Mournland Express

Mournland Express

City life got you down? Take in the pastoral vistas between Sharn and Wroat on the Dagger River Regional. Need to concentrate on your petition to the Twelve? The Dead Man’s Crossing offers the ultimate in peace and quiet from Fort Zombie to Korth. Floating five feet over a line of Cannith- made conductor stones and powered by an air elemental with enough speed to outrun a hungry dragon, the lightning rail is the premier travel service across Khorvaire. A scion of House Orien serves as conductor, overseeing a full complement of house crew to ensure that your trip is pleasant and comfortable. Specially contracted guards from the Blademarks Guild are vigilant, ready to insulate you from the wilds beyond your window, while a Fabricators Guild artificer maintains the coach and carts at peak performance. See the wonders of the world in comfort rivaling a Ghallanda lodge. Lightning rail-fast, safe, and at your service. New with the Mournland Express, passage from Atur to the south shore of Lake Cyre in just two days!

— Advertisement in the Korranberg Chronicle

The Mournland Express is the newest addition to House Orien's lightning rail service. The Express makes weekly trips from Atur in Karrnath to the edge of the Mournland, just north of Valenar's fort Griffon¬claw, where enterprising traders and adventurers out of Stillwater Station gather for a return trip to civili¬zation. Along the way, the Express stops in Vedykar in Karrnath and Gatherhold on the Talenta Plains, among smaller stops. Alaria d'Orien championed the establishment of this route, and she has assembled a small but dedi¬cated crew to staff the Express. Dalus d'Cannith is in charge of maintenance and repair, the famed cook Traven of Sharn concocts the meals, and Elkavar d'Deneith oversees a rotating complement of guards from the Blademarks Guild.

THE CREW

The significant crewmembers of the Mournland Express are detailed here.

ALARIA D’ORIEN, CONDUCTOR

He’s out there, waiting For Alaria, the Day of Mourning was the day she was to wed lightning rail conductor Jarick d'Orien. Stand¬ing atop the bluffs of Gatherhold at the edge of Lake Cyre, the Hand of Orien was waiting for Jarick's train to round the edge of the lake, when she witnessed the cataclysm that ended the Last War. Alaria vanished that day, reappearing four years later at House Orien's headquarters in Passage, Dalus d'Cannith at her side, a request to become a lightning rail conductor, and a plan for the Mournland Express in her hands and mind. Jarick's loss haunts Alaria. Her desire to establish a route near or through the Mournland is singularly linked to the hope that she might someday find her lost love. She often uses her powers to disappear from the train for hours at a time, searching the nearby Mournland for a clue to Jarick's fate. Although she is outwardly calm and composed, her every action is weighed against how it might affect her quest. This focus has had an unexpected side effect however. Through some conduit of grief and pain, Alaria has forged a bond with the train's elemental.

HOOK. RUNAWAY TRAIN

Alaria has vanished into the Mournland on another search for her beloved. Unfortunately, a surge from the engine's elemental has sent the train out of con¬trol. The PCs have to find some way to get Alaria back to the helm or otherwise stop the train. HOOK. DETOUR Mysterious agents approach Alaria, promising a reunion with Jarick if she is willing to take the train down the conductor stones into Metrol. Can the PCs convince Alaria to turn around or, failing that, keep everyone alive through the length of the detour? Can the characters find out who the agents are and whom they serve?

TRAVEN, HEAD CHEF

More salt. That’s not salt, that’s arseni-! Ah, how can I help you? Traven is one of Khorvaire's premier chefs. He's also a changeling, as well as a freelance information broker and spy. When the news of a renewed route along the Mournland was leaked, Traven applied for the position of head chef. His position on the Mournland Express has made Traven invaluable for the rapid transit of sensitive information between Karrnath and Valenar, as well as a source for information about events on and around the route. Traven's maintains a pleasantly foppish demeanor in his human chef per¬sona, though he is, in truth, careful and calculating.

HooK. MISSING MISSIVES

A set of secret documents has been stolen from the Traven's possession. He asks the PCs to search the train and recover the documents before the lightning rail arrives at its next stop. HOOK. PROTECTING TRAVEN Being so valuable to various factions has quickly become a curse for Traven. He is no warrior, but demands increase with every trip. The changeling has to refuse someone who might hold a deadly grudge, or already has refused someone who is now out for blood. Traven needs allies who can provide him an out or pull off the job for him.

DALUS D’CANNITH, INVENTOR

Explain? There’s no point. You can’t possibly understand. An inventor whose genius with cutting edge elemen¬tal binding borders on insanity, Dalus was once a prominent member of the Fabricators Guild. Dalus chafed at the ethical limitations placed upon his experiments. He set off into the Mournland to find a secret Cannith laboratory. En route, Dalus came across Alaria near collapse as she wandered the wastes. Her beauty charmed him, so he brought her to Stillwater Station. While Alaria recovered, Dalus had the oppor¬tunity to study Hana Aurora d'Cannith's work with using conductor stones to create a barrier, and he postulated he could adapt it to a moving lightning rail coach. Dalus and Alaria travelled to Passage under the protection of Elkavar d'Deneith, and there sold House Orien on developing an experimental engine that could survive threats from the Mournland. Although the task of perfecting the engine has finally given Dalus freedom from oversight, it has simultaneously revealed faults in his theories. Dalus created and installed the experimental engine, but the elemental he chose has proven all too willful. When not devising new experiments, he repairs and improves the Express. He loves Alaria from afar, and so it's likely to remain until Jarick's fate is resolved.

HOOK. ELEMENTAL MADNESS

Dalus has numerous plans for elemental weapons and devices. To power a ritual experiment, he needs a series of lightning strikes to hit the train at precise times. He asks the PCs to help with this secondary ritual, and to then guard him until he can bind the summoned elemental to his will. What could go wrong?

ELKAVAR DDENEITH, GUARD CAPTAIN

You do whatever’s necessary to protect the passengers, even if it means your life. Don’t worry, I’ll be right there with you. Elkavar was born to an esteemed dragonmarked family of House Deneith, but he never developed a dragonmark like those of his siblings. This shamed him, and Elkavar set off into the Mournland, theoriz¬ing that stress and heroism might bring out a mark. He met Dalus and Alaria while resupplying in Still¬water Station, and quickly became fast friends with the Cannith inventor. When Dalus and Alaria left for Passage, Elkavar offered his company, even though no dragonmark had yet appeared. Rather than return to civilization in disgrace however, he had a fake dragonmark tattooed onto his body and lied about its manifestation to house authorities. Elkavar is the one permanent guard from House Deneith on the Mournland Express. He rides the coach out of friendship and the secret hope that his dragonmark might yet manifest. He also does so to avoid his house's scrutiny by remaining far away from major Deneith holds. Afraid of discovery, he overcompensates with shows of bravado and fool-hardy courage. By some luck, his secret has yet to be uncovered. In spite of generous pay, the guards under Elka- var's command never stay for long. The dangers of frontier travel and passing so close to the Mournland can be taxing on the hardest warrior. Elkavar is always looking for reputable mercenaries to fill out the ranks.

HOOK. MARKED FOR BLACKMAIL

Someone is blackmailing Elkavar, and he needs help. He employs the PCs to help him uncover his black¬mailer without revealing his secret. If the PCs find out anyway, do they reveal Elkavar's lies to House Deneith? What if his blackmailer is another Deneith scion?

CARTS OF THE MOURNLAND EXPRESS

The carts presented here represent the configuration of the Mournland Express as it thunders along the borders of Old Cyre. Due to the modular nature of the lightning rail, all the carts found on the Express might be found on other lines.

1. ENGINE CART

At the very front of the train, beyond a locked door and up a steep set of stairs, the helm platform stands buffeted by the barely leashed winds of Aino, the train's bound air elemental. Broad windows open out past the stabilizing vanes and onto the surrounding lands. Metal grating creaks underfoot. A crackling loop of electricity—the lightning reins—hangs limp, awaiting the next person who dares set his or her will against the bound elemental. Although confined to the engine, Aino has gained limited awareness of the train and has occasionally been known to exert control. For the time being, Alaria and Aino have come to a power-sharing agree¬ment over the running of the train. Behind the helm is a series of simple rooms, space enough for a bed with simple linens and a few pieces of integrated furniture, to house the crew. The bulk of the crew's baggage, several replacement conductor stones, and supplies for emergency repair are in the storage compartments at the back of the cart. An experimental engine pulls the Mournland Express, making it faster and more versatile than the average lightning rail coach. As long as it moves, the engine taps into the power of the conductor stones to create a repulsion field around the train. This field wards off living spells and other creatures that occa¬sionally emerge from the Mournland.

HOOK. BROKEN BINDINGS

A creature or mage on the train is determined to release Aino from bondage. Do the PCs further or oppose this plot? What are the consequences of unleashing Aino? Given its state of symbiosis with the train and relationship to Alaria, does Aino even seek freedom?

HOOK. BREAKDOWN

The train has broken down at the edge of the Night¬wood. Is this a normal maintenance problem or sabotage? The PCs must look into the problem and/or secure the area while the train is being fixed. Perhaps the train needs parts, and the PCs must explore the area to locate materials for Dalus to use in the parts' fabrication.

2. FIRST-CLASS CART

Plush chairs, a writing desk, and dining table on one side, feather beds and private bathrooms on the other, the first-class cart is a veritable suite of rooms for distinct, discerning groups of passengers. A maid and butler watch over up to twelve of these well-to-do customers, ensuring that their needs are met for the duration of the journey. The guards keep a special watch on the cart.

HOOK. FIRST-CLASS VILLAINY

One of the PCs' enemies has taken passage in the first-class cart. The characters have to find a way to confront the villain without harming innocents or face the consequences of reckless action. Perhaps the scoundrel has a plot involving the Mournland Express itself.

GAMBLING CART

This luxurious cart is lushly carpeted, filled with soft lighting, and set with gambling and dining tables. A well-appointed bar rounds out the lavish décor. Unless a visitor has an invitation or privileges to come here, proof of the intent and capability to gamble are required for entry. Others cannot make it past the scrutiny of the guards who eye all comers through eye plates in the heavy doors. Those who can't enter must take the walkway that extends around the car. The burly minotaur twins Dagar and Ragad keep the peace here. Under a separate contract with House Deneith, the minotaurs have duties that end at the doorways of the gambling cart. They are little inclined to act upon anything outside their purview unless it directly threatens them.

HOOK: NOBLE INFORMANT

Balas ir'Krag rides the Express back and forth, gambling away his time and fortune. He knows every¬thing there is to know about the train, but he only talks with those he plays, and he only plays the best. The PCs need to prove themselves if they want to get anything from Balas.

HOOK: HEIRLOOM RECOVERY

Erwin Calanshire, a young merchant, gambled away a valuable family heirloom early in the trip. He no longer has the money to return to the cart and win it back. So he asks the PCs to retrieve the item for him, promising a substantial reward once they reach their destination.

4. GALLEY CART

Flames leap, knives fly, and meat sizzles as Traven oversees a staff of five sous-chefs in the preparation of food for the Express's passengers. The kitchen, with its hanging pots, hot burners, and long countertops takes up fully half the cart. In the other half are a pantry, cold storage, and sleeping quarters for the galley staff. Traven doesn't take kindly to uninvited guests in this cart.

5. DINING CART

Long wooden tables and benches run the length of this cart, and diners from the standard passenger cart rub elbows and more as they devour the fare that comes out of the galley. A staff of five normally serves those in the dining cart.

HOOK: MURDER ON THE MOURNLAND EXPRESS

Somebody has been murdered late at night in the dining car, and a number of passengers and crew is suspect. Lacking an alibi, perhaps the PCs investigate to exonerate themselves. Or maybe the characters discover the victim was important to them in some other way.

6. GHOST CART

Sages have said that the Day of Mourning weakened the barriers between the world of the living and the dead. Others proclaim that Dalus's alteration of the conductor stones is a draw to restless spirits, espe¬cially in the haunted land of Karrnath. Whatever the cause, when the moon is full and mists gather near the borders of the Mournland, some passengers find themselves passing through a cart that wasn't there earlier. Sometimes such passengers are never seen again.

HOOK: MISSING PERSONS

The brother of one of the missing passengers asks the PCs to ride the Express and find out what happened to his sibling. The characters have to board the ghost cart and rescue the lost passengers. Who knows what else they might find within?

HOOK. HAUNTING WITNESSES

The ghost cart is a remnant from the Day of Mourn¬ing, filled with eyewitnesses to the cataclysm. What secrets might be teased from them before the cart fades away? Could it be that one of these passengers is related to a PC?

HOOK. VISITATION

One of the ghosts asks the PCs to help it find a way to its eternal rest. This might involve investigating the circumstances surrounding the ghost cart's destruc¬tion, gathering testimony from any survivors of the crash, or even recreating the events leading up to the crash and ensuring they work out differently.

7. STANDARD PASSENGER CART

Doors on either side of this cart lead to identical com¬partments. Each has cushioned benches, room for six—just enough to stretch if you're friendly—overhead racks for baggage, and windows. A standard cart has twelve compartments and seventy-two seats. HOOK. PROTECTION DUTY The PCs have been contracted to guard an important passenger, such as a witness on his way to a trial or a diplomat on the way to one of the rail's stops. Are the PCs up to the task? Who aboard wishes to bump off the characters' charge?

8. SLEEPER CART

This cart contains a long, narrow hallway with wash¬rooms at both ends and a series of heavy doors in between. Beyond the doors are bunk beds, each bed with clean sheets, pillows, and a wool blanket. This cart has enough room for every passenger in the stan¬dard passenger cart to bed down.

9. STEERAGE CART

Row after row of hard wooden benches and harder metal flooring furnish all the comforts of this cart, allowing up to two hundred persons to be packed within. Depending on the number of passengers, Elkavar assigns up to four guards to watch over the mob and keep them from disturbing the passengers in standard and first-class carts. Making trouble enough for the guards to wade into the press after you is a sure way to spend the rest of the trip one car back, in confinement.

HOOK. RAIL ROBBERY

Bandits have taken passage on the steerage cart. They plan to stop the train in the wilderness so their cohorts can ride in and rob the passengers. Can the PCs thwart the plot or, failing that, drive off the ban¬dits while minimizing passenger casualties?

10. CONTAINMENT CART

Rattling chains, the stench of fear, a dagger to the throat, and a barked warning often greet entrants to this cart. Sometimes dangerous creatures or valuable artifacts need to be moved long distances. This cart can be modified to hold anything from hardened criminals to captive wyverns. Whatever the cargo herein, Elkavar takes no chances while this cart is occupied. He tries to keep at least five guards on duty at all times, and they don't welcome curious visitors.

HOOK. ESCAPE!

The captives have escaped. The PCs must apprehend the escapees before they wreck the train, simply flee into the wilds or the settlement at the next stop, or accomplish some other evil.

11. CARGO CART

This cart can carry anything from excess baggage to trade goods. Truly valuable objects are more likely to ride in the containment cart, but the cargo carts are usually locked. An elevated walkway allows crew members to move around the cart as needed. It also provides space for the guards who keep watch on the back of the train.

HOOK. RAIL TAX

A Valenar warclan has decided to charge for passage along the border of the Blade Desert, and its mem¬bers have set up a toll across the lightning rail. They prefer livestock and the like instead of money. Can the PCs negotiate a compromise or show the elves that the Mournland Express is not without fierce defenders?

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