The train jerks hard, brakes shrieking between stations. The lights stutter, die, then return in a weak gray pulse. Passengers brace, clutching poles and seats.
At the connecting door, a man in a dark jacket steps into the aisle. He wears a mask, and he does not look at anyone else. His eyes pin on the Peacebringer in Thadeus's hand.
Kaelen
Hand it over. Right now.
Thadeus Jovanović
The coordinates are still in the ledger. If he is here, the route matters.
The carriage rocks again. Marla shifts beside Thadeus, keeping low as other riders recoil away from the aisle. The masked man squares his shoulders, ready to close the gap if Thadeus hesitates.
Marla
He is one of them. Keep the weapon, and get us moving when you can.
The stalled train, the blocked aisle, and the Peacebringer in hand make the next move clear. Thadeus has to get past the Revenant scout, keep the artifact, and reach the coordinates before the trail goes cold.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get past the masked Revenant scout
“Can Thadeus tell if the scout is undead?”
YES (Likely, rolled 32)
Thadeus Jovanović
His skin is gray and cold, and he does not breathe. He is not alive.
Kaelen
You think you can hide from us, Thadeus. My name is Kaelen, and I am the last thing you will ever see.
“Thadeus, Peacebringer in hand, whips it at Kaelen, striking him and causing Kaelen to burst into flames. The explosion causes the train to scream to a stop, throwing Thadeus and Marla backwards several feet.”
SUCCESS (Fair Athletics, rolled +3)
Thadeus snaps the Peacebringer forward in one clean whip-crack.
The line bites across Kaelen’s chest, and blue-white fire blooms over him in a violent flash.
Kaelen staggers, hissing light pouring from his clothes as he collapses into the aisle.
The train slams to a grinding stop, and the whole car lurches hard on its suspension.
Thadeus and Marla are flung backward across the seats, papers and dust jumping into the air.
When the car settles, Kaelen is down, and a black, scorched ID badge skids to a stop near Thadeus’s boot.
Beyond the aisle, the next door between cars hangs loose and rattling, giving Thadeus a clear path forward.
Quest Complete
Get past the masked Revenant scout
+ New Item Acquired
Scorched ID badge
“Thadeus gives Marla the ID card, and asks her to take it Elias and see if they can decipher any detail that connects it to the coordinates found in the ledger. Thadeus gets off the train and returns home to rest, both his mind and body.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +1)