GM Observations
- The final part of the Session 53 will be told in three sections - firstly, Ethan’s version of what happened after Brairus, secondly, Isabelle’s version, and lastly, how the Nightmare finally ends. This was a relatively complex plot to run, with multiple narrative streams running - it was worth doing, but it was also quite a bit of work.
- Session 56 is where we end the “Finding Lucien” story arc. Three more sessions to go.
Part 1a - Ethan’s Version after Brairus
Grand Stairway Section 23 - Bluestone Corridors
- Departing Brairus (following on from Session 51), the trio find themselves in corridors walled by bluestone bricks of varying sizes and shapes. There is no mortar between the bricks - it is as if they have been carefully and individually placed. The corridor is narrow and there is no room to swing a sword here. The air feels cold and faintly damp like they are underground. There is no light source here and Ethan conjures a globe of light (using Sorcery) in order to guide their passage. (Grant raises an eyebrow at this - he hasn’t seen Ethan do this sort of magic before) They pass the occasional branch which is little more than a vent off from the ‘main’ corridor - it is claustrophobic and uncomfortable. Strangely there is no echo here.
- They travel for many hours with the faint light. They talk intermittently. Grant comments about the time passing every few hours. None of them like the look of the side tunnels but the compass (and their way finding) keep them to the ‘main’ corridor. After six hours they see their first Door - it is little more than a recessed metal door with a handle - but it isn’t the right way so they press on.
- Miles of corridor later, Grant gets a bad feeling, like they are being followed. He can’t see anyone following but he can ‘feel’ something stalking them. A quick conversation ensues and it seems that both Ethan and Grant have separately considered the perils of being caught in this narrow section of Stair. They carry on but are on guard. Grant tells Ethan and Isabelle that whatever is behind them is now more than one - their numbers are growing. Ethan and Isabelle suggest making a run for it but Grant counsels against this. The next Door is still a long way away - at least two days.
- Grant devises a plan, and shares it with Ethan and Isabelle. Reluctantly, Ethan and Isabelle agree, and Ethan uses his Icon of Meliander to return back to Marindar. (GM’s note - yes, this is one of the pluses/minuses of Amber Diceless and Lords of Gossamer - you can effectively have the PCs teleport in and out of the action, bringing them in, sending them away when the GM least expects)
Realm 15b - True Marindar (Grey Door)
- Ethan and Isabelle appear in Meliander’s estate to the east of Central. Meliander is pleased to see them both, as Meliander’s wife Clarabelle (GM’s note - last seen in Session 22) It is late evening and Meliander suggests that they spend the night at his residence before travelling on. They accept - showering and refreshing themselves.
Grand Stairway Section 23 - Bluestone Corridors
- Now on his own, Grant shifts into wolf form and begins to run. (GM’s note - he has Engine Speed (4 points), plus the Confer ability (5 points) - hence he is supernaturally fast) The creatures behind him pick up speed - they are fast, very very fast - but not as fast as he is and he is able to outpace them.
- Using Wayfinding and the rough directions provided by Isabelle, Grant sprints down the corridor in wolf-form. He passes the next Door and speeds on. (GM’s note - Ethan later surmises that the section outside the Door is warded, and it triggers a magical ‘alarm’ which Grant does not notice) Grant is determined to push on such that when Ethan and Isabelle arrive, they will not be threatened by whatever has been pursuing them. However, only a few minutes past the second Door, there is a high pitched noise which his wolf-ears pick up, and he once more feels the presence of creatures in pursuit. Then there is another high pitched noise from in front, and he realises that there is more than one pack of creatures in the system of corridors.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Grant being Grant decides to try some of the side tunnels, pick off some of the stealthy, furless misshapen ’hounds’ that come after him, and then charge the pack leader. He is more than a match for the first pack of Ur-Orobos, but he realises that the corridors are crawling with small packs of these creatures and there is some sort of coordinating ‘master’ who is blowing the whistle. He briefly considers bringing Ethan back into the fray but decides that he can handle it. He blasts and hacks his way through the Ur-Orobos, before confronting one of the Hound-Masters - a short Dwimmerlaik whose face has been badly damaged as if melted by fire. Grant is blinded by a spell as he charges the Hound-Master, and he finds it difficult to wield Gorgorin properly in a confined space. Nevertheless, the Hound-Master is struck down and the Dwimmerlaik explodes, showering him with white blood which stains his clothes and flesh. Spooked, Grant mimics the form of one of the Ur-Orobos and escapes in the confusion before others can confront him.
- After two hours of running, Grant returns to his normal form and he tag-teams with Ethan. Ethan and Isabelle return to the Stair and Grant heads back to Marindar to ‘clean up’, appearing in Meliander’s residence. Considering the possibility of pursuit, Ethan re-casts his ‘light’ spell and carries on.
Grand Stairway Section 24 - Industrial Complex
- Transitions between sections of the Stair can be sudden or subtle. This one is sudden. The floor is suddenly metal grating, the corridor walls carry steel piping. There is faint illumination and Ethan dowses the ‘light’. Checking his watch, Ethan counts that six hours have passed, and he decides to give Grant more of a chance to rest before calling him back. Isabelle smiles at this and she checks the distance to Lucien on the Compass. The Compass reassures her that they are only a seven Doors away now and she brightens at the thought. They carry on together at a more relaxed pace, chatting.
- At last the corridor opens up into a factory-like complex with pipes, catwalks, ladders and gantries extending upwards into a blindingly bright sky. They begin climbing. After a short while, Ethan receives an Icon contact from Grant - he is ready to return, and Ethan brings him back onto the Stair. Ethan notes that Grant is looking more refreshed.
- Their peace does not last long into the climb. Continuing to bring up the rear, Grant spies that there is pursuit - more of the hounds. Isabelle calculates the distance to the next Door and estimates how long it will take them to get there - they keep climbing, noting that there are multiple Ur-Orobos packs climbing relentlessly after them. Ethan wonders aloud whether he could fly up the structure and Isabelle suggests that he save his magic until it is needed. Grant reassures the others that he can handle the pursuit.
- After hours of climbing, Grant decides that the Ur-Orobos are climbing faster than they are and that they should eliminate some of them. He uses Umbra to sweep them off, but the Ur-Orobos regroup and keep coming. Then suddenly there is a grinding of metal from far above and something huge falls. With only a few seconds to think, Grant leaps and changes into his hawk-form, and Ethan hugs Isabelle into the wall, using a sorcerous shield to deflect the path of the monolithic silo which crashes through section after section of the gantry structure. When the dust clears, they find much of the structure above them wrecked. Ethan prepares to cast a ‘flight’ spell to lift all of them higher in the structure, but a great cloud of buzzing creatures can be seen above and they quickly decide to retreat and open another Door.
Realm 47 - The Void (Metal Door)
- They step onto a spacecraft with dimly lit corridors. The Compass now tells them that they are fifteen Doors away, but they do not stop to moan the loss. Instead, they start looking for another way out - but the nearest Door is a long way away. Ethan suggests to Grant that the Door behind them be destroyed so that the Enemy cannot pursue them - this surprises Grant as he didn’t think it was possible to destroy a Door but Ethan explains what Isabelle told him - that if the Door structure is destroyed, the Door itself is destroyed. After thinking for a moment, Grant agrees to this and he uses Gorgorin on the Door frame, breaking the link back to the Stair.
- They explore the labyrinthine corridors, and Ethan manages to get a computer terminal running. The vessel is huge, and apparently stranded. A little disheartened, they decide to make their way to the bridge to get more information but are attacked by many Brood-like creatures that have made the vessel their home. A running battle is fought as they tear their way through doors, walls and floors to get at them. Even though Grant holds the rear-guard, the creatures are resistant to Umbra and they manage to tear their way through the decking and seize Isabelle. Ethan goes after her, leaving Grant to run on alone, fighting a horde which pursues him from all directions.
- Ethan quickly cuts his way through the creatures with his rapier and slaughters the creature holding Isabelle. Using Eidolon-augmented sorcery, Ethan blasts and shreds the creatures nearby, and then runs like hell with the brood nipping at their heels. Using Wayfinding to find a place that the creatures cannot reach, after almost an hour of deck-to-deck fighting the pair are getting tired. Ethan has so far managed to avoid getting caught in a dead-end, but the sheer weight of numbers is wearing them down. They are bloodied and bruised, and the creatures seem to be a near-infinite horde. Then suddenly Ethan feels the touch of an Icon contact - and he manages to catch his breath, accept and the two vanish.
- Ethan and Isabelle are suddenly on the bridge which Grant has sealed off from the rest of the ship. The friends are very pleased to see one another, and Grant explains that he managed to fight his way to one of the elevator shafts, and then he was able to fly to another section of the ship and then slip away from the horde. After catching his breath, Ethan uses sorcery to activate the bridge’s systems and they confirm that much of the ship has been ‘contaminated’ by alien lifeforms. However there are other ships that are part of the massive ‘space hulk’, and Ethan decides that they should try to commandeer one of the smaller vessels - one that is only just over a mile long.
- The trio spend some time planning their next move, and they take turns returning to Marindar to ‘freshen up’. After two days, Ethan ‘spacewalks’ in a restored vacc suit from one ship to another, and then once the systems are restored in the target vessel, Ethan uses his Icon of Grant to bring them across. Ethan confirms that the second vessel is free of the infestation, and he goes to work restoring power to the ship’s ancient mechanisms. Grant is fascinated by the way Ethan and Isabelle handle the futuristic technology - both of them are very gifted with the machines and Ethan is able to restore even things that are seemingly ‘beyond repair’ using Eidolon. Within a week, Ethan and Isabelle have been able to restore power to the vessel and the ship is able to break away from the ‘hulk’. Ethan and Isabelle are very proud of this achievement, but they keep working to restore sections of the vessel - starting with the captain’s quarters, but moving onto the kitchens, the gardens and the observation dome. Grant ducks away from time to time (back to Marindar) but brings back foodstuffs and other luxuries. Ethan and Isabelle settle down to the routine of life on their own private mile-long starship - the two of them share the captain’s quarters, work in whatever area of the ship takes their fancy and relax in the ‘evenings’ in the gardens with the great observation dome above them, watching the stars go by. Grant starts to feel like he is intruding, and he takes longer absences away from Ethan and Isabelle.
* Image by RadoJavor on DeviantART
- After almost a month crossing the inky expanse, Isabelle appears a little saddened that their journey may be coming to an end. Their destination is a grey world with a methane atmosphere simply listed NV-2246. The computer lists the world as being controlled by the Mandragora, whom it describes as being militant, violent and xenophobic. Summoning Grant back from Marindar, the trio begin planning based on what they know. Grant becomes convinced that the Mandragora will shoot first, ask questions later. He suggests a deception to get to the planet’s surface and reach the Door, and hence focus is placed on preparing a small Remadi-class shuttle for the descent, and a selection of advanced small arms.
- As they come out of the void, they discover NV-2246 is better defended than expected. An entire Mandragoran armada of ships is in orbit, and a significant number are diverted to intercept them. They open fire upon the vessel, blasting huge chunks of the ship apart, helped along by some explosive charges that Grant has rigged, and then the Remadi-class shuttle is jettisoned amidst the debris (Grant has been inspired by Han Solo’s trick with the garbage). The fleet continues to pursue the nameless mile-long vessel whilst Grant pilots the vessel down to the planet’s surface.
- Flying low, Ethan is suitably impressed by Grant’s piloting skills (picked up whilst working for Drake, and during his Excalibur training). They land within two miles of the target structure, but unfortunately are detected on their approach. Grant leads the race to the structure, but they come under attack from the local garrison. Using a combination of Umbra, Eidolon-powered sorcery, plasma weapons and personal shields, the trio successfully breach the defences of the citadel and break through the containment doors which block access to the Door. The Mandragoran defences are designed to halt and trap attackers, but Grant and Ethan are far too formidable and they are able to shatter the obstacles before more troops can be sent to reinforce the garrison. (The Mandragora are lizard like humanoids, larger than man-sized, who use powered armour and advanced weaponry).
- Reaching the Door, the trio leap through and slam the Door behind.
Grand Stairway Section 25 - Alien Stair
- The section of Stair beyond the Door is bone-white and smooth, with faint light emanating from it. The walls are warm to the touch, and Grant almost thinks that he can feel a pulsing sound when he touches the wall. (GM’s note - yes, Grant doesn’t remember this bit) Happy, Isabelle kisses Ethan and then consults the Compass - only fourteen Doors away and the next three Doors are close together. They carry on. Ethan comments on Grant’s fancy flying, and Grant remarks that he’s flown a few starships in his time which is a surprise to Ethan. Grant notes that Ethan is carrying a lightsaber again (which he constructed whilst on the spaceship), and Ethan remarks that he didn’t like the bluestone corridors - they were too tight to swing a sword.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- As they carry on, Isabelle asks the two of them about how they met one another, and Grant tells her about where they grew up. She comments that she’s never heard of two Lords of Gossamer who are not even blood relations having such a shared history. After the conversation dies down, Ethan raises the topic as to why there were Dwimmerlaik on the Stair itself - he asks if either of them know whether they were defending the section of the Stair, or actively pursuing them. None of them know for sure, but Ethan suggests that something brought the hairless hounds onto the Stair - something alerted them. Grant says that he’s surprised that the Dwimmerlaik could get onto the Stair at all - he thought from the narratives in the Marindan Library that the Dwimmerlaik had been effectively ‘kicked off’ the Stair. They are quiet for a while, then Ethan asks Isabelle about the Compass and whether it might be time to put it into safekeeping. Isabelle nods and says “soon, but not now”.
- They spend only an hour on this section of the Stair before reaching another Door which is flush with the wall, almost to the point of being invisible. The Compass confirms that this is the way, but Ethan has a bad feeling and he hesitates. Grant is concerned, but Ethan takes a deep breath and opens the Door.
Part 1b - Ethan’s version of the Nightmare
Realm 48 - The Nightmare Realm (??? Door)
- At first the Nightmare Realm appears to be totally benign. Ethan, Grant and Isabelle enter a beautiful garden where they are welcomed by tiny fairies that greet them with kisses and motes of light. The fairies offer to lead them to the next Door and the Lords of Gossamer gratefully accept their offer. They step through the next Door onto a Mirrored Section of the Grand Stair where there are a huge jumble of different mirrors of different sizes and shapes, but each mirror shows a distorted version of whoever looks at it. Ethan sees himself as a pirate, as a cripple, married to Isabelle, as a red-haired warthog, and so forth. The three of them spend some time laughing at the different images that they see. Their laughter echoes down the corridor. The next Door leads them to a wintery wonderland where snow is gently falling. They hear the soft tinkle of sleigh bells and spot a ‘Christmas tree’ outside a tavern. Heading inside out of the cold, the proprietor and his wife welcome them in and offer to put the three of them up for the night. Seeing the two ‘lovebirds’ together, Grant excuses himself and heads to bed early. Ethan presses Isabelle again regarding the Compass, she gives him a frosty response and storms off. It is at this moment that Ethan first senses that something is wrong, but he can’t quite put his finger on what. He finishes his drink and goes after her. In their room, Isabelle reminds him that they are only eleven Doors between her and Lucien, and she doesn’t want to let go of the Compass until they absolutely has to. Ethan sighs and says that he is worried about Ichabod’s warning - he would like to put it out of harm’s way before going too much further. She agrees and says that she’ll give it to Meliander and his wife - and that Marindar should be safe enough. Relieved, Ethan hugs her, but again he feels that something is wrong.
- The next morning, Isabelle has gone. She has left him a note, saying that she plans to carry on with Grant, and begs him not to look for her and not to get in her way. Ethan is stunned, wondering how he could have misread the situation. He fingers Grant’s Icon but stops short of contacting him as he’s not sure as to what to say. Instead, he goes down to breakfast and thinks long and hard. Eventually he decides that nothing has changed - he came this far to find Lucien on behalf of the Queen of Arcadia, and he resolves to go on alone.
- Feeling very alone, Ethan decides to contact Abbie. She is pleased to hear from Ethan, is now comfortably set up in Westgate, but she makes some comments about the strange behaviour of Macavity and the other cats. She’s convinced they are up to something big. Ethan feels a little better after talking to Abbie, wishes her well and promises to see how she is going when he returns from his quest.
- Using Wayfinding to locate the next Door, Ethan then books passage on a coach which takes him deeper into the mountains to a Door located in a cold, abandoned mine. He steps through, and notes to himself that there are only ten Doors remaining. Beyond, the section of Stair is like something out of an Egyptian tomb - but he senses the next Door is close. He makes his way down the stone block steps, using a ‘light’ spell to guide his way. He feels a shadowy presence in the tomb, but it seems to evade the light and remain just outside of his peripheral vision. Then suddenly the darkness leaps at him, and he is completely disoriented. (GM’s note - at this point, the Lord of the Nightmare Kingdom launches a psychic attack upon Ethan - there is only one rank difference but this is the Lord’s home turf - the Lord has complete control over this reality - and Ethan is off-balance)
Part 1c - Einland?
- Suddenly out of the blackness Ethan senses a physical attack, and he leaps out to intercept. Despite being unable to see, he grabs the muscular man, and with his vastly superior strength, Ethan slams the individual into the ground. He hears a crunch of many bones and the man’s death-rattle. Ethan has just killed a man with his bare hands. He hears the shock of a crowd around him as they whisper the dead man’s name of Olaf, and then they begin chanting his name. The dialect is familiar to him, and he feels a chill as he realises that this is Einland. (GM’s note - this is Realm 17, last referenced back in Session 20.)
- Ethan is completely disoriented as someone pulls a bag off his head and he realises that the entire village is around him. Blinking furiously as his eyes adjust to the light, Ethan knows their faces, but can’t remember how. The dead man lies face up on the ground with a look of shock on his face - it is Olaf - Ethan knows his name, but can’t remember whether he liked the man or not.
- The crowd is silenced by a great bear-like man who praises Ethan’s strength in front of the entire community. Ethan knows him - it is Wulfric, the local chieftain. Wulfric goes on to say that the matter is now settled, and everything that Olaf owned is now Ethan’s, by right of conquest - unless anyone else cares to dispute that. No one does. Wulfric claps Ethan on the back and tells him that he’s done well - and that they should celebrate with some mead.
- Still very confused, Ethan is convinced that he is in Einland, and that this is the first time that he has been here. Olaf’s possessions become his, including one of his thralls who bears an uncanny resemblance to Abbie, but in this place is named Alfný. He finds that he has a black dog named Paws, which triggers a deja vu moment. (GM’s note - in Wodenland, Ethan killed his dog Paws rather than leave him to freeze to death) Ethan struggles to remember what happened before he came here, but he finds comfort in Alfný’s company - she tells Ethan that she has only seen kindness in him - she has never been treated as anything other than chattel before he came to the village. (GM’s note - Alfný is effectively reinforcing the nightmare) Time passes in the village. Ethan deals with challenges from other warriors, but he still feels something badly amiss. The way that they all look at him disturbs him, and he spends some time away from the village using Eidolon to re-centre himself. He uses sorcery to create planetary systems of orbiting rocks, and is reminded about how much power and skill he has. Alfný always travels with him - she is afraid to be left by herself and Ethan has seen the way that the other men in the village look at her. At last Ethan uses Eidolon upon himself, and realises the truth - that this place is a fabrication. (GM’s note - Ethan has a high enough Psyche to figure this out - only one rank below the Lord of the Nightmare Realm - but is not strong enough to break the Lord’s control of his own domain) He remembers what has gone before and says goodbye to Alfný, who begs him to take her with him.
- Ethan takes a deep breath, and refuses. He uses Wayfinding to search for Isabelle (using ‘The Force’ - aka Eidolon - to clear his mind of falsehoods) and decides that she is across the sea. Then suddenly he has grabbed Alfný’s arm - she has attempted to stab him. Ethan commands her to ‘sleep’, hoping to put her out of the action but she responds with an unnatural smile and then bites him painfully. Ethan flings her away, but she leaps after him, kicking and punching him. The altercation draws the attention of a number of other villagers, and his dog Paws. One of the villagers leaps on him from behind and he realises that they have become supernaturally strong. Ethan uses a ‘Force Push’ to fling them all backwards, and he leaps into the sky.
- Ethan can feel a sinister presence, even as he rockets away. To his surprise, there are a handful of villagers who have taken to the air in pursuit, their coats flapping behind them. He ignores them, focusses back on the ‘Force’ and Wayfinding, and increases the speed.
- Lightning crashes. Thunder roars. It pours with rain as Ethan flies over the thrashing sea. He is using a lot of energy to maintain the Flight spell - there is an entropic effect which is seeking to dismantle the spell. Nevertheless, Ethan focusses and hurtles on, leaving his pursuit behind. A great winged creature leaves the cover of the clouds but Ethan is not distracted. Instead he casts another spell and disappears from view (GM’s note - mental invisibility spell)
Part 1d - The Mountains of Madness
- The temperature drops. There is a coastline, then mountains clad in snow and ice. Mountains as far as the eye can see - vast and jagged. This looks like no place that Ethan has ever seen before. Then suddenly he is over the most prominent ridge and beyond is a tangle of orderly stone stretching to the horizon.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Descending into the monolithic city, Ethan feels no other minds nearby. He is tired, weary and very cold. He feels completely alone. He follows the Wayfinding trail for hours down into the catacombs, using Eidolon to maintain his body temperature and stave off hypothermia. The flight spell has long since been exhausted and he is putting all of his energy into maintaining undetected and keeping warm.
- Then, at last, he finds Isabelle - she is alive, but there is no reasonable explanation as to how this should be the case. She is comatose, her flesh is frozen as if made of ice, but she is clutching Lucien’s compass in her rigid fingers. Ethan puts his hand to her icy forehead and discovers that she is having a nightmare. He gently uses raw Sorcery (with a touch of Eidolon) to ease her discomfort, and he wonders about this strange realm.
- In that cold, grim place, Ethan comes to the realisation that though he has retained his considerable powers which gives him a degree of control over the reality of this place, there is someone else here who has greater power over the environment, and who is stronger than Ethan in this place. Whatever controls this realm is able to manipulate reality around Ethan, and even alter Ethan’s own perceptions. He tries to use his Wayfinding to locate an exit, but cannot find one. He tries to find Grant, but again he cannot sense any particular direction.
- Ethan senses another presence - a great gibbering, amorphous mass of black slime is approaching - and it is hungry.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Ethan draws his pistol and fires a plasma bolt into it, but that seems to only aggravate it. He thinks better of trying to use a lightsaber on something that large and decides to run for it with the creature wailing “Tekeli-li” behind him. The cry draws others, and he quickly finds that there are a number of them closing in upon him. Although the flight spell has worn off, he uses a minor incantation (GM’s note - a Cantrip) to give himself a ‘force’ boost to jump through a breach in the roof to the surface.
- But even there it is not safe. Night has fallen and there is a bitterly cold wind being channeled through the alien streets. Ethan finds a place to rest in the shell of one of the ancient structures and disassembles his lightsaber, creating a primitive heating element out of it, then he re-centres himself and focusses on maintaining a low profile (GM’s note - using raw Sorcery to employ another mental invisibility effect) During the bleak, long night Ethan feels a presence sweep over them both, but then it is gone. Has it noticed them? Ethan is not sure.
- Ethan peers down at his watch from time to time, but the watch hand hardly seems to move. Hours seem to pass but when he looks down only minutes have ticked by. Nevertheless, Ethan feels stronger now, more in control of the situation, but still unable to find an exit.
Part 1e - The Rocky Island
- Ethan reasons that this realm is based on memories and nightmares, and whatever controls the realm has already tapped into Ethan’s past in order to create Einland. He hazards a guess that if Einland exists that the ‘new continent’ of Wodenland should also exist. (GM’s note - as per Session 20 writeup) He has learnt more of Sorcery since meeting Meliander, but has never tried a true teleportation spell outside of Marindar. He gently tests whether Wodenland exists or not using Wayfinding, and upon confirming this he begins preparing for a teleportation spell.
- The sun does not come up in the mountains. It remains dark and cold, and Isabelle does not stir or wake. At last, Ethan believes himself ready and he triggers a teleport spell.
- Ethan and Isabelle arrive on a rocky island which is being lashed by storms, however as Ethan correctly predicted, the stone building that he built by hand in the real Wodenland is there. He carries Isabelle inside and lights a fire.
- Time passes slowly on the island. Ethan remains careful not to attract the attention of whatever controls the land of nightmares, but he is unable to find an exit and he is unable to wake Isabelle. It is during Ethan’s time on the island that Grant returns with reinforcements, which finally attract’s the Lord of Nightmare’s attention - a great sea-creature emerges from the depths but Greywalker helps them escape before it can reach them.
Part 2 - Isabelle’s version of the Nightmare
- (GM’s note - Isabelle’s version of the Nightmare follow’s Ethan’s up to a point. Isabelle has the lowest Psyche of the three of them and the Lord of the Nightmare Realm was able to subdue her first) Ethan, Grant and Isabelle reach a section of Stair with many mirrors which shows strange, distorted versions of each of them. Some make her laugh. She sees herself as a broad-smiling pirate with one boot on a treasure chest, as a starship captain, with a steam-punk styled clockwork dragon, snuggled up against Ethan in winter clothes, reunited with Lucien but with herself as a young girl. Then suddenly both Grant and Ethan are gone - she thinks she caught a glimpse of them going through a Door.
- She runs over to the Door but finds that it has already closed. She knocks, thinking that perhaps they have played a joke on her, but neither of them come back. Frowning, she realises she has no Icon of Ethan and cannot contact him. She bangs on the Door, then hurriedly goes through her pockets. She still has the Compass, but the others are gone. She’s been stranded on the Stair.
- She panics, and tries all of the nearby Doors but can open none of them. She returns to the Door that she saw Grant and Ethan leave through and sits down, bewildered. She goes through her pockets again, hoping to find an Icon but there isn’t one. She looks through what food she has, and tries to think through how long this will last.
- Calming herself, she begins an invocation ritual and tries to contact Ethan, but the process is interrupted as she hears something moving on the Stair. Fearing that the Ur-Orobos have caught up with her, she runs. She tries every Door she passes but none of them will open.
- At last she reaches an industrial section of Stair and she begins climbing, searching for a place to stop and rest. Then then restarts her invocation, and gently reaches across the worlds to contact Ethan.
- Then suddenly she has made the connection and Ethan smiles darkly at her through the connection. She doesn’t stop to ask questions - she completes the summoning spell and Ethan is suddenly there. Shaking, she bursts into tears and curses him for leaving her behind. Ethan replies that he doesn’t need her anymore and he reaches for her throat with bloodstained hands. Isabelle’s feels her neck snap and everything goes black.
- When she wakes, Isabelle finds herself unable to move. She is paralysed, unable to move anything but her eyes. She sees Lucien looking down upon her, and occasionally he reaches down to take something. She has dreamt herself as the compass, and Lucien is taking his creation apart, piece by piece. Unable to move, she whimpers and sobs as she is dismembered.
Part 3 - Return to Reality
Grand Stairway Section 27 - Blue Scales
- Rescued from the Nightmare Realm, Ethan cradles Isabelle but she won’t wake up. While the others discuss their next move, Ethan gently makes mental contact with her and enters her nightmare. There he finds her imagining that she is a creation like Lucien’s compass, and that her maker is now taking her apart. Ethan stands within the compass itself, but there is no representation of Isabelle here, even though he can feel her presence all around him. A giant Lucien comes into view above and prepares to extract another piece of her. Ethan tries addressing her, and explains that it is all a nightmare. He says that she has been rescued, and that they have left the land of nightmares behind them, and it is now time to wake up.
- Ethan’s reasoning helps a little - Isabelle stops sobbing and at least can be conversed with, but she is far away from being able to wake up. Ethan realises that she is afraid of being abandoned, and may even be secretly afraid that she is some sort of construct or experiment and not real at all. Ethan continues to talk to her, but he is unable to overcome her deep seated fears, so he changes tact and tries to provoke an emotional response. Reasoning that Lucien will evoke a stronger emotional reaction than expressing his own feelings, Ethan reminds her of how far that they have travelled together to find Lucien and what it will mean to her when she sees him again. He assures her that she is a real person, that all will be well when they find Lucien and reminds her that Lucien is not far away. Her desire to see and be reunited with Lucien outweighs her fears, and she is able to break free of the mechanism. A clockwork version of herself pulls itself out of the mechanism, and Ethan gently reassures her that the nightmare is over.
- On the Stair, Isabelle awakens. She is greatly shaken, but Ethan picks her up and follows Greywalker, Grant and the others into Garland via a Door that Greywalker has just connected….
And that’s where we leave Session 53. Session 54 was run last week - luckily the write-up for Session 54 won’t take me as long as this one has.
Session 54 was run this evening - with the PCs trying to sneak their way through a world controlled by the Dwimmerlaik. It'll take me a few days to write up.
I'm running Session 55 - which will be the second last session of this story arc. Lurker37 will run the final session (Session 56) where we will hopefully finally find Lucien.
Part 1 - Gothic City
Realm 48 - The Nightmare Realm (??? Door)
- Greywalker gently triggers the recall spell on the Excalibur Pass, and they appear in a darkened city with gothic overtones. It is raining. It is cold. Thunder grumbles somewhere overhead.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Grant knows Ethan best, and he uses Wayfinding to sense the direction - he is far to the east. He feels very distant. As such, he hires a yellow cab and asks to be taken to the airport. There they charter an old plane and take off into the storm. Grant flies the plane with Cal as a co-pilot.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- The plane is bumped around by turbulence, the engines moan. Lightning strikes the plane, resulting in a burning smell coming from somewhere. They travel for many hours before needing to land and refuel. The airstrip is unmanned and they are able to refuel without a problem - but Grant begins wondering where all the people are. Even the airport terminal is silent and empty. Grant concludes that this is the background level of ‘creepiness’ which is natural to the Nightmare Kingdom when the Lord is not paying attention. He assumes that so far that they have not been detected. Nevertheless, they don’t stay long - they refuel and take off again.
Part 2 - The Island
- They quickly leave land behind, and Grant sees something massive below, moving underneath the waves. They climb and fly on through the night.
- After a considerable length of time, when the plane’s fuel tanks are only half-full, Grant spots an island in the distance. It is only a small rocky island, but it rises sharply out of the sea whilst the seas writhe and lash at it. He spots a stone cabin, and some sheep and dogs on the island below and knows that this is the place. He circles, then lands the plane on the flattest piece of ground that he can find, damaging the undercarriage in the process.
- The wind is cold and relentless as they make their way towards the cottage. There, they find Ethan, waiting for them - an unlit lightsaber in hand. He looks at them carefully, measuring them. Grant looks carefully at Ethan and decides that he is the real Ethan, and but just to make sure asks him a question from their childhood. Ethan gives the correct answer, asks ‘what kept him’ but also inquires after the others. Cal, Yaeger Zane and Greywalker are introduced and Ethan takes them inside the tiny hut. There, lying on a crude bed is Isabelle, her eyes closed as if she’s asleep.
- Cal goes to Isabelle’s bedside and asks what happened. Ethan explains that she’s still in her own personal nightmare, and he can’t wake her. Greywalker points out that her chances for being able to wake will improve if they can get her out of the Nightmare Realm, and Ethan asks for more information on their plan.
- At that moment the cabin shifts and the slate tiles on the roof rattle. Then again. Something large is coming, moving up the cliff face out of the sea to reach them. Ethan says nothing but shakes his head and picks up the inert form of Isabelle. Grant is clearly ready to fight, and asks the others if they are with him. Greywalker smiles and tells him that violence won’t be necessary. He then goes to leave the cabin, and opens the door - on the other side is the Gothic city that they first arrived in. The group hurries through just as parts of the roof start falling, and Yaeger slams the door shut.
- Grant stares at Greywalker with new respect, and Ethan remarks that it won’t take long for the Lord of the Nightmare Realm to find them again. Greywalker acknowledges this and suggests that it is time to find an exit. Whilst Grant starts wayfinding, Greywalker closes his eyes for a few seconds and then in a flash, he opens them and leads the way. “Come on,” he tells them and the others follow.
- Greywalker leads them down into a series of streets until he comes to a set of sloping doors that would be used to access a cellar. He pops the door open and tells everyone to hurry. When everyone is in the basement (surrounded by kegs of beer), he then opens the door again.
Part 3 - The Guardian at the Gate
- There is a city on the other side. A half-submerged city. They have emerged from some sort of tomb. There is a terrible smell here which reminds them of rotten fish. Again, Greywalker takes the lead and encourages them to ‘make haste’. They begin picking their way through the strange terrain.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Occasionally the group spots movement in the waves - there are things in the water that are coming ashore. But they carry on, racing through weedy cyclopean masonry and trying not to look too closely at the loathsome shapes behind them. Finally, ahead of them is a great tomb. This is the Door - the way out. And it is guarded by something massive which sits practically on top of it. It glares at them with fiery red eyes and the Lords of Gossamer are under no illusions that it means to block their exit.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Grant blazes away with his wrist blaster - it hardly seems to affect it, despite great globules of flesh being blasted away, but it gets the beast’s attention. Cal and Yaeger go to work, splitting up - Cal firing his pistol at the thing, and Yaeger taking to the air and trying to distract it. Greywalker and Ethan stay low, letting the others draw the thing away from the Door before making a run for it. Grant tries using Gorgorin on the creature, but strangely the creature seems to feed on the Umbral energies of the blade - the beast almost catches Grant in one of its massive clawed hands, before breathing a green cloud of noxious vapour at him. Suddenly Grant realises that he’s the only one left in the Nightmare Realm and he makes a run for the Door. Yaeger, Cal, Grant and Ethan try to push the massive stone doors closed (to shut the Door). The ghastly creature puts a clawed hand on each side of the door and pushes forward, striving to get onto the Grand Stair. Greywalker blocks it using a barrier spell (“You shall *not* pass) but is unable to drive it back into the Nightmare Realm. Grant goes to work and severs one hand with Gorgorin, finding it more effective on the Stair itself; and this is enough to tip the balance and drive the thing back. Its hand quickly regenerates but not quickly enough to stop Greywalker from shutting the Door.
Grand Stairway Section 27 - Blue Scales
- This section of stair has blue plates down it like the scales of some great blue lizard. Even the floor seems to be made of scales. It looks quite alien.
- Cal checks a connection with Jessamyn (via the ruby) to confirm that they have actually departed the Nightmare Kingdom and that this is not just an illusion. Yaeger grumbles that he is covered in slime from the creature that they just fought “Gross, Dude”. Ethan goes to look after Isabelle but finds that she is still deep within the nightmare - she hasn’t woken up.
- Grant looks around the place, and suggests that they get moving. He and Greywalker talk for a bit. Grant suggests retreating to Marindar and Greywalker says that it is ‘too dangerous’. This response surprises Grant, but Greywalker explains that Marindar is a realm which is particularly sensitive to Lords of Gossamer - it opens Doors. Lots of them. He warns that if they travel to Marindar, it will likely trigger the creation of more Doors, which is why most of the Lords leave it alone. This revelation stuns Grant - he knew there was a connection between the presence of Lords of Gossamer and the number of active Doors in Marindar, but hadn’t considered the possibility that this was why there were so few Lords who had travelled there recently. Greywalker instead suggests that they find another place to retreat to, to gather their strength and plan their next move. The others agree to this.
And that’s where I’m leaving Part 2. In Part 3 I’ll go through Ethan’s experience and Isabelle’s experience.
GM Observations
- A lot happened in this session and it will take time to write up. Session 53 was run with Grant as the protagonist, so Part 1 of the write-up is what happened to him as they plan to return to the Nightmare Kingdom (with reinforcements). Part 2 will detail what actually happened in the Nightmare Kingdom, then Part 3 will describe Ethan’s recollections what happened after Brairus - which are not the same as Grant’s. (Ethan’s Psyche is higher than Grant’s, plus he is an Eidolon Master, so his memories are intact whereas Grant’s are incomplete and in some cases inaccurate).
- In some ways Session 53 marks a major turning point because Grant and Ethan suddenly have multiple Lords of Gossamer allies who are willing to join their mission to find (rescue?) Lucien. The playing field has grown - and we’re starting to move the campaign to something closer to what a normal Lords of Gossamer campaign would likely be - i.e.: access to Mastery of the Grand Stair, ability to teleport from place to place using Sorcery and Icons, significant resources available at the PCs’ disposal, allies who will pitch in to help etc.
- As mentioned in a previous post, we thought very carefully about which Lords of Gossamer to introduce. Neither of us wanted a backstabbing Lord of Gossamer in the group - we wanted to introduce individuals that would challenge and help grow Grant and Ethan, individuals who would be interesting to interact with on an ongoing basis and would have a legitimate (even personal) reason for wanting to rescue Lucien.
- Regarding the Greywalker character, this is not Gandalf as per either the books or the movies. The books in this game universe are clearly inspired or based upon ‘what really happened’, but ‘what really happened’ has not yet been revealed. The inference is that Tolkien is either a Lord of Gossamer (unlikely) or more likely a Lord of Gossamer’s companion (possible), or he had contact with a companion (more likely) - i.e.: Chinese whispers.
- That being said, I understand that Yaeger Zane is Matt Banach’s character, but when I saw the image, I thought of The Big Lebowski… and if that imagery doesn’t bring a smile to your face, then perhaps the following narrative will….
Part 1 - Cal and Jessamyn
Realm 46 - Heldon’s Pass (Black Door)
- Grant waits in an antechamber on board Drake’s starship. Looking out the viewing portal, he counts hundreds of warships, and dozens of transport and auxiliary vessels. It is clear that this is a major military operation. A silvery droid comes into the room and asks him if he would like a refreshment. Grant asks for a pint of ‘Excalibur Lager’ and the droid hurries away. A short while later, a shortish fellow dressed in autumn colours and a lovely lady dressed in white and black, wearing an ankh on a pendant around her neck enter the room. They are both Lords of Gossamer - Cal, and Jessamyn.
* Image of Cal by Jason Rainville
* Image of Jessamyn by Gordon Napier
- Cal is friendly and inquisitive. He understands that Grant may know the location of the missing Lucien, and seeks to understand more about where Lucien is and how Grant knows of this. Jessamyn listens patiently, appraising Grant as he answers Cal’s questions. Grant admits that he doesn’t know exactly where Lucien is, but says that his two friends do - unfortunately they are currently being held in the Nightmare Kingdom. Cal probes further and Grant explains that one of his friends has Lucien’s Compass. Cal asks Grant to describe the person that Grant is speaking of, and Grant provides a description of Isabelle, which Cal accepts. (GM’s note - we have long wanted to introduce Cal into the game, because it makes sense that he would know Isabelle given that they both have connections to Lucien. We decided that Cal and Isabelle had been more than friends in the past, but as mentioned in a previous post, I didn’t want Cal to be a rival. Been there, done that. Time for something different) They spend some time talking - Cal is curious about Ethan and why he is travelled so far into Enemy-controlled territory. He is surprised that Grant and Ethan have only been Lords of Gossamer for roughly three years, and that Ethan has sought out Lucien simply because he was requested to do so by the Queen of Arcadia. Grant convinces Cal and Jessamyn of his sincerity, that he (they) are serious about finding Lucien, and they are close to doing so (only a small number of Doors away), however Cal explains that it may be difficult to find the Nightmare Kingdom - it is not a place that will be easy to find. He has heard that the Kingdom moves on the Stair in search of new victims, guided by the Lord of the Nightmare Kingdom.
- Grant explains that he has an Excalbur Pass which was triggered whilst he was in the Nightmare Kingdom and transported him to Heldon’s Pass - hence if the recall is triggered, he should return to the Nightmare Kingdom as this was his place of origin. Jessamyn nods thoughtfully at this possibility, and Cal agrees that this would likely work. He says however that they will need some help.
- Cal uses his alFone, but the Icon connection is not successful. (GM’s note - he attempts to contact Dayle, but she does not respond) Frowning, he says that the only other who might be able to help is Greywalker, but he doesn’t know where to find him. (The name Greywalker is familiar to Grant - he has heard the name come up a number of times since he first walked onto the Stair). Cal says that he needs to contact Yaeger - if anyone would know where to find Greywalker, it is Yaeger Zane.
- Cal gives Grant an Icon of himself, and then contacts Yaeger. Yaeger accepts the contact and Cal sends Grant through.
Part 2 - Return to Middle Earth
Realm 49 - Verse Arcanum (Gold Door)
- Grant arrives in front of a massive tower that extends into the heavens. The tower is adorned with buxom succubi gargoyles, and surrounded by green fields. Grant spies winged unicorns in one of the paddocks. (GM’s note - I’m not making this up - this is straight from the Verse Arcanum supplement - you can buy it here.) There, waiting for him is Yaeger Zane, a bearded angel looking as relaxed as can be.
- Yaeger greets him …. “Dude….” and offers a firm handshake. Yaeger is by far the most laid-back and relaxed Lord of Gossamer that Grant has ever met. (GM’s note - Grant can’t relate Yaeger to the Big Lebowski or the leads from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure because both movies were made after 1988, but you get the general idea)
* Image of Yaeger Zane by Sam Denmark
- Yaeger shows off his domain which seems to be extensive (and hedonistic). He seems to be mostly interested in ‘chicks’ and ‘cruising’ but seems to be a seasoned explorer as well who has ‘been around’ (or at least drifted a lot). He accepts Grant’s tale in good grace and is happy to help out as there are ‘babes in distress’ - for some reason something has been lost in translation and Yaeger has assumed that both Ethan and Isabelle are damsels in distress. He tries to contact Greywalker via an Icon but is unsurprised when is unable to reach him. Yaeger comments that ‘ol Greybeard’ is always surrounded by halflings and pointy-eared elves, and he thinks he knows where he would be. Grant surmises that Greywalker may still be on Middle Earth, and Yaeger shrugs and says that he’ll find out.
- Yaeger is a skilled sorcerer. He takes a cylinder (bong?) and releases a cloud of green smoke which helps him to select which of his pentagrams to use. Yaeger has numerous pentagrams in his tower, and he decides that “Junction-24” is closest. He prepares himself and then the two step inside the magical circle. Yaeger casts a transportation spell and they vanish.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Realm
- Junction-24 is literally a junction on the Stair, and it is not far from Grant’s home. He can feel how close Realm 0 (his home) is. (GM’s note - this is new. When Grant/Ethan first stepped onto the Stair, we ruled that Wardens of the Stair could tell direction, but not distance. Given that they are now more experienced, we’re adding that they can tell approximate distance. This will no doubt improve further as they continue to spend time on the Stair) Grant is tempted to return home, but says nothing. Yaeger does not appear to show any interest in Realm 0 - he makes a beeline for Middle Earth.
Realm 2 - Middle Earth (Grey Door)
- Returning to the city of Minas Tirith, Yaeger curses that Greywalker is still a long way away - somewhere far to the west. Grant ventures that he can fly (using shapeshifting) and Yaeger sheds his trench-coat and takes to the air with Grant. They speed away from the White City and head west.
- After two days of flying, Yaeger is distracted by an isolated township and they descend, posing as travellers and seeking out an inn. That night Yaeger carouses and indulges himself whilst Grant tries to maintain a low profile and tries not to drink too much of the ale. The next day Yaeger is more than a little hung-over, but he flies on regardless. (GM’s note - Grant notes that he can fly much faster than Yaeger - after all, Grant has Engine Speed and Confer - but he has no wish to leave Yaeger behind)Eventually, after almost a week’s travel, they arrive at the shores of Eriador in the Grey Havens - but there are no ships remaining and no elves to consult with because they left long ago. Yaeger becomes very grumpy at this as he has no wish to fly over a near-infinite sea - so he uses blood-magic to get a more precise location as to where Greywalker is residing. When he is certain of his approximate location, Yaeger casts a portal spell and enchants the waters below the Grey Havens, creating a door between the two locations. Plunging into the water (and quickly followed by Grant), the two emerge on the silvery shores of the Undying Lands.
- Yaeger and Grant make their way inland, and meet flawlessly beautiful elves who have made this place their home. They seek out Greywalker, and find the Lord of Gossamer asleep under a tree, sheltering from the afternoon sun. (GM’s note - I couldn’t resist having the PCs travel all this way, only to find Greywalker having a snooze)
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Yaeger wakes Greywalker, and Greywalker chastises them for disturbing his nap. When Grant explains about Lucien, Greywalker is dismissive. He warns Grant that he is ‘retired’, but is willing to listen to his tale. Greywalker lights his pipe and listens patiently, occasionally interrupting to tell Yaeger to be quiet or to ask questions of Grant, but finally tells him that while this all very interesting, he has no interest in helping. He explains that he has done his part, and he is tired of adventures, but Grant is able to persuade him to assist by offering to give him ‘a push out the door’. (GM’s note - Grant has read all of Tolkien’s works in the last 3 years, and hence is familiar with Tolkien’s version of events where Bilbo was pressured into an adventure that he did not want) Building on this idea and reminding Greywalker of how he has apparently motivated others to join him on his adventures, Grant is able to convince the old Lord of Gossamer to help. Greywalker is suitably intrigued as to what Grant knows of his past to be willing to assist, at least to a point.
- With a sigh, Greywalker notes that “all good things must come to an end”, he collects his belongings, and he takes them to Door. (GM’s note - this Door did not exist previously. Greywalker is a Master of the Stair, like Turadok)
Grand Stairway Section 26 - Library Annex
- The trio step out into a long section of Stair with a relatively low ceiling. Each wall is covered by bookshelves, which are jam-packed full of musty tomes and leatherbound books. There is a fine later of dust over everything. Greywalker sighs audibly, and then leads the way down the passageway. They don’t have to travel far - he picks the third Door on the right and opens it.
Realm 50 - Araluen (Green Door)
- On the other side of the green door is groomed grass. They have stepped out into a botanical garden - there are a range of flowers in the various flower beds and a large clear pond with water lilies. Grant looks behind him and the Door that they have stepped through is built into the hill. Surveying the area, it seems to be a deep valley with high sides, but the gardens do not look wild - they are carefully cultivated.
- Greywalker leads the group through the gardens to a small stone cottage. He produces an old metal key and unlocks the door. Inside, the place is untidy and covered with dust. With a wiggle of his fingers, Greywalker animates a feather duster and a broom to begin cleaning the area. Greywalker says that he hasn’t used this place in some time. He makes himself at home, lights a fire in a fireplace and begins heating a pot of water (for tea). He asks Grant who else will be coming, and Grant explains that Cal and Jessamyn will be joining. Greywalker knows Cal, but does not know Jessamyn. Grant uses his Icon of Cal, and before long, all five of them are in one place. They sit outside on wooden chairs in under the shade of lush green trees, drinking tea, and strategise how to find Ethan and Isabelle and escape from the Nightmare Kingdom without becoming trapped themselves. Greywalker has clearly been to the Nightmare Kingdom before, but he does not share his experiences - instead he is circumspect and allows Grant to take the lead in the discussions, occasionally providing counsel when he feels that it would be useful.
- It is decided that Greywalker, Cal, Yaeger Zane and Grant will go to the Nightmare Kingdom. Jessamyn will be kept in reserve and can extract Cal if required via a magical gemstone that will serve as their ‘link’. Cal carries an artefact which should enable him to travel in the Nightmare Kingdom undetected, and Greywalker and Yaeger plan to use sorcerous spells to achieve the same outcome. Their plan is relatively simple - to travel to the Nightmare Kingdom and find Ethan and Isabelle before the Lord of Nightmares notices their intrusion.
Sorry folks, slight delay. Working too many hours at the moment. Overnights, weekends. It doesn't leave much time for gaming or writing up the session notes. Will return shortly (in the next few days).
Lurker37 is the other extreme at the moment. He's on a break. So when I'm free, the game will continue....
Sneak peek as to who will be joining the team to find Lucien.
We thought hard about who would Drake call upon - he wouldn't use the Lords that he needs to defend Heldon's Pass (he needs them), but he takes the rescue of Lucien seriously and would want to call in those who would a) want to help rescue Lucien and b) those who are strong enough mentally to handle the Nightmare Realm. We also wanted a mix of NPCs who were more experienced and less experienced than Grant and Ethan - people whom Grant and Ethan would want to interact with, and we could use going forward.
So here we have it:
1. Greywalker - At long last, Mithrandir/Greywalker is in the game. We wanted someone with 'gravitas', a traveller and a 'meddler' - someone who would be a bit of fun. Greywalker has been in the game ever since Session 1 when a door to 'Middle Earth' was found, and a copy of JRR Tolkien's works were found on a bookshelf in Tyndam. At 400 points, Greywalker is Lucien-level. He's a seasoned Lord of Gossamer who is friends with Lucien - I can see him wanting to rescue a peer.
2. Cal - I suggested introducing Cal into the game probably 5 sessions back as an old flame of Isabelle, however I didn't want to create a rivalry situation between Ethan and Cal, mainly because in the 'Main' Amber game that I played years ago, my character had a strong rivalry with Random - so been there, done that. We wanted Cal in the game, but a more experienced and friendly Cal who might give a glimpse of what Grant and Ethan might become. A 'big brother' Cal style figure. This version of Cal is 320 points and he has retained Lucien as his Mentor, hence there is a strong desire on the part of Cal to find his missing teacher.
3. Jessamyn - I love Gordon Napier's artwork on this character, and wanted to introduce her, but not as a potential love interest for either Ethan or Grant. To nip that in the bud, Cal and Jessamyn are a happy couple. 
After all, both have connections to Lucien (both have Lucien as their Mentor - points paid for it) and their paths would no doubt have crossed. Jessamyn is the least experienced in the group, but more experienced that what is reflected in the heroes sourcebook - this version of Jessamyn is 150 points.
4. Yaeger Zane - Lastly, we wanted one more adventurous character to round out the group - someone different, someone spunky and outgoing - the sort of individual who might be chugging back beers with Ethan and Grant in a pub, then go and open a random door just to see what was on the other side. Yaeger Zane is the narrator's mouthpiece in Matt Banach's supplements - and we're going to use him. This version of Yaeger Zane is 180 points.
Session 53 is tomorrow night. It should be interesting because the Nightmare Kingdom draws upon fears and memories to construct a believable but frightening landscape.
I'm going with .... the Dwimmerlaik Empire at the height of its power, before the Lords of Gossamer won the last Great War.
And.... I'm bringing in Gorgorin's former owner, with Gorgorin. 
GM Observations - Part 1
- Three more sessions before we conclude the ‘Finding Lucien’ plot-line. The PCs are in Enemy territory. The stakes are getting higher. This particular adventure (and write-up) was very hard to run. Ever since The Nightmare Kingdom supplement was released by Rite Publishing, I wanted to find a way to insert it into the game, but at the right time, and in a way that it was not immediately identifiable as a nightmare.
- There are rules to running horror and I’m not talking about “Call of Cthulhu” style. If one analyses horror movies or horror stories, the best horror is typically found in the familiar, or the ‘safe’. The alien within the norm, or the horrific within the beautiful. The best example that I can think of in literature is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein - where Frankenstein climbs to a top of a mountain peak - a sublime experience - and there surrounded by the beauty of the natural world does his creation (the monster) find him. But it also works very well where the familiar becomes the unfamiliar - e.g.: the home is no longer safe. I’m drifting towards the definition of “uncanny” here but I think you get the general idea. In many of these horror stories, the heroes are not in control of the adventure - they are ‘victims’ to get picked off by the horrors until they can find a way of asserting control/mastery of the situation.
- So how to create ‘fear’ in Grant? How to create ‘horror’? After all he is a ‘badass’ Lord of Gossamer with Umbra Mastery and a Primal Damage weapon. Fortunately Grant already has multiple weaknesses that I could exploit - his Umbra Mastery gives him gaps in his memories where he has exhibited a loss of control. Secondly, his relationship with Sophia. And that was just for starters. So I drew up a list, and was determined to push every button - to ‘deconstruct’ Grant.
- What actually happened when running this was that Lurker37 felt that the loss of control over his character was too much. As GM, I crossed a line, so I was put in the position where I had to brief him as to what was happening, and why he had lost control of his character to a significant degree. Then, Lurker37 understood, and we could go ‘to work’ on Grant. Going into this adventure, I thought this was a possibility - it happened, but we got over it and kept going.
- This adventure also marks the first time that I’ve put an adversary into the adventure who is more than one rank above both PCs. I’ll explain at the end how I expected it to play out, but of course that’s not how it really did play out.
Part 1 - The Nightmare Begins
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1995 (Brown Door)
- Grant wakes up in an alleyway. He’s a mess. He can’t remember what is going on or how he got here. It’s pouring with rain and his body seems to be melting away with the rain. His body has lost all coherency - his fingers are almost gone. His flesh is melting away and his mind appears damaged - he is having trouble thinking coherently. He assumes that he has surrendered to the Umbra which has resulted in a mental blackout (as this has happened before). His last strong memory is of a spaceship corridor with metal decking, where strange Brood-like things with supernaturally large teeth were coming through the walls and up through the floor. But he doesn’t remember what happened - it’s just a fragment.
- Grant can’t even see or hear in this form - he can barely ‘feel’ around him. He tries to feel for his body, and realises that the gemstone (infused with Eidolon) is the only thing which is preventing him from melting away completely. Two police officers the alleyway, and he leaps away like a shadowy octopus. They fire at him.
- Gradually he pieces a few things together. This isn’t some alien city - this is Sheffield where he and Ethan grew up. Things are not good here - the radiation from Chernobyl has spread to northern Europe and even the United Kingdom. Everywhere is in decay. (GM’s note - at the time there were fears that the radiation from Chernobyl would spread more widely, so it’s plausible in Grant’s mind that this came to pass) He still doesn’t remember how he got here, but he is determined to return to Westgate. This takes him some time given that he is still in a partially coherent shape, but eventually he manages this - stealing a lift here and there. He spots graffiti on a wall which chills him - “Beware Nira”. He has never heard the name Nira before but there is something oddly familiar about it.
- In Westgate, he is greeted by Socrates (GM’s note - Grant doesn’t know that Socrates is no longer in charge of Westgate, so his nightmare is based on what he does know) and he rests. He still finds it very difficult to remember what has happened. He finds that the year is 1995 - it has been almost a decade since he first stepped onto the Stair, but he is ‘missing’ at least seven of those years. Socrates fills him in, but Grant finds it very hard to recall the briefing - he finds even recent memories slipping quickly away.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Shadow
- Stepping onto the Stair, Grant feels anxious. He almost thinks he hears the sound of wolves baying in the distance - the sound stirs something deep within him. He thinks that he and Ethan were being chased. He has a bad feeling that stepping onto the Stair might have triggered something, so he heads for one of the nearest Doors.
Realm 3 - Tyndam (Green Door)
- Returning to Tyndam Manor, he is surprised to find the dark elf Arana in residence along with her servants Morant and Boswell. Both Morant and Boswell are moving more naturally now (clearly the spiders on their back have established much more coherent control of their hosts), and Arana greets him with deference. He accepts her offer of breakfast and a place to rest.
* Image by Wavebender on DeviantArt
- Grant finds his coherency returning faster in Tyndam, and he remembers more about the ‘space hulk’ corridors where Isabelle was seized and dragged off by one of the alien-things, with Ethan going to her rescue. The creatures were strong enough to tear steel with their claws. He remembers being separated from Ethan on the vessel.
- Wracking his brains, Grant remembers leaving Brairus and coming under attack shortly after. There were Dwimmerlaik ‘hounds’ - packs of them. He remembers killing many of them, and even killing one of the Dwimmerlaik hound-masters, but when the creature was hit by Gorgorin, white-blood splattered in all directions, including across him, going clean through his umbral shield. Grant remembers a burning sensation. He wonders if he has been cursed somehow.
- He is brought back to reality by Arana. She is practically purring in his ear, asking for orders. (GM’s note - given that Arana is ‘spider lady’ with lots of poisons etc, this was quite unsettling for Grant) Grant is perplexed by this, and he asks to be left alone while he heals. She leaves him be, but says that she will depart shortly unless he commands otherwise. This again leaves Grant with the impression that somehow Arana is now in his service.
- Shortly after, Grant overhears a melodious male voice asking Arana about his recovery. When he feels able and almost back to his normal self, Grant explores Tyndam Manor, and to his surprise finds one of Shimrod’s face plates at the entranceway, along with other cloaks and hats. (GM’s note - Grant ‘killed’ Shimrod way back in Session 8) He wanders further and finds Arana and Shimrod having tea in one of the rooms overlooking the gardens. However, with the faceplate removed, the man in the red robe is Meliander, one of Grant’s trusted friends. (GM’s note - Grant has never seen Shimrod’s true face, so putting Meliander as the man ‘behind the mask’ is classic nightmare/horror stuff) Shimrod embraces Grant (GM’s note - again, a hug from an enemy was unsettling for Grant), kisses him on the cheek and welcomes him back. Hiding his discomfort, Grant sits down and they talk. Like Arana, Shimrod defers to him, referring to Grant as ‘My Lord’. Grant listens and plays along, unsure as to what to make of all this. When Shimrod muses whether Grant would prefer to recuperate in more luxurious surroundings, Grant leaps upon the suggestion and asks if Shimrod could transport him to his residence on Marindar - which Shimrod duly agrees to.
* Image from DeviantArt, but I can’t locate the artist to give appropriate credit
- Replacing his mask, Shimrod gives a theatrical flourish and he conjures up a ring of cold fire that envelopes them both and they vanish.
Realm 15b - True Marindar (Grey Door)
- Grant finds himself in a palace with fountains, and a plethora of servants awaiting his every command. This is Marindar, but not as he remembers it. Shimrod excuses himself, explaining that he is tired after using a teleport spell to ‘breach Marindan defences’ (GM’s note - again, something that rings true to Grant) Grant settles down to a banquet (all for him), and he feels the presence of many many Doors (far more than when he was last here). A general briefs him on the state of the ‘war’, and informs him that there are now fifty-five active Doors into Marindar, and that he has total control of Marindar (the general was very proud of the fact that there was no resistance to Grant’s rule. (yes there are now many many soldiers in Marindar)
- What follows is even more baffling for Grant as he finds that many of the other Lords of Gossamer are now his enemies. Lord Drake has sworn a blood oath of vengeance against him, and even Lady Vala has returned to Shatterlight and has joined forces against him. The general mentions that Lord Mandragora (a 4th stage Usari warlord) still fights for the Marindan Empire (yes, the Empire) and this reminds Grant of Aramon Gard (an anagram for Mandragora) whom he left outside the World’s End Inn (back in Session 46).
Part 2 - The Death of Grant
- What follows is a montage of nightmare material leading to the death of Grant. Grant tries diplomacy with a number of the other Lords of Gossamer, but fails spectacularly - they either hate Grant, or have trusted him in the past and been betrayed. Even Mordecai who is willing to sign on with him for a time, then deserts him when holding the line would mean destruction of his legions at the hand of Drake. Nothing he tries works. Grant finds himself trapped - he Marindans look to him as their god-protector - but with fifty-five Doors open there are also fifty-five ways into Marindar. Grant tries recruiting from other realms, and fights in the canyons of Barados and in the forests of Farnwell but each time he is forced back. Even though Grant finds Ethan’s Icon, for some reason Ethan refuses to talk to him, saying only that the gemstone he left Grant with was his ‘final gift’, but he’ll never forgive Grant for what he did to Sophia. In despair, Grant goes looking for Lady Sophia and finds only a statue which apparently he erected years ago, dedicated to her memory. She is dead, long gone.
- Finally, his primary ally, Lord Mandragora ‘breaks’ and Grant is forced to commit himself to the fields of Ineswitrin for a final battle against Lord Drake. In the pouring rain the two armies clash, and Lord Drake cuts his way through the Marindan lines to do battle with Grant. They fight long and hard, hacking pieces off each other before finally Grant finds his own body crumbling and Drake delivers a deathblow.
Realm 32 - Hades (Black Wooden Door)
- Dead, reduced to a greyscale version of himself, Grant is presented to the Lord of the Underworld. The Lord remembers him well, and promises that this time he will not escape.
* Image by Kometani on DeviantArt
- In this place, Grant feels despair. Everywhere that he wanders, people shun him - either he has slain them, or he has contributed to their demise through his failure to defend them.
- Then, when it feels he has almost nothing left, he finds the Lady Sophia. She has been ‘waiting’ for him, but when she finally sees him, she is very sad. She explains that she was waiting for Grant, not for Nira.
- At that point, the full horror of his situation comes home to him (as only a nightmare can - where lots of disconnected bits don’t make sense until you reach one moment). Nira Kagnett, the destroyer of worlds, the man who killed Sophia and built the Marindan Empire, the master of Arana and Shimrod, whom Drake sworn a blood oath against - Nira Kagnett is an anagram of Grant Aitken. Grant is Nira. Nira is the person Grant becomes when the Umbra takes control.
Part 3 - Heldon’s Pass
Realm 46 - Heldon’s Pass (Black Door)
- (GM’s note - suddenly Grant is no longer in Hades any more. The Excalibur Pass which is still in Grant’s possession has enabled him to leave the Nightmare Kingdom, otherwise he would still be trapped) Grant appears in a large chamber with hundreds of others. His body is back in one piece, and for the first time in ages he can see and think clearly. A speaker above him begins addressing the group, welcoming them as the contingent of three hundred warriors from Finbar who will form part of the defence at Heldon’s Pass. The briefing continues to explain that Heldon’s Pass is divided into seventeen layers, and they will be safe in ‘subspace’ until a ‘High Lord’ is ready to assign missions to them. The High Lords in command of the defence of Heldon’s Pass are Lords Drake and Bastiano.
- Grant listens as the layout and defence of Heldon’s Pass is explained. For much of the year an Ice Wall blocks off the Enemy Door, but during the ‘high thaw’ (during the peak summer months), the Enemy is able to access Heldon’s Pass. Heldon’s Pass is considered critical to the High Lords because it is a junction leading to many other realms. The battle is fought on many different levels and both sides are able to scry upon the main battlegrounds and some of the parallel ‘layers’, hence only a small army is actually in place within the main fortifications below the pass. Both sides are able to employ sorcery and other techniques to bring armies and specialised troops to bear. The Enemy frequently uses ‘pathfinders’ to establish a beachhead, and then other groups can be committed to the battleground. The battle for Heldon’s Pass typically lasts many months, so the speaker assures the three hundred from Finbar that they will only be called upon when needed, and lives only committed when victory is likely.
- Many of the Finbar soldiers appear to be veterans, comfortable that they have been through this before. Grant however, feels a flood of memories coming back as he recalls what happened to Ethan, Isabelle and himself.
Part 4 - Memories
Grand Stairway Section 23 - Bluestone Corridors
- Grant remembers leaving Brairus, and soon after the three of them came under pursuit by strange hairless dog-things with unnaturally large jaws. They seemed to be controlled by some sort of Hound Master who was directing them. Grant wanted to fight, but Ethan and Isabelle wanted to run, so Grant went with them. Ultimately they ended up being pursued by more than one pack of these animals, and Grant slaughtered many of them, including one of the Hound Masters (a Dwimmerlaik). The touch of Gorgorin caused the Dwimmerlaik to explode, showering him with white blood that went clean through his Umbral Shield, leaving a stain that would not be removed. From there, more of the hound packs came after them, and eventually they made their way to a different section of Stair where there were many suspended gantries at different levels.
Grand Stairway Section 24 - Industrial Complex
- Surrounded by gleaming pipes, with catwalks, ladders and gantries extending up into the sky, the trio begun to climb. Still they were pursued by the hounds, driving them higher. Occasionally Grant would drive them back with a sweep of Umbral energy, but still they persisted and kept coming. Suddenly there was a grinding of metal from far above, and the sound of something massive falling. Caught between Doors, Grant took to the air in hawk-form, and Ethan expended a considerable amount of sorcerous power to deflect a massive metal silo that had fallen from somewhere far above. The gantry way above was ruined, forcing them to retreat. Grant cut loose once more against the hounds, but a buzzing sound from above put them all on edge. Spying a swarm of insects heading their way, the trio made a hasty exit through a nearby Door.
Realm 47 - The Void (Metal Door)
- Stepping onto a spacecraft with dimly lit corridors, Isabelle consulted with her compass and was able to find another Door which would lead them to Lucien, but this one was far away. They begun to explore, but quickly found that the vessel was infested with Brood-like creatures who had been sufficiently ‘touched’ by Eidolon to make destroying them with Umbra very difficult. The aliens were strong - strong enough to tear through the hardened steel walls and floors - and fast too. At first they were content to stalk the three of them, but then when the time was right, they attacked in large numbers.
- Coming through the walls and floors, the three of them realised that the horde would wear them down if they stayed. Unfortunately their retreat was cut short by Isabelle being grabbed by one of them, and Ethan charged through the rent in the floor to pursue it, leaving Grant to go on alone.
- The battle was long and brutal, with the alien things attacking in near endless waves - but at last they suddenly stopped attacking and Grant was able to push on, finding that Ethan had recovered Isabelle and cut his own path through them beyond an energy field which they would not cross. Weary and bloodied, the friends talked about their next course of action, and they decided to try to commandeer one of the ships. This actually took some time, as Ethan needed to restart an old warp drive system that had been inert for countless years and at last they managed to pull away a ‘small’ vessel, only a mile or so in length from the great mass of the space hulk.
- After ‘cleaning’ the ship of the alien infestation, the three of them spent almost a month on the vessel as it crossed the great black expanse. The ship was so vast that Ethan and Isabelle would frequently explore new sections, and Ethan seemed to enjoy tinkering with the ancient mechanisms and getting them working again. Occasionally Grant would duck away back to Marindar (sensing that three was sometimes a crowd) but after a day or so he would return with Marindan wine and a ‘care bundle’ of foodstuffs. At last, their destination became clear - a grey world surrounded by a blockade of ships. The armada of the Mandragora.
- Assessing that they were significantly outnumbered and outgunned, the friends decided to use the ship as a decoy, and rig charges to break sections away such that debris would be shed as required. Then they could slip away using a smaller shuttle. This ruse worked, and the Mandragorin fleet was suitably diverted, allowing Grant, Ethan and Isabelle to land on the nameless world.
- Unfortunately crossing the last ten miles was not so easy. The Door was well guarded and well defended, such that Grant and Ethan had to attack the garrison and make a run for it. The battle was hard fought, but they managed to reach the Door.
Realm 48 - The Nightmare Realm (??? Door)
- From this point, Grant is not able to tell where the Nightmare Realm actually began. He remembers a section of Stair that resembled something from within a Pharaoh’s tomb, and then a great lush garden where there were tiny fairies who greeted them with kisses and motes of light. But then his thoughts became jumbled. He remembers Isabelle consulting the compass but she was interrupted by something out of the shadows. There was a monster hiding amongst the bushes - something the fairies were keeping hidden which leapt out and attacked them. But then he must have also said something wrong to Ethan because he remembers Ethan backing away from him, shielding Isabelle. The fairy laughter sounded somewhat sinister in hindsight, even though their faces were friendly and seemed genuine. He remembers snow falling which felt very strange because it was bright sunshine - and there was the faint sound of Christmas bells.
- Grant doesn’t know what happened to him, but he knows that whatever it was is powerful enough to control the environment and alter Grant’s own perceptions. Whatever he encountered is dangerous.
Part 4 - Reinforcements
Realm 46 - Heldon’s Pass (Black Door)
- Grant can sense other Lords of Gossamer here and he makes a discreet exit from the others, quickly tracking down Lord Bastiano. Bastiano senses that Grant is a Lord of Gossamer, and he inquires who he is and why he is here. Grant identifies himself comments that he has met Narsaug before (a reference to Bastiano sending Narsaug to Marindar to ‘test its defences’) but Bastiano brushes off the inference. He asks whether Grant has seen combat before - he is polite but clearly keen to quickly assess whether Grant will be useful to him or not. Grant convinces Bastiano that he is worth his time and that he has combat experience - Bastiano gives him leave to familiarise himself with Heldon’s Pass but makes it clear that Grant is expected to follow his orders given that he is in command.
* Image by Jason Rainville
- Dismissed, Grant goes for a walk and decides what to do. He realises that only a few weeks have passed and yet the dream (nightmare) feels much much longer. He decides to travel to meet Drake, and boards Drake’s flagship, a colossal space battleship named “Righteous Fury” (which is also of spectacular size - miles long). There is greeted by Admiral Norris, and Grant does a double-take at the Admiral’s similarity to an action hero from Realm 0.
* Image by Steve Payne
- Grant is escorted to the bridge where he is reunited with Drake. Drake takes the time to listen to Grant (given that Grant has fought for him before) and Grant tells Drake all about the quest to find Lucien, the compass, and that they are very close to recovering him (the compass is able to tell how many Doors are between them and the target and they are down to single digits). Drake listens, and is able to identify the realm that Grant has recently escaped from as the “Nightmare Realm” - a realm controlled by a lord of nightmares who feeds off fear. Grant is keen to seek leave to return to the Nightmare Realm and rescue Ethan and Isabelle, but he knows that he is overmatched. Grant asks for Drake’s counsel. After a long pause, Drake offers to contact some of the other Lords who would assist Grant.
GM Observations - Part 2
- And that’s where we had to leave it for Session 52. Lurker37 surprised me for a few reasons. Firstly, I (as GM) had no idea that Grant knew about the compass - its function and its importance. Isabelle only shared this with Ethan very sparingly and Ethan was not one to pry into her affairs. So how did Grant somehow become Isabelle’s best buddy and find out all of this information? I asked Lurker37 a few times whether Grant would know in-character or whether Lurker37 was using out of character knowledge, and he assured me that Grant would know these things - which made it possible for Grant to share this information with Drake. I feel a bit deflated by that because information is precious in this sort of game, and Grant is Lurker37’s character and has somehow found out this information far more easily than Ethan. But I have to trust him that Grant knows for a good reason. Secondly, I did not expect Grant to ‘spill the beans’ to Drake and get help. I pointed out to Lurker37 that Ethan has been on this quest since Session 26, and to have Grant suddenly pull in a raft of other characters right at the end could ruin the plot-line unless it was done right. So we talked about it and agreed that it was in character for Grant to do this, and that it was in character for Drake to offer to help. But to avoid the storyline being taken over by NPCs, we decided to choose NPCs that we wanted to see as friends/allies/rivals in the game. (You’ll see who they are in the next session)
- Lastly, I had decided long ago how to beat the Nightmare Realm. The Lord of the Nightmare Realm greatly outranks Ethan, Grant and Isabelle in terms of Psyche. If the Lord of the Nightmare Realm outranks Ethan, then they are all stuffed - so the only way to beat the scenario is to work together - e.g.: Grant uses Umbra to find the weakness - and the answer is fear. This realm thrives on fear, so the only way to ‘win’ is to employ fear to become strong enough to wield influence over the realm itself. Grant might be able to find the weakness, but he would need Ethan to be able to get out because Ethan is the highest ranking Psyche character in the group.
And on that note, I won’t tell you yet which four NPCs will be joining Ethan and Grant, but three of them are from official Rite Publishing sourcebooks, however their builds will not be exactly as per the rules.
Finally, we haven't even touched upon what is Ethan's nightmare and what is Isabelle's nightmare.... those will be revealed in Session 53.
Session 52 writeup will be up tomorrow.
I want to do a final re-read before I post.
