Session #11 – Daring Tale #6 – The Palladium Peril
[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 11th 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:
- Johnny Kelly – Self-taught mechanic and chemist who knows he is the best at what he does…just ask him!
- 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.
Fencing Master
After questioning the blond mage, Kaspar Manlich, the heroes learn that the he has been ordered by his commander in Germany, Heinrich Kempler, to silence Agent Forsythe and to capture Professor Blumenthal. Blumenthal is known by Miles. He is an Oxford professor who specializes in Greek Classics. Professor Blumenthal’s recent research is around the myths and legends surrounding Troy. After depositing Herr Manlich in a garbage bin the group drives to Oxford to find the professor.
As it is night they decide to break into the professor’s Oxford office to look for clues. When Johnny and Tommy go around behind the building they are surprised to find a ladder going up to Professor Blumenthal’s office! The light also appears to be on and they can hear movement inside. Tommy climbs up carefully then pushes away the ladder to Johnny. Inside Tommy sees three men. They appear to be going through books on a shelf and putting certain ones into a duffle bag. When Mike and Miles approach the office door they also hear noise inside. Mike bashes in the door with Colts at the ready. When one of the men reaches for a pistol on the desk he opens fire putting him down quickly! The others immediately surrender. One of the two men is an English thug and the other is a German agent who says his name is Alexander Kohn. Alexander seems like the smart one in the bunch and only admits to being told to collect any books that looked “important”. After Miles uses his lightning to impress upon the English thug that he means business the man opens up. He tells the heroes that they are being ordered by an English bloke as some posh fencing club. After searching the body the group finds a pair of white leather fencing gloves with the initials “PMC”. Miles knows of an organization called The Pheasant Men’s Club. In the file cabinet Tommy finds a silver knife that the group knows are weapons of the Knights Templar. Professor Blumenthal must be a member!
With that the group investigates the men’s club. The Pheasant Men’s Club is less of a gym and more of a private mansion. It is down a secluded dirt road out of town. The mansion grounds are surrounded by a large black iron fence. When the members of Tesla’s Power Corp arrive they see two men standing near a car talking with another man who is at the door to the mansion. The man at the door is wearing an English hunting outfit and the other two men are wearing black trench coats and look like thugs. Miles openly approaches and tells the Englishman that he is a member and would like to enter. The man says that he knows all of the members and asks him to leave. When Miles says that he will not leave the man in the hunting outfit orders the two thugs to escort Miles off the grounds. When the men approach Miles the rest of the Corp members subdue them and place them in the trunk of the sedans. With that Miles enters the house with Mike at his heels with guns drawn.
Near the back of the house they find the man in the hunting outfit with several fencing students. The man who now appears to be their instructor again asks that they leave. While Miles and Mike are in a standoff the rest of the group searches the house. Tommy finds a safe and a suitcase in one room. The safe holds some English pounds and a medal in a case. The medal is some type of German military honor. With the medal is a picture of the Englishman with Adolf Hitler and some bald man. Tommy takes the medal and defaces the picture. He also takes the suitcase for investigation at a later time. Once Tommy and Johnny are done the Englishman boasts that they are too late and that Blumenthal will be on a train for the coast within the hour.
Train Rescue
The heroes arrive at the train station only 20 minutes or so before it is to depart. Tommy acts quickly and bribes some of the local help to let him take their place. Using this disguise he gets admittance to a baggage car where he finds a large crate and two men in black coats that are speaking in German. Miles buys the group tickets on the train then takes the cabin next to two other men who appear to be with the two men in the baggage car. After the train starts moving the group puts a plan into action. Tommy with fake blood on his face and neck staggers into the car getting their attention. This allows Johnny to let loose with tar gas pellets! After jamming the door to the other first class cabin, Miles and Mike then enter the fray in the baggage car. Mike bulls his way into the scene sending men flying backward with broken noses and teeth! After the thugs in the baggage car are down Tommy returns to the first class cabin and starts to break in. The men jump out the window leaving the train.
After freeing Professor Blumenthal from the crate and gaining his trust they are informed that he was captured by that fencing bloke named Steiner. Steiner has learned that the Professor is on the trail of the famed Palladium. The Palladium is said to have the power to lead any army to victory. Apparently the Nazi party thinks that they can use it to rule the world! The Professor tells them that he has tracked the Palladium to the Pantheon in Rome.
Roman Holiday
After a flight to Rome and a taxi to the Pantheon the group finds a secret compartment under a statue of Athena. Using some street smarts Tommy hires a local cleaning company to work on the statue. After the company removes the statue they leave a tarp covering the work area. Secretly the group examines the plinth. Inside they find a small stone box that Miles says is magic. When he opens the box he finds a scroll and small glass shard. The scroll is from an ancient scholar who mentions bringing the crystal to the Coliseum at midday. As it is almost noon the group races to the Coliseum.
When Miles raises the crystal to the sky a beam of light emerges that hits a spot on the wall. At that point the fencing instructor, Steiner, emerges from one of the entrances. He beckons the heroes to drop their firearms and to fight as “gentlemen”. When lions and Nazi soldiers with submachine guns appear the group decides to open fire. Tommy jumps up the side wall while Johnny lets loose smoke pellets. Miles uses a statue that he found in the suitcase to order the lions to attack Steiner then the Nazi soldiers. Mike rushes forward opening up on the men in a flurry or gunfire and flying fists! Professor Blumenthal takes a bullet but manages to heal himself with a spell! As the lions leave the arena chasing the Nazi soldiers there is a voice calling from the upper box…it is Kempler! After raising his fist the Coliseum fills with Nazi soldiers. It appears that Kemper has the heroes as prisoners and has whatever is at the end of that beam of light! What will our valiant team do now!?!
Can the stalwart members of Tesla’s Power Corp manage to escape the clutches of Sturmbahnfuhrer Kempler?!? If so to what exotic cities will their search for the Palladium take them!?! Stay tuned and find out!!!
