Brass Rings 2025 - Session 0/1 Recap

It was a bustling evening in Pete's Peanut Gallery in the Great Tree. Finster Templesmith, a Mole, was nursing his tea and listening to Bisquick Dusttail, a grumpy older Rat a bit hard of hearing it seemed, trade jibes with Jasper Wensleydale, a hyperactive Jerboa. A mouseling runs to the table amidst the hustle of a busy evening at the Peanut Gallery.

"Are you" and looking down at the paper in his hand, "Mr. Templesmith, Mr. Dusttail and Mr. Wensleydale?"

Bisquick answers with a surly "Who wants to know?" scaring the little one. Once he gets an affirmation, he hands them the paper and says Dr. Crackers would like to speak with them if they would. And darts off, whiskers shaking in fear of the formidable older rat.

Dr/ Crackers is in his office, a bit higher in the Great Tree. behind him are two other Mice. Introductions are made: Dr. Crackers is well known, his nephew Brie Parmesan and his wife, Lady Gouda Parsnip, of the Parsnip Family.

Gouda Parsnip

"As outstanding members of the Seeker's Society, I have a request to make of you, if you would. My nephew was rescued last year but Bucky and Miss Fay. He was found in a Forerunner's structure. They've gone back and, well, we've lost touch with them. They have been consistently communicating with us but their last message is almost 2 weeks overdue."

Questions and answers were passed along: they get paid 5 washers a week each, and room, board and transport costs are covered, and a 30-washer payment for any supplies they may need for the journey. It is a 2-day trip by steam rail to Endkeep Station, with the train leaving in the morning. 

Agreeing to help Dr Crackers, they get some additional information from Bucky: maps of Endkeep Station, some notes on the Forerunner facility. While Finster and Bisquick finish getting supplies and go to sleep, Jasper spends the night dancing at the club, drinking no tea but imbibing in a variety of cheeses and dancing with winsome Mice all night long.

At the train, they meet up with Havarti Quickquill, the messenger employed by Dr. Crackers.

Havarti Quickquill, ready for adventure

They bustle about and get the gear they purchased and their luggage into their sleeper car accommodations. Jasper is not quite awake and falls asleep as soon as his tail hits the seat. He mumbles a bit about Bisquick and Finster talking too loudly and falls back asleep. There are a few short blasts as the train is getting ready to leave the Grand Station at the base of the Great Tree. The conductor makes the passage through and punches tickets for our adventurers and the other 3 passengers on the train.

Talking with Roquefort, Bisquick licks the book he is reading. In a huff, the librarian Mouse thinks they are uncouth, and pulls the book back closer to himself. There was a bit of discussion on cheese worms making the holes that our awake travelers believe in despite Roquefort's somewhat vehement explanation about gas bubbles and fermentation.

Goudalyn Smokeveil

Roquefort  Rattlewick

Swiss Cogsworth

The train moves along, leaving the Great Tree, passing through farms, and eventually leaving most of civilization behind as it crosses the F-Ring towards Endkeep Station. Dinner is served at the dining car, and Colby Steamwhistle serves the cheeses and teas. Our adventurers also stuff their pockets with extra food. Roquefort tells the serving Mouse he enjoyed his repast and heads back to the seats to continue to read his book on the history of Swiss cheese. Wanting a repast himself, Bisquick demands one. Smiling, Colby finds a wax-wrapped Quark cheese, which the elder mouse puts into his pocket. 

As darkness approached, there were some sort whistles from the engine. The conductor hurries through the cars, to see if anyone has familiarity with rifles. 

the Conductor with no name

Colby has unlocked the arms locker in the dining car and was handing out rifles to those who would take one. Finster decided that with his eyesight, and the Hat Incident with Bisquick, that he would be in charge of handing up ammo as needed. A ping on the side of the car alerted the group that they were indeed under attack. Climbing up, Jasper and Goudelyn took to the roof while Bisquick was on the ladder on the car. There were 2 smaller dragonflies and one larger mother craft. The dragonflies are Forerunner technology and attempt to kill the rodent population of the Rings.

Dragonfly Art Station

A quick battle ensued: Jasper made an amazing shot and knocked one down on his first shot. Goudalyn and Bisquick managed to down the other Dragonfly between them, and the mother craft buzzed off. 

Back inside, it was explained that these flying monsters did attack the train sporadically. Light armor was added to the train which is usually enough to keep people safe. But our heroes will get a golden ticket: free train rides for the next year. 

The next morning, the train arrives at Endkeep Station. Our heroes get off, and several workers get on. They were on a short furlough but are heading back to the next station to continue to extend the rail line. 

Havarti takes them to the Eastern Hostel, where they meet Bernice Longtail, a Rat with at least a dozen ratlings playing in the lobby: Jasper, Jason, Jacob, Jeannette, Joesph. Apparently, Bernice has an affinity for the letter J. Still too early to check in, she does allow them to look in rooms 9 and 10, where Bucky and Miss Fay were staying. The beds were neatly made, and an investigation found some maps in Bucky's room, and an odd rectangular plaque or something with a hole in it behind the mirror in Miss Fay's room. Looking at the map, they saw markings similar to what was on the plaque in a northern room of what appeared to be the Forerunner building. 

Having some time to spend before they can check in, the heroes do a bit of sigh-seeing about town. A previous post tells us about the town. It is a bit larger now, being a year later, and having a bit more rail traffic going through.

And that is where we left that session. I'll fill in more details with the town as they will encounter the other train passengers and may want to know more about them. And I need to get that map done.