Episode 7 - Sleepers in Sayrem

GM
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## Recurring NPCs

Steiner

Erion

Between the bright buildings and busy streets of Sayrem, there are many markets, bustling with business throughout the day. But there is one that stays eerily quiet. That is, until the sun sets. The Midnight Market of Blinkhollow is home to the strange, the bizarre, and the magical, both in its people–human and Ozar alike–and its goods. Among its visitors are Kasiel and Vee, who have come to learn more about magical weaponry and defenses against spells. At the suggestion of Steiner, Pretty Baby's contact, they visit the weapons store of Johnna.

Johnna welcomes them and enthusiastically, displaying their variety of guns and blades, but is interrupted when Pretty Baby reveals the runed dagger he has previously taken from Sault and the Keepers during their encounter. Johnna informs them that the magic of the dagger is activated by a code word and offers to either find a contact that may study the blade to find out the code, or to buy it themself. Pretty Baby considers both options, but makes no immediate decision.

Kasiel inquires about magical ammunition or the plans to craft them, and Vee is curious about means of countering or dampening magic. While Johnna has neither in store, they have the means of acquiring both. However, Vee and Pretty Baby find that the price for their requests far exceeds what they can afford. They negotiate to trade the runed blade instead. Pretty Baby receives the crafting recipe for magical ammunition and they agree to return for the information about defenses against magic. Before they leave, Johnna comments that they have heard Pretty Baby to be far less sociable in negotiations and hands him a parting gift: the dagger he had thrown at the Silent in the group's meeting with the Quiet Echoes.

A few days later, early in the morning at Rail Care. Vee is nervous and worried. The latest shipment of medical supplies from the Sleepers is two days overdue. Abner reassures them that this is not too unusual and the supplies should arrive soon. Pashmina enters to hand Vee a formal, written complaint about the lack of heating in her room. Before Vee has the chance to demonstrate to their friend how to light the fire of the central heating, there is a knock at the door.

At the door stands Erion, a member of the group of Sleepers that was delivering Vee's supplies. He informs Vee that the train had to stop outside the city because Karina, another member of their crew, has contracted the Plague after an attack by wild Ozar. Erion has come to ask Vee, a survivor of the Plague themself, for their aid in treating Karina and examining the others. Vee writes a note to Pretty Baby, informing him of where they are going, and leaves Pashmina to watch over Rail Care, and the Professor to watch over Pashmina.

Almost immediately, Abner finds himself exasperated at Pashmina's attempts to reorganize Rail Care. The Professor tries to rein in Pashmina's plans of turning Rail Care into an expanding business. He points out to her, that the whole point of Rail Care is to provide medical aid to those that cannot afford it, that this is what Vee provides and wants, not profit, and that it is the right thing to do. Pashmina insists, that she has Vee's best interests in mind, and that structure and long term planning can both improve the service Rail Care provides, as well as Vee's—and by extension, Pashmina's—standard of living.

Pretty Baby is out and about in the city. He is feeling more and more certain that someone has been watching him over the last several days. He attempts to conceal his tracks, then makes his way to see Steiner. He asks Steiner to inquire about whether someone, perhaps even the government, has put a bounty on him.

After returning to Rail Care, Pretty Baby reads Vee's note and sends out Luna to watch over his friend. He then attempts to defuse the tension between the Professor and Pashmina. He hears out both sides and sees that both have good intentions. Pretty Baby decides that the only way to settle the argument is a competition: in Vee's absence, the Professor will run half of Rail Care as Vee would, while Pashmina will run the other half the way she envisions. Whoever serves the most patients, wins.

Outside the city, Luna flies along the rails, over the markers that signify the beginning of the dangerous Edgelands, the same path Vee and Erion are taking. Talking along the way, Erion expresses his feelings of guilt and concern for his companions, and Vee reassures him that they will do their best. They also reassure themself that Pashmina will take good care of their home while they are away.