Here is a brief summary of this month's Astounding Pulp Adventure session. For link to previous summaries, click here: TMP link
Rugged Archeologist, James Farrier Greystoke— aka "jungle jim", had been dragged from the rubble of berlin by a spunky American female reporter and a near-sighted Spanish delivery truck driver. While he didn't believe her zany story about scaly fish demons or gargantuan Octopus monsters, he did think she had nice legs, so he let her hang around. He had managed to translate some inscriptions on the Olmec heads on display at the Berlin museum, thus enabling him to pinpoint the location of an as-yet undiscovered Mayan-syle temple deep within the heart of the Belgian Congo. En route to Africa, they realised they were being followed by German soldiers (agents of the Kaiser). Jim thought they were working for rival archeologists. Evelyn (the reporter) thought they must be after her photographic proof of what really had happened during the devastation of Berlin. The delivery truck driver believed that he was still in Toledo, and might be able to make his 3:00 drop off. Once the group arrived in Africa, they hired some native guides and porters, and set off to discover the temple.
Meanwhile, self-styled demagog and religous cult leader, Victor Erique Fernando Pantera (previously a Mexican chiroproactor) was approached at his Yuccatan nation-state by representatives of an obscure and secret tribe of jungle dwellling "chico-chico's". They explained to Pantera, who dressed in full Aztec attire, that archeologists had been discovering Olmec-heads across the globe, at sites which pre-dated the oldest finds of ancient Egypt. Even now, a vast Mayan temple was about to be discovered in the deep forest of Africa. Now Pantera, "The Jaguar King," already claimed descent from both the Merovingian kings of France, and Moctezuma, last king of the Aztecs. Therefore, he fancied himself heir to Christ (thought the Templars), heir to Quetzlcuotl (who might just be Christ's coming to Central America), and King of France and Mexico. If he could secure this temple before the archeologists found it, he might be able to prove that the Mayans had once concquered the world, and that he should rightfully rule the entire globe!
In addition to being followed by Germans, Jungle Jim's group was also being tailed by a mad scientist (Dr. Phibes), his hunchbacked minion, a couple of hired thugs, and Pibes's reanimated monster. Apparently Phibes believed (erroneously) that the ancient cultures which had constructed these artifacts had possessed knowledge which would prove useful in his own experiments with bringing dead tissue back to life.
The area in which the Temple was located happened to be very close to top secret breeding grounds where the ex-patriated Belgian government was developing secret weapons for throwing the Kaiser's forces out of the Belgian homeland. Leopold III, was not at all happy to have a troop of German soldiers snooping around in his jungles, so set one of his trusted "Action Squads" to waylay them.
The Belgians, however, did not know about the existance of the temple itself. All of their attempts at exploring the area had been thwarted by Kazar— Lord of of the Jungle, a tarzan-esque figure who protected the wildlife of the area from civilized intrusion.
Throw in a Mayan Temple, a tapbletop entirely filled with dense jungle terrain, and a crocodile infested river or two, and you have the makings of spledid little adventure session…
After several hours of exciting action, the net result at the end is as follows: Jungle Jim and a handful of surviving natives barreling out of the jungle with an Olmec head in the back of a Spanish delivery truck. Adam (the monstrous creation of the mad scientist) lovingly carrying the slain bodies of his master and the hunchback back to the laboritory for a quick dip in reanimation fluid. Betrayal by the Chico-Chico's, who had secretly needed someone to cart off the Olmec head in the first place. The Jaguar King's submission to an ancient serpent god, who had been held prisoner for thousands of years by the power of Olmec head. Finally, Evelyn the spunky reporter is left abandoned in the jungle, but has managed to get several fantastic photographs of wierd and supernatural events. Soon her roll of film will be full, and she can get these photos (as well as the shots from Berlin) developed. Perhaps Kazar the ape-man will escort Evelyn back to civilization? Perhaps Leopold III of Belgium will decide to back the Juguar King and his remaining bribed mexican soldiers in his claim for the throne of France (which is currently under the rule of the Kaiser)?
Stay tuned for next month's exciting episode…
goes beyond the straight line.
