- The Stair gets stranger. Grant and Ethan are introduced to 'The Old Man' (he leads the White Hand, but the PCs don't know that yet. They also reach a section of Stair which is effectively one-way. Worse than that, as they will find out that Icons don't work in this new section of Stair - they are unexpectedly cut off and on their own.
- Also, I wanted to introduce a interesting foil for the characters. Someone who could hold their own against them, someone intriguing who was almost certainly working for the enemy.
- The basis for the Godfall realm is Curnorost, the Realm of Dead Angels from the Monte Cook’s Beyond Countless Doorways.
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan, Sharra
Adversaries
- A shark-dude bouncer in the Last Chance bar.
Adventure Hook
- Ethan is trying to reach the Edge of the Stair. Grant is along for the ride. Someone has put a deterrant on the Stair and they have traced someone traversing the Stair to a deepwater realm.
Adventure Summary
- Grant and Ethan sit at a booth in the Last Chance bar. The view from the bar overlooks the shiploading area. There are a range of submersibles here. It is very congested. They appear to have atomic engines on pylons away from the main ship. There are lots of different designs here suggesting many different cultures. Ethan has dropped the Mental Invisibility spell so that they can order some food. Grant pays with some golden beans that come out of his purse.
- Food arrives. Ethan has ordered something rubbery which moves which he is unable to eat. (GM's note - Bad Stuff) Grant's dish is grilled fish and perfectly edible. In disgust, Ethan heads to the bar to get some drinks. The girl with the strong mind has returned back to the gaming machines with a drink in hand, and she begins pulling a lever on the side of the machine to play the game.
- Ethan notes that the bouncer - a huge sharklike fellow seems to be keeping an eye on her. He looks over the patrons. The sign at the front of the bar says 'no weapons' but everyone seems to be armed here - with crude percussion weapons, and nightsticks. This seems like a violent city. Grant and Ethan walked past a dead body on the way to this place. The poor individual was shot in the back.
- Ethan can't sense any other Wardens here apart from Grant. There is definitely another Door here but it is a long way away. The girl seems intent on playing games so he heads back to Grant with two glasses of blue liquid.
- Meanwhile, Grant has also been looking over the girl. She is quite cute, in a spunky sort of way. Umbral Sight tells him that she's not very well. There seems to be some sort of slow-acting poison in her system. Grant mentions this to Ethan. Ethan comments that they will need to get a ship to get to the next Door.
* Image sourced from Google
- While they are talking, the girl kicks the machine that she is playing so hard that she dents it. She heads back to the bar for another drink and sits down on a stool. Unfortunately the sharklike bouncer takes a dislike to her. He says something to her that neither Grant nor Ethan can here, she clearly swears back at him, and he kicks the stool out from under her. She falls heavily, whacking her head on the edge of the bar on the way down. The sharklike bouncer doesn't stop there, grabbing her but the scruff of her neck and dragging her up again. No one else in the bar bats an eyelid at this.
- Grant intervenes. He asks what the problem is, but the girl interjects and makes a joke of the situation, saying that she just wanted another drink but Ferrak here (referring to the bouncer) told her 'no'. She says that it's all under control. She says that she can handle this. Grant offers to buy her a drink, and Ferrak grumpily says that he'll regret doing that. Ferrak stomps away but keeps an eye on them.
- The girl gives Grant a crooked smiled, gets back to her feet and orders a drink from 'Sally', the tentacled barman. Wiping some blood off her face where the edge of the bar has cut her, she gives him 'the look' and tells him that she's all his. Grant is a little surprised by this 'come on', as she looks dreadful. Nevertheless, she seems very sure of herself.
- Grant leads the girl over to the booth where Ethan has been sitting patiently. She gives him a smile too as she sits down. She asks if they work for the Old Man? Grant wonders if this is Greywalker, but when he asks this, she becomes guarded. Her eyes narrow and she asks who 'the hell' they are. Grant introduces himself, as does Ethan. Grant asks about the aqualung found on the Stair, and the girl quickly confirms that she went with 'Kirn' onto the Stair. He went on, she came back.
- Grant and Ethan glance at one another. Both know that she is no Warden, and yet she opened a Door. Therefore she must have access to a Key.
- Observing that she is quite unwell, Grant asks how this came about. Again, she offers a crooked smile and she says that they took her ship, but didn't find what they were looking for. They stranded her in this 'shithole', then tried poisoning her but she still hasn't told them what they want to know. She coughs and says that she'll be fine - she has 'powerful friends' who will turn up sooner or later. Smiling broader, she wonders aloud whether her friends have sent Grant and Ethan to help her.
- There is a strange allure about this woman, despite her wretched appearance. Ethan asks her name and she says that her name is Sharra. Sharra then shifts the conversation and says that she is hungry. She asks Grant to get her some food. Grant obliges her and heads to the bar. As soon as Grant's back is turned, Sharra turns her attention to Ethan and shifts closer to him. She whispers that they can help each other - she can get them to the other Door if they require it. Ethan shows interest in this, and Sharra chuckles - she's achieved her goal and Ethan realises that he’s been tricked.
- Grant returns with the menu, and Sharra shifts away from Ethan and turns on the charm for Grant instead. She slyly says that she wants her ship back, and they want to get to the other Door. She offers to help them.
- The conversation is continuing, when Ferrak returns and interrupts the conversation. Sharra tells him to get lost, and Ferrak drags Grant out of the booth. Once away from the table, Grant clobbers Ferrak, felling him with a mighty blow. Sharra brightens at this immediately. Ethan then goes to the fallen bouncer and places his hand on his head, seeking some information about what is going on. Instantly he is informed that Sharra, once Captain Sharra of the Gullwind, is effectively a prisoner here, and a significant sum of money has been offered to hold her here. The current Captain of the Gullwind, a man named Feritz, has taken her ship, but apparently doesn't know how to open the Doors.
- Ethan tells Grant that he has what he needs, and Grant explains that Ethan has read Ferrak's mind. Ethan then proceeds to scramble his mind so that he won't remember what has happened here. Sharra looks a little guarded as Ethan explains this, but she says that they should get of of the bar and plan their next move. The Gullwind should be returning in a day or two, and they should hole up until then.
- Grant quickly agrees to find a safe place to go, and suggests that Ethan heal her. Ethan was expecting to use this as leverage, not to disclose so readily. Grant sees the surprise on Ethan's face but it is too late, so he explains to Sharra that Ethan is a healer. Sharra's eyes narrow and she decides that she likes Ethan. You're useful, she purrs.
- Grant quickly finds a safe hotel for them to rest. Ethan heals Sharra, purging the poison from her system and healing her many injuries. She is quite astonished but recognises Eidolon for what it is. She thanks Ethan with a kiss which lingers, and then reminds him that she still wants her ship back, hinting that there will be other rewards if he continues to help her. Ethan is astonished by her directness.
- Over the next day, Grant explores the city a little further. He confirms that the Gullwind is returning, and Sharra explains that she will kill the new Captain to take back her command. Feritz is unlkely to be popular with the crew given that they don't know the same 'tricks' that she knows. He can't make them rich. Grant asks her where the Keys to the Doors are. He presumes that she has at least one. Sharra is evasive but at last she confirms that she has access to at least two Keys.
- While Grant is on one of his expeditions out into the city, Sharra shows further interest in Ethan. She asks further about Eidolon, and encourages him to take a look at some of her equipment. Ethan obliges her by updating her percussion gun, and her nightstick. He admits that he and Grant are Wardens of the Stair, and asks her about the device on the Stair that was placed to deny access to a junction. She knows of it, and says simply that the Old Man didn't want anyone coming this way. Sharra remains evasive about what lies beyond the next Door. Ethan is certain that she knows, but simply won't say. He does sense some urgency in her, but she is withholding information. Ethan gets the impression that she is attracted to him, and he is somewhat pleased by this, despite feeling a bit guilty at the same time.
- When Grant returns, they speak further about Sharra's role in this realm. It definitely sounds like her ship, the Gullwind, has been uesd as a shuttle service to carry people from one Door to the next. She is definitely knowledgeable about many aspects of the Stair. Her lip curls when asked if she has ever ferried Dwimmerlaik. They get very little information out of her about the Old Man. He is almost certainly not Greywalker, but like Greywalker he is an old man, with a white beard.
- Grant considers returning to Marindar until the Gullwind arrives, but he decides against it as he is enjoying Sharra's company and she seems to enjoy his. This pleases him.
- A day later, Grant confirms that the Gullwind has arrived. The two Lords of Gossamer escort a fully-fit Sharra back to the Last Chance. At the door there is a new bouncer who is vaguely lion-like, with a great bushy mane around his head and shoulders. Sharra quickly locates the new captain, and a quick gun battle is fought. Feritz is gunned down, and Sharra declares that she is once more in charge. She tells the other five crew members that they need to leave at once with the supplies as they are 'badly overdue'. Some of the crew ask about payment, and she points to Grant and Ethan and says that they have passengers who will pay, but also to think of what the Old Man will say and do if the supplies don't get through. The crew agree to follow her. She rips the captain’s patch from Feritz's corpse, adds it back onto her breast and tells them to get ready.
- Sharra's mood brightens, and she leads Grant and Ethan to the Gullwind. The other three crew members are already onboard, including Scooter, a tracked maintenance robot. While the crew scrambles to get ready, Grant and Ethan look around. The Gullwind appears to be carrying food and water - but for whom? The technology onboard is old and clunky. 20th century at best. Atomic drives requiring radioactive pellets for fuel. Sharra is back in command and back in her element. She shows Grant and Ethan to some guest rooms and tells them to make themselves comfortable.
* Image sourced from Google
- Within six hours the crew are back onboard and the ship is prepared to depart. Sharra comments that they have extra fuel reserves so that they can 'get back', but it'll take four days to reach the other Door.
- They set off through the depths of this nameless world, and Sharra treats Grant and Ethan to a private dinner. One of the crew (her chef) prepares good food for them, and Sharra opens up a little, explaining that this world was attacked many years ago, and trade was driven underwater, though the aliens still believe that it was wiped out or driven offworld. She admits that she grew up in this world, but she has seen others. She asks about them, and is surprised to learn that both Wardens come from the same realm. That is unheard of.
- After dinner, Grant tells Ethan that he plans to return to Marindar for a few days but to contact him if anything comes up. Ethan asks about whether he should visit Aethelwyne instead, and Grant hesitates. Grant clearly still wants to return to Marindar. He says farewell and uses an Icon to reach Sophia and return home. In the meantime, Ethan makes himself busy in the engine room, helping the Gullwind's two engineers to make repairs and improvements where it is possible to do so when the ship is in operation. Sharra is pleasantly surprised by this. She is clearly aware that Grant is no longer onboard, and she rolls up her sleeves to help.
- At last the task is done and the crew have gone to the mess to eat and relax. Sharra produces a bottle of wine and two glasses, and sits down to talk with Ethan. The conversation is good, and Ethan admits to be enjoying Sharra's company. He knows that his guard is down, but feels very comfortable with her.
- With the bottle of wine drunk, they go to clean themselves up, but Ethan agrees to sharing a private dinner with her. They talk happily - both share an interest in exploring new places and being a master of their own destiny. A second bottle of wine is drunk, and Ethan tries to excuse himself. Sharra puts on a crooked smile, draws herself close to him and tells him that she doesn't really want him to leave her quarters. Fade to black.
- The next morning, Ethan is feeling very confused. There is something about Sharra that is messing with his head. With her warm body close to his, he decides to gently put her into a deeper sleep and then find out more about her. Sure enough, she is in the service of the Dwimmerlaik - or at least a faction of them called the White Hand. The Old Man is another Lord of of Gossamer, or at least an Imperial Warden. She has no particular loyalty to the Old Man, but she fears him and the Dwimmerlaik enough to want to do what they say. He appears to be a serious and imposing figure.
* Image by OMangueOTangue on DeviantArt (cropped and with a sepia filter)
- Ethan can tell that Sharra is attracted to him, but she's also trying to find out more about him, partly for her own self-preservation and partly because it could be useful to those she works for. In terms of where they are heading, apparently it is a place where angels die.
- Before he can probe further, she wakes.
- The rest of the day carries on like nothing has happened in front of her crew, but she gives Ethan a private smile from time to time when she comes to check what he is doing. Ethan tries not to think about Sharra and instead focuses on further engineering tasks. Grant contacts Ethan via Icon and Ethan says simply that they're on their way, and there is nothing to report. Grant chuckles and guesses that Sharra has been making a play for Ethan since he's been away. Ethan lies and says that he's been busy in engineering. Grant comments that he should have returned to the Legendary Realms rather than come to Marindar. Lady Sophia is busy with some negotiations and he feels a little superfluous. Ethan asks if he wants to come through and Grant accepts.
- Sharra is pleased to find that Grant has returned. The three of them share dinner that evening, and they talk further about their destination. Sharra explains that they will start descending into a nine mile trench in the next two days, and then there is a Door at the bottom which leads to a section of Stair that she calls 'The Slipstream'. The Slipstream has a fast current which will sweep the ship along. It takes significant navigational skill to reach the right 'quiet' near the target Door.
- Grant is astonished by this. The target Door must be big. Very big. Big enough to put a ship the size of the Gullwind through. Sharra confirms this, and she explains that when they leave the 'quiet' near the arrival Door, they'll be swept along. They need to use the navigational thrusters to steer, but a considerable amount of power to slow themselves so that they do not overshoot the target 'quiet'. A lot of the fuel is used on the return journey given that they have to go against the current. It burns more fuel but it is easier to steer on the return journey.
- Grant asks about the systems onboard - most computers and machinery don't work on the Stair. Sharra agrees that there will be failures, but there should be enough system control to reach their destination.
- Grant asks what is at their destination, and she says that there is a place where 'angels go to die'. It's called Godfall. When the angels die, their bodies turn to dust, but a lot of their material possessions are left on the dusty plains. Grant is horrified - someone is looting the graveyard of angels. Sharra shrugs and says that she doesn't really know what sort of creatures they are, but she admits that there are lots of things there that the Old Man is interested in.
- The conversation returns to more conventional matters. Ethan plans to keep working in engineering with Mirb, the Drasalite engineer. Mirb is a blob-like creature who can extrude part of himself to create appendages. Mirb is a bit of a joker, and Ethan enjoys working on the ship’s systems with him. Grant wants like to learn more about the general control systems onboard. Ethan wonders if Sharra will give him some sort of cue that she wants him to stay the night, but she gives no such cue. She is charming with both of them, and Ethan pushes the thought to the back of his mind. He retires early, and decides to get a good night's sleep.
- That evening it is Grant who is surprised by Sharra, whom he discovers has snuck into his quarters with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Sharra pours on the charm, and Grant enjoys a very pleasant evening. They spar verbally as Sharra clearly wants to know more about him, but he is equally canny in his responses as he tries to find out more about her and the Old Man. They spend the night together. Fade to black.
- The next two days are a strange mixture of boredom, working on old 20th century machines and guidance controls, and flirting. Sharra spends more time with Grant than Ethan, but she flirts with both. It is only because Grant and Sharra make a lot of noise on the third evening that Ethan has any idea of what is going on. On the fourth day, the Gullwind descends into the trench. Ethan is completely muddled - on one hand he knows that his friend has slept with Sharra, but she is still seeking a level of intimacy with him too. He doesn't know if this is a game to her or whether she just has a different moral code than he does, or what. He knows that she is affecting him - being around her is intoxicating. He hopes that when he gets away that the effect will wear off. It's not a spell, he's sure of that. This is something else.
- The Gullwind reaches a huge Door in the sea floor. The Door is some three hundred metres across. It's the largest one that he's seen. While Grant and Ethan are wondering how the Door will open, they notice a smaller craft piloted by Scooter head out to the Door. When the craft is close, the Door begins opening. So either Scooter had the Key all along (unlikely) or Sharra passed the Key to the robot (more likely).
- When Scooter has returned to the Gullwind, the ship moves into position and begins to descend. The external lights are switched on as they descend. The Door shuts behind them. They are in a huge corridor of inky black fluid.
- Captain Sharra tells Grant and Ethan that "this is where the fun begins". She directs her crew to enter The Slipstream, and as soon as the vessel leaves the stable pocket near the Door, there is a tremendous kick and Gullwind is pulled along by the current.
- Systems fail as they travel along the giant corridor. Even critical systems go offline, and Ethan uses Eidolon to restore them. Two hours into a very tense journey, Sharra directs the crew to spin the Gullwind in the current. This places a great deal of stress on the frame, and the superstructure groans under the strain. At last they are close to their destination and the Gullwind's main engines flare to life to slow their progress. Then suddenly, they hit the pocket of water that is as still as glass. Sharra applies full power to the engines so that they are not carried back into The Slipstream. They have arrived.
- The crew is relieved. Sharra sends out Scooter in the small craft once more and the Door is opened. This Door is enormous, like the other one. They rise up through a pool of milky water, and then suddenly break the surface.
- This place has a blue sky which is peppered by wisps of cloud. The terrain extends in all directions as an endless plain of dust. Sharra tells her crew that they should make this quick. Two heavy hover vehicles are broken out, and the crew begin loading the supplies onto them. Meanwhile, Grant and Ethan look outside at this Godfall realm.
- It does indeed appear that the wispy clouds here are falling slowly, raining dust. Occasionally there is the flash of something metallic falling from the sky. This place here is rich in Eidolon, and natural order.
- The crew take almost two hours to load the vehicles, and they set off across the landscape. In the distance there is seen a colossal citadel of glass and crystal. The closer they get, the bigger it clearly is. An hour into the journey, they spot a cluster Dwimmerlaik fabricated structures. It is some sort of outpost.
- Ethan fingers an Icon and finds that it doesn't work here. They are cut off. He mentions this to Grant.
Other Impacts
- None
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