S1E13 [Calcutta]: Heavy is the Crown

[Max/Jen absent; Tony now playing Oded after Mikael’s death]

Monday, 10 July: Imagine same-day travel from the Congo to New York?! Using that teleportation gate sure did save time and got the injured to a hospital quicker. Unfortunately, with the ‘Sleeping Sickness’ cure still in their possession and NOT returned to Kasongo’s village. But no time to dwell once Paulo announced the newspaper article Tish circled: a museum exhibit in Calcutta soon to display the ‘Cobra Crown’. HER crown! Thus, the rush to enlist Phil Conners to secure ship passage to India. If only they had fuel for those flying spheres they brought back from Iceland. Or had another ‘gate’.

11-20 July: A week sail aboard the ‘Viceroy of India’. Time to heal although the Atlantic storms did little to allow peaceful rest. Mira wanting to practice her ‘throwing’ considering she did cause the death of Mikael. Unfortunately, her throwing was over the railing as she chummed the turbulent seas. Thru the ‘Straits of Gibraltar’ then on to the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea before sailing the shark infested Indian Ocean.

Thursday, 20 July: Finally, the morning sun revealing Calcutta as the tugs pull the steamer alongside the docks. The pier crowded with a throng of people, mostly British citizens enjoying the ‘Jewel of the British Empire’. All eyes straining to find the familiar face of their contact, Oded. His dark skin blending with the local populace, “There he is!” The Persian already having a cab lined up to take all to the Grand Hotel. Luggage piled in leaves little space for passengers; so, Oded stands on the running-board.

Noisy streets almost drowning out all attempts to back-brief Oded on the Congo exploits and the demise of Mikael and the search for Tish’s snake crown possibly here in India. Paulo taking in the sights of the city when he screams out, “Yeah, a crown like THAT one!” All eyes follow his pointing finger at the Englishman dashing from a store-front into the crowded street with a jeweled crown clutched in his bandaged right hand. A satchel in his left. Him looking back over his shoulder at someone chasing him. Thus, not seeing the car that plowed into him, sending him over its hood. His pith-helmet clattering into the street as the crown is launched skyward.

Oded already hopping off the running-board to grab the crown mid-air. Porter jumping out of the stopping cab to check the body. His skull cracked open. The bandage from his right hand missing, revealing a bloody stump for his pinky. And his satchel missing…now in the possession of Porter who jumps back into the cab, “Go. Go, go, go!” And that’s when Paulo makes eye contact with a woman in the crowd, “That’s Rose Meadham, the snake bitch on the Iceland comm screen! She must have been trying to get the crown.”

Cliff offering rupees for the cab-driver’s silence while Mira examines [Appraise] the crown, “Sorry to tell you guys but this is a fake. Maybe a week old.” Which prompts Porter to examine the satchel, “That was one Jonathan Taylor. I’ve got 2 business cards, a tearoom napkin, a hotel key, and a possible room number written on a hotel matchbook.” Oded already directing the cabbie to the Fairlawn Hotel. Paulo tipping the cabbie with British pounds, “Keep the meter running; we’ll be right back. Don’t drive off with our luggage.”

Oded and Paulo settle in the lobby as lookouts while the others casually climb the stairs to what they think is Taylor’s room. Porter listens at the room 217 door, hearing voices: two men and a woman clearly upset, “A waste of time.” Mira stepping forward to knock, “Housekeeping.” Porter too anxious, kicks the door open [Hard].

Revealing Rose Meadham with 2 male cronies. With pistols drawn, Cliff already warning, “Don’t reach for anything. We’re here to talk.” Which draws a smile from the bitch who motions for her minions to stand-down. Mira whispering, “I have a stick of dynamite ready.” Isaac in the doorway with his tommygun ready.

Cliff blusterous and snarling but Rose so calm, “I assume you’re here doing my father’s bidding? So, you found the con-artist in the street. Offered me the crown but then found other buyers. But he and his partner selling fakes. OK, enough from me; what do you have to offer?” But Cliff only spewing more bravado, “You can either help us or I can kill you.” Her smile never cracking. Mira speaking up, “What do you want from us?” Rose explaining, “The enemy of my enemy…father a believer of that lesser god Yig. I know you refused his temple indoctrination. Join me and worship the true god Tsathoggua.”

And that’s when Mira punches the blasphemous bitch. Her smile never cracking as Rose releases her minions…their flesh melting away as they transform into snakemen. Cliff grabbing Mira’s collar, dragging her out of the room. Giving a clear shot for Porter’s shotgun and Isaac’s tommy. Which make quick work killing the minions (while echoing throughout the hotel; Oded and Paulo jump to their feet and bound up the stairs). Meanwhile, Mira clutching her chest in pain (Rose having cast ‘Shrivel’).

Cliff unloads his pistols…the bullets falling spent after impacting her stone-skin [protection spell]. Mira raises both arms to engage with her flame-pistols…Rose matrix-dodges out of the way before striking out at Cliff. Who fights back landing a solid punch. Porter looks for an opening then blasts with his shotgun. Only to impact a door Rose has pulled open to block the shot [Luck save]. Isaac hesitant to shoot with his tommy, “Did we want to capture her?” Cliff adamant, “I’m tired of being singed” as he pulls more holstered pistols and blasts Rose away. Just as Oded and Paulo arrive.

Oded already digging thru a crate finding another Borneo Haftarong (nuc) device, “Thank goodness you didn’t use dynamite. Police will be here any minute. Gather what you can and let’s get.” It now obvious this was Rose’s room, her clothing in the closet. Porter steps around the snake goo to grab a letter from the desk. Sirens hasten their departure. Leaving Rose’s body already changed to a serpent and starting to melt away like the others.

Paulo does his best to patch Mira as they ride to the Grand Hotel to check into individual rooms. Porter recognizes the key fob as he asks the desk clerk, “What room is our associate Mr. Taylor in?” Once again Mira at the door, “Housekeeping.” Clearly the sound of shutters slamming open, “Someone’s escaping!” Cliff thru the door and following out the window and down a fire escape into a crowded marketplace, eyes on target as he closes. Mira following and barely able to catchup. The slowest Porter out the window but stopped at the bottom of the escape. Blocking Isaac who follows. Paulo and Oded recognizing the log- jam, rush out the door and down the stairs into the crowded streets looking for the towering Cliff.

Meanwhile, the escaping brown man dodges thru the market full of snake-charmers, past oncoming cars, into a bistro. Cliff hot-on-his-heels and tackling him. The man obviously frightened and with an Indian accent, “Help! They’re trying to kill me!” Cliff picking him up by the scruff-of-his-neck, “Trust me, if I wanted, you would have been dead long ago. We’re here to save you. Who are you?” Still apprehensive, “I’m….Tulsida Vikmatji. Yes, Jonathan’s associate. That woman said we swindled her; she cut off our pinkies!” Mira arriving to add, “Well what did you expect when you tried to sale that fake crown?!”

Everyone now gathered around as Tulsida explains how he and Jonathan saw the real crown at a Hindu temple and decided to make copies to sell. “We already made copies for those 2 museum curators. About to close the deal when the woman appeared and offered more. It was a rush job to craft the 3^rd imitation. She was smarter than we thought. The real crown? We saw it at the Mansa Devi temple. Yes, the priests will let you in too. Just show respect and take off your shoes.”

Getting late, Isaac, Mira and Oded go for dinner, “I’ll have some vindaloo.” Paulo off to a library to research the temple. Porter offering to escort Tulsida back to his hotel room, “You can never be too careful. That Rose woman is still out there. Let me help you pack and find a new hotel to hide out.” Who knew Porter was so dark as to kill the man once in his room, “One less witness and less hassle.” A quick search reveals another business card…his temple contact, Kiran Kapur.

Except as Porter starts to leave, he hears (before he sees) heavy footsteps up the steps…Caning! He ducks back into the room and out the fire escape just as the front door is smashed in. Close enough to hear swearing as Caning finds his mark dead and thus turns to leave.

Friday, 21 July: They all gather for morning breakfast. Isaac reading the paper, “Rose sure was busy before you killed her, Cliff. Maybe she didn’t know about the real crown at the temple and tried to coerce it out of the curator. Tortured Mr. Kumtekar’s wife. But why kill him and take the kids?”

Another cab ride up the hill to the temple. Oded the first at the doors, pushing them open. The interior walls splattered in blood; dismembered priests mixed with other wounded. Paulo and Mira rush to aid the living [except Paulo’s 00 roll and Mira’s 98 rush 2 of them to an early death]. Oded leaves to find real doctors in the village below. Meanwhile, a few of the gravely injured ask, “Why? Kiran Kapur always worshiped here. So peaceful and content. Yet an hour ago he arrives and attacks us in a rage. He took our centerpiece.”

Sure enough, the vestibule display of the crown empty. Porter tries to use his psychic skill to get a ‘read’ on the display pillow…nothing. But he does hear rustling behind another door. Where he finds a dazed man with dust falling out of his tunic, “She took my face.” And with that, the man crumbles to powder. Paulo understanding, “I found dust on Tish after she’d take a new human form. That must have been the real Kiran. Rose must have took his form in order to enter and steal the crown. But that doesn’t make sense. She was still looking for it when we confronted her and killed her. You saw Caning; I wonder if that was Joshua Meadham who took Kiran’s form?”

But how to track down Caning? “Find the cabbie who drove him to Tulsida’s hotel?” “Call around the hotels and describe Caning. One-of-a-kind.” But Porter offers the best idea, “Maybe Phil Conners arranged their transportation and hotel.” Indeed, a nearby hotel. Another cab-ride. A traffic-jam. A throng of lower cast people flowing into the street, looking up as if in anticipation. They follow the gaze and spy a person scaling the outside of a 3-story building with ease. Paulo excitedly recognizing her, “Hey, that’s Tish.” Then horrific realization who the temple attacker was when he sees her climbing with a crown in hand. 

Realization SHE must have attacked Kumtekar’s family. He dumbly watches her stand atop the building, raise a jeweled crown, and place it upon her head!

And that is when the crowd erupts into chaos. People scrambling to press in toward Tish. Paulo caught in the onrush [DEX 000] about to be trampled. Till Oded picks him up by his beltloop. And just as suddenly, the streets turn into a melding mass of horror. 

Bodies co-mingling into six huge horrific beasts. Sanity onslaught! Cliff (indefinitely insane-Relaxed) calmly walks to the nearest café to order tea and crumpets. Oded (indefinitely insane-Showoff) pulls out his rifle and aims at Tish. Paulo (indefinitely insane-red mist) pulls out his daggers and charges into the fray like a Tasmanian-devil.

Mira dashes to the building trying to climb while Porter enters the building to climb the stairs. Paulo pumps power into his dagger before throwing it at a creature…the blade harmlessly clattering to the streets (unable to penetrate the thick armor). Meanwhile, Oded’s shot plinks off Tish’s armored skin. Cliff getting a little irritated, “Waiter? Where are the waiters and where is my tea?” And that’s when Isaac lets loose with his tommygun on full auto…extreme…all 8 hit, 4 penetrate.

Who knew? Killing one of the beasts set off a chain reaction, detonating all 6 in a huge explosion (1D100 damage). Isaac (76 damage) close enough to be in gun range is blown across the street. Paulo (22 damage) is luckily spared the full blast…other intervening humans take the blast for him. Mira now at the top tries to reason with Tish, “I thought you were on our side?” Tish smells the girl (who had her snake scale removed by the Oklahoma preacher), “You’re not close enough to a snake person to follow me. As for those creatures: they were the guardians of Mu. Thank you for ridding them for me.”

Having reached the top of the stairs, and using Mira’s conversation as distraction, Porter lights 3 sticks of dynamite. Except Tish notices and casts, “Take those with you.” Mesmerized, Porter turns toward the stairs. Oded below and braced, takes aim to shoot the dynamite out of his ally’s hand. Missed. Paulo in a rage with no creature target, spies Tish and begins to climb. Mira using the opportunity to light her own 2 quarter-blocks of C4 she drops before running…into an invisible wall Tish has caste!

Porter just coming to his senses, hears the hissing fuse, and tosses the sticks down the stairs. Thankfully no allies coming up to face the explosion. Paulo finally reaches the top, and levels a laser-staff at his ex-girlfriend [15 points that ignores armor]. Tish now pissed. And pissed even more when Porter returns with a shotgun blast. And that’s when Oded scores a hit, knocking the crown off Tish’s head. While below, Cliff calmly asks (no one around) for lemon for his tea. He seems oblivious to Paulo’s screams above…Tish having cast causing his leg flesh to boil off. A short scream as the Italian faints.

Everything at once: Porter grabbing the crown and the prone Italian, Oded scoring another hit – this time killing Tish, Mira yelling, “Run away! The roof is about to explode!” Whether they jumped or were propelled by the blast is debatable. But they survived. Only to gag from the stench of the walking-dead approaching. Isaac alive from the creature detonation [Luck spend to avoid death], having landed in the bed of a manure truck. Cliff walking up to them, “Can I get some service around here?”

Next session: https://riggle2hs.blogspot.com/2020/05/s1e14-ss-coolidge-somethings-bugging-me.html