Pulp Alley AAR - Mystery of The Mine

Old Gabby has sent word to the Mystery Ranch, hoping that Pa would be able to help. According to the messenger, ol' Gabby had finally found the lost El Dorito mine he had been on about for years. But according to the message, he wasn't the only one who knew where it was. That gap-toothed coot had managed to shoot his mouth off in the local saloon and word had spread through the grapevine, a grapevine that wound its tendrils all the way to the villa of Countess Velasco. The Mystery family would have to skedaddle if they were going to help the old man.

They arrived in time to hear Gabby's grizzled voice echoing through the woods in the foothills. He was spewing an endless assault of colorful language at a group of assailants that retorted and responded in their own colorful Italian cursing. There was a woman's voice among them and it could be none other than the Countess Velasco, international treasure hunter, thief and black marketeer. 

THE SCENARIO

For this game we played a basic Lost Keys scenario. The major plot point was the truck with the minor plot points being Gabby, a crate of treasure already for transport, a stash of treasure hidden by Gabby and the truck's driver that had gotten a case of nerves and had run into the woods to hide. Any one of the minor plot points would be useful in either returning to the scene or proving to the authorities that it existed.

Pa Mystery, his wife and two girls set up in the tree line, ready to see what the Countess and her minions were up to.

The Countess had spread out. While she and Zelda kept close to the mine, Bronzini had spread himself and the two gunmen, Theo and Aldo through the trees, trying to hem in the spooked driver.

Aldo and Theo make a move to try to grab the driver. Figuring guns are more intimidating than the spooky woods and old legends, they close in on either side.

Unfortunately, the driver was not in the mood to cooperate and proved perilous enough to take down the two gunmen. A string of spectacularly romantic curses echoed through the woods as Bronzini watched his men taken out by a bat-wielding mook.

Determined to make up for his men, Bronzini rushes the crate and manages to figure it a way to leverage the big box and its contents.

Countess Velasco, seeing that Bronzini has the crate, move in to secure the truck, taking Zelda with her. But Wild Bess Mystery steps out of the underbrush, brandishing twin pistols. "Not so fast ya' pretty talkin' bandits!"

With a sneer, the Countess squeezed the trigger on her Mauser. the two ladies exchanged a hefty volley of fire but Bess proved to be ill-suited to taking on the likes of the wicked Countess.

With his daughter down and Ma Mystery and his other daughter racing to her aid, Pa decides to make a move to the back of the rocky outcropping, sure that Gabby has himself secreted someplace close to the mine. He trips and stumbles (Unexpected Peril), but still makes it across the clearing.

Ma came out of the trees shooting and takes Zelda out. The gypsy falls next to her countess who narrows her steely eyes.

"Gabby? That you?" Pa Mystery, searched the cracks of the rocks and found the frightened prospector.

"Thank my lucky britches! Yer sure a sight for sore eyes, Marshal!"

"Gabby, you know I don't wear a badge no more, but I'm glad you're doing alright. Now, let's get out of here."

Pa Mystery coaxed the old dude out of the rocks and started to lead him to safety.

Eva Mystery takes a chance, in all the chaos, to try to skirt around through the trees, hoping to get into position to make a move to intercept the driver who had by that time been apprehended by Theo.

Meanwhile, Bronzini had managed to get the crate to the truck and was muscling the hefty package into the back of the truck. 

"I don't know what it is, but it's heavy," growled the brawny blonde mercenary.

"Heavy is always good," chuckled the Countess as she covered the loading of the goods.

Bess had managed to get herself back up and made another push at Bronzini, supported by her Ma, but the heavy fire from his BAR cut through the woods and dropped the cowgirl again. It was no mystery who had the upper hand in that firefight.

Bronzini climbed into the truck and hotwired the engine to a rumbling, sputtering start. Unfortunately, Ma Mystery proved a dead-eye shot and took the Countess down. 

Behind the rocks, Pa Mystery was still trying to figure out how to get Gabby to safety when he heard the truck roar to life. Knowing the quickest route out of the woods was straight ahead of where the truck had been parked, he waited and took his shot as Bronzini rolled into view.

The driver was proving difficult to wrangle and as Theo was trying to catch him again, Eva swept out of the woods, snatching him to safety.

Ma Mystery joined her husband in a last ditch effort to stop Bronzini from escaping with both truck and treasure, but their shots ricocheted off the metal body and got caught up in the overhanging growth.

"Arrivederci cowboys!" 

Bronzini rumbled off into the darkening woods. He'd come back later to recover the Countess and the rest of them.

CONCLUSION

The game was a close one, 4-3. My 10-year old daughter played well and could have one it if she had been able to stop Bronzini who held all my victory points.