¶ Session 1
¶ 📝 Log
¶ Setting the mood:
A bird screeches, there's a rumble of thunder in the distance. A train comes into view and this is where we start.
We all introduce our characters, who are all traveling on the train.
We are in the Gravegate Region heading toward the Blackstar. We've been on this train for 2 weeks.
¶ Before Dinner
Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose, who is the engineer of the train, knocks on Animus's door to get him. He lets him know he's going to get really drunk at dinner so Animus will need to take over driving the train.
Laramie investigates some of the train patrons:
- Room behind Toshi and Laramie
- Dwarf Curt Boulderbeard and half-orc Thrunk Blastmaster Smith from the Smithworks Company
- They're both very rowdy
- generally nice
- Blastmaster is a name that isn't known, but I overheard it
- Dwarf Curt Boulderbeard and half-orc Thrunk Blastmaster Smith from the Smithworks Company
- Room diagonal from Toshi and Laramie
- Woman from the Circle of The Reawakened Barren, Avel, who also goes by Red Willow
- I'm pretty sure she's an assassin because of the weapons she is hiding
- With a man named Albert Periwinkle (White Tiger), but he prefers to go by White Tiger
- He carries a katana
- Wears Kitsune clothes
- Reading a book only written in Kitsune
- He comes across as kind of an asshole
- Weeb
- Member of the Crimsonshore Alliance
- Woman from the Circle of The Reawakened Barren, Avel, who also goes by Red Willow
Layout:
Nathan Gruber and Samantha Bridgewater are in the room next to Toshi and Laramie
¶ Dinner Time
It's dinner time now on the train. We all head to the head of the train, where there is a dining hall. It is the last train car before the Engineer's Quarters
Franchesco Ironmane is an important looking person that is eating with us. He gives us kind of a mafia vibe. He's sitting at a table with Jerrex Rockbeard (Jason)
When Laramie enters the dining hall, with his That's Odd ability, he notices something of interest. Franchesco Ironmane is constantly checking his watch. This is odd because this technology is not readily available. This implies that he must have immense wealth.
A ring is on Albert's finger. It glints in a very weird way. There is an inscription on it:
Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose is really drunk at this point. Magpie (Kit) goes up to him to introduce herself. Meanwhile, Thrunk Blastmaster Smith is "thrunking" the table nearby. Regibold thinks that he recognizes Magpie, asking if she is "Sally". He is really losing his cool, spilling food everywhere. He's eating mashed sweet potato like a widdle baby. The talk about Animus (Chris) as if they aren't even there. There is a lot of weird tension between them. Regibold apparently lives on the train?? He tells Magpie that Animus is his "assistant".
Animus (Chris) takes Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose away to go to beddy bye, when all of a sudden he is poked in the back. When he turns around there is a disheveled harry potter looking person. It's Nathan Gruber of the Gentle Bandits. He asks Animus to stay and not take Regibold away. Animus feels compelled to comply for some reason, so they stay.
Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott) is approached by a woman. It is Samantha Bridgewater of the Gentle Bandits. She leaves a tip for Toshi and asks him to tell her about himself. She doesn't know what a Kitsune is. She asks to touch his tail, Toshi complies, and gets a little "foxy" with it. Toshi asks where she's from, she says she is from Southreach. She says that she works with charities and does good in her community. Toshi asks how the organization funds itself. He doesn't really get a good response.
Suddenly Magpie (Kit) needs to do a will save. Nathan Gruber is talking with Magpie, and is sort of checking in on her. Acting kind.
Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott) feels a sudden tap on his tail. He is suddenly infatuated by Samantha Bridgewater.
¶ The Gentle Bandits Investigate
While everyone is under some kind of spell from failing their will save, Laramie Sarnoff (Luke) asks around about the Ruby. He suggests Albert Periwinkle (White Tiger) has the gem. When they take off his ring, the inscription completes itself, it looks like a kitsune tail with ears. Nathan Gruber looks it over and says that it's a reading ring for reading Kitsune "illustrated books". He then turns to the Smithworks Company people. He tries to turn them each against each other to see if they know anything. This doesn't work, but he finds out that they are also looking for the Ruby of Anarchy
Laramie talks with Delilah, she drops a black box. He successfully asks her about a store that she might have gotten her fine clothes from. He was miraculously correct, and she is eager to talk about it. She clearly appears to be of old money and very noble. She suddenly drops a suspicious black box just as everything in the room goes black.
¶ Lights Out
Everything goes black. Everyone dreams great dreams except for Samara Threnodae (Tom) and Laramie Sarnoff (Luke) who hear screams.
Cut to Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve) and Androzan. They are in the storage area of the train. They hear a woman loudly screaming. Androzan asks if they should make their move, they've been waiting in storage for 2 weeks. They leave their room very stealthily. There is absolute bloodshed outside their door. There are 4 guards dead. There are vines growing from their wounds. They find a pair of keys on a guard's belt. Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve) asks Androzan to pick up the keys. Samara Threnodae (Tom) sees all of this and is terrified. She is currently imprisoned and asks to be let out. Sitka lets Samara out of the cell under the condition that she vouch for him that he didn't cause the bloodshed. Sitka tries to identify the plants coming out of the victims, they suspect it's ivy, but this probably isn't correct. Sitka and Samara are going to try and escape together. They work their way toward the back of the train but they come to a locked door that their key doesn't work on. They start moving forward in the train instead, past the first-class dorms.
They eventually get to the dining room and roll perception. There are bodies everywhere. It doesn't look like the people are dead, but rather just sleeping. Well, except for one person. In the middle of the room is a many-times stabbed Delilah. She is dead. The front door to the engineer's quarters is still locked.
Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve) wakes up Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott). They are happy to see each other. Toshi asks if Sitka killed again. Toshi then reveals that he has a bounty to return Sitka. Sitka asks Toshi to not try and collect his bounty, and he surprisingly agrees. People are starting to wake up now. Samantha Bridgewater is freaking out. Laramie wakes up and inspects the box that Delilah dropped. It is empty now. [[Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose]] wakes up and insists that he didn't drink one bit in case anyone asks. He is afraid of getting in trouble for what has happened. Laramie furiously takes notes, which looks a little suspicious. Panic starts, so Laramie casts No cause for alarm to calm everyone down. It succeeds.
[[Laramie Sarnoff (Luke)]] comes to a realization. [[Curt Boulderbeard]] and [[Thrunk Blastmaster Smith]] are acting very jittery. [[Avel]] and [[Albert Periwinkle -White Tiger-]] are looking mean and looking like they're ready to fight. He then remembers that they were also looking for the ruby. [[Thrunk Blastmaster Smith]] puts on some metal fists suddenly. He announces that he is going to his room and will kill anyone that enters.
[[Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott)]] questions [[Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve)]] and [[Samara Threnodae (Tom)]] to figure out where they came from. Sitka recounts what happened.
[[Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose]] breaks glass for emergency, and pulls out NDA forms. [[Animus (Chris)]] and him try to get people to sign them.
[[Jerrex Rockbeard (Jason)]] calls for [[Pebble]] and he comes running to his side from their room.
[[Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott)]], [[Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve)]], [[Laramie Sarnoff (Luke)]], and [[Samara Threnodae (Tom)]] work their way back to where the guards died. When they get to the vines that are around the guards, they determine that they are [[Assassin Vines]]. [[That's Odd]] is triggered. There is a cell door in front of us that is open and unlocked. [[Samara Threnodae (Tom)]] explains why she was in the cell. I notice that she has a sigil of Magnus, meaning that she shouldn't lie (if it's real). Through [[Pointed Question]], [[Samara Threnodae (Tom)]] reveals her backstory.
[[Samara Threnodae (Tom)]] notices that all the stab wounds are from behind. The vines are erupting OUT of the cuts on their bodies.
There is a loud banging on the door of the engineer's cabin. [[Exia]] peers out and beeps at [[Animus (Chris)]]. They pass a rock back and forth for seemingly no reason. [[Regiboldeustorgust Blatenoose]] regrets drinking, before suggesting that they wrap up [[Delilah]] with a tarp and throw her off the side of the train. They loot the body. [[Animus (Chris)]] then wraps up the body of Delilah in the tarp in a totally normal way, like a burrito. They then wrap up the bodies of the guards and put them in the corpse room.
![[IMG_3670.jpg]]
Suddenly, the train bell rings. Breakfast is about to be served.
When [[Laramie Sarnoff (Luke)]] walks by the [[Gentle Bandits]]' room they whisper to him to come in quickly. They are freaking out. Laramie recounts the night's events from his notes. He then goes back to the dining area.
Back in the dining area, [[Magpie (Kit)]] is there eating by herself. [[Jerrex Rockbeard (Jason)]] is also there sitting silently. Magpie and Jerrex become friends over food.
[[Magpie (Kit)]] lets it slip that she is roommates with [[Delilah]]. Laramie questions her on this. It doesn't go very well. Magpie clearly wasn't paying attention to what her roommate was doing these last 2 weeks. She didn't even really know her name. Not until Laramie referred to her as "corpse" of course.
[[Animus (Chris)]] is with the dead bodies, trying to wrap them up when the waitstaff show up. The are currently blocked from entering the room. Animus needs to wrap the bodies quickly. Animus then yeets the bodies of two guards out of the door to the train car he is on. He then hides the remaining bodies (Delilah included). He succeeds just as the waitstaff walk by.
They do a musical number in a Disney musical style. It's really awkward considering what has just happened.
[[Sitka Ridgerunner (Steve)]] is going to audition to be percussion for [[Toshiro Mitsunara (Scott)]]'s act. He does surprisingly well.
It's now breakfast time, it smells like bacon.
¶ Laramie's Summary
It's a dark and stormy night. The kind of night that makes you think of dark times. Or maybe it's just foreshadowing of what's to come.
I find myself on a train. Riding through the storm with the rain going pat pat pat on the window. Except that might not be a storm outside. And this is no normal train.
music stops
It's a lightning train 🎺
Well, well, well, looks like I've got company in my humble abode. I'm sharing a room with a real foxy individual. He's a musician, and he's got some talent. He's got these pointy ears and a bushy tail, like some kind of creature out of a fairy tale. Name's Toshi. I'm not sure what to make of it, but he seems harmless enough.
I spotted a couple of burly lookin' fellas who are staying in the room next to me. One is a dwarf named Curt Boulderbeard, the other is a half-orc named Thrunk Smith. I found out they're from the Smithworks Company. They're the kind of guys you wouldn't want to mess with if you catch my drift.
Next room over is an odd pair. First, a lady who goes by the name White Tiger. Real name Avel. From the Circle of The Reawakened Barren. shing shing shing goes her blade, which she sharpens regularly.
music stops
Watch out!🎺 She might be an assassin.
Also in the lady's room is a man named Albert Periwinkle. And I do mean a man. He sports a tail much like my roommate, but this one is clearly fake. From what I gather he's a member of the Cromsonshore Alliance.
My traveling party. One man. One Woman. Nathan Gruber. Samantha Bridgewater. Respectively. I'm keeping my eyes on them.
Music stops
Squawk!🎺
Bong Bong Bong goes the dinner bell. The patrons make their way toward the front of the train. To the dining hall. But not too far! There's a locked door.
Across the room, I see a powerful figure sitting with his back to the wall, surveying the scene with a watchful eye. Franchesco Ironmane is his name, and he's a dwarf who commands respect. You can tell he's got connections, the way people are deferring to him left and right. He's got a thick beard, and there's a glint in his eye that tells you he's not to be trifled with. He's wearing a tailored suit that looks like it cost more than my rent, and he's sipping on a glass of whiskey like he's the king of the world. Tick Tick Tick goes his pocket watch. That's some tech I ain't seen where I'm from. I wouldn't want to cross him, that's for sure.
At the dinner, things got interesting when a liquored-up Regibold stumbled into the scene. He's the engineer of this joint. Keeps the wheels rolling. With the help of his automaton assistant. Their name's Animus. Weird pair.
Wah Wah Wah! goes Regibold. Like a wee babe that one when he's drunk.
Time to make our move. The crew and I make our rounds.
Albert Periwinkle? The kid doesn't have the stuff. He couldn't be carrying the Ruby of Anarchy.
Smithworks brothers? Well, they let slip that they're also looking for the Ruby. A surprise to be sure.
Then I turn and there's someone I haven't made the acquaintance of yet. A pretty looking broad named Delilah. I hit her with the usual charm. She's spilling her secrets in no time. All of a sudden she drops a black box and then...
Music stops
Wham!🎺 Thud!🎺 Agh!🎺
Darkness.
music starts
Next thing I know I'm waking up off the floor. Was it that good of a party?
Shame. the broad is dead. Even worse, the box is gone.