I have been writing a thing because I am not playing, and like the third or fourth thing the POV character looks for is a safe place to sleep, which is not actually 100% safe, and involves a trip through a bad neighborhood.
Also, "evil" Grant?
Grant and Ethan
Grant (left) and Ethan (right), with Macavity the Cat
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Feedback from BelleSorciere
It seems to me that wayfinding involving people might also involve psyche contests.
I have been writing a thing because I am not playing, and like the third or fourth thing the POV character looks for is a safe place to sleep, which is not actually 100% safe, and involves a trip through a bad neighborhood.
Also, "evil" Grant?
I have been writing a thing because I am not playing, and like the third or fourth thing the POV character looks for is a safe place to sleep, which is not actually 100% safe, and involves a trip through a bad neighborhood.
Also, "evil" Grant?
Feedback from Rtrimmer
I'm not objecting so much as noting that some of these choices will alter the campaign a lot, often in whimsical ways.
Florimel tries to influence her maid, in her house, on Earth where she's been monitoring Corwin for almost 200 years (and not got caught!) -- and fails. Nothing says it was Pattern instead of magic, or maybe she was just messing with her brothers.
To resist something with Psyche you have to be aware of the something, yes? So unless one Wayfinder automatically knows when another is searching for her.... So if it works it should work the vast majority of time unless the target always rests in 'a world where no searcher can find me'.
With all the shortcuts, does distance matter for Wayfinding?
OK. Wayfinder searches for the section of stair on which he'll meet a friendly LoG. And can't tell who that was. Darn, X hours or days wasted!
Re: 'Find true love', as a GM I might take (or the Stair might take) the easiest out. In the GW of True Love they have a drug (or an app) for that and pc gets spritzed, apped or whatnot. Really, I'd have to start with quizzing the player what the pc's notion of 'true love' really is. 'Cause if the pc is truly in love, and set it up to make it so.... that's one heck of a 24 carat gold hostage to fortune.
The character with much higher Warfare makes mincemeat of them. If he's a little better he gets through but gets beat up in the process.
Florimel tries to influence her maid, in her house, on Earth where she's been monitoring Corwin for almost 200 years (and not got caught!) -- and fails. Nothing says it was Pattern instead of magic, or maybe she was just messing with her brothers.
To resist something with Psyche you have to be aware of the something, yes? So unless one Wayfinder automatically knows when another is searching for her.... So if it works it should work the vast majority of time unless the target always rests in 'a world where no searcher can find me'.
With all the shortcuts, does distance matter for Wayfinding?
OK. Wayfinder searches for the section of stair on which he'll meet a friendly LoG. And can't tell who that was. Darn, X hours or days wasted!
Re: 'Find true love', as a GM I might take (or the Stair might take) the easiest out. In the GW of True Love they have a drug (or an app) for that and pc gets spritzed, apped or whatnot. Really, I'd have to start with quizzing the player what the pc's notion of 'true love' really is. 'Cause if the pc is truly in love, and set it up to make it so.... that's one heck of a 24 carat gold hostage to fortune.
The character with much higher Warfare makes mincemeat of them. If he's a little better he gets through but gets beat up in the process.
Friday, 14 March 2014
GM Commentary
Thanks rtrimmer for responding. I thought someone would have a difference of opinion, and that's a good thing. Ultimately it comes down to how the GM interprets the rules, but generally if a PC wants to do something, then 1) they will succeed as long as it is possible to succeed and 2) provided that they are not opposed. I think those two points are key.
I see this as a variation of (1) above. A "safe bed for the night" is subjective, not objective. Ethan looks for a Door that will give him a safe place to sleep. Probably many Doors resonate, but he goes for the one where the feeling is strongest, where there is currently a safe bed in which he can sleep. I agree with you that "for the night" is attempting to predict future events and there is no indication that a Lord of Gossamer can 'manipulate Shadow' like a Prince of Amber to affect a future outcome (e.g.: Florimel concentrates for a moment in "Nine Princes in Amber" and decides that her maid will not walk in any time soon). If Ethan finds that bed, it is in a place that is safe at that point in timebut it also fits Ethan's mental model as to what 'safe' means. It doesn't mean that it is truly safe. It doesn't prevent the *evil* Grant from sending an assassin to kill him in his sleep.
I see this as a variation of (1) and (2). It may not be possible to find Lucien - he could be dead. You can't find someone that doesn't exist. Equally, you could find someone called Lucien who is fact a close 'copy' of him (i.e.: Caine finds his own Shadow and kills him so that he can plant a body and disappear with everyone believing that he is dead). You could also find that Lucien doesn't want to be found which turns it into a contest of Psyche.
I think the GM can make it very hard for a PC if he doesn't want that NPC to be found. After all, Ethan could say "I want to find Mithrandir", but it could be prohibitively distant on the Grand Stair to find him. There are ways and means.
Similar to the above, but assuming that you meet that Lord of Gossamer, how do you know that they are friendly? Ethan has Bad Stuff - maybe the Lord isn't friendly at all. Again, I don't see this as a magic "I can find you wherever you are" trick.
Meeting true love was just meant to be an example of searching for a favourable situation. I could just as easily picked "winning the lottery". I've already had it confirmed by jdurall that you can't use Wayfinding to alter probability (as an Amberite can in Amber DRPG) however I can't see why a Lord of Gossamer could not be sensitive to situational opportunities that fit the parameters that they are searching for, providing of course that 1) it is possible to succeed and 2) that they are not opposed.
Let's say that Grant goes looking for 'true love' - I think I'd let him finding someone, but how does he really know that this person that he has met is really his 'true love'? Answer - he doesn't. That uncertainty is important in maintaining suspense. Besides, just meeting someone isn't the end of the story. Plenty of mileage for plot development even if the person he has met is his 'true love'. (again, I'm just putting out this as an example - it entirely depends upon what sort of game you're running)
Good question. I think the GM needs to come up with their own mental framework as to what they are going to permit and where the boundaries are. That's why I thought I'd post up my thoughts on this topic.
Forget Wayfinding for a minute. The character with High Warfare with see through their opponents' security defences and make mincemeat of them - they will find the right path because they have High Warfare. The only time that they will be challenged or fail is if 1) it is not possible to succeed or 2) they are opposed. I see Wayfinding as no different.
Hope this helps. Good thoughts and thanks for sharing them.
PS: I've got the next section of Session 27 ready to post. I just need to find some neat graphics to insert.... I'll put it up tomorrow.
I see this as a variation of (1) above. A "safe bed for the night" is subjective, not objective. Ethan looks for a Door that will give him a safe place to sleep. Probably many Doors resonate, but he goes for the one where the feeling is strongest, where there is currently a safe bed in which he can sleep. I agree with you that "for the night" is attempting to predict future events and there is no indication that a Lord of Gossamer can 'manipulate Shadow' like a Prince of Amber to affect a future outcome (e.g.: Florimel concentrates for a moment in "Nine Princes in Amber" and decides that her maid will not walk in any time soon). If Ethan finds that bed, it is in a place that is safe at that point in timebut it also fits Ethan's mental model as to what 'safe' means. It doesn't mean that it is truly safe. It doesn't prevent the *evil* Grant from sending an assassin to kill him in his sleep.
I see this as a variation of (1) and (2). It may not be possible to find Lucien - he could be dead. You can't find someone that doesn't exist. Equally, you could find someone called Lucien who is fact a close 'copy' of him (i.e.: Caine finds his own Shadow and kills him so that he can plant a body and disappear with everyone believing that he is dead). You could also find that Lucien doesn't want to be found which turns it into a contest of Psyche.
I think the GM can make it very hard for a PC if he doesn't want that NPC to be found. After all, Ethan could say "I want to find Mithrandir", but it could be prohibitively distant on the Grand Stair to find him. There are ways and means.
Similar to the above, but assuming that you meet that Lord of Gossamer, how do you know that they are friendly? Ethan has Bad Stuff - maybe the Lord isn't friendly at all. Again, I don't see this as a magic "I can find you wherever you are" trick.
Meeting true love was just meant to be an example of searching for a favourable situation. I could just as easily picked "winning the lottery". I've already had it confirmed by jdurall that you can't use Wayfinding to alter probability (as an Amberite can in Amber DRPG) however I can't see why a Lord of Gossamer could not be sensitive to situational opportunities that fit the parameters that they are searching for, providing of course that 1) it is possible to succeed and 2) that they are not opposed.
Let's say that Grant goes looking for 'true love' - I think I'd let him finding someone, but how does he really know that this person that he has met is really his 'true love'? Answer - he doesn't. That uncertainty is important in maintaining suspense. Besides, just meeting someone isn't the end of the story. Plenty of mileage for plot development even if the person he has met is his 'true love'. (again, I'm just putting out this as an example - it entirely depends upon what sort of game you're running)
Good question. I think the GM needs to come up with their own mental framework as to what they are going to permit and where the boundaries are. That's why I thought I'd post up my thoughts on this topic.
Forget Wayfinding for a minute. The character with High Warfare with see through their opponents' security defences and make mincemeat of them - they will find the right path because they have High Warfare. The only time that they will be challenged or fail is if 1) it is not possible to succeed or 2) they are opposed. I see Wayfinding as no different.
Hope this helps. Good thoughts and thanks for sharing them.
PS: I've got the next section of Session 27 ready to post. I just need to find some neat graphics to insert.... I'll put it up tomorrow.
Feedback from Rtrimmer
"- Ethan leaves Arcadia and starts home. He automatically knows where his Home Realm is (the rules say so - so it is almost like an internal compass, like always knowing where the north reference point is). But he should also be able to concentrate on the Arcadian Door and know where that is too! Simply by switching the 'object of he desire', he should know whether it is left or right, near or far. So take that thinking one step further, the more realms that a Lord of Gossamer has visited, the more complete a Lord's 'mental map' is of the Stair. If Ethan thinks about Versais, he'll know which way to go; if he thinks about Arcadia, he'll know which way to go. If he thinks about a realm where there is a safe bed for the night (which is a generic concept, not a specific target), he can find that too.
- So now take that concept even further. Can Ethan pursue multiple targets simultaneously? For example, he's walking on the Stair, heading to find Lucien (who is a long way away); but he's also looking for targets of opportunity along the way. He is interested in any worlds where the sky is green (and according to Wayfinding, he would know if he passed a Door where that condition was met); he is also interested in meeting another friendly Lord of Gossamer on the Stair (so if it is possible to achieve that, he would also feel a vague calling to head in a particular direction), and perhaps even more obscure, let's say that he's looking for a place where he'll meet true love (ouch! that would require right person, right place, right time!) - so that's a conditional situation without a specific target. I can't see why a Lord of Gossamer could not do all of those things, which then makes things very interesting,
- Let's take Grant for example. He's going to the Royal Ball in Marindar where he is hoping to find a way of uncovering part of the plot against Marindar. If someone used Wayfinding to effectively 'progress the plot' and it is possible to do so, then Grant can use Wayfinding to find that situation - the right person, at the right time and the right place. Of course he could still say or do the wrong things and the opportunity would be lost; but …. hey!! …. that makes Wayfinding extremely powerful, and perhaps rightly so."
Eek.
"Safe bed for the night" predicts the future. Also eliminates the necessity of ordinary security precautions and the possibility of exciting ambushes.
"Find Lucien" You can find anybody. They can find you.
"Meeting another friendly Lord of Gossamer on the Stair" let's you know who is actually friendly and who is dissembling. You could also, carefully, determine who your enemies are. They can do the same to you -- you can't trick any LoC who takes precautions.
"Meet true love" So much for suspense. And, c'mon, LoGs are superhumanly charismatic, healthy, rich as they want to be, etc. and they need Wayfinding as a dating service too? (Though I like the idea of a PC doing this and then meeting their own double. Also, if Masters otGS with superior Psyches can determine what another Wayfinder is searching for Evil GM opportunities abound.)
Is Wayfinding unstoppable? Can other Wayfinders assure that their plots won't be uncovered, that their opponents' security measures fail, etc? If not, everybody's plots against alert LoGs get revealed right quick. Non-noob LoGs would know that plotting is generally unworkable and either go straight to murder, to impromptu "Get 'im, boys!" attacks or just give it up.
Monday, 10 March 2014
Session 27 - Changing the World - Part 1
Session 27 - Changing the World - Part 1
GM Observations
- David (Lurker37) and I started Session 27 with a discussion on a number of key points. These are relevant to anyone else who is running a campaign that has run for as long as this one.
- The writeup for this session will be big because it was a long (4 hour) session. That may not seem like a long session but 4 hours of play-time for a single character is a lot - a character can do many things in a 4 hour window.
1. Wayfinding - just how powerful is this?
- I had a bit of an epiphany on this one. Wayfinding is a key a power that provides guidance to a character to find thing that they are seeking. But how far could that be taken? Let me illustrate the point with a few examples:
- So there you have it. Wow, just wow. Ethan with his High Ranked Psyche just got more powerful (in my opinion). But when you compare Warden of the Stair (10 points) v Sorcery (15 points), I reckon this is appropriately costed.
2. Rethinking Dominant Rank
- I also had a chat with David about whether we wanted to keep Ethan and Grant as the Dominant Rank in the game. It was okay to have these characters as Dominant Rank when this was a short lived game, but I think we're going to go beyond 50+ sessions and I wanted to review the appropriateness of that decision.
- The conversation centred on the characters' role in the game, and whether we wanted them to go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters like Lucien, Vala, Mowbray etc. Where we landed is based on the Lords of Olympus rule system where some Elder characters can be 1st Rank + X Ranks. In summary:
3. Points Advancement
- Which brought us to our next rules discussion - how many points should we get per session and how should we handle advancement. Neither of us have looked at our stats in 15+ sessions, but neither of us expected the game to keep going this long. We're having fun, and we just needed to have a chat as to how to handle it.
- We both remember Amber Diceless "The Main Game" where PCs got 2 points advancement per session. That seemed to work so we decided to keep that, however now we know the importance of ranks, we wanted to avoid the potential abuse that a 1st Rank character could keep upping his Attributes every session, creating new Ranks with only 2 points between 1st and 2nd Rank. So we're going to batch the awards. Roughly every 10 sessions (so every 10-12 weeks of real time), there is going to be a 20 point point increment.
- I think this works - so after a year of gaming, our characters should be around the 160-180 point level. Two years and we're up into the 260-280 point level. Most games don't last that long … we'll see how it goes. We may decide to ramp down the advancement rate if we keep playing. For experienced players, 250 - 330 points seems to be a good well rounded level but I think we shouldn't get to that level for at least another year at the absolute earliest.
4. Eidolon and Doors
- Next is on Doors. The rulebook says that an Eidolon Master can tell that the reality of Doors is different from its surrounding - it stands out easily. I asked David the question as to whether an Eidolon Master who was also a Warden could use his Eidolon Mastery to understand the pattern of the Doors sufficiently in order to make the leap to Master of the Grand Stair. David believes that they are separate and that only experience on the Stair will lead to Mastery. Fair enough - we have a rules decision that Ethan studying the Doors with Eidolon will not help him to further his understanding of the Stair.
5. Marindan Technology
- Ethan's walkman is using some Marindan technology. I asked David to rule as to whether the Marindan power cells work in Ethan's Home Realm of Earth, and his response was very insightful. The technology would work with some Eidolon 'tweaks' however the Marindan technology wasn't quite right to work on its own. It provided power to the walkman but the tape hardly moved. Marindan Resistors weren't quite the same as their Earth equivalents. Marindan Capacitors weren't quite the same. Eidolon could very easily fix this and make the technology work given that all of the components were there. Eidolon can adjust/improve capability that already exists, but it can't create capability that does not exist.
- There is more on this topic below where Ethan attempts to improve a car using Eidolon. He creates a better, more fuel efficient, faster vehicle but it is still an internal combustion engine. It still needs a key to start it. It still has a a numberplate. It doesn't magically switch to being fusion powered or have reversing cameras. Eidolon can't create capability that does not exist.
I'll write the next part of Session 27 up shortly.
GM Observations
- David (Lurker37) and I started Session 27 with a discussion on a number of key points. These are relevant to anyone else who is running a campaign that has run for as long as this one.
- The writeup for this session will be big because it was a long (4 hour) session. That may not seem like a long session but 4 hours of play-time for a single character is a lot - a character can do many things in a 4 hour window.
1. Wayfinding - just how powerful is this?
- I had a bit of an epiphany on this one. Wayfinding is a key a power that provides guidance to a character to find thing that they are seeking. But how far could that be taken? Let me illustrate the point with a few examples:
- - Ethan leaves Arcadia and starts home. He automatically knows where his Home Realm is (the rules say so - so it is almost like an internal compass, like always knowing where the north reference point is). But he should also be able to concentrate on the Arcadian Door and know where that is too! Simply by switching the 'object of he desire', he should know whether it is left or right, near or far. So take that thinking one step further, the more realms that a Lord of Gossamer has visited, the more complete a Lord's 'mental map' is of the Stair. If Ethan thinks about Versais, he'll know which way to go; if he thinks about Arcadia, he'll know which way to go. If he thinks about a realm where there is a safe bed for the night (which is a generic concept, not a specific target), he can find that too.
- So now take that concept even further. Can Ethan pursue multiple targets simultaneously? For example, he's walking on the Stair, heading to find Lucien (who is a long way away); but he's also looking for targets of opportunity along the way. He is interested in any worlds where the sky is green (and according to Wayfinding, he would know if he passed a Door where that condition was met); he is also interested in meeting another friendly Lord of Gossamer on the Stair (so if it is possible to achieve that, he would also feel a vague calling to head in a particular direction), and perhaps even more obscure, let's say that he's looking for a place where he'll meet true love (ouch! that would require right person, right place, right time!) - so that's a conditional situation without a specific target. I can't see why a Lord of Gossamer could not do all of those things, which then makes things very interesting,
- Let's take Grant for example. He's going to the Royal Ball in Marindar where he is hoping to find a way of uncovering part of the plot against Marindar. If someone used Wayfinding to effectively 'progress the plot' and it is possible to do so, then Grant can use Wayfinding to find that situation - the right person, at the right time and the right place. Of course he could still say or do the wrong things and the opportunity would be lost; but …. hey!! …. that makes Wayfinding extremely powerful, and perhaps rightly so.
- 1) Building a mental map of the Stair. Simply by concentrating, Grant and Ethan can gauge distance and direction to any of the locations they have visited (or can imagine).
2) Write a list of things that they 'desire' and are actively seeking using Wayfinding. The GM will need to keep checking against the list to see if any of those conditions are triggered.
- So there you have it. Wow, just wow. Ethan with his High Ranked Psyche just got more powerful (in my opinion). But when you compare Warden of the Stair (10 points) v Sorcery (15 points), I reckon this is appropriately costed.
2. Rethinking Dominant Rank
- I also had a chat with David about whether we wanted to keep Ethan and Grant as the Dominant Rank in the game. It was okay to have these characters as Dominant Rank when this was a short lived game, but I think we're going to go beyond 50+ sessions and I wanted to review the appropriateness of that decision.
- The conversation centred on the characters' role in the game, and whether we wanted them to go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters like Lucien, Vala, Mowbray etc. Where we landed is based on the Lords of Olympus rule system where some Elder characters can be 1st Rank + X Ranks. In summary:
- 100-199 point characters - we will allow selected NPCs to be up to 3 Ranks above the top PC rank.
200-299 point characters - we will allow selected NPCs to be up to 2 Ranks above the top PC rank.
300-349 point characters - we will allow selected NPCs to be up to 1 Rank above the top PC rank.
Above 350 points, we will allow PCs to be true Dominant rank (no one exists who is better)
3. Points Advancement
- Which brought us to our next rules discussion - how many points should we get per session and how should we handle advancement. Neither of us have looked at our stats in 15+ sessions, but neither of us expected the game to keep going this long. We're having fun, and we just needed to have a chat as to how to handle it.
- We both remember Amber Diceless "The Main Game" where PCs got 2 points advancement per session. That seemed to work so we decided to keep that, however now we know the importance of ranks, we wanted to avoid the potential abuse that a 1st Rank character could keep upping his Attributes every session, creating new Ranks with only 2 points between 1st and 2nd Rank. So we're going to batch the awards. Roughly every 10 sessions (so every 10-12 weeks of real time), there is going to be a 20 point point increment.
- I think this works - so after a year of gaming, our characters should be around the 160-180 point level. Two years and we're up into the 260-280 point level. Most games don't last that long … we'll see how it goes. We may decide to ramp down the advancement rate if we keep playing. For experienced players, 250 - 330 points seems to be a good well rounded level but I think we shouldn't get to that level for at least another year at the absolute earliest.
4. Eidolon and Doors
- Next is on Doors. The rulebook says that an Eidolon Master can tell that the reality of Doors is different from its surrounding - it stands out easily. I asked David the question as to whether an Eidolon Master who was also a Warden could use his Eidolon Mastery to understand the pattern of the Doors sufficiently in order to make the leap to Master of the Grand Stair. David believes that they are separate and that only experience on the Stair will lead to Mastery. Fair enough - we have a rules decision that Ethan studying the Doors with Eidolon will not help him to further his understanding of the Stair.
5. Marindan Technology
- Ethan's walkman is using some Marindan technology. I asked David to rule as to whether the Marindan power cells work in Ethan's Home Realm of Earth, and his response was very insightful. The technology would work with some Eidolon 'tweaks' however the Marindan technology wasn't quite right to work on its own. It provided power to the walkman but the tape hardly moved. Marindan Resistors weren't quite the same as their Earth equivalents. Marindan Capacitors weren't quite the same. Eidolon could very easily fix this and make the technology work given that all of the components were there. Eidolon can adjust/improve capability that already exists, but it can't create capability that does not exist.
- There is more on this topic below where Ethan attempts to improve a car using Eidolon. He creates a better, more fuel efficient, faster vehicle but it is still an internal combustion engine. It still needs a key to start it. It still has a a numberplate. It doesn't magically switch to being fusion powered or have reversing cameras. Eidolon can't create capability that does not exist.
I'll write the next part of Session 27 up shortly.
Sunday, 9 March 2014
GM Commentary
Session 27 was run tonight with Ethan exploring the clock tower and the mysteries of Northgate. There have also been some rules discussions on Wayfinding and Dominant Rank which I'll share shortly in the writeup as I think most will find very interesting. We also had some gratuitous use of Eidolon by Ethan, some of which has received worldwide attention, and the first time I've ever seen time travel (accidental time travel) in an Amber or LoG&S game. There was also some use of High Level Psyche (mind-blanking) which we haven't seen before and we have a brand new Lord of Gossamer running around.
There was a lot in Session 27 (thanks to Lurker37 for running it). David has been sitting on this adventure for months and the session itself was a massive 4 hour session - that's about twice as long as a normal session and you can get through an awful lot if you're giving a single player that much airtime. As such I now have 6 pages of notes that I will need to put into a coherent narrative. It's going to take me a few days to write up.
I think you'll be in for a treat when I do the writeup, especially how Ethan uses the accidental time travel event to alter the flow of the present without creating a paradox. How much mischief can he get up to?
The answer is a lot! 
There was a lot in Session 27 (thanks to Lurker37 for running it). David has been sitting on this adventure for months and the session itself was a massive 4 hour session - that's about twice as long as a normal session and you can get through an awful lot if you're giving a single player that much airtime. As such I now have 6 pages of notes that I will need to put into a coherent narrative. It's going to take me a few days to write up.
I think you'll be in for a treat when I do the writeup, especially how Ethan uses the accidental time travel event to alter the flow of the present without creating a paradox. How much mischief can he get up to?
The answer is a lot!
Thursday, 6 March 2014
GM Commentary
And the benefit of plane flights is that one gets to do lots of writing. I've already written the intro to Session 27, sent David my thoughts on what Ethan will do next (to help him prepare for the next session) and also given some thought as to how Ethan would prepare for a really long walk on the Grand Stair.
eg: Ethan's list for a long walk includes some decent hiking boots, waterproof clothing and a sleeping bag. He also always wears a woollen jumper when travelling (has done so since Session 1). Also needs to carry a logbook (to keep track of time and distance) and a mechanical pedometer to measure distances when travelling on the stair. He would also carry a second mechanical watch (in case of failure of one), a thermos to carry a hot drink (tea), a solid fuel burner, a cigarette lighter, matches and a tinderbox, and probably some sweets. Jellybabies and Lifesavers came to mind - if it's good enough for Tom Baker, it's good enough for a Lord of Gossamer!
I'm thinking of hiking for 8-10 hours, find a Door to stop for food and a rest, then keep hiking for 6-8 hours, then find another Door to sleep for 6-8 hours; then repeat. Does circadian rhythm affect Lords of Gossamer? Perhaps - that's why I want to keep it linked to the 24 hour cycle which is aligned to Ethan's home realm.
Hope some of this is useful (and inspiring) to others out there!
eg: Ethan's list for a long walk includes some decent hiking boots, waterproof clothing and a sleeping bag. He also always wears a woollen jumper when travelling (has done so since Session 1). Also needs to carry a logbook (to keep track of time and distance) and a mechanical pedometer to measure distances when travelling on the stair. He would also carry a second mechanical watch (in case of failure of one), a thermos to carry a hot drink (tea), a solid fuel burner, a cigarette lighter, matches and a tinderbox, and probably some sweets. Jellybabies and Lifesavers came to mind - if it's good enough for Tom Baker, it's good enough for a Lord of Gossamer!
I'm thinking of hiking for 8-10 hours, find a Door to stop for food and a rest, then keep hiking for 6-8 hours, then find another Door to sleep for 6-8 hours; then repeat. Does circadian rhythm affect Lords of Gossamer? Perhaps - that's why I want to keep it linked to the 24 hour cycle which is aligned to Ethan's home realm.
Hope some of this is useful (and inspiring) to others out there!
EDIT: Crikey! I only just realised that Lurker37 and I have been running this game for over 7 months! I had no idea.
Session 26 - Returning Home
GM Observations
- Switching GMs from Bruce to David (Lurker37), this session is the beginning of Ethan’s search for Lucien. I’ve also included some additional information at the end of the session as to how we are now carving up the Grand Stair between us so that David has more material to work with.
Realm 18 - Arcadia (Green Door)
- The session begins with Ethan departing from Arcadia. After staying a few days, he has agreed to find Lucien, and the Arcadian elves have given him basic provisions (elven bread, fruit, nuts, water, a bow and arrows, suitable footwear for a long journey). He has also some personal items of Lucien’s that he may be able to use to find Lucien using a Warden’s Wayfinding power. Rather than leave via the Door that he used to access Arcadia, Ethan uses another Door within the City of Glass that Lucien used as a secret way into the citadel to visit the Queen. The Queen blesses Ethan as he leaves. (GM’s note – Ethan does not visit the site of the red meteor’s impact, so the problem that is brewing there goes unseen.
Grand Stairway Section 7 - Marble Halls
- Ethan finds himself in a new section of the Grand Stair. This section is marbled, with wide passages, vaulted ceilings and numerous columns supporting high arches. Here and there are gold-inlaid Doors. Ethan pauses, adjusts to his new surroundings and feels his way for Home. (GM’s note – All Wardens can find their way back to their home realm, and have a sense for how distant it is.) He feels that Home is relatively close. He takes out one of the Queen’s keepsakes and concentrates. There is a faint feeling, but it is far far away.
- Ethan decides to return Home before heading out to find Lucien. He hopes that heading in the direction of Home will take him closer to Lucien but he doesn’t know. Ethan has been away from Shadow Earth for over six months at this point and he is keen to go home to get some more music. This information did not come to light when Ethan told his story to Grant in Session 20, although he told Grant in Session 24 that had a surprise for him. When Ethan left Shadow Earth at the end of Session 12, Ethan took a Sony Walkman with him with a number of audio cassettes. (GM’s note – in 1985, Sony Walkmans were pretty common. The iPod of the age.) Of course many of those cassettes didn’t survive in Einland and his batteries ran out long ago, however when he reached Marindar he was able to play those “Hits from 1985” by jury-rigging the battered Walkman with some Marindan power cells. He is missing Earth music, and wants to go home to get some more. (GM’s note – that Walkman does not work on the Stair, or anywhere else but Marindar. Ethan has not spent any points on this. It’s just a mundane item.)
- So Ethan starts the long walk home.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- After three or four hours of walking, Ethan notes that his shadow has disappeared and there are a number of other bipedal shadows following him. He doesn’t sense any danger, nor any mental presence that he can communicate with. The shadows recoil when he ignites a lightsaber and lowers it closer to one of the shadows. They don’t seem to be threatening him so he carries on, but he is worried that they could follow him all the way back to his Home Realm. He resolves to keep an eye on them.
Grand Stairway Section 9 - Guarded Landing
- After many more hours, the corridor becomes a stair, leading down in a wide circle. The shadows are no longer following him, and he can sense something ahead. Something different. Something alien. Ethan has never met anything on the Stair, but remembers from the Harold Crees Diaries (GM’s note – see Session 11) that there are things on the Stair that could threaten a Lord. Ethan decides to avoid whatever lies further down the Stair and he backtracks.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- Backtracking to the nearest junction takes him more than an hour. He finds the shadows waiting for him, hiding. Clearly they are afraid of whatever Ethan was about to meet. Ethan takes the side passage and again uses Wayfinding to find an alternative route. For hours his Wayfinding ability tells him that the fastest way is to go back the way he came, but he carries on until he managed to find an alternative. He comes to a Stone Door, and then sits down to rest and eat before proceeding on. He no idea what is on the other side of the Door.
Realm 20 - Frigia (Stone Door)
- Ethan pushes open the Door slowly, and sees a dimly lit, icy cave. As he steps inside, he realises just how cold it is. Ethan is used to wearing a warm woollen jumper when exploring – he has lost more than one since first stepping onto the Grand Stair – but he always has one. It is bitterly cold inside the cave, and there is a low howling noise in the distance. Ethan looks around in the cave and finds that it opens out onto the side of an ice-capped mountain, and there is a blizzard raging. He can sense the presence of another Door, close by, but realises that he is ill equipped to find it in the snow.
- Looking around in the cave, Ethan examines one of the rocks on the floor, and tries to melt it with his lightsaber. It melts the rock but doesn’t produce heat of itself. Ethan gives up, and decides to return to the Stair.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- Ethan heads back to confront the alien presence, but also uses Wayfinding to find warmer clothes should he need to retreat and find another route. He finds a suitable Door and remembers it, just in case.
Grand Stairway Section 9 - Guarded Landing
- Ethan heads down once more. As he gets closer to the alien presence, he feels that it is not moving. He can hear sounds in the distance, like that of small bells, but it creates a discordant noise rather than a melody. At last he arrives at a landing with two doors and he can see the creature. He is not sure if it is one creature or many, but it appears as a swarm of tiny glass orbs (like oversized marbles). Ethan decides that it is guarding one or possibly both of the Doors.
- Keeping his lightsaber on stand-by, Ethan steps out and greets the Guardian. The swarm spins but does not approach. Ethan asks “May I pass?” but there is no response that Ethan can understand. Ethan asks “Are you a Servant or a Master?” but again the Guardian does not respond. So Ethan explains that he wishes to pass, and he is not interested in the Doors that the Guardian is protecting. The Guardian still says nothing. As Ethan approaches, the Guardian gets more agitated. It starts emanating bright light, and Ethan realises that it is reacting to his shadow. Ethan backs away and tries to get slowly past it. The Guardian lets him pass. Ethan thanks the Guardian and then puts down his backpack, looks hurriedly through it for a pencil and paper, and then leaves the Guardian a friendly note that he may pass on to his Master. Ethan is not sure of the etiquette in such situations but decides that it can’t hurt.
Grand Stairway Section 2 – Further Afield
- Ethan carries on for another five hours before he reaches familiar sections of the Grand Stair, where the décor is 1600s and the light sources are oil lamps that burn despite the lack of any obvious source of fuel. Ethan remembers Versais (GM’s note – Realm 10) as being close-by, so rather than press on, he decides to find the Blue Door.
Realm 10 - Versais (Blue Door)
The Fête and a Friendly Duel
- Ethan arrives back in the chalet, and leaves via one of the glass doors that lead out into the gardens. He makes his way into town, hoping to be made welcome at the wayfarers’ inn that he and Grant frequented when they were only just starting out. However, he doesn’t get that far. The village is celebrating with a fête, and much to his surprise, Ethan is welcomed into the community. He is offered bread and wine, apples and pears. As he relaxes with a plate of food, he bumps into an old friend, Henri and his girlfriend Marie. Henri is shocked at how thin Ethan is and encourages him to eat heartily, speaking to some of the locals to add food to Ethan’s plate. (GM’s note – Bad Stuff doesn’t mean that Ethan is unlucky all of the time) Ethan ends up having a really good time, dancing with the locals and joining in some of the festival games. Henri makes sure that Ethan makes it safely to the wayfarers’ inn where they met previously, and insists upon a friendly duel the next day. Henri remembers how good Ethan is with the blade, but says that he has been studying under a master and hopes that he will be able to be able to defeat him. Ethan laughs and asks what the wager is, and Marie offers a kiss to the winner.
- The next day the two friends duel on the riverbank. Ethan draws it out significantly so that Henri is not bested easily in front of his girl, but of course Ethan wins. Henri takes the loss in good humour, and Marie presents Ethan with a kiss. The three friends go back to the wayfarers’ inn to enjoy a meal together. Ethan asks about what has happened in his absence and Henri tells him that their friends Cadmar and Danain have left the area in search of adventure (and expensive patronage). There is no war to be fought, but there are plenty of nobles who would wish their lands to be greater – Henri mentions some names of those who would value a skilled swordsman such as Ethan. Ethan listens.
An Awkward Conversation
- Over the next few days, Henri asks Ethan to practice with him, and they spar together off and on. Ethan rarely seems to get tired (GM’s note – he has Dominant rank Endurance!) and this seems very odd to Marie. On the last evening, Henri gets ferociously drunk and passes out, giving Marie the chance to talk further with Ethan. To Ethan’s surprise, there is much more to her than what he remembered almost a year ago when she was little more than a sixteen-year old serving girl at the inn. She has a sharp mind and is a quick study. She asks a lot of questions about where Ethan has come from, and where he has been, and decides that Ethan is not telling the whole truth. He speaks the native language with the local accent, but he is not a local. (GM’s note - a savvy local should be able to pick up that a Warden’s Exegesis is mimicking the local accent, but that the Warden is himself not a local. She believes he comes from across the sea and has travelled across the sea recently, but that he is not a sailor. She studies his hands and asks more questions. Ethan confesses that he has been a labourer (GM’s note – he built his own house using stone blocks in Einland) but again Marie challenges him as his hands do not show signs of heavy manual labour. Ethan laughs and tells her that it is the truth, which intrigues her even further. She asks if Ethan will be leaving soon, and he confesses that he will. Marie says that Henri would follow him if he asked, and that gives Ethan pause. With the inert form of Henri lying on one of the wooden benches, Marie embraces Ethan and she asks if she can come with him. (GM’s note – could this be Ethan’s Bad Stuff finally kicking in?) Ethan says that she doesn’t know where he is going, and Marie laughs that off, saying that few men do. She asks what brought Ethan back to Versais - she doubts it was by accident. So Ethan tells her that he is searching for a man who was once the lover of the Queen of Arcadia. He says that the Queen wants to see Lucien again, but he has disappeared. Ethan says that he stopped in Versais to see old friends, not because he expected the missing man to be found here. Marie asks what happens Ethan finds the Queen’s lover but he does not want to come. Ethan says that he thinks that Lucien is being held against his will.
- At that, Marie kisses him and says that if true, it is a wonderful story - romance, a royal mission and a daring rescue. Ethan admits that he hadn’t thought of it that way. She asks more about the Arcadian court and of Ethan’s travels, and Ethan shares freely while Henri snores.
- Marie and Ethan end up talking on a padded sofa in the parlour until dawn. Even when Henri wakes during the night, he simply picks himself up, bids the two of them good night and heads upstairs. Henri makes no mention that Ethan has his arm around Marie, and Ethan observes on his departure that Henri is a good man. She agrees, but asks Ethan not to spoil things. She encourages Ethan to tell more of his stories, and he does.
- With the first cries from the neighbourhood rooster, the pair get up and Marie thanks Ethan for a pleasant evening. She muses that one day she would like to be on a journey like his. As Marie leaves, Ethan is left even more confused. He has never before considered a companion on his travels, but is unsure as to what would be best for her and for Henri.
Departure
- Ethan goes for a walk to clear his head, but it doesn’t really help. So he rests on the riverbank and ends up finally nodding off. He doesn’t sleep long though - the whinny of a horse is enough to wake him, so he heads back to the inn for breakfast. He plonks down a silver coin to cover the cost of the meal and lodgings, and waits for some time for Marie and Henri to come down. After waiting for some time, he gives up and decides to leave without saying goodbye. (GM’s note - this could be interpreted as Ethan ‘chickening out’)
- It takes Ethan about an hour to trek back to the chalet and get back into the ballroom with the Door. He isn’t stopped but there are more people around than when he arrived and he takes his time to avoid bumping into them.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Realm
- Back on the Grand Stair, Ethan heads home. He feels relieved when he reaches the cluster of Doors that means that he has almost arrived, but pauses to check the hair traps that he positioned on each of the nearby Doors. To his surprise, someone has accessed the Red Door leading to the Middle Kingdom, and the Grey Door leading to Middle Earth. He decides not to investigate but once more takes out the Queen’s keepsakes and attempts to feel for Lucien’s presence. It feels as distant as before, and Ethan is slightly disappointed. He opens the Door back to his home realm.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1986 (Brown Door)
Returning to Westgate
- Stepping back into Westgate for the first time in over six months, he finds that the ravens and cats have rearranged the interior to better accommodate them. New roosts have been erected and temporary roosts created by opening doors to rooms and wardrobes. Furniture has been moved and makeshift pulleys set up to make it easier to turn the doorknobs. “I’m back,” Ethan says and the ravens and cats scramble to clean up the place. When it becomes evident that this will take time and there is no bed available for him to sleep in, Ethan decides to head to the nearby town of Fiveways, which is about a 3 mile walk.
The Tipsy Elephant and the Clock Tower
- It’s early afternoon when Ethan arrives at the Tipsy Elephant for a pint, a burger and chips. He attracts little attention, so picks up the newspaper to read up on current events and puts £2 in the jukebox to listen to the latest hits. It is May 19th, 1986. Most of what is in the newspaper is uninteresting, but he does pick up that there has been a nuclear disaster in the Ukraine (a reference to Chernobyl) and there is concern about contamination across Europe and even the UK. There is also reference made to the destruction of one of the Space Shuttles which exploded shortly after takeoff. Meanwhile, Ethan listens to The Communards, Madonna, Kim Wilde, the Eurythmics, Bananarama and the Pet Shop Boys on the jukebox, sits back and enjoys his pint. The only time he raises his eyebrows is when Samantha Fox starts singing “Touch Me”. When Ethan was last in his home realm, she was a Page 3 girl, not a rockstar. It’s a funny world, Ethan muses.
- As Ethan orders his third pint, Ethan hears the chime of a clock tower. It is two o’clock. Ethan frowns and asks the proprietor, George, about it. Ethan doesn’t remember Fiveways having a clock tower but George seems to think that it has always been there. Ethan lets it slide, but on his way home he notes that there is a large old-style clock tower in the middle of the town which wasn’t there before. Ethan can feel it ticking. He picks up milk, bread, fruit and vegetables from the local shops and then walks home.
Socrates
- In Ethan’s absence the ravens and cats have done their best to clear corridors and make a room available for him. Ethan puts away the shopping, has a shower and changes. Then he asks to speak to Socrates, the old raven, about the clock tower and what has changed.
- Socrates tells Ethan that the Clock Tower has been in Fiveways before, disappeared before but is now back. Socrates appears confused, but advises Ethan that they are safe within the wards. Ethan realises that he can no longer feel the ticking of the clock from inside the house, but the Westgate wards are pulsing brightly with every tick of the clock. Socrates theorised that the wards now recognise both breeds, ravens and cats, as being ‘owners’ of the house as the wards seemed to be stronger when they were inside.
- Socrates also speaks of the Servants that turned some of his brethren into eggs and says that they now move much faster now. Whereas they used to have hours of warning, now they only have minutes. The Servants are still invisible but the ravens and cats can smell and hear them coming and will flee inside the house for protection if they sense the presence of a Servant. The house itself had been attacked frequently but the magics are strong and have kept them safe thus far. Socrates notes that the attacks often come when the weather is bad - either windy or raining. Ethan then speculates that the Servants could use the sound of the rain or wind to muffle both smell and sound - a perfect cover for an attack.
- Ethan thinks for a bit and then decides to sleep on it before taking further action.
..........
GM’s Observations - Grand Stair Carve Up
- Back in Session 1, David (Lurker37)was running all events on Shadow Earth (the home realm) and I was running everything outside of that. This has created the situation where I’m doing the bulk of the GMing and that was never the intent. I enjoy GMing but the game has gone past the limited-story-arc that ended in Session 8. It was time to redraw the boundaries.
- David knows that I have plots in motion with Marindar, so I made the following suggestions to him as to what he could take over. Of course I don’t know which ones he has decided to take, but hopefully it gives some ideas to other groups with multiple GMs as to how boundaries can be drawn as to who controls what.
I then thought of two more characters that he may want to use, particularly close to the near Earth realms:
- Switching GMs from Bruce to David (Lurker37), this session is the beginning of Ethan’s search for Lucien. I’ve also included some additional information at the end of the session as to how we are now carving up the Grand Stair between us so that David has more material to work with.
Realm 18 - Arcadia (Green Door)
- The session begins with Ethan departing from Arcadia. After staying a few days, he has agreed to find Lucien, and the Arcadian elves have given him basic provisions (elven bread, fruit, nuts, water, a bow and arrows, suitable footwear for a long journey). He has also some personal items of Lucien’s that he may be able to use to find Lucien using a Warden’s Wayfinding power. Rather than leave via the Door that he used to access Arcadia, Ethan uses another Door within the City of Glass that Lucien used as a secret way into the citadel to visit the Queen. The Queen blesses Ethan as he leaves. (GM’s note – Ethan does not visit the site of the red meteor’s impact, so the problem that is brewing there goes unseen.
Grand Stairway Section 7 - Marble Halls
- Ethan finds himself in a new section of the Grand Stair. This section is marbled, with wide passages, vaulted ceilings and numerous columns supporting high arches. Here and there are gold-inlaid Doors. Ethan pauses, adjusts to his new surroundings and feels his way for Home. (GM’s note – All Wardens can find their way back to their home realm, and have a sense for how distant it is.) He feels that Home is relatively close. He takes out one of the Queen’s keepsakes and concentrates. There is a faint feeling, but it is far far away.
- Ethan decides to return Home before heading out to find Lucien. He hopes that heading in the direction of Home will take him closer to Lucien but he doesn’t know. Ethan has been away from Shadow Earth for over six months at this point and he is keen to go home to get some more music. This information did not come to light when Ethan told his story to Grant in Session 20, although he told Grant in Session 24 that had a surprise for him. When Ethan left Shadow Earth at the end of Session 12, Ethan took a Sony Walkman with him with a number of audio cassettes. (GM’s note – in 1985, Sony Walkmans were pretty common. The iPod of the age.) Of course many of those cassettes didn’t survive in Einland and his batteries ran out long ago, however when he reached Marindar he was able to play those “Hits from 1985” by jury-rigging the battered Walkman with some Marindan power cells. He is missing Earth music, and wants to go home to get some more. (GM’s note – that Walkman does not work on the Stair, or anywhere else but Marindar. Ethan has not spent any points on this. It’s just a mundane item.)
- So Ethan starts the long walk home.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- After three or four hours of walking, Ethan notes that his shadow has disappeared and there are a number of other bipedal shadows following him. He doesn’t sense any danger, nor any mental presence that he can communicate with. The shadows recoil when he ignites a lightsaber and lowers it closer to one of the shadows. They don’t seem to be threatening him so he carries on, but he is worried that they could follow him all the way back to his Home Realm. He resolves to keep an eye on them.
Grand Stairway Section 9 - Guarded Landing
- After many more hours, the corridor becomes a stair, leading down in a wide circle. The shadows are no longer following him, and he can sense something ahead. Something different. Something alien. Ethan has never met anything on the Stair, but remembers from the Harold Crees Diaries (GM’s note – see Session 11) that there are things on the Stair that could threaten a Lord. Ethan decides to avoid whatever lies further down the Stair and he backtracks.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- Backtracking to the nearest junction takes him more than an hour. He finds the shadows waiting for him, hiding. Clearly they are afraid of whatever Ethan was about to meet. Ethan takes the side passage and again uses Wayfinding to find an alternative route. For hours his Wayfinding ability tells him that the fastest way is to go back the way he came, but he carries on until he managed to find an alternative. He comes to a Stone Door, and then sits down to rest and eat before proceeding on. He no idea what is on the other side of the Door.
Realm 20 - Frigia (Stone Door)
- Ethan pushes open the Door slowly, and sees a dimly lit, icy cave. As he steps inside, he realises just how cold it is. Ethan is used to wearing a warm woollen jumper when exploring – he has lost more than one since first stepping onto the Grand Stair – but he always has one. It is bitterly cold inside the cave, and there is a low howling noise in the distance. Ethan looks around in the cave and finds that it opens out onto the side of an ice-capped mountain, and there is a blizzard raging. He can sense the presence of another Door, close by, but realises that he is ill equipped to find it in the snow.
- Looking around in the cave, Ethan examines one of the rocks on the floor, and tries to melt it with his lightsaber. It melts the rock but doesn’t produce heat of itself. Ethan gives up, and decides to return to the Stair.
Grand Stairway Section 8 - The Shadowed Passages
- Ethan heads back to confront the alien presence, but also uses Wayfinding to find warmer clothes should he need to retreat and find another route. He finds a suitable Door and remembers it, just in case.
Grand Stairway Section 9 - Guarded Landing
- Ethan heads down once more. As he gets closer to the alien presence, he feels that it is not moving. He can hear sounds in the distance, like that of small bells, but it creates a discordant noise rather than a melody. At last he arrives at a landing with two doors and he can see the creature. He is not sure if it is one creature or many, but it appears as a swarm of tiny glass orbs (like oversized marbles). Ethan decides that it is guarding one or possibly both of the Doors.
- Keeping his lightsaber on stand-by, Ethan steps out and greets the Guardian. The swarm spins but does not approach. Ethan asks “May I pass?” but there is no response that Ethan can understand. Ethan asks “Are you a Servant or a Master?” but again the Guardian does not respond. So Ethan explains that he wishes to pass, and he is not interested in the Doors that the Guardian is protecting. The Guardian still says nothing. As Ethan approaches, the Guardian gets more agitated. It starts emanating bright light, and Ethan realises that it is reacting to his shadow. Ethan backs away and tries to get slowly past it. The Guardian lets him pass. Ethan thanks the Guardian and then puts down his backpack, looks hurriedly through it for a pencil and paper, and then leaves the Guardian a friendly note that he may pass on to his Master. Ethan is not sure of the etiquette in such situations but decides that it can’t hurt.
Grand Stairway Section 2 – Further Afield
- Ethan carries on for another five hours before he reaches familiar sections of the Grand Stair, where the décor is 1600s and the light sources are oil lamps that burn despite the lack of any obvious source of fuel. Ethan remembers Versais (GM’s note – Realm 10) as being close-by, so rather than press on, he decides to find the Blue Door.
Realm 10 - Versais (Blue Door)
The Fête and a Friendly Duel
- Ethan arrives back in the chalet, and leaves via one of the glass doors that lead out into the gardens. He makes his way into town, hoping to be made welcome at the wayfarers’ inn that he and Grant frequented when they were only just starting out. However, he doesn’t get that far. The village is celebrating with a fête, and much to his surprise, Ethan is welcomed into the community. He is offered bread and wine, apples and pears. As he relaxes with a plate of food, he bumps into an old friend, Henri and his girlfriend Marie. Henri is shocked at how thin Ethan is and encourages him to eat heartily, speaking to some of the locals to add food to Ethan’s plate. (GM’s note – Bad Stuff doesn’t mean that Ethan is unlucky all of the time) Ethan ends up having a really good time, dancing with the locals and joining in some of the festival games. Henri makes sure that Ethan makes it safely to the wayfarers’ inn where they met previously, and insists upon a friendly duel the next day. Henri remembers how good Ethan is with the blade, but says that he has been studying under a master and hopes that he will be able to be able to defeat him. Ethan laughs and asks what the wager is, and Marie offers a kiss to the winner.
- The next day the two friends duel on the riverbank. Ethan draws it out significantly so that Henri is not bested easily in front of his girl, but of course Ethan wins. Henri takes the loss in good humour, and Marie presents Ethan with a kiss. The three friends go back to the wayfarers’ inn to enjoy a meal together. Ethan asks about what has happened in his absence and Henri tells him that their friends Cadmar and Danain have left the area in search of adventure (and expensive patronage). There is no war to be fought, but there are plenty of nobles who would wish their lands to be greater – Henri mentions some names of those who would value a skilled swordsman such as Ethan. Ethan listens.
An Awkward Conversation
- Over the next few days, Henri asks Ethan to practice with him, and they spar together off and on. Ethan rarely seems to get tired (GM’s note – he has Dominant rank Endurance!) and this seems very odd to Marie. On the last evening, Henri gets ferociously drunk and passes out, giving Marie the chance to talk further with Ethan. To Ethan’s surprise, there is much more to her than what he remembered almost a year ago when she was little more than a sixteen-year old serving girl at the inn. She has a sharp mind and is a quick study. She asks a lot of questions about where Ethan has come from, and where he has been, and decides that Ethan is not telling the whole truth. He speaks the native language with the local accent, but he is not a local. (GM’s note - a savvy local should be able to pick up that a Warden’s Exegesis is mimicking the local accent, but that the Warden is himself not a local. She believes he comes from across the sea and has travelled across the sea recently, but that he is not a sailor. She studies his hands and asks more questions. Ethan confesses that he has been a labourer (GM’s note – he built his own house using stone blocks in Einland) but again Marie challenges him as his hands do not show signs of heavy manual labour. Ethan laughs and tells her that it is the truth, which intrigues her even further. She asks if Ethan will be leaving soon, and he confesses that he will. Marie says that Henri would follow him if he asked, and that gives Ethan pause. With the inert form of Henri lying on one of the wooden benches, Marie embraces Ethan and she asks if she can come with him. (GM’s note – could this be Ethan’s Bad Stuff finally kicking in?) Ethan says that she doesn’t know where he is going, and Marie laughs that off, saying that few men do. She asks what brought Ethan back to Versais - she doubts it was by accident. So Ethan tells her that he is searching for a man who was once the lover of the Queen of Arcadia. He says that the Queen wants to see Lucien again, but he has disappeared. Ethan says that he stopped in Versais to see old friends, not because he expected the missing man to be found here. Marie asks what happens Ethan finds the Queen’s lover but he does not want to come. Ethan says that he thinks that Lucien is being held against his will.
- At that, Marie kisses him and says that if true, it is a wonderful story - romance, a royal mission and a daring rescue. Ethan admits that he hadn’t thought of it that way. She asks more about the Arcadian court and of Ethan’s travels, and Ethan shares freely while Henri snores.
- Marie and Ethan end up talking on a padded sofa in the parlour until dawn. Even when Henri wakes during the night, he simply picks himself up, bids the two of them good night and heads upstairs. Henri makes no mention that Ethan has his arm around Marie, and Ethan observes on his departure that Henri is a good man. She agrees, but asks Ethan not to spoil things. She encourages Ethan to tell more of his stories, and he does.
- With the first cries from the neighbourhood rooster, the pair get up and Marie thanks Ethan for a pleasant evening. She muses that one day she would like to be on a journey like his. As Marie leaves, Ethan is left even more confused. He has never before considered a companion on his travels, but is unsure as to what would be best for her and for Henri.
Departure
- Ethan goes for a walk to clear his head, but it doesn’t really help. So he rests on the riverbank and ends up finally nodding off. He doesn’t sleep long though - the whinny of a horse is enough to wake him, so he heads back to the inn for breakfast. He plonks down a silver coin to cover the cost of the meal and lodgings, and waits for some time for Marie and Henri to come down. After waiting for some time, he gives up and decides to leave without saying goodbye. (GM’s note - this could be interpreted as Ethan ‘chickening out’)
- It takes Ethan about an hour to trek back to the chalet and get back into the ballroom with the Door. He isn’t stopped but there are more people around than when he arrived and he takes his time to avoid bumping into them.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Realm
- Back on the Grand Stair, Ethan heads home. He feels relieved when he reaches the cluster of Doors that means that he has almost arrived, but pauses to check the hair traps that he positioned on each of the nearby Doors. To his surprise, someone has accessed the Red Door leading to the Middle Kingdom, and the Grey Door leading to Middle Earth. He decides not to investigate but once more takes out the Queen’s keepsakes and attempts to feel for Lucien’s presence. It feels as distant as before, and Ethan is slightly disappointed. He opens the Door back to his home realm.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1986 (Brown Door)
Returning to Westgate
- Stepping back into Westgate for the first time in over six months, he finds that the ravens and cats have rearranged the interior to better accommodate them. New roosts have been erected and temporary roosts created by opening doors to rooms and wardrobes. Furniture has been moved and makeshift pulleys set up to make it easier to turn the doorknobs. “I’m back,” Ethan says and the ravens and cats scramble to clean up the place. When it becomes evident that this will take time and there is no bed available for him to sleep in, Ethan decides to head to the nearby town of Fiveways, which is about a 3 mile walk.
The Tipsy Elephant and the Clock Tower
- It’s early afternoon when Ethan arrives at the Tipsy Elephant for a pint, a burger and chips. He attracts little attention, so picks up the newspaper to read up on current events and puts £2 in the jukebox to listen to the latest hits. It is May 19th, 1986. Most of what is in the newspaper is uninteresting, but he does pick up that there has been a nuclear disaster in the Ukraine (a reference to Chernobyl) and there is concern about contamination across Europe and even the UK. There is also reference made to the destruction of one of the Space Shuttles which exploded shortly after takeoff. Meanwhile, Ethan listens to The Communards, Madonna, Kim Wilde, the Eurythmics, Bananarama and the Pet Shop Boys on the jukebox, sits back and enjoys his pint. The only time he raises his eyebrows is when Samantha Fox starts singing “Touch Me”. When Ethan was last in his home realm, she was a Page 3 girl, not a rockstar. It’s a funny world, Ethan muses.
- As Ethan orders his third pint, Ethan hears the chime of a clock tower. It is two o’clock. Ethan frowns and asks the proprietor, George, about it. Ethan doesn’t remember Fiveways having a clock tower but George seems to think that it has always been there. Ethan lets it slide, but on his way home he notes that there is a large old-style clock tower in the middle of the town which wasn’t there before. Ethan can feel it ticking. He picks up milk, bread, fruit and vegetables from the local shops and then walks home.
Socrates
- In Ethan’s absence the ravens and cats have done their best to clear corridors and make a room available for him. Ethan puts away the shopping, has a shower and changes. Then he asks to speak to Socrates, the old raven, about the clock tower and what has changed.
- Socrates tells Ethan that the Clock Tower has been in Fiveways before, disappeared before but is now back. Socrates appears confused, but advises Ethan that they are safe within the wards. Ethan realises that he can no longer feel the ticking of the clock from inside the house, but the Westgate wards are pulsing brightly with every tick of the clock. Socrates theorised that the wards now recognise both breeds, ravens and cats, as being ‘owners’ of the house as the wards seemed to be stronger when they were inside.
- Socrates also speaks of the Servants that turned some of his brethren into eggs and says that they now move much faster now. Whereas they used to have hours of warning, now they only have minutes. The Servants are still invisible but the ravens and cats can smell and hear them coming and will flee inside the house for protection if they sense the presence of a Servant. The house itself had been attacked frequently but the magics are strong and have kept them safe thus far. Socrates notes that the attacks often come when the weather is bad - either windy or raining. Ethan then speculates that the Servants could use the sound of the rain or wind to muffle both smell and sound - a perfect cover for an attack.
- Ethan thinks for a bit and then decides to sleep on it before taking further action.
..........
GM’s Observations - Grand Stair Carve Up
- Back in Session 1, David (Lurker37)was running all events on Shadow Earth (the home realm) and I was running everything outside of that. This has created the situation where I’m doing the bulk of the GMing and that was never the intent. I enjoy GMing but the game has gone past the limited-story-arc that ended in Session 8. It was time to redraw the boundaries.
- David knows that I have plots in motion with Marindar, so I made the following suggestions to him as to what he could take over. Of course I don’t know which ones he has decided to take, but hopefully it gives some ideas to other groups with multiple GMs as to how boundaries can be drawn as to who controls what.
I then thought of two more characters that he may want to use, particularly close to the near Earth realms:
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