The whispers of the cursed Fez filled Madame Zorba’s mind as the Orient Express pulled into the Budapest station at 11 PM. Baron Vanhoffler, struggling to decipher the ancient tome, decided to stretch his legs and get some fresh air to clear his mind. Per found the Baron’s behavior odd, given his previous obsession with the book, and offered to accompany him.

As they stepped onto the platform, Ilsa, the Baron’s daughter, darted across and vanished into an archway. In a moment of distraction, the Baron pulled Zorba aside, whispering enchantments in an unknown language that briefly mesmerized her. Clinton and Viola’s calls snapped Zorba out of the trance, and she playfully accused the Baron of flirting to fluster him.

Amidst the confusion, Per persuaded the Baron to hand over the book. Zorba engaged the Baron in conversation as they walked, keeping him occupied. Meanwhile, Clyde spotted Ilsa gesturing for him to proceed with their plan and noticed the Baron subtly steering Zorba away from the train.

Clyde distracted the Baron by mentioning Ilsa’s concern for his health. Seizing the opportunity, Viola patted the Baron’s shoulder, asking about his well-being while deftly jabbing him with a syringe. The Baron felt the prick but didn’t see the needle. As Clyde led him towards an alcove where Ilsa was waiting, Viola struck the Baron on the back of the head with her ashtray-laden purse. The Baron collapsed, unconscious but breathing.

A doctor arrived, warning that the head injury might have accelerated the drug’s effects. The group hastily returned to the train, leaving the Baron and Ilsa behind. Per congratulated himself on his restraint, while Clinton suggested searching the Baron’s now-empty cabin for research materials. Clinton pocketed a gold watch, and Per discovered the Baron’s Persian notes, eerily similar to their own findings.

As the train journeyed on, Zorba was awakened by two loud whispers from the Fez, nearly grasping some crucial information but losing a piece of her sanity in the process. Suttcliffe noticed Zorba’s gaunt and frail appearance, a stark contrast to her former self. The shadows cast by the Fez seemed larger, and their own shadows appeared elongated and unclear, reminiscent of the shadow monster Suttcliffe had encountered before.

Faced with the unnatural shadows, Suttcliffe lost a shred of sanity. Zorba, desperate for answers, considered becoming an “energy vampire” by psychically feeding on Scott Myers. Zorba contemplated using her ability to give some of her life force to Mr. Myers, forcing him to reciprocate. In that moment, she believed the Fez was trying to guide her, and the answers lay within the ancient tome.

As the Orient Express hurtled towards its destination, the investigators found themselves grappling with the consequences of their actions and the mounting horrors that awaited them. The cursed Fez continued to whisper its dark secrets, tempting them with forbidden knowledge and the promise of power. The shadows grew longer, and the line between reality and nightmare blurred, leaving them to wonder if they could ever escape the grasp of the ancient evil that pursued them.

Session Notes
  • The investigators pulled into the station in Budapest around 11 PM. The Baron decided to get up and stretch his legs, saying the fresh air would help him think since attempts to understand the book were not going well. Per found this odd given the Baron’s previous focus on the book and offered to go with him.
  • Clyde had previously talked to the Baron’s daughter Ilsa and planned to tranquilize the Baron with a hypodermic needle she provided. Viola Sutcliffe is aware of this plan but Per and Zorba are not.
  • As they exited the train, Ilsa ran across the platform and disappeared into an archway.
  • The Baron pulled Zorba aside and started whispering to her in an unknown language that enchanted her for a moment before Clinton and Viola called out to her, snapping her out of it.
  • Zorba pretended the Baron was flirting with her in the unknown language to fluster him. Clinton suggested they stay close to the train as it was almost time to reboard.
  • Per persuaded the distracted Baron to hand over the book he was holding. Zorba engaged the Baron in conversation as they walked to keep him occupied.
  • Clyde spotted Ilsa gesturing for him to proceed with the plan and noticed the Baron subtly steering Zorba away from the train towards a different archway where Clyde saw someone else pull their head back around the corner.
  • As the Baron and Zorba approached Ilsa’s archway, Clyde nodded to Viola and made a stabbing motion. He then distracted the Baron by mentioning his daughter Ilsa was on the train and worried for his health.
  • Viola used the distraction to pat the Baron’s shoulder asking if his health was a concern, while jabbing him with the syringe.
  • Clyde attempted to distract Baron Vanhoffler by mentioning his daughter, but failed his Fast Talk roll even with a bonus die.
  • Viola Sutcliffe successfully injected the Baron with a syringe using Sleight of Hand, spending 10 luck points to succeed. The Baron felt it but didn’t see the needle.
  • Clyde led the Baron towards an alcove where Ilse was waiting. Ilse ducked back around the corner when she saw her father.
  • With the Baron distracted yelling for Ilse, Viola hit him on the back of the head with her purse containing a heavy ashtray. She rolled a successful Brawl check.
  • The Baron collapsed to one knee then slumped to the ground unconscious but still breathing. Ilse rushed over, shocked at what Viola did.
  • A doctor arrived and checked on the Baron, saying the head injury may have accelerated the effects of the drug. He said they’ll have to drag the Baron to the car.
  • The group quickly headed back to the train platform, not seeing anyone who noticed what happened in the alcove. Viola kept an eye out for the suspicious person Clyde mentioned earlier.
  • Madame Zorba and the others return to the Orient Express train after the confrontation with the Baron and his daughter Elsa
  • Per congratulates himself on his good judgment for not taking action before the others returned
  • The Baron and Elsa do not return to the train
  • Madame Zorba still has the cursed Fez, which constantly whispers to her
  • Clinton suggests searching the Baron’s now empty cabin for any useful research materials
  • In the Baron’s cabin, Clinton finds and pockets an expensive gold pocket watch
  • Per finds some of the Baron’s research notes written in Persian, which seem similar to their own findings about the whispering Fez, and pockets them
  • The group discusses getting a nightcap drink before bed, while Zorba tries unsuccessfully to glean information from the Fez’s whispers
  • Everyone sleeps through the train’s 5:40am stop in Belgrade, waking up the next morning
  • Zorba is awoken by two loud whispers from the Fez. She loses some sanity and feels she almost grasped some important information from the whispers.
  • Suttcliffe notices Zorba looks significantly older, more gaunt and frail. Zorba’s appearance is reduced by 10 and constitution by 5.
  • Looking at their shadows, Zorba and Suttcliffe notice the Fez shadow looks larger and the edges of their own shadows are unclear and elongated, reminiscent of the shadow monster Suttcliffe saw before
  • Suttcliffe loses 1 sanity from seeing the unnatural shadows. Zorba suggests either informing the men or her becoming an “energy vampire” by psychically feeding on Emily Myers.
  • Lauren Sutcliffe considers using her ability to give some of her life force to Mr. Myers in order to force him to do the same for her.
  • In that moment, Lauren thinks that’s what the Hat was trying to tell her how to do, but she’s not sure.
  • Lauren bets the information on how to do this is in the book.
  • The GM calls the session for the night on a cliffhanger, with Lauren Sutcliffe facing a morality choice.
  • The GM comments that it was another great incapacitation of a villain.
  • The GM notes that once again, Miss Sutcliffe was a combat monster, tangling with one to two enemies.
  • The GM hopes Lauren got to mark Brawl and will get a chance to raise it before the demons come for her.
  • The GM jokes about Lauren getting into fisticuffs with the demons.
  • The GM is glad Lauren got to use the ashtray as a weapon.
  • Lauren comments that she is glad she got to use the ashtray too.
  • The GM jokes that demons are weak to ashtray damage, so he’ll never remove it from Lauren’s purse.