- In some ways this session reboots the game. It certainly shakes things up. Heldon’s Pass has been a sleeper plot for almost 30 sessions and it finally blows up in everyone’s face. The named Lords of Gossamer from the rulebook and from this campaign have not been idle but some of that is not revealed until Session 78. At the end of this session it became clear to Lurker37 as to what the Dwimmerlaik are up to - and hence the writeup at the end explains some of that (even though Grant doesn’t yet know everything that Lurker37 and I know)
Part 1 - Touring Marindar
Realm 15 - Marindar (Silver Door)
- After months of work, Grant has successfully remade Marindar. It is finished. He is the Master of this Realm (GM’s note - he has paid points for a Primal Realm over which he has Control) His relationship with Lady Sophia is quite solid now. It has been revealed that she is the Queen’s sister - she is literally a Princess. Marindar now stands at the centre of an intergalactic alliance of worlds and Sophia is Marindar’s principal diplomat in this new remade reality on the First Council.
- Marindar is remade in many ways. Grant has altered things so that it is no longer undefended. There are many more people here - they are no longer a people diminished by war and attrition. He has also changed the way that the octahedral structures function such that they will separate on his command, breaking apart so that they no longer form a complete structure. He knows that Doors will not function if there is not a complete structure on the other end. In this way he can cut Marindar off as required. The Marindan Approach is restored but Grant has more control over it than before. Many of the subdivisions of the Realm are merged, although Grant leaves ‘the Farm’ as it is (as he knows it contains dangerous individuals). The people of Marindar do not realise what has changed - it is as if it has always been this way. Even his own family who is living in Marindar at the moment do not realise that the world around them has changed.
- With Sophia at his side, Grant sets off to tour all the wonders of his new domain. There is so much to see even on Marindar itself. It takes time and he revels in his new life as Lord and Master of Marindar.
Part 2 - An Audience with Lady Vala
- After three weeks of travelling, Grant and Sophia return to Central. Sophia quickly immerses himself in her duties, and Grant takes delivery of a ship that has been built specially for him. It is a small scout ship with a jump drive, capable of folding space over vast distances. He makes a discreet exit from Central and heads for Vala’s Pride, the captured Dwimmerlaik warship that he has visited before. He knows that it is still in his Realm because of the degree of control that he has over the reality of Marindar. It stands out to him.
- The journey is relatively short. The alien vessel looks just as it did before. It glows dimly with a pale purple light.
* Image sourced from Google
- Grant is able to find the docking bay, and he makes his way through the corridors to the bridge. The bridge is empty, but there is a large orb present which radiates pale blue light. Grant reaches out to touch the orb and he is instantly transported.
Realm 22 - Shatterlight (Gold Door)
- Grant finds himself in the radiant city of Shatterlight. He finds the presence of so much Eidolon discomforting. There are people here but none are moving. Everything is still. There is no wind, no birdsong. Grant feels for Vala’s presence and then heads through the city to her palace. He passes inert bronzed guards that stand at attention. He enters the palace gardens where the grass is a lush green. There he finds Lady Vala, her eyes closed, her face serene.
* Image by Jason Rainville
- At his approach, her eyes open and he feels the wind blowing gently. There is the sound of birdsong once more. “Welcome back, Lord Grant,” she says gently. “Did you bring it?” To his surprise, Grant finds that he knows that she means Fiorin, and despite not remembering bringing it with him, he has it. Grant apologises and says that he didn’t know that he had it with him. Vala thanks him for returning it to her and waits for him to offer it. Grant is suddenly suspicious but he is sure that this really is Lady Vala and not some pretence. He asks how she could possibly know that he would have recovered it. Vala explains patiently that she engineered the situation, arranging to cast it away (a reference to Zeus) so that it would have to be recovered and returned to her at this moment. (GM’s note - yes, yes, I’ve done an Oberon from Zelazny’s Amber and made Vala capable of unexplainable feats for obscure reasons that will be revealed…. later) Grant returns Fiorin to her, and she attaches it to the haft of her pole arm, Vajra (GM’s note - yes, in this game, Fiorin is an integral part of the weapon’s power) Vala explains delicately that Grant must have felt that he was pouring energy into Marindar like a bucket without a bottom - she thanks him for helping to channel so much energy into Shatterlight, explaining that the realms are (for the moment), linked. Grant thinks on this but says nothing.
- Vala asks Grant what has transpired of late. She knows that a number of Lords have ‘fallen from her sight’. Grant retells what he knows of Heldon’s Pass and of the Dwimmerlaik becoming more bold. As the conversation progresses, Vala’s white-robed attendants bring them ambrosia in delicate vessels. Grant sips at the nectar, and tells Vala about his adventures, and about his friend Ethan. He tells of Ethan’s recent ambush and the battle on the Stair. Vala listens calmly to everything that Grant says. Time passes. They go for a walk together and they talk.
- Vala seems comfortable in Grant’s company. She tells him who is not ‘lost’ - she can see Lucien, Bastiano (who was ‘lost’ for a time, but she can now see him), Grant (obviously), Dayle, Yaeger Zane and Cooper Nassar (whom Grant has not met). She wonders if the others have gone to a place that she cannot ‘see’. A place perhaps that is hidden from her sight.
- Even though Shatterlight is uncomfortable for Grant, he is very keen to learn from Vala. Like Marindar, Shatterlight seems to be at ‘full strength’. Grant elects to stay with Vala for a time. He is keen for her to teach him and for him to gain further understanding as to what a Lord of Gossamer is truly capable of. He has never had a mentor in the ways of the Grand Stair (GM’s note - not that he remembers anyway) and he asks her for common, ordinary advice. She answers that “We are anything but common.” Over the next ten days, Vala gives her the benefit of her wisdom and she gently introduces him to what true Mastery of the Stair can do. (GM’s note - yes, Grant is starting to build towards Mastery of the Stair)
- Vala notes that many on the Stair would detect her should she step onto it without making the effort to conceal her presence. She shows Grant some of what is possible with Mastery. Grant is interested in what is required to connect and disconnect Doors, and gradually he is able to do it himself.
Realm 15 - Marindar (Silver Door)
- Returning to Vala’s Pride via the link between the realms, Grant takes his small vessel back to Marindar. Lady Sophia is pleased to see him and he settles back into life on Marindar. All is well. Trouble seems far away.
- And then it happens….
Part 3 - Not Who He Was Before
- Grant’s first memory is of waking from blackness. He has completely lost sense of time. He doesn’t know who he is, or where he is. However, there are people helping him. He quickly relearns to walk and talk (relearning how to speak Marindan without the benefit of exegesis.) There are supportive people around him who are kind to him. He gradually learns about where he is - it is called Marindar.
- There are four people who look after Grant. One is a beautiful lady who says that her name is Raine. The other is a wizened fellow who says that is Meliander. The third is a puckish red-haired woman with a wry sense of humour - she says that her name is Jasla. And the last is a pale elven lady who says that her name is Vidaniel. (GM’s note - none of these characters are new - they have been seen before) There is only one with Grant at a time but each is kind to him. They explain gently that he did not come from here. They explain that he is a Lord of Gossamer, one who is able to open the Doors which lead to other worlds. None of it brings back any memories - it all feels very strange.
- Grant learns that he is in a safe place called the ‘Farm’, but when he is strong enough they take him back to his estate. Grant is reintroduced to his parents, his brother and his sister. They hug him and seek to jog his memories but he cannot understand them at first (as they speak in an alien tongue). Using sorcery, Meliander enables Grant to hear and understand the English - the stories that they tell of him are interesting but he has no recollection of them.
- In the days that follow, Grant visits the Museum and see a display dedicated to him. He learns about Ethan, about Lady Sophia, Macavity and the others. The Marindans know a great deal about what he has done and it all seems very real, but Grant does not remember what has transpired.
- Grant begins to investigate as to what has happened. He is driven by a desire to 'fill' the hole in his mind. He is like a sponge. He learns quickly. Supernaturally fast. Within a week he has relearned Marindan sorcery and he can feel his connection to Umbra coming back like a flood. He does not have his Warden abilities yet but his Umbra powers are strong, perhaps stronger than they have ever been.
- It has been five months since he was last on Marindar and apparently in control of his faculties. The evidence suggests that he had used an Icon (of Ethan) as there was an Icon found on the floor next to where they found him, beside the inert form of Lady Sophia. Whatever was triggered was powerful enough to black out all of his memories and put Lady Sophia in a coma, but no one else was affected. Meliander and Jasla (both sorcerers) can tell that there is still a potent spell on Grant. It is a complex weave, and it is most certainly powered by Umbra. None of them believe they can dispel the magic - whoever has done is this is a powerful sorcerer.
- Looking for clues, Grant wonders what has become of Ethan. He understands from the Marindans what an Icon can be used for (and Meliander was a victim of a mental attack by Shimrod) and he assumes that this is the device that was used to attack him. He cannot tell whether his memories have been erased or stolen, but Umbra does not seem to repair them. Grant retrains himself in combat as he believes that he has come under attack - he is a natural and he quickly masters all of the drills that he had forgotten (GM’s note - First PC Rank Warfare). Then one day his gold serpent simply appears with Gorgorin in ring-form around its neck like a collar - he has his weapons back. (GM’s note - this was Lurker37’s call, as Grant becomes a ‘hole in reality’ when he is not himself)
- Grant pieces together that he cannot go back to Realm 0 (Westgate) without a Key - and Ethan had both the Keys. So that avenue seems closed to him. Backtracking his last movements, he finds his space ship in a hidden bay but the ship’s logs have been falsified (because Grant previously did not want anyone backtracking to find Vala’s Pride). Grant attempts to retrace his last journey but travels to the wrong coordinates, realises that he has tampered with the records and uses the Marindan equivalent of Wayfinding (plus his Umbra mojo) to then correctly retrace his steps.
- At last he reaches Vala’s Pride once more. The great vessel of the Enemy is still there. Grant docks his vessel and he makes his way slowly through the corridors, hoping that he will meet someone who can help him. He reaches the bridge and is disappointed to find no one waiting for him. There is however a large pale blue orb which glows with a strange light. Then suddenly Grant is gone.
Realm 22 - Shatterlight (Gold Door)
- Grant finds the bright light of Shatterlight painful. Bronzed guards clad in gold raiments express surprise that he has returned - he was not expected at this time. Grant confirms quickly they know who he is, and he is guided to the palace of Lady Vala.
- Lady Vala is equally surprised to see him and she is rarely surprised. She dismisses the court and asks who he is. “You are not the Grant who was here last time.” Grant asks how he has changed, and she observes that he is ‘incomplete’ and not even Eidolon can repair what has been taken. Taking time to sense what has been done to him, she says that it is an Umbral spell, and that a spell remains on him ‘even now’. The spell is very carefully woven, and it seems to react to her presence. She ventures that Lucien will be able to confirm it, but she suspects that it is Mowbray’s work. Lady Vala takes this as a sign that she needs to leave Shatterlight and consult with Lucien.
Dun dun dah…. Yes, we finally have some serious stuff going down. The Dwimmerlaik have found a way to attack the Gossamer Lords via their communications - i.e.: via Icon. And yes, they have found a way of either wiping or stealing memories. Think of what that would do to a Warden - ping, you’re no longer a Warden anymore. You don’t even remember how to find those Doors. But I’ll not completely spoil what happens next.
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