GM Observations/Summary
- With Grant and Ethan now reunited, it’s again time to accelerate the plot. However, I didn’t expect quite as big a reveal as what happened. Players just do the unexpected sometimes, and make big strides forward - but without necessarily all of the information to make sense of what they have discovered.
Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
Ethan and Grant
- The wine bottle on the table is empty. All of the other patrons are gone. The stars are shining high above. Ethan’s story is done, and the topic of conversation changes. Ethan asks why Grant is here in Marindar and Grant says that he’s “rescuing damsels”. This makes Ethan laugh and he asks where they all are. Grant admits his interest in Sophia, and Ethan wryly comments that Grant’s taste in girls has improved, and they end up poking fun at one another. Grant fills Ethan in on some more about Marindar, without mentioning that this is only the gateway. He admits that there are two other Lords (Turadok plus the wolflord), and that there are many Doors (even though Ethan can only sense three in the Gateway). Ethan asks how many Robins might Sophia have sent onto the Grand Stair, but Grant does not know the answer. They both decide to retire for the night.
- Ethan returns to the two-story residence, which is actually Galatea’s residence when she is staying in the Gateway. He finds her waiting for him to return, and then she bids him goodnight once she is sure that he is safe.
The Undersea Facility
- Grant wakes early in the morning and decides to have a quick breakfast before heading in search of Sophia. He finds her taking tea in the open courtyard of her house, and he joins her. She asks him about his health but evades a similar question in response. Instead she talks about the business of the wolflord and those captured. She tells Grant that she has had the wolflord moved to another facility, separated from his soldiers. Grant offers to talk to the wolflord, and she accepts - she has no wish to use other methods to extract what the Marindans desperately need to know. Morrison is summoned via a spell, and Grant goes with him.
- Morrison and Grant walk to the each of town, to the cliffs overlooking the sea, and Morrison energises his ring, projecting a green bubble around him which carries the two of them away. Grant recognises the similarity to the Green Lantern’s Ring. They fly a great distance from the town before descending beneath the waves and eventually reaching an undersea facility with a great transparent domed roof. Inside the facility are Marindan-style structures, but in one of the structures is a great grey shaft that descends vertically into the bed rock. Again, Morrison carries them down.
- The lower levels are much more like a prison, with glow-globes on the walls. There are Marindan guards present, wearing helmets similar to Morlan’s, and carrying short silver rods which Grant surmises are weapons of some kind.
- The wolflord is kept unconscious and docile in a gassed chamber with a strange helmet on his head which keeps him in a mental fugue-state. Morrison comments that the wolf lord’s physical wounds have mostly healed. He also mentions that he has studied the Lords of Gossamer and knows how to kill them if that becomes necessary.
- After surveying the situation, Grant decides that Ethan can probably help. (GM’s note - Lurker37 apologised for bringing my character in, but it was what Grant would do) Morrison is a little guarded but is willing to accept any assistance and Lady Sophia has vouched for Grant. He says that his methods of extracting information from the wolflord are likely to be difficult and time consuming. Grant produces an Icon and says that he would like to ask Ethan to join them. Morrison accepts and suggests that he send a vehicle for Ethan. This immediately revealed to Grant that though Morrison recognised an Icon for what it was, he did not know that it could be used to transport a Lord of Gossamer through the contact. (GM’s note - this kind of reveal is ‘gold’ for the players as in this type of game, information is power) Grant wakes Ethan up from sleep, and he agrees to come and join them.
The Interrogation
- Galatea and Ethan board a delta-shaped vehicle which transports them across the sea and into the watery depths. (GM’s note - It was not a simple matter of Galatea carrying Ethan, or Ethan using a fly-spell because I decided as the player that Ethan would not have a spell ready to allow him to breath underwater. In hindsight, use of Eidolon may have yielded the same result because it would have meant that Ethan no longer required oxygen but it did not occur to me.)
- Ethan joins Grant. In the meantime, Grant has spent some time examining the facilities and understanding the defences in case the wolflord does escape. (GM’s note - i.e.: Dominant Ranked Warfare, baby! The Wolflord isn’t going to come up with an escape plan without Grant having already thought of it, plus countermeasures)
- Ethan decides to enter the room alone as he says the gas won’t affect him. (He knows enough about Eidolon to know that he is immune to poison). He is certain that the wolflord isn’t shamming but is truly unconscious. But saying that, Ethan says that he brought no weapon with him. Galatea remarks that Ethan doesn’t need weapons - he can rely upon her strength. Grant decides to enter the room and make sure that nothing goes wrong. (GM’s note - Grant uses the Umbral power of physical adaptability so that he is similar unaffected)
- Ethan enters the room and lays his hands on the wolflord’s massive head. He closes his eyes and begins to concentrate. (GM’s note - this is the first in game example of a mental probe, which is a mind to mind contest. Ethan is Dominant Rank Psyche, against Narsaug’s Superior level Psyche - it’s a massive difference and Narsaug is unconscious. Ethan basically had carte blanche in Narsaug’s head. Lurker37 also commented that he hadn’t thought for Grant to even attempt such a feat. He might have been able to do this himself)
The Story of Narsaug
- And now the big reveal. Narsaug is a Warglord, and a Lord of Gossamer. He is loosely in the service of Drake, another Lord of Gossamer whom he calls “The High Lord”. Nasaug has served Drake for between 5 - 10 years (Narsaug hasn’t kept exact count). He is a relatively new Lord of Gossamer.
- However, he hadn’t received directions from The High Lord for some time, not until recently. Instead, he met with Bastiano, another Lord of Gossamer, who was said to be representing The High Lord. Bastiano’s name is not spoken during the exchange, but Narsaug is able to deduce that it is Bastiano by his odour. It is Bastiano who gave Narsaug instructions to travel to Marindar and ‘rough up’ the place, and ’test their defences’. Bastiano gave Narsaug a Red Robin to follow and also detailed instructions as to how to traverse the Marindan Approach. Bastiano was convincing when he said that he was representing Drake. Narsaug knew nothing about Marindar prior to Bastiano’s briefing.
- When Ethan had learnt all he could, he sat down to discuss with Grant, Morrison, Galatea and Morlan (who was also present in the undersea facility). He shared his findings openly, and Morrison concluded that they would need to incarcerate Narsaug (and not kill him) until such time as they could figure out what had happened. Grant wondered why Bastiano would test the front door when he could use other Doors. He considers it a possible feint or diversion, but is not sure.
And that’s where we left it ….. we’re getting back to the fun stuff.
I didn’t expect Grant to bring Ethan in to read Narsaug’s mind. That is taking advantage of an opportunity and using it wisely. They now have a piece of the puzzle, but it doesn’t yet make sense in isolation.
Next session (Session 22) is tomorrow night. The game continues….
Grant and Ethan
Grant (left) and Ethan (right), with Macavity the Cat
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Session 20 - Ethan’s Story
GM Observations/Summary
- This season explains what happened between Sessions 12 and 19, and provides insight as to how Ethan acquires Eidolon/Sorcery. Part 1 of this is just another chapter in the narrative where Grant is the central character in the main plot. Part 2 is a story within a story - in the present, Grant and Ethan talk, and Ethan’s story is told as a flashback. What happens to Ethan was run as a separate adventure by Lurker37. I had sent David two emails detailing in seven parts what I thought Ethan would do, and then the adventure was run with David inserting the complications that arose, and the characters that Ethan met along the way.
- At the beginning of Part 2, Ethan is still only a 30 point character (i.e.: before the additional points are allocated to jump him up to 120 points) He also makes the transition from being a 1 point Good Stuff character to a 4 point Bad stuff character as part of this adventure.
- One more comment - Lords of Gossamer (and Amber) are prone to “Mary Sue” situations where the players get an opportunity for his/her character to interact with all of his/her favourite characters from fiction, and even upstage them. After all, Luke Skywalker doesn’t have anything better than Paragon Rank Warfare. So even someone with Ranked Warfare is a better Lightsaber-duellist than Luke is. My point is that GMs need to have a policy on what the players are allowed to get away with. If you want to allow the PCs to blow up the Death Star, sleep with Princess Leia and chop Darth Vader’s arms and legs off, I guess that’s okay but think about the precedent that is being set. (In the biggest Amber game that I was a part of - 14 players, 3 GMs - >18 months of weekly gaming, there were Daleks, Star Trek references, Star Wars references, Vampire references, Battletech references etc etc and sorry Selganor/Curafea but one of the player characters was Doctor Who - it has been done before) As soon as you allow players to bring in pop culture from Shadow Earth, the “Mary Sue” risk is real. But sometimes it is also very cool - for example, what happens if the Daleks become aware that there are Doors that lead to other dimensions….. of course they will attempt to conquer the Grand Stair! That’s exactly what happened in the ‘main Amber game’ (as we still refer to it), the Daleks became aware of other Shadows, and hence made plans to conquer the multiverse…. Who doesn’t like blowing up/thwarting Dalek plans anyway?
Player’s Notes on Ethan
- Being clear here, Ethan becomes a Bad Stuff character because undertakes a spiritual journey of enlightenment without being properly prepared either mentally or physically for it. The Bad Stuff is a way of signifying that he has overreaching what he is ready for, and that takes its toll on him.
- I thought very carefully about what sort of experience would ‘hurt’ Ethan, and I decided to explore what would happen to a modern man (and a young man at that) in a barbarous world that he is not prepared for. I was always very impressed by the original Star Trek episode “Mirror Mirror” in which a civilised man and his barbarous mirror image trade places, and the moral of the story is that a civilised man can pretend to be a savage, but the opposite is not true. Captain Kirk is able to navigate his way home with guile, but his mirror opposite is thrown in a holding cell as he is unable to disguise his barbarous nature. But that episode does not explore the mental impact of a civilised man being surrounded by an alien and savage culture - it would be extremely difficult. In some ways I’m seeking to juxtapose Grant’s character who has been taken apart by Umbra Mastery and the new rebuilt Grant is confident and certain, but lacking some memories as to why. In contrast, Ethan achieves Eidolon Mastery but his experiences immediately after are devastating, affecting both his confidence and driving him away from ‘civilisation’.
- However, this would be boring if drawn out. Contact with Grant brings Ethan back into the fold, and returning to civilisation and a society that respects (even worships) the Lords of Gossamer helps in the healing process. His experiences in Eingard and Wodenland are not forgotten. He becomes a wiser and more mature character.
Session 20 - Part 1
Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
Ethan and Sophia
- Notified that Ethan is on his way back to the city, Sophia decides to head back to the residence and wait for him. Grant offers to accompany her and she accepts, but says that once she has been introduced that she would prefer to talk to Ethan alone. Grant agrees.
- Ethan talks with Galatea as they walk back to the city. He relaxes as they talk, but notes when approaching the city that he is extremely hungry. He can smell food from a long way away. He asks Galatea about how money works in Marindar and she tells him that no one will expect any payment. They enter the city and are immediately noticed by the local population. At first they stop and stare, but Ethan is polite and friendly and those he meets begin to warm to him. Before long he has found an eatery, has introduced himself to the proprietor and ends up talking with the kitchen-staff as they prepare him a meal. He takes his time with the food and shows great curiosity as he chats to the many people who have crammed into the small premises.
- At last a beautiful lady arrives, accompanied by Grant, and the crowd gives her room to approach Ethan. It is of course Sophia and Grant introduces her to Ethan. (GM’s note - in the spirit of ‘Bad Stuff’, I had previously decided that should Ethan meet Sophia that he would be quite smitten by her, and given the potential interest between Grant and Sophia, that probably makes it worse. Tick. Of course, no one can force a player to have their character fall in love with someone because of ‘Bad Stuff’, but it seems to fit so I’m happy to just go with it and see what happens.) Galatea defers to her and yields her seat at the table opposite Ethan, and the crowd thins out. Ethan is no fool - he can tell that she is someone important - and at that point Sophia begins. She welcomes him to Marindar, thanks him for saving the city, and then gently seeks to find out more about him.
- Again, in the spirit of ‘Bad Stuff’, the conversation does not go smoothly. Ethan does not respond positively to the probing, and Sophia is astute enough to realise that there is something wrong and backs off. She leaves him, and Galatea returns. Ethan is clearly unsettled by the exchange with Sophia, but relaxes with Galatea. They return to the residence.
- In the meantime, Grant asks Sophia about Ethan. Sophia conclusion is that he is suffering from a form of culture shock, and needs some time to adjust. She says that Ethan needs some time to feel clean, rested, fed, properly clothed and so on, but he will probably be fine. She has asked for Raine, the tailor, to assist him with some clothes. Grant suggests that he spend some time with Ethan - perhaps even talk to him over dinner - and Sophia encourages this, saying that it might speed his recovery.
Ethan and Grant
- Ethan joins Grant for dinner on one of the balcony restaurants overlooking the cliffs and the sea. It is late afternoon when Ethan starts telling Grant what happened to him after they parted many months ago in the Middle Kingdom.
Session 20 - Part 2
Realm 1 - The Middle Kingdom (Red Door)
- Following on from Session 12, Ethan decides to leave to leave the Middle Kingdom. He rides a black horse back to the Temple of the Four Winds, taking with him some treasures of gold and silver that the Emperor has given him. On the way, he spends a night under the stars and there is a moment of clarity as he stares upwards at something much greater than he is. The moment quickly fades but it gives him a glimpse as to what is he seeking to reach - to somehow touch the beyond.
- Ethan finds the Temple of Four Winds under guard by warrior monks loyal to the Emperor, but they grant him (as Lord E’Tan) safe passage through the Door and onto the Stair.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Shadow
- Ethan pauses, and checks the hair-traps that he put in place across each of the nearby Doors to see if any of them have been broken. There is no sign of any activity and the Grand Stair is quiet. He uses the Key to access the Door to Shadow Earth.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1986 (Brown Door)
- Ethan returns to calm weather in the autumn of 1986. He locks the door behind him and considers his options. He knows that he is seeking a particular type of wisdom but does not know who best to seek out. He converses with Socrates and the cats but they offer him few ideas. He spends time in the local library, considering historical figures and even philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, but finds that their insights would have limited application to the very real application that Ethan has in mind, even if he could find them in person to talk to them. He considers searching the Grand Stair for someone who can advise him, but he is unsure as to what the result would be. He shelves that idea and starts exploring popular literature, particular comic books, looking for clues as to how other ‘gifted’ individuals adjust to their newfound powers.
- He reads through the Secret Wars and Secret Wars 2 series of comic books (which were released in 1984 and 1985) and thinks over the Beyonder’s clumsy search for meaning.
- Finally, Ethan makes a decision and heads off onto the Grand Stair. He has decided to search for Dagobah, and specifically Yoda, the Jedi Master. He knows full-well that finding a work of fiction may not be possible, but as J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings seems to be based on Middle Earth, a nearby realm, it is also possible that other fictional realms exist. He also considers the possibility that even if he finds Dagobah that Yoda will not be there (as Yoda ‘dies’ in Return of the Jedi), but the image of Dagobah and Yoda are clear in his mind from the recent movies (only 2 years old) so he believes that it is worth an attempt.
- At this point in the story, Grant sits up and takes particular notice. He is intrigued by Ethan’s attempt to seek out a fictional character.
- Ethan also notes that the Shadow Earth realm feels different to before. It feels less fragile than some of the other worlds that Ethan has visited. (GM’s note - Lurker37 confirmed that this is because it is more than a 1 point realm. As Ethan has high Psyche, he can feel the difference now that he has been to many worlds) As he spends more time on Shadow Earth, Ethan feels that something is brewing nearby. He can sense forces at work in Northgate, but decides to ignore them for the time being.
Grand Stairway Section 4 - The Factory
- As Ethan is looking for something quite specific, he ends up walking for a long time until he finds exactly what he is looking for. The corridors change considerably and traversing the Stair feels much more like exploring some vast factory. The Stair becomes a labyrinth of grilled walkways on different levels with steel ladders between them. The Doors become fewer and fewer. Even Ethan’s footsteps echo down the passageway. But at last he reaches what he is seeking - a metallic Door that only has to be approached for it to retract into an open position.
- During this section of the story, Grant notes to himself that this sounds much like Turadok’s paradigm of the stair. He finds it intriguing that the Stair can look so different in other sections.
Realm 16 - Cepharus 7 (Metal Door)
The Spaceport
- Ethan arrives on the industrial world of Cepharus 7, fairly close to the spaceport. He goes looking for a ship capable of taking him to Dagobah (GM’s note - yet again, Ethan is using Wayfinding). He wanders about for some hours, taking in the sights before finding a captain to approach.
- Ethan mets Jasper Lin. Jasper is slim, with a shaven head and no eyebrows. (GM’s note - Lurker37 provided a picture of Jasper, but it is a real photo of a real person so I’d prefer not to put it up here) A relatively ugly fellow, Ethan convinces Jasper to take him to Dagobah (which Jasper calls a “mud ball”). Ethan notes that he tried ‘a Jedi mind trick’ and found to his surprise that it actually worked. Jasper was actually convinced that Ethan had already paid. (GM’s note - yes, this marks the first time that we allowed a high ranked Psyche character to manipulate someone of Human rank). Ethan is introduced to R2-J7, a green R2 droid with a potty mouth. That’s right - this little droid swears and curses at every @#$*ing opportunity. It is an exceptionally grumpy R2 unit, but thanks to Exegesis, Ethan can understand every word.
- Ethan is taken to Jasper’s ship, the Morning Star, and he is made comfortable. The Morning Star already has legitimate cargo and is quickly readied for take-off.
Journey to Dagobah
- After a few hours in hyperspace, Ethan is surprised when Jasper cuts short the journey. Jasper tells Ethan that it will be only a short diversion as he has arranged a rendezvous with Market (whom Jasper calls a smuggler) in order to give him some goods which are owed to him. Jasper surprises Ethan further by showing him a large piece of fine jewellery that he intends to return to Market - he’s more than 3 years late in completing the transaction. Ethan drinks tea while he waits.
- Another ship arrives and it is much bigger than the Morning Star. The large transport vessel shimmers as if under some sort of distortion field, but Jasper does not show any alarm. A docking corridor is erected between the ships and Jasper boards the other vessel. Ethan relaxes - he can tell that there is only one other mind on the other ship. He can only assume that the other vessel has a large crew of droids.
- Time passes. More time passes. Ethan begins to get suspicious and he decides to venture onto the other vessel, however there is hard vacuum between the vessels. Even R2’s sensors can’t detect the other ship even though it is supposedly ‘right there’. Ethan instructs R2 to detach, and the Morning Star drifts away. Ethan then orders a burst to take the Morning Star further away, and then drift with power down. They wait a long time before the other vessel suddenly pulls away and jumps into hyperspace. R2 tracks the vessel and extrapolates - the vessel is bound for the outer rim.
- Ethan assumes command of the Morning Star and R2 grumpily sets course for Dagobah.
- Hours later, the Morning Star emerges from hyperspace and makes a course for Dagobah. Ethan has learnt a fair bit about the ship’s controls by this point, but he remembers from the movies that Luke crashed in the swamp. He expects the approach to be difficult, and it is. The scope goes dead, R2 shrieks in panic and Ethan relies on his Warden powers of Wayfinding to guide the ship down. Nevertheless, the ship skips across a large muddy lake, slams through some trees and ends up on an angle resting against a much larger tree, one side of the vessel buried in the mud. The Morning Star has lost power but the hull appears intact. R2 swears some more.
Dagobah
- Ethan can sense a lot of lifeforms around him. He also remembers from the movies that dangerous things lurk in the waters of the swamp. Despite that, he knows (via Wayfinding) that his destination lies on the other side of the lake. With nothing suitable to make a raft, Ethan decides to find the best route to his destination without crossing large bodies of water (GM’s note - this is a significant shift in the use of Wayfinding. We decided that Wayfinding does not just allow a Warden to find the most direct route, but also the best route) Ethan takes some supplies and a blaster and heads out into the swamp.
- After two days of hard slogging through the mud, Ethan finally reaches Yoda’s house.
- But Yoda is gone, and no trace of his spirit remains.
- Ethan despairs, but accepts that it had always been a strong possibility that Yoda would not be here. Tired, he makes a hot meal using the kitchen in Yoda’s house, and then falls asleep.
- When he awakes, he surveys his surroundings with fresh eyes. He can feel the life around him, and decides that this as good a place as any to ‘touch the infinite’. He eats, he meditates, he explores, he rests and he relaxes in this place. He feels his senses expanding, and he is able to gradually touch the underlying order of the place, and affect it. Mind over matter is difficult at first, but becomes easier with practice.
- Ethan does not mention to Grant that in Yoda’s house he found the old Jedi Master’s lightsaber - but he did indeed find it and keep it.
The Dark Tree
- At last Ethan becomes aware of a disturbance nearby and decides to face the ‘test’ which Luke failed. He decides not to take a weapon with him, but instead enters the tree unarmed.
- The experience is quite different to that of Luke’s. Ethan hears the ticking of a clock, and finds that the cave around him becomes moving, pulsing like the inter workings of a clock. As he travels deeper into the cave, seeking the heart, he feels a malevolence in the order around him watching his every move. He is unable to make sense of the order, and begins losing perspective of the amount of time that has passed. Using Wayfinding and ignoring what he sees, he is able to hear the underlying rhythm of the machinery and is guided by that to the core. At last he finds a great water clock, its mechanism choked with vines and at its base is a body. The body of Jasper Lin. When Ethan goes to investigate (warily) and turns the body over, Jasper has no face. The form itself is composed of clockwork components and it crumples as Ethan pulls upon it. Again there is the feeling of being watched, and being locked into a path.
- Ethan feels rising panic as he feels oddly dislocated, but he shuts his eyes, keeps calm and listens to the rhythm of the mechanisms around him. His fear subsides and he makes his way finally out of the cave.
- To his surprise, he has been in the cave for more than a week. However, he can now feel his surroundings even more acutely than before. He can ‘hear’ the trees, the creatures around him, the slightest whisper of the wind. He can ‘taste’ well beyond anything he could previously. And so forth.
- Ethan rests in Yoda’s hut for some time before deciding it is finally time to leave.
- Grant seems concerned about Ethan’s visions in the cave. He says that perhaps the cave is being prophetic as there is something wrong at Northgate.
The Return
- Returning to the Morning Star, R2 is @#$*ing pleased to see Ethan. He thought that he had been abandoned after so many weeks and wasn’t looking forward to spending the rest of his miserable @#$*ing existence stuck on this @#$*ing mud ball. Ethan asks about whether R2 has fixed the power core and R2 says no, insulting him in the process. Ethan simply shrugs and looks for the power core. He restores it using Eidolon, taking about 4 hours of ‘laying on hands’ and relaxed concentration to fix it. Of course, it isn’t that simple (GM’s note - Ethan has bad stuff now) and Ethan finds that the upgraded power core results in blow-outs in other parts of the ship. It takes Ethan days of work to repair the ship to the point that it can be flown, and he ends up rebuilding about 30% of the ship. Finally, it is done, and the two of them prepare to depart.
- Unfortunately it’s not a smooth exit for Ethan. In leaving Dagobah, he runs into a patrol of TIE fighters which are a design that he has not seen before.
- Ethan decides to retreat to Dagobah’s clouds and shakes the TIE fighters, before escaping once more and plotting a return course to Cepharus 7. They catch a glimpse of a trio of Star Destroyers but Ethan does not stick around to find out why they are here. They make the jump into hyperspace and are gone.
- Returning to Cepharus 7 requires some fast talking from Ethan as the ship profile has changed, but finally they land and Ethan departs.
- Ethan doesn’t share the whole story here. He doesn’t say whether he went after Jasper Lin, nor what he did with the Morning Star or the potty-mouthed R2 unit. These will be revealed at a future date.
Realm 5 - The Bar (Brown Door)
- Ethan does not mention his return via the Grand Stair, but says that he goes to the American Bar and eats a good meal - the first meal in a long time. Then he excuses himself and returns to Shadow Earth.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- The ravens and cats are pleased to see Ethan and Ethan decides to stay for a few weeks. He reinforces the Wards on the house, including introducing a mental blank barrier around the region which will affect the minds of any locals who see anything too odd about the house. He uses Eidolon to improve the structure and further ‘enhance’ the animals. Ethan also mentions that he brought back collars for the cats and small cloth hats for the ravens to enable them to focus their psyche, allowing telepathy and limited telekinesis. (Ethan does not say where he got those from.)
- It is also during this period that Ethan is contacted by Grant when he is ravaged by Umbra - but Ethan again does not speak of this experience to Grant.
- Ethan gives up the pretence of lying low - he cashes in some of the gold from the Middle Kingdom and uses his Psyche to affect those whom he meets to convince them that the source is genuine. He works through the nearby law firm to ensure that bank accounts are difficult to trace back to the house.
Realm 17 - Einland (Rustic Brown Door)
The Village
- The Ethan who steps back onto the Stair after a few weeks on Shadow Earth is a far more confident and capable sorcerer. He is sure of purpose and has practised his craft. Ethan journeys along the Stair looking for a Dark Ages realm where he can learn basic life skills which would enable him to survive with very little. He decides upon a place called Eingard, which is a Viking-style community in roughly equivalent to 700 - 800 AD, and emerges from an isolated shack which is being used to store grain.
- The villagers are at first startled by his appearance as there is no nearby community, but Ethan speaks in their native tongue (using Exegesis) and offers tribute (gemstones from the Middle Kingdom) to the local chieftain, a massive bearded man called Wulfric. He asks permission to build a house nearby and learn from the community, but when challenged as to what he can do, Ethan decides to demonstrate his strength with a wrestling match. Though at first the men of the village scoff at this, as Ethan is smaller than the northmen, Ethan easily defeats two of them and Wulfric grants him permission to stay.
- In the weeks that follow, Ethan works hard and is accepted quickly. He cuts stone, he builds a house, he works in the forge and breaks tools when applying his full strength. His interest in ‘women’s work’ makes him a bit of an oddity (e.g.: bread making, working with soap stone, making mead etc), but his love of mead, song and dance win him many friends. He overlooks their poor hygiene and uncultured ways (by modern standards) and distances himself from practices that he finds distasteful.
- As time passes, it becomes clear to the local population that he is quite unlike them. They start calling him The Wodenson (the son of Woden, their God). At first Ethan is a little flattered, but this newfound status makes him a target. Wulfric increasingly shows favouritism towards him which makes others jealous. He is given a higher seat at the table, and even the chance to go raiding with Wulfric on the chief’s vessel. The raiding is highly successful, and Ethan participates in the looting and wanton destruction without thinking much of it. (He comments to Grant that he had lost perspective) To reward him, Wulfric offers him land, treasure, recognition and honours, and even women. Ethan accepts the offer of land and shows real enthusiasm for cultivating the land. He adopts a large black dog which he names Paws.
- Ethan’s reputation leads to the occasional challenge, which Ethan deals with as brutally as any northerner. With his house complete and his lands gradually being developed, he works often in the forge, shaping weapons.
- Ethan missed the obvious signs that something was souring in the village. He had chosen to overlook some of their idle gossip that he planned to replace Wulfric and rule in his stead, and not to rise to it. Realising that they could not defeat him in battle, he believes that at least some of them tried to poison him; but it was unsuccessful. (GM’s note - with Eidolon, Ethan is resistant to all earthly poisons) Finally one of the bravest men in the village whom Ethan liked and trusted, attempted to slay him. In that moment Ethan lost his temper and cut brave Gunnar in two. After that, village life was never the same. Even those who he had considered friends would not sit and drink with him as before. The village was afraid of him, and he reluctantly decided that it was time to leave.
- Sadly, Ethan asked Wulfric for permission to board one of the longships bound for Wodenland, one of the islands to the west, and settle there. Wulfric agreed.
- Ethan does not share all of the details of what happened in Eingard, but Grant is left saddened for Ethan’s experience.
Wodenland
- Wodenland was every bit as beautiful as had been described to him, but it was a long way from Einland and the Door to return home. Nevertheless, he was determined to start over, far away from the other settlers.
- With only his dog, Paws, a horse and a few goats to keep him company, he began farming again on a very simple plot of land on the shores of western Wodenland. However, the soil quality is poor and there is little wood for construction or fires. It is a hard land to farm. Nevertheless, he tries his best without resorting to either Eidolon or Sorcery, and he works the land to the best of his ability. He tills the land, plants crops, and marvels at the night sky in the evenings. There are rarely clouds in the sky this time of year, and the view of magnificent.
- But Ethan has misjudged the situation. With winter now fast approaching, it is increasingly a race against time before the winter snows arrive and he does not have adequate food supplies for the animals, let alone himself. Rationing the food, Ethan goes without.
- By the time Grant contacts Ethan via an Icon contact, the situation is becoming increasingly grim. The wind is becoming colder with the approach of winter, and Ethan has lost a lot of weight. His animals are in poor shape, and even though he has accelerated the crops using Sorcery, there is still not enough food to last the winter. The days are becoming shorter and the nights longer. There is less daylight in order to work. He has taken to foraging to acquire more food, climbing cliffs to catch birds and their eggs - it’s the only thing that is keeping Paws alive. Then suddenly one of his goats dies - for no apparent reason. Ethan uses Eidolon to purify the meat and then he eats what he can, and stores the rest.
- Grant contacts Ethan again, explaining that Marindar is under attack. Ethan does not quite know what to make of it, but he is sure that Grant is not under the Umbra’s influence and he is worried that his friend might be in danger. Grant offers for Ethan to come through, but Ethan cuts the contact when Grant prepares to use Umbra. Ethan becomes concerned.
- Ethan takes a last look around, surveying the place that has been his home for many months. After a few hours considering the night sky above, Ethan initiates the Icon contact and offers to step through.
- Again, Ethan omits details. Before initiating the Icon contact, Ethan kills all of the animals, including his dog Paws who has been his faithful friend on the long sea journey. He kills them because he doesn’t believe he can take them with him and he is unwilling to leave them to die in the cold. It is a numbing moment for Ethan that he does not wish to share.
Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
- At this point, Ethan has finished with his narrative and the story returns to the two friends at a table on a balcony overlooking the sea. Each has finished their dinner, and a bottle of fine wine stands empty on the table ….
- This season explains what happened between Sessions 12 and 19, and provides insight as to how Ethan acquires Eidolon/Sorcery. Part 1 of this is just another chapter in the narrative where Grant is the central character in the main plot. Part 2 is a story within a story - in the present, Grant and Ethan talk, and Ethan’s story is told as a flashback. What happens to Ethan was run as a separate adventure by Lurker37. I had sent David two emails detailing in seven parts what I thought Ethan would do, and then the adventure was run with David inserting the complications that arose, and the characters that Ethan met along the way.
- At the beginning of Part 2, Ethan is still only a 30 point character (i.e.: before the additional points are allocated to jump him up to 120 points) He also makes the transition from being a 1 point Good Stuff character to a 4 point Bad stuff character as part of this adventure.
- One more comment - Lords of Gossamer (and Amber) are prone to “Mary Sue” situations where the players get an opportunity for his/her character to interact with all of his/her favourite characters from fiction, and even upstage them. After all, Luke Skywalker doesn’t have anything better than Paragon Rank Warfare. So even someone with Ranked Warfare is a better Lightsaber-duellist than Luke is. My point is that GMs need to have a policy on what the players are allowed to get away with. If you want to allow the PCs to blow up the Death Star, sleep with Princess Leia and chop Darth Vader’s arms and legs off, I guess that’s okay but think about the precedent that is being set. (In the biggest Amber game that I was a part of - 14 players, 3 GMs - >18 months of weekly gaming, there were Daleks, Star Trek references, Star Wars references, Vampire references, Battletech references etc etc and sorry Selganor/Curafea but one of the player characters was Doctor Who - it has been done before) As soon as you allow players to bring in pop culture from Shadow Earth, the “Mary Sue” risk is real. But sometimes it is also very cool - for example, what happens if the Daleks become aware that there are Doors that lead to other dimensions….. of course they will attempt to conquer the Grand Stair! That’s exactly what happened in the ‘main Amber game’ (as we still refer to it), the Daleks became aware of other Shadows, and hence made plans to conquer the multiverse…. Who doesn’t like blowing up/thwarting Dalek plans anyway?
Player’s Notes on Ethan
- Being clear here, Ethan becomes a Bad Stuff character because undertakes a spiritual journey of enlightenment without being properly prepared either mentally or physically for it. The Bad Stuff is a way of signifying that he has overreaching what he is ready for, and that takes its toll on him.
- I thought very carefully about what sort of experience would ‘hurt’ Ethan, and I decided to explore what would happen to a modern man (and a young man at that) in a barbarous world that he is not prepared for. I was always very impressed by the original Star Trek episode “Mirror Mirror” in which a civilised man and his barbarous mirror image trade places, and the moral of the story is that a civilised man can pretend to be a savage, but the opposite is not true. Captain Kirk is able to navigate his way home with guile, but his mirror opposite is thrown in a holding cell as he is unable to disguise his barbarous nature. But that episode does not explore the mental impact of a civilised man being surrounded by an alien and savage culture - it would be extremely difficult. In some ways I’m seeking to juxtapose Grant’s character who has been taken apart by Umbra Mastery and the new rebuilt Grant is confident and certain, but lacking some memories as to why. In contrast, Ethan achieves Eidolon Mastery but his experiences immediately after are devastating, affecting both his confidence and driving him away from ‘civilisation’.
- However, this would be boring if drawn out. Contact with Grant brings Ethan back into the fold, and returning to civilisation and a society that respects (even worships) the Lords of Gossamer helps in the healing process. His experiences in Eingard and Wodenland are not forgotten. He becomes a wiser and more mature character.
Session 20 - Part 1
Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
Ethan and Sophia
- Notified that Ethan is on his way back to the city, Sophia decides to head back to the residence and wait for him. Grant offers to accompany her and she accepts, but says that once she has been introduced that she would prefer to talk to Ethan alone. Grant agrees.
- Ethan talks with Galatea as they walk back to the city. He relaxes as they talk, but notes when approaching the city that he is extremely hungry. He can smell food from a long way away. He asks Galatea about how money works in Marindar and she tells him that no one will expect any payment. They enter the city and are immediately noticed by the local population. At first they stop and stare, but Ethan is polite and friendly and those he meets begin to warm to him. Before long he has found an eatery, has introduced himself to the proprietor and ends up talking with the kitchen-staff as they prepare him a meal. He takes his time with the food and shows great curiosity as he chats to the many people who have crammed into the small premises.
- At last a beautiful lady arrives, accompanied by Grant, and the crowd gives her room to approach Ethan. It is of course Sophia and Grant introduces her to Ethan. (GM’s note - in the spirit of ‘Bad Stuff’, I had previously decided that should Ethan meet Sophia that he would be quite smitten by her, and given the potential interest between Grant and Sophia, that probably makes it worse. Tick. Of course, no one can force a player to have their character fall in love with someone because of ‘Bad Stuff’, but it seems to fit so I’m happy to just go with it and see what happens.) Galatea defers to her and yields her seat at the table opposite Ethan, and the crowd thins out. Ethan is no fool - he can tell that she is someone important - and at that point Sophia begins. She welcomes him to Marindar, thanks him for saving the city, and then gently seeks to find out more about him.
- Again, in the spirit of ‘Bad Stuff’, the conversation does not go smoothly. Ethan does not respond positively to the probing, and Sophia is astute enough to realise that there is something wrong and backs off. She leaves him, and Galatea returns. Ethan is clearly unsettled by the exchange with Sophia, but relaxes with Galatea. They return to the residence.
- In the meantime, Grant asks Sophia about Ethan. Sophia conclusion is that he is suffering from a form of culture shock, and needs some time to adjust. She says that Ethan needs some time to feel clean, rested, fed, properly clothed and so on, but he will probably be fine. She has asked for Raine, the tailor, to assist him with some clothes. Grant suggests that he spend some time with Ethan - perhaps even talk to him over dinner - and Sophia encourages this, saying that it might speed his recovery.
Ethan and Grant
- Ethan joins Grant for dinner on one of the balcony restaurants overlooking the cliffs and the sea. It is late afternoon when Ethan starts telling Grant what happened to him after they parted many months ago in the Middle Kingdom.
Session 20 - Part 2
Realm 1 - The Middle Kingdom (Red Door)
- Following on from Session 12, Ethan decides to leave to leave the Middle Kingdom. He rides a black horse back to the Temple of the Four Winds, taking with him some treasures of gold and silver that the Emperor has given him. On the way, he spends a night under the stars and there is a moment of clarity as he stares upwards at something much greater than he is. The moment quickly fades but it gives him a glimpse as to what is he seeking to reach - to somehow touch the beyond.
- Ethan finds the Temple of Four Winds under guard by warrior monks loyal to the Emperor, but they grant him (as Lord E’Tan) safe passage through the Door and onto the Stair.
Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Shadow
- Ethan pauses, and checks the hair-traps that he put in place across each of the nearby Doors to see if any of them have been broken. There is no sign of any activity and the Grand Stair is quiet. He uses the Key to access the Door to Shadow Earth.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1986 (Brown Door)
- Ethan returns to calm weather in the autumn of 1986. He locks the door behind him and considers his options. He knows that he is seeking a particular type of wisdom but does not know who best to seek out. He converses with Socrates and the cats but they offer him few ideas. He spends time in the local library, considering historical figures and even philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, but finds that their insights would have limited application to the very real application that Ethan has in mind, even if he could find them in person to talk to them. He considers searching the Grand Stair for someone who can advise him, but he is unsure as to what the result would be. He shelves that idea and starts exploring popular literature, particular comic books, looking for clues as to how other ‘gifted’ individuals adjust to their newfound powers.
- He reads through the Secret Wars and Secret Wars 2 series of comic books (which were released in 1984 and 1985) and thinks over the Beyonder’s clumsy search for meaning.
- Finally, Ethan makes a decision and heads off onto the Grand Stair. He has decided to search for Dagobah, and specifically Yoda, the Jedi Master. He knows full-well that finding a work of fiction may not be possible, but as J.R.R.Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings seems to be based on Middle Earth, a nearby realm, it is also possible that other fictional realms exist. He also considers the possibility that even if he finds Dagobah that Yoda will not be there (as Yoda ‘dies’ in Return of the Jedi), but the image of Dagobah and Yoda are clear in his mind from the recent movies (only 2 years old) so he believes that it is worth an attempt.
- At this point in the story, Grant sits up and takes particular notice. He is intrigued by Ethan’s attempt to seek out a fictional character.
- Ethan also notes that the Shadow Earth realm feels different to before. It feels less fragile than some of the other worlds that Ethan has visited. (GM’s note - Lurker37 confirmed that this is because it is more than a 1 point realm. As Ethan has high Psyche, he can feel the difference now that he has been to many worlds) As he spends more time on Shadow Earth, Ethan feels that something is brewing nearby. He can sense forces at work in Northgate, but decides to ignore them for the time being.
Grand Stairway Section 4 - The Factory
- As Ethan is looking for something quite specific, he ends up walking for a long time until he finds exactly what he is looking for. The corridors change considerably and traversing the Stair feels much more like exploring some vast factory. The Stair becomes a labyrinth of grilled walkways on different levels with steel ladders between them. The Doors become fewer and fewer. Even Ethan’s footsteps echo down the passageway. But at last he reaches what he is seeking - a metallic Door that only has to be approached for it to retract into an open position.
- During this section of the story, Grant notes to himself that this sounds much like Turadok’s paradigm of the stair. He finds it intriguing that the Stair can look so different in other sections.
Realm 16 - Cepharus 7 (Metal Door)
The Spaceport
- Ethan arrives on the industrial world of Cepharus 7, fairly close to the spaceport. He goes looking for a ship capable of taking him to Dagobah (GM’s note - yet again, Ethan is using Wayfinding). He wanders about for some hours, taking in the sights before finding a captain to approach.
- Ethan mets Jasper Lin. Jasper is slim, with a shaven head and no eyebrows. (GM’s note - Lurker37 provided a picture of Jasper, but it is a real photo of a real person so I’d prefer not to put it up here) A relatively ugly fellow, Ethan convinces Jasper to take him to Dagobah (which Jasper calls a “mud ball”). Ethan notes that he tried ‘a Jedi mind trick’ and found to his surprise that it actually worked. Jasper was actually convinced that Ethan had already paid. (GM’s note - yes, this marks the first time that we allowed a high ranked Psyche character to manipulate someone of Human rank). Ethan is introduced to R2-J7, a green R2 droid with a potty mouth. That’s right - this little droid swears and curses at every @#$*ing opportunity. It is an exceptionally grumpy R2 unit, but thanks to Exegesis, Ethan can understand every word.
- Ethan is taken to Jasper’s ship, the Morning Star, and he is made comfortable. The Morning Star already has legitimate cargo and is quickly readied for take-off.
Journey to Dagobah
- After a few hours in hyperspace, Ethan is surprised when Jasper cuts short the journey. Jasper tells Ethan that it will be only a short diversion as he has arranged a rendezvous with Market (whom Jasper calls a smuggler) in order to give him some goods which are owed to him. Jasper surprises Ethan further by showing him a large piece of fine jewellery that he intends to return to Market - he’s more than 3 years late in completing the transaction. Ethan drinks tea while he waits.
- Another ship arrives and it is much bigger than the Morning Star. The large transport vessel shimmers as if under some sort of distortion field, but Jasper does not show any alarm. A docking corridor is erected between the ships and Jasper boards the other vessel. Ethan relaxes - he can tell that there is only one other mind on the other ship. He can only assume that the other vessel has a large crew of droids.
- Time passes. More time passes. Ethan begins to get suspicious and he decides to venture onto the other vessel, however there is hard vacuum between the vessels. Even R2’s sensors can’t detect the other ship even though it is supposedly ‘right there’. Ethan instructs R2 to detach, and the Morning Star drifts away. Ethan then orders a burst to take the Morning Star further away, and then drift with power down. They wait a long time before the other vessel suddenly pulls away and jumps into hyperspace. R2 tracks the vessel and extrapolates - the vessel is bound for the outer rim.
- Ethan assumes command of the Morning Star and R2 grumpily sets course for Dagobah.
- Hours later, the Morning Star emerges from hyperspace and makes a course for Dagobah. Ethan has learnt a fair bit about the ship’s controls by this point, but he remembers from the movies that Luke crashed in the swamp. He expects the approach to be difficult, and it is. The scope goes dead, R2 shrieks in panic and Ethan relies on his Warden powers of Wayfinding to guide the ship down. Nevertheless, the ship skips across a large muddy lake, slams through some trees and ends up on an angle resting against a much larger tree, one side of the vessel buried in the mud. The Morning Star has lost power but the hull appears intact. R2 swears some more.
Dagobah
- Ethan can sense a lot of lifeforms around him. He also remembers from the movies that dangerous things lurk in the waters of the swamp. Despite that, he knows (via Wayfinding) that his destination lies on the other side of the lake. With nothing suitable to make a raft, Ethan decides to find the best route to his destination without crossing large bodies of water (GM’s note - this is a significant shift in the use of Wayfinding. We decided that Wayfinding does not just allow a Warden to find the most direct route, but also the best route) Ethan takes some supplies and a blaster and heads out into the swamp.
- After two days of hard slogging through the mud, Ethan finally reaches Yoda’s house.
- But Yoda is gone, and no trace of his spirit remains.
- Ethan despairs, but accepts that it had always been a strong possibility that Yoda would not be here. Tired, he makes a hot meal using the kitchen in Yoda’s house, and then falls asleep.
- When he awakes, he surveys his surroundings with fresh eyes. He can feel the life around him, and decides that this as good a place as any to ‘touch the infinite’. He eats, he meditates, he explores, he rests and he relaxes in this place. He feels his senses expanding, and he is able to gradually touch the underlying order of the place, and affect it. Mind over matter is difficult at first, but becomes easier with practice.
- Ethan does not mention to Grant that in Yoda’s house he found the old Jedi Master’s lightsaber - but he did indeed find it and keep it.
The Dark Tree
- At last Ethan becomes aware of a disturbance nearby and decides to face the ‘test’ which Luke failed. He decides not to take a weapon with him, but instead enters the tree unarmed.
- The experience is quite different to that of Luke’s. Ethan hears the ticking of a clock, and finds that the cave around him becomes moving, pulsing like the inter workings of a clock. As he travels deeper into the cave, seeking the heart, he feels a malevolence in the order around him watching his every move. He is unable to make sense of the order, and begins losing perspective of the amount of time that has passed. Using Wayfinding and ignoring what he sees, he is able to hear the underlying rhythm of the machinery and is guided by that to the core. At last he finds a great water clock, its mechanism choked with vines and at its base is a body. The body of Jasper Lin. When Ethan goes to investigate (warily) and turns the body over, Jasper has no face. The form itself is composed of clockwork components and it crumples as Ethan pulls upon it. Again there is the feeling of being watched, and being locked into a path.
- Ethan feels rising panic as he feels oddly dislocated, but he shuts his eyes, keeps calm and listens to the rhythm of the mechanisms around him. His fear subsides and he makes his way finally out of the cave.
- To his surprise, he has been in the cave for more than a week. However, he can now feel his surroundings even more acutely than before. He can ‘hear’ the trees, the creatures around him, the slightest whisper of the wind. He can ‘taste’ well beyond anything he could previously. And so forth.
- Ethan rests in Yoda’s hut for some time before deciding it is finally time to leave.
- Grant seems concerned about Ethan’s visions in the cave. He says that perhaps the cave is being prophetic as there is something wrong at Northgate.
The Return
- Returning to the Morning Star, R2 is @#$*ing pleased to see Ethan. He thought that he had been abandoned after so many weeks and wasn’t looking forward to spending the rest of his miserable @#$*ing existence stuck on this @#$*ing mud ball. Ethan asks about whether R2 has fixed the power core and R2 says no, insulting him in the process. Ethan simply shrugs and looks for the power core. He restores it using Eidolon, taking about 4 hours of ‘laying on hands’ and relaxed concentration to fix it. Of course, it isn’t that simple (GM’s note - Ethan has bad stuff now) and Ethan finds that the upgraded power core results in blow-outs in other parts of the ship. It takes Ethan days of work to repair the ship to the point that it can be flown, and he ends up rebuilding about 30% of the ship. Finally, it is done, and the two of them prepare to depart.
- Unfortunately it’s not a smooth exit for Ethan. In leaving Dagobah, he runs into a patrol of TIE fighters which are a design that he has not seen before.
- Ethan decides to retreat to Dagobah’s clouds and shakes the TIE fighters, before escaping once more and plotting a return course to Cepharus 7. They catch a glimpse of a trio of Star Destroyers but Ethan does not stick around to find out why they are here. They make the jump into hyperspace and are gone.
- Returning to Cepharus 7 requires some fast talking from Ethan as the ship profile has changed, but finally they land and Ethan departs.
- Ethan doesn’t share the whole story here. He doesn’t say whether he went after Jasper Lin, nor what he did with the Morning Star or the potty-mouthed R2 unit. These will be revealed at a future date.
Realm 5 - The Bar (Brown Door)
- Ethan does not mention his return via the Grand Stair, but says that he goes to the American Bar and eats a good meal - the first meal in a long time. Then he excuses himself and returns to Shadow Earth.
Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- The ravens and cats are pleased to see Ethan and Ethan decides to stay for a few weeks. He reinforces the Wards on the house, including introducing a mental blank barrier around the region which will affect the minds of any locals who see anything too odd about the house. He uses Eidolon to improve the structure and further ‘enhance’ the animals. Ethan also mentions that he brought back collars for the cats and small cloth hats for the ravens to enable them to focus their psyche, allowing telepathy and limited telekinesis. (Ethan does not say where he got those from.)
- It is also during this period that Ethan is contacted by Grant when he is ravaged by Umbra - but Ethan again does not speak of this experience to Grant.
- Ethan gives up the pretence of lying low - he cashes in some of the gold from the Middle Kingdom and uses his Psyche to affect those whom he meets to convince them that the source is genuine. He works through the nearby law firm to ensure that bank accounts are difficult to trace back to the house.
Realm 17 - Einland (Rustic Brown Door)
The Village
- The Ethan who steps back onto the Stair after a few weeks on Shadow Earth is a far more confident and capable sorcerer. He is sure of purpose and has practised his craft. Ethan journeys along the Stair looking for a Dark Ages realm where he can learn basic life skills which would enable him to survive with very little. He decides upon a place called Eingard, which is a Viking-style community in roughly equivalent to 700 - 800 AD, and emerges from an isolated shack which is being used to store grain.
- The villagers are at first startled by his appearance as there is no nearby community, but Ethan speaks in their native tongue (using Exegesis) and offers tribute (gemstones from the Middle Kingdom) to the local chieftain, a massive bearded man called Wulfric. He asks permission to build a house nearby and learn from the community, but when challenged as to what he can do, Ethan decides to demonstrate his strength with a wrestling match. Though at first the men of the village scoff at this, as Ethan is smaller than the northmen, Ethan easily defeats two of them and Wulfric grants him permission to stay.
- In the weeks that follow, Ethan works hard and is accepted quickly. He cuts stone, he builds a house, he works in the forge and breaks tools when applying his full strength. His interest in ‘women’s work’ makes him a bit of an oddity (e.g.: bread making, working with soap stone, making mead etc), but his love of mead, song and dance win him many friends. He overlooks their poor hygiene and uncultured ways (by modern standards) and distances himself from practices that he finds distasteful.
- As time passes, it becomes clear to the local population that he is quite unlike them. They start calling him The Wodenson (the son of Woden, their God). At first Ethan is a little flattered, but this newfound status makes him a target. Wulfric increasingly shows favouritism towards him which makes others jealous. He is given a higher seat at the table, and even the chance to go raiding with Wulfric on the chief’s vessel. The raiding is highly successful, and Ethan participates in the looting and wanton destruction without thinking much of it. (He comments to Grant that he had lost perspective) To reward him, Wulfric offers him land, treasure, recognition and honours, and even women. Ethan accepts the offer of land and shows real enthusiasm for cultivating the land. He adopts a large black dog which he names Paws.
- Ethan’s reputation leads to the occasional challenge, which Ethan deals with as brutally as any northerner. With his house complete and his lands gradually being developed, he works often in the forge, shaping weapons.
- Ethan missed the obvious signs that something was souring in the village. He had chosen to overlook some of their idle gossip that he planned to replace Wulfric and rule in his stead, and not to rise to it. Realising that they could not defeat him in battle, he believes that at least some of them tried to poison him; but it was unsuccessful. (GM’s note - with Eidolon, Ethan is resistant to all earthly poisons) Finally one of the bravest men in the village whom Ethan liked and trusted, attempted to slay him. In that moment Ethan lost his temper and cut brave Gunnar in two. After that, village life was never the same. Even those who he had considered friends would not sit and drink with him as before. The village was afraid of him, and he reluctantly decided that it was time to leave.
- Sadly, Ethan asked Wulfric for permission to board one of the longships bound for Wodenland, one of the islands to the west, and settle there. Wulfric agreed.
- Ethan does not share all of the details of what happened in Eingard, but Grant is left saddened for Ethan’s experience.
Wodenland
- Wodenland was every bit as beautiful as had been described to him, but it was a long way from Einland and the Door to return home. Nevertheless, he was determined to start over, far away from the other settlers.
- With only his dog, Paws, a horse and a few goats to keep him company, he began farming again on a very simple plot of land on the shores of western Wodenland. However, the soil quality is poor and there is little wood for construction or fires. It is a hard land to farm. Nevertheless, he tries his best without resorting to either Eidolon or Sorcery, and he works the land to the best of his ability. He tills the land, plants crops, and marvels at the night sky in the evenings. There are rarely clouds in the sky this time of year, and the view of magnificent.
- But Ethan has misjudged the situation. With winter now fast approaching, it is increasingly a race against time before the winter snows arrive and he does not have adequate food supplies for the animals, let alone himself. Rationing the food, Ethan goes without.
- By the time Grant contacts Ethan via an Icon contact, the situation is becoming increasingly grim. The wind is becoming colder with the approach of winter, and Ethan has lost a lot of weight. His animals are in poor shape, and even though he has accelerated the crops using Sorcery, there is still not enough food to last the winter. The days are becoming shorter and the nights longer. There is less daylight in order to work. He has taken to foraging to acquire more food, climbing cliffs to catch birds and their eggs - it’s the only thing that is keeping Paws alive. Then suddenly one of his goats dies - for no apparent reason. Ethan uses Eidolon to purify the meat and then he eats what he can, and stores the rest.
- Grant contacts Ethan again, explaining that Marindar is under attack. Ethan does not quite know what to make of it, but he is sure that Grant is not under the Umbra’s influence and he is worried that his friend might be in danger. Grant offers for Ethan to come through, but Ethan cuts the contact when Grant prepares to use Umbra. Ethan becomes concerned.
- Ethan takes a last look around, surveying the place that has been his home for many months. After a few hours considering the night sky above, Ethan initiates the Icon contact and offers to step through.
- Again, Ethan omits details. Before initiating the Icon contact, Ethan kills all of the animals, including his dog Paws who has been his faithful friend on the long sea journey. He kills them because he doesn’t believe he can take them with him and he is unwilling to leave them to die in the cold. It is a numbing moment for Ethan that he does not wish to share.
Realm 15a - The Gateway to Marindar (Grey Door)
- At this point, Ethan has finished with his narrative and the story returns to the two friends at a table on a balcony overlooking the sea. Each has finished their dinner, and a bottle of fine wine stands empty on the table ….
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
GM Commentary
I have started to fall behind on written updates (now two sessions behind). Sorry folks. I will post them up though.
There was a big reveal in Session 21. Drake and Bastiano have been introduced.
Friday, 22 November 2013
GM Commentary
Session 20 will be up in the next day or so. Ethan and Grant each tell their story to the other over dinner......
(This was a flashback session where I had prepared what Ethan planned to do over 7 stages and sent it to Lurker37. He then GMed the session and sure enough added some complications into it. We did end up with some side plots that remain unexplored - but that's where Ethan simply doesn't mention what happened - he just skips over those bits ....)
Here's a sneak peek of what is coming in Session 20 .......
Psst.... check out the rest of the photos on this thread from "Keeper of the Force", the thread created by merseajohn. There is also a similar thread here by JohnSimmons.
Monday, 18 November 2013
GM Commentary
You're welcome Sovem,
Found the quote, which L'Riot quoted from this thread.
I must have only read a fragment of Jason's original post. So hanging spells on the Eidolon isn't indefinite. Ok, thanks for drawing my attention to this.
Regarding the use of Stuff to influence .....
.... I haven't talked this over with Lurker37 yet but I'm okay with Jason's stance that generally one would favour the player and only if there was doubt would one consider Stuff. The impact of Stuff needs to be proportionate. It wouldn't be fair to the player if El Sorcerer Supremo found that his racked spells were in constant need of maintenance because he has 1 point of Bad Stuff. The choice to take Good or Bad Stuff is (I think) thematic. If Bad Stuff were consistently used against the PC, the player would just pay the points and eliminate the weakness.
Feedback from Sovem
Another great session! I can't wait to see more interaction between Ethan and Galatea; and it'd be good to see Ethan and Grant together again!
Feedback from L'riot
I can actually imagine how both - the clarification and RAW - could apply here.
As Eidolon tends to correct, or one could say "perfect" the spells it could hung them indefinitely but without proper maintenance those spells would be "corrected" and set with the set of parameters with no lynchpins as those would be eliminated in the process of perfecting the spell by Eidolon. Which then could in theory result in having the sorcerer with lots and lots of hung spells that he wouldn't be able to use as their parameters and lack of lynchpins could make them unusable.
The idea to use Stuff as a factor when determining what happens with one's spells could work really well here.
Well, being a long time Amber GM, asking questions like this has become my second nature 
GM Commentary
Hi L'Riot, easier to respond on the open forum for a clarification like this.
Regarding the 'indefinite or almost indefinite' remark on the racking of spells, that isn't quoted in the LoG&S rulebook but the game designer has said that. I'll find the exact quote and link it to this thread. (I'm still trying to keep up with the number of rules clarifications that are being posted here and on the Google+ community).
Regarding the Dominant Rank Warfare v Dominant Rank Psyche with a Sorcerous shield scenario, that's an extreme case and assuming that Grant does not change tactics (which he would). If Grant does not change tactics and instead continues a path that will lose (which he would know), he will lose. But as he has superior Warfare to Ethan, he would know this and change tactics.....
Regarding your comment below, I need to think on this and decide the best way to respond. Will probably talk it over with Lurker37 too before responding.
Thanks for asking. Thanks for reading - it takes hours to write this stuff up so I'm glad that a number of you are getting some benefit/enjoyment out of it.
Feedback from L'riot
A superb read as always.
Although I have a few questions - answer me via PM if you don't want to make digressions from session report in this thread.
I'm wandering whether you as GM consider things like that:
as a house rule or as an interpretation of the rules as written?
I'm asking because the bolded part is more like a house rule thane anything else.
According to RAW:
As to this example:
it's an interesting interpretation to compare Rank of Psyche to any other attribute in the case of a defensive spell.
Do you think it should apply to all defensive spells or is the Barrier spell a special case?
For example does Material ward - which gives equivalent of Invulnerable to Conventional Weapons quality - when being attacked, should be treated as Psyche vs. Strength/Warfare or should it be treated just as if it would be an artifact and thus be impenetrable without Deadly Damage?
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