IHMN: A Night at the Museum (Episode 5.3)

“How strangely does the adventurous intrude upon the humdrum; for, when it intrudes at all, more often than not its intrusion is sudden and unlooked for. To-day, we may seek for romance and fail to find it: unsought, it lies in wait for us at most prosaic corners of life's highway.”- Special Agent James Dempsey.

 Part of the Smithsonian Museum.

"I have seen a vision, the prophecy is about to be fulfilled. Lo Pan, masked in his plate of gold, bearing the Sphere of Destiny that none but he could ever wield comes back to us. I've seen a vision of countless hordes swarming to recapture the world. I've seen them victorious. I've heard the shouts of the dead and the dying drowned by the victorious cries of our people. Lo Pan comes back! Lo Pan leads the East against the world!"

 "The Sphere of Destiny"

The evil sorcerer Lo Pan has discovered the hiding place of the Sphere of Destiny - it is simply in the Smithsonian Institute on display in Washington, DC. Who can stop this murderous fiend? The men and women of the United States Secret Service!

The USSS moves out, carefully not wanting to knock over the dinosaur displays.

SA Thomas Sawyer and SA  Henrietta (Hetty) Makepeace with her favorite arc pistol.

Left to Right: Agent X, SA Nick Charles and Special Agent in Charge James Dempsey.

Special Agent George Curtis

Lo Pan and his evil minions.

The situation after Turn 1 as both sides jockey for cover.

Hetty covers the display of the "Sphere of Destiny".

A Thunder Warrior with the Mystical power of the Eye of Odin moves quickly to outflank the USSS.

"Hey, the door was not locked."

"Let's get'em boys . . . and, er, Hetty too."

Sawyer and Curtis move in to cover Hetty.

"I can't quite make out the guy with the sword to shoot him (how 'bout that Clouding Men's Minds?)"

"Kill them. But capture the girl with the green eyes."

我会把你切成碎片。

龙之火！

龙的呼吸！

"Hmmm . . . I can see the guy with the sword (Iron Will). I think my hands are stuck in my trenchcoat,"

"Why are my hands stuck in my trench coat?"

The Thunder Warrior engages and now SA Curtis can see him clearly.

The Chinese henchmen discover the other treasure in the office.

Not looking good as the Thunder Warriors attack.

“My way of learning is to heave a wild and unpredictable monkey-wrench into the machinery.”

ZZZAAAPPP! Well, minus one Thunder Warrior.

Dragon Fire knocks down Dempsey . . .

 . . . but he is back on his feet because we almost forgot he can re-roll pluck. Curtis shoots the Thunder Warrior and he rolls a "1" for pluck and then re-rolls - another "1".

Charles takes aim and misses. "Let me show you how it is done," states Agent X.

The last remaining Thunder Warrior puts his sword right through Sawyer.

That was a tough two turns for Lo Pan; he lost 2 of his 3 best.

The last remaining Thunder Warrior advances on Curtis while Agent X backs up his boss.

"Let me introduce you to my little friend!"

Ouch.

Hetty advances from around the stuffed elephant.

ZZZAAAPPP. "I love my arc pistol!"

More Dragon Breath . . .

 . . . and Hetty is down.

"You shot my partner."

Meanwhile one of Lo Pan's henchman drops his treasure to grab the Sphere while the Thunder Warrior continues to fight Curtis.

 Hetty is still down.

SAIC Dempsey blocks Lo Pan from attacking Hetty. Black and white, life and death, good and evil - two sides in a chess game, two forces in the universe - once magnificent, the other sinister. It is said that the devil plays for men's souls; so does Lo Pan, evil incarnate.

Agent X shoots another henchman.

"You are in the United States buster."

"BWAH HAH HAH. That tickled Agent Dempsey.

Hetty recovers.

A legendary encounter between Curtis and the Thunder Warrior while Agent X aims his pistol at the minion with the rifle.

"He's got the Sphere of Destiny!"

Now what do we do?

They have a fire troll.

Agent X guns down the enemy that took out Nick Charles.

MORE DRAGON BREATH.

"Is that all you've got? Never stop fighting till the fight is done."

SA Curtis gives the Thunder Warrior the slip and attempts to stop the theft.

The Fire Troll makes contact with Hetty.

Time to disengage!

"Cute sword you have there.  Mind if I smoke?

Lo Pan engages with his power of Dragon Talons . . .

Knocking Dempsey down.

Curtis guns down the thief and recovers the Sphere.

Whoops.

The Fire Troll moves as fast as it can with the "Sphere of Destiny".

"Do you want some more Agent Dempsey?"

"I am tired of your banter and your cigarette smoke!"

Dempsey attempts to stop the Fire Troll when all of a sudden . . .

ZZZAAAPPP.

"Good shot Agent Makepeace," declares Agent Dempsey.

"You could have hit me!" yells Agent Curtis.

"Boss, I pulled out my reading glasses and she does have green eyes."

"Yes my loyal warrior. But  I think it is time to depart."

 The victors.

Several amazing observations for us in this game:

1. An arc pistol actually worked!  In all of our previous games only two other figures were taken out of a game by an arc pistol.

2. Wow. Lo Pan and his henchmen can sure roll some "1's". It became the running joke as weapons broke, pluck was failed and mystical spells misfired.  It was a good thing too because initially the USSS was out maneuvered early on, the Fire Troll caught them by surprise, and Agent X kept forgetting to move and shoot early in the game.

3. Lo Pan played a great game and almost won, holding back the Fire Troll until he needed it. Unfortunately, the "1's" early on took out two powerful Thunder Warriors which would have made a big difference.  Agent X was a maniac with the die: six "10's" were rolled.

Has the tide turned in the war?  And when will Professor Nightengale be rescued in deepest, darkest, Africa?