Session 19 - The Lords of Gossamer have returned

GM Observations/Summary
- In this session Ethan re-enters the fold. It made logical sense for Ethan to re-initiate connection with Grant, which gave David a chance to GM for a bit. Effectively we tag-teamed during the session to run it, and there is is some exploration of powers, especially Eidolon but also Umbra.
- We also started fleshing out Ethan’s story since he departed the main storyline at the end of Session 11 - there are some glimpses provided as part of Session 19, but full exposition will only occur in Session 20. I have provided Lurker37 a seven stage description as to what happens to Ethan, but this is from a player’s point of view - and David has yet to GM through this. He agrees with the outline, but there is likely to be some deviation.
- David and I started the session with more detailed discussion on Cantrips, ‘Force Powers’, Shapeshifting and a number of other topics that I’ll share below.

Rules Discussion on The Force wrote:Lurker37 had plenty of advanced warning that I planned to use a combination of Cantrips, Sorcery and Eidolon to mimic some of the Force Powers that one sees Luke Skywalker wield in the original Star Wars trilogy (“Return of the Jedi” was released in 1984 so if the game is set in 1985, now 1986 then it is reasonable to assume that both Grant and Ethan are familiar with what ‘The Force’ can do). Grant may have read in the Central Library of Marindar enough about Eidolon to get an idea as to what it can do, but Ethan has no guide or mentor to spell it out - hence he is using ‘The Force’ as a starting paradigm. There was some previous discussion in this post but effectively what is discussed below supersedes part of that. 

Rules Discussion on Cantrips wrote:Lurker37’s conclusion was that Cantrips would not give Ethan the ‘Force Push’ abilities that I wanted for him. The description in the rulebook of Grasp (“Caprio”) - p39 of LoG&S specifically says that the cantrip is not enough to push someone over, and (very important) there is no indication in the rulebook that the effect will be bigger if cast by someone with Ranked (or Dominant) Psyche. So Cantrips were not the answer. Lurker37 if I wanted to drop Cantrips and get the 5 points back again (which would have made him a Good Stuff character, or a Bad Stuff character with unspent points. I decided to keep Cantrips so that we have a Bad Stuff character and someone with Cantrips to be able to explore them as part of this game.

Rules Discussion on Telekinesis and Sorcery wrote:So Lurker37 asked me what I wanted to achieve with ‘Force Push’. If Ethan went up against a bunch of unranked goons, I wanted him to be able to push some of them aside to make it easier for him to fight the ones that remained standing. Against a ranked opponent, it might give him a tiny edge but it wouldn’t be much. For those of you have seen Star Wars Clone Wars Episode 1 (the 2-part cartoon, not the CGI series), there are lots of uses of ‘Force Push’. In the duel between Anakin Skywalker and Asajj, Asajj is able to knock Anakin down many times, but when he’s ready for it, he just plain pushes through. Mace Windu takes this ability to an extreme though and mows through the droid army with ‘Force Push’ - I didn’t want something that ridiculous but the idea of something that could be used to knock the goons aside to get to the Big Bad sounded reasonable. Not full blown combat telekinesis, but something that would help in battle.

David said there were three options (and I offered a 4th). These were:
1. New Power for telekinesis - we agreed that this was dumb, even though Channelling is supposed to be the Combat Telekinesis for the game - something limited to the Dwimmerlaik
2. Sorcery - we agreed that this was the most likely option. More on this below.
3. Items - a lot of the item qualities create possibilities that a 50 point power won’t allow. This is something that has always irked me about the system, and it encourages people to take items, often with confer abilities. There was no way that I was going to have Ethan need an item to make this work.
4. Not possible - the option that I added was that because Channelling is a Dwimmerlaik power, perhaps telekinesis was just impossible. That didn’t sound right to either of us as it’s just another spell.

So our conclusion was that Sorcery was the solution. Which of course generated more questions. Here were our conclusions:
1. Ethan should be able to rack 8-10 spells on the Eidolon, and would need to prepare those spells by ‘meditating on the Force’ - effectively aligning his understanding of the universe to the local Gossamer realm. Those spells rack indefinitely, or almost indefinitely.  
2. Rather than have Telekinesis as one spell with a duration, allowing multiple Force Push uses, my preference was to have each Force Push as a separate spell. So he might have 4-5 Force Pushes in his arsenal (all at Dominant Rank Psyche power!), plus a Telekinesis spell for more complex manipulation, not designed for combat, plus possibly a Recall spell. Something like that. One could rort the system and say that a single Spell gives him all of the Force Pushes his wants, but if I was GMing, I’d say that this would tax his Psyche/Endurance to maintain that. Otherwise Sorcery becomes ‘A River of Cheese’ as per the discussion in this thread. Neither of us want to see the game unbalanced by sorcerers.

Hypothetical Combat situations wrote:Which brings me to some sample combat situations to make sure that both Lurker37 and I agreed on the application of such things.

(But first, a quick recap — Grant has 1st Rank Warfare and Strength, 2nd Rank Psyche and Endurance; Ethan has 1st Rank Psyche and Endurance, 3rd Rank Warfare and Strength)

Scenario 1 - Grant and Ethan draw swords and charge at each other from 3 metres apart. No time for any Sorcery. If Ethan tries, it gives Grant an opening. Either way, Grant wins because he has Dominant rank Warfare.

Scenario 2 - Grant and Ethan draw swords and charge at each other from 20 metres apart. Ethan lets fly with a ‘Force Push’. Does it hit? The answer is no, because Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare - he sees it coming and evades it. How you ask? There is no room for Grant to manoeuvre, right? Again, Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare and he finds a way to evade, or effectively lessen the impact. It’s a contest of Warfare even if Ethan is using a Psyche attack which has a physical effect. Grant clashes blades with Ethan, and Grant will win because he has Dominant rank Warfare.

Scenario 3 - Ethan tackles some of the invading wolves in the streets of Marindar. He runs across six of them, uses a ‘Force Push’ to knock three of them aside. (GM’s note - technically they are hit with Dominant rank Psyche and as they only have Paragon rank Strength they would probably be KOed) Then he charges in with sword and fights three of them. They only have Superior rank Warfare, whereas Ethan has 3rd Rank. Ethan will win.

Scenario 4 - Grant and Ethan face each other down a corridor. They are 20 metres apart. Grant has only to land a blow on Ethan to win. He starts running towards Ethan. Ethan readies a Spell and blocks the corridor with a Telekinetic Shield (technically at Dominant Rank Psyche level). Grant hits the barrier with his full Strength which is Dominant Rank. This is an unusual situation because it’s pitting Dominant Rank against Dominant Rank. So what happens? The Shield holds. It doesn’t collapse after one assault. Grant can pound on it as long as he likes but unless something else happens, Ethan can maintain the barrier and Grant cannot get through. If Grant keeps on pounding, at some point it will be a contest of Endurance. In this situation, Ethan wins (as he has both Dominant Rank Psyche and Endurance).

Rules Discussion on Shapeshifting wrote:Which brought us back to Shapeshifting. I have already posted some thoughts back here but we discussed one of the Google+ posts where one LoG&S player was suggesting that it would be acceptable to use Umbra Mastery to become as small as a cockroach. Again, we discussed boundaries for this and I believe we decided that it’s not the size that is a problem (e.g.: Loki becomes a fly, a fish, a cockroach, a falcon… ), it’s what other abilities the character picks up are potentially troublesome. David posed two good ones - 1) if an Umbra master became a snake or spider, would he have venom? The answer is probably yes. 2) what about an electric eel? Again, the answer is probably yes. 

Shapeshifting probably needs some further definition, but it’s already been clarified by the game designers that one cannot use it to bump up their Attributes. You might shift into a Mouse or a Monster, but you have the same Strength as you do in your normal form.

So what if you wanted to become a Dragon? (which has magical fire/flight) I think Lurker37 and I are still of the opinion that you can become a dragon, but you won’t necessarily have those powers. For example, you won’t suddenly inherit Invulnerable to Conventional Weapons (4 point) armoured scales. But I’m still uncomfortable with this, as this then pushes players down the Items path. More thought required on this. Both David and I want to say ‘yes’ to powers, not ‘but you can’t do that’. I think we’re both hoping that when we explore Eidolon that we’ll have better ideas as to game balance between the two powers. 

One last point on Shapeshifting is that if an Umbra Master does want an Item with an armour quality - e.g.: Invulnerable to Conventional Weapons (4 point), it doesn’t shape shift with him. The shape shift options in the book don’t really give much of an option. Alternate Form (1 point) is pretty much useless, and Limited Shape Shift (4 points) is a slow slow version of Shape shifting. So this is one that we have house-ruled, allowing the Named and Numbered Forms (2 point version) to allow the Umbra Master enough versions to morph with him. Otherwise the consequence would be that the Umbra Master needs to buy “Confer” so that the power is conferred to the individual, not inherent in the item itself - and that is just silly. 

Rules Discussion on ‘Reaching Through’ an Icon wrote:This comes up pretty quickly in the story below. From Amber DRPG, it was easy to visualise reaching through the active Trump to pull the person through. However the way the other party is perceived via an Icon is quite different, so reaching into a Chess Piece, Pocket Watch etc just doesn’t make sense. I have been reading a lot of fairy stories of late to my kids, and a number of them have magic rings where someone says that if you put it on your finger and ‘wish’ that you will be transported, you will be transported. So we agreed that the same model should apply - it’s a simple offer and acceptance via the Psychic link. One party makes the offer. If the other party accepts, it just happens. The ‘reaching through’ is just a legacy from Amber DRPG.

Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
The Return of Ethan
- In the darkness, Grant carries the blanketed Sophia to her local residence. Her household attendants have barred the door but Grant convinces them to let them. He makes sure that she is safe (she is given a cup of hot ‘cha’ - the local equivalent of tea) before heading out again.
- There are many fires in the Marindan gateway. Grant experiments with using Umbra to quell the fires and it works superbly. (GM’s note - fire is a delicate combination of fuel, oxygen and ignition - remove any of those and the fire stops, hence this is easy for the Umbra Master to ‘break’) As he roams the streets, looking for trouble, he feels an Icon contact being initiated.
- It is Ethan, who is concerned enough about Grant to have followed up with him. Ethan offers to come and help him, and Grant admits that there are many wounded people around and much reconstruction needed. Ethan agrees to come through.
- Ethan appears in the street. He is beyond gaunt - he is rake thin. Dressed in dirty, rough clothing, his boy-man beard is thick and unkempt. He stinks of sweat, toil and blood. He carries a chunk of metal resembling a sword, but it is a far cry away from the blades that he carried in Versais or the Middle Kingdom. It’s a weapon from the dark ages. Ethan asks about the invaders and Grant gives him a quick run-down. Using ‘The Force’ (GM’s note - Marindar is an Eidolon-enhanced realm, and using Eidolon himself, Ethan is easily about to identify the remaining intruders in the city as they are different from their surroundings.), Ethan is able to describe to Grant where the others are. They agree to split up. (GM’s note - Grant is able to sense using Umbra that Ethan is using Eidolon)
- Grant spends the night hunting down a few of the remaining intruders, and puts out fires where he meets them.

With Godlike Power comes ….
- Ethan’s first encounter with one of the wolf-creatures does not go well. He uses Telekinesis to lift one off the ground, immobilising it (GM’s note - this is a Sorcery spell, powered by Eidolon, in an Eidolon-enhanced realm; but Ethan is not practised in using this sort of spell in combat situations, and he does have Bad Stuff). The wolf-creature is initially confused, but draws a gun and blazes away. Ethan’s concentration is broken and he runs for cover. (GM’s note - Ethan is Dominant Rank Psyche and normally something so trivial would not break his concentration - this was done for role-playing value) He reaches the column of a building and dives behind it, and the wolf-creature keeps firing, blasting huge chunks off the structure. Ethan calms himself - he knows exactly how close the creature is and he bides his time as the creature approaches. As the wolf heads around the side of the pillar, Ethan heads around the other side. A Cantrip is cast, knocking the gun’s aim aside as Ethan leaps on it, plunging his blade deep into its chest. The gambit almost failed as the wolf-creature heard Ethan as he ran around the pillar (GM’s note - Bad Stuff) but it wasn’t enough to save him. Ethan is splattered with blood. (GM’s note - Bad Stuff) 
- Ethan wanders on, and finds a man bleeding badly and his female companion trying to comfort him. His arm has been so badly mauled that it is barely attached. Ethan offers to help and he quickly ‘lays hands’ on the man, one hand on his ruined arm, the other on his forehead. Using ‘The Force’, Ethan restores the man’s arm to its original state. (GM’s note - Eidolon has powerful abilities to heal/restore) Lurker37 noted in his description that the missing mass was drawn from the man’s fat reserves. He became slightly thinner, but the man’s arm was completely restored in a matter of a few minutes. By placing his hand on the man’s forehead, Ethan also removes him from a state of shock, healing the mental damage that he has sustained. The two Marindans stare at this beggar-man in wonder and Ethan gently asks them to seek sanctuary.
- Ethan wanders on, using Eidolon to repair the occasional building (the pieces are still there so it is relatively easy). After he and Grant are convinced that no more of the invaders remain, Ethan goes to a pavilion that is being used as a medical centre. One by one, Ethan heals the wounded. It is impossible for him not to draw attention to himself, but Ethan tries to ignore it. He reaches Galatea, who is nursing her broken arm (from the fight with Nasaug) and heals her. She is utterly awestruck by the experience. (GM’s note - more information is contained in the Spoiler's Thread as to why this would be the case. I had no plans for Ethan to be introduced to Galatea, but the reaction seems to be logical based on her background) Ethan notes that she is dressed differently from the other Marindans but he says nothing of it. When there are no patients left, Ethan slips away.
- Meanwhile Grant consults with Morrison and the Defenders. They have taken the surviving wolf-creatures into custody and Grant informs them that his friend Ethan, who is also a Lord of Gossamer, has helped. Galatea says that a man dressed in rags healed her, and Grant confirms that this is his friend. But where is Ethan? None of the Defenders seem to know but Grant dissuades them from finding him. (GM’s note - Grant can sense Ethan. They are close enough, similar to Immortals in ‘Highlander’.)
- Ethan is still able to sense the structural damage across the city, and he decides to make repairs on a much larger scale. (GM’s note - David ruled that it was much harder to repair things using Eidolon when they were not in sight, and so thematically, Ethan decided upon a course of action) Ethan lifts himself into the dark skies above Marindar using Sorcery. Relaxed, a gentle wind buffeting him, he begins rebuilding the city using Eidolon.
- Windows are unbroken, columns unshattered, houses reformed. A miracle of near godlike power descends over Marindar, and by morning Ethan is almost finished. Although he tried to have the work completed by dawn, Ethan misjudged the time and the sun comes up before he is finished. The result is that people come into the streets to watch him and marvel at the magical restoration. No one has ever seen such power as this. 
- Satisfied that his work is done, and a little tired by the effort, the rough-clad form of Ethan descends. He lands upon a roof, and is somewhat embarrassed by the throng of people below him. As he considers his options, Galatea flies over to him and lands on the roof. She asks him if he is indeed a Lord, and Ethan finally nods and says that he is. Galatea behaves with deference and asks what his ‘will’ is. Ethan says that he would like some food, some rest, and some privacy. Galatea takes to the air and Ethan follows. (GM’s note - Galatea can fly. Ethan is still using the same Sorcerous spell as before in order to mimic flight)

Desperately Seeking Ethan ….. 
- During the night, Grant became aware of what Ethan was doing and he decided to find a place to sleep. He wakes shortly before midday, eats breakfast and then goes to find Sophia. A beautifully handwritten letter waits for him with information as to where she is. Grant find himself addressed as ‘My Lord’ in the letter, and the attendants refer to him in a similar manner.
- Grant stands out in the city. He is not dressed like the Marindans, and many of them cheer him on as he walks by. He comes to a two-story house where Sophia is reading a book. When she sees Grant, she thanks him again for coming to her aid. She has retained her poise, and speaks gratefully to him in polite diplomatic language. Sophia explains that Ethan left with Galatea in the early morning and came to this building - and she is waiting for an audience. Grant corrects her and says that Ethan is not in residence - he would be able to sense Ethan’s presence if he were on the floor above. A bit surprised, Sophia instead spends some time talking to Grant about Ethan, learning more about him. Grant admits that they have known each other since childhood, and he speaks openly of his concern for Ethan. Grant asks about the attack, and Sophia admits that nothing like this has never happened before as The Approach is designed to prevent such things. At last, Sophia says that they should check upon the prisoners. They will not be taken through to the True Marindar because that would be a risk - but there are no suitable permanent facilities in the Gateway either. 
- Grant and Sophia visit the captured wolves. Sophia attempts diplomacy but none of them will speak with her. Nasaug, the Warglord chief, is still unconscious. The Defenders keep watch over them. Sophia notices something strange about Morlan but says nothing at the time. Grant decides to ask about it later.
- Sophia suggests that they have lunch and the two sit and talk for some time. They enjoy each other’s company. Grant asks about the Defenders and Sophia explains that Morrison (aka Professor Morrison) has been trying to find ways to protect Marindar without relying upon the Lords. She notes that the helm which Morlan currently wears is a copy of one of the artefacts held in the Central Museum. Sophia appears concerned by the development but Grant does not pry further. One of Sophia’s attendants arrives and tells her that they have found Ethan. He is on his way back to the city. 

Ethan and Galatea
- Ethan followed Galatea to the second floor of a Marindan residence, and Ethan finds himself surrounded by luxury that he has not seen in a long time. As he looks around the place, he asks Galatea about herself. She can fly - can everyone fly here? Why was this place under attack? Ethan has left behind his superheavy sword in the plaza and has no weapon except for a lightsaber (GM’s note - yes, a lightsaber - more on that later) - but he is aware that the girl he’s talking to is acting like a deer in headlights. Ethan feels quite uncomfortable, but tries to pretend otherwise. He finds the bathroom, and asks if it has real hot water? She nods. He can hardly contain his excitement at this, and he quickly disappears into the bathroom for a hot shower. The layers of dirt, blood and grime that come off his body are many. But finally he is clean, and he wraps himself up in many white towels.
- Galatea is gone. Ethan is more than a little disappointed, and he takes a moment to ignite the lightsaber. Click-hummmm….. it glows green as it did before. He switches it off and puts it away. 
- There is a small bowl of fruit and Ethan bites down into an orange-red piece of fruit. It tastes wonderful - he hasn’t tasted anything like it in a long time. As he looks around, he finds there are no power outlets, but there is a small kettle and what looks like tea. He quickly figures out the gesture to activate the kettle and it begins boiling some water. 
- Then Galatea is back. She enters from one of the many balconies and offers him a bag which she has brought with him. Ethan’s eyes light up when he sees a razor, a comb and some fresh clothes. He asks her if she likes tea, and offers for her to ‘help herself’.
- Ethan cleans himself up further, and shaves for the first time in many months. His hair is still tangled but it is better than it was. He slips into a comfortable shirt and trousers that feel lighter than silk. Initially very pleased, he joins Galatea for a cup of ’cha’ but suddenly the enormity of everything hits him all at once and he begins shaking. Putting the cup down before he spills it, Ethan announces that he needs to get away. He cannot stay. Galatea is horrified by the sudden change in Ethan (it is almost a panic attack), and is unsure what to do. Ethan reiterates that he needs to get out of the city and he goes to a nearby balcony, only to find the streets are full of people. Ethan steps back - it’s too much. He has no Flight spell left, and he asks Galatea to help him. When Galatea asks where, Ethan says that he wants to go anywhere away from people, and then settles upon a hillside with green grass. Galatea nods, and carries him beyond the city limits.
- They land miles from the city walls, and Ethan walks barefoot through the lush green grass. Galatea is relieved that he seems to be more relaxed. Ethan talks some more with her, asking her all about Marindar, and herself. He takes his time, breathes deeply and regains his composure. At last, he says that it’s time for him to go back. Galatea offers to carry him, but he declines. He says that he should walk back into the city as it will make the transition easier for him. He admits that he’s been on his own for a long time and it’s a bit much.

There is a little bit more that happened - i.e.: Ethan returning to the city, meeting Sophia … but I think I’ll leave that to part of the Session 20 writeup.