The Cyre 1313, a legendary Lightning Rail train from the shattered nation of Cyre, is trapped forever in a tragic time loop. Haunted by the souls of its passengers and crew, it endlessly flees the encroaching Mists of the Mournland. This ghost train is a Domain of Dread, a prison for its tormented ruler. The party, through a cruel twist of fate, will find themselves trapped aboard the legendary train, and their only hope of escape is to confront the anguished soul who drives it.
The Plot Hook: The Mist Talisman
The adventure begins with the party discovering a tattered, ancient train ticket from the nation of Cyre. This artifact, the Mist Talisman, holds a powerful, yet subtle, magic. It will compel one of the party members to use it as a bookmark in a book, a keepsake in a pocket, or as a trinket in their bag.
The talisman’s true magic is only completed when it is “punched” by a conductor, a common sight on trains, a local bus, or even a simple horse-drawn carriage. The ticket will subtly influence its holder to get it punched by the first conductor they see. Once the ticket is punched, a magical fatigue overcomes the party, and they fall into a deep slumber, only to wake up on the Cyre 1313.
Aboard the Ghost Train
The air is cold and the rhythmic clack of the train on its tracks and the lightning elemental roar are the only sound besides the quiet, unsettling murmurs of the other passengers. At first, things seem normal, but the clues will quickly reveal the horrifying truth.
- The cars are cramped and overfilled, and the passengers’ clothing and uniforms are from a style decades past.
- Upon inspection, the tickets are all wrong. Each one has a different, impossible date from before the Day of Mourning, and a nonsensical destination. A careful eye will see that all the tickets were once ONE-WAY, but have been mysteriously torn to read NO-WAY.
- If the party asks the passengers about their journey, they will give the same unsettling, rote response: “We have been traveling for only a while.” Pushed too hard, the passengers will become suspicious and accuse the party of being spies, believing the war is still ongoing. The players are trapped in a moment in time, with no escape in sight.
The Cars of the Train
To escape, the party must travel to the front of the train to find the source of its curse. Each car is a unique challenge with its own eerie tricks and traps.
The Passenger Car
A silent, ghostly crowd of passengers stands in the aisles, forever trapped in their final moments. A player with a high passive perception might hear a specific, repeated phrase that hints at a clue in another car, but a disturbance will trigger a deafening psychic shriek from the ghosts. Players will need to use a Dexterity (Stealth) check to pass through the crowd without drawing attention.
The Dining Car
A phantom banquet is in progress, with petrified remains on the tables. The ghost of a chef paces in a loop of endless frustration. The only way to move on is to find a way to appease him. The chef’s rage will manifest as attacks from animated cutlery and petrified food.
The Luggage Car
The car is packed with luggage that shifts and creaks on its own. A character who fails to navigate the cramped space will risk a small luggage avalanche. One particular trunk is sentient and will try to grab a party member and hold them hostage until a specific phrase is spoken to it.
The Sleeping Quarters
This car is filled with cramped bunk beds occupied by the ghosts of sleeping passengers. As the party moves through the car, the ghosts will begin to stir. If a character makes too much noise, a ghost might wake up and begin a silent, slow, and relentless chase, attempting to pull a player into their bed and trap them forever.
The Darklord: The Soul of the Engine
The Darklord, a member of House Orien who hated the responsibilities of his position, is no longer a man but the very soul of the train’s engine. He manifests as a spectral being, bound by chains of crackling lightning and shimmering steel. His form phases in and out of the colossal, roaring engine, and he is a direct manifestation of his torment.
The party cannot defeat him by simply attacking. They must interact with the engine itself to break his hold.
- The Throttle of Responsibility: Pushing the large, brass throttle forward will cause the train to lurch and the Darklord to scream in agony as his form is stretched. This will stun him, leaving him vulnerable to attacks.
- The Gears of the Mundane: Using a spell like grease or acid splash on the colossal gears will cause them to seize up and grind painfully, breaking the Darklord’s concentration and dropping his defenses.
- The Steam of Frustration: The boiler will vent superheated steam at the party. By turning a valve, a player can redirect the steam at the Darklord, causing him to recoil in pain and become stunned.
The true final attack is to destroy the engine’s core, a glowing arcane crystal at the heart of the engine room. When the crystal is shattered, the train will screech to a halt, the Darklord will let out a final, agonizing cry, and the train will begin to reform, leaving the players behind.
The End of the Line
With the engine temporarily broken, the train comes to a halt, and the Darklord’s spirit is momentarily shattered. The train doors open, and the players are free to step off into the swirling mist. As they do, they will hear the Darklord’s voice, his consciousness reforming with the engine as it ROARS to life. He will let out a chilling, pained wail: “ALL ABOARD!”
The Cyre 1313, with its Darklord at the helm, will begin its journey anew, leaving the players standing in the unforgiving Mists to see where they end up next.