GM’s Observations
- This short session continues to lay the groundwork for a journey to Amber.
- Note that we’re using Roger Zelazny’s Visual Guide to Castle Amber (I have a physical copy) as it provides some good official maps and descriptions of the places around Amber. However, this is at ‘a certain point of time’.
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan
Adversaries
- None
Adventure Hook
- None.
Background
- In Session 295 the seed has been planted in Ethan’s mind that Amber has magic that enables some of its people (possibly only members of the royal family) to travel between worlds. They have a trading network called ‘The Golden Circle’ which is of interest. Partly he is curious, and partly he is thinking of ways to expand Abigail’s influence. Hence much of this session is pursuing leads.
Adventure Summary - Part 1 - A Conversation with Grant (Ethan)
- Ethan knows from Abigail that she has upset Lofwyr and also probably Grant. It was Ethan’s suggestion that Abigail investigate Marindar as a place to expand her influence, so he feels a little bad that it has gone poorly for her.
- Leaving Abbie in Empire City for a few hours (while she researches the ‘supers’ that dwell there), Ethan contacts Grant and asks to meet with him. Grant agrees and they catch up in Marindar. As usual, Grant is pleased to see Ethan and the two go for a walk along the shoreline, then relax in a seafront cafe under a sail-like canopy.
- Grant explains that he is a bit miffed with Abbie and he would like an apology. There is no long term harm that has been done. Abbie sought an audience with Queen Constance and offered support and protection - and when Grant heard of this he kicked Abbie’s delegation out of Marindar and told them not to return. Marindar is under Grant’s protection and he doesn’t want Lofwyr’s people involved. Ethan listens and apologises for putting the idea in her head. He accepts that Grant still has an attachment to Marindar - he thought that Grant was travelling more broadly and had lost interest in the place.
- They talk about the next poker game, and whether there is any news of the Necromancer. Ethan asks about Isabelle but Grant doesn’t know where she is. She was last seen with Tinkerbell, but Tinkerbell returned without her. Grant doesn’t think that she is in trouble, but doesn’t really know. The lack of contact is a bit odd.
- Ethan admits that he’s actually happy as Lord Wynterlyr. The winter realms are comfortable and there is much to discover. He is also a little relieved that Isabelle is not around, as he’s finding himself more than a little smitten with Abbie. It feels a little bit like old times, but some parts are not the same. She’s grown older and she wants ‘more’ for herself. She’s not satisfied with who she is.
- Grant tells Ethan not to worry about Lofwyr. He knows the Emperor well and he’ll let it go. It’s just a minor thing.
- At a convenient moment in the conversation, Ethan asks about why the slaugh from the ‘Water Rat’ was so afraid of Grant. (GM’s note - see Session 294). The slaugh seemed petrified of him. Grant shrugs and says that he has a reputation in the Shadow Court. Ethan doesn’t realise that Grant is evading him (Grant is super-sneaky). (GM’s note - Ethan does not know that Grant is the Shadow King)
- Ethan confesses that he’s done travelling for a while, but Shadow Earth (Realm 0) no longer feels like home. If Abbie should keep her distance from Marindar for a bit (until it all blows over), then maybe he should move some of his possessions back to Westgate Manor for a bit. He admits to thinking about studying again - he never completed his university studies (because he and Grant found the Door to the Stair. (GM’s note - all the way back in Session 1)
- Grant chuckles at the role reversal. It used to be Ethan who was exploring far and wide on the Stair. Now, given that he and Sophia have gone their separate ways, he’s enjoying time with Tinkerbell - exploring wherever they please. Ethan is surprised to hear that Grant and Tinkerbell are lovers, when it pleases them. It takes Ethan a moment to remember that Grant can shapeshift - he doesn’t know the limits of this ability but he knows that Grant can assume smaller forms (such as a bird). (GM’s note - Tinkerbell is not the Disney version of Tinkerbell. This is a steampunk/inventor version)
- Ethan asks if Grant has heard any whispers of Ares but he has not. They both assume that the Olympian God of War has not forgotten them and is biding his time.
- The two friends enjoy their conversation, and they agree to catch up again soon. Ethan mentions that he still doesn’t know how to connect a Door - this is a level of mastery which only Grant has achieved. Grant describes the process for Ethan to try but Ethan doesn’t think he can apply what Grant describes.
- Grant asks about Sorcery. He knows Ethan learnt a great deal of magic in the Legendary Realm and has been able to employ similar spells in many different realms. Grant asks if Ethan would help him to learn a little magic. Ethan is very surprised by the request - he explains that he isn’t sure how to start teaching Grant but he promises to think about it. They agree to talk further about this when they next meet.
Adventure Summary - Part 2 - Further Research (Ethan)
- Ethan returns to Empire City to the high-rise hotel that he and Abbie have been staying in. She hasn’t noticed his departure - she has been too busy with her own pursuits. Left to his own devices, Ethan contacts Hilda and Whistler to talk with each of them. He tries to contact Isabele as well but there is no response. A quick Divination spell tells him that she is not in danger - he wonders why she is so uncontactable.
- Over the next few weeks, Abigail remains narrowly focused on the ‘supers’ that she is interested in, and she does not share her plans with him. She has become quite fascinated with Empire City - the supers here are powerful but they are hardly altruistic or ‘good’ people. Her favourite is Champion, the so-called ‘superman of Empire City’ - a man with near-godlike powers who likes being superior to all of the other supers.
- Ethan warns her about the dangers of ‘hunting supers’. They both know that she has overextended herself in the past but she seems determined this time to be careful. Ethan notes that she uses a significant amount of magic in this place as part of her preparations. She makes no requests of him at this time but clearly she is expecting to need help at some point.
- Ethan has plenty of spare time so he returns to Shadow Earth and makes an effort to ‘spruce up’ Westgate manor. A lot of the furnishings and interior is very old and worn - he starts organising to renovate the place.
- Ethan also makes multiple trips to the Forbidden Library to continue his research into Amber. On each trip he copies down the relevant accounts that need to be remembered, particularly the history and context behind each anecdote. He finds the journal that he discovered previously - the journal was clearly written by someone who knew a Prince of Amber named Finndo. Finndo is described as a physically imposing person; as the son of the King; as someone who is both strong and proud. The journal appears to have been written by a Warden of the Stair but there is no name used. It definitely isn’t Lucien’s handwriting - Ethan would recognise this.
- Amber is described as the centre of the trade network called the Golden Circle. The closer one is to Amber, the more difficult it will be to manipulate Gossamer Reality. The Princes of Amber make the trade network possible, but it isn’t clear how.
- There is no mention of a Door to Amber or any of the Golden Circle nations, but there is mention of a place called Deiga (or Diega) which is proximate. There are two spellings of the placename - Ethan isn’t sure which is right.
- There are other fragments but nothing as significant as the unknown Warden’s journal. Ethan wishes that there was a map of some kind but he can find nothing like that in the Forbidden Library.
- Ethan returns to Empire City to review all of the notes that he managed to extract. He returns to find that Abigail now has a small team of ‘associates’ with her. These ‘associates’ speak with a Meridian accent - she has clearly been busy. (GM’s note - Meridian is Abigail’s homeland. It was destroyed but was recreated due to Ethan’s meddling) It is clear that Abigail is in command, and her associates are to continue gathering information on her behalf. They operate very much as a military team. Ethan settles down to review his notes on Amber, which takes considerable time.
- Just before he heads back to Westgate once more, Abigail asks him to tell her more about how he, Grant and Isabelle added aspects to Hephaestus that didn’t exist before. Ethan explains that he and Isabelle crafted vessels to capture the desired aspects in order to create a potent ‘primer’. This then enabled Hephaestus to undertake deeds which would have been otherwise beyond him. When he achieved those deeds, the aspects became a permanent part of him. Abigail asks whether Ethan could craft such a vessel without Isabelle and Ethan says that he believes that he can. He does point out that the vessel has to be crafted specifically for the aspect and the intended recipient. Abigail accepts this and says that she is still deciding whose powers she should acquire. She is also aware that the super is unlikely to want to give up those powers willingly - she expects to have to take the powers by force, and she finds this acceptable and fitting.
- Ethan returns to Westgate. He seeks out help from the lawyers associated with Westgate Manor (Bartholomew and Smith) to establish a new identity for himself (he is listed as Aaron Powell, descended from Ethan Powell). With this new identity, he decided to enrol himself at university. He chooses medicine and is accepted after passing a basic and advanced aptitude test. The course materials are available electronically but Ethan pays extra to have the course materials delivered in hardcopy books (as he feels more comfortable with the older format).
- Magic is well understood to be real on Earth. Healing magic and life extension magic are certainly possible. There are also courses on magical theory but very few have the aptitude to actually wield magic. Hence modern (non-magical) medicine is still much more common than healing magic.
- As time passes, Ethan keeps an eye on Abigail in Empire City, his medical textbooks arrive at Westgate manor and he starts reading them. He makes the occasional trip back to the Forbidden Library but there is nothing else to discover there - the path to Amber is unknown. Diega (or Deiga) is the only clue and he doesn’t know where it is.
- Then one day Whistler contacts him (via a snowflake) - the old snow elf tells him that he has received an invitation to the next Feyball. Queen Mab requests his presence as part of the Winter Court’s delegation. Ethan accepts. He then asks if there is any other news and Whistler says that all is quiet, but there are many individuals that Lord Wynterlyr should visit to ensure that things ‘remain quiet’. Ethan notes the old elf’s warning and thanks him.
Adventure Summary - Part 3 - The Heart of the Stair (Ethan)
- Abigail and Ethan share dinner in one of Empire City’s many rooftop restaurants. She knows that Ethan will shortly have to depart to attend the Feyball as Lord Wynterlyr, and she also needs to depart for Meridian. She says that she has become aware of an ‘opportunity’ on Meridian which needs to be acted upon or it will be lost. She has some ideas as to how to empower herself further but they will have to wait. Ethan asks if she would like him to come with her - she smiles and says that it is better if he does not.
- Ethan says that he intends to return to Edenspire (Wynterlyr’s Domain) and then to seek out Amber. He thinks it will take some time to find it given that it is not accessible via a Door. Abigail says that she would like to join him, and will contact him when she can.
- They enjoy their last evening together. In the morning, Abigail and her associates are gone.
- Ethan casts a Divination spell to see if she is heading into danger, and the result indicates a complex situation with multiple pressures. But it doesn’t indicate that she is outmatched or in personal danger. He wonders what she is up to as he collects his things and leaves Empire City. She was very focused on hunting supers but she changed direction very quickly.
- On his way back to Edenspire, Ethan thinks about how to find the Door to Diega (or Deiga) and it occurs to him that there is another resource at his disposal: the Athenaeum, or so called ‘Heart of the Stair’. Lucien is currently away on his own expedition and Isabelle is also away - there should be no one there.
- Ethan knows very few of the shortcuts to get to the Heart of the Stair but he decides to go there at once, even though this will mean delaying his return to Edenspire. This journey takes him two days, and the Athenaeum is just as deserted as he expected. There is still no sign of Isabelle and where she might have gone.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Ethan rests and then begins looking for books relating to Amber, the Golden Circle or Diega. He is pleased to find that there are books here - Lucien has kept many records. Amber is described in some detail: Amber is the name of the city as well as the place. It is surrounded on almost three sides by the Forest of Arden, a primal forest to the south, west and north. The city of Amber is elevated above the harbour on the slopes of Mount Kolvir. To the east lies the great ocean and the sea routes to the Golden Circle nations.
- According to Lucien (who has clearly been there), Amber is ruled by King Oberon. They have considerable military resources - armies, navies, plus the Golden Circle nations from which to draw upon. There are some crudely drawn maps which show the relation of Amber to the Golden Circle nations - there appear to be dozens of Golden Circle nations - but Ethan reminds himself that the information could be wildly out of date. He has no idea how long ago Lucien recorded this information.
- There is also information about how the Golden Circle works. It seems to be a trading (and potentially a mutual defense) pact. Much trading is done through Amber itself, and there is mention of spices such as pepper, cloves, nutmeg and tea. There is mention of silver (and silver mines) and also the quality of the wood from Amber’s trees (especially for shipbuilding).
- Ethan finds the information fascinating and he spends many long hours pouring over the books. At last he finds what he has been seeking. Diega. Diega itself is a port-town and has no Door, but there is a nearby township of Vilford that does have a Door. Lucien has made notes in the book as to where the Door to Vilford is - there is enough information here for Ethan to find it on the Grand Stair.
- Armed with this information, Ethan leaves the Athenaeum and returns to Lord Wynterlyr’s domains.
Other Impacts
- The abrupt change of Abigail’s focus can’t be of any concern, can it?
- Why is Isabelle uncontactable?
- Isn’t it about time for Hilda to want to spend time with her dad (Ethan) again?
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