Calling All Adventurers: S2 E1 - Crazy Train

S2 Episode 1: Crazy Train

While experiencing the Host’s first train journey, things quickly take a turn as unexpected visitors complicate the day's events.

CONTENT WARNING:

Violent scenes

Intro & News

Calling All Adventurers, I repeat, Calling All Adventurers.

Renovations complete, the Tower is active once again.

A lot has happened over the time we were away. We hope to not be out of commission like that again for a while.

We've got a few jobs available for those interested.

URGENT: SCRIBE FAMILIAR WITH DANGEROUS SCROLLS REQUESTED

Ashenford Archives have a troublesome scroll on their hands. Its contents need to be copied into a less angry parchment as this one has a tendency to emit flame, hiss, and has, on one occasion, bitten someone. Hazard pay included.

Next,

HIRELING REQUIRED TO CARRY ENCHANTED SWORD

A man from Whisperwick has purchased an enchanted weapon from an auction held in the village over, and needs it transported to his home. Two of the last wielders laid down and cried until the sword was removed, but unfortunately one managed to walk into the sea before anyone could stop him. The client would carry the sword themselves, but claims he just "doesn't want to have to deal with all that."

In the news,

LOCAL MAN NAMED HEAD OF MAGES GUILD AFTER ONLY CASTING ONE SPELL.

A mercenary named Kellin Markos, appeared outside, seeking entry to Asera's Academy Arcanum last week. When asked to cast a spell to prove his capabilities, he did so and was permitted entrance. Once inside, he completed a handful of guild quests despite not casting another spell since his induction. When reached for comment, Mr Markos stated that he's "more of a stealth archer" but that hasn't slowed his meteoric rise to Archmage. We at the Tower bid you a long and eventful tenure as Archmage, Kellin.

That's all jobs and news, I suppose it's about time we continue with the story.

Goodness it's been a while, does anyone remember where we left off?

Ah, that's right.

Our return from the Shallowlands.

Let's continue on the journey!

Story Start

After our short stay at the Shallowlands Research Station, Valuin and I returned through Varfell Forest in relative peace, passing across the hazel borderline and back into endless waves of verdant hills.

We'd arrived in the market town of Pelsted the night before. We rested at a local inn and decided to continue the journey without further delay the following morning.

I remember standing in the Pelsted train station, a small 5 by 10 meter wooden room. I had finished writing a letter to send back home. It was the first letter of my journey, if I'm to be honest.

It certainly wasn't that I didn't miss my family. But rather, I was always too focused on where I was to dwell on it too much. Last thing anyone would want is me missing anything because I was stressing about being away.

I told Val I'd check in with my mother about my father. So, I snuck in a question in the middle of pleasantries and updates.

Finishing up the address on the envelope, I placed the letter onto the ticket masters desk through the gap in her brass framed window. A uniformed woman of middling height and age smiled warmly as she took the letter.

Host: "First class, please."

Ticket Master: "Right away. That'll be one silver drake."

Host: "No problem. Ah, can you break a gold?"

Ticket Master: "If you're good with change?"

Host: "Yeah, no worries."

The ticket master went about processing the letter as I leant against the wall beside the booth. There was a map of Elarial pinned on a board, marked with train lines spanning its X and Y axes. I caught the train rolling into the station; a huge black iron engine dragged several carriages past the window by the map, and slowly ground to a halt.

A door opened across the room. I turned my head to see Val enter clutching a paper bag filled with recent purchases.

Val: "Hey."

Host: "Hey. You all sorted?"

Val: "Yep, I got the latest edition of the monster encyclopaedia and I got bread for the sandwiches."

Host: "Oh, you probably could have just paid for them."

Val: "You're an idiot."

Ticket Master: "And nine silver pieces is your change, sir."

Host: "Cheers."

I slipped the silver into a pouch on my harness.

Conductor: (from outside) "All aboard!"

Val: "Come on, we'll miss it."

Host: "Hmm, there's a lot of people getting on."

Val: "Yeah, this is a commuter town and a market town. Lots of folk moving back and forth going to work or ferrying goods."

Host: "It's just interesting to see so many people doing something that is normal to them but not to me. I've never even been on a train before."

Val: "They're pretty good. Like a horsedrawn carriage but noisier. You trade being able to change direction for getting where you're going faster. An acceptable compromise, I think. And these things have been picking up steam lately. Before long I expect there will be a train to every city and town across the country. Places are being connected like never before."

Host: "And these things are safe?"

Val: "As safe as anything else."

Host: "Oh."

Val: "It'll be fine. Here, take a seat. I like to sit facing the direction we're travelling in."

Host: "Right, so how long are we on here for again?"

Val: "About 2 hours. Here's your encyclopaedia. I'm going to make some sandwiches."

Host: "Nice."

Conductor: (Through speaker) "Thank you for choosing Solumm Express. This train will be stopping at: Billamore Barrows, Vigils End, Wibbley-on-Thyme, Duckpond Roundabout, and Boxville Tupperware. This train will be terminating at Solumm Grand Station."

Host: "Some of those names sound made up."

Val: "All names are made up."

Host: [Resigned] "Okay."

With that, I leant back, opened the encyclopaedia, and began reading. Listener, many of you have never lived in a world without trains as they are commonplace now, but back then they were a modern marvel of engineering. Wouldn't really consider myself a train guy, I know how passionate some folks get about them, but they are certainly better than walking the distance. A month of trekking reduced to a few hours.

With every new invention, the world seemed a little smaller.

[Music break]

Val: "Oh, before I forget. Here."

Val produced a glass phial filled with swirling red liquid from her bag and handed it to me as I put my book aside.

Host: "What is this?"

Val: "That is vial of CRS or Cellular Regenerative Serum. Colloquially referred to as a Health Potion which is something of a misnomer to be honest."

Host: "Oh, my days. I've heard of these. Neck it and it'll heal you right up in seconds."

Val: "If you want Bloomrot, go ahead and suck it down."

My fingers ceased fiddling with the cork stopper. Bloomrot; the disease that had killed my grandfather many years prior.

Host: "What do you mean?"

Val: "The keyword in Cellular Regenerative Serum is 'cellular.' You drink one of those and it’s the same as smoking an entire pouch of pipeleaf in one sitting."

A grimace formed on my face, I understood the comparison. My mother had always threatened to break our legs if she ever found out my brother or I had smoked pipeleaf. Not that I needed the threat. I hated pipeleaf. I hated the smell, the taste, and what it did to peoples teeth and fingernails. Plus, I knew that smoking it increased your chances of Bloomrot tenfold.

Host: "How does it work?"

Val: "Health Potions are an alchemical tincture designed to speed up your body's natural healing processes. They give those functions a serious jolt, increasing cell reproduction and infusing them with magic to prevent degradation, but it can go wrong. Anything that messes with your cells like that vastly increases your chances of Bloomrot. Provided you don't suffer from liver failure first."

My frown deepened, as I started to wonder if consuming this was even worth it. Val continued.

Val: "That bottle is filled with powerful magic ingredients that should be consumed carefully. Drinking too quickly or too many can put a serious strain on your liver as it filters out the toxins."

Conductor: (Through speaker) "Stopping at Billamore Barrows."

Host: "Why have you given this to me?"

Val: "Because if you drink it slowly, a sip every few hours, your body has a way higher chance of metabolising it properly, drastically reducing the threats to your liver, stomach, and blood to well-within acceptable levels. It won't heal you in seconds, but it will prevent infections and speed up the process nicely."

Val watched as my face went through several expressions and emotions. I made no effort to hide my inner turmoil regarding accepting that potion.

Val: "Alternatively, you can just not take it. You can trust me that it won't hurt you if consumed in moderation, but I understand your apprehension either way."

Val had no reason to lie or mislead me here. Not regarding something I was clearly having a problem with. I decided to trust her.

I uncorked it and took a small swig.

Sitting quietly with my eyes closed, I felt the concoction hit my stomach a few seconds later.

The effect was nearly instantaneous. The constant pains that racked my body gently subsided into numbed aches, and a tingling sensation crept over my wounds as my flesh began to slowly knit back together.

Although I was grateful for the relief, I couldn't shake the pervasive fear of Bloomrot from my mind.

Nodding at Val to dismiss the conversation, I slipped the phial into my rucksack. She nodded back,  returned to making sandwiches, and I returned to my book.

I got through a few entries. It's always interesting to see all the new monsters, and new information on existing monsters, that are discovered every year. I tried to internalise that knowledge and ready it for use.

The rhythm of the train's movement lulled me into imagined scenarios of fighting monsters. Moments of deep thought overtook me, I couldn’t help but consider my future, as I munched away on what was actually a pretty good sandwich. I wondered whether I would consider staying a mercenary if we got through this nonsense. I silenced the thought. There were myriad problems to solve before it was worth considering my long term future.

I didn't know it at the time, but it was going to be a lot longer before I could confront that question.

Conductor: (Through speaker) "Stopping at Vigil's End."

For each stop 50 people would get off the train and another 50 would get on. The tickets were quite expensive, so I could only have guessed at how much money there was to make in the railroad industry. Yet for every screech of the wheels against the poorly laid track, every loose bolt I could see barely holding the carriage together, I wondered where that money actually went because it certainly wasn’t to upkeep.

I looked out the window at Vigils End. It was nice, one of the nicer towns I'd seen on the journey. The people seemed happy and the buildings were in good repair. A pleasant change.

Val folded up her newspaper and slapped it on the seat beside her, breaking the silence.

Val: (Sigh) "Alright, you may ask your questions."

Host: "Huh?"

Val: "About me. The questions I haven't been answering. You may ask a few but bear in mind I'll keep my responses brief. I'm not in the mood to spend the day reminiscing. Don't spare my feelings either, just ask what you want to ask."

I placed the encyclopaedia down and leant forward. I would ask about her family. Surely things couldn't have been that bad.

Host: "Alright. Erm. Gosh where to start. Er, you said your father died, what's up with that?"

Val: "Political assassination."

Oh, gods.

Val: "I came from a noble house in Irmida. My father got led into some nonsense intrigue by a family friend and it cost them everything. I managed to escape all this because I had already cut most ties with them beforehand. My whole family is gone."

Oh, GODS.

Host: "Woah. I get not wanting to talk about it. What was the intrigue about?"

Val: "You are aware that Irmidia moved from an empire to a federation about 10 years ago, following the last war? My parents vocally opposed overthrowing the emperor so they had to go. Once the emperor was gone, key noble houses rose to power, formed the Covenant of Uhrasil and have ruled ever since."

Host: "So, your family were big deals back then?"

Val: "Nope. Just casualties of a regime change."

Host: "Why had you cut ties with your family beforehand?"

Val: "They didn't approve of my career choice."

Host: "Not big fans of adventurers?"

Val: "I hadn't become one yet. I instead had brought them great shame by being naught but a lowly teacher."

I leant back and pondered Val's words. We entered a dark tunnel.

Val: "They disowned me and were thorough about it. Didn’t stop the new regime hunting me, it was all I could do to run. I can't go back there now. You've got one more question. Think carefully."

I thought for a moment. Val's life culminating in being where she was at that moment felt largely reactionary. How much control had she really had in it all?

Host: "What did you teach?"

She seemed surprised by the question.

Val: "Languages."

*Thud on the rooftop*

Light flooded through the windows as we exited the tunnel and we heard a thud hit the roof above us that trailed further down the carriage before stopping.

Val: "What in the hells was that?"

Host: "Tree branch?"

Val: "Didn't sound like it."

*Noise of footsteps.*

Host: "Walking tree branch?"

Val: "Somehow I doubt it. Prepare yourself, something is about to happen."

Host: "What a sudden and unwelcome turn this pleasant day is taking."

Val stayed seated so I followed suit. A hatch in the ceiling swung open and a cloaked figure slipped through, landed quietly, and was followed by a second. In a flash, they threw their cloaks from their shoulders and revealed mismatched steel accented leather armour. All the metal parts had been painted a vibrant blue. Two human males, they seemed in good shape and moved like professionals. From a glance, I'd guessed the dark haired one was late 30's, and the blond was mid 40's.

A voice that sounded like the result of a lifetime spent yelling and drinking hard liquor filled the carriage.

Intruder 2: "We don't want to get violent. Just stay in your seats and there'll be no pain."

I turned to Val to see what her guidance in this situation was. Maybe she had a plan on how to deal with them quickly. Instead, I saw a faint smile pull at the corners of her mouth before she lowered her head and covered her face with the newspaper she'd been reading.

Host: (Whisper) "What are you doing?"

Val: (Whisper) "Let's play it slow. See what we can learn first."

Temporarily bewildered by her apprehension, I stared into the space between us before also slightly lowering my head and doing my best to appear non-threatening.

Val: "This is a passenger train. There's no loot on board for you to take."

His head whipped around to see Val hiding behind her paper. He took a step closer to us.

Intruder 2: "We're not after coin, so keep your purse to yourself and your lips shut."

Interesting. If they weren't after coin, this wasn't a robbery. What could they want with the passengers? Was there someone on board that they were looking for? How annoying. If it was just money, then they'd take it and leave but this felt a more dangerous situation.

Val: "Too cheap to pay the fair?"

He took two more steps.

Intruder 2: "Shut up. Y'know I've got half a mind-."

Host: "That would explain a lot."

Intruder 2: "What?!"

Val: (Chuckles) "Got him."

Intruder 2: "Alright, I warned you but now-"

Val's paper twitched, she was preparing to move. 

I lashed out at the approaching intruder, dragging him closer by his arm so hard I felt the joint in his shoulder pop. Val blasted the other hijacker across the car with a bolt of energy that sent him crashing into a wall with a thud. 

I twisted my captive's sword arm behind his back and slowly rotated his wrist until he dropped the blade.

(sword clatter)

Intruder 2: (Muffled) "Get off of me."

Host: "Soon. But first, we have questions."

Break

We're gonna take a little break here as we have a job.

PARTY NEEDED TO INVESTIGATE A LICH SIGHTING AT THE VILLAGE OF RANMIRE

I don't need to remind people how much trouble liches can be, so only the prepared should accept. Someone go and make sure that they're an actual Lich and not some dramatic necromancer, but put a stop to their shenanigans either way.

That’s that, let's get back into it.

Story Resume

Val sidled up beside me, avoiding both his line of sight and his breath that reeked of cheap whiskey. She inspected him up and down.

Val: "You're COBALT, aren’t you? I recognise your shitty blue armour. How many of you have boarded the train?"

Intruder 2: "I'll kill you."

Host: "That didn't sound like a number to me."

Intruder 2: "Argh! You're gonna break my wrist."

Val: "The pain can stop. You can just go to sleep like your friend over there without further suffering. All you have to do is tell us what we want to know."

Intruder 2: "There's six of us."

Host: "So, 4 left."

Val: "What are you doing on the train? Who are you looking for?"

Intruder 2: "No one!"

*Twisting noise*

Intruder 2: "Argh! No, I mean we aren't looking for anyone. We're here for something else."

Val: "Oh, stars! We aren't playing a guessing game here. Get to it."

Intruder 2: "I can't-"

*Tension increase, bone cracking*

Host: "Time to make like a candle and illuminate us."

Intruder 2: (Pained) "Argh-we're going to crash the train into the station. The Elarian government will pay for its transgressions."

A rehearsed line that didn't fit the man. Perhaps a sentiment fed to him time and again but not something he really believed.

Val: "The High Council doesn’t meet in Solumm Grand Station, you moron. Alright, I've had enough of him. Night, night.

*Host chokes intruder unconscious*

Intruder 2: (Panicked) "N-nuh-"

Host: "Hush now."

*Body fall*

Host: "Okay, who are COBALT?"

Val: "Terrorists. Human supremacists. Radical nationalists. They wear a couple of hats, but mostly they're just aimless ne'er-do-wells. No one really knows what they’re after as their demands keep changing and nothing is ever good enough."

Host: "Well, this shouldn't be too hard. They don't seem as scary as Tranter."

Val: "Individually, I don't expect they’ll be trouble. But don't let them group up; greater numbers have felled many an experienced mercenary. Right, we're near the middle of the train, meaning there are likely two more near the front and two near the back."

Host: "An even split."

Val took out a copper piece.

Val: "Heads is the front of the train, tails is back."

(sound design coin flip)

Val: "I got tails. I'll cover the back of the train."

I pulled my mask from a coat pocket while Val inspected the doors out of the carriage and then the trees passing by at an increasing pace.

Val: "Let's keep this quick and tidy, as we don't have time to dally. It looks like the train is picking up speed, so we'll be at Solumm way ahead of schedule at this rate."

Host:  "Understood. (Mask on) Let's be heroes."

With a mutual nod, we turned and moved in opposite directions through the train car. Catching those two off guard had been in our favour, but I had to be very careful of the following encounters. I entered the next carriage and discovered more frightened civilians, yet no COBALT members. The passengers cowered at the sight of me. An understandable response.

Host: "Hello, I'm here to help. You haven't happened to have seen anyone suspicious lately?"

A fair haired young woman in a shirtwaist and skirt leant forward on her chair and met my gaze.

Frightened Passenger: "We-we heard yelling from the carriage ahead and from the one you just came from. What's happening?"

There was no sense in causing a panic. I figured I'd keep the details to myself.

Host: "Likely just a simple robbery. But don't you worry. We'll make sure anyone without a ticket is removed from the train."

The woman nodded and leant back, clearly relieved that I was on her side.

I crept toward the opposing door and peaked through the window. The cart ahead was obscured slightly by the train's movement, but I could see two armoured men inside.

Intruder Speaker: "This is the driver. Everyone remain calm. Everything is fine. We'll be arriving at Solumm ahead of schedule."

That wasn't the same voice through the brass horn speaker as earlier and I didn't think it was actually the driver. If there were two more in the carriage in front and they didn't use the speaker, then either Val had fewer people to face than me or the COBALT member lied to us about their numbers. Either case was possible, so I had to be careful. Two armed men, nearly indistinguishable from the two in our carriage.

Intruder 3: "You heard the voice. Stay calm, and you'll be alright."

Lying bastard.

I needed to take them out of the fight as soon as possible. I had to come up with a plan and follow it through, I didn't have time to be indecisive.

I looked left and right. Nothing. The floor? Nothing. I looked up and saw a hatch, the ones the hijackers must have gotten in through. That was as good a plan as any, and I doubted they'd be expecting me to come from above.

I reached up, popped open the latch, and climbed out of the carriage onto the roof.

I looked ahead across the sprawling fields with a road cutting close to the tracks on my right and a cliff dropping to the ocean on my left. I glimpsed a road sign flash past; Solumm - 10 Miles. We had to be going at least 50 miles an hour which meant I had maybe 12 minutes before everyone on that train perished in a fashion most brutal.

Without a pocket watch to measure my progress, I would have to move as fast as possible and hope for the best.

I stayed low and near crawled along the train rooftop, didn't want to make noise and warn them of my approach. The wind rushed past my ears with such intensity that it prevented me from hearing much beyond my own breathing.

Host: "This is crazy!"

I hung on to the roof of the train, trying not to think about the speed it was travelling or the distance to the ground.

Host: "Is this better that getting a normal job?"

I thought for a moment.

Host: "Yeah, this is still better."

I carried on crawling.

It didn't take me long to reach the next carriage's roof hatch. I had to act fast. 

I stood up on top of the hatch, while trying not to get blown away. I stabilised myself, then jumped on the spot. On the descent, I stamped downward and was met with little resistance. Crashing through the roof, I was uncomfortably weightless for a moment before landing awkwardly on something. A pain shot through my still wounded leg, but I gritted my teeth and pushed the feeling out of my mind.

I managed to keep my balance, and glanced down to see one of the COBALT members underneath me, mouth agape with pain and shallow breathing. My gaze darted upward, I saw the other, and he saw me. 

He turned, began to run forward as he swung to cleave me in twain.

He seemed so slow compared to Tranter. He was still swinging to kill, I recognised the danger but I felt more in control here than any prior fight. I had battled against beasts and assassins in the last month; this was just a man.

Leaping toward him, I threw my shoulder under his swing, past his blade, bringing myself too close for him to cut me. I felt my body move on pure instinct, like some hidden part of me had taken the reins. With one hand, I gripped his wrist, bending his sword away from me. My other hand gripped his throat with such force I thought his neck would snap. I pulled him down, and adjusted my hand to throw his body upward. He was so light that, for a moment, I wondered if he was made of straw.

Host: "No sense in screaming. I promise, your friends aren't coming to save you."

He let out a choked cough as I lunged forward and pushed downward, bringing his whole weight crashing through a chair.

*Crash*

That was a bit rougher than I intended but it had the desired effect. I glanced toward the heaving mass that was once a man. He scratched at the floor, tapped his dented chest plate and silently wept tears of pain. 

Now, I'm not saying this was his fault in any way, but I was expecting…more from him. I thought I'd grabbed something robust, resilient, but it was just flesh; soft and malleable.

I looked toward his companion half crushed beneath the roof hatch. He laid limp with shallow breaths. He must have blacked out at some point. I saw his legs were bending in directions that justified losing consciousness. I had just potentially crippled two men, maybe for life.

Terrified passengers looked on in quiet awe at my brief display of callousness. Parents covered their children's eyes while others protected their belongings.

These COBALT fools were going to kill everyone here; children, families, the elderly and everyone in between.

Did I even feel bad about what I'd done to them? They would have killed hundreds on the train, and maybe more in the station.

Clearly they didn't care. And if that was the case, did they even deserve such mercy? If I pulled my punches, would they just disappear like the Warhammer guard from Easthallow, bound to return again somewhere down the line?

How more lives would I take by proxy by not taking theirs?

I surveyed the carriage full of terrified passengers. These people had been frightened enough but I had no time to soothe their minds.

Silently, I pushed on through the door at the front and was met with the train's coal bunker. I was very near the driver's cab.

Climbing up to peer over the bunker, I spied two men through the open backed drivers cab. One was likely the driver, an older human in tattered overalls, clipped to a metal bar attached to the cab wall via a support harness. The other was clearly a COBALT member who was holding the driver at sword point, forcing him to shovel more coal into the engine's firebox.

There was about 30 feet between me and the hijacker. He'd see me the instant I popped my head out, and I couldn't risk him harming the driver.

Val: "Hey there."

Host: "Ah fuck, will you stop doing that?"

Val: "Sorry. I finished up the back carriages, there were two men back there and I saw two more up here. So, I assume there's one more up with the driver, and the guy we questioned lied. Very unsportsmanlike behaviour from him."

Host: "I don’t think I can make it to the hijacker safely. Are you able to take him out?"

With some effort, Val reached up to peak over the bunker and settled back down.

Val: "I don't think I can make a clean shot. I might hit the civilian. They're too close together for now. But, I think I can separate them. Things are going to get rocky, then you close the distance, okay?"

Host: "Ready."

I gripped a handrail as Val popped up and snapped her fingers, causing the firebox to erupt with flame.

The entire train jolted forward. It was brief put powerful. My grip held firm while Val was thrown backwards, clattering against the closed carriage door. Quickly, I leapt up onto the coal bunker. I wasn’t sure if the assailant was down, but I had to trust in it. I threw myself forward and could see the driver hanging from his harness strap, alive but confused.

The hijacker had been thrown into the coals of the bunker and was scrambling to stand again. It was too late, I was already on him.

With a clenched fist, I slammed down onto his shoulder, dislocating his arm with a painful pop. He fell back into the coals.

He went to scream, but that instinct took hold of me again. I delivered another strike to his face, then another, and another. He had stopped moving, but I wasn't sure which punch had taken his consciousness.

It took me a moment to come back to my senses.

He was defeated. It was best to let the relevant authorities deal with him now.

Host: "You're the driver, right? Can you slow this thing down?"

The man quickly pulled himself up, nodded, and pulled a lever to ease on the breaks.

A minute later, we pulled into Solumm Grand Station, where we were met by the guards with swords drawn. It was clear that they had been summoned when the train arrived much earlier than expected.

We came to a stop, Val and I met with several guardsmen and had to give a statement explaining our actions. Ours and the passengers' stories matched so we were not questioned further. We were even thanked but not paid, given it wasn't a posted job.

It's not like we did it all for the money so I figured I wouldn't complain.

Afterward, Val and I hung around the area overseeing the arrests from a safe distance beside a closed coffee kiosk. Val leant against a wall while I sat perched on a railing. We enjoyed a quiet moment to breathe away from the bustling crowd cordoned off in the near distance.

We watched as the hijackers were escorted off the train either in cuffs by a guard, or on a stretcher by a medic. I couldn't tell if I'd gone too hard on them, but I was finding it hard to sympathise with such bad apples.

While observing, I saw someone break free from the crowd pouring off the train. A human man with dark hair and a thick moustache, maybe in his early 30s, dressed in fine dark brown clothing and an overcoat. He carried a small suitcase in one hand and an umbrella in the other. 

He caught my eye due to his thorough searching of the area. He looked between train cars, around corners and eventually flagged down a guard to have a brief conversation before being pointed toward us.

He marched up and greeted us with a nod before speaking.

Harrington: "Good day. I'm told you were the ones responsible for saving myself and the rest of the passengers."

Val: "It was no problem, sir."

Harrington: "That remains to be seen. I require your services, I am Lord Harrington Mulbrand. I believe I am the reason COBALT hijacked the train."

Session End

That is all for this session, folks.

I must confess, I do so enjoy ending on a little cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed the story today, and are prepared for what comes next.

My first experience with the coastal city of Solumm was….a lot. Certainly more than I was expecting for the very brief time that I was there. 

Though I may not have the scars anymore, I'll always remember.

Anyway, it's time to turn in.

Keep those fires bright, adventurers.

Rest well, and good hunting.