- Ethan’s Divination spell indicates to him that the battle for the Legendary Realm has already begin even though there is no opposing army on the field. He feels someone probing subtly at the gossamer reality of the Legendary Realm, testing how much control Ethan has and how sensitive he is to tiny manipulations. None of the other sorcerers in his employ seem to be aware of the tiny changes that are attempted. But Ethan is aware and he is relaxed. He corrects every change that is made and makes it clear to his opponent that he is in control here. This is his domain. He is well prepared.
- He expects some sort of overture or parley but none comes. He wonders why Bolas does not attempt to bargain with him. Is the Elder Dragon afraid of him? Or is Bolas so confident that he doesn’t feel the need to bargain with Ethan. He assumes that it is the latter.
- As the hours pass, Ethan feels Bolas attempting bolder intervention – he tests Ethan’s strength and each time is rebuffed. Ethan holds the Silver Crown in reserve but is prepared to wear it when needed.
- A black, earthy mist rises in the east and begins to float across the land. Ethan counters it. At dusk a portal opens and a small group of humanoid figures march towards the Bloodstone capital. They are met by Bloodstone cavalry, led by Lady Abigail and accompanied by Macavity. An eyeless vizier greets them coldly and advises that he has a message for their ‘Lord and Master’. He then explodes, wiping out all of his own entourage and flattening the Bloodstone cavalry.
* Image sourced from Google, but this is by Heonhwa Choe (Herald of the Dreadhorde, MTG Card)
- Twenty horses are killed or maimed, and five killed. Lady Abigail is blasted off her horse but she survives, protected by a shield spell cast by Macavity. Ethan is relieved. When he asks her via Icon if she is okay, she coolly thanks him for his concern and remarks that Bolas doesn’t seem interested in talking. She observes that the enemy is trying to demoralise them and cuts the contact abruptly.
- The first wave of Bolas’ army comes less than two hours later. An army of inhuman blue skeletons materialises via hedron portal from Zendikar and marches upon the Bloodstone capital. They are led by a hulking undead minotaur lord. The battle in the darkness is fiercely fought and bloody.
- There is little or no break between waves. Bolas’ army just keeps coming in one massive grind, creating a terrible slaughter across the land. Inhuman slivers are seeded amongst the undead legions. A group of winged skeleton vampires joins the fray. Glowing fire gargants, massive and hulking, hurl huge balls of magma at the defenders over great distances. A group of metallic iron-men who seem impervious to normal weapons are sent into the fight. The battle rages and rages, seemingly without end as the dead and dying continue to mount. Bolas’ legions seem endless.
- Liliana’s undead army takes the brunt of the assault, shielding the living Bloodstone defenders from the worst and giving them time to rest and regroup from time to time. Liliana is a capable general, and she reanimates the fallen defenders (and attackers where she can) to prolong the fight. Ethan resists entering the fray, using his generalship (ie: Warfare), Eidolon-reinforced sorcery and the Silver Crown to direct the defenders.
- The two opposing armies are both so strong that it quickly becomes deadlocked. Even when new elements are committed to the fight such as the stout-limbed black orcs or the armoured crab-creatures which liquify their opponents, they are quickly bogged down and countered. Still there is no sign of Nicol Bolas in person.
- A day of fierce fighting passes. Ethan uses the Silver Crown to protect his army as a whole, but he keeps a particular eye on Abigail and Macavity. That afternoon the iron-men break through Baron Tranth’s lines and Ethan orders Isabelle into the field along with her mechanical golems. She almost cries when Ethan tells her to go personally. She didn’t come here to fight in a war and she is shocked that Ethan would tell her to go and fight. She does what she is asked to do but it is clear to Ethan that he has crossed a line. In spite of the personal danger, Isabelle’s golems are successful in repelling the attackers.
- Ethan receives an Icon contact from Eric (Drake’s son) asking for help in Nexopolis. Fighting has broken out there – he refuses to help. A few hours later Drake follows up but again, Ethan refuses.
- A second day passes. Abigail continues to be in good spirits despite the heavy fighting. She, Macavity and Emlyn the Grey are working well as a team, backed up by General Leslie’s command and a surprisingly well-disciplined warband of Bloody Hand orcs. They have already driven back Bolas’ minotaur general on two occasions.
- Ethan surmises that Bolas is trying to wear down the defenders to the point that a weakness will reveal itself. He worries about Liliana – if Bolas is able to remove her from the fight, the undead will no longer be controllable. He talks to her about it (given that she is directing her army from a safe distance - inside the Bloodstone capital). Despite two days of near continuous warfare, she is still calm and resolute. She remarks that his strategy doesn’t seem to be working as it’s not drawing Bolas out. Ethan wonders how much she has suspected of his plan. Disregarding the thought, he orders her onto the battlefield to take personal command of her troops and buffs her using Eidolon. After being buffed, she refuses to go and tells Ethan that it’s ‘safer’ where she is. Ethan agrees with her assessment that it’s safer to stay in the capital, but Bolas hasn’t sent any of his ‘heavy hitters’ against them yet. He wants to draw them out and he believes (via Divination) that they’ll enter the field if they are on it. Liliana laughs at this and agrees to go if he does.
- As they leave the capital, Ethan discovers that the Grandfather of Assassins has been busy killing some of Bolas’ jackal headed minions that have ghostwalked their way into the city. Ethan takes to the field in his dragon-armour and dragon-shield. There is a roar of approval from the Bloodstone troops as he leads them in battle. As a fighter, Ethan is the greatest among them (GM’s note – high ranked Warfare, but less than Grant’s dominant rank) and he cuts a swath through the enemy ranks with an Eidolon-reinforced axe. Ethan knows that it is only a matter of time before Bolas moves against him and his generals directly now that he is on the field. He decides to make best use of the time and hunt down the enemy general – the minotaur lord Angron.
* Image sourced from Google, but this is by Chris Rahn (Neheb the Eternal, MTG Card)
- Grant carries on along the bleak Stair. It is freezing cold. The Doors here are mostly jammed shut by ice. Occasionally he finds an open Door which won’t close and the cold has transformed the realm beyond into a blasted wintery wilderness.
- If anything it is getting colder as he progresses. This makes sense – he must be slowly approaching the source of this alien cold but he has no idea how far away it is. The cold is slowly robbing him of his strength and he can’t use his Mastery of the Stair to find a shortcut as he doesn’t know where he is going. He also notes that this strange cold absorbs light as well as heat. It is darkening even the Stair.
- This cold seems to have affected a great number of worlds – there are many junctions and many branches of the Stair here. Then suddenly he finds the frozen body of an elf. One of Drake’s pathfinders. The body is frozen to the floor. Moving on he finds more elven bodies, all as lifeless as the first.
- Pushing on further he hears a strange buzzing sound ahead. Rather than try to avoid it, he pushes on. He enters a new section of Stair resembling an Elizabethan-era house of white-washed walls, wood panelling and high ceilings. There are occasional portraits on the walls. Then he spots a small buzzing creature about two feet tall. It does not look friendly.
* Image sourced from Google
- The creature appears curious about Grant. He is unable to communicate with it and it decides after a while that he might be food. It tries to spear Grant with its tail but Grant quickly lops it off and dispatches it when it begins screeching. Wondering if the creature might be more suited to the cold than his other forms, Grant assumes its form. Indeed it seems to be well suited to this unearthly cold – it still feels the cold and is being sapped by it, but not to the same degree as his other forms.
- Proceeding on in demonspawn form, he finds large swarms of these small demons but they mostly ignore him as he is ‘one of them’. He also finds two golden armoured corpses that have been stripped of flesh. Both have lightning bolt and cloud symbols on their armour. One carried a warhammer. Neither have any Icons.
- Grant guesses that the white imps are enforcing some sort of perimeter on the Stair and he quickly finds out that this is correct when he goes further and hears the buzzing behind him rather than in front.
- He feels that he is reaching the source of the cold but before he can reach the target Door, he is confronted by a large guardian who blocks the approach. Even in shadow form, the guardian appears able to perceive him. Unable to slip past him, Grant prepares to engage the ice demon but is distracted by an Icon contact from Marindar. Withdrawing, he finds that Matteo, the Captain of the Guard needs to talk to him as the anomaly on Naso has returned.
- Grant is frustrated by this situation. If he returns to Marindar then he cannot easily return to this place on the Stair. Effectively he will have wasted his time in coming this far but he cannot ignore that there is still someone on Naso who is capable of opening a void portal and it is only a matter of time before something comes through, creating a serious problem for him.
- Thinking quickly, he decides to contact Ethan and ask for another ‘Eidolon Grenade’ to buy him some more time. Ethan accepts the contact – again he is distracted. When Grant asks for another device (similar to the one that was used in Session 177), Ethan is able to easily pass him another as he and Isabelle have prepared more (GM’s note – Grant has Good Stuff). Grant then contacts Matteo, hands him the grenade and tells him how to use it.
- Grant knows that this won’t permanently solve the problem in Marindar but it buys him some time. Unable to communicate with the ice demon, he confronts and kills it using Gorgorin and carries on.
* Image sourced from Google
- The source of the cold is not far beyond the ice demon. The Door is wide open and beyond is a frozen wasteland of bitter cold and blue ice. Nothing is moving.
* Image sourced from Google
- Stepping through, Grant enters a world of terribly high mountains capped by snow and ice. This place is desolate and stark. A frozen hell of a world. He can sense more than one Door here.
- Shapeshifting back into the ice imp form, Grant takes to the air to find the source of the cold. He passes over mountains. He sees towers of cold iron. He sees rivers burning below him with a cold blue light. He passes over great glaciers that grind slowly against the desolate landscape.
- At last he reaches a high mountain where a great fortress of iron has been built into the mountainside. The fortress is partly encased in blue ice. The whole structure radiates intense cold.
- Picking an opening, he heads into the fortress. Inside there are few creatures but all are strangely tolerant of the intense chill. But their flesh has withered and they are nearly dead. Semi-frozen giants with black patches on their skin move slowly around the citadel. Gaunt faces with blank eyes wander aimlessly through ice-choked passages. Strange vegetation glows a bluey-purple colour. Everywhere there is ice.
- Grant heads down to the lower levels and finds another Door, open. Frustrated once more, he realises that this frozen world is just another world that has been affected by the strange cold. It isn’t the source after all. He is about to head onto this new section of Stair when he receives an Icon contact from Drake.
- Drake asks after Grant’s health and progress. Drake reports that fighting has broken out on the Stair between his forces and a Dwimmerlaik warlord named Raikan. It wasn’t a planned action – the two groups apparently surprised each other on the Stair and neither side has been holding back. Drake asks whether the Dwimmerlaik could be somehow involved in this. Grant doubts this. Drake also reports that there has been some fighting in Nexopolis and that he’s sent his son, Eric, to investigate. He encourages Grant to keep hunting for the source of the cold.
- Heading once more onto the Stair, the cold is even more penetrating here. After six hours, even Grant is feeling tired. He hasn’t seen a soul – this section of the Stair is so cold as to be devoid of any life.
- Grant has travelled many places on the Stair but it is rare that he has felt so isolated. Dark, cold, weary and with no easy means of retreat, Grant is almost relieved to receive an Icon contact from home. Unfortunately Lady Lucia has bad news. Matteo, the Captain of the Guard, is dead. There are creatures invading Naso. She explains that Matteo found the man who had opened the void portal, tracking down a missing child to a cave on the island which is accessible only by the sea. He went there with a group of armed guards but didn’t come back. Grant recognises that he can’t ignore this situation. He contacts Ethan but Ethan refuses to help, saying that Nicol Bolas has begun his attack on the Legendary Realm. Reluctantly, he will have to deal with the situation himself….
- Grant accepts the Icon contact from Drake and he finds himself in Ineswitrin but the place is in the grip of an unearthly winter. It is bitterly cold here and Grant adjusts his form, adding some blubber.
* Image by Benjamin Haley on DeviantART
- Drake explains that this terrible cold is coming from one of the Doors that leads into this place. The Stair is being used as a conduit to carry the cold. He has sent many onto the Stair including some of his vassals who are rugged enough to withstand normal cold but none have returned.
- Passing Frost Giants and thickly clad Snow Elves, Drake takes Grant into the bowels of the castle that is the source of the cold. Two heavily garbed elves guard the Door. Even though the Door is shut, the cold can be felt through the Door. Neither Drake nor Grant have seen anything like it before but they both note that if the cold is using the Stair to travel, then it will be affecting many, many worlds. Drake opens the Door and immediately a layer of frost and ice forms around the edge of the Door, jamming it open. The Stair beyond the Door is dark and terribly, bitterly cold.
- Grant asks about whether the other Lords of Gossamer have been alerted to this threat and Drake tells him that Cal and Lucien were both investigating, but he hasn’t heard from either of them in two days. He suggests that Grant might succeed where others have failed.
- Grant agrees and heads onto the Stair. Drake and his elves cut away the ice so that they can shut the Door.
- On the Stair the cold is even worse. This section of Stair feels like a deep, dark dungeon. Grant feels that something is lurking here – a presence somewhere in the darkness. He uses Wayfinding and starts hunting for the source of the cold. After a while, he finds the cold uncomfortable and he changes into his shadow-form, a form that should be impervious to cold and yet he still feels it.
- After hours on the Stair without any normal light (but Grant can see in the dark), he decides to contact Drake via Icon. Grant thinks that this cold is a diversion of some kind. He tells Drake about the void portal in Marindar and asks Drake if there are any other ‘odd’ things going on. Drake again notes from odd behaviour from Sybelle in Nexopolis. He agrees with Grant’s assessment that there is something going on.
- Cutting the contact, Grant goes to find a place to rest and get a hot meal. This involves multiple Doors as locks so that the cold does not reach deeper into the Stair. When he has eaten, he contacts Ethan via Icon to let him know of the danger of opening Doors which have a strange cold behind them. Ethan acknowledges this but he seems distracted. Ethan seems on the cusp of saying something but he does not.
- GM’s note: About three months ago, David said to me that he’d like the Nicol Bolas plotline wrapped up. He didn’t want an Elder Dragon hanging around as a ‘big bad’ for years. So, I had to think very hard about how they could confront an Elder Dragon and either win, or alternatively lose in a satisfying way that would mean that we wouldn’t be spending game sessions trying to remedy the situation. I talked with David about Nicol Bolas wanting control of the Legendary Realm (and hinted that he might be after the Silver Crown which gives him control over reality, but this was never stated). We discussed at length what would happen if Nicol Bolas won. That is, he would seize control of the Legendary Realm and then expand his influence from there. Ethan would no longer be in control of the Legendary Realm so he would be out on the Stair once more, travelling again. This is in character for him and I didn’t mind Ethan losing and losing badly. I kick Ethan quite a bit (given that he is a Bad Stuff character).
But the next question is – could Ethan actually win? I laid out how Ethan could potentially do it, and David agreed that this was how it should play out. It would be a win, but a win with serious consequences for the future…. It would change Ethan as a character going forward and his place amongst the other Lords of Gossamer.
So, I continued GMing the plotline whilst David played. Hence Grant is being pulled in all directions, firefighting and only at the end being pulled into the main plot. This is intentional. This is deliberate.
Anyway, I hope the readers enjoy reading this. If people want to know exactly how we decided who was victorious in each battle (and there are many battles), I have all of that documented. Needless to say, we used their Attributes, Good Stuff v Bad Stuff situation but we also used FATE Cards to add a spot of randomness in – to find out whether things went as expected…. Or not.
Enjoy!
- The writeup will be covered in 10 parts.
Ye gads.... Session 178 writeup awaits.
There are *only* 3 pages of pre-session notes and *only* 15 pages of actual notes from the session.
I think this writeup is going to take me an evening or two to write.....
Ouch....
It's a good thing that I like writing these writeups.
- GM’s note: This the final lead up session to the war with Nicol Bolas. From here, things get nasty and both Grant and Ethan need to make ‘Devil’s Alternative’ choices – ie: they make choices where there are hard consequences.
- Grant spends a few days making sure that the world that he plans to leave Pike, Kislet and the other survivors in is going to be suitable. It is fertile, food is easy to gather, there are old structures here but the original inhabitants have moved on and there are no other communities nearby. The plague won’t kill them here and Kislet’s magic doesn’t work.
- Once he is satisfied that the situation is dealt with, Grant heads back onto the Stair and cleanses himself using Umbra to make sure that he is not carrying the plague elsewhere. He contacts Meliander, his old friend on Marindar.
* Image by DeivCalviz on DeviantART
- Meliander is currently a librarian in Central but he is a capable sorcerer and has a good memory. Grant discusses the question of the dead rising with Meliander. Meliander tells him that while it is current custom to burn bodies, there are some communities that still bury their dead, and the ancient Marindans did bury their dead. He also points out that animals don’t bury their dead so if this effect is not limited to people then that might mean that animals would also rise. Grant asks for Meliander’s assistance to investigate these theories.
- Grant then contacts the Captain of the Guard. He asks if there have been any unusual disturbances. The Captain says that two days ago, one of the Doors opened, a guard ‘fainted’ but quickly recovered. There was nothing on the camera and the guards recovered. A sweep was performed of the area but nothing was found. There is nothing special about the Door and nothing further to report. Grant frowns at this – it suggests that someone or something else is on Marindar.
- Grant wonders how else to tackle this ‘rising dead’ problem. He knows that the Marindans go to Hades in the afterlife, but he isn’t welcome there. (GM’s note – way back to Session 47)
- He contacts Lady Lucia, Lady Sophia’s aide. Lucia is a shorter, slightly stockier Marindan woman but she is very much a people person. Grant asks her if there have been any reports from the nearby realms about unusual cold or rising dead. Lucia says that Arcadia is reporting unusual cold – she was talking about it only yesterday. Other than that, she doesn’t know but she promises to find out.
- Grant moves on, wary of spending too long in any one part of the Stair. He makes himself difficult to find and then decides to contact Lady Vala. Lady Vala accepts the contact but she is clearly distracted. They exchange information and Vala confesses that there is a lot ‘going on’. She suggests that Grant investigate Nexopolis as there is something brewing there. She also says that if Drake calls upon him, he should assume that the need is dire. Grant asks about Lucien and Vala says that she has not heard from him.
- Grant returns to Marindar and heads to Naso via one of the anti-gravity vehicles. Naso is one of the few island nations that still buries their dead. He is met formally by Lord Heimloch who rules this island. (GM’s note – first seen in Session 30)
* Image by EvenTrue on DeviantART
- Upon arrival, Grant can sense a strong Umbral signature here though he does not immediately reveal this to Heimloch. They talk, Grant explains that there have been two cases of rising dead and he wanted to come to Naso in person. Heimloch is confused as none of those cases have been reported here. Grant guides the conversation towards the old temple which he can see clearly is out of the ordinary, even if Heimloch cannot. The shadows in this place are darker, the light is dimmed. There appears to be an abyssal portal in the temple. Heimloch is stunned as he cannot see it, but he obeys Lord Grant’s instructions and mobilises soldiers to create a perimeter.
- To Grant’s eyes, the abyssal portal is a sphere of darkness. The problem is that he doesn’t know how to collapse it. Ethan would. He contacts Ethan via Icon but Ethan says that he cannot leave the Legendary Realm at this critical time. Instead he offers to construct a device with Isabelle’s help that Grant can use. A ‘holy hand grenade’, charged with Eidolon. Grant agrees.
- Thirty minutes is a long time to wait. He expects a demonic incursion any minute. He wonders where the person who created this portal would be. The most logical place would be just beyond the event horizon of the portal – where he cannot directly see – but he could be wrong. This Umbral bloom is so strong that there could be another Umbral presence nearby which he cannot sense.
- Heimloch’s men search the island for any intruders. Grant contacts the Captain of the Guard, Lady Lucia and Meliander to report the situation. Lady Lucia tells him that he has an unexpected guest. A Dwimmerlaik called Lord Morla wishes to meet with him. Grant groans and says that he’ll be there in an hour.
- After thirty minutes, Ethan contacts Grant and hands over the Eidolon ‘grenade’. Grant uses it to collapse the portal – on the plus side, the Eidolon burst has restored the temple – it no longer looks so run down; on the down side, Grant is temporarily blinded and his fingers are on fire – it hurts.
- Heading out and back to Central, Grant uses Marindan sorcery to smarten himself up and he heads to a diplomatic waiting room where Lord Morla is expecting him. Lady Lucia briefs him that he is wearing the insignia of House Cavalarn. He has a female adjutant with him.
- Lord Morla is an aged Dwimmerlaik. His antlers are incomplete. He is dressed richly in green and gold with black trims. He carries a ceremonial sword. He greets Grant in the Dwimmerlaik tongue. Grant returns the formal greeting but asks if they could speak in English. Lord Morla agrees.
- Lord Morla says that he speaks for the Empress and he offers his hand in friendship. He wants to know if he is being received in friendship. Grant does so. Switching back to the Dwimmerlaik tongue, Morla says that he has heard that Grant has lived among the Dwimmerlaik. He finds this interesting. He attempts to discern how much familiarity Grant has with Dwimmerlaik culture but Grant refuses to be drawn on it.
- Morla says that the Lords of Gossamer are no friends to the Dwimmerlaik. But if Grant spent time among his people, then he would understand this. Grant is being blamed for or at least contributing to the Civil War. This is a recent development and is being spoken about more openly. Grant is aware of the threat this poses. The more militant members of his people would like to attack Marindar and raze it. Lord Morla strongly suggests that Grant be careful and not to provoke the Dwimmerlaik people. Some of them are only looking for an excuse.
- The dialogue continues pleasantly and Morla asks for his adjutant to remain in Marindar so that the dialogue can continue. Farewells are said, and Lady Lucia is tasked to organize accommodation for Morla’s representative. Grant finds a quiet room and sits down with a bottle of Marindan wine. He is tired. He pours himself a glass of wine but only manages a sip before he received an Icon contact from Drake. Drake requires his urgent assistance. With the barest pause, Grant accepts and heads through the Icon to Drake’s location ….
Off-Camera Narrative
- Ethan spends time every day with his twelve generals, listening to their preparations and giving them guidance wherever necessary. Most of them work well together, even Haruk, the orcish warchief.
* Images (L to R) by aragonbird, NathanParkArt, Red-Dragon-Lord and Dashinvaine on DeviantART
- From left to right:- Baron Tranth, the original Baron of Bloodstone, who fought with Ethan and Grant during the Bloodstone Wars. (GM’s note – first seen in Session 108)
- Stewart, a young Bloodstone general who served with distinction with Ethan in the unification wars.
- Haruk, the orcish warchief
- Ross, the young Bloodstone lord of the south.
* Image (L to R) by Dashinvaine, Dashinvaine and Unknown on DeviantART
- From left to right:- Leslie, knight commander and general. He is also showing interest in Isabelle (which Ethan is completely ignorant of)
- Archer, an extraordinarily gifted commoner who is said to be as skilled with a bow as any elf.
- Liliana, once more dressed in her traditional garb, ready for action
- (GM’s note - Of course there are other generals and commanders, including Abigail but there isn’t any point listing them all)
- Ethan’s divinations indicate that Bolas will come soon. Hence the appearance of Prince Ethan, the Legendary Realm’s version of Ethan, takes him completely by surprise. In this reality, Prince Ethan is an Umbra Master who is not fully control of Umbra and he became the Witch King of the North. However, he contacts Lady Sophia and Sophia is sufficiently convinced of his sincerity to travel north to the town of Bloodstone and meet him in person. Once seeing how Prince Ethan is afflicted, she passes word to Ethan that he is to meet ‘a friend’ at the Inn of the Clowns.
- Travelling north with Sorcery, Ethan is utterly shocked to meet his ruined counterpart lying in the Inn’s stables. He knew that there was a ‘random element’ at play here but he thought it was Bolas, not Prince Ethan himself. Prince Ethan is technically alive but Umbra is consuming him. He knows that Ethan is a healer and Prince Ethan begs for help to cure him or at least alleviate the terrible pain.
- Ethan is torn as to whether to help this miserable wreck who has caused so much death and destruction, or whether to eliminate someone who could be a real problem during the battle to come with Bolas. Forgoing Divination, Ethan agrees to try to help his counterpart and he spends a full day healing Prince Ethan. He purges the Umbra from his system but is unable to rejuvenate him as the damage is so severe. There is no way that Prince Ethan will be able to aid him in the battle to come but neither will he assist the enemy. Prince Ethan’s recuperation is likely to be slow even with Ethan’s help.
- Ethan returns to the capital with Lady Sophia and Prince Ethan. Hilda is relieved to see Ethan – she was worried, as was Abigail. Luckily, nothing serious has happened while he was away. Ethan repeats his Divination spells and there is perfect clarity in the response. No more shadows or doubts over the result. It is as if healing Prince Ethan has decided something. Bolas is coming…. now…
- Abbie and Hilda see the result of the divination. There is a moment’s silence. Ethan takes a breath and uses magic to contact his many generals. The war is about to begin…..
- With the contact concluded, Abbie bids Ethan farewell and Ethan bids her good fortune. As she returns to her troops via teleport, Ethan realizes that she’s expecting to die here and she’s resigned to it …..
- Drake contacts Grant via Icon, advising that General Pike, one of Bastiano’s lieutenants has been mobilising a fleet of space-going ships near Reat. He is not a Warden but he has a gift for persuasion. If he is massing ships, then where are they going?
* Image sourced from Google Images
- In addition, Grant asks about whether there have been any temperature anomalies on Marindar. Drake has detected some unusually chilly weather across more than one realm but does not know how widespread it is. He is not sure how an atmospheric effect could affect multiple realms. Grant says he will check it out. He quickly does so and finds that it is cooler than normal for this time of year but it is not abnormal.
- He briefs Lady Sophia and heads out onto the Stair. It takes him hours to reach what was once Bastiano’s territory. On the way, he finds a trio of demonic bodies on the Stair that have been split open.
- Carrying on, he is interrupted by Lofwyr. The dragon is clearly displeased. He says that what was delivered to him (referring to Abigail) is not as expected. She is distracted, unfocussed, undisciplined and incomplete. Lofwyr says that his Divination spell was not in error but Grant has brought him someone that he cannot use as she is. He directs Grant to remedy the situation, and when he has done so, to speak Lofwyr’s name.
- Groaning over the situation of too much happening at once (GM’s note – which is, of course the whole point), Grant continues onto Reat. Reat is a wet, lush-green world where the homes are built into the natural surroundings. Looking around he finds evidence of a plague. There are dead bodies everywhere. The people here have been wiped out. The plague has an Umbral taint, suggesting a bio-weapon has been used.
- Grant makes his way to a spaceport and finds a small vessel capable of carrying 2-3 people. He takes off and heads into space. There are many structures here – many stations – but no fleet. Pike’s fleet has already left via a Sorcerous Portal which he can detect using Umbral Sight. Frustrated that he doesn’t have the means to open a Sorcerous Portal, he uses an Icon and contacts Cal. Cal accepts and comes through. He uses a spell to reopen the Sorcerous Portal but Grant notes that Cal is much slower at this sort of magic compared to Ethan. (GM’s note – Ethan has Higher Ranked Psyche)
- They head through the portal, straight into the middle of a major ship-to-ship battle. Cal decides to leave via Icon as Grant weaves through the firefight, trying to assess what is going on. He spots Drake’s forces. Pike’s fleet seems to be heavily outnumbered and with no fighter screen. Below hangs a familiar dirtball – Grant recognizes it as Heldon’s Pass, one of the most heavily defended Nexus worlds in the Multiverse. What the hell is Pike doing? Is this some sort of suicide mission?
- Contacting Drake via Icon, he quickly conveys that Pike’s people have been infected with some sort of Umbral plague. He needs Drake to back off while he tries to find Pike. Drake agrees that he’ll try to slow the battle down.
- Zipping back and forth, Grant tries to identify Pike’s flagship. There are four battleship class vessels but he quickly narrows down which is the lead vessel. (GM’s Note – Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare) He guns the engines and heads straight for it, dodging flak from all directions. Someone tries to contact him via Icon but he shrugs it off. An ugly brute of a cruiser near his position explodes soundlessly.
- Grant swings the ship around and docks on the flagship’s hull. He then creates a breach using Gorgorin and slips onboard in shadow form. The ship’s interior is a mess of ugly corridors. It is functional but there are dead bodies everywhere. The few living crew members are continuing to fight for their lives. The ship is taking hits and shaking all over the place. With bulkheads in place, it takes time for Grant to get to the bridge. The bridge itself is sealed off but Grant finds a way through the electrical piping onto the bridge. The few bridge crew are all infected. General Pike looks very sick indeed.
- There a black robed sorcerer here too. He or she is also infected but not sick. Grant assesses this as a suicide run – they’re trying to last as long as possible and to take as many of Drake’s ships with them as they can. Grant decides to deal with the mage first – he clobbers her and then knocks the rest flat with an Umbral wave.
- Assuming command, he orders the fleet to cease fire. This is mostly successful but some ships continue to move and fight. He contacts Drake via Icon, telling him that he’s now in control of the fleet and asks Drake to back off.
- He then grabs the mage. Her name is Kislet. Using a mental contact, he realizes that she is the carrier of the plague. She’s being controlled by Bolas like the others.
- Another ship in Pike’s fleet is destroyed. Grant wakes Pike. Pike is disoriented but moans when he sees that Kislet has fallen. He wails that he was promised a cure and they’ll all be annihilated if they don’t fight.
- Grant weighs up the situation. He has to stop the Umbral plague but he hasn’t ever done something like this before. Concentrating hard, he works on the flagship. It takes him a long time but he is able to break the plague on the survivors. He then starts moving from ship to ship to repeat the process.
- There are hundreds of ships in the fleet. Grant cannot save them all, but he saves as many as he can. It takes him days of work.
- During this period, he receives an Icon contact from Lady Sophia. He worries about her but she assures him that he is safe. He tells him that Lady Abigail has asked for assistance from Ethan and gone to the Legendary Realm. She sees this as good news which she thought she should pass along. Grant smiles but realizes that this wasn’t the only reason that he was contacted. Sophia says that it’s probably nothing but there have been two reports in Marindar of a dead person actually walking around. It’s disconcerting. Grant blinks at this – he wonders if the dead could be rising. Lady Sophia says that this is unlikely as it is Marindan custom to burn the dead, not bury them. But she will ask Lady Lucia (her colleague) to look into it. She is also heading to the Legendary Realm at Ethan’s request.
- At the end of the conversation, Grant wonders if that was Bolas’ plan – to create controllable Umbral Gaunts. He talks to Drake and finds out there are problems surfacing elsewhere. Mordecai says that the Raven Legion have been attacked in two places. Grant says that this is the beginning of something. It’s not clear what Bolas’ goal is though.
- Wearily, Grant goes to find a place on the Stair where the survivors can be safe, where magic doesn’t work and the plague will not come back. Grant tells Pike to keep an eye on Kislet, Bolas’ lieutenant.
* Image sourced from Google Images but this piece of art is by Slawomir Maniak and is part of MTG for Disciple of Bolas
- In this place, Grant hopes to convince Kislet to switch sides, hoping that whatever hold Bolas had is now gone but it is not so simple. Kislet is not a moral person and she was happy to sacrifice the others in order to advance her own position. Grant asks Pike to keep Kislet under control. He promises to come back with a longer-term cure and he leaves them where he hopes they will safe.
Off-Camera Narrative
- Ethan works to put together the biggest, baddest army that the Legendary Realm has ever seen. This is problematic given that the various groups don’t particularly like one another, don’t get along and they all want something for being there. In spite of this, Ethan seems to be able to get them to do what he wants, most of the time. (GM’s note – high ranked Warfare, dominant rank Psyche, occasional usage of the Silver Crown) Liliana pretends to be one of Ethan’s most reliable generals once more. She is back to her arrogant, haughty self – and Ethan mostly lets her get away with it. Isabelle hates that Ethan doesn’t seem to want to stand up to her, but Ethan just shrugs it off and asks Isabelle to be patient.
- While Ethan is preoccupied with building a force to fight Bolas, he receives an unexpected visit from Lucien. In person, not by Icon. Lucien is guarded with Ethan - he wants to know what Ethan is up to and whether he is putting Isabelle in danger. The conversation is tense as Ethan tells Lucien that Nicol Bolas is trying to claim the Legendary Realm but he refuses to explain how he plans to stop him. Lucien doesn’t like being denied answers and he threatens Ethan if any harm should come to Isabelle. Ethan with left with no doubt that Lucien means to kill him (or worse) and he convinces Lucien to side with him, but to remain hidden and watch his back. Reluctantly, Lucien agrees to this.
- With Lucien on side, Ethan contacts Lady Vala via Icon. A brief conversation is had but Vala agrees to help Ethan ‘when the time is right’. She doesn’t ask questions – she seems to already know what Ethan may be thinking.
- Ethan wears the Silver Crown more often than not as the days and weeks pass leading up to the final battle. He knows that the Silver Crown shapes reality in accordance with his wishes, and it can affect more than just the immediate realm. He believes that the Legendary Realm is well prepared for Nicol Bolas, and so it comes to pass. He feels the pull of power but is strong enough (GM’s note – Dominant Rank Psyche) not to lose himself to it. He nudges and guides without pressing too hard.
- He is not at all surprised when he receives an Icon contact from Abbie. In fact he wonders whether he subconsciously wanted this and the Silver Crown has somehow made it happen. It is the first time that Abbie has contacted him in a long time. Her anger seems to have cooled and she seems to have grown somehow (GM's note - hence the change in image below). She asks after his welfare but her real interest is with Bloodstone. She knows that something big is about to happen (GM’s note – she also has Sorcery) and she wants to be a part of it. Ethan knows that she still feels responsible for the destruction of the Bloodstone Army and she is seeking a measure of redemption. He agrees and pulls her into the Legendary Realm via the Icon.
- There is an awkward moment between Ethan and Abbie. Ethan knows that she is danger just being here but he feels better having her with him. Abbie asks for a rundown of his strategy but Ethan refuses to tell her the details. Instead he simply shows her the armies that he has gathered to the east of the capital. The armies are vast. Abbie grimly realizes what Ethan’s plan is (even though he has not said it) and asks him if he’s doing all of this for her.
* Image by Dashinvaine on DeviantART
- Ethan blinks and admits that he hadn’t really thought of it that way. He accepts that a small measure of him would like to hurt Bolas for everything that has happened between the two of them but what he’s doing now goes well beyond that. Abbie points out gently that a lot of good people are going to die. Ethan nods and offers her a command which she immediately agrees to. He then changes the topic and tells her that Hilda will be pleased to see her.
- Hilda is indeed very pleased to see Abbie. She hugs her as a daughter would a mother and she tells Abbie how much she loves her and has missed her. Abbie is astonished and touched by the depth and sincerity of Hilda’s outpourings. She is pleased to hear that Ethan has been looking after her.
- Ethan feels that he has assembled all of his generals for the battle ahead, but there is a lingering doubt. An uncertainty which gnaws at him. The sort of uncertainty that a missing player with Umbra Master can bring. He suspects that Bolas is an Umbra Master and that there is someone else out there.
- In the middle of all this, Ethan completely misses that one of his generals, a young man named Leslie, has been showing interest in Isabelle. The interest takes Isabelle quite by surprise and she is quite charmed by it.
* Image by Dashinvaine on DeviantART
- Returning Ernest to his home with a gift, Grant decides to return to Illium to find out more about this place. On the way he feels a Door opening and he goes to investigate. The section of Stair is richly furnished with red and gold standards, each with its own symbol. The Doors are hidden behind the tapestries. Grant is confronted by two large man-shaped creatures with lion’s heads. They are armed with golden spears. Unable to communicate with them, they roar at him and when he does not back off, one retreats while the other stands his ground.
* Image sourced from Google Images but this piece of art is by Stephen Tappin and is part of MTG for Leonin Battlemage
- They return with ten more of these cat-men but one of them is clearly dominant as he is much bigger than the rest. Still unable to communicate, a fight ensues and Grant flattens the leader and all of the others when their leader fails to win.
- He investigates the Door behind the tapestry and finds himself in a golden palace with many guards. This civilisation is advanced. They carry wand-like weapons. Crossing the threshold of the Door, he is then able to understand the language. The guards here are on alert. They have sent for ‘another Key’. Grant didn’t think it was possible to have more than one Key for a Door. He goes back onto the Stair and finds that one of the other cat-men has a jewelled golden key. Leaving the cat-man with his key, he decides to carry on.
- Returning to Illium, he arrives just before lunchtime. This time he appears like a local and he goes to get something to eat. He talks with merchants. He listens to local politics. Hears about their worries about the foreigners from across the sea. Nothing sounds too serious – just local talk.
- Once a year the messenger of the Gods comes to receive offerings and bestow gifts. Prayers are typically answered. For example, bringing rain, curing a plague, healing people, providing wondrous items. But the people of Illium are humble – they don’t ask too much of the gods lest they become angry. Prayers are made regularly but the messenger only comes once a year.
- Above, Elysium is clearly incomplete. Grant finds a quiet spot to study the structure. It looks like it is less than half built but what has been built is quite precise. He can’t spot any construction being done. He detects a hot spot of Umbral energy within. Elysium seems to be made from the same Darksteel as the Obelisk and the gauntlets that the Dwimmerlaik youths were wearing.
- Grant journeys to the temple and buys a tablet which bears a hieroglyphic ear, indicating that this tablet has the ‘ear’ of the gods. He writes on the table a prayer to understand his enemies and burns the tablet in the ritual way. The smoke rises and goes up towards Elysium.
- Nothing happens. He is disappointed but not surprised. He decides to stay awhile and watch. The next day he receives an Icon contact from Lady Sophia. In Liliana’s debrief to Grant and Ethan, she provided information on some of Nicol Bolas’ other lieutenants. One of them has turned up in Marindar as part of the Urbelli Alliance. His name is Tezzeret. The Urbelli are trying to find buyers for their ‘semi-sentient advanced constructs’ – ie: semi-intelligent drones. Grant asks Lady Sophia to keep an eye on Tezzeret.
- Grant doesn’t like this development. He feels that something has started moving and he’s nowhere near home. However, he decides to remain in Illium and keep an eye on Elysium in case something changes.
- Two days later Lady Sophia contacts Grant with bad news. A space-faring passenger liner has been lost. Four hundred people are missing, including Ethan’s parents. Grant says that he’ll tell Ethan and be along shortly.
- Ethan takes the news well, almost as if he has expecting something bad to happen. He comes through to Marindar as the investigation kicks off. Isabelle offers her support and Ethan says cryptically that he’ll need her help soon. Meanwhile, Grant heads to where the ship was destroyed and begins an investigation. It appears to be a case of navigational failure (it went off course) and then massive engine failure. All hands and passengers lost. They don’t find Ethan’s parents’ bodies but Ethan confirms via Divination that they are dead and gone. He doesn’t even talk to his brother Marc about his parents’ death, relying on others to tell them.
- After only a day on Marindar, Ethan returns to the Legendary Realm. Isabelle goes with him but returns shortly after to conduct further investigations. Grant settles down one more on Marindar, waiting for some evidence that Bolas or his lieutenants are behind it. But there is nothing.
- Nine days later, Drake contacts Grant via Icon and asks for his help. One of Bastiano’s remaining lieutenants is on the move ….
Off-Camera Narrative
- Liliana is in the north raising an army from the many dead men, orcs and monstrous creatures that have fallen there. Ethan keeps an eye on her progress. Meanwhile, he continues to court allies from within the Legendary Realm – the elves from the western forests of Elvendar, the highlords of Impiltur to the south, the sorcerer king Tulus from across the southern sea and many others. He enlists Lady Sophia from Marindar and she comes to the Legendary Realm to assist with the negotiations. Many of the nations are aware that something is coming and Bloodstone seems to be at the heart of matters but very few are willing to send assistance even though Ethan offers significant incentives. Time passes and the signs and portents grow stronger. The Bloodstone Army returns to full strength and Ethan hires numerous mercenaries to bolster the local forces.
- In addition to the local forces, Isabelle has joined Ethan in the Legendary Realm and brought with her a number of ‘fighting machines’ that she can control. Normally machines don’t work in the Legendary Realm but these ones do.
- Then one day news comes of a vast orc army that is marching from the east. They carry the red battle standards of the Bloody Hands. To Ethan’s and Isabelle’s surprise, the orcs have not come to fight Bloodstone. Instead, the orc warpriests have come to be ‘blessed’ by Ethan and promise to fight alongside the humans. Ethan has no doubt that Eidolon-enhancing the orcs is a bad idea, but they seem to believe that it is their god’s will that Ethan make them stronger and they fight (and even die) at his command. Ethan has to think fast to find enough food to keep them from raiding his own lands, but for now he has a useful (and probably expendable) ally.
- With the orcs of the Bloody Hands onside, more weirdness ensues. Two Lords of Hell simply appear in the Bloodstone capital one day. Massive and implacable, Ethan nevertheless talks to them and they declare their interest in watching the coming confrontation. It is not long before a gigantic angel with a flaming sword turns up, ostensibly to keep an eye on the demons. Like the demons, he? (she? it?) refuses to be involved – it is simply there to keep an on the demons and observe that cosmic laws are maintained. That evening whilst talking with Lady Sophia, a messenger from the Grandfather of Assassins turns up (long an enemy of Bloodstone). The assassins offer their services to the Warlord of Bloodstone in return for gold and a position of influence. Ethan readily agrees to this.
- With more odd groups joining the Bloodstone forces every day (rock trolls, a tribe of stone giants, an odd group of brightly clad gnomes etc), disputes start to break out between the factions. It takes considerable time to keep the disparate groups apart. When the assassination attempt comes at the hands of a shadow demon, it is almost a relief for Ethan. He dispatches the demon without a second thought and carries on, not caring whether it was Nicol Bolas or Liliana who sent it. Isabelle is unnerved by the craziness of the whole situation and Ethan’s strange calmness with the situation. She knows full well that Nicol Bolas is coming and it will not be long before he is here.
- Liliana returns with a vast, vast army which dwarves the combined forces of Bloodstone. It is clear that she means to take Bloodstone – the bodyguards that she left to look after Ethan attack him and Ethan kills them easily. She arrogantly contacts him and says that she’s decided that Bolas might spare her if she crushes him. Ethan simply tells her not to be silly and uses the mental contact to make her believe that she is being ‘force choked’, which he says he learnt from ‘Darth Vader’. He convinces her not to switch sides and he lets her go, telling her that ‘all is forgiven’. Clearly outmatched, she rubs her throat and agrees grudgingly that she’ll follow him. (GM’s note – it may be plot relevant later – effectively she now believes that there is a sorcerer called Darth Vader out there who taught Ethan the ‘force choke’)
- Shortly after Liliana’s decision not to betray Ethan after all, a dragon lord arrives. Not a minor dragon but an elder one. This dragon lord is old and battered – almost like a spritely old grandfather. He gives his name as ….. Bambi (Ethan blinks and tries not to laugh). Bambi has been sent by the dragon lords to assist Ethan. They think he will likely fail against Nicol Bolas but they decided to send one of their elders to lend a hand anyway, just in case it would make a difference. Ethan gets the impression that Bambi drew the ‘short straw’. Bambi doesn’t seem to have all of his marbles – he seems to be quite wise but also a little bit odd. Nevertheless, Ethan is very polite to the dragon (which Bambi seems to like) and he realises that the old geezer could actually be extremely useful, especially if he were to use Eidolon to boost him up and restore his mind …..
- The nearest Door in Kalamir leads to a cathedral-like section of the Stair with vaulted ceilings and elaborate carvings on the wall. There are numerous Doors here in the alcoves and multiple branches of the Stair.
- Grant picks the nearest Door. He arrives in a realm where the buildings are made from living wood and the plants and flowers are unusually large. Everywhere there is lush vegetation. It is early morning here and the people are just starting to wake up. They are short, green or brown skinned with vestige wings. There is no sign of the Golden Gods here so Grant moves on.
- The next Door leads to an Iron Age era township. The buildings are simple, made of wood. A dense forest is nearby and there is a lake for fishing in. The people here don’t seem to have any domesticated animals and he spots a hunting party heading in the direction of the forest. Grant moves on.
- The third Door opens out into the forest. He has emerged from a log cabin that is man-sized but hasn’t been used in some time. It is raining faintly. He watches a badger walking on his hind legs, taking his son to school. Curious, Grant follows the badger and watches the son disappear down a burrow. He hears laughter as the child meets his friends. Grant returns to the Stair and moves on.
- The fourth Door opens into a wooden house with remarkably well-ordered furnishings, even though they are quite drab. As he wanders around the house, he finds that the drab colours are replaced magically by Black and Blue. Basic provisions appear magically on the table and he sits down to eat. After eating, he notes that there has been a time change. The angle that the sun is coming through the window has changed.
- Very curious, Grant explores this world. He notes that the house that he emerged from bears his colours of Black and Blue. He crosses fields without animals or crops, reaching a point where he cannot travel any further. The rules of the world do not permit it. The sun moves position and he can move once more.
- He wayfinds to the nearest people and sees a group with red livery (huntsmen with bows) moving across the land. There is a village nearby with a water wheel, granary and ploughed fields. He sees a castle in the distance and a lone tower.
- Approaching the lone tower, he finds that it changes colour when he reaches it. Again, it is suddenly draped in Black and Blue colours. Inside there are provisions and weapons for ten men. It is a simple defensible location.
- Grant goes to visit the nearby castle and finds that the gate is open. Blue pennants fly from the battlements and the soldiers carry blue shields with a lion rampart symbol on them. Grant converses with the soldiers. They explain that this is the keep of Lord Bryan. Unfortunately, they cannot offer shelter as he is not allied to them. Grant asks about their enemies and apparently there are many, particularly those wearing red. Grant points where he has seen the red-clad huntsman and the soldiers say that they will investigate ‘when it is their turn’. Grant has by this point realised that the rules in this place require people to move in turn sequence. It is a strange realm and one that cannot surely be natural.
- He decides to return the Door which he knows will take him two ‘turns’. En route, he observes five immobile dragons wearing yellow livery, flapping away but not moving. They are clearly heading somewhere in force but have run out of ‘move’.
- Back on the Stair, Ethan decides to wayfind to the person who created this realm. He feels a direction and heads off. On the way, he passes a Door that feels oddly familiar. It feels just like that of Realm 0 (Earth) – his home. The Door looks just like the one that accesses Westgate Cottage.
- Opening the Door, he finds himself in another house which looks and feels very similar to Westgate but isn’t exactly the same. For example, there is a little bell just inside the Door. He is very cautious, worried that it could be a trap. In the front sitting room, he finds a man with thinning hair, reading a newspaper with a cup of tea nearby. He appears to be a proper English gentleman and not at all threatening. There are no seals on this house and yet it appears very similar.
- Grant decides to ring the little handbell. The man folds his newspaper and comes into the corridor to say hello. He is surprised to see Grant but promptly introduces him as Ernest and offers him a cup of tea. Grant accepts and sits down in the kitchen whilst Ernest makes tea. Looking around the kitchen, he spots a golden object on a shelf. It is a small golden figurine, perhaps an Icon.
- They talk over tea. Ernest presumes that Modi sent Grant and is surprised when this is not the case. Grant explains that he came from a house just like this one which also had a Door onto the Stair. Ernest is fascinated by this and says that this house has been in his family for generations. He knows that the Golden ones can open the Doors (and other Demons) but he didn’t know there were men like Grant who could do it. Grant asks about Modi and Ernest is very comfortable sharing what he knows. He refers to Modi as his friend. He is very strong but he has a good sense of humour.
- They talk for a while. The nearest town here is Threeways. (in Realm 0 it is Fiveways) There is no Clocktower here. The local pub is the Wolf’s Head (in Realm 0 it is the Tipsy Elephant). Yes, there is a Fish and Chip place here too. There is also an obelisk made of some strange silver in the centre of town but no one can read the runes.
- Ernest invites Grant to the Wolf’s Head for a ‘spot of dinner’ and Grant agrees. Ernest has no car, only a bicycle, so they walk into town. Grant spots the obelisk – it is three sided and it appears to be made from DarkSteel. He can read the plaque. The dedication is old (1400 years ago) to the Guardian of the Three Ways.
- The Wolf’s Head is familiar and yet different. Rather than chicken on the menu, there is turkey. Grant chooses turkey. Ernest tells Grant that this is Angland, and he is quite amused when Grant says that he is from England. The flags of the two nations are similar but not quite the same. Grant asks about the Scottish and the Irish. The names mean nothing to Ernest but he says that the Caledonians are to the north and the Greenlanders to the west. He laughs and says it is best not to speak of the ‘Continentals’. Grant laughs at the jibe about this world’s Europeans.
- Ernest happily offers to put Grant up for the night and Grant agrees. He contacts Lady Sophia via Icon and asks her to organise a gift for Ernest on his behalf. That evening, Ernest and Grant talk some more. Ernest admits that he has never been onto the Stair (Modi says that it is dangerous) but he would be fascinated to go.
- The next morning, they head onto the Stair. Ernest is wearing his best hiking boots and carrying a stout electric torch. Grant decides to take him somewhere close by where he might see something wondrous.
- The Door he chooses opens out into Illium, a pre-Iron Age city made of white stone. It is sunny, pleasantly warm. People here are fed, healthy and clean. Grant notes traces of Eidolon here. The marketplace is busy and all sorts of goods are being traded here.
- Ernest and Grant get a few strange looks but no one is hostile towards them. There are many places here with statues of horses. It seems to be part of the culture here. The buildings are designed to cope with the heat. It feels almost Mediterranean.
- Then, as they wander, a floating structure above the city comes into view. It is silver, clearly incomplete and hanging there in complete defiance of gravity. It reminds Grant of Marindar. The locals ignore it – it is just part of their world.
- Ernest is keen to get a better look so they find a higher point to look over the city. This place is a fortified metropolis close to the sea. There are sailing ships in the port. This is a wealthy trading city. They see horses – they are clearly prized here and the horses appear strong and healthy. Illium. The name rings a bell for Grant but it is a few minutes before he makes the connection. Illium is another name for Troy. This place is another version of Troy which the Greeks besieged and destroyed. Again, there are similarities to Realm 0 which he cannot explain.
- Ernest takes all of this wonder in his stride, but Grant asks one of the locals about the structure floating above. He is told that the place above is called Elysium, the home of the gods. He asks how the people here speak to the gods and is told that they make offerings at the temple, and once a year the gods send a messenger to receive offerings and give gifts. The local doesn’t know the names of any of the gods – they have never seen the gods. They have only seen the gods’ messenger – a woman clad in purest silver. (By this point, Grant is getting a bad feeling). The local describes her as the “Bringer of Gifts”.
- Grant is badly spooked that he may have walked into the stronghold of an ally of Nicol Bolas. He decides that it is not safe here and he guides Ernest back to the Door. Ernest is more than happy to be taken to another ‘exciting’ realm.
- Grant goes looking for another interesting world and finds a Door in a section of Stair that looks like a museum or art gallery. Inside, they find themselves in a room of portraits. All of the portraits are of humanoids with no hair and a faint serpentine look in their faces. The portraits talk and make inquiries of Grant and Ernest. They want to know what sort of ‘subhuman’ they are? They arrogantly say that they are ‘pure humans’, and it is an honour to serve within the Gallery. They provide guidance and counsel.
- Intrigued, Grant asks if they are aware what lies beyond the Door. They cackle. They know of the Stair and they know that he is a Lord of Gossamer. They confirm that Modi and Mira have been here before – they came separately. They are aware of the Dwimmerlaik and other Demons. Grant asks what they know of Nicol Bolas and what he wants. The Gallery tell him that they know of Bolas and his desire to have domination over all. Grant asks how many Doors are on the Stair. The Gallery says that there are countless Doors. Grant asks if the number is finite and the Gallery says that it is difficult to answer that question as the Stair changes. Grant asks if the Stair is self-aware? The Gallery says yes.
- Even more intrigued, Grant asks if other Lords of Gossamer have come here seeking counsel. The Gallery confirms that Vala and Lucien have been here before. Bastiano has not.
- At last they leave and Grant decides to take Ernest home.
Off-Camera Narrative
- Eidolon-enhancing Liliana seems to have brought out the best and worst of her. She is powerful and she knows it. Humility forgotten, she is far more assertive and arrogant around Ethan and his court. Ethan is sure that Nicol Bolas will try to contact her and bargain for her to switch sides. He isn’t sure what Liliana will do. He is sure that she doesn’t want to be enslaved by Bolas but he considers it possible that she will try to assassinate him.
- Ethan focusses on his own people and the allies that have come from far and wide to join with the Bloodstone forces. He uses Eidolon on them to strengthen them and builds relations with the most notable amongst them. The Bloodstone forces grow.
- Ethan is certain that Bolas will attack the Legendary Realm. The Divination spells have never been so clear. It is only a matter of when. Ethan finds this suspicious and he assumes that Bolas isn’t hiding his intent because he assumes that Ethan won’t be alive to stop him. He wonders if Bolas might try to contact him directly to make a deal but then decides that Bolas will more likely try to kill him.
- Ethan sends Liliana to the northern wilderness of Vaasa in order to raise an army. She leaves two Red Wizards and a Shadow Demon to help protect him, but Ethan laughs and says that it will take more than that to kill him. Liliana chuckles at this and leaves for the frozen north.
- Certain that he will be shortly facing an assassination attempt from either Bolas or Liliana, Ethan contacts Eric (Drake’s son) and asks for assistance. Unfortunately Eric is busy – there is some strange stuff happening on the Stair (a reference to future problems in Nexopolis). He considers contacting Lucien but decides upon Isabelle. He levels with her and tells her that he needs someone to watch his back. She brightens at this and says that she has some ‘machines’ that might help. At first, Ethan is doubtful as machines typically don’t work in the Legendary Realm, but she says that she’ll be along shortly.
