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ShortQuests -- Pocket Sized Adventures! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed for 1-2 game sessions.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cypherblade" data-source="post: 9872053" data-attributes="member: 7048389">[spoiler]The train has departed. Staf asks Nick to fetch Malia to inquire why the other first-class carriage remains empty. Malia assures him that those passengers will still board later today.A sturdy human woman, blonde, heavily tattooed, with a striking scar running around her entire right biceps, walks from carriage 16 (second class) toward the dining car. She even carries a sword on her back. Staf is annoyed by the Griento children. The group tries to learn what other sorts of people are on our train.After about an hour, the train makes its first stop. A very large, bossy woman (Elanor) boards, accompanied by a female slave (Isobel) on a chain. Another passenger is a slick tiefling cowboy dandy with two pistols at his belt, Oliver Boon, who takes a seat in Sarïa’s (Mel’s) compartment and immediately charms her.Suddenly there is commotion: “Someone has died!” It turns out someone in third class has choked—on a peanut.We spend most of our time in the dining car, where the Griento family, the blonde soldier, and Oliver Boon are also present. The blonde woman is named Briana, called Bree, and she used to be a soldier in the Danoran army. Her arm was reattached by Von Recklinghausen. There is also a dwarf in modest but fine clothing who is gambling with himself.Oliver Boon appears to possess an expensive magical pistol. A charm offensive by Barbara is brushed aside. Versubak Tantalovich, the dwarf, wants to gamble with Cassius and loses 100 gold. He seems to be deliberately letting the halfling win. Barbara is not allowed to touch his dice either. Train attendant Malia advertises a safari in the Malice Lands: passengers can shoot wild animals and monsters with rifles from the roof of the moving train.Nick tries to eavesdrop at the compartment of the large woman using an ashtray as an excuse, but she promptly comes outside. Once she leaves, the chief inspector manages to slip into the compartment unseen. He finds notes with addresses and appointments in cities along the train’s route.That evening we arrive in Cherage. A curfew is in force due to social unrest. The city lies on three hills (Arlette, Belize, and Chloë). The city is a thousand years old—dating back to centuries before the death of Srasama.Mel (Sarïa) tries to go out into the city with Oliver Boon, but Boon brushes her off with a cheap excuse. TOTAL HUMILIATION FOR SARÏA!The train from the opposite direction also arrives. Most passengers go to the expensive hotel. From our group, only Sarïa/Mel goes to the cheap hotel. Kane/Nick remains on the train after buying the focus materials for a clairvoyance spell in a small shop. That evening he socializes a bit with the staff and learns that Xorin Marchand is the train engineer. The first-class chief and acting bartender is Marik; the pianist is Doris. Malia handles problems with passengers. In addition there are eleven guards and a cleaning crew of eight.Barbara and Cassius sit in the bar of the expensive hotel. Bree was there at first as well but later goes into the city. Twenty minutes later Boon also leaves the hotel, well dressed. Fifteen minutes after that, Tantalovich leaves as well.Sarïa sees Boon in the very personal company of a short-skirted sixteen-year-old. Jealousy flares up intensely! She stalks the cowboy dandy (unfortunately not in black panther form, since that would not last long here in Danor) to a bar several streets away (the Wabe Dufone [spelling???]), where Bree is also sitting alone at the bar. Boon and the young woman flirt shamelessly, completely without restraint! The skirt-chaser notices Sarïa and winks at her. The filthy bastard, the disgusting chauvinist!Tantalovich also happens to be here, seated at a lively table. After winning some money, he buys a round for everyone. Bree suddenly slips out through the back door, but Sarïa remains focused on Boon and his floozy! Meanwhile, Tantalovich keeps winning.When Boon and his girl leave the establishment, Sarïa tries to follow them, but the alert cowboy immediately spots her. He drops off his date where he originally picked her up. THE WHORE!Barbara and Cassius spend the entire evening in the hotel bar. It remains quiet until a large man (about two meters tall) appears. He looks shabby. He asks whether “the penthouse is still available,” but the hotel staff brush him off. Later Sarïa sees the same man climbing down the hotel’s rain gutters and fleeing toward the locomotive. He runs and jumps very athletically over this and other trains, and Sarïa eventually loses sight of him. It turns out he had taken a bath in the penthouse.[HR][/HR]12 WinterNew passengers arrive to board the train:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A tiefling who looks like a member of House Jierre boards. Others recognize him as Luc Jierre, brother of Lia and cousin of Nathan. He rarely appears in public. It later turns out that he stutters.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">He is accompanied by a Clergy of the Oracle, named Otavia. Elanor (the slave trader) claims she was probably purchased. She communicates using sign language because she is deaf.</li> </ul>Nick has the horn he bought yesterday decorated with jewels by Ayleen/Barbara (to serve as the focus for Clairvoyance).The train makes an intermediate stop at a heavily armed border post with the Malice Lands. The clocks must be set one hour forward there. We feel magic flowing back into us again, and Felix in particular feels much better here.The safari is prepared: a crate of rifles is brought out. Strange beasts roam here in the wild. Several passengers fire shots. Boon proves to be a very good marksman. Sarïa—OUT OF PURE JEALOUSY—throws him off balance with an invisible mage hand. On the roof of a carriage farther forward, the large vagrant stands shouting at the safari shooters.That evening we arrive in Orithea. A courier approaches Staf and tells him that a crate is waiting for us. Several buildings have minarets—pointed towers—which appear to interact with the “northern lights” and seem to be a popular attraction.Barbara and Cassius would like to accompany Tantalovich that evening, but he prefers to continue working on his mathematics. According to him, in this city-state gambling games can become unpredictable and even dangerous.Sarïa follows Boon that evening as a panther. This time he picks up a 32-year-old as his companion. Staf goes to the address listed in Elanor’s notes. Before he leaves, he sees the large beggar approach Elanor and Isobel and recite a poem—remarkably, for Isobel. Elanor strikes him away with her handbag and the local police chase him off.Barbara casts Detect Magic. Magical chaos strikes and blinds her for the rest of the evening. (rolling a nat 1 !) Cassius has to act as her chaperone when it becomes clear that Barbara cannot quickly shake off the magical chaos.Sarïa again sees Bree slip out through a back door of the bar where Boon was sitting with his date. She follows the veteran as a cat. The woman goes to the docks and gives money to the dockworkers. Then she waits. A carriage drives past. Suddenly there is commotion where the carriage passed—crates topple over. Bree barely reacts to it.[/spoiler]</blockquote>

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