The Ghostlight Express

Date: 7/4/25
In-Game Date: TBD

  • Party Goal: Explore the Train and Release the Haints

  • Location: The Ghostlight Express

How We Got Here

Trick

  • High collared maroon coat & silk vest

  • Navigates alleyways and encounters Bill, who is the only one able to see Trick

    • Bill: "i would presume you've been using it well" (evil laugh) "or else why would you be back to see ol' Bill-Bob again?"

  • Bill explains that Trick is dead and passes his hand right through Trick

  • Trick asks for a second chance

    • Trick: "Give me another chance, I'll be better... I'll be smarter this time"

  • Bill offers him a second chance if he wins a coin flip

    • Trick uses his own bloodstained coin and wins on Heads

    • Bill: "Take my hand and follow me, I'll bring you to the start of your new life."

  • Trick picks up the coin and grabs his hand as the city fades into a fog

Eleana

  • Unable to find a cure for her disease she ends up at a hags house asking for help. The hag gives her a train ticket that says "Admit 1" and a jar with a brain floating inside of it. She called him Brian and said that she has not been a good owner to him so he should go with Eleana and help her on her journey. Eleana says "it's the only option I have", thanks her and leaves. Brian leads her into the fog.

Grimm

  • Alchemist from Ravitica, once a professor

  • Always unkempt and exhausted looking. Wants to figure out the formula for perfection

  • Discovers ruined Fey laboratory, finding notes on "The Grimm Cure"

  • Creates "The Grimm Cure" and injects himself with it in the neck

    • feels violent transformation, fades to black

    • awakens outside in the middle of nowhere and sees footprints behind him. Everything familiar to him is gone.

  • See's a building in the distance with dim oil lanterns surrounded by fog.

Beauregard

  • regular-degular morning in his favorite tavern

  • Walks with a cane that is adorned with a ram skull on the handle

  • Gambling in the back is interrupted by a crashing sound outside

    • Mr. Earl: "That bloody goat is out there again. Beauregard, I hate to ask--"

    • Beau: "Then don't ask"

      • "Phillip's gonna run me through this time"

  • Phillip the black goat is outside breaking shit, knocks the fence down

    • Something is not right about him. When Beauregard steps outside, Phillip just stops and stares. It's the body of Phillip but that is not Phillip

    • In his head: "We have a job for you"

    • Beauregard: "Little bit in the open to be negotiating jobs again, Mr. Delmareaux."

    • In his head: "No need to speak, just follow"

  • Phillip turns around and walks away into the fog, Beauregard following

Jiwho

  • Chanting gutterally from a scroll at a forgotten shrine

  • Red arcane circle forms beneath him as his body is lifted into the air

    • He feels his body being torn into pieces

    • everything fades to black

  • He sees two alternate versions of himself

    • Smiling (unnerving)

    • Featureless face, except two eyes

  • The featureless one begins to transform, body parts growing out of the eyes

    • Smiling one: "you shouldn't have done that" (laughs) "Time to have some fun"

  • In a burst of flames, the smiling one is gone and there is a pile of ash and a black circle on the ground where he was.

  • The other person remains, reaches out his hand and touches him

    • He feels the same feeling of being torn apart but reversed as it shoots back into his body

  • Message burned into the ground: "Come find me" along with a ticket on the ground.

  • He walks to the train station in the fog, unnoticed by others

Zora

  • Already aboard the train, asleep

  • pale human, platinum hair, dark leather and armor underneath, axe on back and shield eyes light purple

  • Voice over the PA: "We'll be arriving in Druskenvald shortly"

Convergeing at the Station

CharacterArrivalTransformationTrick- Bill looks to trick and says "you'll be needing this", handing him a ticket and tipping his hat
- Arrives at the station|PERCEPTION CHECK: 23 |
notices short curved red horn on Bills head, looks down and see's his hands are red, realizes he made a deal with the devilGrimmFinds a ticket in his pocket with a sketch of the building infront of him.Reborn as Curseborn, covered in fur, has claws.EleanaShe arrives at the station thinking about her sister. Notices other travelers there and joins them wordlessly.No transformation except noticably darker weblike veins from beneath necklaceBeauregardPhillip guides him to the station as Beau finds a ticket in his pocket.Becomes more rat-like.
"I figured a change of appearance was fitting for someone as mischievous as yourself it will help you fit in better goin foreword"JiwhoHe hold his ticket as he approaches cautiously. He notices Eleana and places his hand on his scabbard, standing away from her. (she succeeds on a perception check noticing this) Eleana wordlessly smiles at him.Soul fragmented.

Train

Boarding

They hear a fiddle as spectral tracks magically appear in front of a long train. A frog stands on top greeting them. He introduces himself as The Vagrant/The Stranger.
"Well I'll be I knew there were going to be passengers tonight but I didn't know how handsome you'd all be"
He explains that they are going to Druskenvald, a place where the living and the dead can converse. Where dying there is a final death. It is a place run by Mr.Druskenvald and Mrs.Druskenvald.

They Board the train into the last car, seeing green smoke in the distance, the realm outside completely veiled. Passengers aboard flicker in and out. They have no baggage except one that is sleeping (Zora), who wakes up and greets them.

Train Warnings

  • Need a ticket to rid the train to Druskenvald

    • trick tries to 'sleight-of-hand' his ticket and fails (lmao)

    • this is a one way trip so to return you need to wait for the next time the train departs

  • DO NOT OPEN EXTERIOR DOORS OR WINDOWS

    • The green mist outside is called The Shroud and if it breaks through, Haint's are going to have a hard time as they are prone to be corrupted.

  • THERE IS A COMM SYSTEM THROUGH THE TRAIN THE PARTY CAN USE IF AT ANY TIME THEY NEED TO TALK TO THE VAGRANT

Combat

The party take a minute to introduce themselves while Trick starts harrassing a ghost by waving his hand through them. A loud crash is heard and mist comes spilling into the train, transforming the accosted ghost into a corrupted haint and another spectral being screams in the back. The party fight the beings some coming very close to death.

Vagrant Asks For Help

The Vagrant explains that haints power the train and unless this situation is dealt with the train can't stop. He tasks us to release the Haints and directs us to the Tender (the main fuel storage) to check for corruption. He warns us to not tell Mr. & Mrs. Druskenvald.

Exploring the Train Cars

First-Class Cabins

Cabin 1Mr. & Mrs. DruskenvaldCabin 2Unnoccupied except for a wooden table with a brass phonograph ontop with a jazz record lying next to it.
- Eleana takes the record, the rogue is excited and wants to steal more.Cabin 3
#haintCrying heard from inside: "oh darling I'm so sorry you must be without your sweetheart and how I long to be with you but here I am on my way to death I dont want to spend an eternity without you"
She hold a locket with a picture of a handsome mustachioed man on the inside and it's engraved with the initials JB. Beauregard tries to comfort her and says he will try to look for something of his.Zora notices the broken needle on her compass is moving and pointing towards the front of the train.

Dining Car

#haint
There is a spectral figure eating Scooby-Doo style and talking crazy about a rock.
Zora's compass is still pointing forward
(PC I FORGOT) Eats some of the sp

Baggage Car

#haint
In the musty baggage car, the clatter of chains echoes as Grimm moves through heaps of old luggage, noting one conspicuous pile marked with a golden "D."
A hungry, spectral figure lingers nearby, craving a final meal—pizza, steak and eggs, anything.
Grimm finds a discarded medical bag labeled "FEY" and quickly rifles through it, discovering empty vials and a crumpled note that reads:

  • _"Test failed. Currently infected. Enemies of progress destroyed lab. Must head toward unorthodox hospital to seek experimental medication."

Searching further, Grimm uncovers a pouch of coins, arcane-etched goggles and a silver ring with a ruby, worth 20 gold but non-magical. He offers food to the spectral creature, who gratefully accepts and, after a brief exchange

  • *"Do you have a rock?" "No, I’ve been here a long time"

  • he vanishes.

NPCs Met

  • Name –

  • The Stranger/The Vagrant: Frog, fiddler, host of the train

  • Bill - Beauregard, Devil

  • Ghosts:

    • woman mourning lover (Initials JB)

    • pinnochio wants rocks

    • Death Row inmate wants steak and eggs

      • gave him steak and eggs

      • vanished

  • Mr. Druskenvald:

  • Mrs. Druskenvald: Believer in fate, reads tarot

Places

  • Ghostlight Express

  • Druskenvald: Afterlife town where the living and dead mingle

  • Forgotten shrine: Where Jiwho did his ritual

  • Fey Laboratory: Destroyed facility that Grimm discovered

Items / Rewards

  • "Admit One" tickets (all party members)

  • Record

  • Medical bag (inscribed with fey)

    • contained

      • Arcane goggles

      • Ruby Ring

      • Bag of coin (70gp)

Threads / Questions / Goals

  • What is Druskenvald? Can we truly leave?