Session #15 – Daring Tale #7 – The Twelfth Gate
[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 15th session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play. The narrator is shown in italics.]
In this hair-raising adventure of Tesla’s Power Corp you can follow the exploits of the following heroes:
- Clyde Beatty – Whip crackin’ animal expert with a troubled past.
- Mike Callahan – Tough private-eye with a zest for life.
- Tommy Kelly – Teen thief with a “Robin Hood” complex.
- Miles Ravenwood – Mysterious man-of-means with knowledge in all things arcane.
Explosive Train Ride
As Clyde loads their camels on the a he notices a small patch of rock and hears a squeak. When he investigates he finds an Egyptian ferret who seems to want to challenge him. Clyde feeds the ferret then the two seem to be a pair. Tommy decides that the ferret should be named “Johnny”. After loading the camels the train heads north following the magical pull of the staff.
During the train ride while Tommy is walking the halls he spots a strange little man in a dark colored robe leaving one of the restrooms. The strange thing is that Tommy does not remember the man entering the restroom. He follows the man in the robe to a car where he meets with several large men. After a brief conversation the large men stand and walk towards the train car where the members of Tesla’s Power Corp are riding. Thinking quickly Tommy handcuffs the train doors closed and alerts the rest of the group. After tugging on the locked door the small man returns and unhooks the car with the heroes! As the trains separate he yells that they will soon be dead as when the train slows a bomb that he has placed under it will explode! Tommy climbs under the train and finds that there is in fact a bomb with a device attached to the wheel. Thinking fast the group jumps to the back train and apply the brakes. The back car further separates leaving the middle car with the bomb unoccupied. As the cars slow the middle train explodes sending it careening off the rails! With that the group grabs their camels and decides to continue without the train.
Hidden Temple Tomb
After Clyde and his ferret have skillfully led the group through the desert the group arrives at a small oasis with two obelisks. The obelisks are marked with a symbol or Ra and Apep. After some searching Tommy notices that the bases of the obelisks are rigged so that they can be turned. With that Mike realizes that the symbol of Ra should be faced towards the rising sun. Once both are turned the heroes hear a low rumbling noise. A strange temple entrance rises from out of the sand! After inspecting the group proceeds into the temple.
At the bottom of the stairway is a black sarcophagus with the form of Apep. Intricate murals around the room seem to infer that this room was used to contain Apep’s minions. The lid to the sarcophagus is ajar. When the members of the Corp approach using they feel a foul wind. The wind stirs up dust on the floor to form several mummies that are made of snakes! With that the group jumps into action. Miles cuts loose with lightning bolts. Mike uses the Staff Of Ra to blast the mummies. Clyde takes a deadly strike but manages to tough it out with a belt of booze. After protecting Clyde in a shield of light Mike destroys one of the mummies with a powerful strike from the Staff. The small ferret takes out the smaller snake swarms. After the fight ends the group finds that the sarcophagus contains a stairwell leading down.
Solar Barge Ride Has Bite
This stairwell goes down for quite some time before emerging at an underground river. The river is polluted with black snakes and sludge. Waiting at the doc is an Egyptian solar barge with magical rowers. After paying the mechanical driver the boat starts moving down the river. During the trip they see movement in the water and are attacked by a giant shadow snake! The snake deals a blow but is turned back momentarily when Tommy throws nitroglycerine in it’s mouth. Mike then summons the power of the Staff and brains the snake sending it back into the dark sludge.
The Final Confrontation
At the end of the boat ride the heroes find themselves at a magical temple. Twelve pillars are holding up a majestic domed roof. Eleven of the pillars are covered in black snakes and dead vines. The last pillar glows with a bright white light. In the center of the dome is a block of stone that holds a black staff. The staff is shooting a bolt of purple energy into the white pillar. All around the domed temple stand the minions of Apep. Leading them is a massive snake man with only a tail and no legs. He claims to be the High-Priest Of Apep. Miles detects that he has several spells running. There is also a powerful warrior snake man who claims to the Champion Of Apep. In addition to the two snake men are four devotees armed with swords and shields.
After brief soliloquies a massive melee ensues! The High-Priest lets loose a powerful snake spell that sends most of the heroes reeling. Clyde shakes it off then grabs the black staff with his whip and pulls it out of the stone block. This angers the High-Priest who tells his men to return the staff! With that the rest of the men attack. Tommy ties a rope to the black staff and starts to scamper up a pillar with it. Miles uses the papyrus scroll to cast one of the spells on the High-Priest. The effect is a massive blast of light that sends the High-Priest to the ground barely alive! He orders everyone to fell the foul sorcerer. Miles takes some serious damage but remains standing. Mike smashes the Champion and several devotees with the Staff Of Ra. Realizing what must be done Miles asks Mike to give him the staff so he can place it in the temple altar. Mike hesitates but ends up fighting off the mind influencing power of the staff and hands it to Miles. When Miles places the staff in the alter the room fills with light! The High-Priest is sent reeling through a dark portal that forms at one of the black pillars. The rest of the snakes scream out in pain as the light peels off their scaly skin! The battle has ended with the forces of light being victorious.
Staggering from the temple the group decides the best course of action is to seal it up.
In our next thrilling adventure our heroes explore an island that time forgot. What ancient evil lurks in the shadows waiting to strike! Tune in to this station to find out what awaits the members of Tesla’s Power Corp!
