Session 0009 - Train Sabotage

Roster

List of characters who's player was in attendance

Player characters who's player is attending the game start with 1 Hero Point, and can get more during the session.

Absent

List of characters who's player was absent

Player characters for missing players do not start the session with a hero point, and can not get any more during the session.

Session Log

Now outside of the train, the group rush towards the three bodies on the ground near the first missing platform stones.
Alicia arrives and bends down to look at the bodies while Saferous looks over the cart. The rest of the party all move towards the north side of the track where Ferdinand saw motion in the bushes.
Sarroxtíoð rushes off the track into the bushes looking for whatever Ferdinand saw. As he moves off the track into the bushes he suddenly notices the ground about fifteen feet away start to churn up as if something is moving underground, creating a furrow towards him.
The ground then erupts and a large creature emerges and bites the half-orc barbarian. It critically hits Sarroxtíoð (doing 27 hit points of damage) and immediately knocking him unconscious and dying.

Everyone else rushes to fight the creature. Ferdinand is first in melee, stabbing it with his rapier. With the half-orc down, Alicia gives up on examining the bodies on the ground and instead runs towards the downed barbarian. She takes a shot at the creature with her arbalest while trying to run around it, hitting the creature.
Eriana rushes in to help in melee, tumbling past it to flank the beast and failing to grapple it. She finishes by stabbing the creature with one of her special throwing daggers.
From a distance, Rocinante tries to hit it with an ignition cantrip, while Saferous throws a flash of alchemists fire at the beast, hitting it and setting it on fire. In its rage, the creature backs away from the two swashbucklers and vomits up a cone of acid on both of them.
They are fortunate enough to partially avoid most of the blast and take only partial damage, avoiding the worst of the acid.
Ferdinand rushes in, tumbling past the creature and manages to finish off with a solid stab from his Main-Gauche.
During the combat and before she ran into melee, Eriana heard the sounds of soft wings just above her - like the soft sound of bats, but she could not see anything. She called that out to everyone, and Rocinante also noticed it. In both cases the sound quickly receded and stopped but neither of them saw anything.
Alicia was able to get to Sarroxtíoð and patch him up, getting him conscious and back to his feet. They return to the track with the three bodies and she examines them. Rocinante had already looked them over and could not see any obvious signs of what might have killed them, but he thinks they are dead. Alicia confirms that they are dead, but also finds each one has a small stab-like wound on their backs. One of them sports two such wounds - one in the left leg and one just between the shoulders. The injuries themselves should not have been enough to kill these people - who are clearly train staff (each in uniform). She thinks the wounds show signs of something unnatural, so she calls Saferous over to investigate.
The alchemist takes a look and quickly becomes convinced they were poisoned - by a particularly virulent toxin that kills quickly and causes muscular debilitation while it does so. He does not know what creature might have this poison, but does not think is it common, or perhaps may not be natural.
Several party members return to the train for medical aid and to relate what they encountered. While being patched up they confer with staff from the train about what is going on here. The three people they found came out with a crate full of platform stones to repair the damage. At least one person in the engine saw them being attacked - a small winged creature with a long tail appeared from nowhere and stabbed them with its tail before flying off and vanishing in thin air. The crew screamed out in pain and crumpled on the ground - all this happened shortly before the party left the train to investigate.
Given the situation, the crew are not keen on going outside and they were considering reversing the train and heading back to the previous station - at least until the party all left. They were watching and waiting to see what happened, and admit being on the verge of leaving if things went badly.
Now that the creature is defeated, the party offer to replace the stones. It is more or less akin to placing a couple of dozen fence posts - good enough that they should be able to pass safely.
The party spend the next couple of hours doing that job then get back on the train, as it moves very slowly and cautiously over the fixed section of track. On this leg of the journey they convince the train staff to let them ride first class. After about two more hours they arrive in Vathirond.
There is a two hour delay there before everyone gets on a smaller train with a single passenger car bound for Salvation outpost. It take a little under an hour to arrive at the outpost.
The train rolls into the Salvation Outpost station shortly after 5PM on Aryth 14th.

As Everyone gets off the train onto the platform they can see some local posters, including one for the Gray Beyond Tavern. They simple get off the platform onto rail street, turn left until they hit first avenue where they turn right and the tavern will be on their left.
They also notice another poster prominently displayed on the platform of the local sheriff.

Everyone heads directly to the tavern and arrive after only a short walk. The Gray Beyond is much like the rest of Salvation: dirty, rough, uncouth, and with a touch of magic in the air that could be the promise of riches, or just another vile spell wafting in from the Mournland to tear you limb from limb.
Scavengers like you come here to spend your hard-earned coin on expensive drinks and cheap food, sharing wild rumors and half-truths about the ruined nation of Cyre. Some call it the Mournland, others call it the Gray: but it’s the land of death and opportunity for all who gather here.
The tavern’s common room is built around the salvage board, a place where the brokers of Salvation post bills for jobs they need doing in the Gray. This board is the beating heart of your industry, and the jobs it provides, your lifeblood.
You came here looking for a person by the name of Failin, but you have no idea what he looks like. The party approach the bar and ask the bartender if they know of him. The gruff man behind the bar responds with a "I know him - older guy with curly red hair. Doesn't say much." The bartender looks around the bar and says "Looks like he's not here. He will likely show up later if you want to grab a drink and wait."
That sounds like a good idea, so they all grab a pint of beer on tap for 1 cp each, grabbing a nearby table and wait.
Not long after they start their drinks a man walks into the tavern fitting the description - a middle-aged man with well-worn clothes sporting a head of unkempt curly red hair.

Before he get very far, Eriana calls out to him by name. he looks at the party and clearly shows no recognition, then points to himself with the obvious question "what, me?" The party confirm they want to speak with him and motion him over to their table.
He comes over and takes a seat, looking over each of the party members in silence. They all introduce themselves and he simply says "So, what do you want?"
Ferdinand tells Failin they were sent to seek his assistance. He then passes the letter over to him from Professor Daela. Failin takes the letter and reads it over carefully then passes it back. He then says "Whitehorn Quarry? Very far away. Near the border. Near the gray mist. Mining town. I can take you. Yes. But it will cost you. Sixty silver each, forty up front. You bring your own supplies."
The party don't haggle, and agree to his terms. Using the advanced funds the professor provided they pay Failin 240 silver pieces. "Let’s go, let’s go,” Failin says, leaping up from the table and gesturing toward the door. “Follow me, quickly! My land cart is hidden nearby."
As he approaches the door to head outside, two large burly men get up from their seats and head towards him. Once says "Failin, you cheated us! They both move to each side with clenched fist threateningly."
Ferdinand is quick to react, moving up next to one of the ruffians and next to Failin. He asks Failin "we can help if you agree to OUR terms." Failin looks a bit disgusted by this, but does not respond. The other ruffian then punches Failin, hitting him hard, landing three blows on him. Failin clearly reels from the punches but remains standing. Ferdinand watches on with arms folded on his chest.
The second ruffian is then quick to act, punching Failin hard once and clearly threatening to quickly knock out their paid benefactor. At this point Ferdinand intervenes and grapples the second ruffian before he can land another blow on Failin
This gets everyone else involved, running in to defend Failin with the exception of Alicia who decides to sit this one out and finish her beer. She notices the other patrons get excited, moving back and apparently enjoying the show with some of them placing bets. It seems this place is not unaccustomed to brawls.
Eriana cautions everyone against using lethal attacks, so what transpires is a fist-fight. The two ruffians are very tough but are outnumbered. The first one gets surrounded by Eriana, Sarroxtíoð, Rocinante, and Saferous and the other one is held by Ferdinand in a grapple.
During the fight, Failin reaches into his left pocket, grabs something and mumbles briefly. This is followed by a colourful cloud of smoke. They hear the doors slamming open and shut and as the smoke quickly clears Failin is nowhere to be seen!
The brawl ends a couple of rounds later. Ferdinand trips up the ruffian he had grappled by knocking his feet out from under him. The other ruffian gets pummeled by the others, and Eriana swipes out his legs from under him, causing him to fall hard and bang his head on a chair on the way down. Despite all this he remains conscious and fighting, angrily cursing everyone around him. Saferous and Rocinante manage to knock him out, kicking him on the ground until he passes out.
Ferdinand's opponent tries in vain to stand up while remaining grappled. The swashbuckler keeps punching him on the ground and manages one good final blow to knock him out.
Once on the ground Rocinante starts to riffle through the first ruffians pockets, which causes a wave of outrage from the tavern crowd, with several standing up and threatening a total barroom brawl. The rest of the party caution him to stop, so they all back off - moving the unconscious men aside and then they all head out of the tavern looking for Failin.
They find him a short distance from the building, where he emerges from the shadows in a good hiding spot. He looks pretty badly beat up, but says "quickly - this way, to my cart. Let's get out of here."