Zeitgeist S04E02: All Aboard!
The heroes have arrived at Arachkaea, marvelling at the industrialisation of the coastline. Here, the industrialisation took place in the anti-magic zones and wild-magic zones that scarred the continent after the war.
On this train journey, there would be agents of the Obscurati – possibly some of Bergeron’s own cell members. But who were they? Could they find them all on the train, or at the meeting Bergeron was planning to attend? The group spent some time getting to know their fellow passengers.
The people the Bloodstone Vigil met on the train that were of interest were:
The Griento family, a group of dog wildfolk from Barchak. There was Damata, the father, his wife, Ejeka, and their two sons, Tarro and Darrow. Sora noticed that Ejeka seemed particularly distant, but later learned that this was because her daughter, a parrot, had been taken from her and fostered with a parrot wildfolk family on Saravel. Such is the custom of wildfolk, but Ejeka still missed her naturally borne daughter.
Brianne “Bree” Kaldeckis, a war veteran. Parts of her body had been replaced with parts from an orc. Bram asked her out for a good time and she agreed!
Elanor Yanette, a plump woman in a silken gown, rings encrusting her fingers. With her was a figure swathed in silk and wearing a chain that connected her to Elanor. Elanor described herself as a ‘business woman’ but did not elaborate.
Oliver Boone, a cowboy hat - wearing tiefling - sharpshooter. Bram thought he was a bit ‘off’ and challenged the tiefling to a badger wrestling contest. Boone survived intact, radiating no fear at all. He had two women with him, clinging onto his muscular arms. Bram thought he was a wanker.
Verzublack Tantalovich, a bleary-eyed dwarrow cardsharp and gambler. He played a few rounds with Mickey and lost, but Mickey remained suspicious.
The train stopped at different towns. Each locked the visitors into a foreigner’s zone, requiring passes to venture into the outer city.
When the train stopped at Cherage, the vigil split up to follow the passengers. Boone went to a brothel and left with a young woman. Robert and Tal’zahr lost track of him. Elanor left with her silk-swathed associate and returned late. Sora followed the Griento family around and concluded they were frightfully boring, while Mickey went to the bar with Bree and Verzublack. He played cards against Verzublack.
When they were returning to the train, guards ran, yelling ‘stop thief’ at a man in shabby clothing. He hid under a cart while the group was watching, but they didn’t rat him out.
As the train set off for the next stop, the two women that Boone had arrived with tried to re-enter the train but lacked paperwork. The train guard warned the Vigil that a woman had been found murdered in Cherage, and to be careful when travelling. Immediately the Vigil suspected Boone!
More passengers joined the train:
A man with a briefcase strapped to his wrist.
A businessman called ‘Mr. Mapple’, although Sora recognised him as the thief from the night before.
Two bald humans with the glowing tattoos that marked them as members of a spider-queen clan. Most people stayed away from them.