgotten and neglected, passing the years wondering when someone will come worship it again, or some foolish pagan desecrate it's temple.  Oh and it just happens to be made out of solid gold, so not much chance of carrying that off in a hurry.  Thankfully the eyes are exceedingly rare and beautiful jewels that can be easily removed from their soft golden statue.  Beware the curse though....





A Minor Plot.  Thankfully it would appear to be the run of the standard gold, trinkets.... bones?  What can that mean?  Surely nothing dangerous can be lurking in this pile of perfectly harmless treasure?








A Minor Plot.  Lots of scrolls, perhaps a map to a secret treasure trove, a lost sonet, the last will and testament of Auntie May.  That rat may be a problem?  Surely not, there is only one of it, isn't there!

A Minor Plot.  More scrolls?  Honestly was this place a temple or a library?  We came here to find loot, hard currency.  Oh well, it's sure to be worth something to someone.  Maybe the skull might have some answers?  Actually?  Why is there a skull lying here by the way?







A Minor Plot.  Ah, some hard currency that is easily convertible!  It's a bit blurry, surely it's not an illusion?  A trap, did someone shout trap....









Below if you haven't spotted or read elsewhere in my blog are the opponents of Ackerley - The Scientists of The Dean!

Here is the link to the SOLOs, the opponents!

A Storey...

“Ackerley!”

The cry echoed throughout the entire manor, penetrating every room, it woke every inhabitant, startled the unwary, stopped all from what they were doing – all bar one (of course).  It was the voice of doom, the chill timbre of the grave, the weight of ages, the prophet of doom.

Ackerley Wishart continued working on his memoirs in his study, he was immune to that voice.  The slow and steady footsteps came closer to his study, a dragging sound accompanying it.  Oh dear, he thought who had she caught this time?

The door crashed open to reveal the ancient and withered frame of the Dowager Lady Wishart, grasped in her talon like left hand the neck scruff of the unconscious Jabari whom she had clearly dragged some distance with little effort.  

“Hello Mother,” Ackerley said without paying any real attention to her.

“Hello Mother!  Is that all you have to say Ackerley!  Is that all you can say after you left me on that god awful rock in the Northern Hebrides in the middle of winter - with no way back.  Dilbert would never have done that.”

“No mother,” he said looking up and glaring at her “Dilbert would have stabbed you in the back and buried you in an unmarked grave.”

“How dare you speak of him such.  He was such a caring boy, not like you – you spiteful...”

“Mother! Dilbert was a coward, a traitor and has been dead since 1916. Because of him father is dead and I’ve been lumbered with YOU!  Now what have you done to Jabari, put him down and how the hell did you get off that rock?”

“I swam you ungrateful spawn!”

“In the middle of winter! ”  

Ackerley was truly impressed and aghast at this; clearly the old revenant was as immortal as he thought she was.  That bloody Egyptian curse...

“Yes it was brisk and embracing.  The locals thought I was some banshee when I came out of the North Sea and they legged it.  I had a good laugh, more so as I helped myself to the contents of their cottages, seeing you left me no worldly goods.”

Ah yes thought Ackerley, you always were a grasping opportunistic old cow when it came to other people’s property.  It was why you married father after all, poor old blighter he thought, rest in peace.

“Ackerley I won’t beat around the bush with you.  That rock you stranded me on was an old Pict standing and there was a burial mound there.  I of course had a look..”

“You mean you looted it Mother, say what you mean.”

“I had a look Ackerely.  To loot it would mean that there was something there to take, there wasn’t so therefore I did not loot.  However I did find a map and directions to a temple complex which looks very promising.  Lots of glory for you, and money for me and I’m sure your wife will be more than filled with joy to hear that!  By the way how are your finances...”

“Okay Mother, where  is this place then?”

“On one condition, I’m coming and leave this weak kneed chap behind.  Mind you the moths were pretty, were they anything special, I noticed the staff running away when his hat fell off?”

The Game:
The game flowed quickly this time as I was more aquainted with the cards and the quirks of play style.  The Decoy card only came up once, which meant that the game extended only to turn seven this time, phew!
My only criticism I can find at this time is the level of difficulty.  My Leader and Sidekick can face down virtually all the challenges that are thrown at them, and the Major and Minor plots are not of any concern to them at all.  So much so that I am now considering only sending Allies and Followers to attempt Plots for the challenge. I'll play some more games, but there is no "threat" level, especially for the major players.  As I said, still early days, I may be missing something, but I still need to say that the deck is solid and plays well.
Quirk of Fate does not cancel The Storm (that's how I interpreted it).

The temple.  The Dean and Concept X in a good position to size the prize!

Well it was a good position.  The Dean dodges away momentarily due to unwanted attention (and numbers).

Clearly the plots on top of buildings was a good idea.

Dowager Wishart takes out The Dean. Niles is down.

Assistant Fu stuffing his pockets with loot.

Batty hiding, thankfully the Foul Play card came to his rescue! taking care of Plant 101.

The individuals who secured the plots hid and refused to take part in the rest of the game.

Garfield goes down. The Dowager takes on Concept X.

Ackerley legs it, hoping his mother gets it this time!

Reanimate was interesting.  It literally stopped so much hurt on the Dowager and literally saved the day in the combat stakes.  It tied up The Dean and Concept X, otherwise the Major Plot would have been taken in Turn 2/3.
Again I don't know if it was just my luck (which has always been abysmal and is well known and documented) but the tests were low usually 1 or 2 and usually on skills that I could make.  If I didn't I then at least had a recovery test.  I guess having had played against brutal human opponents the "kinder" solo style play is perhaps something I've got to get used to.  I'm not complaining, oh wait I am... oh just ignore me!

Lord Wishart's Adventurers

5vp

The Dean's Scientists

2vp

A Storey ...

Back at base camp Barrington and Eberhard were piling the scrolls and manuscripts carefully into an old military campaign trunk. Both were looking rather sorry with themselves, they had heard that Miss Agenda and Fu and found a fortune in gold and gems. Garfield was tending his and Niles wounds while watching in amusement as Ackerley attempted to brew himself a cup of tea over the camp fire.

“Dash it all, I miss having Jabari about, at least he knew how to brew a decent cuppa!”

A brittle and cold voice cut through the camp, of which a still sparking metal leg also sailed cutting the air, landing squarely in the fire causing a shower of sparks to erupt, and for Ackerley to pace back a step.

“Where are they! Give them to me!”

“Still alive I see Mother, how disappointing.”

“No thanks to you, you ungrateful spawn.  I saw you legging it once you had the gems, now show me them.”

Her eyes had lit up with avarice and greed; it was the Egyptian curse of course.  It was what powered her unnatural life.  Ackerley sighed, much as he hated his mother with a passion, he could not raise a hand to harm her or withhold from her.  However, he didn’t have to give her everything...

“Here you go Mother, your share of the spoils.”

He handed her two of the many gems he had extracted from the idol.  He was still wearing his gloves, even in this heat; he was always prudent when it came to handling artefacts of unknown providence.

The Dowager snatched them from him, eyed them with suspicion, expecting him to have switched them for some common gems.  She then held them up to the sun and watched the light shine through them, then without any hesitation, popped them into her mouth, crunched them, then swallowed.

“That will do for now Ackerley, but you had better do better.  Now let me make the tea dear before you burn yourself.”

Meet the SOLOs

With the release of the Solo Deck and rules for Pulp Alley I've come up with the SOLOs.  Okay they may have originally been designed as a League as can been seen with The Dean but I'm not going to tweak him to fit into Solo mode.  SO without ado here is the bot's!

The Dean
Leader

Brawl	2	d	8
Shoot	2	d	8
Dodge	3	d	10
Might	3	d	10
Finesse	3	d	10
Cunning	3	d	10

Danger Sense: You automatically pass the first peril you encounter each turn.
Deductive: Draw one Fortune card.
Inventor: Before each scenario, when determining Resources, roll your Cunning dice.  You may equip one Gadget or Gear item with a point cost equal or lower than your number of successes.  This roll may not be combined with any other Gear points.

A man before his time they said!  Indeed he was, so much before his time he never got his chance at any time in the job as Dean of Old Weebly College.  This made him bitter, twisted and made him the mad genius he is today... the Mad Genius Before Anyone's Time.  His genius created Concept X, the first mobile analytical device, pity it's as mad as it creator.

Concept X
Sidekick

Brawl	2	d	8
Shoot	3	d	6
Dodge	3	d	6
Might	2	d	8
Finesse	3	d	8
Cunning	2	d	6

Dread Gaze: Action: Target one enemy anywhere on the table and roll an opposed Finesse check.  If you win, the target may not run or shoot this turn.  Otherwise, there is no effect.
Quick-Witted: Once per turn, shift your Might, Finesse or Cunning dice-type down to gain a +2d bonus to that skill.

The Dean lied about Concept X being a true mechanical construct, he's sort of half right.  The core of Concept X is an organic brain which powers the mechanical components of the mechanical man.  Not just any brain but the brain of the man who denied The Dean his post at Old Weebly College.  The process left the individual insane but totally loyal to The Dean, go figure?


Hagar Hagarman
Ally

Brawl	1	d	6
Shoot	2	d	6
Dodge	1	d	6
Might	1	d	6
Finesse	1	d	6
Cunning	2	d	6

Burst Fire: Action: Place 3” burst within 12” and line-of-sight.

Hagar is The Dean's test "subject".  He's always willing to test any new device that The Dean comes up with, especially something that makes lots of noise, makes pretty lights or turns laboratory animals inside out or explode.  Needless to say Hagar is not a very nice man, is best not invited to children birthday parties or asked to walk the family pet.


Assistant Fu
Ally

Brawl	-	d	-
Shoot	1	d	6
Dodge	2	d	6
Might	2	d	6
Finesse	2	d	6
Cunning	2	d	6

Sly: Add +1d to your Dodge and +1d to Finesse.  You have no Brawl skill.

A wily oriental of midget proportions.  Rumoured to be the half brother of Manchu the terrible.  Fu spends most of his time trying to get a date with Miss Agenda but his amorous advances do not seem to be succeeding.

Miss Agenda

Ally

Brawl	1	d	6
Shoot	2	d	6
Dodge	1	d	6
Might	1	d	6
Finesse	2	d	6
Cunning	1	d	6

Daredevil: Once per turn, you receive a +1d bonus when rolling for a Peril.

The devil wears Prada so the saying goes and perhaps Miss Agenda does as well.  Not averse to controversy, constantly fending off the amorous advances of Fu, she has an Agenda that only she knows, but just what is it?

Plant 101

Follower

Brawl	2	d	6
Shoot	1	d	6
Dodge	2	d	6
Might	1	d	6
Finesse	1	d	6
Cunning	1	d	6

Animal: Add+1d to two of your skills. You have no Shoot skill.

An unusual plant that The Dean brought back from one of his expeditions to South America.  To his extreme surprise, his cleaner one day came up to him, plant in hand and started to talk to him.  At first he thought it was just the damn impertinence of the cleaner, but then it became clear that it was the plant doing the talking.  It had managed to send it's root system through the skin of the woman, mesh with the nervous system and eventually meld with the brain stem.  The cleaners boyfriend Roger Corman had been asking about her welfare lately, he'd have to have a word with him. After all who'd believe a story of talking plants...

So there we have it, who can spot a bit of culture?  Next up another adventure.

Pulp Alley SOLO AAR - Dinosaur what?

Yesterday (as of writing this being the 12th August) saw the PDF release of the SOLO deck for Pulp Alley and I was as quick as quick can be to order and download it.  Had to wait impatiently for the vagaries of the time differential of shifting continents, but when I woke up this morning (Australian time) there it was.  I printed the single page for the solo rules, scratched my head a bit at the wording, but thought, lets play it first.  Printed, cut and stuck them into my card sleeves (thanks to all those excess CCGs I played years ago, you have a purpose now as backing cards).  So will I misinterpret the authors intent for these rules, most likely, I don't know if it's my English heritage, my background in procedural writing, editing or just old age, most likely the later now, just too senile.

Soooooo, Lord Ackerley is back to Africa this time in search of dinosaur droppings.  Against him is the nefarious League of The Dean who has plans on cloning said dinosaurs for a futurist theme park, I'm sure that will end well!

A Storey....

Phillby the butler grimaced with distaste as young Woodrow ordered around the servants.  Directing them to make room for his latest acquisition to be placed on display.  The dead creatures bones had been painstakingly wired together and after being shipped and assembled in the South Conservatory measured 26 feet long and 16 feet high, it had just squeezed in with some minor adjustments.  Master Woodrow had called the skeleton an Iguanodon, all Phillby hoped was that they weren't carnivores and that they were most definitely extinct.

"Mummsy," Woodrow shouted boisterously to his mother, "come look at my newest dinosaur!"

It was in fact his only dinosaur but lets not burst young Woodrows bubble just yet.  Lady Wishart though, knew better than to give in to her obnoxious child and continued to ignore him.  She had hoped that sending him to America to live with her parents might have sorted out his flights of fancies like those which afflicted his father.  Sadly they just seem to have stoked them to even higher realms of fantasy.  Those bone diggers in the Badlands and this dinosaur craze was sending the world into dithers and his son was amongst them.  At least her husband hadn't fallen prey to chasing bones, he preferred reality, even if he was not always residing in it.

"Oh come on mummsy, pleasseee.  I paid a damn fortune for this one."

At those words, Lady Wisharts head snapped up.  She watched the family fortune like a hawk, and Woodrow's cry of having spent a fortune, her fortune, on a pile of useless bones, got her up and moving with murderous intent towards her son.

"What have you spent this time Woodrow!"

Woodrow quailed at his mothers ire and shrank back in fear.  Thankfully at this time the Conservatory doors were throw open with an almighty crash admitting Ackerley and his small group of chums.  They came to an abrupt halt as the following unfolded.  First they saw the giant skeleton, ooooh!  Then they saw a very frightened Woodrow, ahhhh! Then they saw the furious Lady Wishart, ah crap!

"Ackerley!" yelled Lady Wishart at the startled man.

"Ah, yes dear?"

"Do you know what this dead beat son of yours has done?  He has apparently spent a fortune on this," at which she pointed to the pile of bones.

"A fortune you say? Well I'm sure there's another fortune laying around somewhere handy, not to worry dear.  I was just saying the other..."

"Ackerley, there are no more fortunes to be had.  Your sons spending habits and your continual adventuring is wearing down my fortunes daily.  Very soon there will only be the family name left!  If Woodrow had actually brought a live beast home it would have made us the toast of society and opened a few more bank books, at the least it would have fed the hounds for the season."

"Well, strange you should mention that dear, there is a hidden valley that only I know off that's hush hush you know.  I suppose I could go there and bring back a beastie if that would spare the old bank balance and put you back in the good book with us again? What!"

The Lost Valley set up.

The Solo decks set up and ready to play.  One page rules and 40 card Fortune Deck ready to go!

The above is how I handled the "you must draw and immediately play one Solo card for each of the first three characters that activate each turn." I interpreted this as best I could and made the decision that from my people I choose three people who would be activated. I then drew three Fortune Cards face down.  To be activated one at a time in order of drawing.  I would turn over the first and see what the card said, I would decide which of the three brave adventurers would have the encounter.  I then completed that characters activation before turning the second Solo card over.  I would then give it to one of the other two deserving characters, thus the last card would always go the the last man without a choice.  This is how I looked at interpreting the Solo rules.  It appears to have worked.

Ackerley and Garfield and stuck on the first turn with a bum rush!

So in a normal game of Pulp Alley we would normal not place our models on the table.  They coming on anywhere when our activation comes to be. A dilemma came with the Solo cards and with the knowledge that perhaps in hindsight I should have set the models on the table edge to start with.  Will remember that in future games.  As for the first turn Ackerley got Held In Place so I just picked a spot and put him there.  Garfield got Foul Play, again not on board, so I had to wing it.

The Dean and his sidekick Project X.  Hagar at the back spent 2 turns immobilised.

The scientific team!  Miss Agenda was brilliant until the end when she got Furious!

Right Jabari when I shoot this thing in the arse you grab the eggs!

A steady cup of tea!  Don't mind the carnivore it's really a pussy cat.

Apparently tea drinkers are the only ones who can remain standing!

The Dean takes care of Jabari who only remembers that Swarm doesn't work in Solo.
Ackerley hides behind Garfield.  Hargar after sprinting to the front goes down for the count.

Niles and Miss Agenda trade what appear to be more than affection!

The Dean takes out Garfield, Project X advances on Batty!

Just when Miss Agenda thinks she can escape with two Minor Plots she becomes Furious and engages Niles.
Both go down and fail to recover.

OK I won't bore you with the blow by blow turn by turn description, though I did keep the records.  I'll just make a note of a few things that did happen.

Turn 1
I had the Scientists go first.  The third Solo card was Surprise Twist which ended the Scientist activation (but allowed them to finish the other three members after Ackerleys lads had done).
Ackerleys Adventurers had Foul Play which was played on Project X who passed with flying colours.
Now Hagar (on the Scientists) had the Surprise Twist which ended his activation, again not on table, so just chose a starting position and placed him there.

Turn 2
Ackerleys Adventurers had The Calm! first of!  So no running, no rushing, attacking, Shooting or Brawling, all Characters.  This was I assumed only applied to my characters and not the bots.
Niles had Hesitation.
Then Garfield had Quirk of Fate which stripped all the Solo cards off the table.  Effects all gone.
Eberhard shoots Assistant Fu, Fu goes down.

Miss Agenda attempts minor plot succeeds (Free Pass) (+1 Contact +1 Gear)

Recovery:
Assistant Fu - Fails

Turn 3
Ackerley gets Double Down on Plant 101 - Plant 101 goes down.

The Dean shoots Ackerley - Ackerley drops to D8
Project X shoots Ackerley - Ackerley drops to D6
Hagars gets +3" sprint

Miss Agenda attempts minot plot succeeds (+1 Contact)

Recovery:
Plant 101 - Fails
Ackerley Recovers D8

Turn 4
Garfield - minor plot passes (+1 Tip)
Jabari fails perilous terrain.

The Dean - Decoy, passes +1 Turn, now playing to Turn 7. Shoots Eberhard, down.
Project X, shoots Ackerley, drops D6
Hagar, Surprise Twist! End of activation.

Recovery:
Eberhard - Fails
Ackerley Recovers D8
Jabari Recovers

Turn 5
The Adventurers activated first and the first card drawn was The Storm.  Each character drew and played in turn.
Garfield shoots Hagar. Hagar goes down.
With the last card drawn a Surprise Twist ending activation.

The Dean brawled Jabari who forgot his Swarm didn't work. Jabari down
Project X shoots Garfield. Garfield D6.

Recovery:
Jabari - Fails
Hagar - Fails
Garfield - D6
Ackerley D10

Turn 6
Ackerley runs away!
Garfield plays Foul Play on The Dean - no effect!!!  Shoots The Dean - no effect!!!!
Batty succeeds at minor plot (+1 Backup)

The Dean - Quirk of Fate.  Brawls Garfield who goes down, drops plot.

Recovery:
Garfield - Fails

Turn 7
Ackerley - Decoy - passes +1 turn, now onto turn 8???
Batty shoots Project X, wounds D6
Niles - Hesitation

Miss Agenda - Furious.  Fails and rushes Niles. Brawls Niles, both down.

Recovery
Project X - D6
Miss Agenda - Fails
Niles - Fails

Turn 8
Ackerley - Double Down on The Dean, passes.

The Dean - Foul Play on Batty who goes down, drops the minor plot.
Project X - succeeds at minor plot that was dropped.

Recovery:
Batty Recovers

Lord Wishart's Adventurers

Major Plot + 3vp

The Dean's Scientists

Minor Plots +1vp

Post Game Thoughts:
Decoy.  The game dragged on for another two turns more than I had wanted to.  I could have not honoured the extra turns and ignored it but I played it.  Don't really know how I felt about this card in the end.  I'll have to play a few more game before coming to a conclusion.
Furious was a surprise, the fact that it was played on Miss Agenda who just happened to be hold two Minor Plots was a brutal outcome.  Had she not had this happen then the result would have been more in the Scientist favour.
Everything else seemed to make sense.  Though of course I've only played one game.  Will have another crack this weekend and see how I go without the family pressuring me to take them places.

A Storey...

The sweat trickled down his nose and plopped into his now empty tea cup with a plink.  Damn thought Ackerley, where was Jabari when you needed him, he and the others should have made it back to base camp hours ago.  In reality it was but a scant few minutes since he had fled the valley with the dinosaur egg safely tucked into his haversack. The sounds of angry pursuits appear to have died down.

A crack of brush to his rear had him twist round and raise his sidearm ready to fire, but he lowered it when he saw Jabari carrying Garfield over his shoulder.  Behind them came Niles and Batty with a makeshift stretcher with a figure of Eberhard lying deathly still as it swaying to and fro.

Suddenly Ackerley didn't feel so chipper anymore, he looked at himself and realised that he was bleeding.  When did he bleed, he'd never bled before, it was always a lark and adventure, no one got hurt.  Looking at his friends he felt an emotion he was unfamiliar with, was this what they called anger?

Jabari had laid Garfield up against a tree and was rooting through his bag for the medical supplies to treat the wounds of all concerned.  Batty and Niles had put Eberhard down nearby and had slumped in exhaustion and they would later say defeat.

"Ackers I think we need to up our game old boy, we were clearly out played this time," Niles whispered wearily. "I'm not saying we aren't good, damn it - just - how long have we been at this now, and what have we to show for all the hard work?"

"I know Niles, it seems our little adventures entertain the masses but in the real world we bleed and hurt and no one cares for the loss and hurt we suffer.  As long as they are entertained by our daring do, what do they care if Eberhard here loses an eye, or Garfield his hearing or that my family fortune is lost pursing adventure.  The world is a fickle place Niles, and we my friend are the last of our kind, for us the sun will never set on the Empire, when we go so to will the memories and places that once fired the imagination of a generation."

In the distance the roar of a mighty prehistoric predator could be heard, the sounds slowly getting closer of crashing timbers and underbrush as something massive was moving in their direction...