Session Date: 09/16/2024
Breakfast
As we enter our compartment, we each have our own small room that is private (albeit cramped). We said hello to people on the way in, then immediately all went to bed (probably, I assume, unless Bosch wanted to go on adventures). It’ll be a week or two before we make it to Jewel, and we wake up the next day feeling far more refreshed (-1 drain condition - Mary and Bosch are good on the drain, Faylen and Tabby are still drained 1).
It is morning as the chain charges ahead toward Jewel. The group decides to go get breakfast and Bosch asks what they think will be there, and Faylen hopes for coffee and avocado toast. Tabby is more of a bacon and eggs guy, and loves a huge cup of coffee as well. The dining car has someone at the counter to help everyone, and Bosch slumps over the counter asking for coffee tiredly. We all order breakfast and sit down to eat and have coffee.
Further down in the dining cart is someone exclaiming about this “swill” - there is a portly kobold that is pretty well dressed standing on the table and imperiously demanding what this is. The kobold is holding scrambled eggs in one hand, and coffee in the other. The kobold exclaims he’d never serve something like this in his restaurant. Faylen recognizes him as a famous restaurateur - Garga the Appetizing. The kobold continues to complain loudly and babble about it, and we eventually hear a very well-dressed younger noblewoman mentioning that she cannot abide rudeness.
She doesn’t seem very familiar to Faylen, but there are a lot of nobles in Jewel. She is being polite to us. Faylen addresses to her and says that he’s complaining about food on a train of all things, but he hopes that kobold moves on soon. She introduces herself - Zada Nix - and we all introduce ourselves.
Zada asks if Tabby is a dueling man, and he says yes, and he considers himself a bit of a swashbuckler. She says that is rather interesting and there’s another swashbuckler on the train, and she comments that there’s not much room to duel on the train except on the roof. She does mention that there may be a possibility that he can be talked down so a fight is avoided, and that he is a heavy sleeper. She ultimately withdraws to lock herself in her room to read a book.
Mary (Observation)
A man sits in the lotus position meditating, slightly levitating over the ground. He’s in a very deep focus. He is a talos (he looks as if he were cast out of some kind of metal). There is also a human woman that is doing her darndest to make him stop meditating - she has giant maracas and is making noises next to his ear and being an absolute nuisance. The woman explains that he’s just meditating because he wants to be immortal, and that sounds like its own personal type of hell.
The woman’s name is Jorj’ia. She has a symbol of Taleya - the immortal of comedy that we had met - and she continues to vaguely harass the talos about how boring he is. The monk’s name is Serapion.
Their conversation eventually leads to a deep philosophical conversation about comedy and wit.
When the day ends Serapion thanks Mary for sparing him of Jori’ja’s torment.
Faylen & Bosch (Around)
Faylen is doing one quick run over the train to see if the lady from the Misconduct Department is on the train. Bosch joins him doing a sweep for undead on the train, and Faylen ends up looking vaguely suspicious. A registrar - Onabelle - comes up to Faylen and Bosch and asks what they are doing. Bosch at least manages to say that we are trying to see if an acquaintance on the train, and she buys it and hopes that we find, or don’t find, them.
Bosch prompts her about what’s going on in Jewel as she had mentioned that people in Jewel are on edge, and Onabelle says that there’s nothing seriously wrong there. Faylen buys it - thinking perhaps this is her first mission alone - and then she asks if he’s a student. Faylen explains yes, and they talk about school and her work. Bosch eventually interrupts and asks if they can visit the Academy, and Faylen says of course, he already planned on it.
Tabby (Lounge)
Tabby goes to the bar and finds a minotaur with a rapier at his side, and Tabby realizes that this must be the duelist that Zada had mentioned. The minotaur introduces himself as Alcides Sendoa Unai Delgado y Valiente del Toro, but asks to be called Alcides. He is looking for new people to fight as he enjoys a good fight. Alcides mentions fighting on the roof of the train, and Tabby admits that the proposition is so tempting.
The two of them sit and share stories and build a friendship. It becomes clear to Tabby that Alcides has no bloodlust, but friendly fighting is how best he interacts with others. Alcides gets to know people the best through a good fight.
Tabby & Faylen (Lounge)
This is where Tabby is already.
There’s a very well-groomed and well-dressed dwarf in a heated conversation with an elven man in an older style military uniform. Faylen definitely hears that they are not necessarily angry, but the dwarf has a seething contempt toward the elf. The elf looks like a military man.
Tabby actually can make out the conversation - the dwarf is saying that this won’t work, and that the elf was asked to do a very simple thing and he did not provide his expertise. The dwarf feels that the elf’s use for the company is at an end, and the dwarf will be including it in his report. The elf is also seething in response, and he explains that there were unforeseen circumstances. How was he to know that the situation with the werewolves would degrade like this, or how would he know that the ruling situation in the duchy would turn so rapidly?
The dwarf says that this isn’t about knowing the future, but being able to react, and the elf hasn’t done so. The company has no foothold there now, and so he failed. The company wanted all of the minerals beneath Brex Grana, the company itself would deal with the Verdant Core themselves. Because the elf failed to secure Brex Grana, the deals the company made with the Verdant Core are worthless.
Alcides asks Tabby if Mr. Clanghammer is a friend of ours, and Tabby says that they are not friends, but more of an associate, he supposes. Alcides is surprised by this as Mr. Clanghammer is the type to fight with his wallet rather than his axe, and also axes are less useful than expected. Tabby and Faylen learn that the dwarf is Kristov Clanghammer.
Bosch (Fun & Games)
Bosch asks to set up a bowling game, and Zada is absolutely interested. Bosch explains some modified rules that he used to play with his friends. As they’re setting up and playing, Bosch admits that he’s having to be hyper aware of what all that he does because he has something of a reputation and he’s more Known now. He admits that he’s not so much of a fan. He likes the people in the group, but they are nothing like the people he grew up with (author’s note: the term wet blankets was used :V) and people see what he does now, and he used to be able to get away with everything.
Zada points out that if he grows famous enough, then people will overlook things he does. He still isn’t so sure, and he still doesn’t like the idea of being famous, but she does manage to convince him that it’s not all bad. She mentions that the ways that he won’t fit in with the famous people she used to know are to his benefit - he has an aura to him, and he seems to be rather nice.
Bosch looks over the books and he recognizes the titles of some of the novels, with one being an older novel that a young person would not necessarily pick up (it’s not a timeless classic). Bosch thinks that she may be older than she lets on, but he says nothing about it.
Faylen, The Last Awake
Faylen sees the elf that the dwarf was talking to is looking out the window. Faylen approaches and asks if he can join him, and the elf motions. Faylen asks if he’s okay, and he seems unhappy. The man looks at Faylen and speaks - it’s odd because it’s not got the quality of someone speaking - and says that he believes he might have just been murdered, and then disappears.