Chronicles
Decision
Prelude
Conductor: Tickets Please for the next stop. Tickets please.
The Adventure
The group arrives in their next stop, the town of Arcane. Most of their companions also left the train. The conductor described the town as a nice place, fun to visit and fairly safe.
As they waited to debark, there was the sound of hammering from outside. It sounded, and felt, like somebody was using a sledgehammer to smash open the baggage card. When the posse emerged, they spotted on older looking Chinese gentleman smashing the car with his bare hands. As they gaped in awe, the wild haired madman smashed a three-foot section with his bare hands. Some swore his hands never touched the car; others said they didn't notice because of the sound of the woman screaming from inside the car.
Concerned at his actions, Professor Grimm attempted to reason with him, but the man lacked the basic ability to speak English, so he could not benefit from Grimm's magnificent observations. Instead, he continued to try to break open the car. Ardale determined to stop him, grabbed the man and tried to restrain him. Unfortunately, even his strength proved insufficient and the man broke free. Ardale hit him again and he flew back and stayed there, suspended in the air.
At that point, three shots rang out and hit him, sending him tumbling to the ground. Ardale moved up to investigate, but the man was apparently unhurt. He smashed his fists on the boardwalk and the boards began rippling around him. The action took Ardale back a bit and the ripple continued all the way back to where Hunter and Grimm were standing to produce a near explosion.
Things looked pretty hopeless, but then a booming voice rang out in chinese and the man left peacefully. Meanwhile, in the train, Oscar was asking the girl, who had been hiding in the baggage car, what the man was after. Her story was that she was a poor child forced to steal for a living. Her attempt to steal from the home of the man's master had failed, but he wanted to punish her for her misdeeds. Accepting the story, Oscar let her go.
In town, folks settled into their normal routines: Oscar and Hunter headed directly to the local saloon, while Ardale made his way to a cathouse first. Professor Grimm, concerned about possible repercussions of the shooting, decided to visit the sheriff's office. There he learned that the man they had seen worked for someone called “The Mandarin” who owned a saloon called The Oriental. Grimm went there and met with the Mandarin.
It turned out that the girl's story was slightly true. She had stolen something from them, something the Mandarin wanted back. He also, perhaps in an opium induced haze, claimed that she had taken the form of a monstrous cat when she stole it. The item was, according to him, Dragon's Blood. He planned to auction it and at first thought the posse might have hired the she-demon, something he called a gaikyu. Grimm denied it, but the man insisted he stay for the auction.
Meanwhile, at the casino, things were going well. Hunter had a few drinks and a good time, getting into the spirit of Mardi Gras. Ardale was, well, cattin' around, and Oscar was winning most of his hands. He was invited by one of the men to join them for a trip later and agreed.
There were some strange things going on in town though, most of which defined description. One of the gamblers was accompanied by a gunfighter who never seemed to breath or even twitch. Another had a pet monkey. Strangest of all, Hunter's shadow appeared to be missing and there was another man in town who claimed to be him and always seemed to have just been where he was.
At the auction, the Mandarin announced the item had been stolen and declared that no one would leave the town until it was recovered. After the others left, Grimm asked the Mandarin about a reward for recovery of the vial. The Mandarin offered to answer questions in return for the vial and Grimm, spotting the man's large library, agreed.
He quickly rejoined Hunter and the pair headed back towards the train to see if any of their companions had spotted anything. Their, they heard a strange noise in the baggage car, then the shattering of glass as they entered. Whatever it was had gone out the back window. Checking the contents of the car, they found one of the Professor's trunks unlocked. Inside, they found the vial, either planted or hidden there. They retrieved it and headed to the Oriental to claim their reward.
On their way back, they met Ardale and Oscar who were out enjoying the festivities. As they spoke briefly, they spotted Ardale and Hunter coming down the steps of the town's other big saloon. Sensing that something was amiss, Grimm immediately asked the Ardale before him how much he would charge to carry his luggage. When the man didn't answer, he drew and leveled his derringer. Hunter followed suit, although his guns were aimed at the other Hunter coming towards them.
The Gaikyu did nothing, but the shadow Hunter offered to make Hunter everything he dreamed of being if only he would take his hand. Hunter refused and, borrowing Grimm's swordcane, cut off the shadow's hand. It dissolved into inky blackness leaving only the hand. The black pool flowed towards Hunter and the Professor, thinking it might be some kind of an attack, smashed his lantern at their feet. The Gaikyu fled, but at that moment they heard another scream.
Looking up, they saw the stoic gunfighter launched from a second floor window. Not taking chances, Ardale fired a shot at it, revealing it to be made of gears, motors, and metal, nothing but a mechanical man. In the window where he had left, they saw a large hairy arm trying to kill the German bidder. Shots were fired, a scream was heard and the arms disappeared. They made their way quickly to the Mandarin and returned his stolen vial of dragon's blood.
He told them they were in a land of dreams, somewhere between death and the afterlife. They were being battled over by the powers of light and the left hand of darkness. If they took the hand, by surrendering their will, then they would come back to life, but they would be dread spectres of what they once were, forever haunted by an evil spirit which would share their bodies. If they chose well, they would live or die at the whim of the powers of good. The towns they were visiting were a contest between two opposing forces and they would probably not get to escape until the spirits grew bored.
After hearing this, Lovecraft opted to stay and learn. The others found they had a ticket for Machine.
Quotebag
Mike: What kind of house were you trying to rob?
Steve: It was a place for wayward animals, mostly cats.Ardale: Hey Doc, can I get a advance on carryin' your stuff?
Grim: Certainly, here's two bits.
Ardale: She's probably a two-bit whore.Dove: You look like you need a bath.
Ardale: You offerin' to give me one?
Dove: Well, normally I'd say the tub can hold two...
Dave: but you're quite a tub yourself.A gentleman buys Mike a drink
Dave: Great, Tim's gettin' liquor in the front and Mike's getting poker in the rear.Dave: They got a shop in town that sells masks? I might want to get one.
Tim: Why don't you use your train robbin' mask?Dave (to Grim): The cheese stands alone
Tim: He's got a relic, what does he need us for?Dave: I say we just start shootin' people 'til we get the vial.
Noteworthy
It appears we have a choice to make: life as we are or undeath as we wish we were.
We also have to keep Gor, aka Mook, from making a stupid choice.
If we choose well, at the end we will live.
The gunfighter in black is death, the evil spirit will be one or more monsters in the dream, and the good spirit takes the same form in each dream and tries to show us our fundamental challenge.