- This writeup continues the Grant storyline which was last visited in Session 81. We last left Grant on a side-mission with Lady Urla on a machine world which appears to house Lox’s mass driver. This session wasn’t particularly long because I was very tired (jet lag). Hopefully we’ll complete this story arc in Session 87.
- In this session I introduce the concept of the High Council, those Dwimmerlaik who directly serve the Empress. (this is a great way of introducing new, important villains).
- I also introduce and explain the concept of Shadow, the unreality that lies beyond the Gossamer Realms.
- Also, another LEGO picture at the end of this writeup - for Kendal (Ethan) and Stolvir. Enjoy!.
Part 1 - Delayed Disruption
- While Lady Urla speaks with the Dwimmerlaik commander who is dressed in a black and red uniform, Grant studies what he can. He decides it would be too obvious to sabotage the equipment here, so thinks how best to cause a failure at a later date. Grant is Dominant Ranked Warfare, he is an Umbra Master and he has had access to Lox’s data crystal which contained some information about this place. As such he is able to come up with a plan relatively quickly. He is only on the machine world for a comparatively short amount of time (about 6 hours), but he manages to weaken some of the containment structures such at least some of them will catastrophically fail very suddenly. He also makes some alterations to some of the monitoring devices so that they incorrectly monitor systems that will continue functioning so that the sabotage will not be detected until too late.
- Lady Urla and Trell (Grant) return to ‘Earth’, the realm which Lady Urla and Lord Forst have been tasked to conquer. Grant continues to talk from time to time with Bastiano. News trickles in over time - Drake has rejoined the Lords of Gossamer (despite the loss of his memories). There is unfortunately no news of Ethan. The Lords of Gossamer which are part of the Vala, Lucien etc group have developed ways of receiving Icon contacts even from those infected with the ‘Breath of Eden’ without being infected themselves and losing their memories. Grant tells Bastiano about the location of the mass driver and shares information about his sabotage. Bastiano agrees to monitor and launch an attack if appropriate. Grant wonders if he’s making the right choice to remain as Trell or whether he should switch to another identity. His Dominant Rank warfare tells him that remaining as Trell is worth something as Lady Urla and Lord Forst are well connected. He just has to be patient.
- In the meantime, Grant (as Trell) gets to know Lord Forst a little better. The two of them are still relatively aloof and distant, but Lord Forst has a weakness - he enjoys a checkers-like game called ‘Ko” which is played on a much larger grid. Trell is particularly competent with this game and Forst desires to be better - hence they develop a rapport. Both Lord Forst and Lady Urla are relatively young Dwimmerlaik with short horns (teenagers) but they are clearly well thought of, and Trell is aware that Lady Urla has provided positive reports back to her superiors on his performance.
- It is never spoken about openly but Trell is able to figure out one of the side projects that Lord Forst and Lady Urla are working on in their laboratory. They receive coke-can sized canisters of coloured fluid via sorcerous portal which they then mix carefully. Trell is able to deduce that they are blending memories. Once their assignment is complete, they return the completed canister via sorcerous portal. Grant is interested in this but he sees no opportunity to ask questions so he continues to observe and wonder. He thinks that they are working on ways for controlling subjects, ensuring obedience, even subservience but there are pieces missing in his understanding.
Part 2 - The Summoning
- One day, Lady Urla meets with Trell and tells him that she has received a summoning for him. This is unusual for Trell, as Urla is the elder of the two and it is normally Forst who speaks with him (there is a pecking order). Urla tells Trell that his loyalty has not gone unnoticed and the High Council has a request to make of him. Grant (as Trell) knows that a request from the High Council, the ruling body that serves the Empress, is no trivial matter. He also knows that he can’t say no, so he agrees to meet with a representative from the Council.
- Urla opens a portal for Trell, and he reaches a dark chamber of black glossy metal. In it waits a single Dwimmerlaik Lord, dressed in light armour. From his shoulders hangs a deep burgundy cloak. His face is covered with a reflective mirror-mask. This is Lord Aurum (GM’s note - last seen in Session 84 where he met Ethan) Lord Aurum is a Warden of the Stair - Grant can tell - but he keeps his own powers suppressed so that Aurum is unable to sense him as a fellow Warden. Meeting Lord Aurum is unnerving for Trell - clearly he is powerful and important - hiding his face behind a mask means that Grant (as Trell) has difficulty reading him.
- In a hollow voice Lord Aurum asks for confirmation of Trell’s deeds, recounting the many times that he has survived. Trell confirms that he is that individual and Lord Aurum tells him that his service to the Empire has not gone unnoticed. Aurum explains that Fiorin has been found. (GM’s note - Fiorin is a gemstone which was finally recovered by Grant and Ethan in Session 73 - it is effectively a macguffin, allowing whole worlds to be reshaped - think “The Jewel of Judgement” from Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber) Grant hides his surprise at this because he knows that Lady Vala has Fiorin (or at least ‘had’ Fiorin when he last checked). Aurum goes on to explain that the Dwimmerlaik have tried twice to retrieve it but both attempts have been unsuccessful.
- Lord Aurum introduces Number Five to Trell. Number Five is a spindly Mechanoid (a sentient robot) with a red faceplate and the number ‘5’ inscribed. Lord Aurum explains that Number Five’s dreadnought will take Trell to the rift. Beyond the rift is Shadow - the void beyond. The ships at the rift have managed to establish a tether to a great mass on the other side. That great ‘hulk’ is made up of planetary materials and a number of lost ships. The first two missions were lost, but Number Five’s mechanoids have been hardened with Eidolon, and Trell himself is a great survivor. Perhaps Trell and the mechanoids can succeed where others have failed? Lord Aurum explained that it is the Empress’ command for Trell to try, and success will bring ‘many rewards’.
- Trell asks a handful of questions and Lord Aurum answers them patiently. The Dwimmerlaik clearly think that Fiorin is at this location because of the strong Eidolon signature - but Number Five has more information about the previous missions. Lord Aurum makes it clear to Trell that he will have the full resources of the Empire at his disposal - whatever he needs will be provided.
Part 3 - Side Conversations
- Trell is cautious about charging in without understanding further. Lord Aurum accepts this and provides Trell with an Icon to contact him if needed. Number Five shows him the way to the bridge as they are already aboard the Mechanoid Dreadnought - a massive ship almost a mile long with tens of thousands of mechanised troops.
- Number Five speaks to Trell in a mechanical voice (as expected). It is clear that although Number Five is captain of this vessel, Trell is in overall command of the mission. Trell asks a number of questions about why the fleet has gathered at this location (Realm 15-66-2) and Number Five explains that Shadow is vast, possibly endless - it is difficult to find anything in Shadow. Nevertheless the Masters have been able to divine this location by means unknown to Number Five. According to Number Five, this is where Fiorin the Maker is to be found, hence the mechanoids are prepared to find an Eidolon artefact. The first of the two previous teams confirmed the existence of a powerful ‘Eidolon signature’ but they did not return. Trell asks whether the Masters were looking specifically for Fiorin or were they looking for something else. Number Five is unclear, but he poses the hypothetical that the Masters have been looking for many worlds which became lost when they were severed from the Grand Stair - perhaps they found a lead?
- Trell goes to a cabin which has been set up for him to ‘prepare himself’. While he is alone, Trell decides to contact Lady Vala. Lady Vala is pleased to talk to Grant, and informs him that she does still retain Fiorin. Vala has never been into Shadow before but she says that it is a place without form - she speculates that Umbra and Eidolon will be difficult to use. When Grant asks why the Dwimmerlaik would think that Fiorin would be here, Vala says that a powerful Eidolon construct would be a beacon in Shadow. She also comments that Greywalker may have had something to do with this as he was planning some misdirection regarding Fiorin. She suggests that Grant speak to him.
- Grant contacts Greywalker and he admits to having planted some evidence which might make the Dwimmerlaik search Shadow for Fiorin. He surprised that they’ve found something with a strong Eidolon signature so quickly - Shadow is vast, possibly limitless and it would be ‘like finding a needle in a thousand haystacks’ to find something significant. Hence Grant is left with the impression that there may be nothing at all, or something which is Eidolon powered which is not Fiorin at the destination.
- Thinking further, Grant decides to contact Bastiano. He believes that Bastiano will probably know the most about Shadow. Unfortunately Bastiano is using the shower when Grant contacts him so he asks for a few minutes. Ten minutes later, Bastiano and Grant chat. Bastiano explains that Shadow is a ‘nasty place’ - a dark place which is entropic in nature but is sometimes difficult for an Umbra Master to control. Nevertheless Umbra Mastery is the only way (from his perspective) to leave Shadow. When Grant explains that the Dwimmerlaik think that Fiorin or another powerful Eidolon construct is there, Bastiano says that it would need to be strong to survive long in Shadow. He notes that the ‘Shadow always seeks to devour the light’. Grant asks if Bastiano has ever journeyed to Shadow, and he says that he has. At that, Grant asks if he would join him. Bastiano agrees, but says that Grant will ‘owe him a favour’. Bastiano shifts into the form of a black grasshopper and comes through the Icon contact. He hides himself on Grant’s person.
… now this is where I’m going to stop the writeup, because Grant asks questions of Number Five and starts planning. That planning continues into Session 86 so it makes sense to put it in the Session 86 writeup - otherwise it’ll be split up.
But now, some more LEGO Lords of Gossamer….. !!!
Welcome LEGO Griffin and Stolvir
(Ethan doesn’t look particularly happy. Personally, I love the LEGO white wolf. It was David’s idea to have a large white wolf be Ethan’s companion (as a contrast and foil to Macavity)… he didn’t quite expect it to be warg-sized, but when I showed the LEGO model, he went for it. Yay!)
And finally (deep breath) …. in 3 days time we’ll have been running this campaign for 3 YEARS. Woo!
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