- The first post of 2016. Much more to come.
Part 1 - Quiet and Disquiet
Realm 67 - Midas (Brown Door)
- Grant stays overnight in Midas. He watches shooting stars from his balcony while drinking a chilled drink made from local tropical fruits. He relaxes. In the morning, Grant watches the sun rise over the ocean. He concludes that he should return here with Sophia - she would like this place.
- Grant has a hearty breakfast then asks Daphne to give him some brochures that he can take with him. She contacts Ferdinand and organises this. Grant thanks Daphne and he heads to the Door to leave. On his way out, he has a conversation with Ferdinand about payment, and Grant uses his ‘magic wallet’ to produce a gold card to pay the 119,000 ‘kronas’. Ferdinand asks for feedback on Grant’s stay and asks if there are any activities that he would like should he choose to return. They discuss and then Grant leaves.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1988 (Brown Door)
- Meanwhile Ethan has been working on two speeder bikes all night. He’s been unsettled by Midas - it was fun while he was there, but he found his thoughts straying towards Abbie and where she might be. So he attempts to distract himself with work.
- Grant arrives back in the early morning and goes to find Ethan. He’s surprised to find that the speeder bikes look very much like those from Star Wars “Return of the Jedi”. One of them is brown, and the other is yellow with racing stripes. Grant asks about them, and Ethan says that the brown one is Grant’s. Grant feigns indignation and says that he’d prefer another colour, to which Ethan comments that brown is ‘thematic’. Grant asks Ethan about his plans - Ethan thinks for a minute and then says he wants to go back out on the Stair but he’d like to finish up the bikes first. He asks for another day. Grant asks if he’s okay, to which Ethan says that he doesn’t feel like going to Manchester. (Ethan is feeling quite frustrated - in some ways he just wants to get out onto the Stair and ‘look for trouble’) Grant asks about following Jodan’s trail and Ethan agrees to this.
- Grant spends much of the day planning out an underground space beneath a garden shed. He takes over the kitchen and spreads out drafting paper to design it.
- Ethan finishes the last adjustments to his bike much sooner than he expected. He goes back into the house and finds Grant but is distracted by a knock at the front door. It is the next door neighbour - a middle-aged lady named Ethel - her dog (a large sheepdog) has gone missing and she asks if Ethan has seen it. Ethan says that he has not, takes a copy of the wanted poster and wishes her luck in finding her dog.
- Once Ethel has left, Ethan goes to find Macavity. Macavity is asleep but Ethan rouses him with a pat and asks him about the dog in the wanted poster. Macavity knows of the dog but claims not to know anything about its disappearance. Ethan presses that one of the cats (or ravens) must surely know something and hence Macavity goes to ask around whilst Ethan prepares a cup of tea.
Part 2 - Dog Bones
- Macavity returns shortly - apart from a strange, bad smell that has been in the area, none of the cats know anything about it. Ethan asks about who else would know about the cats - he assumes (incorrectly) that someone is recruiting (or harvesting) dogs to use against the cats. Macavity mentions the law firm (a reference to Bartholomew) but suggests that Socrates might know more. Ethan asks after Socrates, and to his surprise, Macavity says that Socrates will be at the pub ‘with a pint’. Ethan can’t imagine how Socrates manages that but the cats do not elaborate.
- Grant is deeply engrossed in his underground bunker planning, so Ethan goes for a walk. He finds himself by the garage, and he is tempted to take the Eidolon Car out for a spin. He looks at it, then looks at the Ford Escort. He mulls over the poster of the missing dog and uses Wayfinding - he can tell where the dog is (5 miles away, and in ‘that’ direction). Ethan frowns, and then decides on a whim to take out his Speeder Bike in broad daylight.
- The speeder bike is FAST, and he quickly irons out little bugs using Eidolon as he hurtles along. He goes cross-country, scattering livestock, then for the hell of it, drives down one of the motorways. Riding the speeder bike at ridiculous speeds certainly makes him feel better. Upon his return, he considers calling Bartholomew and then decides against it.
- Switching to the Ford Escort, he goes out again and tries to find the missing dog. He comes to a narrow laneway where the hedge has become overgrown on both sides and then finally a cleared area. The bad smell is very strong here, like a wet bird. He finds a pile of bones from many animals, all chewed and gnawed. There is something here, but Ethan decides that he doesn’t want to get involved despite whatever killed the dogs being only 5 miles away from Westgate.
- Getting back in the car, he feels a flash of anger from a nearby cottage and something bubbles out of the door and begins to pursue him at great speed. The mind feels like that of a construct rather than a living mind. Reversing as fast as he can with the creature gaining on him, Ethan prepares a flight spell should he need to abandon the car.
- By the time Ethan reaches the main road, the creature has actually caught the car (GM’s note - due to Bad Stuff)and is beginning to melt the bonnet. The creature is thrown off when Ethan spins the car onto the main road and starts driving forward rather than backwards. Ethan notes that it speedily retreats, and he drives about a mile down the road before inspecting the damage to the car.
- The thing is highly corrosive - it has not only eaten part of the bonnet but a good portion of the radiator as well. Ethan uses Eidolon to repair the damage and then drives the vehicle home. At this point he calls Bartholomew - apparently the vacant house where the creature lives is known to him but he refuses to become involved when Ethan suggests that the matter be reported ‘to the police’. Ethan then tells Bartholomew that he has been on a bit of a joyride (a reference to his jaunt on the speeder bike) and Bartholomew says that he will take care of it.
- Sitting down with Macavity, Ethan tells him that there is something dangerous nearby and Macavity points out that the creature has clearly been roaming (hunting?) a significant distance from the cottage. Ethan refuses to deal with the problem immediately. Instead, he says that he wants to head back onto the Stair and Macavity eagerly agrees to come along. Grant is surprised at Ethan wanting to leave early, but agrees.
Part 3 - Hunting for Jodan
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Realm
- Heading back along the Stair, Grant, Ethan and Macavity pass many Doors including those to Midas and The Curiosity Shop (Albion). They continue on and find the next cluster of Doors. There are two of them, a wooden door that looks quite archaic; and a door which appears to be made of corrugated iron.
Realm 68 - Treasure Cave (Brown Archaic Door)
- Grant opens the next Door, and they find themselves in a short stone passageway which has partially collapsed. Grant uses Umbra to clear the wave and they find themselves in a huge cave. Shining a torch about, the light is magnified by the crystals in the cave, revealing an enormous amount of gold, silver, gems and jewellery. It is a great treasure hoard, apparently with no guardian. There is so much that neither of them could possibly carry it out, even with a thousand men.
- Exploring further, Ethan finds gold coins from many realms, stamped with different inscriptions and bearing the emblems and faces of many different people. They discover trees made of gold and silver with jewelled flowers and gemstone fruit. Ethan pockets some unusual coins and a number of gems. Grant climbs over the hoard, trying to gauge just how much wealth is actually here.
- Ethan laughs and his laughter echoes. They wander a little, and Grant finds a jewelled tiara that he pockets, thinking to give it to Sophia as a gift. After an hour, the two catch up and talk - there is no sign that anyone has been here recently, nor any sign of a nearby exit apart from the wooden door that they came through. At last, Ethan suggests that they move on.
Realm 69 - The Alphan Empire (Corrugated Iron Door)
- As they enter the next world, Grant is astonished that it is dark here. Night-time. This is the first time that he’s entered a world where it is daytime on the Home Realm, but night-time in the other realm. Ethan has seen this before but Grant stares at the glittering stars overhead in wonder. It is cold. They have emerged in some sort of shanty town where the buildings are made of a mix of corrugated iron, concrete and any other available materials. There is some heat coming from drum-fires and thermal rods that the locals are congregating around.
- The locals are a mix of races and some aliens. They appear peaceful but there is an air of oppression here. No one looks happy. Grant and Ethan decide to separate and investigate.
- Ethan wanders, and then joins a group warming themselves by the fire. They look miserable, and their faces show signs of hardship. Ethan strikes up a conversation - they seem unwilling to reveal much because Ethan is a stranger, but Ethan has a strong mind and he can glean a lot from them.
- Meanwhile, Grant shape shifts and takes to the air as a sparrow. He finds evidence that the settlement has come under attack by lance weapons from above, possibly even from orbit. There are great gouges through the town where the earth has been vaporised. The people here seem to have very little - there is little industry, little technology but what he sees is fairly advanced (he sees a pair of quad bikes and some heat rods). Grant continues to investigate what this place is, but he starts to wonder if some of the answers lie above, far above the planet’s surface.
- After more than an hour, Grant returns and locates Ethan. By this time Ethan is having a more relaxed conversation with four other people, but they are still guarded. Ethan excuses himself and backs away to leave. Grant notices that two of the people are following them (one human and one alien) so Grant decides to use Ethan as bait and then ambush them so that they cannot track them back to the Door. Grant shape shifts back to a sparrow, then ambushes them both. He easily overpowers them and something shiny falls from the alien’s pocket. Grant glances at what was dropped and he recognises a Raven token - Mordecai’s symbol. Surprised, he puts the token back into the alien’s jacket and they hurry back to the Door.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Realm
- Back on the Stair, Grant explains what he saw, and Ethan explains what he learned. Apparently the ruling power is an Empire - a galactic Empire (something that puts a smile on Ethan’s face due to the ‘Star Wars’ reference). Ruled by an Empress from the planet Alpha, the people that they saw had been punished for defying the Empress’ will. Apparently someone called Jodan supplied the people with weapons - but they were defeated and Jodan fled. The people here are in some sort of limbo, unable to leave and the Empire is always watching them. Ethan explains that they didn’t exactly tell him a lot of this - he’s had to do use some ‘tricks’ to get the information. Grant wonders what Mordecai’s interest in this realm could be, but he decides not to pursue it further at this time.
- Grant uses Wayfinding to locate Jodan once more. The trail back to the Corrugated Iron Ore (Realm 69) is very strong - he’s been there recently - but that’s not where he currently is. Hence Grant and Ethan continue on.
- They continue to the next group of Doors, and there are four of them. One of them is a Blank Door. One of them is a solid wooden Door - Ethan and Grant can tell (using Wayfinding) that this is where Jodan is. Then there are two others - one looks like a sliding Door, and one is plain black. They discuss and decide to open the sliding Door and the black Door first, just in case Jodan has been active in those domains.
Realm 70 - Starfall (Sliding Door)
- The Door retracts into the wall, and it is only once Grant and Ethan has stepped through that they realise that the corridor is on a slant. (Gravity does not run perpendicular to the floor) The corridor is futuristic and there is dim lighting originating from strips just above the floor and just below the ceiling. The incline is such that Ethan finds it difficult to make progress here without sliding. Grant shifts into sparrow-form and goes to investigate. He quickly discovers that this complex is very large - it is clearly a ship of some kind, but even though he is able to find (via Wayfinding) an exit, he discovers that it is further away that he can fly in a few minutes and so he returns to brief Ethan.
- The air is dry but not stale, suggesting that there is some air circulation still in effect. The two of them do some basic Wayfinding - looking for power sources etc but clearly this vessel is not fully operational and there are no humanoids close by. Grant decides to call it quits after ten minutes and suggests that they try the other Door.
Realm 71 - Dust (Black Door)
- The black Door is positioned as any normal vertical door, however when opened the sky is visible. Only when trying to step through does Grant realise that he is emerging from a trap door. Gravity feels odd here and there the sun is a blinding white orb but it casts no heat. The land around is cold, flat and apparently lifeless. Ethan kneels down and finds that the ground is made of a fine ashen powder. In the distance there is some sort of haze. Using Wayfinding there is life here (or something approximating life) in all directions but it is not obvious where it is. They can both feel another Door in this realm, but it is a long long way away.
- Ethan frowns - he feels a little odd in this place - but he is distracted by Grant who suggests that they return to the Stair to investigate Jodan’s world.
Realm 72 - Eldale (Oak Door)
- The Door opens into a heavily wooded area. Grant and Ethan have just stepped from what was once a circular stone tower, but it has since partly collapsed. The front door and the room behind it was intact. Inside the structure it looks like this was once an outpost or a watchtower but no more. Perhaps it was at one time higher than the trees, but not any more. The woodlands around appear healthy and vibrant. It has rained recently. They use Wayfinding and confirm that he is not far away. (Ethan can tell he is only twenty miles away) However, they also realise that it is late in the day.
- The two of them walk through the forest, and they find a track which has been used by hoofed animals and wagons. There is no sign of mechanical devices being used. Grant suggests that they spend the night in the forest as it will give them some cover. Ethan thinks on this and decides to use Wayfinding to find lodgings. He finds a township a little over two miles away and they decide to head there. It is a small village consisting of about twenty stone buildings, some with roofs of slate, or wooden slats. There is a mill by the river with a water-wheel, and a travellers’ inn called the “Two Tree Inn”. They decide to pay the locals a visit.
- Grant and Ethan are welcomed as “Lords” (as they clearly not peasants). The locals give them plenty of room and stare at them in wonder. They are offered bread, meat and ale - Grant surprises Ethan by offering the innkeeper gold so that good food can be shared by all. The locals are greatly impressed by Lord Grant’s generosity - they still give the Lords space but are far more receptive to the occasional questions that Grant and Ethan ask.
- Before long, most of the townships has come to the Two Tree Inn to join in the festivities. The locals are happy, and they open up. (GM’s note - Grant has Good Stuff) They tell them that the ‘Old’ King has been deposed, and there is a Warlord, who was once a Squire that has taken over. The Warlord’s name is … Jodan.
… and that’s where we left Session 70
And without further ado….. more LEGO…..
Here’s Mordecai
* Image by Dennis Darmond
And here’s LEGO Mordecai
You can see I’m not going for an exact match (as that is rather hard), but the LEGO figure needs to convey a reasonably close look/feel.
Some of his Raven Legion friends are coming…. oh yes, I have lots more. And Drake, Vala, Lucien, Sophia, Isabelle, Abbie, Greywalker and Yaeger Zane are coming. (and of course, I have …. Speeder Bikes)
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