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  Through the Breach (TtB) has been out for a few 
  months now and you, dear reader, must be clamoring 
  at the bit for shiny new things! Never fear, this 
  module is here! This module is designed to do two 
  things: show off elements of TtB’s mechanics and 
  provide you with a one session story that you can 
  use as you see fit. Either way, since it’s free, you’ll 
  be getting the biggest bang for your Scrip!
  If you’re not running a TtB game, now’s the time to 
  leave to avoid spoilers.
  ThE GAME
  Estimated time to play: 3-5 hours for 5 players
  Tarot tie-ins: CRSC 10c “If you allow the hands to 
  pull you down” could relate to allowing the Guild to 
  arrest you.
  CRNC 1c: “for you must dredge the waters till 
  the just give up their dead” could relate to having 
  to stir up the animosity between the engineers to 
  find Charles.
  Summary: The Fated are called in for questioning 
  by a Guild officer about a robbery of a train and 
  the fact that all evidence has tied the Fated to the 
  theft. The officer is fairly sure the Fated are being 
  framed, and after questioning the Fated, gives 
  them 24 hours to figure out who did steal the train 
  before they’re locked up.
  This mystery will take the Fated through tumultuous 
  relationships as they attempt to discover the real 
  thief. At the end, they’re left with a moral quandary: 
  What do you do with someone who’s willing to tear 
  down the world to save one life in it?
  Brief character summaries for some of the 
  Fatemaster characters can be found at the end of 
  the adventure.
  PRoLoGUE - AwARENESS
  The story starts with the Fated sitting in a Guild 
  interrogation room with Officer Thompson McMeel. 
  Paraphrase or read aloud the following: 
  TRAIN OF THOUGHTS
  A ONE-SHOT ADVENTURE FOR ThROUGH ThE BREACh 
  JOShUA PAVLISKO
  The soft ticking of the Guild officer’s pocket 
  watch is the first sound you hear as he enters 
  the room. He looks fairly young with a neatly 
  trimmed chestnut brown mustache and a set of 
  wire-framed spectacles resting snugly on his face.
  Clicking the pocket watch closed, the man sits 
  down and states, “We haven’t much time, so I’ll 
  be brief. You’ve all been brought in because of 
  a train robbery. Someone’s gone to extraordinary 
  measures to place the theft of this train on you, 
  and when someone goes out of their way to tie 
  a man to something, there’s something special 
  about who’s getting tied. As the old saying goes 
  ‘You can’t look at bloody feathers and not say 
  there’s a dead chicken.’”
  
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  Scene 1 – establishing the Stakes
  With Officer McMeel gone, the players are left sitting 
  in his office. It’s a fairly spartan room with little to 
  see. Outside the door is McMeel’s partner Sara 
  Loath, another officer of lower rank who is prepared 
  to provide more information to the Fated, should 
  they require it. She’s not privy to all the information, 
  so the Fatemaster should try to play her off as 
  willing but hostile, happy to take a few jabs at the 
  players. The Fatemaster should use this opportunity 
  to let the players roleplay their characters and have 
  a bit of banter and conversation with Officer Loath.  
  Below is the information she can provide:
  •  If the Fated were framed and they don’t solve 
  it, she’s going to assume they did it. Loath isn’t 
  going to let McMeel take the fall for the Fated.
  •  Officer Loath will accompany them to provide 
  them the access needed, but it’s not her job 
  to prove them innocent when everything points 
  to guilty.
  •  If the Fated publicly discuss the incident, it’s 
  likely to bring the Guild Inquisitors in, which are 
  less likely to provide the Fated the opportunity 
  to clear their names. They should be careful 
  about how much they share and with whom.
  •  While the Guard was patrolling train storage, 
  they saw the Fated near Her Majesty’s Rail Line 
  223, a cargo train that was scheduled to be 
  moved in the next few days for reclamation. This 
  is why the Fated were originally brought in.
  •  Fingerprints were found at the scene that match 
  the ones taken from the Fated.
  •  Line 223 is 4 cars and the engine. The specifics 
  are kept under wraps, but Line 223 contained 
  contraband material.
  •  There were no overt signs of a break-in, so 
  presumably there was someone inside who was 
  helping the Fated.
  •  The culprits must have access to magic because 
  McMeel determined the sighting of the Fated 
  near the train was an illusion designed to get 
  the Guild on their trail (no, she doesn’t know 
  how he determined that).
  •  McMeel is unsure what exactly is on the train, 
  but he believes that there’s Arcanist contraband 
  on it. Loath knows the engineers that worked 
  on the train were questioned about the whole 
  thing, but the information wasn’t helpful. The 
  engineers investigated were Charles Faraday, 
  Richard Davy, and Frederick Winsor. 
  Once the players are satisfied with the information 
  they have, Loath will ask them where they want to go 
  and they can begin trying to solve the crime.
  Scene 2 – Fear
  Scene 2 takes place in multiple locations with 
  multiple people. Its overall structure is represented 
  by an Ongoing Challenge (Fated Almanac page 
  196) as a way to allow the Fated to investigate in 
  a less structured way. That said, it’s important that 
  the players recognize the possibility of failure here, 
  which would result in having their characters locked 
  up – often a fate worse than death!
  An Ongoing Challenge provides a cinematic feel of 
  time passing as the Fated take on the role of private 
  investigators. This Challenge has two ‘paths’ of 
  skill checks: the Method Path and the Motive Path. 
  The number of successes achieved on each path 
  will trigger certain events as the Ongoing Challenge 
  progresses, as well as alter game elements in 
  Scene 3. The number of failures will count as lost 
  time for the players, giving the villain more time to 
  prepare. The skills listed in each of the paths are 
  the more common suggestions; Fatemasters are 
  encouraged to consider Fated suggestions for skill 
  usage as well.
  He pauses a moment. “Well, I’m not going to let 
  them get away with it. It’s time to make hay while 
  the sun shines. You have 24 hours to clear your 
  names. I’m going to be spending today trying to 
  distract my superiors from the fact that 500 tons 
  of metal isn’t where it’s supposed to be. You guys 
  have that long to figure out whom actually took it. 
  Otherwise, you’re going to jail. No need to tarnish 
  my perfect record.” He gives you a wink.
  “We questioned everyone, including the 3 
  engineers that helped build these trains, but we 
  got nowhere. It’s a bit of a dead end, and I don’t 
  have time to look into it further myself. Officer 
  Loath is outside to assist you and bring you up to 
  speed. She may act like she thinks your guilty, but 
  think nothing of it, that’s an officer’s job.
  
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  Ongoing Challenge
  TN: Varies based on skill and location. See individual 
  paths for more information.
  Duration: Each triggered event represents 3 hours 
  passage.
  Increment Requirement: 15 successes to progress 
  the story automatically to Scene 3.
  Keep note of the number of events the players 
  have triggered.
  Method Path: How was tHe train stolen? 
  Location: Train Yard
  This will involve investigating the train yard proper. 
  Loath will be able to get the Fated some clearance, 
  but they will need to maintain a low profile. The train 
  yard is fairly active, but well within the day-to-day 
  norm. There are 5 trains currently in the station. 
  There’s clearly defined Receiving and Departure 
  Yards, an old weathered looking Engine House with 
  a corrugated tin roof, and a 3 room office with a rail 
  worker clock-in station. 
  Possible Skill Uses: Notice/Track/Engineering 
  could be used to investigate where the train was 
  positioned. The important information to add into 
  the narrative is that whoever swiped the train took 
  it out on the tracks, but which tracks are unknown. 
  The theft must have been in the works for a while 
  given the precision with which it was completed.  
  TNs: 7-9 for examining the train tracks and following 
  where it was supposed to be.
  People: Rail Station Workers
  Should the players want to investigate the people 
  in the train yard, they’ll have their pick of a skeleton 
  crew of workers, custodial staff, the train yard 
  foreman and a handful of conductors. 
  Possible Skill Uses:  Most of the staff will respond 
  better to pleasant Social Skill checks given that 
  this is simply a "babysitting" job for most of them. 
  The important information is that 3 trains have left 
  the yard in the timeframe that the train could have 
  been stolen. The staff can let the Fated know that 
  each departure and arrival has to be handled by 
  someone, but as long as the paperwork is filled 
  out, no one really makes a big deal about the 
  amount of oversight.
  TNs: 7-9 for “pleasant” interactions, 11-13 for more 
  hostile interactions
  EvEnts
  First 5 Successes (Method): 
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following:
  If the Fated investigate, either individual can tell 
  them that Line 442, a coal and construction 
  materials line scheduled to head up north, wasn't 
  on the correct track for the conductor to head out 
  this morning (so whatever train left that morning 
  on Line 442 is a fake). The worker is adamant and 
  telling the truth that he didn't move the train, so if 
  the Fated investigate, they'll find what looks like a 
  lot of tool marks and odd angular tracks all over the 
  engine room. A TN 10 Artefacting check reveals that 
  these marks are from multiple automatons messing 
  with the trains.
  Second 5 Successes (Method): 
  Read aloud or paraphrase the following:
  The sound of bickering draws your attention to 
  two workers arguing. “How many ways I gotta say 
  it bub? I don't care that you put my train on the 
  wrong track, but trying to pass it off like I clocked 
  out that train too? It’s completely inexcusable. 
  Apologize, learn from your mistake, and I won’t 
  report you” says a man. From his dress, he 
  appears to be a conductor.
  “I didn’t do nothing! Yer full of it and messed up 
  yousself. Don’t pin this on me” the worker yells 
  back as he begins to walk away.
  You are approached by an older looking man 
  who looks like a watchman. The man pushes his 
  horn rimmed spectacles up on his nose and asks, 
  “What EXACTLY is going on here?"
  
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  The watchman is a bit suspicious and will take three 
  successful TN 11 Social Skill checks to convince 
  that the players are legitimate. If Sara Loath is still 
  with them, they gain a + to this flip. If convinced, 
  the only thing he knows about the robbery is that 
  the "paperwork looked a bit clean for a conductor, 
  but it was in order." The watchman also managed to 
  learn from the man that the conductor was "off to 
  visit an old friend up north."
  Final 5 Successes (Method): 
  The following event occurs:
  The Fated overhear a group of workers complaining 
  about a “madman of a conductor” who destroyed 
  their construction gear on his hurry to “the old 
  Murdstrom cemetery.” If pressed for information, 
  the leader of the group will comment that “it was 
  Line 233, or 223, or something like that.” The leader 
  will joke that “the guy must have a cold wife waiting 
  for him to bring home dinner.”
  Motive Path: Why was the train stolen?
  Engineer: Charles Faraday
  The Fated can follow up on Faraday at his blacksmithing 
  shop, a simple two story brick and mortar building 
  with a hook conveyor system that travels around the 
  ceilings. The Fated will meet with Charlotte, a young 
  intern currently running the blacksmithing shop. 
  Charles has been home sick with the flu for several 
  days, but Charlotte has been checking in on him daily, 
  making sure he is OK. If the Fated go to Charles’ 
  house, they will find him absent.
  Skill Checks (TNs 6-10): The Fated can use 
  Social skills to determine a lot about the situation: 
  Charlotte was an orphan adopted by Charles and 
  his fiancée Rebecca. She showed an impressive 
  aptitude for building, an aptitude Rebecca did her 
  best to encourage. After the mining accident took 
  Rebecca (Charlotte doesn't know much about it 
  since Charles was a quiet man), Charlotte ended 
  up handling more of the business. "I don't like to 
  gossip, but I think it was the combination of losing 
  her, and Mr. Davy kicking him out of the partnership 
  for more money that really hit dad." Charlotte 
  checked in on Charles this morning (approximately 
  when the train could have been stolen). She's a 
  little uncomfortable with letting people just walk 
  around the shop, but could be politely talked into it.
  Engineer: Frederick Winsor
  The Fated can follow up on Frederick at a small 
  cuckoo clock shop, nestled in a quiet neighbourhood 
  next to a bakery and several homes. The shop is a 
  single story with a delicately carved wood front door. 
  The inside of the shop feels comfortably stuffed 
  with marionettes, cuckoo clocks, and other carved 
  knickknacks. Frederick is currently working on a 
  marionette duck when he notices the Fated.
  Skill Checks (TNs 7-9):  The Fated can use 
  Bewitch or Convince to get some information out 
  of Frederick: He doesn't seem excited to talk about 
  his engineering past, but will cover the basics of it. 
  He and the other two on the list were once friends 
  Earthside who were hired for their background who 
  ended up growing apart. Frederick wasn't interested 
  in the cold science of building; he liked the art of 
  it. Richard and to a lesser extent Charles were the 
  ones who liked the numbers. They tried to open a 
  business, but Richard was the only one who wanted 
  to run it. "Charles wanted to pursue life when he 
  met Rebecca, Richard always chased after the 
  Scrip. After Rebecca died, the civility the two had 
  died with her. I think Richard was sweet on her, but 
  she was drawn to Charles."
  Engineer: Richard Davy
  The Fated can follow up on Richard at his machinery 
  plant, a large warehouse that hums with the buzzing 
  of all the workers there. Richard is clearly doing well 
  for himself, shouting and pointing, signing papers, 
  and otherwise being a hands-on manager. 
  Skill Checks (TNs 8-11): The Fated can use 
  Intimidate or Barter to learn more about the 
  situation: Richard is an arrogantly busy man, and 
  usually seems irritated by the questioning the Fated 
  have. If they bring up Charles or Frederick, he will 
  immediately stop whatever he's doing, get in the 
  character’s face and say "What, does Frederick need 
  more money for that fire-trap of his? I'm done feeling 
  guilty for him not wanting to move forward with the 
  times." Richard tries to keep the conversation on 
  the facts and the progression of business. He 
  and Charles were aggressively pushing forward 
  impressive technological leaps, but Charles lost his 
  taste for business after falling for Rebecca.
  
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  EvEnts
  First 5 Successes (Motive): This event occurs at 
  the current engineer the Fated are interviewing. 
  Richard will react nonplussed, and Charlotte and 
  Frederick are noticeably nervous.  Read aloud or 
  paraphrase the following:
  The man, who the Fated learn is known as “the 
  Shovel”, cleared his crew out of the way of an 
  “odd looking coal burner.” It was a bit odd that the 
  train was using an older set of tracks, but it wasn’t 
  entirely out of line with the Guild to proceed on a 
  schedule without informing people who are working 
  in the way. The Shovel will say the train was heading 
  to the north of town.
  Second 5 Successes (Motive): 
  The following event occurs:
  A dramatic attack happens at Richard Davy's 
  warehouse (the Fated either hear about it, or 
  experience it first hand). Several people are injured 
  in the attack, but no casualties are reported. If the 
  Fated are there or go to investigate, with a TN 13 
  Notice check they'll see a small quadruped slinking 
  away with what looks like piping or other mechanical 
  bits in its mouth. If the Fated attempt to follow it, it 
  will take a TN 14 Stealth by each person or they will 
  be spotted. If they all succeed, proceed to Scene 3.
  Final 5 Successes (Motive): 
  The following event occurs:
  Next time the Fated change locations, Charlotte will 
  walk up to them, looking incredibly distressed. "I'm 
  sorry. I wanted to make sure my dad wouldn't get 
  into trouble. He said he was going to go get mom 
  at the cemetery... he said she wasn't actually dead, 
  just in... 'suspended animation'."
  ScEnE 3: thE Climax 
  The Murdstrom cemetery has been a fixture since 
  before the Breach opened, dotted with trees that seem 
  to drip to the ground under their own weight and an 
  excessive amount of elaborately sealed mausoleums.
  If the Fated get to the cemetery from the first event, 
  they’ll arrive in time to see the tell-tale signs of 
  smoke drifting up from a train. If they approach 
  fairly quickly, they’ll see Charles Faraday loading 
  what looks like an iron lung with frost clinging to it 
  onto the train by crane. If the Fated arrive after the 
  second or third event, the iron lung will be loaded, 
  and Charles will be completing final checks before 
  boarding the train and leaving. If the Fated arrive 
  after any other number of events, the train will be in 
  the process of pulling away.
  If the Fated try to stop Charles from leaving, Charles 
  will get his guard ‘dogs’ to buy him time (use the 
  stats for the Hunter on Pg 147 of the Fatemaster’s 
  Almanac, adjusting the number based on the number 
  of players). Charles’ focus during the fight will be on 
  escaping, so he will avoid fighting the Fated to that 
  end. If the Fated do not defeat the Hunters after 5 
  rounds, the train will begin to leave.
  If the train leaves, the Fated will be able to make 
  it on by running and jumping onto the train, but 
  they will suffer 2 damage unless they pass a TN 9 
  Acrobatics check. As they proceed forward on the 
  train, they’ll find that while the 2nd and 3rd car have 
  been fused into one with the only entrances coming 
  from the engine or the 4th car.
  Inside the Train: Charles personally constructed 
  the train to help bring Rebecca back to life, and as 
  such has built in a several defences to help make 
  sure he will finish the job. Should the fight make it 
  to the inside of the Train (as opposed to the Fated 
  stopping Charles before the train leaves), Charles 
  will spend most of his time using the defences of 
  the train (use the Craftsman stats on Pg 127 of the 
  A brutish rail worker walks in, four lackeys in 
  tow. The leader approaches [the person the 
  Fated are talking to], and says, "oi... I needs 
  mah arm worked on proper-quick, and you’re 
  suppose ta be a great engineer." 
  He turns to his lackeys, clearly ignoring everyone 
  until they decide to look at his arm, which he’s 
  holding out. "Can you believe that conductor? 
  Barely got off the track before he blew through. 
  Coffin real estate going so fast that ya gotta 
  blaze down the track like a cat on fire?"
  
  Heavy Crane (10yd x 60yd)
  Anyone within a 2yd aura 
  must make a TN9 Spd check 
  or take 2 damage and be 
  pushed 2yds away.
  Cover (50mm marker)
  TrAiN MaP (45yDs x 100yDs)
  BoArD eFfEcTs:
  Rebecca (40mm marker)
  Electro Coils (40mm marker)
  Targets in a line between 2 
  points must make a TN 9 Df 
  check or suffer 2 damage and 
  gain the Slow condition.
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  Fatemaster’s Almanac, treating Charles as a Rank 
  8 character) from near Rebecca. This position 
  will provide him with almost total cover from any 
  attacks at range.
  At the start of Charles’ initiative, he can spend 
  a 0 action to make a board effect occur. Unless 
  otherwise stated, board effects affect all legal 
  targets in the area. On the side of the train cars 
  nearest the engine, the Fated will see what looks 
  like an iron lung with sheets of ice clinging to it. 
  If a blast token hits it, Charles will immediately 
  refocus his attentions on the one who caused the 
  damage, going from defensive to what offense he 
  can muster, flat out trying to kill that person. “You 
  leave Rebecca ALONE!”
  Quips for Charles during the fight: “You probably 
  want there to be some nefarious reason why I 
  framed you for this crime, but truthfully it was a 
  matter of convenience... it seems I misjudged the 
  Guild’s devotion to their job though.”
  “You flail like children at spiders. I have defied many 
  stronger than you.”
  In addition to Charles, he will have some 
  reinforcements in the form of Hunters. The Hunters 
  will enter from both sides of the traincar and 
  proceed to attack the players, but they will also 
  be affected by anything Charles does. If the Fated 
  are winning the fight too easily, add more Hunters 
  entering the train car.
  Epilogue:
  After defeating Charles, he mourns the fact that he 
  can’t save his beloved, and curses the Fated for 
  being lap-dogs. What happens next is entirely up to 
  the Fated. They have a train that’s years past what 
  others could make, a slightly mad genius inventor, 
  and a head-start. You also have a Guild officer that 
  knows who each of you are.
  
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  The Cast:
  Charles Faraday: The driving force behind this 
  story. The quote that best describes him is “They 
  say seeking the answers to staving off death is 
  sacrilege. Perhaps the answer is in seeking the right 
  questions.” The cycle of death and life had always 
  been a cold fact of life to Charles; it lacked any 
  emotional meaning because it was the inevitable 
  result. The study of this inevitability drew Charles 
  towards building constructs; metal and gears after 
  all were much more efficient machines than flesh 
  and bone. This stark analytical life began to be 
  challenged when Charles met Rebecca. They both 
  worked with the M&SU, and through a chance 
  encounter became inseparable. Charles referred to 
  her as “the heart he didn’t know he had lost”. Mere 
  days after proposing to her, Charles got the news 
  no one wanted to hear; she had been caught in a 
  mining explosion. 
  With all the skills and resources at his disposal, the 
  best Charles could do was put her into a medically 
  induced coma. Charles became obsessed with 
  trying to bring his fiancée back to full life. When 
  Charles began exploring texts that flirted with 
  Resurrectionist teachings, the other members of 
  the M&SU decided to distance themselves from 
  Charles in order to keep the Guild from coming after 
  them directly.
  At the start of the adventure, Charles is setting in 
  motion the plan to claim his train that had been 
  caught up in a raid. He’s ready to bring his wife 
  back; he simply needs the materials on the train to 
  complete the job. 
  Faraday is a man on a mission. He’s accepted that 
  people will try to stop him because he’s crossing 
  some perceived line, but Rebecca is the only person 
  Charles has ever truly cared about. NOTHING is too 
  far to save her.
  Richard Davy: The more “commercial” of the 
  engineers. Time is money with Richard, so he’s 
  always after the most efficient way of doing business. 
  Richard is always dressed sharply; he doesn’t 
  flash his wealth, but quietly displays it. He should 
  be presented as sharp and incredibly focused; he 
  makes definitive decisions and doesn’t waste time 
  with ‘ums’ or ‘well…’.
  Frederick Winsor: The “softest” of the engineers. 
  Frederick looks like what you would expect a clock 
  maker to be; several pounds overweight, slightly 
  frayed dusty brown hair that’s traveling to grey, and 
  a mostly knit wardrobe. He should feel like a polar 
  opposite to Richard. Present him as a guy who 
  slightly rambles, takes his time getting to a point, 
  and is just enjoying the company.
  Charlotte the Intern: Charlotte is a 16 year old girl 
  with vibrant auburn hair in a loose ponytail most of 
  the time. She dresses like a tinkerer in overalls, 
  goggles sitting on her head, and is constantly fiddling 
  with some widget in her hands. Present her as a girl 
  who’s constantly observing and parsing information.
  Thompson McMeel: Officer McMeel has been with 
  the Guild for a few years now, and is an astute 
  investigator. His uniform is showing slight signs of 
  wear and tear, but he prides himself on looking his 
  best. Present him as a man who’s only going up in 
  rank the longer he works.
  Officer Sara Loath: A snarky young Guild officer 
  dedicated to McMeel. Loath knows what a valuable 
  mentor and boss she has in the incredibly talented 
  McMeel, and would rather see the Fated take 
  the fall than her boss. She’s mostly amoral and 
  disinterested (because she knows she can make 
  the Fated take the blame).
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Through the Breach/Through the Breach - One Shot - Train of Thoughts (Chronicles #15) [_oef_].pdf