Session 119 - A Step Towards Mastery

GM’s Observations
- In Session 104 we upgraded Ethan’s stats to 350 points. However I wasn’t happy with him being a Master of the Stair, so we changed that. I’ll reissue new stats in the near future but he no longer has Mastery of the Stair, but he does have one Rank higher in Warfare (still behind Grant of course) as a result of fighting many battles in the Legendary Realm to establish the Kingdom of Bloodstone (where Grant is presently King). 
- In spite of this, it makes logical sense for Grant to attempt to guide Ethan on his journey towards Mastery of the Stair (similar to what Vala did with Grant). However the journey towards Mastery of the Stair is a personal journey - Ethan’s path is different to Grant’s. Grant is lucky, had the personal patronage of Vala - and Ethan is just different. In fact, he seems more interested on finding the edge of the Stair than finding its ‘heart’.

Major Characters
- Ethan, Grant, Macavity and a new Warden 

Adversaries
- A ball of fur, fangs and claws

Adventure Hook
- Grant and Ethan are on the Stair. Ethan is ‘following his nose’ to find the path to Mastery. He’s taking the long way. They have been travelling for weeks, but are never really far from home. Ethan talks to Abbie and Macavity quite regularly. When this adventure starts, Macavity is travelling with them. Note that Macavity had been getting some grey hairs (as he’s getting to be an old cat) but Ethan has used Eidolon to restore Macavity back to his prime.

Adventure Summary
- In this section of the Stair, all of the surfaces reflect. Normally the walls and doors show what should normally be there, but occasionally Grant and Ethan see a glimpse of something else in the mirrors. The Doors are hard to spot. The junctions and turning are hard to spot.
- They hear a sound in the distance which sounds like running and there is something else coming (which sounds like a quadruped). One is running from the other. Ethan offers help and meets a small childlike creature which is thin and tree-like. It has long hair, slightly green. The creature pursuing this child is a strange tumbling ball of fur, fangs and claws. Macavity is petrified by it, but Grant interposes (at Ethan’s request). Even though Grant uses Gorgorin, he can’t seem to hurt it badly as the creature keeps reforming (which is very unusual). As such, Ethan ‘spooks’ it using magic. The creature yelps and flees.
- The childlike creature is lost and wants to find her way home but doesn’t know how. Both Grant and Ethan sense it - this child is a Warden of Stair with no knowledge of what that means.
- Over the course of the rest of the session, Ethan and Grant find food for the child, then help the child to retrace her steps back home. Seeing that the matter is in hand, Grant ducks back home to Marindar and says he will check in on Ethan later.
- In returning the child home, Ethan is introduced to a strange world where the trees are receptive to the thin tree-like people, growing fruits and even shaping their own wood to meet their requirements. Ethan finds the realm quite unusual. He spends hours with the lost child, explaining what her new ‘gift’ means and what she can do with it. He repeats some of what Oscar and Lucien taught him - that the Stair ‘chooses’ the Warden, and it has its reasons. After teaching the child what little he can, he leaves for the child to ponder the situation but promises to return. He gifts her with an Icon to contact him if she has questions and shows her how to use it. Macavity chuckles as they leave - he is surprised that Ethan made the effort and spent time teaching and encouraging someone else. Ethan bristles at the praise, assuming that Macavity is offering criticism instead. Ethan asks if Macavity thinks he should be spending more time with Abbie. Macavity says nothing but it is obvious what he thinks. (After all, she has been learning magic from other sorcerers, including those in the Legendary Realm).
- Back on the Stair, Ethan tracks down the strange creature which appears as a blur of fangs, fur and claws. He calms it down, and guides it off the Stair into a realm where it can at least find food. (GM’s note - which will no doubt be terrifying to whatever lives in that realm)

Other Impacts
- A new character introduced, part of Ethan’s journey towards Mastery of the Stair is fulfilling the Stair’s requirement to develop others.

A simple adventure, but an interesting one. It begs the question as to what sort of ‘hero’s journey’ is required to achieve Mastery of the Stair. I like the idea that is a tailored journey.