- It was funny seeing a young and inexperienced Ethan reunited with a very much more experienced Grant. One is a novice Lord of Gossamer, learning his place in the universe, and the other has years of experience and has acquired Mastery of the Stair.
- It was also funny to have the twist of Oscar v Ethan. Oscar has X+2 Rank Warfare and is at least 4 ranks higher than Ethan. Read on ....
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan
Adversaries
- Oscar, Cal, Bastiano's minions
Adventure Hook
- This session flows directly on from Session 144 which saw Oscar moving to attack Jacob. Grant interposes, but he knows that he is outmatched.
Adventure Summary - Grant v Oscar
- Bloodlust is in Oscar's eyes. Grant attempts to interpose. Jacob runs for his life. Oscar springs, Grant grabs him and manages to deflect him enough just a little. Jacob scampers, and Oscar turns his rage against Grant. Oscar begins pacing, prowling up and down and looking for an opening. Grant tries to reason to him, but Oscar launches himself at Grant, quickly overpowers him and charges after Jacob.
- Grant catches up with Oscar on the Grand Stair. Jacob is gone. He has escaped through a Door and Oscar is not in the right frame of mind to follow. He appears confused and animalistic. Grant looks down at his sword - Oscar broke it in the scuffle. He only has half a sword, and Oscar is still pacing like a lion that has lost its prey and is working out where next to leap.
- Grant tries to reason with Oscar once more but Oscar does not appear to recognise that Grant is there. Grant becomes very nervous that Jacob will call in reinforcements but Oscar seems unwilling to move. At last, Grant decides to open a Door, and this seems to get Oscar's attention. Moving slowly away, Oscar shambles after him.
- With Oscar following, Grant moves from Door to Door, disconnecting and reconnecting as he goes to avoid pursuit. Oscar slowly becomes coherent, although he speaks very little and his movements are sluggish. Grant finds a Golden Door near Nexopolis and opens it. Inside there is a great hall with vaulted ceilings. The air is cold and dry.
- They seem to be in some sort of huge trophy room or museum. There are many non-magical artefacts here, many in transparent cases. Oscar finds an armchair and sits down heavily to rest.
- Grant looks around to confirm that they are alone, and then looks at the Icon of Ethan that Jacob was working on. To his pleasant surprise, he finds that Jacob had finished the Icon. (GM's note - Good Stuff) He tells this to Oscar, and Oscar grumpily comments that he hopes that Ethan is worth it.
Adventure Summary - The Icon Contact
- Grant uses the Icon to contact Ethan. It is night time in Marindar, and Ethan was asleep but he wakes and accepts the contact. Grant tells him that it's time to leave, and Ethan asks for a few minutes to grab his things. Maintaining the connection, Ethan hurriedly grabs the essentials that he had ready and he accepts the call to leave.
- As soon as Ethan arrives in the great hall, there a huge burst of Eidolon-infused light. (The device given to Ethan by Prince Grant has reacted strongly to the presence of multiple Umbra Masters) Grant is blown off his feet in surprise. Oscar is similarly shocked, but his armour immediately moves to protect him and it rears up to attack.
- At that moment there is a shimmer and a group of black-clad men and women appear in the chamber, arriving by Sorcerous Teleport. They are heavily armed, with Eidolon pulse guns and a device to generate an Eidolon-charged shockweb field. A shockweb hits the disoriented Grant, felling him as he tries to regain his footing and wrapping him in a lattice of Eidolon-charged bindings.
- Ethan goes on the offensive, using Force Push to scatter the attackers but before he can attack the nearest assailant, Oscar's armour grabs him as the nearest 'target' in range (GM's note - Bad Stuff) Lifting Ethan up, Oscar starts slamming Ethan into the floor like a rag doll as his armour extends limbs to grapple with other targets.
- Grant starts using Umbra to create a sheath around him to breakdown the shockweb. Oscar continues to cut loose in all directions. Their assailants were expecting Grant, not Oscar and they are hopelessly outclassed by two High Ranked Warfare characters. Even with a bald-headed and cybered-up Cal leading the group Bastiano's minions have no hope of victory, and the survivors withdraw, shimmering out of the room.
- Grant cuts himself free. Oscar's armour is still slamming one flailing figure repeatedly into wall and floor. Ethan's feeble attempts to Force Push Oscar off him are getting weaker. Grant has to yell at the top of his voice to get Oscar to stop trying to kill the man that they went to so much trouble to recover. Oscar drops him. Ethan is a bloody mess but he's alive. Oscar tumbles away to consume the other fallen foes with Umbra.
Adventure Summary - Broken Ethan
- Shaking his head at what a mess this has been, Grant grabs Ethan and anything else he was carrying and they make a hasty exit, worried that Cal will return with reinforcements.
- They again move from realm to realm, severing links as they go. Through an icy cold modern facility. A realm near to the Agora. Oddly, they end up in front of the Door to Shatterlight but Grant didn't mean to come here. Grant steps into Shatterlight - it is strongly lit with a radiance that Grant finds uncomfortable. He steps back onto Stair, glad to know that Shatterlight exists as a place. Grant goes to look for a safe place near Shatterlight and is guided to a Door which has no door handle.
- A little surprised, he waves his hand and the Door opens. They find themselves on what looks like an European street scene from the 1930s. Possibly France or Germany. There are a few automobiles here but many more bicycles. People are smartly and warmly dressed. Curiously, people seem to be travelling with their own ray of sunshine that moves with them when they walk. It seems that they have stepped out of a butcher's shop.
- Oscar shifts automatically back into the form of an old man. He glances at Grant and suggests that they get something to eat. Grant agrees. Oscar asks what happened to Ethan, apparently ignorant that he inflicted the injuries. Oscar shrugs the matter off, suggesting that Ethan 'started it'. He then mutters that he's hungry and he leads the way to a cafe.
* Image by Francoclun on DeviantART
- In putting Ethan down, Grant realises that his friend has passed out. (GM's note - first rank Endurance, but only ranked Strength) The waitress seems concerned that one of her customers is so badly battered, but Grant suggests that he'll recover with good food. Once food is ordered, she wiggles her fingers and both food and cutlery magically appear on the table. Oscar starts eating immediately. Ethan is still unconscious, so Oscar leans over and shocks him awake.
- Groaning, Ethan asks where all of his things are, and Grant shows him what is left of the bag that he was carrying. Everything that Ethan was carrying has been destroyed, including the Key to Earth (Realm 0), Ethan's pseudo-Icon of Grant, his walkman and all of the other precious items that he had ready to bring with him. It's all gone.
- Ethan looks around at the street scene. It is perfectly normal apart from magical oddities here and there. He eats a little, then drinks some tea. Slowly he recovers but he stays well away from Oscar. He uses a napkin to wipe away the blood from his mouth, and asks Grant what is going on.
Adventure Summary - Broken Ethan
- Grant fills Ethan in, explaining his theory that Bastiano took Clockworld and repurposed it. (Ethan stares at him blankly - he has no idea what Clockworld is) Grant has to explain Clockworld. He then explains that he remembers the timeline before Bastiano tampered with it, and that all Umbra Masters would have a similar awareness. He avoids giving Ethan any detailed information about the original timeline but gives him the broad strokes of their adventures and journeys together. Ethan listens, drinking tea from time to time. Grant goes on for a long time. He mentions Gorgorin the Shatterer, and how he supposes that Bastiano now has it. Grant concludes by pointing out that Ethan needs to be re-equipped. Even his lightsaber is smashed.
- Oscar asks Ethan pointedly what he was given which floored the two Umbra Masters. Ethan shows them a piece of crystal that is all that is left of a small crystal sculpture that was given to him by Prince Grant (the Grant from the Legendary Realm). He says that he didn't know it would react this way.
- Ethan also mentions a tiny silver locket with a leaf pattern that was given to him by Jalt. He was to give it to Grant and he described it as most precious, but unfortunately it is now broken. Grant laughs and says that the mad elf probably wanted to murder him. Ethan gently puts the two halves of the broken locket into his pocket. He isn't so sure - the locket seemed important to him.
- Grant asks about Marindar, and Ethan smiles (painfully). Grant roars with laughter as he correctly surmises that Ethan has met Marindan women. Oscar raises a bushy eyebrow. Grant asks about the other Lords of Gossamer that Ethan has met and Ethan explains about Bastiano, Prince Grant, Arcavia, Jalt, Turadok etc (as per the Session 141 writeup). He doesn't mention Leyla.
- Grant realises from Ethan's description that Marindar is at the height of its power. All of its ninety two Doors are operational. It is a true Nexus world. But clearly it is not Bastiano's seat of power.
Adventure Summary - Plots and Plans
- After listening to Ethan for about ten minutes, the conversation shifts to planning their next move. They don't have enough information. Also, they are lacking weapons and armour - their enemies are better equipped than they are.
- But where to get decent equipment? The Dragons' Graveyard would be the obvious choice but it has already been visited and that makes it dangerous to return to. Oscar suggests the Dwimmerlaik weapon vaults. Grant muses over the Legendary Realm, but wonders if that could be more trouble as the Legendary Realm doesn't give up its treasures easily.
- During the conversation, Grant thinks about Prince Grant of the Legendary Realm who is an Eidolon Master. He wonders about whether Prince Ethan would also exist and whether he would retain his memories given his Umbra Mastery. Ethan doesn't know - Prince Grant never mentioned a Prince Ethan.
- The topic of conversation shifts back to Marindar as Grant knows that the Marindan Defenders often have powerful items, and there are many potent items in the museum and secure vaults.
- Oscar snorts and gets to his feet. Grant seems surprised and asks him where he is going. Oscar scratches himself and says he has 'business' to attend to. He heads off without giving any explanation as to where he is going, but Grant feels the Door open and he realises that Oscar has just walked off.
- Ethan relaxes a little - he asks where Grant found 'that maniac', and Grant shakes his head with a smile. He keeps forgetting that Ethan is younger and less experienced here. So much has happened and yet none of this has happened for Ethan. Ethan has never even heard of Oscar before this meeting. Grant explains his relationship to Oscar, then asks about Marindar once more.
- Ethan details a world at the height of its power. Marindans serve as Generals and Captains in the Imperial Armed Forces. The Marindan Defenders are some of the most feared and powerful beings in the multiverse - something like the comic book heroes from the Justice League or the Avengers, only these ones are real. Ethan's description of Marindar having strong military forces is a surprise to Grant. Grant remembers that Marindar used to have military forces but they were largely spent by the time that Grant first arrived. This is very different.
- Ethan explains what he has found out in the library and the museum. This convinces Grant that their next target will be Marindar. They need to re-equip, there is a lot of 'sweet loot' on Marindar, Grant has a detailed knowledge of Marindar from the original timeline and Ethan has recent on-the-ground knowledge.
Other Impacts
- Next up, I'll detail what Ethan found out from the library and museum and the 'sweet loot' that was used as an input into the planning process for raiding Marindar.
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