Showdown
With their new ally in tow, the team moved on to the next car, which turned out to be the dining car, and in their own time. Every table was full of diners. Stone spotted Lowe, Muelhoffer and their guard seated at the table on the opposite end of the car.
The team tried to advance stealthily, but the guard caught sight of them and shot his pistol, hitting one of the diners. A panic ensued as the team shot back. Henri Montclair tried to vault over to behind the counter, but failed.
The doctors tried to cast spells, but stunned themselves in the process as Lowe incited passengers to attack the newcomers ineffectually. Eventually, the guard was killed and Lowe was subdued. Muelhoffer disappeared before their eyes, but the team determined where he was when shots fired in his direction did not visibly strike anything. They continued firing until Muelhoffer eventually reappeared, unconscious and bleeding on the floor.
Warren bound their hands and legs with belts and shoelaces and gagged them with their socks. Then he tried to bind Trombley’s wounds, but had little effect. Sir Jonathan asked he other travelers for the current date. He was told that it was August 22, 1910, twenty-eight years later than when they had boarded. They debated going to another car or staying in one time. Warren advised staying put. Stone proposed finding their own time period.
Warren rifled through their belongings, but did not find the plans. He did find six vials on Dr. Muelhoffer, which he gave to Sir Jonathan. He also found some manacles in Dr. Lowe’s medical bag and he used them to bind them back to back. Sir Jonathan asked the bartender, who had an uncanny resemblance to the conductor, how to get back to their own time. The bartender was disturbed by the question and offer a drink to combat his trauma. He cast Detect Arcana, and the bartender adopted a ghastly appearance.
The Servitors Attack
Warren verified that the prisoners were still unconscious. Henri shot the creature. Trombley stayed by Warren. The creature recovered. Stone prepared.
Trombley drew his revolver and covered the prisoners. Henri shot the creature again. Warren was convinced that Lowe and Muelhoffer were responsible. Sir Jonathan scanned Henri with the Detect Arcana, but he looked normal. Another passenger looked normal as well. Stone kept Sir Jonathan covered in case something happened. Then three more entered the car, tow from the rear and one from the front. Warren noted that he next car forward was the tender for the locomotive.
Sir Jonathan cast a Thunderclap. Three civilians fell unconscious. Stone moved to the front and shot at the creature in the front. Trombley shot it as well. One of the creatures killed a woman nearby. The other attacked Henri, but the soldier stabbed and killed it. Warren watched the prisoners.
The creature at the rear attacked Henri. Stone shot the creature fighting Trombley. Warren continued guarding the prisoners. Henri stabbed his opponent. Sir Jonathan first a Bolt at Trombley’s foe and stunned it. The creature clawed Trombley again.
Henri shot his opponent and killed it. Trombley’s foe bit and clawed him savagely. Warren continued to cover the prisoners. Sir Jonathan shot another bolt at the last one. And then Stone and Trombley shot it as well. The creature died and disappeared.
The prisoners regained consciousness. Stone ungagged them after Sir Jonathan determined that they could not cast while bound. Stone interrogated them. Lowe confessed to gassing them. Warren gagged him again. Muelhoffer said that the patients had all volunteered or been volunteered by the people who brought them to the asylum, so their experiments were legal. Warren hit him square in the face and he cowed. Warren gagged him again.
To the Locomotive
They entered the locomotive compartment and Warren announced that he was from Scotland Yard. The fireman approached and turned into another of the creatures. The engineer sprouted tentacles from his chest and attacked Trombley, who was closest. Sir Jonathan cast at bolt and stunned the one attacking Warren. The engineer thing grabbed Trombley with a tentacle and bit him. Stone shot the one attacking Warren. Warren shot it as well.
The fireman thing mauled Stone and he fell unconscious. The engineer thing squeezed Trombley. Sir Jonathan shot a Bolt at the fireman thing and it vanished in a cloud. Warren shot the engineer.
The engineer crushed Trombley into pulp. Then it grappled Lowe with three tentacles and crushed him. Warren shot the engineer again. Sir Jonathan hit with his last Bolt and the engineer collapsed. The tentacles rolled back into his chest and disappeared. The train was rolling full speed. Warren and Sir Jonathan pulled random leavers until the brake was activated and the train slowed to a halt.
They debarked and noted that there was only one car attached to the locomotive. Then entered through the rear door and found themselves in the sleeping car. They searched the compartments and found some compromising photographs of a government minister in drag, but no weapon plans. A newspaper indicated that they were back in their own time on the day that they had left Moreton-Hampstead.
The Heroes
- Inspector Alabaster Warren, Scotland Yard
- Gravner Stone, notorious playboy and consulting detective
- Sir Jonathan Dennis Braun of Eatin-over-Heywoods, peer of the realm and wizard
- Clancy Trombley – British Intelligence Service