The velvet shadows of the Orient Express whispered secrets as it sped through the darkened landscape, a vessel of dread and hope bound for Constantinople. Madame Zorba and Per Oskarson spent countless hours poring over a Persian-to-English phrasebook, their minds teetering on the brink of exhaustion. The cursed Fez, an artifact of abominable power, lay before them. Its whispering tendrils seeped into the very marrow of their bones, the hieroglyphics mocking them with their inscrutability.

Madame Zorba’s beauty, now marred by the Fez’s insidious influence, was a stark contrast to the luxurious surroundings of her fortune-telling wagon. She had sacrificed a part of Scott Myers’ vitality to stave off her own deterioration, a secret she kept buried deep within her heart. The others were oblivious to her desperate act, save for the gnawing sense of something amiss.

Clyde Corning, ever vigilant, and Clinton Lake, the steadfast smuggler, prowled the train’s corridors, their eyes sharp for any sign of shadowy creatures. While Clyde remained focused, Clinton found himself drawn to the dining car, where the mundane clashed with the supernatural tension gripping their journey.

Gathered in a private compartment, Zorba and Per shared their findings with the group, omitting the sinister spell Zorba had used. The air was thick with the scent of fear and the bravado of those who had faced the abyss. The discussion turned to Scott Myers, whose fate hung by a thread. Midnight loomed, and with it, the next stage of the Fez’s curse.

Viola Sutcliffe, a beacon of faith amidst the encroaching darkness, was chosen to inform Ellie Myers of a grim option. Ellie, faced with the unbearable prospect of losing her beloved Scott, agreed to chant a mantra, sacrificing her own life force to delay the curse. Her voice, though trembling, carried the weight of her love and determination. As she chanted, a palpable energy shift rippled through the compartment, buying Scott another day.

Preparations for their arrival in Constantinople were underway. Per, ever the diligent scholar, returned the borrowed phrasebook to Henri. The grand Sirkeci Station greeted them with its architectural splendor, a nexus of cultures, languages, and religions. Among the throngs, a sign reading “Mr. Lake and Company” held by two young people, a man and a woman, caught their attention.

Toprak and Rana, Professor Demir’s children, approached Clinton Lake. Their faces were etched with worry, the weight of their father’s perilous situation pressing upon them. Professor Demir had been attacked by those who sought the Fez, his youngest son Barlas taken as leverage.

The group, driven by a mixture of duty and dread, agreed to visit the Demir household. Carriages were arranged, and as they rode through the bustling streets of Constantinople, Per engaged Rana in conversation. Her confusion about the Fez’s value mirrored his own scientific skepticism, yet the urgency of their plight was undeniable.

Arriving at the upscale neighborhood of Galata, they disembarked and navigated through narrow alleys to the Demir residence. A modest, upscale mansion with a private garden awaited them. Professor Demir, initially alarmed, recognized his children and greeted the group as friends of Professor Smith. His tale of the cult known as the Children of the Blood Red Fez was harrowing. The cult’s demand for the Whispering Fez in exchange for his son cast a shadow over their mission.

In the dim light of his study, Professor Demir revealed his distrust of the cult and their violent nature. Tea and snacks were served, a semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos. The group shared their own encounters with the cult, their knowledge of the Fez’s dangers. Per showed Demir the Whispering Fez book, its hieroglyphs tantalizingly close to revelation.

The cult’s deadline was set for midnight at the Kassim Pasha docks. The group weighed their options, the prospect of seeking help from a notorious occultist known as the Frenchman emerging as a potential lifeline. Per offered to assist Demir with the translation, their combined efforts a beacon of hope in a sea of uncertainty.

Discussions turned to the nature of the Fez, its insidious hunger for the psyche of its wearers. The group speculated on the cult’s knowledge of their movements, the shadowy figure of Menkaph possibly pulling the strings. The suggestion to introduce the Frenchman to Miss Sutcliffe’s purse hinted at a bribe, a desperate gambit in their perilous game.

As they prepared to meet the Frenchman, the group acknowledged the gravity of their situation. A borrowed wide-brimmed hat from France, a symbol of both disguise and hope, was offered. Pairing up, they steeled themselves for the next chapter of their harrowing journey.

The night closed in around them, the weight of their quest pressing down as they agreed to continue their story. The eerie silence of the Orient Express was a stark reminder of the horrors they had faced and those yet to come.

Session Notes
  • Per and Zorba spent an entire day with a Persian to English phrase book, translating the Whispering Fez.
  • They managed to translate the most important parts, but there is still a section of hieroglyphics that remains untranslated.
  • Zorba continues to deteriorate under the effects of the Fez. She made an effort to save herself at the expense of Scott Myers, unbeknownst to the other characters.
  • Clyde and Clinton looked around the train, initially searching for shadow creatures, but Clinton ended up in the dining car.
  • Per and Zorba shared their findings with the group, except for the secret drain spell that Zorba used.
  • The group discussed the need to delay the effects of the Fez on Scott Myers, who would degrade to the next stage of the curse at midnight without intervention.
  • Viola Sutcliffe was chosen to inform Ellie Myers about the option to delay the curse by chanting a mantra and touching the Fez, which would drain her life force instead of Scott’s.
  • Sutcliffe and others walked to the Myers compartment and informed Ellie about the situation.
  • Ellie, knowing they would reach friends in Constantinople who might help, agreed to perform the mantra to keep Scott safe.
  • Ellie chanted the mantra, losing five points of power, and delayed the effects of the Fez on Scott for another day.
  • The group prepared for their arrival in Constantinople, with Per returning the borrowed Persian phrase book to Henri, who allowed him to keep it for the return journey.
  • The group arrived at Sirkeci Station in Constantinople, a grand station completed in 1890, resembling a cross between a mosque and a Victorian railway terminus.
  • The station and city were described as a mix of various cultures, languages, and religions, with a wide variety of people and conveyances.
  • The group claimed their baggage and saw two young people, a man and a woman, holding a sign that read “Mr. Lake and Company.”
  • The young woman and man appeared to be related and were waiting for the group.
  • The group flagged them down, and some members made spot-hidden checks to be attentive to their surroundings.
  • The group was reminded to level up their skills and recover luck and hit points upon arriving in Constantinople.
  • The session begins with the development phase where players recover luck points and improve their skills.
  • Clyde successfully improves his skills, including a significant increase in persuasion and listening.
  • Discussion about the mechanics of recovering POW (Power) and the rare chance of increasing it through a luck roll.
  • Players who succeeded in their spot hidden rolls notice well-dressed, upper-middle-class individuals who seem anxious.
  • The group notices a sign indicating they are being awaited by someone holding a sign for “Mr. Lake and Company.”
  • Clinton Lake is approached by a young man named Toprak and his sister Rana, who introduce themselves as Professor Demir’s children.
  • Rana explains that their father, Professor Demir, was attacked and injured by individuals seeking the Fez.
  • The attackers also kidnapped their younger brother, Barlas, and are demanding the Fez in exchange for his return.
  • The group agrees to visit the Demir household before heading to their hotel, and arrangements are made for carriages to transport them.
  • Per Oskarson attempts to gauge the siblings’ sincerity and succeeds in a pushed psychology roll, determining that they are genuinely concerned and believe the group can help.
  • The group splits into two carriages, with Per riding with Rana, who explains more about the situation and the attack on their father.
  • Rana expresses confusion about why the Fez is so valuable, and Per suggests discussing it further in private with her father.
  • The carriages take the group to the upscale neighborhood of Galata, where they disembark on a small side street.
  • The group, along with Toprak and Rana, carries their luggage through narrow alleys to the Demir household.
  • The session ends with the group entering the backyard of the Demir house, ready to meet Professor Demir and learn more about the situation.
  • The investigators arrive at a modest, upscale three-story mansion with a private garden.
  • An older man, alarmed at first, recognizes his son and daughter and approaches the group.
  • He greets the group as Professor Smith’s friends and inquires about their journey.
  • The group describes their journey as uncomfortable and eventful, involving skullduggery.
  • The older man acknowledges recent unnerving events involving a cult called the Children of the Blood Red Fez.
  • The cult came to his home, believing he had a Blood Red Fez, and attempted to intimidate him and kidnap his son.
  • The older man clarifies that the cult did not demand a fez but sought to use his son as leverage to obtain the Whispering Fez.
  • The cult members, numbering at least half a dozen, attacked and wounded him but did not kill him.
  • The group discusses their encounters with similar cult members in London.
  • The older man invites the group to his study, where his children serve tea and snacks before leaving.
  • In private, the older man reveals his distrust of the cult and their violent nature.
  • The group shares their experiences and knowledge about the Fez, including the dangers of wearing it.
  • The older man expresses concern about the cult’s demands and the safety of his son.
  • The group discusses the Whispering Fez book and its potential to destroy the Fez.
  • Per shows the book to the older man without surrendering custody of it.
  • The older man believes he can translate the book’s hieroglyphs overnight.
  • The group learns that the cult demands the book by midnight at the Kassim Pasha docks in exchange for the older man’s son.
  • The group considers their options, including seeking help from local contacts or authorities.
  • The older man mentions a dangerous enemy of the cult known as the Frenchman, an occultist of some renown.
  • The group discusses the possibility of seeking the Frenchman’s help.
  • Per offers to assist the older man with the translation, despite the older man’s skepticism about their abilities.
  • The group speculates on how the cult knows about them and why they want them to stay away.
  • The older man suggests that Menkaph, a member of the cult, may have informed them.
  • The group discusses the potential dangers and necessity of using the Fez’s abilities to save the older man’s son and themselves.
  • The older man reluctantly agrees to the group’s plan, acknowledging the lack of easy choices.
  • The group discusses the nature of the cursed Fez, noting that it feasts upon the psyche of its wearers and attempts to replicate itself to lessen the effects on whoever is in charge.
  • One character likens the Fez’s behavior to a plague and comments on its cleverness.
  • The group seeks more information about the Frenchman, acknowledging his cleverness and unscrupulous nature.
  • A suggestion is made to introduce the Frenchman to Miss Sutcliffe’s purse, implying a potential bribe or incentive.
  • The group acknowledges their lack of specific knowledge about the Frenchman but agrees that their best chances may rest with him.
  • One character expresses a desire to make a friend of the Frenchman.
  • A request is made for a hat to cover another hat, and it is mentioned that a wide-brimmed hat from France belonging to someone’s wife could be borrowed.
  • Gratitude is expressed for the offer of the hat.
  • The group decides to pair up and plans to call on the Frenchman next.
  • The session concludes with the group agreeing to pick up the story from this point next time.
  • The players express that the episode was scary and acknowledge their relief at having made it through.