Four Hours to Reno a VirtualGROGMEET 2021 Play Report

Four Hours to Reno is a Call of Cthulhu adventure using the Down Darker Trails Rules both are published by Chaosium, it was written and expertly GM'd by John Mattioli.  Thanks also to the players - Andy, Jules and Lee.  This took part over a single three-hour session at VirtualGROGMEET 2021 16-18/Apr.

Technical details, the session was run on Roll20 for maps, character sheets, dice rolls and handouts and used voice (and a little video until bandwidth issues got the better of us) via Discord.

...Here Be Spoilers...

On route to Reno, the old west, USA

Doisa, Badger, Leroy and Angel are relaxing on the train, Sheriff Nash has been shot, but they got the upper hand on the Jim Hensley gang and Nash is patched up good.  The whole of the gang is cuffed up, tied up in this cordoned off carriage, with Nash and his group of deputies training rifles and pistols on them.  A few choice words go off between the two groups but Nash settles his deputies down.

Salt Lake City to Reno

The Train left Salt Lake City at 9.47am and is due to arrive in Reno at 1.48pm, whereupon the Sheriff and deputies will be met by US Marshal's to take The Hensley Gang into custody.

As the group relax, they are interrupted by Seth the conductor, "Sorry folks, but I got a little more trouble for you."  Nash drawls back, "What gives Seth?"  Seth looks around at the other deputies but Nash nods for him to continue.  "Well Sir, seems there has been a murder onboard the train, a Mr Isham.  And if you know trains you'll know Isham.  That gentleman built and owns most of this train and the track it runs on.", Seth pauses for breath and then continues, "Look, I don't know how to describe this, best if you just follow along."

Nash rubs his chin and then looks up at the four deputies, "You four go see what's to do, don't touch nuthin.  Just come back when you got the lowdown."

The group and Seth head back to the end of the train, Isham had a private carriage.  Outside the carriage, they find Li Wei, Isham's manservant.  He explains to the group that he went to bed at 10pm after Isham informed him he was going to play cards with a group he had met.  Wei awoke at 7am, went into Isham's room and found, well he can't describe what he found and just points at the entrance to the Isham's abode.

Entering Isham's carriage they are led directly to a pool of foul-smelling goo, within it they can make out bones.  On the edge of the pool is a couple of playing cards, ace of spades and ace of hearts.  On viewing this Badger vomits into the pool of viscera and Doisa slips as she tries to hold him upright.  Doisa and Badger head into the rest of the carriage to find a washbasin and get cleaned up.  

Knox Isham resides

On the table is a book which contains various payments from a card game, Samantha & Harlan Bose, Agatha Knowles and Lars Manning - there is also a page missing.  Leroy picks out a wedding ring from the pool, inscribed on it, K.Q.I.  "Well, well.", says Leroy, handing the ring over to Angel for inspection, "Looks like Knox Q. Isham is definitely a goner."  Angel nods.

"Come here you two!", the voice of Doisa is heard in the other half of the carriage.  Angel and Leroy head on through and meet up with Doisa and Badger, she is laughing, Badger still looks green.  "I guess the butler did it?!", Doisa brandishes a piece of paper and spreads it out on the bed.  She's taken it from the now empty safe.

Being of sound mind, I Knox Q. Isham do leave all my worldly goods to my one time best friend and ex-partner, Li Wei.

All four look at the will then Badger throws two more items down, a button - "I found it under ma foot." and a handkerchief, "Sure does stink worse than a skunk, gone got me needing to sit down."  Doisa picks up the handkerchief and sniffs it, her world starts to spin and before anyone can catch her she falls down hitting and cutting her head above her eye.  Leroy rushes to help her up and gets a towel to mop up the blood.

Doisa falls again

At this point, Seth pops his head through the door, "You folks need anything?  Sure are making a ruckus!"  The group ignore him and Leroy decides to check out the back of the carriage.  Leroy opens the door, after unlocking it, noticing some faint scuff marks on the paint, maybe someone tried to get in here.  He can see the track stretch out in front of him as the train speeds along.  Craning his neck, Leroy starts to climb up the ladder to the train roof.  He is halfway up when Seth spots him, "Hey now!  Just be careful, if you fall, mister, we ain't stopping the train for yer.  We got a schedule to keep."

As Seth shouts, Leroy loses his footing when the train jumps on a sleeper, he continues to hold on to the ladder and eventually find his footing again, quickly descending.  Seth is waiting at the bottom, "I'll lock up now if you gentleman have had enough of a play?"

Doisa suggests they leave and start to interview the other passengers, especially the card players.  They ask Seth to get someone to keep an eye on Wei, they'll be back for him shortly.  They are led by Seth further up the train, he introduces them to Samantha and Harlan Bose.  Harlan didn't have much time for Isham, he felt he may have been cheating and he was flirting outrageously with his wife Samantha.  One thing of interest is discovered, a fellow Manning, he got Isham to store an archaeological relic in his safe.

Travelling onward, a few seats up, Seth points out Lars Manning, the famous anthropologist.  Manning is only too happy to recount the tale of how he "discovered" the Jade Tablet, holding on to it were a nefarious bunch of savages but he outwitted them.  Manning gets nervous though when talk turns to Isham, he wants his property back, has anyone seen it?

Manning's Jade Tablet

Before they can answer Manning, they are interrupted as gunfire echoes down the train.  They take one look at each other, pull their pistols and start to run towards the sound.

The group come upon the rest of the posse, who are hunkered down behind their seats.  Up ahead is the Hensley gang, free of their chains and with guns.  "What the hell happened?", asks a breathless Badger.  The others reply, "They got Nash, got the drop on him and they got his guns."

Doisa shouts out, "You let Nash go you, bastards, else they'll be a hell of a lot more dying!"  The response is a hail of bullets, one catches Leroy but the others go harmlessly overhead.  Doisa and Angel stand up and fire, taking out two of the gang.

More gunfire is exchanged, Doisa and Badger are hit but they take out the rest of the gang and are able to rescue Nash, who has just a bruise to show for it.

Hearing more commotion from the postal van, they carry on up the train, a few of the gang women are in here, but they meekly surrender.  The women point to the engine when they are asked if there are any of the gang left.

A tense cat and mouse ensue as they crawl across the coal truck, but as the last member breaks for cover and tries to hijack the engine, a shot rings out from Angel and he falls dead.

Walking back down the carriage they check on the dead and injured.  Seth is there and is pointing back down the other way, "Sorry folks, you better come if you can, Mr Manning, he's not right."

They sigh and trudge back down the train, avoiding questions from concerned passengers.  They come to Manning's seat, he is sitting still and unmoving, Badger tries to get a response, he shakes him fiercely.  At this, Manning's face starts to melt, the flesh becoming transparent and falling off of him in large lumps.  Everyone steps back, as Manning collapses into the same pile of goo as Isham.  

An old lady pokes at the remains, she turns to the shocked deputies, "You got it?  The tablet?"  They shake their heads, she goes to push past them, but Doisa puts out an arm.  The old woman hisses, buzzes and starts to break up into thousands of crawling and fluttering insects.  She flows right between the deputies and travels back up the carriage, cries of distress are heard as she continues her journey.

Agatha, the crawling one

"Shit!", shouts Angel and pulls out his gun, they all turn and chase after the woman/insect creature.  They manage to catch up with the thing in the postal carriage, it is tearing through packages, sending them flying around the room.  Doisa tries to throw a lantern but it falls to the floor, sending flaming oil on to her dress, likewise, Leroy tries to throw a lantern but the burning oil falls out onto his arm as he flings it.  Badger and Angel set about firing into the horrific apparition.

As they unload their weapons, which don't seem to do much, they see a shadow come over the train, blocking out the light.  Looking out of the window, Doisa screams, a massive leathery bat/bird-like creature has put its talons through their carriage and is lifting it off the ground.

Bat or bird... a Shantak.

The carriage is suspended high in the air, the deputies try to shoot the bird, but the bullets do no damage.  Doisa thinks to grab the tablet, the centre of all this misery, but is it here?  Did Manning hide it?  Which parcel is it?  As she thinks this, she feels great weightlessness and she and her friends plunge to the distant desert below.

Angel pushes off a door of the train and looks down, he seems in one piece.  As he surveys the scene, he notes the bodies of Dosia, Leroy and Badger lying broken and bloody around him, they are all dead.  There is no sign of the old woman or the massive bird

Farewell Doisa, Badger and Leroy

Angel has been searching through the rubble, he's found quite the haul in the various parcels and letters.  He comes across a parcel that sends shivers up his spine, he unwraps it, the Jade Tablet.  He touches it and a vision is blasted at him; A horrendous sea creature, as tall as a mountain.  The beast is wading ashore as humans, dressed in robes, sacrifice men and women to it, the blood stains the sand and runs into the sea.  The sun is setting...

Angel shakes his head, puts the tablet in his pocket, he senses it is time to leave, almost like someone is watching or following him, he starts to head out into the desert, leaving the carnage behind him.