davywavy | Battlemasters

Battlesmasters, the Convention which is stealing GenCons weekend, will be running on 29 - 31 August (that's the weekend *after* renewal, for all you rubber swordy types, so you have no excuse for not coming).

I think you should all come along, as I'll be running stuff, not least this:

The mist hung lightly over the platform as you boarded the train. The gas lamps of Vienna station cast an eerie glow over the scene, their yellow glows diffusing through the steam and fog to create an unreal, almost unearthly scene.
You had arranged for your retainers to load your luggage into the Guards Van, and bid them good night – they would not be accompanying you to Venice. There would only be yourself and your two companions from your clan, ambassadors to the Giovanni, sent to ensure another 13 years of peace between them and the Camarilla. You are aware of the responsibility that has been placed upon you, the importance of your task. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with the negotiations that will soon ensue.
As you climbed aboard, you marvelled at the luxurious surroundings of the famous Orient Express. Deep carpeting, gold and ivory fittings, teak and ebony furnishings, every comfort that you could imagine is here- surely this is truly the mode of transport for Kings and Princes.
Your travelling companions are to be the Ambassadors of the other clans of the Camarilla. Some of them you know, others are unfamiliar. Also aboard the train is a guest of the Giovanni, travelling on some other errand. La Comte de la Creux is an enigmatic figure who rarely leaves his Rumanian castle – he must have an important reason to be travelling with you, and you have heard whispers that he is a personal guest of Augustus Giovanni himself. You caught a glimpse of him in the corridor as you made your way to your stateroom; he was a small man with a hard face. He did not even greet you, but instead vanished into his own cabin.
Making your way to your own private room, you found blackout curtains over the windows, and everything laid out to your satisfaction. The corridor windows are not blacked out, meaning that everyone aboard the train shall have to remain in their cabins during the day or risk being turned instantly to ash by the rays of the sun.
As the train pulled away, you settled onto your bunk, smiling to yourself at the comfort, and let yourself drift off to sleep. You will undoubtedly need all the rest you can get before your meeting with the Giovanni. The train will arrive in Venice late tomorrow night, giving you plenty of time to relax and meet your fellow travellers.

You were awoken by a scream, and cries, and the sound of running in the corridor outside. Intrigued by the commotion, you dressed and stepped out. In the corridor, you encountered Clara, the maid of La Comte de la Creux.
“Murder!” she cried, her face running with tears. “My master is…” She stopped, seemingly unable to speak further. Instead she led you to the dining car, where one by one the other passengers joined you. “It is too terrible,” wailed Clara. “During the day, as we slept, someone has killed my master, La Comte! Foully murdered he is!”
At this news, there is silence around the table. You look from face to face of the others, searching for a hint of guilt. There is none.
The anger of the Giovanni will be terrible if the murderer is not identified- who would dare kill a personal friend of Augustus at such a critical moment? Why would they have done it here, and now? And how could they have done it when to leave their cabin would have meant certain death?
Only one thing is certain.
Someone has acheived the impossible.
Someone has committed Murder on the Orient Express.

Millennium Moon proudly presents:

Diablerie on the Orient Express