- GM’s note – Session 165 was done via a combination of Play-By-Email and play via Google Hangouts chat. Unfortunately, David was very sick (he ended up in hospital over Christmas). Hence rather than try and summarise this, I’ll simply tidy up the actual play and publish it. Bruce is GMing. David (playing Grant) is playing. There is a little bit of overlap between Session 164 and Session 165 – oh well.
Bruce (GM): Recapping what has gone before. Grant and Ethan have come to Amonkhet, a world that seems to be set up to harvest the adult population, producing an army of obedient servants. They have traced Abbie to this realm through a sorcerous portal. In the previous world, a world with floating hedrons, a battle had been fought between the forces of Bloodstone and an undead army of mummies from Amonkhet. The undead were victorious and the Bloodstone forces have been harvested. Their leader is the sorceress Liliana Vess, a necromancer who is also apparently Yaeger Zane’s girlfriend. Yaeger appears besotted by her. Liliana is confident, even a little arrogant and comfortable in dealing with Grant and the others. She is clearly not a native of this realm (her skin is too pale). Grant is certain that Liliana (and probably Yaeger) know a great deal about what is going on that they are not sharing. For example, what is the other realm and why were they fighting Bloodstone anyway? Abbie seems to be broken in spirit, subservient to Liliana and also under some sort of binding enchantment by someone other than Liliana. Abbie told Ethan that she won’t leave. There is a mystery here and Grant has only fragments of information.
* Image found on Google Images, but it is no doubt owned by Wizards of the Coast
Grant has made Ethan aware that there is an enchantment on Abbie. On one level, Ethan wants it broken… but he is uncomfortable acting too soon with too little information. Is Liliana controlling Yaeger or is Yaeger operating under this own free will? What is the agenda here and why was the Bloodstone army travelling outside the Legendary Realm anyway? Surely Abbie would know more….
David: Grant would ask Abbie more about the hedrons she found, and how they activated. Then why the army was with her. Umbral sight up, looking for any sign the enchantment is reacting to certain subjects of conversion.
Bruce (GM): Grant leaves Ethan, Isabelle and Olin to go and find Abbie once more. I’m assuming a few hours have passed. This time she is in one of Amonkhet’s many mortuaries. The recently deceased are being embalmed as part of the purification and reanimation process. There are many here. Abbie is coolly studying the process. Grant slips past mummies and two jackal headed guards. The jackal headed guards look comparatively strong. Grant isn’t sure whether these two creatures are here to guard the mortuary or to guard Abbie. Having a conversation with her is difficult. Grant decides that it is better to wait for an opportunity and he ends up watching the reanimation process. Once the bodies are prepared and purified, an acolyte dressed in similar garb to Liliana’s vizier prepares a ritual to reanimate the dead. The spell is unnerving as the acolyte invokes the god Amon-Seth many times before the spell takes effect. A bitter chill seems to flow through the room as the necromancy occurs but there is no movement of air. The dead rise and are instantly obedient. Abbie tests that she is able to command them. They follow her commands.
It is over an hour later that Grant is able to talk to her in an antechamber. She was clearly about to leave this place and head outside. Grant waits for her to change before interrupting her. Grant asks her about the hedrons and she is oddly cool in her response. She explains that they provide a gateway to a place called Zendikar. The hedron gates go many places and there are many sorcerers (and others, she adds) who would control those pathways. As for why she had the Bloodstone army with her, she is at first evasive. She says that she found a hedron in the Legendary Realm (but Grant feels that she’s cutting corners and not telling the whole story). After that, she is less evasive. She took an army from Bloodstone in order to seize control of one of the gates but she badly underestimated the number of gateways and the number of determined parties in Zendikar. From this exchange, it’s not clear whether Abbie is still interested in claiming Zendikar or following a different agenda. It is clear that she believes that the gateways in Zendikar lead to many places. In terms of who started the battle in Zendikar, Abbie says that the smaller army (Liliana’s army) attacked hers. She hadn’t met Liliana beforehand and knew nothing of her.
David: Grant asks Ethan to try to get what Abbie is holding back. She might be more open with him. Grant continues to watch with Umbra, looking for signs of influence. ( did we already confirm no enchantment on Grant, Ethan and Isabelle?)
Bruce (GM): Re-read. Grant has left Ethan, Isabelle and Olin behind. Are you leaving Abbie, going back to see Ethan and then going back with Ethan? i.e. leaving Isabelle and Olin
David: Oh. Oops.
No. Grant will ask more about where Abbie found the Hedron, and also about her plans for Zendikar, and for Bloodstone. Again, using Umbra to look for signs of influence.
Bruce (GM): Okay, firstly, my assumption is that Grant is using Umbral Sight in a very subtle way. Abbie is a Sorceress and he knows that she’ll notice if he pushes too hard. So the conversation in the antechamber continues. Abbie says that she found the original Hedron in a tomb within the Legendary Realm. With Ethan away, she decided to go adventuring with others. (the adventure was in the Legendary Realm, not elsewhere) (when she says this, Grant vaguely remembers Sophia saying that Abbie had gone adventuring…. anyway, they (yes, it was a party) succeeded in delving in the crypt and one of the items found was the Hedron. It was magical but not easily identifiable.
Regarding her plans, she is a little vague on this (uncharacteristic, and yes, you can pick up meddling using Umbral Sight). She plans to stay in Amonkhet, at least for a time. She knows that Liliana plans to return to Zendikar but not when. She presumes that she would return to Zendikar when Liliana goes there. When Grant asks about Meridian, she blinks and has to think hard before remembering her homeworld. She tells Grant that everything is fine there - that the Rhan invasion has been prevented. She admits that it will be lonely in Amonkhet. At this point, Grant would notice the slight chill that precedes one of Liliana’s wraiths (shades)… one of them is coming….
David: Grant leaves Abbie on case the wraith reacts badly. Next Grant would return to the others to suggest that he, Ethan, Isabelle and Olin pay their hosts another visit. Polite small talk, bit Grant needs the others so he has an opportunity to see if either of them are enchanted. Ethan's call as to what he says about Abbie.
Bruce (GM): Grant leaves practically just as the shades arrives. It might have caught a glimpse of him - Grant wouldn’t know. Returning to see Ethan, Isabelle and Olin (I’m assuming that you’re walking down the street), it’s quite cold and dark now. The sun has set and most people are indoors. Even the mummy servants are mostly off the streets - very few are still doing chores. There are no street lights.
(I’m just thinking. Ethan, Isabelle and Olin would not have been idle for all of the hours that Grant has been away)
(It’s been hours, right? You’ve spent time at the mortuary. You’ve gone back to see Abbie. You had to wait to see her etc.)
David: Confirmed
Bruce (GM): Grant goes back to the rendezvous point and finds only Olin there. Olin looks cold and uncomfortable in the darkness but he perks up when he sees Grant. Olin explains that Ethan told him not to leave this spot as he would be found. Ethan and Isabelle have gone to the palace but that was two hours ago. Ethan asked Grant to keep an eye on Abbie in case they needed to leave in a hurry….. but he was off to try some diplomacy.
(Are you going to stay put or head to the palace or wait…. thoughts?)
David: To the palace. Grant is still hoping to check if Liliana or Yaeger are enchanted. Plus, Ethan might need help. Grant will bring Olin with him. Maybe that can get a meal while they chat. Grant will check the food is safe if so.
Bruce (GM): Ok, so you know that Ethan and Isabelle have headed to the palace two hours ago and you have decided to head there on foot with Olin. Correct?
David: They were trying diplomacy, and Grant is known to be wandering the city. Grant is going that Yaeger still remembers Ethan and Isabelle as friends. If they are not still there, Olin will have to be sufficient distraction for Grant to attempt subtle umbral sight. He didn't need to study the enchantments in detail if they are there, just confirm their existence. If anything goes down, getting Olin out safely is the priority, as Ethan and Isabelle are both ranked attribute combatants. Grant can try sneaky again later, but unlike last time he had no clear idea of what he would search the palace for, and that would leave Olin by himself.
Bruce (GM): I’ve used the Deck of Fate to determine Ethan and Isabelle’s interactions. (-1 and -2 Botched)
The palace is a very gloomy and cold place after dark. The mummy guards are there - silent, ever watchful. The jackal headed elite are there too, with their gleaming black eyes. Grant is shown to where Liliana is entertaining her guests. The room is large and lit by a number of braziers which are emitting pleasant smelling smoke. Liliana is talking comfortably with Ethan and Isabelle - she appears very much in her element. She is nursing a glass of blood red wine. Yaeger Zane is snoozing on a couch - he appears to have nodded off. There are multiple undead servants in the room, holding platters of food and wine. There is magic in this chamber which appears to be keeping the cold out of the room. It is pleasantly warm here - relaxing. However there are many undead servitors here. Shadows lingering within the shadows.
Liliana greets Grant. She hopes that he enjoyed his tour of the city. She has invited that Ethan and Isabelle stay for a few days and she extends the invitation to Grant. I’ll assume that Grant doesn’t want to interrupt the conversation and so it continues. (Obviously it has been going for a number of hours already so information has been shared which Grant will have to pick up on later) Assuming that Grant joins the conversation, a mummy silently offers him a glass of wine and some food. Bread. Sweet meats. Nuts. Berries. The food appears to be okay - Grant notes that the wine is quite potent.
Ethan appears to be sparring with Liliana during the conversation. Liliana seems quite fascinated with the conversation - as though she likes having a sparring partner. Isabelle has a glazed look on her face, as though the wine has been affecting her. Liliana is talking about the machines of Myr which have ‘infested’ parts of Zendikar. The sorcery which has animated them apparently works everywhere, and they are capable of manufacturing more. Liliana knows which gates that they come from. Ethan is relatively intrigued by this and Liliana feeds him titbit by titbit, never revealing very much. On the flip side, Liliana is very interested in Ethan’s travels and what he has seen. Ethan gives her a little at a time. As such, very little of consequence is said but both give the impression that they know a great deal.
Grant observes that Liliana seems to know a great deal about other realms, how they operate and how to reach them. She clearly has enemies and rivals. There is something predatory about her - she likes being in control.
Regarding enchantments, Grant has to be extremely careful with Umbral Sight here as there are multiple sorcerers in the room. Yes there are enchantments on Yaeger - probably from Liliana but there are others too. Yes there are enchantments on Liliana - including by others. There is also a lot of magic in the room, and in the wine. Grant is almost certain that there are narcotics in the wine and in the incense. Very subtle, but they are there.
David: Grant will let the conversation play out while avoiding the wine and shifting his nasal cavities to filter out the incense. Do any of the enchantments bear passing similarities in form or origin to the one on Abbie?
If this requires further use of umbral sight he will be VERY careful.
Bruce (GM): Grant can’t be certain because of the amount of magic in the room. (I used the Deck of Fate) If he studied them with Umbra Sight at close range he could probably figure it out but not like this. The conversation continues. Liliana asks Grant the occasional question but it’s all fluff. You get the impression that she’s changed tact since you entered the chamber. Grant can tell that Isabelle is trying hard to concentrate on the conversation - she’s not nodding off but she’s definitely feeling the effects of the ‘layers’ in the room. Ethan is difficult to read - he seems unaffected but he’s not saying a great deal.
After an hour, Liliana offhandedly instructs two of her servants to assist ‘Lord’ Zane to get the couch and to a proper bed. (Zane was definitely asleep) The conversation doesn’t continue much longer than that. Liliana is beginning to get bored when Ethan asks whether Abbie is free to leave. Liliana smiles at that and says that she is free to go if she wishes. Ethan probes a bit to find out what happened and Liliana makes it plain that the Bloodstone army was unprepared, and Abbie was simply outfought. Liliana believes that she doesn’t have enough experience to do battle with other sorcerers. She considered killing Abbie outright but that wouldn’t have produced an undead magician, just another undead. So she decided to look after her. It is very clear to Grant that Ethan is being tested - Liliana wants to figure out whether Ethan is here for Abbie or not.
Ethan reveals his cards that he is here for Abbie and again, Liliana repeats that she’s free to go if she wants to leave. She says this with a smile. It is plain to Grant that Ethan is threatening Liliana if Abbie is harmed and Liliana seems to understand the threat. But she brushes it off.
Grant definitely feels that the interplay would be different if he were not present. The conversation concludes amicably, Grant is left with the impression that Liliana’s invitation of hospitality stands but she is pleasantly cautious.
(Now, do you decide to leave the realm to rest/regroup or are you accepting her offer of hospitality?)
David: Grant will wait until they are dismissed ( hoping sleeping quarters are made available) and the group can gather elsewhere to learn what was revealed in the first half of the conversation. ( Working with Ethan to weaken the effects on Isabelle and restore her clarity of mind might be a good first step) Once he knows that, he will sneaky sneaky to Zane and do a closer inspection of the enchants and effects on him.
Bruce (GM): The conversation winds down. Liliana departs for the evening and her servants show Ethan, Isabelle, Grant and Olin to some private quarters. Each are very simple, almost spartan. A bed. A pitcher of water and a bucket. A simple tray of fruit and nuts. A chamber pot in the corner. A brazier burns, heating the room (and it turns the room from cold into comfortable). The jackal headed guards do not speak - they simply gesture. Ethan wants to ask a question but the jackal headed guards do not stay. They leave the four to their own devices. Note that there are no doors here. The entranceways to each room are open. It does not feel particularly comfortable knowing that, especially given there are so many undead around.
Isabelle sobers up very quickly. She says that she is fine but it’s clear that the narcotics have had some effect on her. Grant can help speed the process up. Ethan comments that he doesn’t like the idea of sneaking around this place but he agrees that Yaeger himself could be in danger and it makes sense to check.
Grant no doubt asks Ethan what he learned from Liliana. Ethan explains that there seems to be multiple sorcerers using Zendikar as a nexus point to reach other worlds. Liliana seems to be one of those sorcerers - she seems powerful enough to run this place on her own but she isn’t. Someone else is running this place and Liliana seems to be caretaker. She is expanding an army. Her recent foray into Zendikar wasn’t the only foray. She’s been there before. It seems to be some sort of ‘turf war’ between sorcerers and Zendikar seems to be key, or at least important because it’s a staging area to many other places. Ethan admits that Liliana flirted briefly with him - she was keen to see if he would be interested in helping her. She did this in front of Yaeger Zane (and Isabelle) which was interesting. Yaeger seemed pretty relaxed with her behaviour.
Liliana did show interest when Ethan briefly mentioned the Legendary Realm. It is a place that she knows of. She tried to hide her interest but she clearly was intrigued. Ethan is of the opinion that they should get Abbie and get the hell out of this place. Figure out the rest later. Isabelle is undecided - she thinks that interfering here could have consequences.
Grant tries to be sneaky sneaky to find Yaeger Zane. There are many undead minions in this place - mummies, shadows… I’m assuming that you are in shadow form. Yaeger is not asleep and he has company in his bed. He’s making a lot of noise. Yaeger’s chambers are a long way from the guest chambers.
David: Grant will take advantage of the distraction to carefully and gently examine the enchantments on both. He's using an extremely gentle touch and will try to be gone by the time they finish.
He is employing all of his stealth abilities, yes. They included shadow form.
And he is trying to be as subtle and hidden as possible.
Bruce (GM): Grant is not the only unnatural shadow in this place. Yaeger’s chamber is lit in the same way as the guest chambers - with an incense burner that gives off pleasant fumes and a dull light. The two lovers are passionate and …. noisy. But Grant is a bit surprised to see blonde hair rather than black. Yaeger is with Abigail (Abbie), not Liliana.
A little unsettled, Grant confirms that there is not another living creature in the room. He half expects to find Liliana or someone else nearby but there isn’t anyone else here. Apart from a lone jackal guard that stands silently out on the balcony outside the bedchamber, black ears listening….
Blocking out how out of character this is for Abbie, Grant tries to concentrate. There is a lot of magical interference here from the incense burner and Grant ends up having to get much closer to the couple in order to investigate. Yes, there are enchantments on both Abbie and Yaeger. Complex, highly sophisticated enchantments. They are the equivalent of geas - compulsion. Restrictive enchantments. Grant has studied sorcery before (because he’s broken a lot of it) - this is masterwork stuff. Breaking the enchantment would be possible with Umbra but it would not be without consequences.
A very awkward bit of investigation. (Yaeger has ranked Endurance)
David: Are their enchantments both from the same caster?
Bruce (GM): Yes
David: Reasoning that they are both under the effects of what amounts to mind control, Grant will not tell the others about Abbie. He will report his findings on the enchantments and suggest that they need to find the actual person in charge, as they are probably casting the enchantments. He asks Ethan whether killing the caster ends this sort of spell.
Bruce (GM): Ethan says that some enchantments die with the caster but it depends. For example, an enchanted shield will retain its enchantment indefinitely. When you return, Ethan and Isabelle are lying on the single bed together. Not intimate. Ethan was snoozing whilst Isabelle kept an eye out.
David: Where is Olin?
Bruce (GM): Olin is asleep (it is late), fully clothed. His sword and belongings are placed near the bed as if he is expecting to be disturbed. I assume that Grant does not wake him. He looks peaceful. The brazier nearby is still burning dimly.
David: Grant will ask Ethan if divination will help here. They need to find the boss, and to know whether killing him will help break the enchantments or dry of some sort of. *Ahem* "contingency plan" (boom).
Bruce (GM): Ethan says that he’s already tried some divination spells. Some answers seem almost certain. They are in danger here. Abbie is not in her right mind. She is under the effects of some sort of spell. But many questions don’t produce a clear answer. Ethan tries a series of divination spells. Interestingly, he observes that whatever is burning in the brazier is actually giving him far more clarity when putting together these spells. It’s helping, not hindering. In terms of the answers, they are still in danger here. The architect of that danger is not here - but where it is unclear. Ethan thinks that the ‘boss’ is not in this realm but he’s not completely sure. Effectively this place has its own rules and ‘magical order’ which may not be producing accurate results.
Ethan wants to know if Grant has a plan. If both Yaeger and Abbie are ensorcelled, then surely it makes sense to break them out and get out of here. If Liliana knows something, then they take her with them and get it out of her.
Grant ponders this. It’s the direct route but it might not reveal anything. Isabelle again counsels patience - that careful study might reveal more. But she also suggests that it might be possible to ‘bend’ the enchantment without breaking it. Maybe Abbie might say more …. but then Isabelle comments that she might not actually know more. Liliana is the one with the greatest knowledge. She points out that Liliana seemed to warm up to Ethan. Perhaps Ethan could get close enough to her to ‘put her to sleep’ and figure out what is going on. Ethan doesn’t seem too enamoured with this idea. He points out that a sorceress of her calibre isn’t likely to be put herself in a position of vulnerability. But he admits, it could be tried.
David: Grant suggests that they try to double team Lilliana. Grant will try to weaken her defences while Ethan puts her to sleep. As to when, the longer they stay, the more the danger grows. Grant suggests that they move now. He will use his shadow form and Ethan can use his invisibility. Take her down fast before she can summon servants or cast a spell.
Does anyone see any flaws with this plan?
Bruce (GM): It’s the middle of the night (probably about 4am). So the plan is to find her and subdue her? She controls or at least strongly influences this domain. As a necromancer, she may be awake during the night. the servants around you may not be susceptible to Ethan’s mental invisibility. You can see flaws in this plan. Unless you are suggesting that Ethan or yourself are attempting to seduce her in the middle of the night. (that could backfire)
Seduction won't necessarily work very well if you just turn up in the middle of the night. It takes a build-up. If that is what you are thinking of. Of course if it's just a snatch and grab, the challenge is how to get out. Ethan could use sorcery of course.
Ethan is a powerful sorcerer. If you’re advising him to deal with Liliana and you will be backup, Ethan will think over that.
David: If the best move is to bail, can they actually leave this domain?
Bruce (GM): Back to Zendikar, yes. A Sorcerous portal.... Ethan thinks he can do it but it’s not a flick-of-the-fingers thing. A sorcerous teleport would be faster but then would an Icon back to you here actually work? (Isabelle thinks it would if Ethan were to use her Icon). There you... options.
David: So the plan is to abduct Lilliana and try to break her conditioning and learn what she knows. Grant suggests a backup plan: have a door opened to a zero-magic realm. Not only would this hamper her, but it might suspend the enchantments long enough for her to realise what had been done to her, and the extent of it. Grant is going that she is completely unaware of the enchantment, as Abbie is, but that she knows enough about them to realise when one is lifted from her.
Does Ethan think that would work?
Bruce (GM): Challenges: 1) trying to capture the domain owner in their home domain will not be easy. 2) opening to a zero-magic realm. How? Ethan uses sorcery to transport to a known location. 3) what are you doing with Isabelle and Olin during all of this. 4) you are discussing all of this in her palace. Do you know for certain that she is not eavesdropping?
David: Grant can open a door to a realm where magic does not work, they've encountered a few. Yes, this means that he goes with them. Isabelle and Olin will also come with. If Liliana realised she was being controlled she could be convinced to work against the one who enslaved her, and teleport them back. Grant runs all this past his warfare to see if it will work. There are 2 critical points of failure and no guarantee of surprise advantage. The biggest problem is subduing her without killing her on her own domain.
Does Grant think that Ethan would be able to win if Grant is backing him up and handling any distractions?
Wait, are there any hedrons floating nearby that could be grabbed? Another possible way back.
Bruce (GM): You haven't attempted up until now to wayfind to any hedrons. Yes, you can sense that there at least one present. You said "Grant can open a door to a realm where magic does not work." That presumes that you can find a door which can be turned into a Door. I've said more than once that you have yet to see a door here. (which begs the question - how did Yaeger get here)
I'm about to go to bed, so you can have time to plot/plan and I'll respond in the morning. Grant assesses it as possible but risky to try to capture Liliana in the middle of the night. She is in her home domain, she's a sorceress and you don't know what traps/defences await. Yaeger Zane and Abbie would probably rally to her defence if alerted. Your escape route relies upon Ethan - without him you can't get out. And you have Isabelle and Olin with you. Isabelle can probably handle herself but Olin may not be able to. You also don't know what will happen to Abbie and Yaeger should you grab Liliana. If the 'boss' becomes aware that you have captured Liliana, what happens to Liliana, to Yaeger, to Abbie etc.... risk... risk... risk. It's a big gamble to try at 4am, based on incomplete information. Still, you might be able to pull it off. 'Fortune Favours the Brave', so the saying goes.
David: For how to get to the no magic domain: Ethan ports out to known location with doors. Grant opens door from there to blank door, then on to the desired domain. (Had it typed, didn't want to type tomorrow)
Bruce (GM): Yes that is plausible. Any other questions?
…. And that is where we ended Session 165.
- GM’s note - The big reveal was, of course, that Abbie is sleeping with Yaeger Zane. Abbie is the Bloodstone Witch, not Liliana (which of course makes sense). But why? Is she doing this of her own free will, or being controlled or coerced in some way? It was very much out of character but it made sense. Ethan had been neglecting her for some time, going on long jaunts on the Stair, spending time with Isabelle and others. It made it plausible that she might be doing all of this under her own free will but the PCs don’t know for sure. Talking with David about this much later, I thought I’d given him guidance months earlier to ‘mess things up a bit’ for Ethan but nothing happened so I started doing a number on my own character. David had a number of things prepared to ‘mess things up’ but I had not tripped any of them. And things had been a bit tough on the home front so he laid off beating up Ethan as a kindness to me. But then of course David ended up sick so I ended up running about 15 sessions in a row. Besides David’s ideas of messing things up tends to be much kinder to the underlying character (in my opinion, anyway). Ethan is a bad stuff character and I tend to throw nasty stuff at him. Bad stuff characters aren't mean to be happy characters (in my opinion).
Personally, I enjoyed having Liliana Vess running around. I enjoyed introducing a sorcerer who clearly knew stuff that the PCs didn’t and they couldn’t easily get her to divulge the information that they wanted. They had to work for it.)
- (GM’s note: there are some Magic The Gathering (MTG) references in the narrative from this point. I’m not a MTG nut. I just needed some sorcerers who were capable of reaching other realities and some of the Planeswalkers from MTG seemed to fit in reasonably well so I imported some of the elements. It would suck if I had the Gatewatch running around so that doesn’t exist. Generally Lords of Gossamer (and Amber, for that matter) are great at importing concepts from other games/genres – we’ve had Cthulhu, we’ve had Tolkien. Importing some characters from MTG is no different in my book. We’re doing this for fun, nothing more.
- Isabelle and Ethan have been hard at work studying the hedron which Grant acquired in Nexopolis. Using Invocation, Isabelle has identified the realm that the hedron comes from and will return to. The realm is called Zendikar and it is not connected to the Stair. Grant, Ethan and Isabelle have decided that they will journey to Zendikar and find Abbie. Ethan is almost certain that there is a connection there. Grant finds a blank Door on the Stair that he plans to link to Zendikar if he can find a door there. Returning briefly to Marindar, Grant catches up with Olin and finds that Olin has ‘groupies’ who love his music. Olin immediately buys into the quest and insists on coming. He has never met Abbie or Ethan but he knows of her and that she is a musician.
- Returning to Isabelle’s research laboratory, Olin is charming around Isabelle. Ethan finds this very amusing. They ready themselves to head to Zendikar, uncertain as to what will be there. Ethan takes the genie with him – he has one wish remaining (and the genie within is getting frustrated that Ethan hasn’t used his third wish).
- Ethan does a number of Divinations before they leave. They tell him that Abbie is in danger but not from the natives of wherever she is. They are friendly. However, she is in a place without doors.
- They ready themselves and Ethan triggers the hedron. Silver beads of energy trace over the surface of the hedron. It glows and there is a flash of light. They are transported to an expanse of grasslands. It is pretty here. There are many floating hedrons, defying gravity and the wind. It is very windy here. The hedron that they have travelled with levitates to a predetermined height and then holds position.
* Image found on Google Images, but it is no doubt owned by Wizards of the Coast
- They test their magics and equipment. There are no people or towns nearby. Ethan uses a Flight spell to gain some altitude and survey the area. Olin is stunned by this. He indicates that he has spotted something only a few miles away and he goes to investigate. There has been a battle fought here. The earth is disturbed and still stained by blood but there are no bodies. There is equipment and battle standards. It looks like the armies of Bloodstone fought here – the red and gold standards, the pieces of armour and weaponry. They fought against an army clad in black and purple wearing the symbol of a crescent moon. The others join Ethan and they begin to investigate. It looks like the Bloodstone army was numerically superior but it left with the opposing army – possibly prisoners. Grant finds evidence of blasting magic – Abbie’s signature spells. There are also Umbra-charged sorcerous marks on the landscape, suggesting that she was fighting another sorcerer or sorcerers here.
- Ethan speculates that Abbie must have brought an army with her when she came here, but she wouldn’t have done that unless there was a threat to the Legendary Realm. Grant points out that the enemy forces must have a necromancer with them, and a powerful one at that. This battle happened weeks ago but there are no graves. Everything that died here got up and walked on.
- They test Icons but they don’t work in this realm at all. Ethan tries to contact Abbie via Sorcery but this fails too – she’s not in this realm. He can sense other sorcerers in other locations here but they are not nearby. Grant suggest that they follow the enemy army. It appears that Abbie must have gone with them. Ethan tries a Divination spell, wondering if she was killed and reanimated, or whether she is a prisoner. The spell suggests that she was probably a prisoner but the result is uncertain. Ethan wonders about the spell’s accuracy given his own mental state.
- Pursuing the enemy army, Grant scouts ahead and finds evidence of a sorcerous gateway, now closed, at the edge of a swamp. The rest travel together, cloaked by one of Ethan’s Mental Invisibility spells. Thirty miles of hiking across the plains takes a while, and Olin keeps chatting with Isabelle. It is clear that Olin is interested in Isabelle. That night, they decide not to press on but instead to open the gateway in the morning. Overnight, Grant spots man-shaped creatures in the distance that are taller and broader than men. They appear to be hunting but it is not clear what they are hunting for.
- In the morning they reach the mire and Ethan prepares the open the portal. Beforehand, he checks Divination spells. There is dangerous on the other side, but not immediate danger. Cautiously, he opens the sorcerous gateway.
- On the other side it is already hot and dusty, despite being early in the morning. They have arrived in a desert city with many one-story dwellings but there are also large temples and a much larger pyramid here. The people are dark-skinned, dark-haired and dressed lightly. Ethan can sense that Abbie is here. He points the way.
- As they head through the streets, they find that there are mummified people tirelessly working away, sweeping the streets and preparing the city for the new day. There seem to be more of these strange automatons than live people here, but there is still the sound and smell of life. People are waking up and the day is getting hotter.
- They reach the palace. Grant, Ethan and Isabelle can sense another Warden of the Stair here. Ethan is very tense. When Grant suggests snooping around, it is clear that Ethan is having none of that – he wants to find Abbie now. In the palace there are strange jackal headed guards and many mummies with swords. A lot of them.
- Grant convinces Isabelle to stay put and look after Olin, while Grant and Ethan head into the palace. Inside they are met by a Vizier who speaks many languages. He asks their names and the Lords of Gossamer introduce themselves. He curious where they come from but when Grant mentions the Stair and Doors, the Vizier shows no sign of understanding what these concepts are. The Vizier asks what brought them to Amonkhet and what offerings they have. Grant says that he wants to meet the other Warden like himself and Ethan says that they have gemstones. The Vizier leaves them with the jackal guards, who escort them to a waiting room.
- Twenty minutes later they are ushered onto a balcony where a pale-skinned woman is sitting. She appears quite comfortable and a mummy is gently fanning her. Grant gets the distinct impression that she is not threatened by their presence in the slightest. He notes that she is not a native of this realm – her skin is too pale. Ethan says nothing but he can tell that she is the necromancer who defeated the Bloodstone Army. Sensing Ethan’s apprehension, Grant takes lead in the conversation. The woman introduces herself as Liliana (Vess) and she speaks in Brivali (a Germanic tongue).
* Image found on Google Images but the artist is Chris Rallis (I love this piece of artwork, particularly the purple folds of her dress)
- The conversation is pleasant but Liliana is trying to figure out more about them. Grant asks about the society here and the role that the dead play in it. Liliana patiently explains that the people owe a duty to society in death as well as in life. The way she speaks gives Ethan and Grant the creeps. It is clear that she is the necromancer that defeated the Bloodstone Army and presumably captured Abbie.
- The conversation is interrupted by the introduction of Yaeger Zane, who arrives bare chested and immediately sides with Liliana. Grant concludes that this is Yaeger’s girlfriend that he was so tight-lipped about and he realises that he needs to be careful in his interactions so as not to offend the normally-cool-but-strangely-easily-irritated Yaeger Zane. They talk while Ethan listens. Liliana answers questions about Amonkhet and a little about the zhedrons but she is very cautious about what she reveals. Even when Grant reveals how little they know, she doesn’t offer to fill in the blanks. She admits to destroying the Bloodstone Army but says that she spared their leader. When asked why she would do that, Liliana whimsically admits that the Bloodstone Witch reminded her of herself. It also occurred to her that if Liliana had slain her that she would probably not be able to bring her back with her sorcerous skills – which would have been a pity.
- Grant changes the topic and asks to see more of Amonkhet. Liliana encourages this – she suggests that they take a barge and see how cultivated the society is. Her reference to ‘cultivation’ is clearly a reference to both land and people. Liliana grants them freedom to go where they wish but asks them not to disturb the order here.
- Grant and Ethan leave the palace and confer with Isabelle and Olin. They then walk through this strange city where the walking dead and the living appear to peacefully co-exist and seek out Abbie.
- They find her in a mortuary where the living and the dead are working to make yet more mummies. Adults at their peak are slain and then made into more servitors. Abbie is watching the scenes of death and remaking when Grant and Ethan find her. She does not greet them warmly. Grant seeks to understand what is happening here and she says that she is trying to learn. She says that she thought she had grown strong in the Legendary Realm. She knows she is not worthless or incompetent, but she was beaten and humbled by a sorceress whose mastery of the magic arts was much greater than hers. Liliana gave her a new chance at life, similar to what Ethan did so many years ago. She plans to stay and learn from Liliana Vess. To remake herself and be stronger still. She’s not going to waste this opportunity.
* Image by Haryarti on DeviantART
- Abbie’s demeanour is different from usual. She isn’t her normal confident self. This Abbie is more doubting, more self-reflective but there is still determination there. Ethan asks her to come home with him and Abbie rebuffs him gently, saying that her place is here. She has no intention of abandoning Liliana. She notes that this isn’t what she would have chosen but states clearly that she intends to see this through.
- While listening to her, Grant is looking for any traces of magical control over her. Using Umbral Sight, he is able to see that there is a magical binding on her but it appears to be not of Liliana’s making. It is a complex and subtle weave, suggesting an even greater master is at work here.
- Grant is left with the distinct impression that Abbie does not want Grant and Ethan here. There is a distinct change in personality here but it could be a result of trauma. Ethan is left confused, unsure as to whether he should rescue or not. She doesn’t appear to want to be rescued. Grant tells him that there is another spell effect in play here. It’s possible that she is being controlled.
(GM’s note: note the summary at the beginning of Session 165 that makes some elements clearer.
- Grant has been training with the Blue Crane for two months. He keeps in regular contact with Lady Sophia and occasionally contacts Ethan. Ethan doesn’t seem to be achieving very much. Worse, he still hasn’t spoken to Abbie. Drake contacts Grant from time to time. He asks about Turadok and Sybelle - neither have been seen in a while.
- At last Grant departs Neo-Yokohama to return to Marindar for a few weeks, then is off to the Green Dragon inn for the next poker game with some of his fellow Lords of Gossamer. Eric (Drake’s son), Cal, Jessamyn, Yaeger and Jacob are there. Eric has a shapeshifting ‘pet’ which is oddly distracting. Yaeger has bags of Bloodstone gems for his stake which he got from ‘The Bloodstone Witch’. Jacob has a contraption that he built - a small clock with legs. During the game, Grant tries asking Yaeger about the hedron that Ethan won in one of the last rounds. Suspiciously, Yaeger brushes him off and tells him to check in Nexopolis as they ‘turn up there’ from time to time.
- Cal, Jessamyn and Grant talk pleasantly but Yaeger gets more obnoxious as the night goes on. Jacob cleans Yaeger out, leaving Yaeger even more irritable and he ends up stomping out, calling Jacob a cheat. Grant wonders why Yaeger is acting so strangely and Cal comments that it’s probably a new girl in his life.
- Returning back to Marindar, Grant has the odd feeling that something is wrong. He contacts Ethan to ask why he was not present at the card game. Ethan says that he forgot but that seems unlikely. Ethan says that he has run out of ideas looking for Bastiano’s stuff and he couldn’t find the person who built the Tower in Angylne. He tried going back to the Legendary Realm but found Abbie gone and the entire Bloodstone army missing. Abbie apparently took the entire army with her. Grant asks if he knows who ‘The Bloodstone Witch’ is and Ethan has no idea. Ethan is depressed and sick of this. He doesn’t know what to do. Grant asks when Ethan saw her last and Ethan admits that she effectively accused him of seeing Isabelle behind her back. Grant doesn’t tell Ethan that he has seen Abbie more recently than Ethan has. Instead he asks Ethan whether he plans to find Abbie, and is dismayed when Ethan again brushes it off, telling Grant that she can take care of herself.
- Grant tries to wayfind to more hedrons that Abbie was interested in. There is a vague direction back to Nexopolis but when he tries to find Abbie, it feels like she is off the Stair in a place not easily reachable. Grant contacts Ethan and tells him to find a hedron as they attract one another and may lead them to Abbie. Ethan sets off for Nexopolis.
- Back on Marindar, Grant organises a ball - he has not had a party in a long time. The ball lasts a few days and everyone is invited including Grant’s family and Ethan’s family. An immaculately dressed draconian named Aurelius attends on behalf of the Draconian Empire as a gesture of friendship. The Sorcerer-King Harlick the Red with an interest in trade also attends.
- Isabelle also attends. Even though Ethan joins in and enjoys Isabelle’s company, it is more than a little awkward. Even Ethan’s parents are asking about Abbie. It seems that no one, not Isabelle, not Lady Sophia, not Ethan have heard from her in some time. Feeling that something is seriously wrong, Ethan leaves the party early and heads to Meridian, Abbie’s homeworld, but she is not there. He begins hunting for her.
- After the party, Grant heads to Nexopolis to hire a deeva like Steeeeve to locate him another hedron. By this time, Ethan and Isabelle already have a lead. They have located Sybelle in Nexopolis and she has a hedron that she is willing to let them inspect Grant stays in a good hotel called Pinnacle while Bradley (another deeva) locates him a hedron. He is led to a shop owned by a four-armed green-skinned creature called Hox. This creature has large eyes and very little hair. This hedron is big - almost a foot long. Much larger than the other hedrons that one could palm in their hands.
- Grant asks Hox about the people who sold it to him. Apparently, this is not the first time that he has acquired a hedron. There were four humans, one with a cape - all in colourful attire. They didn’t identify with any of the Nexopolis Guilds so they came from outside. Another deeva named California facilitated the trade.
- Hox warns that they sometimes ‘disappear’ - it is part of their charm. Grant buys the hedron from Hox and heads to the Pinnacle to inspect it. There, Grant reports to Drake that Sybelle is safe in Nexopolis.
- Meanwhile Ethan spends time inspecting Sybelle’s hedron. Isabelle determines the name of the hedron using Invocation. It’s called a Zhedron. After comparing notes with Grant, they all decide to head to Isabelle’s own research laboratory which is a technomagical place clad in brass, ivory and white ceramic. Research continues and the decide that the Zhedron is part of something bigger. There is residual power within but not enough to trigger any effect as it stands. Ethan could give it a kick but he doesn’t know what would happen. Using Divination, Ethan determines that it would transport them somewhere else.
- Grant decides that he needs to talk to Yaeger further about this and find out what he knows. He is clearly holding back information.
- Ethan has had a bad month. It’s been a month since he last spoke to Abbie. She’s probably still mad with him. All of his Divination readings have been a little unclear, but he decides not to contact her and not to return to the Legendary Realm. Running away feels cowardly but he needed time to think. Unfortunately, a little time to think has ended up being a long time and he still hasn’t figured out what to do about the situation. It’s just not the same as it was - she’s changed, he’s changed, and it’s probably all his fault for not keeping in touch to sort it out.
- Besides, there is so much on the Stair to distract and keep him busy. Investigating Bastiano’s domains has been hard work. Each one of them seems to have something wrong with it, either because Bastiano is no longer there to take care of things, or because someone has already moved in and made a mess.
- On Frees, in Bastiano’s absence the ruling psychic class have tightened their grip on the rest of the population, crushing what little resistance remains. The people seem to be locked in despair.
- On Dorchia, the great cities lie empty and all that remains are forbidding pools of organic fluid littered here and there. In those silent wastes, Ethan finds what is left of a Sliver farm but the vats are already empty. Of the Slivers themselves, Ethan finds no trace. They seem to have left the realm already by means unknown, which probably means sorcery of a subtle kind.
- Then on Talis, Ethan ran into trouble again. Following up on information provided by the Blue Birds network that one of Bastiano’s Warden-Generals was in command of an armoured brigade, Ethan tracks them down, only to find that they are a group of Eldar elf-like creatures who have sleek tanks, wand-like pistols and are highly aggressive. But before he can investigate, a portal opens and a raiding party from the Legendary Realms (but not the realm that he rules) invades and comes to loot and pillage.
- The ‘supers’ clash with the Eldar warriors - things get very messy whilst Ethan watches from a difference. At last the ‘supers’ withdraw after considerable damage on both sides and the Eldar begin sweeping the area, looking for any other intruders. Ethan is not discovered but it slows down his investigation as the Eldar are very thorough. After days of studying them, he identifies the commander but, to his surprise, the Warden is some sort of bug creature that lives in the back of Eldar commander’s head. The Eldar commander is an advanced mechanical construct, and the bug is driving the body like a set of advanced prosthetics. Ethan watches as the xenophobic elf-natives repair the damage done by the invaders before he slips away.
- Feeling a bit depressed, Ethan looks for another rogue commander which the Blue Birds have identified. He locates a world called Angylne which is very strong in Eidolon. It appears to be late 19th century but there are many things that don’t fit. A horse drawn carriage but the carriage is floating on glowing bulbs. The streetlights are using lighted fluid. People are dressed formally and what each person is wearing is perfect for their purpose. Navigating is easy - everything is in its perfect place. Everyone is very formal and excruciatingly polite. The people here are also very similar to one another. There is not much variation.
- Curious why Bastiano would come here, Ethan finds one section of the town which is not as strong in Eidolon. Ethan researches the history of this place and finds reference to a terrible ‘Convergence’ that occurred about a thousand years ago. People started to lose their individuality. The history makes reference to Bastiano as a hero and saviour. Ethan finds that there is a Tower here that holds a fragment of Umbra and the Umbral influence creates the slightest bit of deviation and variation in the population, allowing them to retain their individuality. Fascinated as Bastiano is not an engineer, Ethan wonders how such a device could have been constructed. He locates a room with a door that only a Warden could open, and inside there are many designs and notes about how the place was constructed, but there is no clue as to the engineer’s identity. Outside the Tower, the people of Angylne have erected a plaque which commemorates Bastiano.
- Grant thinks about the four Night Claws that he just met. Jax of the Spire, Siathene. Ma’ax. Grinst. Four Dwimmerlaik young ‘punks’. He knows that they will be back but isn’t sure what to do about it. He can’t very well tell Drake - Drake would just send his troops in to kill them.
- Grant tries to trace Abbie’s hedron to others but the Wayfinding just points him to the Door. Abbie remarks that she found the second one when she last visited the Agora, which suggests that there are more of them out there. They appear attract one another. Grant is curious about it.
- Tea at the master of the Blue Crane (Master Hon) is pleasant but Abbie feels a little embarrassed by the attention. Given that Grant is masking his powers, he is assumed to be Abbie’s student or a servant. He is treated well but is not given any special treatment). After their meeting with Master Hon, Grant escorts her back to a Door and Abbie wishes Grant well as she departs. (This is an important moment as after this, Abbie vanishes for a number of sessions, seemingly without trace).
- Grant decides to change his appearance in an alley. He now appears as a local. He continues to hide his Warden ability but now only partially masks his power. He meets an acolyte from the Blue Crane dojo and impresses him sufficiently that he is taken back to meet Master Hon. There he introduces himself as Rook (aka ‘the Black Bird’). They converse. Grant asks about formally challenging the Night Claws and finding the correct etiquette to do so.
- Grant has a bout with some of the Blue Crane students and demonstrates why he has Dominant Rank Warfare. He defeats them all but he treats them with respect.
- Leaving Master Hon, Grant finds a way to contact Misako from Channel 5 (whom he remembers from the alternate timeline as a reporter who frequently presents on ‘Streetfighter Duels’. He tips her off that he will have a story for her.
- From here, Grant (as Rook) demonstrates his prowess on the street by defeating one of the Black Scorpions, drawing attention and eventually leading him to Leroy (again, known to Grant from the previous timeline). Leroy introduces Rook to the underground ‘Fight Club’ and Rook goes to work, defeating opponents from a range of different schools and building his reputation within Neo-Yokohama.
- Two days later, the Blue Crane are attacked by the Night Claws. The Blue Crane are defeated and Master Hon disappears. Grant decides to repeat what he did in this realm in the previous timeline. He uses Leroy to find Streetfighters who are hated (typically foreigners) and he formally challenges them and defeats them, one by one. Misako regularly covers his victories. Leroy is happy - he’s getting rich.
- After a week of this, Grant decides to openly challenge the Night Claws. A battleground is chosen and battle is joined at the appropriate time. The battle is fierce and there is much property damage. They attack him as a group but Grant defeats them, one by one. When they are beaten, he asks them where Master Hon is and none of them know. Noting that Siathene seems to be wearing metal gauntlets and armour under his gi, Grant asks him what his armour is made from and he is told ‘Darksteel’. He is intrigued by this given how light and strong the material is. He directs the Dwimmerlaik youths to submit to his rule and instructs them to blend in and be more respectful in future. The youths accept Grant’s judgement. They believe him to be a superior Dwimmerlaik warrior who has given them an order. They limp away.
- Grant goes to find Master Hon and finds that some of the Blue Crane students drove him into the mountains. Grant joins him and stays in the mountain retreat. He asks if Master Hon will teach him and Master Hon is honoured.
- Grant and Olin have been doing jobs for Drake. This latest assignment finds them in a wartorn Beirut-like city where shells are falling nearby. Grant looks at Olin’s scared face and he decides that he has had enough. He needs a break. He wants out. He uses an Icon to contact Sophia.
- Lady Sophia accepts the contact. Grant and Olin find themselves on Marindan vessels travelling across the sea to the eastern nation of Arasawa. Using magic to clean them up, they continue on their way and are treated well on arrival. Grant relaxes and shows Olin around. After a few days of diplomacy, they leave Lady Sophia to continue with the negotiations and they return to Central via a Door. There, Olin is reunited with his friends (he has many girlfriends in Central) and Grant slips away.
- Grant returns to ‘Neo-Yokohama’, a world near Nexopolis that he visited when in the alternate timeline. This is a modern world where it is commonplace to have ninjas with magical powers.
- Grant learns about the Crescent Moon, the Blue Crane, the Blazing Fists and the mysterious Night Claws that have recently arrived on the scene. Each has their own unique ways of fighting. He sees Leroy on the street but Leroy doesn’t recognise him in this timeline.
- Investigating the Night Claws, he finds that they have a history as the nation’s shadowmasters. They helped these people to win the last World War but then vanished into obscurity.
- Grant senses another Warden nearby. As Grant wanders around, he watches a Blue Crane (who uses Lightning) face off against a Crescent Moon (who channels chi energy through a metal staff). The bout draws attention of locals and tourists.
- As he wanders further he receives an Icon contact from Abbie. Surprised, he accepts the call and she comes through to join him. At first she stands out from the locals but she uses sorcery to change her clothes and enable her to understand and speak the native tongue.
- They sit down to eat at a small shop on the side of the road. Abbie asks Grant what is wrong with Ethan - he’s never around, he is always away and whenever she tries to talk to him, he becomes evasive. Grant tries to defend Ethan - he sees her point but doesn’t know what is his problem (or at least doesn’t think it is his place to say).
- Then Abbie shows Grant a small metal hedron and asks if Grant knows anything about it. She explains that Ethan won it in a poker game from Yaeger Zane. Neither of them knows where Yaeger got it from. She produces a second one - same dimensions but larger.
* Image found on Google Images
- Sensing the presence of a nearby Warden, Grant becomes more guarded. He also notes that there are other ninjas (streetfighters) gathering nearby, eyeing them. Grant knows that he is cloaking his own strength so he guesses that they can sense Abbie’s magical potency.
- Then the Warden approaches them. It is a local youth who looks pretty tough. He flicks a cigarette aside as he approaches and says that his name is Jax of the Spire. He appears to be spoiling for a fight. Then three more of them come in, all Wardens. One is a beanpole, a second has broad shoulders and even thicker arms. A fourth hangs back, a little uncertain. The moment is a little tense.
- Grant guesses that these four are Dwimmerlaik and they are uncertain about who he is. Using his knowledge of the Dwimmerlaik and their language, he starts a conversation with Jax and confuses them. They appear to be Dwimmerlaik ‘teenagers’ and they seem to think that Grant might be an adult Dwimmerlaik. It’s very clear that these are the four Night Claws that have been attacking the other groups.
- About this time, a senior student from the Blue Crane enters and invites Abbie ‘to tea’. Jax is insulted but is flattened by the grey-haired student. Excusing themselves, Abbie and Grant leave and Abbie goes to the home of the Blue Crane to ‘take tea’ while the Dwimmerlaik youths are clearly thinking about revenge.
- Ethan has been hard at work investigating what is left of Bastiano’s holdings, looking for useful assets. In his investigation he has become aware of a group of information gatherers (and fixes) who wear the emblem of a blue bird. Ethan wants to know what they know so he sets up a meeting. A codephrase is given and Ethan heads to a specific Door.
- Beyond the Door is a ballroom where a masquerade Feymoon ball is underway. Everyone wears feathery masks. There is a lot of stray magic here, a great deal of glamourwork and glittering faerie dust falls from the chandelier. Ethan enters using Mental Invisibility (sorcery) and goes to find a costume. He wanders around, intrigued. Whilst he peruses, Isabelle arrives and she appears to be looking for someone.
- Ethan reveals his presence to Isabelle. She is pleased to see him. They flirt a little and enjoy each other’s company. They are both here for the same individual - someone called Blue Jay who has not yet arrived.
- Later in the evening Blue Jay arrives and Ethan discovers that whereas Isabelle means to do harm to this individual, Ethan is more interested in recruiting him and hearing what he has to say. They broker a deal and Ethan finds out that Blue Jay is most worried about a girl who came to the last Feymoon ball and never returned. Ethan goes in search of her and finds her in a pocket reality within one of the mirrors that surround the ballroom. The missing girl has been dancing all of this time.
- The missing girl is reunited with her father, Blue Jay, and he offers to help Ethan. They organise a separate meeting. Isabelle is a bit disappointed to let Blue Jay go for now but she promises a reckoning. With the ball still in full swing, Ethan and Isabelle return to the dance floor and have a marvellous evening.
- At last, Ethan decides to leave. Five minutes after leaving, he receives an Icon contact from Abbie. She sounds sad. She asks why he is spending time with Isabelle. (GM’s note - Abbie is a sorceress but this is the first time she has demonstrated clairvoyance/precognition/divination style abilities).
More to follow. We ran Session 175 yesterday.... I'm now doing abbreviated posts in order to catch up. The game is beginning to suffer because of the number of plots running concurrently and I haven't been able to keep up with the write-ups.
- Grant has been very busy exploring the remnant’s of Bastiano’s empire. Bastiano had more realms and more influence than anyone knew. What is left is a mess and there are many of Bastiano’s former generals who are ‘on the move’. There are many hotspots.
- Drake’s soothsayer, a frost giantess named Skadi, has had a premonition of impending doom on the world of Thera (a Greco-Roman realm). Olin travels with Grant. He has become a useful and enjoyable companion to travel with. Olin plays a musical instrument similar to a mandolin, he knows his place and remains very open and curious about the wonderful places that Grant visits. It reminds Grant to see ‘magic’ wherever he goes.
- They stop for a night in a little house by the woods. A very stupid dwarf answers the door and Grant is let in. The dwarfs who own the wayhouse aren’t particularly welcoming until Grant reveals that he can speak their native tongue [GM’s note - Warden of the Stair ability] and he has coin and is prepared to pay for a night’s lodgings. They brighten at this and Grant gets to know the Dwarfs, one by one. That evening they learn that there are many semi-intelligent wild animals outside who attack travellers. They scratch at the doors and shuttered windows of the dwarf house but cannot get in. After an evening of revelry and drunken singing, the travellers sleep. The dwarfs snore through the animals continue to fumble at the shuttered windows and scamper across the roof, trying to find a way in. In the morning, the travellers continue on….
- Ethan is travelling on the Stair, passing through a realm ruled by an ancient eldar wizard when he receives a tug in his mind. A mental pull. It is not an Icon contact. The ‘wind’ seems to be calling his name. Curious, Ethan hunts for the source. After a while, the call stops and Ethan is not sure where to go. After a rest in a ‘Mid-Western’ town (it pours with rain overnight), Ethan hears the call once more. Passing through a section of Stair that looks like wickerwork, he finds a weathered Door. On the other side is a township immersed in a fog which saps life and animates the dead. Ethan goes hunting for the source of the call and finds a small girl who has taken up refuge in a church.
* Image taken from The Long Walk (p30) - artist unknown
- Ethan is surprised when he finds that it is the girl who has been calling his name. He doesn’t know that this could be done [GM’s note - Invocation]. She knew of him through a man called Gaunt who was a colleague of Ethan’s as an Imperial Warden (in the service of the Dwimmerlaik). However Gaunt died and was buried here. The local parson is no longer the man he was - he seems to have been corrupted by the demon mist and he has many servants.
- Ethan doesn’t like the idea of fighting a fog but there is a mind within it. He asks Abbie via Icon for two of the ghostshells that he found in Boraelis and he detonates them in this realm, destroying the mist.
- Ethan takes the little girl, named Hilda, with him. He contacts Abbie and they leave the realm. Ethan is surprised to find that Hilda has ‘ranked Psyche’.
- Passing through a medieval realm, Grant is confronted by a shining knight who refuses to let him cross a bridge. He warned that there are ‘demons’ on the other side. Overpowering him, Grant crosses the bridge and finds himself in a shadow world where everything is bleak and desolate. A hulking knight who is a warped version of the shining knight awaits him on the other side. Worse, the defeated knight’s squire, Olin, has followed Grant and ended up in the ‘demon realm’ with him. The hulking knight lets Grant and Olin pass. They make their way through withered lands to a worn stone castle, the home of the so-called ‘Thorn King’. There, Grant exits the realm via Door, taking Olin with him.
- Ethan spends time investigating the Ghostglobes, looking for a practical application. He has figured out that there must be a massive number of these but it is difficult to siphon the energy off them in a controlled manner. He tests some on deserted worlds. Ethan spends some time in Boraelis, getting to know Old Sam and Tess. Old Sam is much like Bastiano but he is old and he has clearly diverged. Tess is a descendent of Bastiano and she clearly longs to be elsewhere. Ethan shows her Marindar which she appreciates. Ethan reports to Drake that Bastiano had family in the realm which is why he kept returning to Boraelis. He doesn’t report to Ghostglobes (which may be a problem at a later date). He resolves to keep tabs on Boraelis and return from time to time.
- On the Stair, Ethan finds an alcove in which there are mannequin heads stuck on top of stakes. It reminds Ethan of Fambol. Using psychometry, Ethan gets a sense of the person who placed these. A studious and measured old man, Ethan doesn’t recognise him. Searching carefully, Ethan finds a compartment, hidden in the alcove. Within is some written material (the handwriting is awful) and a strange statue with closed-eyes. Sensing a trap, Ethan removes the guardian using telekinesis (sorcery) and finds a puzzle box and a cylinder. He removes them for further study but finds that he cannot replace the statue into the compartment - it will no longer fit.
GM’s Observations
- This session was originally run on 6th September 2018 but I’m running behind in the writeups. Again, I’m going to keep the session writeup short.
Major Characters
- Macavity, Isabelle
* Image by jas-tham on DeviantART
Adversaries
- None
Adventure Hook
- Continuation from previous session. A ghostly cannonball has exploded and killed many in Harbourtown.
Adventure Summary
- In Boraelis, the population is still in shock. There is a lot of talk in the poor quarter that ‘the rats’ are very active. It is not immediately obvious that they are talking about ‘the Rats’ as an organised group of people but this becomes apparent later on.
- Ethan contacts Drake via Icon and asks if he knows of any ghostly artefacts that Bastiano had. Drake remembers a ring but that was a long time ago.
- Ethan then contacts Isabelle and explains he has a ‘shiny thing’ which might be of interest to her (he retained one of the ghostly cannonballs). He wonders about whether Abbie would disapprove of him inviting Isabelle to join him. Macavity seems to sense what Ethan is doing - he purrs and curls up, saying nothing. It is not long before Isabelle contacts Ethan back. She joins him and they greet each other affectionately. Ethan shows her the ball and she is intrigued. After studying it for a while, Ethan suggests that they find a snack. Without thinking, he adds a bottle of wine to the order and they have a nice meal together.
- Isabelle studies the cannonball. She looks at it through a pair of spectacles which have many lenses. She suggests that some of the ball is here in this realm and some of it is ‘elsewhere’, on some other layer. She appreciates Ethan sharing such an interesting thing with her. They chat, and Ethan enjoys her company a great deal. At last, Isabelle says that she’d like to study it further. She secures it carefully with some thin hair ribbons made of blue fabric and then she uses an Icon to leave. Ethan assumes that she has contacted Lucien.
- Ethan decides to go for a stroll to see what else he can find. Macavity refuses to join him - his belly is too full of fish. Ethan wanders alone. He looks at some of the different warehouses by the waterfront. Hours pass. He contacts Abbie via Icon which makes him feel a little less guilty about enjoying Isabelle’s company. He contacts Grant via Icon. Grant is only briefly available to talk. He looks battle-worn and tired. Grant asks about the poker game and Ethan admits that he had forgotten all about it. Grant reminds him that it is coming up soon. The conversation is brief.
- Bored, Ethan wonders where the previous night’s market merchandise may have shifted to. He spots some illicit trade but nothing out of the ordinary. It is late when he finally sees a group of laden barges leaving the dock area and heading for a boat in the harbour. It is a fairly nondescript sailing vessel which isn’t made of saltwood. With his keen eyesight, he spies some of the individuals that he put to sleep in the warehouse. The boat is a few hundred yards from shore and he decides to head back to the inn to get Macavity.
- On the way he briefly contacts Abbie to tell her that he intends to stowaway on a ship and that he may not be easily contactable for a while.
- Arriving back at the inn, he asks Macavity about whether he would be willing to travel on a boat. Surprisingly, Macavity seems strangely interested in the experience.
- Returning to the waterfront, Ethan feels that he is being followed. The boat that he was watching has left port and is making its way slowly out to sea.
- Ethan confronts his pursuer and the young boy offers to take him to see the ‘Master of Rats’. In a nearby pub, Ethan meets the same fellow who was at the fountain the previous day. He appears to be Bastiano but a much older Bastiano. This man ‘Old Sam’ wanted to meet Ethan and asks if he brings news from Bastiano. Old Sam isn’t surprised to hear that Bastiano is dead. They knew something was up given that he hasn’t been here in some time. Ethan asks why Bastiano would care about this place and Old Sam says that he was found of Tess (the girl from the warehouse). Ethan surmises that Tess is one of Bastiano’s descendants.
- Ethan asks about the ghost artefacts and Old Sam explains politely that they aren’t made here but they are traded in exchange for good, fresh food and rum. If the exchange is not made, the cannonballs are fired on Harbourtown (as has happened before). So the people here quietly make the exchange and send the ghost cannonballs elsewhere. Old Sam describes a process which sounds like an Icon mural which is only activated when the pieces are put together.
- Old Sam describes a theft of some of the cannonballs which has never happened before. He seems very tired. Ethan is intrigued by this and asks to see the exchange - he wants to know where these come from. Old Sam agrees to this. Ethan gets the impression that Old Sam knows that he’s dealing with a Lord of Gossamer and it’s best to do what Ethan wants rather than object.
- Old Sam heads to a small skiff with a tarpaulin over it. Removing the tarpaulin, they board and head off at a rapid speed. The skiff is unnaturally fast and it quickly catches up to the departing vessel.
- The ship is heading for a bank of clouds which extends down to the water. There is the occasional flash of lightning. A rope ladder is lowered and Ethan boards, carrying Macavity. Old Sam climbs up last and the skiff is tethered. Most people onboard here are armed. Ethan sits down, stays out of the way and observes.
- The crew is professional. They don’t say much. There is a tension here as they enter the clouds and the storm. After a time, the storm dies down - then there is a bubbling in the water as something large and heavy rises up from the deep. It is an enormous sailing ship, covered in seaweed and barnacles. In the moonlight, Ethan sees rigging, sails and people walking around the deck. It is a galleon with rows of cannons with a tattered jolly roger flag. The crew are all rags and bones, except in moonlight.
- The ghostly pirate ship glides over and gangplanks are lowered. The exchange is conducted in almost total silence, directed by Tess. Even though she is clearly not the captain, she appears in charge of this critical activity.
* Image by AizelKon on DeviantART
- Barrels of apple, beer and other foodstuffs are handed over to the ghostly pirates. The pirates rejoice in silence as they chew on the tobacco, eat the foodstuffs and cheer soundlessly. Then the pirates hand over chests of cannonballs. (Ethan notes that Macavity slips as quietly as a four legged shadow onto the pirate ship for a look around) There is a clear ritual to be followed here as part of the exchange.
- Once the cannonballs are onboard, the crew from Harbourtown look visibly relieved. The ghostly pirates depart and their ship sinks beneath the waves. Ethan studies Tess - there is some likeness of Bastiano in her face and some features common to her and Lady Sophia. She is definitely a descendent. Perhaps a granddaughter.
- At last Ethan is told more about what is going on. There are rules to the exchange and they were not permitted to talk to Ethan about it until he had participated. There would have also been consequences for them if Ethan had interrupted the exchange. Dire consequences for Harbourtown.
- Ethan talks to Macavity about what he saw on the ship. Macavity found it all very interesting. Ethan wonders how often this happens. Tess confirms that the exchange happens every full moon and this exchange has been going on ‘for generations’. Ethan does the math - that means that there is a very large number of these weapons of mass destruction.
- The vessel returns to Harbourtown much later that night. Ethan and Macavity disembark with Old Sam. Old Sam says good night and heads off to bed. On the way back to the inn, Ethan sees a strange ghostly woman in the streets who has some resemblance to Tess. She waves to Ethan and vanishes. This could be why the people of Harbourtown use rooftop cross-walks after dark.
- They make their way back to the inn, wondering what could practically be done with these ghostly cannonballs. He also wonders what to tell Drake, if anything.
Other Impacts
- Introduction of Tess, Bastiano’s granddaughter (?)
