45 Underground
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June-July 2022

One by one, the stragglers return to their base, Ninevah last of all being reluctant to leave Miles in Zenovia. Corjen is much as they left it, and plans are made to get the final piece of the locomotive puzzle: Dark Obsidian Plates. According to the blueprints, these are “easily found” in the fallen cities of Grimnest.

Back in the library, Ninevah finds a shrunken head in her garden. She also notices some of the books have been moved. She’s not sure but some might be missing. Prince Kobe puts in an appearance and tells her that the shrunken head was a warning from the Legba. A number of them have begun working together, calling themselves the Sinistrum.

Assured there is no immediate cause for concern, the group travel north, having had word of a mine where the Dark Obsidian can be found.  Travel there is relatively quick as the weather improves, but all is not well. The mine has recently collapsed and the local priest badly injured. Ninevah inspects the local spirits but finds only the sad, tired wraiths of dead miners and their families taken too soon to the grave.

They meet the mine owner Mrs Thomas who clearly dabbles in the occult, having tell-tale items and valuable ornaments but otherwise seems a cheery person who wishes no-one ill. The group set about getting the mine re-opened but something inside reacts badly, causing another collapse. There is a suspicion the new priest has somehow upset the beings within. They do not appear to be fae or undead.

The atmosphere is further darkened by the arrival of Mallory a factor from a nearby town who wishes to collect a toll on behalf of several interested parties. He is also a vampire. At this point Mrs Thomas discovers she has been robbed and has nothing to pay Mallory with. He gives her a week to pay, or there will be dire consequences.

46 The Village
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August-Sept 2022

Knowing they can do little to prevent the coming attacks, barricades are thrown up around the village. Rain is sweeping in, and It's not natural. At first the barrier Mallory placed around the village seems to hold, but it is preventing Henry and Kat returning as they had headed off to meet with Morvens’ cavalry troop arriving from the east.

Once lifted, the enemy waste no time in making foraying into the village, though they meet with a solid line of defence. Any celebrations are premature, as Mobius flies in to warn Ninevah in her grain silo perch: "They're coming!"

Percy returns, tells of the tunnels and a bone worker but the focus must be on the incoming threat. The best of the attackers doesn’t reckon on Kat sniping from the tower, and the demoralised foe soon retreats leaving on of their number behind. The mercenary doesn’t have much enlightening to say. Henry pursues the others an encounters a sorceress who looks like Ninevah, and gives him an ultimatum.

The enemy vanquished, Jack leads the group to investigate Percy’s claims of underground tunnels and a hidden workshop. When they find it, Ninevah seeks to open a portal to the other side and instead opens one into hell. It almost claims many, but Jack sacrifices himself to save his fellows and disappears. Ninevah decides this cannot be his final act, and invokes divine power to retrieve him.
They return somewhat changed, but alive.
While he recovers, preparations on the defences continue. Ninevah goes to talk with her look-alike, which only annoys her further. Returning to the tunnels, the group finds an abandoned overgrown underground temple forged from Dark Obsidian. Jack talks with the miners about bringing these ries to the surface, then decides to talk to Ninevah’s twin Elspeth.
Something about her has changed in the interim, and she is more willing to compromise. The treat to the village has seemingly passed, and discovering Mrs. Thomas’ claim on the mine has been sold they travel to Abergoch to settle the matter. It seems the sale to a holding company has been somehow arranged with the stolen papers, and Mallory agrees to sell the titles on to Kat, thus securing its future.

Mrs Jenkins' boy brings Jack a letter "We regret we are unable to send a garrison at this time due to the delicacy of the negotiations with the Duchy of Vlach and Autocracy of Corjen. As soon as these matters are resolved we will be happy to assist."

The group hastens back to Corjen to find out what’s changed in their absence.

47 Allies
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Sept-Oct 2022

Matthias Freya’s cat has apparently been up to all sorts of mischief while Percy has been away and the Oracle is not amused. Jack and Percy attempt to pacify her and promise to deal with the problem. Failing to engage with the feline, Percy asks Kat to help and somehow her considerable charms turn up a positive result. Jack wants to pass on the good news, but the Oracle is no longer receiving visitors.

Jack goes to the barracks and is pleased to see a strong contingent of troops, Panam’s crew and of course his wife who is working there. He decides to forget about his troubles for a while. The group finally collect their hard-won salaries. Henry tenders his apologies and heads to Vlach to meet with the Duchess. He meets a merchant called Keema who asks lots of questions and tells tales of Grimnest’s Ghost Markets.

After indulging in some fruitless research, Ninevah decides to try talking to the Oracle, and finds her in poor health. What she says raises concerns about what Shamaness Kapihi has been up to, and together with Jack she agrees to summon her to allay their concerns. Danny is adamant that she is up to no good and only ill will come of dealing with her. The summoning itself brings with it an evil smell as a malign entity is summoned rather than the Shamaness and Ninevah decides the pit is probably not the best place to perform the ritual.
Decamping to a lonely hilltop further from Corjen, Kapihi is finally called. Young-looking with a bright aura, the shaman is apologetic though Danny is not convinced. She plants a seed on the hilltop that will grow into a shrine where she will know when the group wants to speak with her.

Returning the Port Royal, the group suddenly realise they have lost a number of weeks crossing the barrier and that Henry’s paramour Duchess Morven may be about to give birth. Ninevah facilitates a portal, and discovering the lady and child in peril, executes a successful delivery with the aid of Kapihi. Jack is similarly concerned, but Tyche is not yet at term and he need only wait patiently for nature to take its course.

A new contract is negotiated to recover a final part of the locomotive, and preparations are made to depart.