Session 12 - Ascension and Madness

GM Observations/Summary
- This session was developed via play-by-email (PBeM). David and I wanted to explore different powers which meant that the two characters needed to be split up. At the end of this session we're into the second story arc.

Session 12 - Ascension and Madness

Realm 1 - The Middle Kingdom - Temple of the Four Winds
- Stepping across the Grand Stair, Grant and Ethan open the Red Door and enter the Middle Kingdom. They arrive at the Temple of the Four Winds where a small group of soldiers in awaits them, sent by the Shang Emperor. They are the Red Guard, personally chosen by the Emperor, some of his best. They refer to Grant and Ethan as the Lord Ran and Lord E'Tan respectively, and are prepared to escort them to the Capital. The Palace of the White Orchid is being prepared for their residency.
- Before leaving, Grant inspects the great sinkhole that was formed by the demon incursion. (see Session 8, Part 3) The ground near the great pit is corrupted, with dark lines lancing through the nearby earth, slowly creeping outwards. Even though the void portal is gone, the area has been touched by something. (GM's note - David decided that the area is infected with Umbra energy which then will trigger further events for Grant)
- They head east for three days, and learn that the empire that General Xia had built is already beginning to crumble and provinces once loyal to the Emperor are renewing their allegiances. The Shang are mobilising armies to deal with those provinces who refuse to submit to the Emperor's divine rule. Speaking privately to Grant, Ethan expresses his discomfort at being three days away from the nearest Door. They have never been so far away from a Door. Nevertheless there are no incidents on the way and after three days they arrive in the Capital.

Realm 1 - The Middle Kingdom - The Capital
- Grant and Ethan are escorted to the Palace of the White Orchid, in the hills outside the Capital, where they are met by seneschal Ma Jun, who is now High Councillor. The Palace is a palace in every sense of the word, and they are treated like royalty. The household consists of hundreds of servants, and Ethan finds that his two wives and vassals that he acquired by winning duels are already in residence. This makes Ethan very uncomfortable. Grant initially laughs at Ethan's situation but he also finds the local customs very constraining. Grant finds it difficult to refuse the hospitality that is offered, but also finds that he is doing what is expected of him, not what he truly wants to be doing.
- As the days pass, Ethan has distanced himself from the servants who are seeking to please him and he spends long periods in the carefully tended gardens away from others. But it is Grant who finally loses patience with Ma Jun and insists that they journey to the royal library to inspect the texts without further delay. 
- The written language is quickly learned by both, and they pour over the texts over weeks. There are histories of the Middle Kingdom which include Greywalker's activities, principally as an advisor, but also as a healer and occasionally as general. There are also stories which have almost attained mythological status as they have made their way into plays and songs. There is also philosophy which is said to be attributed to Greywalker, in a similar way that Confucius, Aristotle or Plato's teachings have been remembered over centuries. Most interesting is that there have been many interpretations of Greywalker's teachings which have led to a number of Ways being developed. The Ways resemble primitive magic based on an understanding of the natural order of things, and the balance/harmony between the classical elements of wood, fire, earth, water and wind. Grant and Ethan meet a handful of students of different Ways and witness some of their magic, but they find it difficult to extract enough to be able to learn the arts themselves.
- As time passes, the locals get more used to the way that Grant and Ethan operate and many of the rituals are removed, providing them with more latitude. Ethan begins working at the palace forge, much to the embarrassment of the servants as it seen as being below Ethan's station. Ethan finds the work frustrating as he destroys many of the tools with his immense strength. He is unable to find a suitable tutor to educate him, even after asking Ma Jun directly. In the evenings Ethan pours over old maps, looking for clues as to where he might go next. To his surprise, he develops a liking for the black mare that he has been riding to and from the library, and he starts personally looking after her.
- Grant himself is starting to be 'touched' by the dark energy of the Umbra. His dreams at night are beginning to speak of darker, more primal powers, and he becomes increasingly distracted.
- After three weeks, Ethan has had enough. He feels like a fish out of water, and the learnings from Greywalker have provided him with many ideas which he feels unable to pursue in this realm. All of the Ways and the teachings recorded by Greywalker and those who came after him talk about spiritual enlightenment being the way to unlock the powers that Ethan is seeking. He decides to leave.
- That evening Grant and Ethan talk over dinner. Grant is looking tired and hagged but he does not wish to leave. Ethan wishes his friend well and announces that he plans to leave immediately - he says to contact him via Icon if he needs assistance. They shake hands and Ethan departs. That night, Ethan sleeps under the stars and for the first time in weeks, he feels that he is on the right path.
- In Ethan's absence, Grant's situation changes rapidly over a matter of days. His dreams have begun to intrude even when Grant is awake. The Umbral energies have reached his brain, breaking down some preconceptions in his mind to allow new ideas to form in their place. He blanks out, and has patchy memory of what happens next ….

Realm 3 - Tyndam (Green Door)
- Grant is unconsciously drawn back to Tyndam but it is not clear to him as to how much time has passed. There he wanders, the energies of the Umbra consuming him, but not destroying him. For weeks he wanders the land in a fugue state, and at some point he becomes a man-shaped hole in reality: plants, buildings and even the very rocks and soil are unmade in his wake.
- Many weeks pass, and one day it occurs to him that he no longer has a body. He begins to work to rectify that - rebuilding himself cell by cell. Afters days of trial and error, he finally stands once more upon the ground on Tyndam, breathing its air. He is clothed, and is carrying most of his gear. his staff however, is gone, and in its place a serpentine bracer coils four times around his left wrist, ending in a 
head somewhere between serpent and oriental dragon. The bracer retains the staff's blaster ability. Grant is sure that this is the staff, transformed and empowered, but he has absolutely no memory of how this came to be. The icon he has of Ethan is changed too - it still looks the same, but it also has been empowered. It is now a full icon. There is less of the umbra in what he carries - able to see the flaws in things as he attempted to reconstruct them, he managed to avoid repeating the worst of the flaws.
- Grant ponders this for a second, then remembers something else - this is only one form. There are others he needs to remember: forms to fly and swim and burrow and stalk. As each comes to mind, it seems to him that he has practiced and mastered each, but has no memory of doing so. These gaps in his memory are troubling, as it seems that again weeks have passed, but for now higher priorities return to his memory. With a wolflike grin, the Umbra master sets out to find himself a beer.

And at this point (since much of this is written from Grant's point of view), what has happened to Ethan remains a mystery which will only be answered when Grant contacts him again ….. and we start the second story arc with 120 points.