Storyline: add Session 1 — Outside Blood

The party reaches Brackenford two hours after Eamon met Aldren: the Thorn beekeepers, the Vale family and Edric's death, the council hiding Eamon, the collection cart, and the first word of blood. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-10-04 12:56:07 +02:00
parent 111dc1232d
commit 52ba33d232
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@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ class StorylineController extends AbstractController
            'summary' => "The courier job that carries the party to Brackenford: hired in Bellhaven to deliver Edric Vale's estate to his nephew Eamon, twenty days on the road, and one night in a guest cottage that won't let anyone sleep. Levels 1 to 2, about 2.5 hours.",
            'template' => 'storyline/chapters/prologue-the-long-road.html.twig',
        ],
        'session-1-outside-blood' => [
            'title' => 'Session 1 — Outside Blood',
            'eyebrow' => 'Session 1',
            'tag' => 'S1',
            'summary' => "The party arrives in Brackenford two hours after Eamon Vale met Aldren. A warm welcome from the Thorn beekeepers, a family hearing of Edric's death, a signature nobody can get because the council has Eamon — and, late at night, something dripping from the collection cart. Level 2, about 2.5 hours.",
            'template' => 'storyline/chapters/session-1-outside-blood.html.twig',
        ],
    ];
    #[Route('/storyline', name: 'app_storyline', methods: ['GET'])]
@@ -0,0 +1,310 @@
 {# Session 1 — Outside Blood. Hand-formatted from the session outline. #}
 <dl class="storyline-meta">
    <div><dt>Starting level</dt><dd>2</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Expected duration</dt><dd>~2.5 hours</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Locations</dt><dd>Road into Brackenford &rarr; Thorn Apiary &rarr; Vale Farm &rarr; village centre</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Primary objective</dt><dd>Deliver Eamon Vale's inheritance</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Actual objective</dt><dd>Establish Brackenford, and make the players realise Eamon's absence is not normal</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Major reveal</dt><dd>Something involving <strong>blood</strong> that the village doesn't want outsiders asking about</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <aside class="storyline-callout storyline-callout--warn" data-label="Do not reveal yet">
    Aldren. The purpose of the blood. Kyuss. Where Eamon is.
 </aside>
 <aside class="storyline-callout" data-label="Tone">
    <p><strong>Brackenford isn't creepy when they arrive. It's a village.</strong></p>
    <p>Children play. Someone is repairing a fence. Smoke rises from chimneys. People are working. Dogs bark at the handcart. The weirdness begins only when they ask the wrong questions.</p>
 </aside>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>01</span> Two Hours from Brackenford</h2>
 <p>Begin exactly where the prologue ended. Nearly twenty days on the road. The handcart is covered by the tarp they bought in Bellhaven; inside are Eamon's possessions and the sealed coin chest. Dunnchadh has the contract and Eamon's magical receipt stored safely between the toolboxes.</p>
 <p>The road narrows. Cultivated fields appear. Stone walls divide grazing land. Now and then they pass an isolated farm.</p>
 <div class="storyline-handout">
    The road crests another low hill.<br>
    Beyond it, nestled between rolling green slopes, is a village.<br>
    Not a town. Not a fortified settlement.<br>
    Just a few dozen clusters of stone-and-timber buildings surrounded by fields, orchards and grazing land.<br>
    Thin trails of chimney smoke rise into the afternoon air.<br>
    Somewhere in the distance, you hear a church bell.<br>
    <br>
    After almost twenty days on the road&hellip; <strong>Brackenford.</strong>
 </div>
 <p>Let them react. They've made it. Their easy delivery job is nearly finished.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>02</span> What the Players Don't See</h2>
 <aside class="storyline-callout storyline-callout--warn" data-label="GM only">
    <p>Eamon Vale's crisis has already happened. About two hours earlier, Eamon encountered Aldren, who told him:</p>
    <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Tell them the blood is no longer enough.</blockquote>
    <p>Eamon came back to Brackenford terrified. People saw him, and heard enough of what he shouted to know something had happened. The council stepped in and took him somewhere secure.</p>
    <p>The adults who know about Aldren are frightened. The children mostly know only that <em>something happened with Mr. Vale</em>. And before anyone has had time to decide what to do&hellip; five unfamiliar halflings arrive pulling a cart.</p>
 </aside>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>03</span> Entering Brackenford</h2>
 <p><strong>Don't make the villagers hostile. Make them curious.</strong> Outsiders don't arrive every day.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Adults</span><span>A farmer stops working for a moment. Someone carrying a basket looks twice. A woman pauses mid-conversation.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">A dog</span><span>Runs alongside the handcart for ten seconds before being called back.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Children</span><span>Notice them immediately. They watch from a distance. One whispers. Another runs toward a house. A little boy points; his mother tells him not to stare.</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>The feeling should be <em>&ldquo;What did the cat drag in?&rdquo;</em> &mdash; not <em>&ldquo;Outsiders! Get them!&rdquo;</em> Brackenford trades with other villages, people travel through, apprentices arrive. Five halflings with a loaded handcart are unusual, not frightening.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>04</span> The Brave Child</h2>
 <p>Eventually one child gets brave enough: <strong>Bryony Thorn</strong>, age 8. She has grown up in the only halfling household in Brackenford, so five halflings together is fascinating. She approaches, cautiously at first.</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Are you Thorns?</blockquote>
 <p>Pause. If they don't understand:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Like&hellip; family of ours?</blockquote>
 <p>If they explain they're not, Bryony looks slightly disappointed &mdash; then notices something about the <strong>beekeeper</strong> (Darragh, going by the pet bees on the sheet): a bee smoker strapped to the cart, a tool, the smell of beeswax, or the character simply mentions it.</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">You keep bees?</blockquote>
 <p class="storyline-turn">And that changes everything.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>05</span> The Thorn Family</h2>
 <p>Bryony runs home, possibly without saying goodbye. A few minutes later she comes running back with her older sister, <strong>Clover Thorn</strong>, an 18-year-old halfling beekeeper apprentice. Clover is considerably less shy, introduces herself properly, and apologises for Bryony interrogating strangers.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Clover</span><span>&ldquo;Sorry. We don't get many halflings here who aren't related to us.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span>&ldquo;I wasn't interrogating them.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Clover</span><span>&ldquo;You asked if they were family before asking their names.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span>&ldquo;That's important.&rdquo;</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>A light opening before the mystery begins.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>06</span> The Thorn House and Apiary</h2>
 <p>If the party shows even moderate interest, Clover invites them to the Thorn farmstead on the edge of Brackenford. <span class="text-body-secondary">(<a href="{{ path('app_npc_family', {family: 'Thorn'}) }}">Thorn family tree</a>)</span></p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>Bramble Thorn, 45</dt><dd>Beekeeper, father.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Poppy Thorn, 42</dt><dd>Beekeeper, mother.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Wren Thorn, 19</dt><dd>Beekeeper apprentice, eldest son.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Clover Thorn, 18</dt><dd>Beekeeper apprentice, daughter.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Bryony Thorn, 8</dt><dd>Professional interrogator of strangers.</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p>Make this one of the most welcoming places in Brackenford. Rows of hives behind the house. Beeswax candles drying beneath a covered work area. Jars everywhere. The whole place smells faintly of honey and smoke.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>07</span> Let the Beekeeper Have Their Moment</h2>
 <p><strong>Don't rush this.</strong> A player chose beekeeping before this connection existed &mdash; exactly the sort of coincidence worth exploiting.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Bramble</span><span>&ldquo;What sort of hives do you use?&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Clover</span><span>&ldquo;What flowers grow around your farm?&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Poppy</span><span>Wants to compare honey.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Wren</span><span>Has Opinions&trade; about hive placement.</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>Let them disagree about techniques. No rolls unless the player makes specific claims or examines the Thorn hives.</p>
 <aside class="storyline-callout" data-label="Why it matters">
    Your character's background matters &mdash; and <strong>the party will know people in Brackenford before they're asked to save it.</strong>
 </aside>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>08</span> Why Are You Here?</h2>
 <p>Eventually, naturally:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">So what brings five of you all the way out here?</blockquote>
 <p>The players explain: Eamon Vale. Watch the atmosphere change &mdash; not dramatically. Bramble doesn't drop his mug. Poppy doesn't scream. But there's a pause. Clover looks toward her father.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span>&ldquo;Oh! Mr. Vale was&mdash;&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Poppy</span><span>&ldquo;Bryony.&rdquo; &nbsp;<span class="text-body-secondary">Not angrily. Just immediately.</span></span></li>
 </ul>
 <p class="storyline-turn">The first tiny alarm bell.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>09</span> What the Thorns Know</h2>
 <aside class="storyline-callout storyline-callout--warn" data-label="GM only — knowledge layers">
    <p><strong>All adult Thorns</strong> know about Aldren and the blood tradition.</p>
    <p><strong>Bryony</strong> (8) does not. She knows something strange happened today because children notice everything &mdash; she may have seen Eamon running through the village, heard shouting, or noticed adults suddenly sending children home. She doesn't know what it means.</p>
    <p><strong>Clover</strong> (18) does know about Aldren and the blood cart. She's friendly toward the party, but the instant the conversation nears today's incident she becomes guarded. For the first time, their new friend is hiding something.</p>
 </aside>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>10</span> Asking About Eamon</h2>
 <p>Bramble gives the straightforward answer:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Vale farm's on the western side. Follow the road past the square, then take the path beside the orchard.</blockquote>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>Is Eamon home?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Couldn't tell you.&rdquo; <span class="text-body-secondary">Technically true.</span></dd></div>
    <div><dt>If pressed</dt><dd>&ldquo;Best ask his family.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p>Bramble won't lie unnecessarily &mdash; but he's certainly not telling five strangers that Eamon ran into their four-hundred-year-old vampire earlier today.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>11</span> Vale Farm</h2>
 <p>This is where the easy job officially stops being easy. <span class="text-body-secondary">(<a href="{{ path('app_npc_family', {family: 'Vale'}) }}">Vale family tree</a>)</span></p>
 <p>They knock. <strong>Maris Vale</strong>, Eamon's 39-year-old partner, answers. She looks tired &mdash; not grieving, not terrified, but clearly she's had a bad day. Behind her might be <strong>Olda Vale</strong> (73, Eamon's mother) and, depending on the time of day, <strong>Tilda</strong> (17), <strong>Rory</strong> (12) and <strong>Wick</strong> (6).</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">We're looking for Eamon Vale.</blockquote>
 <p>Maris pauses.</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">He's not here.</blockquote>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>12</span> The Inheritance</h2>
 <p>The prologue preparation pays off. They explain Edric, show the inheritance, and perhaps explain that Edric has died. That gives Maris a genuine emotional reaction &mdash; she knows who Edric was, and Olda certainly does: Edric was her relative.</p>
 <p>For a moment the ancient vampire conspiracy disappears and this becomes <strong>a family receiving news of a death</strong>. Let that breathe.</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Edric's dead?</blockquote>
 <p>If told he died peacefully of old age:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Seventy-six&hellip; <span class="text-body-secondary">(she nods)</span> Stubborn bastard made it further than I expected.</blockquote>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>13</span> &ldquo;We Can Take It&rdquo;</h2>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">You can leave his things here. I'll make sure he gets them.</blockquote>
 <p>Now Dunnchadh's paperwork matters. They can leave the inheritance &mdash; but <strong>Eamon has to sign</strong>. If they explain that, Maris becomes uncomfortable.</p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>Eamon must sign</dt><dd>&ldquo;He can't do that right now.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Why?</dt><dd>&ldquo;He's&hellip; dealing with something.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Where?</dt><dd>&ldquo;I don't know when he'll be back.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p class="storyline-turn">That answer should sound wrong &mdash; because she almost said something else.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>14</span> If They Push Maris</h2>
 <p>Don't make her stonewall like an NPC quest gate. She's under pressure. She loves Eamon. She knows he is physically safe, but she's frightened by what he said. If they push gently:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Something happened this afternoon.</blockquote>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>Is he hurt?</dt><dd>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Kidnapped?</dt><dd>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>In danger?</dt><dd><em>Long pause.</em> &ldquo;I don't know.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Where is he?</dt><dd>&ldquo;The council is looking after him.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p>A major clue: <strong>the village council has Eamon</strong>. Don't give them his location.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>15</span> The First Contradiction</h2>
 <p>Something concrete to notice: the Thorns implied they didn't know where Eamon was. Maris says the council has him. Not necessarily sinister &mdash; but strange.</p>
 <p>And because the party needs Eamon's signature, they can't simply shrug and leave. <strong>They're trapped without being railroaded:</strong> they can leave whenever they want, they just won't get their remaining 100&nbsp;gp.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>16</span> The Village Square</h2>
 <p>At some point they'll head toward the centre. Let them see the village properly &mdash; this is where the roster of <a href="{{ path('app_npcs') }}">NPCs</a> starts becoming useful.</p>
 <p><strong>Don't introduce fifteen named characters. Use faces.</strong> The mill. The temple. The smithy. Children. Someone selling vegetables. A carpenter carrying timber. A dwarf arguing about a horseshoe. People who clearly know one another.</p>
 <p class="storyline-turn">This isn't a spooky cult village. It's a community &mdash; and that matters enormously later.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>17</span> The First Blood Clue</h2>
 <p>Start the blood-cart mystery before they find Eamon, but make the first clue <strong>mundane</strong>. Near the Redbrook household, or a small collection room near the village centre, they see <strong>Bastian Cooper's cart</strong>: just a sturdy covered cart. Bastian is inspecting one of its wheels. Nearby are several carefully cleaned containers.</p>
 <p>If the party doesn't care, that's fine &mdash; don't force it. But if they ask:</p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>What's the cart?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Collection cart.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Collection of what?</dt><dd><em>Bastian hesitates.</em> &ldquo;Village business.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p>That's it, the first time.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>18</span> The Children Make a Mistake</h2>
 <p>Rory Vale, or another child, is nearby.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Child</span><span>&ldquo;Is that the cart for next&mdash;&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Adult</span><span>&ldquo;Inside.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Child</span><span>&ldquo;But&mdash;&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Adult</span><span>&ldquo;Now.&rdquo;</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>Much more suspicious than Bastian refusing to answer. The players don't know what the cart collects &mdash; only that <strong>adults don't want children discussing it with outsiders</strong>.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>19</span> Garrick Voss</h2>
 <aside class="storyline-callout" data-label="Hold back">
    Don't use Garrick's &ldquo;outside blood&rdquo; line yet. It hits much harder once the party knows blood is literally involved.
 </aside>
 <p>This is their first encounter with <strong>Garrick Voss</strong>: polite, measured, an elder.</p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>About Eamon?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Eamon is safe.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Where?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Somewhere he can rest.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Why can't we see him?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Because he has had a difficult day.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>We need his signature.</dt><dd>&ldquo;Then I'm afraid you'll need to wait.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>How long?</dt><dd>&ldquo;I couldn't say.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p>He should sound <strong>reasonable enough to be infuriating</strong>.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>20</span> Garrick's Position</h2>
 <p>Garrick genuinely doesn't care about their courier contract &mdash; not out of cruelty. From his perspective, Eamon encountered Aldren, Aldren says the blood isn't enough, the village may be facing its greatest crisis in generations&hellip; and five strangers are complaining about paperwork.</p>
 <p>If Dunnchadh says &ldquo;We're owed a hundred gold&rdquo;:</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Then I suggest you enjoy our hospitality while you wait.</blockquote>
 <p>Not hostility &mdash; priorities. The party will probably hate him for it. <strong>Perfect.</strong></p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>21</span> Where Can They Stay?</h2>
 <p>After nearly twenty days of travel, give them somewhere to establish themselves. The <a href="{{ path('app_npc_family', {family: 'Brewster'}) }}">Brewsters</a> become their first regular social hub:</p>
 <p class="storyline-beat">The Hearth &amp; Hound</p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>Hettie</dt><dd>Runs the tavern.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Oswin</dt><dd>Brews the ale.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Ralf</dt><dd>Handles much of the brewing work.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Mara</dt><dd>Works the tavern.</dd></div>
    <div><dt>Pip &amp; Nib</dt><dd>Frequently underfoot.</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <p class="text-body-secondary small">The name having &ldquo;Hearth&rdquo; in it despite the separate Hearth family is fine &mdash; if anything, a minor local joke.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>22</span> Hettie Brewster</h2>
 <p>Friendly, not bubbly. A woman who has served almost everyone in Brackenford at some point. She knows who drinks what, who owes money, whose marriage is struggling, whose child broke a window, and exactly how long someone has been sitting alone with the same ale.</p>
 <p>She sees five outsiders walk in and immediately knows: <strong>news</strong>. She doesn't interrogate them. She lets them talk.</p>
 <p class="storyline-turn">That's much more dangerous.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>23</span> Tavern Conversations</h2>
 <p>Give the party chances to talk to villagers. If they mention Eamon, different people react differently:</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">One</span><span>&ldquo;He'll turn up.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Another</span><span>&ldquo;Council's handling it.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Someone else</span><span>&ldquo;Best leave Vale alone tonight.&rdquo;</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p><strong>Nobody gives exactly the same answer.</strong> This isn't a rehearsed conspiracy; it's a village where everyone knows part of what happened and nobody knows what they're supposed to tell outsiders. That produces inconsistencies naturally.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>24</span> The Word &ldquo;Blood&rdquo;</h2>
 <p>Aim for the first explicit reference to blood <strong>late in the session</strong>. Not Aldren. Not vampire. Just <em>blood</em>.</p>
 <p>The players overhear <strong>Hester Redbrook</strong> quietly speaking with <strong>Bastian Cooper</strong>:</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Hester</span><span>&ldquo;We can't change the list now.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bastian</span><span>&ldquo;I'm telling you what I heard.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Hester</span><span>&ldquo;And I'm telling you fifteen is what we prepare.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bastian</span><span>&ldquo;What if fifteen isn't enough?&rdquo;</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>Hettie notices the party listening. The conversation stops.</p>
 <p>Fifteen <em>what</em>? The players may assume litres, people, crates, gold, food&hellip; <strong>Don't explain.</strong></p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>25</span> If They Confront Bastian</h2>
 <p>Bastian isn't good at conspiracy. He's a cart driver.</p>
 <dl class="storyline-qa">
    <div><dt>What does fifteen mean?</dt><dd>&ldquo;Nothing you need concern yourself with.&rdquo;</dd></div>
    <div><dt>That's obviously suspicious.</dt><dd>&ldquo;Aye.&rdquo;</dd></div>
 </dl>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">You've been here half a day. There are things you don't understand yet.</blockquote>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">If you're still here long enough, maybe you will.</blockquote>
 <p>This reinforces the line between <strong>villager</strong> and <strong>outsider</strong>.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>26</span> Don't Give Them the Vampire Yet</h2>
 <p>Resist the temptation. By the end of Session 1 the players should know:</p>
 <ul>
    <li>Eamon is missing / unavailable;</li>
    <li>something happened to him shortly before they arrived;</li>
    <li>the council knows where he is;</li>
    <li>the villagers are frightened;</li>
    <li>there's a strange collection cart;</li>
    <li>something involving <em>fifteen</em> is apparently no longer enough;</li>
    <li>blood is involved somehow.</li>
 </ul>
 <p>They should <strong>not</strong> yet know why. If someone asks directly, &ldquo;Are you collecting blood?&rdquo;, let the NPC's reaction answer before the words do: silence, a glance, then&hellip;</p>
 <blockquote class="storyline-quote">Who told you that?</blockquote>
 <p>Effectively confirmation, without exposition.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>27</span> Optional — Bryony Returns</h2>
 <aside class="storyline-callout" data-label="Emergency lever">
    Use this if the session needs a push, or the party hasn't found the blood thread themselves.
 </aside>
 <p>Children hear things they don't understand, and adults forget they're listening. Bryony finds the party later &mdash; perhaps she particularly likes the beekeeper now.</p>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span>&ldquo;Did you find Mr. Vale?&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Party</span><span>No.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span>&ldquo;He was shouting before.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Party</span><span>What was he shouting?</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span><em>Thinks.</em> &ldquo;Something about there not being enough.&rdquo;</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Party</span><span>Enough what?</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Bryony</span><span><em>Shrugs.</em> &ldquo;Blood, I think.&rdquo;</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>Before they can get more:</p>
 <p class="storyline-beat">&ldquo;BRYONY!&rdquo;</p>
 <p>Clover is standing some distance away. Not angry. <strong>Scared.</strong></p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>28</span> Session Ending</h2>
 <p>End with a very small event, not an attack.</p>
 <p>The party leaves the tavern. Brackenford is dark now. Windows glow. The village is quiet. Somewhere a dog barks. They pass the covered collection cart. Bastian has gone &mdash; for the first time, nobody is around it.</p>
 <p>One character notices something beneath the cart. A tiny dark droplet. Then another. Something has leaked from one of the containers. If touched: dark red, still slightly tacky.</p>
 <p class="storyline-beat">Blood.</p>
 <p>Don't say anything else. Let the players react. Then:</p>
 <div class="storyline-handout">
    Twenty days ago, you accepted a simple courier job.<br>
    This morning, all you needed was Eamon Vale's signature.<br>
    Now Eamon is being hidden by the village council&hellip;<br>
    and someone in Brackenford is collecting blood.
 </div>
 <p class="storyline-turn">End Session 1.</p>
 <h2 class="storyline-section"><span>&plus;</span> Appendix — What Actually Happened During Session 1</h2>
 <ul class="storyline-rows">
    <li><span class="k">~2 h before</span><span>Eamon encounters Aldren.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">~1 h 45 m before</span><span>Eamon runs into Brackenford shouting that the blood isn't enough.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">~1 h 30 m before</span><span>Garrick and other council members intervene.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">~1 h before</span><span>Eamon is moved somewhere secure.</span></li>
    <li><span class="k">Party arrives</span><span>Everyone is still processing what happened.</span></li>
 </ul>
 <p>That last part is crucial. <strong>The villagers aren't performing a perfectly organised cover-up. They're improvising.</strong> That's why people contradict each other, why children almost say things they shouldn't, why Bastian and Hester are arguing, and why Maris nearly tells the party too much.</p>
 <p class="storyline-turn">The PCs haven't entered a conspiracy prepared for them. They've walked into a village two hours after a crisis began.</p>
 <p class="text-body-secondary small">Follows <a href="{{ path('app_storyline_chapter', {slug: 'prologue-the-long-road'}) }}">the Prologue</a> &mdash; see &ldquo;Appendix &mdash; Timing of Eamon's Encounter with Aldren&rdquo;.</p>
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ class ChapterTemplatesTest extends KernelTestCase
            'The Crooked Goose',
            'Tell them the blood is no longer enough',
        ];
        yield 'session 1' => [
            'storyline/chapters/session-1-outside-blood.html.twig',
            'Are you Thorns?',
            'The Hearth &amp; Hound',
        ];
    }
    #[DataProvider('chapters')]