Deep beneath the Whitestone Mountains are the dwarven railways. Built over hundreds of years by the combined efforts of a dozen dwarven clans and their surface allies, the next work connects together all of the major dwarven holds, nearly all the minor mines, and quite a few of the surface cities. A mix of cut tunnels and repurposed natural gaps such as caverns, underground rivers, old lava tubes, and various caves, it does occasionally come out onto the surface. A few hundred trains pulled by locomotives of steel and steam puff through the tunnels on scheduled services. Between all of these there is space for chartered trains, pulled by independent locomotives and their crews.
Lord Bottlehood has chartered the party and their locomotive to pull a special train to deliver a diplomatic package to Grandspine Parkway by express. Complex negotiations between the southern dwarven clans and the Kingdom of Residual Knocks are taking place at Grandspine and Lord Bottlehood has a delivery of information, contracts, and gifts that is needed to strengthen the dwarven position. The route will take the train through the Whispering Tunnel sections before climbing up to Top Stop Holt to resupply, after which the train will take the expressway through the caverns of Snarg to get them speedily to Grandspine Parkway. It is a two day trip. In addition to the diplomatic cargo in the guard’s van, the rest of the train is filled out with passengers and cargo taking advantage of the special train. The train consists of the locomotive and its tender, a crew and cargo carriage, the 1st class carriage, the dining car, two second class carriages, three third class carriages, two cargo carriages, and the guard’s van at the rear. The player character taking the role of the lead engineer gains proficiency in running and maintaining the locomotive.
It is 6:07 pm and the train is nearly ready to depart from Fatherstone Central and the dozens of passengers and cargo are mostly aboard. There are several passengers that might pique the party’s interest. Lady Sillavana Bryralei is well known to the locomotive crew as she regularly takes chartered trains to visit her many aristocratic friends all across the Whitestone Mountains. As usual she’s brought her tiny dog with her and has taken her preferred first class cabin in the middle of the carriage. Amongst the last of the cargo being loaded is a very heavy box filled with musical rocks. It belongs to Thardrangrid Opalaxe, a dwarven musician known by her stage name of StoneNoisE. She’s touring through the mountains as she’s working on her next album. In second class is Mr Passenhal. He’s a smartly dressed elf in a formal business suit and a briefcase chained to his left wrist at all times. He will happily make small conversation but never says anything of consequence. Just as the train is about to haul away, a nanny comes running onto the platform with three young children in tow. Minny Holtop has just that morning been hired to escort Ebigal, Sthoman, and Dapsie on the special railway trip that these orphans have won in a mail competition. The children are exceptionally excited and barely keep to their third class seats. Finally, the party is joined by Jigenjig Wingspite, an apprentice engineer. Small and wiry even for a gnome, they are eager, obedient, and very happy to take over supervising the locomotive.
The first few hours of the journey are peaceful and the crew are able to enjoy pleasant conversation with the passengers over dinner. The only hint of trouble is between Lady Sillavana Bryralei and StoneNoisE. StoneNoisE is banging on her rocks very loudly and it is greatly distressing Lady Sillavana Bryralei’s little dog. Lady Sillavana Bryralei will accost the first crew member she can find and will not be shy about her anger. She insists that StoneNoisE’s instruments be confiscated and demands compensation from StoneNoisE for the upset caused to her pet. StoneNoisE is completely unaware of the upset she’s caused as she is completely engrossed in how her music mixes with the sounds of the train. She has no interest in giving up her rocks, her cabin, or paying Lady Sillavana Bryralei but she is amenable to apologising and taking her rocks down to the guard van, once she’s put some clothes on.
As it approaches midnight, the train exits Bind’s Tunnel and begins to run alongside the underground river of Darts. Just as the train exits the tunnel, there are three loud thumps on the roof of the carriage that one of the crew is in. Three goblin raiders are sneaking along the roof towards the guard van, intent on stealing whatever they can safely carry off. There’s plenty of space within the caves of the Darts River and the tracks will run alongside it for at least an hour, so goblins know they have plenty of time on the roof. Once the goblins have been dealt with, one of the crew will discover the three orphans by themselves in the last third class carriage. They say they don’t know where Minny Holtop has gone. Their nanny is lurking near the door to second class and her body language is that of a spy watching their target. If confronted, Minny Holtop will shrug off any accusations or investigation with a desire to obtain a late night snack for her wards.
At just after dawn, the train pulls out of a long climb onto the surface as it arrives at Top Stop Holt. The air is crisp and cool up here at the head of a snow covered mountain valley. Lady Sillavana Bryralei departs here along with a quarter of the other passengers. The small workforce at the station busy themselves with loading and unloading cargo and helping the crew service the train. The stationmaster, a tall half-orc by the name of Jib Brightooth, has unfortunate news. The tunnel leading on from Top Stop Holt has a giant slime in it. The gelatinous creature completely fills the tunnel and extends some ten metres down the tunnel. It is very stuck but in its mindlessness, it doesn’t seem to care and is merrily dissolving the tracks and tunnel walls. It also doesn’t seem to notice what is being done to it until it starts to take significant harm. Then it will lash out with tendrils at anything and everything nearby.
Once the slime has been dealt with, the crew discover that Minny Holtop has stabbed Mr Passenhal, cut off his hand and stolen the briefcase. The orphans have been left behind whilst she is making a run down the snow covered valley. Mr Passenhal reveals that the briefcase is full of important documents for dozens of companies engaged in trade deals between Fatherstone Central and Grandspine Parkway. Their loss will cause considerable damage to the economy of the region and end his consultancy business. He has no idea who Minny Holtop actually is or who she could be working for. Chasing after the nanny will delay the train further but the trail is obvious thanks to blood drops coming from Mr Passenhal’s severed hand. When she is caught up with, Minny Holtop is struggling in a snow drift. She has no intention of surrendering herself or the briefcase and has a pair of daggers, which she’ll use to attack whoever is nearest to her. If disarmed or badly injured, she’ll plead for mercy and will reveal that she was hired via a shadow contract and knows only where to drop off the briefcase. Mr Passenhal doesn’t care about Minny Holtop’s fate, only that the briefcase is recovered.
An hour or so along the tracks and the locomotive starts to slow down and make unpleasant noises. There’s nothing mechanically wrong with the machine, but the coal is very poor quality and twice as much of it is needed to keep a working flame in the firebox. It’s not just the fresh coal from Top Stop Holt that’s a problem, the water taken on board is contaminated with sludge and algae. Both these problems are going to need resolving else the train is going to have to run at much reduced speed. However, as the train enters the Caverns of Snarg and joins the multi-track expressway, the guard van brakes are slammed on. The train lurches, shudders, and strains as the brakes fight against the locomotive. As a crewmember enters the guard van, they will see a figure in dark overalls jump off the rear of the train and make to escape down the tunnel. There’s an open crate amongst the cargo containing supplies and bedding for the stowaway saboteur. If caught, they will declare their allegiance to the Maroon Revolution, a political movement the crew will recognise as being against peace between the dwarven clans and Kingdom of Residual Knocks.
The train has been slowed and delayed enough now that another train catches up to it and pulls alongside. This train is a locomotive of similar class to the crew’s locomotive but it is only pulling three empty pallet trucks. An engineer works frantically at the locomotive whilst a party of bandits equal to the crew’s number and an ogre are on the pallets. Half of the bandits will target the crew’s locomotive with ranged attacks whilst the ogre and the rest of the bandits will try to board the train using ropes and grapples. Their goal is to prevent the diplomatic package from reaching its destination either by stealing it or destroying it. From the stowaway saboteur, they know exactly where the package is on the train. They will attack any crew who gets in their way and are attacking the locomotive to prevent the crew’s train from escaping. Once they’ve found the package they will attempt to steal it back on to their train.
Both locomotives have fifty hit points and an armour rating of three. A locomotive that is reduced to zero hit points will break down and come to halt. The crew can attempt to push their locomotive harder to outpace the revolutionaries and this roll is contested by the revolutionary engineer. Succeeding will pull the crew’s train ahead and failing will make it easier for the revolutionaries to fire on the crew’s locomotive. If all of the bandits and the ogre are defeated by the crew, the engineer will reduce steam and let the crew’s train go.
The rest of the journey to Grandspine Parkway is thankfully uneventful. The departing passengers thank the crew for keeping them safe and the usual cargo is unloaded. The diplomatic cargo is collected by an guard composed of both Dwarven Sappers and Knocknights. The stationmaster directs the crew to a siding where both they and their locomotive can rest.
Image Credits: Steam Locomotive Running Gear by Petar Milošević by CC-BY-SA-3.0, Down the Hole.. by Darren B Hillman BY-ND-3.0
