Introduction

All of you have worked together before, and when the game begins you all are together.

First one to answer gets to set the scene: where are all of you? In a bar? In an office? At the threshold of action?

It's important to the isekai conceit that you start in the "real world" and step into the Other. Or maybe the Other comes to you. We'll see.

I think we are at a funeral. One of our crew didn't make it out of the last mission.

Randeep Singh's wife, elderly parents and uncle, young cousins, and teenage brother sit with you on metal folding chairs in the dimly-lit gurudwara. They all are barefoot and wearing knee-length white robes. His wife and mother wear white leggings under the robes. Ashe, his wife, holds baby Maddy, who also is dressed in white.

There is no body to view, so everyone is uncomfortable. The granthi stands at a solid-looking lectern, reading scripture. Everyone else sits silently. None of you (player characters) understand the words of the scripture. Randeep's older family members have attentive expressions, Maddy is asleep, and the teenage brother is looking out the window.

After about twenty minutes, the granthi closes the book from which he has been reading. He bows to the mourners and begins to walk around, shaking hands goodbye.

It is acceptable to talk now.

What did each of you wear to the funeral? What do you say to the family?

Death is nothing new to Chuck. It comes with the territory when you're a paramedic, so he's learned over the years to not let it get to him when he witnesses it.

What he's not prepared for is seeing his best friend die a horrific death right in front of him. It's scarred him deeply. Chuck did something he learned never to do as a paramedic; promise the person he's working on they won't die. Chuck worked hard to save Randeep, knowing it was pointless. Nobody can survive that much physical trauma. Fortunately Randeep wasn't in pain long, maybe a couple of minutes from wound to death. Chuck took solace in that.

Standing in the corner, Chuck is working himself up to giving his condolences to Ashe. Observing Lili talk to Ashe from afar, Chuck steels himself and lines up behind Lili. After Lili moves on, Chuck tentatively approaches Ashe and respectfully bows his head, "Ashe, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Randeep was like a brother to me. I'll miss him terribly." He sighs deeply, then works his way across the room to find another place where he can be relatively isolated.

When he finds a suitable location he mumbles to himself "I'll pay a visit to Ashe next week" as he adjusts his old blue sport coat that is slightly too small. Appearance isn't something Chuck really pays attention too, which explains his slightly mis-matching jacket, pant, and shirt combination. It's one of those combinations that almost works, but not really.

It becomes clear that the Singh family in general are deeply uncomfortable with Randeep's absence and your presence, even though Ashe specifically had reached out to each of you to let you know when and where the funeral would be. There are too many awkward handshakes before you go out into the sunshine of a beautiful spring day. Randeep's family stay in the dimness and privacy of the gurudwara.

Randeep had been training one of you as the team leader, his 2IC. (whoever posts next is the team leader.) Your phone has a special ring tone for Trouble. What does it sound like?

"April Flowers, here" says the female voice on the phone. Janus knows the response: "May rain, there."

"Go to the Kent Library," she continues. "It's across the Bay, it's on GPS. In the past 24, six people come out of there who speak no language known to us, but everyone can understand them. They're talking about multiple gods they're afraid of. Refugees. We don't want anything following them out. You know the drill. Find the weirdstone, break it. Get back before the gap closes." A pause. She's waiting for questions.

"You're first officials to the scene," Ms. Flowers responds. "You can stop by the Depot in Apolis to pull some gear. Including a drone."

GPS is telling you that it's about an hour and ten minutes drive to Kent Library. You'll have to cross the Bay on that rickety bridge that waves in the wind.

Any other questions?