Session 42 - Lucien’s Compass

GM Observations - Part 1
- This session was the end of the story arc for Ethan to find/assemble Lucien’s Compass, and leads into the next story arc. Lots of fights, and a variety of action. More at the end of this post…..

Realm 40 - Orlano (Brown Door)
Part 1 - Temporary Withdrawal
- Ethan carefully surveys the thugs that followed them into the tavern - Ichabod has left them with a bag of gold coins and they are both drunk and distracted. Ethan and Eigen quietly leave their table and slip out of the tavern. Eigen is astonished that they managed to avoid a fight. In the cool of the afternoon as they walk back to the Golden Crescent, Ethan casually asks Eigen if the festival will continue that evening. Eigen confirms that the celebrations will continue for another two more days.
- Only about two hours have passed since Ethan sent Yolanda, Stefan and Isabelle through to Marindar via Icon and Ethan does not feel like contacting Grant again so soon. He asks Eigen if he will return to his own residence but Eigen says that Ichabod badly damaged it, so he plans to lodge at the Golden Crescent until he can make repairs. Ethan politely excuses himself and says that he’ll return in a day or so. Eigen bids Ethan farewell.
- Ethan makes his way back to the Door. He suspects a possible ambush but decides that it is better to make a run for it - the only other alternative would be to contact Grant and return to Marindar himself - but he has travelled a long way from there. At the entrance to the alleyway, Gorgorin begins shaking on his hip. Ethan grips the hilt firmly and makes sure that his shield is securely fastened to his back. Then he bolts for the Door, even as some of the cobblestones explode. He isn’t sure whether he is under fire or whether the stones are booby traps - he doesn’t stop to find out. Ethan flings open the Door and dives through. The Door shuts immediately behind him and Ethan feels a detonation on the other side even as he mentally bars the Door.
- Ethan wastes no time and heads away from the Orlano Door. As he walks he searches for a nearby (but not immediately proximate) safe haven where he can rest. He ignores the Wayfinding pull to return to Orlano and instead begins climbing the Stair. After about ten minutes he settles upon a worn wooden Door that feels right.

Realm 41 - Cassia (Brown Door)
Part 2 - Temporary Reprieve
- Ethan steps out of a barn. It is a warm spring day and there is a nearby stone farmhouse with a slate roof. There is a slight breeze which makes the fields sway. Ethan isn’t sure if it is corn or wheat. He hears laughter nearby. 
- Strangely, Ethan feels remarkably good here. Gorgorin is silent and he realises that the blade has been dragging upon him. In this realm, magic including Eidolon-based and Umbra-based sorceries seem to be weak. 
- Ethan heads around the side of the house, calling so as not to frighten anyway. He meets three small children who are playing a variation of hopscotch with three circles. Their clothes are home-made fabric smocks and there is no sign of any mechanisation on the farm. The children speak English and Ethan is introduced as a ‘Venturer’ to their mother, Tandra. She does not appear surprised to see him, and the children quickly confirm that he came ‘from the barn’ even though it was locked. Ethan realises that there is a possibility that Lucien has used this place before as a sanctuary. He offers some coins to Tandra who accepts them. She offers him a guest room with a large feather mattress which Ethan gratefully accepts.
- Ethan puts Gorgorin away and sleeps soundly. The next morning he refrains from contacting Grant and spends the day resting. It is only on the morning of the second day that he decides to head back to Orlano. 

Realm 40 - Orlano (Brown Door)
Part 3 - Ambush
- Expecting trouble, Ethan opens the Door. With the dragon shield in front of him and his sorcerous defences up, Ethan steps into the alley. Almost immediately there is the sound of a crossbow bolt being loosed and it shatters upon Ethan’s shield. Ethan spots the sniper on a rooftop above, and the sniper withdraws. 
- Rather than chasing his assailant, Ethan uses Eidolon-sight to ‘sense’ for others. He finds two more waiting for him just outside the alleyway - if he had charged blindly after his first assailant he would run straight into the other two. Steeling himself, Ethan draws Gorgorin and heads into battle. 
- The two warriors draw steel as soon as they see Ethan. Both look human, but they are very strong - much stronger than a normal person and very highly skilled. Ethan underestimates their skill and takes a few wounds before he is finally able to slay one with Gorgorin and then the other. The bodies themselves disintegrate upon contact with Gorgorin, leaving only a scattering of black blood and grey ash on the paving stones.
- Using ‘the Force’ once more, Ethan tries to locate his original assailant and to his surprise is able to do so. However, he realises that to pursue his opponent would probably end up with him charging into the streets with sword drawn which would attract the attention of the city guard. He decides to head back to the Golden Crescent with all due haste.

Part 4 - Yolanda and Stefan
- To his utter surprise, both Yolanda and Stefan greet him when he arrives at the back door of the tavern. Ethan didn’t expect them to be back given that they were supposed to be in Marindar being looked after by Grant. Before he can ask further how they got here, their forms start melting and Ethan is hit by a Power Word (GM’s note - Ethan has only once been on the receiving end of these before) which dazzles him. He quickly draws Gorgorin and then sees that one of the creatures (which has grown Dwimmerlaik-like horns) is summoning up a ball of black tentacled energy. The other carries a sword in one hand and carries a coiled, barbed weapon in the other.
- Ethan goes on the offence and hacks into the nearest morphing Dwimmerlaik. The space at the back of the house is cramped, barely enough space for the three of them to fight at all, let alone get a decent blow in. The Dwimmerlaik sorcerer continues to summon energies whilst Ethan engages the other one in close combat, trying to keep the other Dwimmerlaik between him and the sorcerer. Ethan’s opponent is too skilled for a quick victory, and in the Enemy’s hand the weapon is now uncoiled with each fingertip sprouting razor-sharp but barbed metal tendrils. Ethan blocks a blow with his dragon-shield and then unleashes a Force Push (GM’s note - Cantrip on steroids) which hurls his adversary straight into the mass of chaos energy. The warrior screams and the sorcerer loses control of his summoning, blasting all three of them in opposite directions. 
- Ethan is up first and he leaps upon the warrior, cutting him down with Gorgorin (as he does so, he notes that much of the warrior’s back has been blasted asunder from contact with the summoned chaos storm which the sorcerer was building). Ethan whirls and notes the sorcerer getting hurriedly to his feet. At that moment, Ethan unleashes an even stronger Force Push, putting the full weight of Sorcery and his formidable Psyche behind it. To Ethan’s surprise, the Dwimmerlaik goes clean through the solid-wood ceiling to the upper level with an almighty crash.
- Frowning, Ethan climbs the stairs to the upper floor but the Dwimmerlaik is gone. He shuts his eyes, calms himself and ‘feels’ for his Enemy. He also heals his wounds using Eidolon and reinforces his body, expecting further combat. The Dwimmerlaik is back downstairs, and Ethan can hear him. There is a strange clicking sound and Ethan knows that the Dwimmerlaik is transforming into some sort of battle form. Suddenly Ethan doesn’t feel so brave, and he considers bailing. He doesn’t know how many assassins remain, and if he defeated one group then this group must surely be more experienced and better prepared. Before he can reach for his Icon, Ethan hears a muffled cry from one of the bedrooms. It is Eigen - bound and gagged. Ethan finds his courage and waits on the upper floor for the monster to reach him. He can tell that it is big with many legs. 
- Breathing deeply to calm himself, Ethan waits until it is on the stair and then he brings down a full strength telekinetic blow onto the staircase. There is a tremendous crash as the stair is sundered. Ethan wastes no time and leaps down to strike at the creature while it is stunned. The Dwimmerlaik is in the form of a huge black centipede, but its many legs are like that of a spider and it has more body parts than a creature of this kind should. Each leg ends with blades and its mouth is fanged. Flipped onto its belly by the fall, Ethan cleaves into it once, twice and then it is suddenly still. The body disintegrates into dust, leaving only green venom behind on the shattered steps.

Part 5 - Counterattack
- Ethan levitates back to the first floor, and goes to release Eigen. He is delirious and suffering from some sort of mutagen. Ethan realises that it will take time to heal Eigen. He also knows that there are other Dwimmerlaik present so he decides to remove Eigen to safety. Ethan contacts Grant via Icon. He notes that Grant’s image is wet, so he makes polite conversation (which is quite out of place considering the destruction around him) asking how Yolanda and Stefan are enjoying their vacation on Marindar. Grant has taken them to the beach - a beach with glorious sand. Ethan can tell that Grant is having a good time, and when Ethan asks if he’s looking after Isabelle, Grant gives him a response which makes Ethan wonder if Grant is enjoying Isabelle’s company a little too much. Ethan feels a touch of envy, but then asks what Marindan women wear on the beach. Grant laughs and tells him ‘not much’, which makes Ethan chuckle and wish he was also enjoying the sun and beach. His mind wanders back to the time she almost went skinny-dipping and he persuaded her not to. Ethan snaps himself out of the polite conversation and asks Grant to look after Eigen. Grant agrees to this, Ethan leads Eigen through and then cuts the connection. Shelving thoughts of Isabelle, Ethan decides to go on the offensive and he blasts a hole in the ceiling (through the roof), much to the shock of a large black bird on the roof. Ethan races up into the sky to get a better view of the town.
- Using his Eidolon senses, Ethan looks for any remaining traces of Umbra and is surprised to find that the departing crow is actually a Dwimmerlaik. Ethan does a ‘Superman’ and charges after the bird. It is a short flight, and the bird dives down the chimney of a house in the poor quarter. Ethan lands on the street to the surprise of the locals, and then kicks the door of the house in. He’s confronted by an elderly lady and a roomful of cats who look very surprised to see him. “I’ll pay for that,” Ethan remarks as he scans the room. At last he spots a black cat and Ethan says “I want to buy that cat.” The cats suddenly hiss and leap at him. The old lady faints. Ethan throws them off with a Force Push, scattering them all. The cat shifts suddenly into a slender Dwimmerlaik with a silvery rapier, whilst another cat grows to enormous size and his fangs grow long enough to be considered a sabre tooth. Before Ethan can even attempt to negotiate, the Dwimmerlaik leaps at him. The bastard is exceptionally fast, and Ethan doesn’t get his shield up in time. Cut by the first blow, Ethan backs off but is conscious of the giant kitty-cat behind him looking for an opening. Turning his attention momentarily to the giant cat, Ethan commands it to “Sleep Now” (GM’s note - again using a Power Word). The cat immediately falls to the ground, fast asleep. As Ethan turns back to face the Dwimmerlaik, he is hit from behind and sliced across the back. The Dwimmerlaik sneers and begins fencing with Ethan, scoring another few blows. Ethan goes on the defensive and manages to match his opponent’s speed, and prevent him from leaving.
- An hour later the battle is still going. Ethan is trying to wear his opponent down. He has been cut a number of times but the Dwimmerlaik is getting tired. A second hour wears on, and Ethan puts on a brave face. He’s hurting, but his opponent is far worse. A little way into the third hour, at last Ethan seizes the Dwimmerlaik’s arm, wrenches the blade out of his hand and knocks him out cold.
- Confident that this is the last of his opponents (given that the duel had been going for over two hours), Ethan does a little dance. (GM’s note - he would have been singing Michael Jackson’s “Bad” but this was produced in 1987 and I think Ethan last left Shadow Earth (Realm 0) in late 1986 so maybe he was instead grooving to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen) Anyway, the grandmother is still out cold, and Ethan puts the big cat back to sleep as it starts to stir. With the Dwimmerlaik unconscious, the giant cat starts to diminish in size.

Part 6 - Ethan and Isabelle
- Ethan happily pulls out an Icon for Grant and contacts him. Grant is still wet from the beach, and Ethan asks about Eigen. Grant says that he has managed to control the Umbra-based venom that was running through his veins, but admits that the wolf-man is not particularly fond of the beach. Ethan asks if Grant would like to interrogate a Dwimmerlaik, and Grant enthusiastically agrees. Ethan proposes that he give Grant a chance to get off the beach but Grant convinces Ethan to hand across the Dwimmerlaik there and then. Then, almost on a whim, Ethan hands Grant his sword, Gorgorin. The sword purrs with delight as it leaves Ethan for Grant’s hands. Instantly, Ethan feels a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Grant thanks him and says that he’ll be in touch in a few hours when his guests are ready to leave. Ethan agrees as this gives him a chance to repair the Golden Crescent.
- That evening, Yolanda and Stefan return to the repaired tavern. They embrace Ethan, and offer him a tankard of ale and Yolanda offers to make a very special pie to celebrate. (It is the last night of the Orlano festival) Ethan feels much better, but he does not tell his hosts about his encounters with the Dwimmerlaik. Ethan and Isabelle share a little smile, and they wait for Yolanda and Stefan to retire so that they can talk.
- Ethan asks Isabelle whether she liked Marindar, and Isabelle says that she loved the beach. She spent the last few years in Nexopolis where there are no beaches. She also gushes about Grant, to the point where Ethan isn’t quite sure whether she is genuine or whether she is trying to provoke a reaction. Ethan is polite, but he then changes the topic to Ichabod. Ethan explains that he cut a deal with Ichabod, so there was no violence. This surprises Isabelle and she listens intently. Ethan explains that Ichabod wanted him to hand her over, but he refused. Ichabod wants Isabelle to stay out of his affairs in Nexopolis in future, and Isabelle swiftly agrees to this condition, citing that she has no intention of ever returning there. Then very delicately, Ethan explains that Ichabod wants an apology - whether right or wrong, he believes that Isabelle doesn’t understand the consequences of what she has done. He asks her very gently to think about it, for to avoid it would likely end in Ichabod hunting them down again. Ethan manages to convince Isabelle to consider it, at which point Ethan produces the missing piece of the compass. 

Part 7 - The Map
- At this point Isabelle’s jaw drops. She can’t believe that Ichabod had handed it over so easily. Ethan shrugs and says that he was very persuasive (which was true). He explains that Ichabod is concerned that the Lucien’s compass, once completed, could fall into the hands of the Dwimmerlaik and that would be a ‘game-changer’. While Ethan explains, Isabelle adds the missing piece to the others and the Compass is finished - once more fully operational. This is a surprise to Ethan as he didn’t realise that they were only missing this one piece. Ethan asks her where Lucien is, at which point the Compass ’shows them’ (whether via projection or mentally he is not sure) a map of the Stair and the most direct route, through realms, along stairways, back ways and so forth. Some legs are short, and others so long that it would take months to traverse them. Lucien is nowhere nearby, but they now know the exact route as to how to get there. Ethan knows the route just by looking at the map (GM’s note - a Warden should be able to remember such a map as if he/she had a photographic memory).
- Stunned, Ethan then asks about breaking up the compass so that no one else can use it this way, but Isabelle does not know how. Even if it were possible the break up, the pieces clearly want to come together, so separating them may not help. Ethan muses over Grant’s abilities but decides to say nothing. They decide that it might be best to send the Compass back to Marindar and Grant’s safekeeping in the near future - but for now, they will use it to start their journey. 
- Ethan asks Isabelle whether she still wants to find Lucien given it would be months, possibly even years of travel. Isabelle grins enthusiastically, and affirms that she wants to find Lucien, but says that they should start on the journey tomorrow. She reminds him with a twinkle in her eye it is the last night of the festival. Ethan looks a little sad, and tells her that he would very much like to, but admits that he’s already slain either three or possibly five Dwimmerlaik today and he would prefer not to be in Orlano when they try again. He admits to being injured, but says that his wounds are relatively minor. He persuades Isabelle that they should leave, but agrees to celebrate a little on their way to the Door. 

GM Observations - Part 2
- And so Ethan and Isabelle prepare to depart. Now for the upcoming stuff:

• Lurker37 and I have agreed that the next few sessions will be on Grant, beginning with an abridged/accelerated storyline of the aftermath of the last story arc. I’ve already written about 14-15 things to him as to what should happen, and we’ll play that out. Then Grant will begin his next storyline. We are going to combine the story arcs very soon, and Grant will be joining the hunt for Lucien, but currently Ethan is 2-3 months ahead of Grant so we need to give Grant some air-time to catch-up.
• Shortly we’re going to boost Grant and Ethan to 200 points each. They have been roughly 140 points for a long time, but we always agreed that we would earn roughly 2 advancement points per session. After 42 sessions we should be close to 200 points, so we’re going to make the jump. I’ll publish those stats shortly.
• Lurker37 and I are supporting the Lords of Gossamer Icon Deck for NPCs Kickstarter. We’re about to commission cards for Grant and Ethan because this game will continue well into 2015. Huzzah!
• The Lucien story-arc is going to be peppered with ‘villains of the week’ - i.e.: lots of shorter story arcs of 1-2 sessions apiece some of which will be standalone and others will be part of the “Finding Lucien” story arc. Some of those sessions will be GMed by me and then Grant will be at the forefront of the action with Ethan playing a lesser role, and some will be GMed by Lurker37 and Ethan will be at the forefront with Grant playing a lesser role. We’re going to tag-team it. It’s worked so far, but we miss having both characters together in the same narrative. We’re losing the interplay between them, and the plot-lines slow down when we’re running two narratives in parallel.
• So what’s going to happen between Ethan and Isabelle? If they’re going to be travelling for a long time together, there has to be some evolution in the relationship - either they become friends, or at least come to an understanding, or become lovers, whether that lasts or not is another matter….etc etc. Lurker37 and I had a chat about this as I think development is important, but I don’t really mind which way it plays out. So Lurker37 flipped a coin. Ah, the irony of doing such a thing in a Diceless system, eh? So what was the outcome…. well, you’ll just have to wait and find out….. Heh!

The search for Lucien continues ....

EDIT: one spelling mistake, also a correction that Ethan did not tell Yolanda/Stefan about his fights with the Dwimmerlaik (I missed a "not" in the writeup), and a correction to the way that I described Lucien's projected map and how a Warden would remember it.

GM Commentary

Session 42 was run this evening. More Dwimmerlaik, a conclusion to Ethan's current story arc (assembling Lucien's Compass) and beginning the next story arc to find Lucien (Ethan now knows where he is). Lurker37 and I have also discussed how we take the game forward into 2015 and we have a way forward. Basically there will be 1-2 major arcs, but then we'll run smaller arcs (1-2 sessions long) under that umbrella major arc. The Grant and Ethan story lines are going to merge. But I'll not spoil the Session 42 write-up. I'll need 1-2 days to write it up, then I'll post. 

Session 41 - Ichabod Returns

GM Observations
- David has me stumped here as to how Ichabod has managed to track Ethan/Isabelle from Nexopolis to Orlano - I’m really interested in how he has managed this but this is part of the game’s charm - it many ways it’s fun not to know - it makes Ichabod scary/spooky not to know how he did it. Of course, I returned the favour by surprising David with Ethan’s response to Ichabod…. but to say more would be a spoiler… read on!
- Oh, one more thing - this session included a very judicious use of an Icon contact and how useful these things can be to put objects (or people) out of harm’s way.

Realm 40 - Orlano (Brown Door)
Part 1 - Finding Eigen
- Having failed to find Eigen and reassured that Isabelle is safe, Ethan speaks with Heinrich. He asks if the Dwimmerlaik could behind this and Heinrich is doubtful. He seems surprised that Ethan was attacked by them on the previous night. Ethan feels quite tired and unsure as to what to do next. He goes downstairs, puts Gorgorin aside and sits down in an armchair. Surveying the place with fresh eyes, and perceiving the Eidolon more easily without bearing Gorgorin, he is able to feel some of the strong impressions left upon the place by those who fought here recently. He wanders about the Golden Crescent, and decides that the fight did not start in the kitchen, nor did it start in any of the back rooms. There was a confrontation in one of the front rooms in the tavern - Ethan feels another presence other than the Eigen-wolf. The presence has left a strong impression here and it feels both cold and alien. Ethan can sense traces of some power at work here, but it does not resemble either Eidolon or Umbra - it feels odd and mutable.
- Ethan goes into the kitchen and prepares a meal for both himself and Heinrich. While it cooks, he continues to study the area, looking for clues and anything else that he might have missed previously. At last he heads upstairs and offers Heinrich a bowl of food. They talk for awhile but Heinrich doesn’t have any other ideas as to where Eigen might have gone. 
- During the meal, and with Gorgorin away from him, Ethan concentrates on Eigen using Wayfinding and feels that he is some distance away but can keenly sense which direction to go. (Ethan has a strong feeling for where Eigen is because he has already been to more than one place where Eigen has recently been - like a bloodhound, Ethan now has ‘the scent’) Ethan asks some questions of Heinrich as to what could be in that direction and Heinrich gives him some directions.
- Heading out once again, Ethan enters the financial district but many of the buildings have fallen into disrepair and there is the strong smell of decay. The financial district borders on an even poorer district which is little more than medieval slums, but as such the houses have been reinforced, even fortified in some cases. Ethan is drawn via Wayfinding to his target. He takes a deep breath and kicks the door down, marching in with Gorgorin drawn.
- The ground floor of the structure is empty, but there is another door inside that leads down into the basement. Ethan can tell that there are magical wards on the door, but Gorgorin makes short work of both the door and the magical defences. Again, Ethan marches on in spite of his fatigue.
- In the basement there is a third door. A massive vault door with a clockwork mechanism. Ethan plunges Gorgorin into the door and it begins to buckle and warp, then finally explodes, showering Ethan with pieces of the mechanism and throwing him back. Bloodied, Ethan gets back to his feet and marches on, to find Eigen standing between him, Yolanda and Stefan. They appear to be ruffled, but not hurt. Eigen growls a warning, and Ethan realises that he has been followed to Eigen’s bolt hole. It never even occurred to him that Eigen might be protecting them, nor that someone would be watching him for him to locate Eigen.
- It is Ichabod, whom Ethan last saw in Nexopolis.

* Image by Santani on DeviantArt, model: Aleksiy Chumakov, photographer: Diana Serejkina 

Part 2 - Ichabod’s Threats
- Ichabod bows respectfully but his tone is icy cold when speaking to Eigen, Yolanda and Stefan. He apologies for the misunderstanding, but says that he has the box and now he wants the locket that Yolanda has. Ethan senses that Ichabod isn’t really present and that this is some sort of sorcerous projection - he doesn’t know how Ichabod has found him but he knows that he isn’t fit for any battle against a sorcerer of this quality. He steps back and listens to the exchange. He notes that Ichabod is able to see through the projection - it is as if he is really here - and Ethan wonders how much sorcerous power is being channeled here for such a spell. 
- Yolanda refuses to give Ichabod the locket, at which point Ichabod begins to threaten them. The building around them begins to shake as Ichabod demonstrates his control over the area, and Ethan takes a swipe at him with Gorgorin - this disrupts the spell, but instantly a second spell is triggered and the projection resumes. Ichabod returns with more threats against them and dust begins to fall from the ceiling as it seems that Ichabod wants to shake the building apart. He also targets Eigen directly with his taunts, claiming that the acid that he used (which is countering Eigen’s regeneration) was only a low dosage and next time he will use a more powerful acid. Ethan then triggers his spell, using ‘The Force’ to hold up the building long enough for the four of them to leave. Ichabod winks out. Clearly this isn’t over.

Part 3 - Preparing for confrontation
- Ethan, Eigen, Yolanda and Stefan head back to the Golden Crescent. None of them consider it to be a particularly safe place, but Ethan insists as he is concerned that Ichabod may attack there next. On the way, Eigen laments that his sanctuary was compromised by Ethan, and Ethan is unsympathetic given the injuries to Isabelle. Luckily Eigen is injured which enables Ethan to conceal just how battered he is feeling. As they return, they found some of the city guard at the Golden Crescent and Ethan persuades them to let Eigen pass. Ethan can tell that some sort of corrosive element is working within Eigen’s body and over time, it will probably kill him. Ethan asks Yolanda and Stefan to check on Isabelle, and then expends some of his remaining energy to gently remove the foreign agent from Eigen’s body and accelerate his healing. He encourages Eigen to rest but he refuses - he says he has the scent of Ichabod’s ‘soul’ and as such can find him anywhere. Eigen appears eager for a chance to even the score against Ichabod. Ethan asks Eigen why Ichabod wants a locket, and Eigen says that it belonged to Lucien. Eigen encourages Ethan to work with him to find Ichabod, and Ethan firmly says that he has no wish to kill Ichabod. Eigen appears disappointed.
- Yolanda calls out from the floor above the happy news that Isabelle is awake. With that, Ethan presses Eigen for him to return the compass which he took from Isabelle. Eigen sees the look in Ethan’s eyes and he hands it over. Ethan heads upstairs and returns it to Isabelle. She is relieved and pleased. Heinrich also seems pleased to see that she is recovering.
- Ethan waits patiently for some time to talk privately with Isabelle and he wonders how to deal with Ichabod given the number of people that he might target. Ethan is extremely tired and doesn’t feel that he can protect them all. At last he has his chance to talk with Isabelle, and he asks if she would prefer to continue on looking for Lucien and simply leave. As expected, Isabelle doesn’t feel that she can leave Yolanda or Stefan while they are in danger. She also uses Lucien’s compass and the compass gives an indecisive answer as to where they should go next, suggesting that the answers are here in Orlano. Ethan is not surprised. He asks her why Ichabod seems to be following her, and she admits to a misunderstanding with Ichabod for which he has held a grudge. 
- When Isabelle finds out that Ichabod is after Yolanda’s locket, she asks for it and attempts to open it using a lock pick. Shaking his head, Ethan takes the locket and gently opens it (GM’s note - Wardens of the Stair can open any lock). Inside is a key which would fit a small music box. Lucien’s compass points to the small key, then away to another location, then returns to the small key, then away again. Clearly this key is one part of the next step in the journey.
- Ethan decides upon the next course of action and contacts Grant via Icon. He finds Grant still in Marindar, and Ethan asks if he could look after some people for a few days, show them the sights of Marindar and generally look after them. Grant agrees, and Ethan quickly convinces Yolanda, Stefan and even Isabelle to ‘go on vacation’ for a few days. Before Isabelle has a chance to protest, she has stepped through the Icon contact and Ethan has suddenly cleared Orlano of any potential targets (with the exception of Eigen who refused to go). (GM’s note - this was a very deft piece of negotiation on Ethan’s part and a really good use of an Icon) Ethan even considers giving Grant the sword Gorgorin (and Gorgorin likes the idea) but given how badly he got his butt kicked the previous night and how exhausted he is feeling, he decides to keep it for the time being (Gorgorin growls at this).
- Ethan doesn’t want to fight Ichabod - he doesn’t feel up to it - but he does sense that danger is coming, and that Ichabod has brought others with him.

Part 4 - Two men walk into a bar ….
- Ethan decides that the Golden Crescent is not the right place for a confrontation, so he persuades Eigen to leave via the back door, even though Eigen is itching for a fight. They head back towards the section of town where are lots of people still about in the aftermath of the festival. Ethan can tell by this point that Ichabod is following, along with about a dozen locals who are ready for a fight. Seeking to diffuse the situation, Ethan decides to enter a tavern. In the worst case situation he figures that they will struggle to use weapons in a confined space. 
- To Eigen’s surprise, Ethan buys a round of beer with a gold coin and sits down with him.
- Some of Ichabod’s men turn up. They seem surprised as they were expecting to fight, but they quickly decide to copy Ethan and Eigen and try to look inconspicuous until they can figure out what to do next. Ethan buys a round for all of them, and settles down for the afternoon. The men begin to relax, and Ethan chats quietly with Eigen. Ethan can sense that Ichabod’s hired help like this particular tavern and have no wish to trash it. While they are in the bar, it seems that Ethan and Eigen are safe.
- A quite irate Ichabod enters the tavern and congratulates Ethan on his strategy. Ethan firmly tells Eigen to keep quiet and Ethan buys Ichabod a beer as a peace offering. Ethan apologises for what happened in Nexopolis and would like to start afresh. This stuns Ichabod. He sits down, and they start to talk.

Part 5 - The terms and the Enemy
- Ichabod is old. Very old. He remembers the Great War although he doesn’t say that he fought with the Lords of Gossamer. He is very concerned that Lucien’s Compass may fall into Enemy hands and has been working very hard to prevent Isabelle from re-forming it for exactly that reason. Ethan asks if Ichabod knows where Lucien is, and Ichabod tells him that Lucien is trapped, even though he may not realise it. The Enemy has him. He counsels against trying to find Lucien, because this would be delivering the Compass to them. Ethan asks why the Enemy would want the Compass, and Ichabod explains that it can find anything, including the Heart of the Stair. He explains that in the dying days of the Great War, the Stair itself turned against the Dwimmerlaik, and the Dwimmerlaik have not forgotten that. They want to find the Heart, and the Compass is a way of doing so. Ethan asks how Ichabod knows this, and Ichabod explains that the Dwimmerlaik attempted to recruit him.
- Ethan asks about the nature of Ichabod’s grudge against Isabelle, and Ichabod tells him part of the story. Isabelle and Ichabod worked together in Nexopolis some time ago, but Isabelle’s actions led to the death of two of Ichabod’s immortal kin. Ichabod is still furious with her for that, but he acknowledges that she probably sees things quite differently and may not understand the consequences of her actions. At this point, Ethan asks if it is possible for him to repair the situation. He explains that he is helping Isabelle to find Lucien, but not for Isabelle’s sake. Ethan makes it clear that he will not ‘offer up’ or sacrifice Isabelle to Ichabod, but he does not want Ichabod as an enemy either. If there is some way to resolve their dispute, Ethan will do his best to assist. Eigen watches the exchange nervously as Ethan steers very close to selling Isabelle out to Ichabod, before pulling back. Again it is Ethan’s force of will that keeps Eigen silent and under control.
- Ichabod advises that it is not wise to seek out Lucien for the reasons that he has already outlined. He describes a Dwimmerlaik with a blood red-eyes who is seeking the Compass. Ichabod does not give his name, but says that he is a master of Umbra. Ichabod acknowledges that Ethan is a Lord of Gossamer, and a strong one, but warns him of the Dwimmerlaik who will most certainly snare him. Ethan acknowledges this, but says that he managed ‘last night’. Ichabod nods and then speaks of Gorgorin. He recognises the weapon and says that it “belongs to the Enemy’s”. He has seen it wielded by two different Lords of Gossamer during the Great War, but both fell. He tells Ethan that it is folly to ever think that Gorgorin belongs to him. The weapon will betray him when he needs its help most - it wants to return to its Masters. Ichabod’s description of Gorgorin unsettles Ethan but he tries hard not to show this.
- Ethan suggests that when they know where Lucien is that the Compass be hidden somewhere, so that the Enemy cannot take it from them if they fail. Ichabod warms to this idea but asks if Ethan knows of a place that he would consider ‘safe’. Ethan nods, thinking of Grant, and says that he knows someone who would keep it safe. Ichabod is surprised by this, and his tone softens. He decides that he likes Ethan, and is willing to help him to an extent. He offers to return the music box to Ethan, but he wants some things in return. He wants an apology from Isabelle - a real one. He wants a promise from her to not interfere again in his affairs in Nexopolis. Ethan thinks on this and asks if there is anything else. Ichabod then says that if Ethan attacks the Dwimmerlaik who have cornered Lucien, then there must be no survivors to report back to the Empress. He stresses the importance of this. Ethan considers, and then says that he will do his best but can’t make any promises on behalf of people who aren’t present (referring to Isabelle). Ethan asks how to contact Ichabod and Ichabod offers him an old Icon card, made of thick card stock which has been hand painted. The Icon looks ancient and Ethan is quite astonished to be given something so precious. Ichabod says then that he will withdraw for now, but thanks Ethan for the hope that these matters can at last be resolved without further bloodshed. 
- Ichabod then leaves, and Ethan wilts a little in his chair. He had been faking his strength for some time during the conversation, and can’t believe that he managed to deal with the situation without having to fight.


Onto Session 42….

Session 40 - The Day After the Festival

GM Observations
- Apologies for the delay in writing this up. We are still gaming. This session was run by Lurker37 over a month ago.

Realm 40 - Orlano (Brown Door)
Part 1 - The Mad Doctor
- Early in the morning Ethan is found by two guards. Seeing the state that he is in and the amount of blood on the street, they assume he’s been mugged. Ethan is woozy from loss of blood and used a lot of his reserves in wielding magic and Eidolon. He can’t stand without assistance, but he insists upon taking his sword (Gorgorin) with him. They half-carry him to an apothecary and ring the bell for assistance. A voice from upstairs booms - the doctor is very irate at being woken up so early. 
- The doctor is less than impressed with the guards - he assumes from the amount of blood on Ethan that they’ve brought him a corpse rather than a live man. He’s faintly surprised when he notes that there are no open wounds on Ethan (as a result of Ethan using Eidolon). He demands Ethan’s name and Ethan refuses. This makes the doctor even more mad and he pokes and prods Ethan, sticks foul-tasting syrup into his mouth and then feeds him some chicken broth. The guards leave as soon as they are sure that the doctor isn’t going to throw Ethan into the street - they seem scared of the doctor’s temper.
- The doctor helps Ethan into a cot in a second room at the back of the infirmary, and grumbles about his patient going to take up space for a week or two to recover. The doctor also complains about the limited medicines at his disposal and how things were never this bad ‘at the Academy’. Ethan offers the doctor a gold coin (his last gold coin) to compensate him for his trouble, and the doctor expresses further surprise. He takes the coin after testing its authenticity with a bite.
- Ethan rests, but he doesn’t feel that he can sleep in such a place. The soup has helped a little, but he’s exhausted and Gorgorin is making it almost impossible in his current state to use Eidolon. He is so tired that he can’t even use Eidolon to repair his clothes.
- Ethan takes out his Icon of Grant and asks for assistance. He asks for Marindan gold and a fresh change of clothes. He also tells Grant (who is still on Marindar) that he has been attacked by the Dwimmerlaik. Grant offers to come through and assist, but Ethan politely declines. They share a little about their adventures and each listens to the other, but it is not a lengthy conversation as Ethan feels that he could still be danger from the Dwimmerlaik and he does not know where Isabelle is. They cut the contact and a few minutes later Grant contacts Ethan again and passes through the gold and a change of clothes.
- Ethan ditches his ruined clothes and changes. He then attempts to slip out of the building but the doctor spots him. The doctor is at first astonished and then angry with Ethan. He yells a series of foul insults as Ethan leaves, telling him not to come back.

Part 2 - A Place to Rest
- Ethan feels a little better in the morning sunshine. He uses “The Force” (i.e.: Wayfinding) to gently feel the right direction for Isabelle. He wanders through the small town of Orlano, past the stalls and the markets to where the decorations stop. He finds the back door of a townhouse which leads into a double-story tavern and knocks on the unvarnished door.
- A middle aged plump woman answers the door. Ethan explains who he is, and the lady introduces herself as Yolanda and draws him inside. She calls out to Isabelle that her ‘man-friend’ has arrived, and Yolanda’s husband Stefan comes out from the kitchen to meet Ethan. He is a portly fellow with a big bushy moustache. Stefan smells of beer. Isabelle appears pleased to see Ethan but is smart enough to realise that Ethan is putting on an act and he’s not 100%. Yolanda offers him brunch and Ethan accepts the opportunity to sit down and rest. Ethan learns that Yolanda and Stefan are friends of Isabelle, and they are the proprietors of the “Golden Crescent” tavern. Both of them have large personalities, and Isabelle seems interested in how Ethan responds to them. Both Isabelle and Ethan tell them a little about their adventures together, and then Ethan offers a yawn and asks if there is anywhere that he might rest. They offer him a quiet bedroom upstairs, and Isabelle shows him the way. 
- Alone for a moment, Ethan confirms that Isabelle is okay, and then admits that he was attacked overnight. He asks her to be on her guard as he needs to sleep. Ethan falls asleep almost as soon as he lies down in bed, however he does not sleep well. He has terrible dreams about using Gorgorin to cut and burn people, including Grant and finally Isabelle. He wakes in a cold sweat and notes that the sword is vibrating nearby. There is something wrong.

Part 3 - The Abduction
- Ethan heads downstairs to find that the kitchen and living area at the back of the house have been trashed, and the door has been broken outwards. He can see no remaining threat, but finds Isabelle in the kitchen, pale and unconscious. Her arm has been slashed but it looks like she has also hit her head and is suffering a concussion. Using Eidolon (despite the strain), he puts her into a restful sleep and assesses her injuries. Her collarbone has been broken, her ankle snapped and some of her ribs have been fractured. She’s also been cut across the arm as if by a clawed hand. Ethan puts the sword to one side and heals the worst of her injuries. Ethan then realises that Isabelle’s compass is missing.
- Ethan quickly looks for Yolanda and Stefan but they are both missing. Whatever left the Golden Tavern must have taken them with it. 
- Ethan contacts the city guard and reports the attack. He then puts Isabelle upstairs in a comfortable bed and begins repairs on the back door. It is then that the same doctor that treated him earlier in the day turns up at the house. The doctor is not pleased to see Ethan, but changes his tune when he realises that Isabelle has been hurt. He knows her. He produces a stethoscope with a blue crystal in it which he uses to check on her. Ethan asks him if he knows Lucien. The doctor doesn’t seem surprised by the question, and confirms that he knows Lucien. He helped Lucien to map part of the stair a long time ago, but he says that he has very few of the medical supplies left from his travels.
- The two start over and Ethan gives his name. The doctor introduces himself as Heinrich. He is not surprised that Lucien’s compass is missing - according to Heinrich, the device can be used to find anything that one desires - and that is a powerful artefact which many would covet. The last time he saw Lucien was many years ago, but there were old, ancient things following him. Some of the locals of Orlano had travelled with Lucien in the past, the remnants of his various expeditions out onto the stair. One picked up a parasite, others have stopped ageing, one even becomes a wolf-creature when stressed. Ethan asks if any of these could do this and Heinrich guesses that only Eigen, the wolf-creature, would have the strength to break into the house and bodily carry off two people. 
- Ethan asks if Heinrich will stay and protect Isabelle while he goes to find Eigen. Heinrich agrees and Ethan heads out into the streets of Orlano to find Eigen.

Part 4 - Dead End
- Following the directions provided by Heinrich, Ethan heads to Eigen’s house, however the door has been smashed outwards. Inside the place is a mess - it is clear that there has been a fight. There are claw marks which Ethan assumes must have come from Eigen, but he was fighting someone that used a thin blade coated in something resembling acid. Ethan figures that Eigen was himself attacked and fled from the house. 
- With no obvious clues, Ethan searches the place and finds a hidden basement. He finds a series of practice dummies that Heinrich has used to spar with, but oddly there are no claw marks on them, suggesting that he has learnt to fight without causing grievous injury. Ethan also finds a velvet lined box but whatever was in it has been removed. 
- Ethan decides to head back to the Golden Crescent via the fruit market. He buys some fruit and heads back to check on Isabelle. Heinrich remains standing on guard, and he finds Isabelle sleeping soundly. There is a herbal smell in the room.

Session 41 was run about 2 weeks ago. I’ll do the write up in the next few days.

GM Commentary

Session 40 was run this evening by Lurker37, following on from Ethan's bloody night (see Session 39). Give me a day or so and I'll post up the write-up. Ethan is learning not to rush headlong into things - he's been nearly pasted on two occasions. 

GM Commentary

Thanks Arete, it's nice to get some positive feedback. I should have called out in the GM notes that it was also an attempt to show another complex combat. It's rarely as simple as one character is higher in a particular Attribute, therefore he/she wins. I was attempting to show a range of factors that need to be considered - and then it's a GM judgement call as to how it plays out. I was talking to someone from the US via Google Hangouts about this and he seemed to want hard and fast factors (e.g.: if you have cover it gives you +3 points of Warfare, if you are surprised it gives you -3 points of Warfare). Playing Diceless where there is no formula (and I would strongly advocate not having a known formula because then the players will use it) is a lot of fun.

I wish I had as much time to write-up the other campaign (Campaign 3). There are three narratives going on in person, via email and over the phone. I'm having trouble keeping up.

PS: By the way, if there are any particular requests, we'll try to weave them in. For example, Lurker37 introduced a character with Invocation because we hadn't seen that yet.

Feedback from Arete

I'm still enjoying this immensely. Thanks for continuing the story. In particular I appreciate the gm asides and the negotiation of the universe comments between the two of you.

Session 39 - 24 Hours in Orlano

GM Observations
- And we move into the Third Story Arc. This session is effectively self-GMed by Mister_Bruce after a discussion with Lurker37 about time period, boundaries and what sort of things were permitted. Lurker37 has already reviewed this and made some minor tweaks. Yes, some of this is inspired from time spent in New Orleans and Savannah. I have travelled quite widely and lived in many different places. When Lurker37 first mentioned “Orlano” as the name of the place and that it was a mediaeval setting with a parade, I imagined a mix of those two US cities.
- In terms of the foes described below, I looked at the stats of Dwimmerlaik Generals and Warriors, and created an Ethan-level foe with stats in-between those levels to challenge him - someone with better Warfare. I also thought about a series of disposable flunkies (a hit squad) that Dwimmerlaik might use to weaken an opponent with enough individual character between them to stand out. No one likes a pool of ‘red shirt’ minions - it’s much more fun if they all have individual traits.

Realm 40 - Orlano (Brown Door)
Part 1 - The Festival
- Isabelle seems to be enjoying herself at the festival, joining a group of dancers at the front of one of the floats. Ethan walks along the edge of the parade, between the crowd of onlookers and the balconied buildings flanking the street. Even with a shield on his back, Ethan draws little attention as there are so many in costume. There are dancers, jugglers, magicians and even bizarre creatures out of myth and legend which are caged on some of the floats. Ethan can only assume that these are the local equivalent of circus animals.
- The streets are crowded with onlookers and everyone is having a good time. Ethan smiles as a girl throws flower petals from a nearby balcony onto the crowd below. He passes a skilled juggler dressed as a cat-like creature who is juggling nine balls with his two hands and a tail which looks to be part of his costume. There are hawkers selling small handmade windmills and brightly coloured candies. Each float that passes has something new and exciting to look at.
- Ethan reaches the point where the crowd of onlookers is particularly dense and he decides not to push on. Instead he enters one of the nearby establishments, orders a drink which is described as a 'Hurricane' and he heads upstairs to watch from the balcony. Time passes and eventually he finds a stool to sit down and he watches the parade go by. He figures that he can find Isabelle again when he needs to and she cannot leave the realm without assistance from a a Lord of Gossamer to open the Door. He doesn't feel threatened so he relaxes. The Hurricane is a sweet cocktail and Ethan enjoys it. It puts him in a good mood and he decides contact Grant via Icon to see how he is faring.
- And that's where it starts to go all wrong....

Part 2 - The Stabbing
- Ethan contacts Grant and starts talking with him about Marindar. An Icon contact requires focus and attention, which means he is not paying as much attention to his surroundings. He is talking to Grant and watching the parade, not paying attention to the individual sitting next to him.
- The man next to him turns on his stool as if to leave and get another drink. At that moment Ethan feels a sharp pain in his side and snaps out of the Icon contact. His left hand instinctively reaches for the source of the sudden pain and he finds that the person next to him has knifed him just below the ribcage. (GM's note - ranked Warfare and Strength that Ethan reacts instinctively and grabs the weapon hand before the blade is fully embedded in his side) Despite the shield on his back, he had no protection on his side and his assailant has attacked him while he was distracted.
- Ethan flings the man away and he begins running for it. Ethan's shirt is already blossoming red and he concentrates for a moment to seal the wound using Eidolon. Ethan has been hurt before and although the wound isn't serious, it is still a shock to the system. He begins following the man as he flees, picking up speed as his assailant begins to panic.
- Ethan catches up with his attacker two blocks away. By this point the man is screaming for help and making a scene, attracting the attention of the crowd. Ethan flattens the man with his shield, laying him out. This draws the attention of the local police guard. Even though Ethan protests his innocence and says that he was stabbed, the police are not completely convinced as there is no wound (because Ethan healed it) even though his shirt is stained red and has been pierced. Ethan’s attacker does not appear to be carrying a weapon. The guards advise Ethan not to cause trouble and let him go (they seem most unwilling to leave the festival). Ethan agrees and leaves, but he finds the assailant's lack of a weapon disturbing.

Part 3 - Hunted
- By this point Ethan does not know that he has been recognised since splitting with Isabelle. He also doesn't know that his assailant was paid to get a sample of his blood (on the knife) so that Ethan's identity could be confirmed. This knife was quickly passed to his colleague who easily got away in the crowd.
- Hence the Enemy became aware of Ethan's presence and decides to kill him to retrieve the weapon that he is carrying. Ethan is more on edge than he was, but he’s still not expecting the Enemy to come after him in force. Even with Ranked Warfare and High Ranked Psyche, Ethan does not have the advantage (especially with high levels of Bad Stuff). His adversaries are careful and they have a lot of cover and distractions. Even worse for Ethan, they have time to plan an attack and then execute when Ethan is least likely to be able to defend himself.

Part 4 - First Strike
- The procession of floats ends in mid-afternoon, leaving in its wake a myriad of very happy and inebriated party-goers. Ethan is given a garland of flowers and a kiss by one happy girl, and he relaxes a little. Everyone is making merry. Everyone is happy. Many people are dancing to a band that is playing nearby. Others are watching magicians and clowns. A number of pop-up stalls selling wares and frivolous foodstuff have been established. The sun goes down and Ethan is still wearing the flowers and is happily munching on a oversized drumstick from some animal).
- Ethan smiles as the fireworks go off overhead, and everyone’s attention is drawn to the spectacle overhead. While Ethan is totally distracted and there are cracks of magical incantations exploding overhead, the Enemy strikes.
- Ethan has been shot before, but not like this. He feels the impact of tiny needles in the front of his chest and recognises an attack. Two people collapse beside him, but everyone else is too focused on the fireworks to notice. Ethan pulls his shield from his back to guard against further attack, and takes further hits until the shield is in place. He senses other threats in the crowd about him, but doesn’t have time to determine which way they are coming from. Instinctively (due to Ranked Warfare), he decides that ‘up’ is the right answer. Triggering a flight spell, Ethan launches himself into the air. 
- As he does, Ethan feels something thin and wet wrap around his leg. He doesn’t see who has done this at first, but suddenly his whole leg feels like it’s been dipped in acid. This would disrupt a lesser Sorcerer’s focus but not Ethan (Ethan has High Psyche and High Endurance). He takes to the air, dragging ‘Teeth’, one of his assailants with him who has a extendable whip-like weapon which inflicts agonising pain. Gritting his teeth, Ethan flies into the sky towards the fireworks. 
- Ethan doesn’t get very far. He gets above his assailants in the crowd but also loses the cover of the crowd. Even though Ethan keeps his shield between himself and his first attacker, this leaves him open from behind. A second assailant - one that he cannot see - hits him with a shock webspell which disrupts Ethan’s magic (GM’s note - it’s a cantrip cast by a Ranked Psyche adversary) which is potent enough to knock him clean out of the sky. [/i]
- The crowd scatters as Ethan and ‘Teeth’ fall abruptly with a crash. He is back on his feet in an instant, but he can feel whatever was in those needles gnawing at him. ‘Teeth’ is slower to get back to his feet, revealing his razor-sharp fangs (hence the name that Ethan gives him) and Ethan hits him full-strength with his shield which lays him out cold. He cuts through the agoniser weapon but the pain remains in his leg. Switching tactics, Ethan applies Eidolon to his leg to cut out the pain, and uses Wayfinding to find his nearest attacker in the crowd and finds not one but two more bearing down on him. He draws Gorgorin and stays low, pushing through the people when he needs to. He catches a glimpse of ‘Slenderman’ who has unnaturally long arms and fingers but Ethan brutally cuts him down. ‘Slenderman’ dies screaming as the wound consumes him, but Ethan is already moving on. Another attacker, this one with a ‘Clown Face’ throws some strange balls at him, but Ethan ploughs clean through using his shield as a battering ram and flattens him. He cleaves ‘Clown Face’ in two (the two halves begin dissolving) and by this point the crowd is screaming and running for it. This deprives Ethan of his cover.
- Ethan feels impacts through his shield and realises that another opponent is firing upon him. Ethan keeps the shield in place and uses Wayfinding (and Ranked Warfare) to search the crowd for his other attackers. This probably saves his life as ‘Short Horn’ enters the fray. Short Horn is a young Dwimmerlaik warrior (whom Ethan refers to as Short Horn because of his underdeveloped antlers) who attacks him ferociously with a silvery weapon. Ethan parries successfully, but realises that he’s at a significant disadvantage as he’s being attacked on more than one side and there is poison in his system. Hoping that Short Horn isn’t as strong as he is, Ethan engages with him and uses brute force to smash the Dwimmerlaik out of the way and run for it. To his surprise, Short Horn is substantially weaker than him and he shatters the Dwimmerlaik’s sword. For his success Ethan is rewarded with a shot in the back.
- Ethan feels the impact, sees the red blood splatter across the inside of his shield and realises that whatever has hit him has gone clean through him. Despite this, Ethan keeps going (GM’s note - he has Ranked Strength) and he runs for the nearest hard cover - a nearby building - and keeps running until he is many blocks away. Only then does he take stock.
- Ethan is covered in blood and breathing hard with a chest wound which went clean through his shoulder blade to the other side, indicating a shooter that was firing down on him from above. His right leg is similarly messed up and he can hardly feel his toes through the pain - it feels like someone has minced it. But Ethan grimly applies Eidolon to himself to heal the wounds. This is taxing, and he can feel that Gorgorin (the sword) protesting at his usage of this ability. Ethan wonders if Isabelle is also in danger or whether this attack is limited to himself. He decides not to involve her.

Part 5 - Ethan Strikes Back
- Ethan only stops for a few minutes before he heaves himself back to his feet and carries on. He recognises that somehow the Enemy has found him here and he decides it unwise to linger. He understands that he was ambushed, and he’s now hurt and tired. He surmises that as ‘Short Horn’ is young, he is unlikely to be alone.
- Ethan uses his knowledge of Eidolon to scan the city and identify the Dwimmerlaik in it (he’s seen one, so he should be able to sense many). (GM’s note - Eidolon senses are effectively x-ray vision - they are not bound by line of sight) However, Ethan is able to sense five Dwimmerlaik, and he can tell that one of them can sense him from his use of Eidolon. This is first for Ethan and takes him by surprise. He makes a mental note of it and carries on.
- As he walks, Ethan has an idea. He has used Wayfinding many times to find places and people, but he has never seen if it is possible to hide oneself from Wayfinding. He thinks back to Master Yoda’s training from Empire Strikes Back (i.e. the movie) and wonders if it is possible to hide one’s presence within ‘the Force’. He has never practised ‘emptiness’ before but is willing to try it. 
- The moons rise, and midnight passes. Ethan wanders from place to place but does not linger for too long in any one place. He wonders a little if the Dwimmerlaik are biding their time, or whether he is genuinely eluding them. He decides not to rely upon it, but occasionally uses Wayfinding as a rough gauge to sense how close the Enemy is without pressing too hard and potentially being detected. There are still many revellers out on the streets but their numbers have thinned with the cold. As Orlano is by the sea and it is a low-lying area, a mist begins to roll in a few hours before dawn.
- As the hours pass, Ethan has used Eidolon on himself in very subtle ways to speed his recovery. He remains tired, but physically he has restored himself. Fingering one of the needles that hit him, Ethan decides to go on the offensive and find the one who shot him. He uses the needle as a cue and Wayfinding does the rest. He wanders, checks his bearings, feels his way gradually and coolly closes in on his first prey.
- Just as Ethan is hunting for ‘Boba Fett’, ‘Boba Fett’ is hunting for Ethan. However, Ethan finds ‘Boba Fett’ first. (Ethan calls his opponent ‘Boba Fett’ because the shape of his helmet reminds him of the Star Wars character). ‘Boba Fett’ has set up a position watching the main street where the most people still gather and the mist is least dense. The mist provides excellent cover for Ethan in flight, and he uses sorcery to rip ‘Boba Fett’ clean off his perch and pull him into the foggy sky. There while he is still drawing weapons, Ethan slashes him and watches the body disintegrate into nothing. When he releases his telekinetic spell, only faint dust falls to the street below.

Part 6 - Hunting the Enemy
- The next two hours sees Ethan hunting down the Dwimmerlaik very effectively. The Dwimmerlaik Warriors are no match for Ethan - he is physically stronger and much more adept with the blade. Each one he encounters is cut down and burns up. He kills ‘Scarface’ (one with a terrible scar down one side of his face), ‘Short Horn’ (the young Dwimmerlaik) and ‘Fido’ and ‘Dido’ (two that he runs across together) but none of them are a match for him. They use strange weapons and exotic techniques but Ethan is able to find them faster than they can find him, and Gorgorin is deadly. Finally there is only one left whom Ethan dubs ‘Big Horn’ (for the obvious reason that he has bigger antlers than any of the others). Ethan assumes that this is the one who blasted him out of the sky when he tried to fly away from the original ambush.

Part 7 - Negotiation with Big Horn
- ‘Big Horn’ does not try to run. He does not seem surprised when Ethan finally catches up with him. ‘Big Horn’ knows Ethan by name, and knows of the weapon that Ethan carries. He admits to being surprised when one of the locals was able to identify the blade that Ethan carries, and asks for the weapon to be returned to the Dwimmerlaik people. Ethan refuses. ‘Big Horn’ attempts to reason with Ethan and explains the importance of the blade to his people, and how it has been handed down within House Cavalarn for more than six thousand years. He argues again that it belongs to the Dwimmerlaik, not to a Lord of Gossamer. Ethan asks for ‘Big Horn’s name and he replies that it is Levanicus. Ethan considers for a moment - he has heard much about the Dwimmerlaik as a great enemy and wonders if returning the blade to them might be a good thing. With a sigh, Ethan says he isn’t prepared to give up the weapon - and that Levanicus would strike him down with it were he to hand it over. Levanicus does not confirm or deny this. Instead he draws his own blade and prepares to face Ethan in the deserted streets.

* Image by Jason Rainville
- A mighty duel is fought in the mists. Levanicus is the superior swordsman (GM’s note - he outranks Ethan in Warfare by one rank), but Ethan has a 4 point shield, a 16+ point weapon (Gorgorin) he is much much stronger (GM’s note - Ranked Strength v Paragon Rank) and has much greater levels of Endurance (GM’s note - High Ranked Endurance v Superior Rank). Levanicus knows that he is the better swordsman but he cannot afford to be struck by Gorgorin. Given that Gorgorin also wants to be returned to the Dwimmerlaik, it wants Ethan to lose this fight - Ethan is on maximum Bad Stuff during this fight. To begin with Levanicus plays a careful game, striking many small but painful blows against Ethan to wear him down, but Ethan is very very strong. (GM’s note - Ethan has Ranked Strength which includes a component of damage resistance) Every blow Ethan strikes is painful for Levanicus to defend against and Levanicus finds himself tiring much faster than Ethan. As time draws on, Levanicus continues to wound Ethan many times (GM’s note - due to superior rank in Warfare) but Ethan keeps fighting and does not fall (GM’s note - due to the gross difference in Strength and Endurance between Ethan and Levanicus). Ethan can tell that he is fighting a superior opponent, but he can tell that Levanicus is tiring. Ethan’s right arm is wounded and his sword arm is weakening. He is bleeding from half a dozen wounds. But suddenly Ethan remembers what Grant did in his first battle with the Dwimmerlaik (GM’s note - way back in Session 8 Part 3) and decides to risk another wound from Levanicus in order to get a hand on him. Levanicus takes the opportunity to badly wound Ethan through the chest, but Ethan gets his hands on the Dwimmerlaik. In that moment it is over as Ethan head-butts Levanicus once, twice, three times … .smashing his skull into the Dwimmerlaik’s and then when his adversary is clearly reeling, Ethan finally brings Gorgorin the Shatterer down to finish the job. Levanicus’ body disintegrates into dust.
- Ethan sinks to his knees, bleeding and exhausted. His face is pulped and bruised - his head aches badly. His side has been badly slashed and blood is pouring down his leg. He feels a shadow of disappointment from Gorgorin - clearly the blade was hoping for a different outcome. Ethan has enough presence of mind to check for any other threats. Finding none, he drags himself to his feet and staggers off to a doorway to collapse in a heap. He gradually uses Eidolon to heal his splitting headache and heal his face and body, but it takes time - he has very little reserve remaining. He feels very very tired and it is very cold just before the dawn. It is about then that the glow of dawn is first seen through the mist. It is morning. He’s survived the night.

GM Observations
- I’m imagining that Isabelle will discover Ethan slumped in a doorway in a pool of blood (she’s out for a morning walk) but with Ethan’s current Bad Stuff, maybe he’s dragged away by the town guard and thrown in a cell. Who knows. I guess I’ll find out next session.
- Note that I also made reference to House Cavalarn in this write-up (this is drawn from the Threat Book : Dawn of the Dwimmerlaik). Again it’s a way of dropping little clues that may be important in the future.
- Lurker37 has said that Ethan won’t hang onto Gorgorin, and I’m inclined to agree with him. Gorgorin is a plot device. Ethan won’t stay a Bad Stuff character for long once Gorgorin is ditched. And we do need some Advancement Points - after all, 39 sessions and we’re still 120 point characters….. time for a power-up/fast forward.