Feedback from BelleSorciere

Very sad news. My condolences to Steve's family and friends.

I am glad you'll keep this going.

Steve Russell

Tragically Steve Russell (Qwilion) is no longer with us. He died yesterday in a car accident.

I've spoken to Lurker37 about this and we've agreed to continue the game. The last feedback that I received from Steve was on 19th June after the Session 83 writeup. It read "You don't know how much I heart that this game is still going." By that time we'd almost reached three years running this game which we had started based on a Beta release of what was sent to the Kickstarter backers. And Steve was still encouraging us to keep going .... I don't know how much he read of this writeup. I guess I'll never know. We think the best way of honouring Steve's memory to keep playing. 

I only met Steve a few times over Google Hangouts. He ran one of the backer games for me, Lurker37 and one of my friends. We talked a few times over Google Hangouts. I picked his brains from time to time. I think at one point he was trying to sound me out for a Lords of Gossamer equivalent of Amberzine if that ever got off the ground. I thought highly of Steve given the way he was able to pull writers and illustrators together to create products which really appealed to me. And he enjoyed doing what he did. I really admired that. It's a tragic loss - not just for RPGing. From what I saw of Steve, he was a fine man.

I'm not sure what happens next but Lurker37 and I are going to continue this game because we enjoy it, and because it's a way of honouring Steve's memory. I'll keep posting here as long as the game is running (years, probably).

GM Commentary

Between David being sick and just how busy I've been at work, we've only had one session in the last two weeks as we work out just how screwed up Ethan now is with implanted memories. I'll get the writeup done by 1st July and posted soonafter. Thanks for being patient.

Session 83 - The Sleeper Wakes

GM Observations
- Again, I asked Lurker37 to keep GMing as I felt that Ethan was still a long way behind where Grant is (at least 5 months behind) and hence it was possible that Ethan’s actions could affect Grant’s position.
- This session sees more twists as Ethan is vulnerable without his memories. 

Part 1 - Back to Base
- As Marcavius and Ethan travel back to the compound, Ethan asks if the fortress has a name. Marcavius tells him that it has a designation but it’s too long and complex so everyone just calls it ‘Base’. They return to the sanctuary of the compound, talking as they go. Marcavius points out to Ethan that he must have lost his memories after going through the Glimmerwoods, for he has no memories before the farm. Ethan realises that Marcavius is right. He had just assumed that something in the Glimmerwoods had affected him but that cannot be the case.
- Back at the Base, Marcavius goes through his new acquisitions whilst orderlies bring them food. The Hosts and their human fellows are very excited by Marcavius’ discovery at the library. Meanwhile, Ethan accepts a meal, lays out all of his possessions and then goes through them one by one. He pays particular attention to the things he didn’t have before. The notables are:

• He has Icons for Grant (whom he senses is a friend), Macavity (whom he senses a fellowship with), Isabelle (affection), Sophia (difficult to read), Greywalker (he has a feeling of shock when he touches this one) and Abbie (again, a mixed feeling - shock with something else). He can tell that these Icons are important, but he knows not to try to use them.
• His lightsaber has a ‘calmness’ about it. He doesn’t think he has ever used this weapon in anger before.
• His dragon shield evokes powerful feelings. He was battling something huge and powerful which almost killed him and his companion, Isabelle. He recalls his desperation to prevent the colossus crushing her. It’s the closest thing to an actual memory that he has. (GM’s note - refer to Session 35 Part 3)
• His other sword (the steel elven blade) also evokes an odd feeling. He feels that it was given to him in friendship. (GM’s note - refer to Session 57 Part 1)

- The longer he studies his possessions, the more he feels a connection to this place. Just by listening and observing, he is picking up a great deal. Ethan decides to go for a walk, and think.
- As he walks, he notes that there a great deal of activity in the place. The mood has changed too - people are apprehensive. He asks one of the Hosts what is going on and he is told that there will be an inspection. Ethan wonders what that means. Everyone here seems to be preparing for it, tidying and organising.

Part 2 - Someone Talkative
- As Ethan wanders, he finds someone who needs help. A thin Host with a crooked back is trying to quickly organise piles of books and place them back in an orderly fashion back onto the shelves. He looks harassed and anxious. Ethan asks him politely if all of these books came from here, and the Host explains that he brought them with him. The books are mostly on the ecology and culture of other worlds - any useful reference materials. It is the first time that ‘other worlds’ has been mentioned and Ethan asks what that means. To his surprise, the Host then opens up and promises to tell him anything he wants to know if he will but help him get the books back on the shelves.
- Ethan agrees to help, and the Host tells him how they came to be here in this realm.
- The Hosts became aware of a new Door after the Stair reorganisation. New Doors are rare and have to be investigated. The first group of scouts did not return, but the second group of scouts reported that there were creatures lying dormant here that were easily awakened and very dangerous - because they were dormant, they were called ‘Sleepers’. Of particularly interest to the Hosts was that they found their very own technology on the world (such as the transport orbs) but they had no record of ever coming to this world before, so why was the technology here? The Hosts found that there were people here - human survivors of a calamity no more than a few generations ago which had wiped out the population centres and left only small pockets of people behind. To date, the Hosts still don’t know what happened in this place - why their technology is here, and what happened to all of the people - but they will continue the investigation until they solve the mystery.
- This is a lot of information for Ethan to take in, and he asks if the Host has a name. The Host says that his name is ‘Bart’ - it is customary here for his people to use the local language and use local names (besides, his own name is too long and complicated for the locals). They have found that they are able to glean tiny pieces of information which have been handed down through the generations by talking to the local in their own language.
- As Ethan continues to stack shelves, ‘Bart’ tells him that the Hosts have been here for six months. They learnt very early that any use of ‘powers’ would tend to wake up the Sleepers, so they only use technology. Hence the Hosts here are scientists, not sorcerers. Ethan gets the impression that in the Hosts’ society, it is those with ‘powers’ that are normally important, but here it is a liability. Hence these Hosts are not used to being important. He also gets the impression that these Hosts’ attitude to the humans may be atypical. ‘Bart’ confesses that he think it possible that somehow his people may have contributed to the calamity in this place. He considers a matter of honour to find out the truth.
- ‘Bart’ continues to chatter on, telling Ethan that they brought in this fortification when they realised how dangerous this place could be. A second one ‘for the military’ was brought in a little later. At the mention of a second installation, Ethan feels a little wary - he remembers that one of the orderlies had told him that if they contacted a ‘specialist’, it might not end well for him. Perhaps that means that the ‘specialist’ would come from the second installation and perhaps those Hosts will not be friendly towards him.
- Ethan feels that time may be running out. He asks ‘Bart’ where the Door is, and ‘Bart’ explains that it is in the nearby ruins. Ethan asks about the Stair and ‘Bart’ explains that it connects to many Doors, and each Door leads to a different world. ‘Bart’ goes on to explain that only Wardens can open the Doors, and he is not a Warden. ‘Bart’ explains that the Stair has changed/reorganised itself twice in their history - once to ‘save them’, and once to ‘defeat them’.
- Suddenly there is a loud chime and Ethan senses that ‘Bart’ is afraid. The apprehension that he has been feeling from the nearby people becomes more acute. ‘Bart’ whispers to Ethan that the inspector is here - he suggests that Ethan be ‘out of the way’ when he arrives. ‘Bart’ suggests a storage room and tells Ethan the way.

Part 3 - Military Inspection
- Ethan heads to the storage room and decides to lie low for a bit. After about twenty minutes, Ethan decides he doesn’t like waiting to be found (particularly given the room has only one exit) so he decides to head for the front entrance. As he does so, Ethan almost runs into a two-man patrol but he senses them and avoids. The patrol consists of two armoured Hosts - each is powerfully built and armed with a slender rifle and a sword where the grip is two-thirds of the length along the blade. Clearly they are looking for something or someone. He hurries on, and finds that the main gate is guarded by another patrol.
- Making his way back, Ethan finds himself trapped in the streets. There is no way down - no sewer system to escape into. There is no easy way up either - the staircases to the rooftops are inside the buildings. The buildings between the inner keep and the outer courtyard are mostly smooth surfaces with doors flush into them. There are no alleyways to duck down. There are limited places to hide.
- Ethan decides to retreat, avoiding two more patrols. People are afraid now. They are clearly looking for someone and Ethan feels that it is him. He narrowly manages to return to the storage room without being detected but then he becomes aware of another feeling.
- Something is very wrong. Something is happening. Something big and powerful is happening. Ethan feels the terror of some of the Hosts inside the main keep. Whatever has been done has horrified many of them inside.

Part 4 - The Sleeper Wakes
- The storage room shakes. Ethan feels the acute fear of the humans and Hosts in the complex. People are frightened, and he feels the powerful emotion of some of the people in the inner keep - they are furious with what has just happened.
- Ethan takes a deep breath as some of the storage containers rock with the room. He knows that something massive is waking up. He can sense it. It is near the farm. He can feel the farmers’ terror.
- Ethan pauses. He waits, hoping that somehow this will all simply go away. But then he realises people are dying. The farmers are dying. He doesn’t know what sort of man he was in the past, nor what that sort of man would do, but he decides to take action even though he has no idea how to deal with such a monster.

Part 5 - Affirmative Action
- Unslinging his dragon shield, Ethan goes looking for Marcavius. He knows he needs to get to the farm in a hurry and the only way to do that is to travel in one of the Host transport spheres, but Ethan doesn’t know how to fly one. Ethan is in no mood for being stopped by the patrols. 
- Ethan finds the Hosts arguing in front of the keep. The scientist Hosts are on one side - they are defiant and angry. Marcavius is with them. Martha is with them - she appears to have her memories back as she is the most vocal of the scientists, calling the inspector an ‘idiot’ for using something called ‘Umbra’ which has woken up a Sleeper. The target of their fury is lying on the ground, dazed. It appears that someone has brained the poor inspector with a crystal vessel which has shattered into many pieces. The guards are clearly disoriented given that they are facing a hostile crowd and there is a colossal Sleeper only twenty miles away. They try to keep the scientists away from the inspector while talking to someone unseen in order to get further instructions.
- Ethan strides through the group and attempts to arrest Marcavius. One of the guards swings his blade at Ethan and Ethan blocks it (to the guard’s surprise) with his shield. Ethan tells Marcavius to come with him and he drags the Host scientist away with him. Marcavius seems surprised at just how strong Ethan is - he wants to know what is so important, and Ethan tells him simply that they’re going to deal with the Sleeper but he needs Marcavius to get him there.
- As they leave, one of the guards reports that Command have advised that are no more ‘nukes’ to deal with the Sleeper at the present time and hence they are on their own. The scientists curse and one of them even cites that this situation is a ‘Threat to the Stair itself’, before one of them asks where Appleplum (i.e.: Ethan) is taking Marcavius. Ethan ignores them but Marcavius calls back that Appleplum is going to deal with the Sleeper. There is a period of stunned silence, and one of the guards reports the situation back to Command. 
- Ethan doesn’t wait to hear further. Marcavius quickly agrees to take Ethan back to the farm, and they head off together. Less than a minute later they are joined by the two guards who have received orders to escort them both to the transport sphere. Ethan has no idea what was said to them. He’s busy listening to Marcavius. Marcavius tells him that every Sleeper is different, but they all have a Core organ that they can’t live without.
- As they leave the Base and head for the transport sphere, the Sleeper is a colossus on the horizon. It is more than a mile high and shockwaves of its movements can be felt keenly. The Hosts with him seem to think that going to the Farm is suicide. Then Ethan spots another creature heading towards them - it’s no more than a mile away but is closing fast. It’s the same creature that he saw in the Glimmerwoods. Ethan points it out and asks one of the guards whether he thinks that it might be dangerous. In response, the guards hurry Ethan and Marcavius to the sphere and prepare to defend it with their lives. They seem intent on staying at the Base, but Ethan orders them into the orb before the creature can reach them. As Marcavius enters the coordinates with the creature bearing down on them, Ethan asks casually what a ‘nuke’ is. Marcavius explains that it’s a bomb that makes a very large explosion but they don’t have at this time and it’ll take them time to get more. He asks Ethan what his plan and Ethan shrugs and says that he’ll be improvising, but he suggests that they run for their lives when they arrive. Marcavius pushes the button and the sphere spins and hurtles away. The creature thunders into the transport pad behind them and destroys it.

Part 6 - Bait
- In a flash they arrive at the farm. The farmhouse has been destroyed - crushed flat. The colossal Sleeper towers above them. It must be a mile high. Crudely centaur-shaped with six large legs, it has eyes behind a mask but no eyes or mouth. Ethan feels an invisible power radiating from this creature, a terrible rejecting power. Some of the farmers nearby are gasping for breath as the power crushes them, others are running for their lives. 

* Image by Org12 on DeviantART
- “You should flee now,” Ethan tells Marcavius and the other Hosts and he points a direction for them to run. Sizing the Sleeper up, he realises that he is totally outclassed here. Even with a lightsaber, there is no way that he can hurt something this massive. The best that he can think of is to lure it away and buy time. The Sleeper does seem to be looking for something, but it could simply be trying to find and kill the survivors as they try to escape. 
- Running quickly around it and avoiding its massive massive legs, Ethan ignites his lightsaber. It gives off a green glow, but using it seems to reduce the terrible pressure coming from the Sleeper. Ethan doesn’t know why (GM’s note - the lightsaber has been improved using Eidolon so it gives him a token defence) To his pleasant surprise, waving the lightsaber attracts the Sleeper’s attention. It leaves the others alone and moves towards him.
- Ethan runs.
- He runs for the forest, following its trampled path. The ground is very uneven but there are some trees still standing here and there - it provides some cover. Ethan is faster than the Sleeper to begin with but it picks up speed as it moves, getting faster and faster as it lengthens its strides. When the Sleeper gets too close, Ethan turns off the lightsaber and abruptly changes direction, then he reappears elsewhere with the ignited lightsaber, confusing it and forcing it to slow and change direction. This seems quite effective as the Sleeper has trouble seeing him clearly through the trees. While he runs, he tries to think of a better plan. He has been able to observe the Core in its chest, mostly concealed behind its massive breastplate but he can’t think of a way to get to it. He can’t fly, and trying to climb it while it is moving would be suicide.
- At last he reaches the clearing that it emerged from. There is a huge hole in the ground with great sections of earth at unnatural angles due to the Sleeper’s emergence from underground. He decides to avoid the clearing which leads him into a section of the forest which has yet to be trampled flat. The trees seem to sense Ethan’s plan and they try to amble out of the way as quickly as their roots will let them. The dense foliage makes it more difficult for Ethan to move here, and he needs to use the elven sword to cleave his way through, but the unbroken canopy also provides him with better concealment as the Sleeper searches for him.
- Then suddenly Ethan has reached the edge of the forest and he realises that he has a problem. He had hoped to have more distance between himself and the Sleeper such that he could reach the nearby city, but he realises that without cover the Sleeper will spot him and catch him easily. He’ll never make it to the city.
- Ethan is about to double-back to the pit that the Sleeper emerged from when he spies the broken bridge and the ravine. Standing on the bridge and trying to to get it to crash into the ravine will be very exposed and probably not work, but he doesn’t have a better plan. He decides to risk it.

Part 7 - The Guardian Falls
- Ethan heads for the partially collapsed bridge and waves his lightsaber as a lure for the creature to follow. Seeing him in the open, the Sleeper picks up speed. The ravine below Ethan is deep - a true rift in the world. He can’t see the bottom but it can’t be bottomless. The creature bears down on him, and Ethan waits until he believes that it is truly committed and cannot stop before he gets out of the way. The Sleeper attempts to change direction but it is too late. The colossal creature goes over the edge and Ethan throws himself to the ground as there is a massive earth tremor as it crashes into the ground. A plume of dust explodes from the rift.
- Ethan waits for the dust to settle before he goes to look. The bridge is now completely gone, and he can see the Sleeper wedged far below him in the ravine. At least two of its legs are broken, and its back is twisted in an unnatural angle but it is still alive. Ethan decides to climb down the ravine wall. This takes him considerable time but he makes it just before nightfall. The creature is in pain. He can tell just by touching it. It is also insane. He learns much by making a connection with it. This creature is a Guardian for this world. But the world changed when new people came. The new people put it to sleep. Putting them to sleep drove it mad. But over time the bindings keeping it asleep grew weaker and the people forgot about the Guardian. 
- Ethan takes a few minutes to study the Sleeper and what he knows of this world. (GM’s note - more on this later) Weighing the options, Ethan decides to end the Sleeper’s pain. He uses the lightsaber and destroys the Core. The foliage on the Sleeper’s body wilts and the leaves fall off as if Autumn has come prematurely. Ethan feels a wave of energy flow out from the Sleeper and he knows that the plant men in the city and the tree creatures in the forest are no more - he has cut the strings that connected them with their master.
- Ethan sadly climbs back to the plateau as the Guardian decays below him at an accelerated rate. Reaching the top, he rests and watches the stars overhead. The forest nearby no longer looks quite so intimidating but he decides to wait until morning before entering it. Suddenly there is a great noise in the rift and Ethan rushes to the edge to see the Guardian crumble into pieces and disappear into the abyss. The Guardian is gone. It is over.

Part 8 - Ethan’s Reward
- As Ethan returns through the forest, he feels that the forest around him has breathed a sigh of relief. He hears birdsong. The trees move slowly out of his way as he passes. 
- Just before the sun reaches its peak, Ethan arrives back at the farm. Two thirds of the community has survived. The farmers and Hosts cheer his return. They knew that the Sleeper had been defeated but did not know if Ethan had survived. They are relieved. Marcavius reminds Ethan that the Sleepers are territorial which means that this area is now safe. Despite the losses, Ethan has made this area safe for future generations.
- The Hosts have brought fresh provisions and are in the process of bringing in improvised shelters and building materials to help the local community to rebuild. Ethan realises that the lady who first gave him a meal and the scholar with the library of books are among the dead. As the community works to rebuild, Ethan helps. The others marvel at how physically strong and tireless he is.
- After three days, a richly dressed Host inspector turns up. Dressed in formal robes and lacquered armour, Ethan notes him conversing with Marcavius and some of the other Hosts. He can tell that the inspector is asking about him. The inspector seems both angry and a touch regretful, but doesn’t speak with Ethan. When the inspector has left, Marcavius tells Ethan that he’s convinced the inspector to help him get his memories back. Ethan brightens at this and thanks Marcavius for the good news.
- As the days go on, Ethan senses a change of mood in Marcavius and asks him what is bothering him. Marcavius says that he hopes that Ethan’s attitude towards the Hosts won’t change when his memories are restored. He asks Ethan not to judge them too harshly. Ethan thinks on this and says that he’ll try.

… and that’s where we ended Session 83…. Ethan has ‘Bad Stuff’. Anyone want to bet that this is going to end well for Ethan? Or do people think that the Dwimmerlaik are going to give him some memories that will ‘turn him to the dark side’. Frankly, it’s going to be hard for the Dwimmerlaik to fabricate something convincing which will withstand scrutiny because they don’t know much about Ethan. It’ll be interesting to see what Lurker37 comes up with.

LEGO LoG&S photography in the garden

Well, I tried to shoot some LEGO photos today as it was a nice sunny day   ..... and stuff happened that I didn't quite expect.

Anyway, here's the first (good) one - of LEGO Grant and LEGO Ethan enjoying a bit of time on speeder bikes. (clearly that's not what is happening currently, but they have done it in the past and I'm sure it'll happen in the future)


And then I thought.... yes, the cat is asleep in the sun.... a perfect SLEEPER. So I'll put LEGO Ethan on his speeder bike beside the cat and it'll make a funny photo which mirrors the current storyline. (In Session 83, the Sleeper in the Glimmerwoods wakes up)


But then the cat woke up !   


And after playing with LEGO Ethan for a bit, it decided to give Ethan a good smooch. 


What can I say? That's not really what happened in Session 83, but it was unexpected, and I thought good enough to share.

Session 82 - Through the Glimmerwoods

GM Observations
- We carried on with Ethan in this session. Ethan still is without his memories, but he still has his Dominant (1st) Rank Psyche and Ranked Warfare, Strength and Endurance. Hence he is able to sense things without really knowing why, figure things out very quickly, and keep going for a long time.

Part 1 - Back to the Farm
- It’s late – too late to return to the farm now so Ethan is given a small room with a simple bed to sleep in. He sleeps until morning and then joins others in the canteen. He notes that the Hosts and the humans seem to get along well. He doesn’t feel (sense) any hostility here.
- He talks with Marcavius over breakfast, noting that the Hosts eat different food to the humans. Ethan asks him about the Sleepers and is told that they are dormant until disturbed. No one knows why they are here (there are hardly any records), but no two are alike. They appear to be territorial, and are highly aggressive when they wake up. This doesn’t make any sense to Ethan so he just listens. When Marcavius pauses, Ethan asks him about where the Hosts came from, and Marcavius says that they came from elsewhere. Ethan decides not to press him further.
- After breakfast Ethan rechecks his equipment (and one of the other Hosts shows him how the lightsaber and pistols work) and he is given a shiny new backpack that looks like it has never been used. In it there is some rations, a water bottle and a first aid kit.
- They return to the landing platform for the orb. Marcavius is dressed in a slim set of armour and armed with a slender pistol. He also carries a number of other devices that Ethan cannot identify. They board the orb and Marcavius sends it back to the farm.
- They arrive back at the farm in a few seconds. As they disembark, Ethan asks Marcavius how he will report back what he finds. Marcavius shows him a black stick which has a button on it – Ethan doesn’t understand but he accepts it (it could be a recording device or some sort of communication machine). After talking with the locals for a few minutes, the pair head towards the Glimmerwoods.

Part 2 - Into the Glimmerwoods
- Only a hundred metres into the woods, Ethan notes just how quiet it is here. There are no sounds of birds or other wildlife. There is a dirt track here which looks like it has been used for wagons at some time in the past but it is heavily overgrown. The canopy overhead is dense and as they progress, the trees around them start swaying gently even though there is no wind. Marcavius does not appear to notice this and Ethan says nothing of it. It is as though the forest is holding its breath.
- The deeper they travel into the Glimmerwoods the blacker it gets. Ethan notes that they are leaving no tracks here – the ground is spongy and even a heavy footprint disappears in seconds. It is very quiet here and Ethan feels a mild foreboding. As they continue travelling, Marcavius seems more and more uneasy – he talks to his black stick more often.
- Then, suddenly, the path is gone and without the path, they have lost any sense of direction. Even the shadows do not help them here because of the density of the canopy overhead. Ethan presses on, despite the increasing density of trees. The trees gently move around them, swaying despite an absence of wind. Gradually, Ethan gets a feeling of something beneath the ground – he can feel a presence here. Again, he says nothing to Marcavius of this.
- In the early afternoon, they come to a clearing of trees which is filled by thorny blackberry-like bushes which start at waist height and gradually get higher away from the treeline. The clearing is at least a few miles across. As Ethan and Marcavius watch, they see the thorny bushes move rhythmically, as though there is something breathing under the ground. Ethan decides to go around the clearing (in the treeline) and Marcavius agrees, though he is clearly frightened here.
- They have only made their way roughly two-third of the way around the clearing before night falls. They have spent all day in the forest and the last few hours have been particularly hard and slow going. Ethan suggests that they rest, and they sit down to eat and drink. Ethan listens to the forest and he watches. Marcavius is tired and quickly goes to sleep but Ethan remains awake.
- With the sun still setting, Ethan notes that the trees are doing more than swaying – they are actually moving. Then he hears the chitter of some bats, and he is able to catch a glimpse of some of the trees reaching for them and swatting them out of the air like flies. Ethan realises that the forest is active and dangerous at night time. He decides to say nothing and lets Marcavius sleep as the area around them goes pitch-black under the canopy. Ethan rests and observes. He listens. Over time, he almost feels that he knows the way they should go and where he has come from (GM’s note – whether this is his Wayfinding returning or not has not yet been revealed - Ethan has no way of confirming this ‘feeling’ except to decide whether to follow it or not)
- Just before dawn Marcavius awakens and almost panics in the darkness. Ethan calms him and tells him that the sun will be up soon. Luckily it has not been cold overnight.
- At dawn they set off, and after a few hours they find a stream to replenish their water canteens. A few miles later they happen across a tent made of fabric over metal struts. Inside are two dead bodies (both Hosts). One of them is known to Marcavius – they have been missing for some time (weeks). It looks as though the forest has seeped over and through them as they are partially covered by a layer of moss and tree foliage. Marcavius recovers their equipment for further study and they continue on.
 
Part 3 - Deeper Still
- After another two hours there is a big and heavy noise, and Ethan observes some trees slowly scuttling out of the way of an enormous elephant-sized creature covered in moss and thorns which lumbers through the forest. Ethan can feel that it is in pain, but it is clearly looking for something as it stops and ‘sniffs the air’ from time to time. Ethan and Marcavius stay put and let it pass by. It does not detect them. When it is definitely gone, Marcavius talks into his black stick - probably his observations about the creature.

* Image sourced from Google Images but I think this is a MTG Sagu Mauler card in which case the artwork is by Raymond Swanland
- Continuing on they come across another clearing in which there is a two-story house, covered in greenery. Marcavius recognises the house and heads straight to it, but Ethan stops him and advises him to be careful. Thinking it over, Marcavius takes out a processed bar of meat from his provisions and tosses it in the direction of the house. To his horror, the house-creature falls onto the food, devours it and then it returns to its normal state as if nothing happened. They agree to avoid it.
- At last Ethan finds a path again (to his surprise) and he hears the sounds of birds twittering, suggesting that they are reaching the edge of the forest. Less than half an hour later they reach the treeline and beyond there is vast flat expanse of earth. Criss-crossing the plain is an asphalt road.
 
Part 4 - Crossing the Plains
- As they leave the forest, both Ethan and Marcavius feel a sense of relief. It felt very oppressive in the Glimmerwoods. Marcavius is almost certain that they managed to walk past a Sleeper without waking it – a feat that has never been achieved before. Marcavius wonders where the road leads to. In the distance Ethan can make out a discolouration in the land. He speculates that it could be the outskirts of a city.
- Setting off, they join the road. In one direction there is (presumably) a city. In the other, the road skirts the Glimmerwoods and then stops abruptly at the edge of a ravine. There was once a suspension bridge there, but it has partly collapsed. Heading towards the city, they travel all day across the open empty space.

Part 5 - Empty City 
- In the afternoon they reach the suburbs of a major city. It appears to be empty. No one and nothing is moving. Ethan and Marcavius look at a few houses but it looks like the population left in a hurry a long time ago. Marcavius finds a metal ‘book’ in one house  that makes him very happy. As they wander, Ethan grows a little disheartened – he was hoping to have some memory of this place but he knows nothing of this place. Nothing looks familiar.
- They make their way slowly towards the city centre, stopping briefly at a canal to refill their water bottles (after Marcavius has checked the water quality). The place is desolate and quiet. There are still signs of vegetation here and overgrowth but nowhere as bad as the Glimmerwoods.
- Ethan doesn’t know what to do, but Marcavius is very excited to be here. He guides Ethan to a large structure that is the city library, and leads Ethan inside. There are signs of violence within – there are a number of dead bodies here (of people, not Hosts) and their bodies are infected with moss, thorns and greenery. Ethan inspects the corpses and is surprised to find that some of them have been cut in two by a weapon which cauterised the wounds. He brightens at the prospect that he has been here, and they start investigating.
- Ethan finds a lot of corpses around the library and part of his armour that had been torn off. He also finds a small daypack with a change of clothes, some food bars, a water canteen and some other bits and pieces. The clothes that he finds fits - they are definitely his. As Marcavius finds a data terminal and starts looking through the catalogue, Ethan looks around for anything else and finds a locket on the ground which has Grant’s face on it (it’s an Icon of Grant but he doesn’t know that).
- They spend about half an hour at the library without attracting attention. Marcavius locates what he is after and heads into the racks of books with Ethan. There are more bodies here including two Hosts. Marcavius makes busy and grabs clusters of data books and throws them into a high-tech sack that self-vacuums the air out. As he is doing this Ethan feels that they are not alone.
- They withdraw, but not without a fight. Ethan kills some of the sluggish plant-zombies – he’s actually quite good at it. Even though he doesn’t remember how to use a lightsaber, he still seems very competent. (GM’s note – he still has ranked Warfare) They don’t stick around – they slip out the back of the library and get away as more of the creatures approach.
 
Part 6 - Extraction 
- With Marcavius hauling a huge sack of precious books, Ethan asks if he intends to carry that all the way back to the farm. But Marcavius has other plans – he wants to summon an orb to take them back to ‘Base’. Ethan agrees to this as clearly there are a lot of these plant creatures and they would need to travel a long way to escape them. As they wait for the orb to turn up, more and more of the plant zombies converge on them. Ethan has to fight off the first few but then the orb is there. As the second and third waves head towards them, the orb closes up and they are catapulted away.
 
 
…. So by the end of this, Ethan still doesn’t know much more about where he came from. Attempting to trace his journey back did yield some clues but he can’t trace it back any further. So what does he do now?
 
…. You’ll have to wait for the Session 83 writeup for that one.

In terms of more LEGO Lords of Gossamer, I have more horns and more of the hair type that I want to drill holes in - so I’ll start working on more Dwimmerlaik very soon.

GM Commentary

Session 83 was run last night and Ethan has now been given his memories back.... er, by the Dwimmerlaik.

Yeah. Given the Dwimmerlaik don't have Ethan's memories, that's going to play out reallywell for Ethan. Who knows what he has in his head now .....

Kids LEGO Stair

Hi folks,

just thought I'd share what can be done with a few dollars of LEGO and some imagination. I give you a child's version of the Grand Stair.....



It's actually v2 - I note that Unikitty is still present, but LEGO Batman has vanished along with LEGO Harley Quinn..... make of that what you will. (maybe they heard that Bastiano is in town)

LEGO Bastiano

LEGO Bastiano arrives on the scene. 

Shiny golden sword. Check.
Charismatic smirk. Check.
Snappy red outfit. Check.



And perhaps for an encore I'll surround LEGO Bastiano with every female LEGO figure I can find (including the witch) and then.... maybe then.... everything.... will make sense.   

Whatta guy!

Updated LEGO Dwimmerlaik

New version of LEGO Dwimmerlaik - now with painted horns. I have a number of sets of horns/antlers now so I'll get a squad painted up soon.

Updated LEGO Vala

New version of LEGO Vala - now with red cape, and painted naginata. I still have further work to do on her but I think it's an improvement

GM Commentary

Hmmm.... I haven't posted S82 writeup. I guess I should do that soon.

We've not run S83 this week because I've been unwell (head cold).

However, I think I have LEGO Bastiano all ready to go.

You just know that LEGO Bastiano will be AWESOME.

Why? Because he's Bastiano.

Bastiano is a cool cat. He's the guy that everyone likes (whatta guy!), every girl is in love with (schwing!). Cooler than Steve McQueen, with more charm than Carey Grant, Bastiano is the James Bond of the Lords of Gossamer universe. And he knows it.

Stay tuned for the man himself.... in LEGO form.

Session 81 - My Name is Trell

GM Observations
- The narrative continues, this time continuing Grant’s story first. By the end of this episode, Grant is almost certainly 4-5 months in the future compared with where Ethan is. Grant’s plot line is moving at a far faster pace, and significant time is passing, whereas for Ethan the last 2 sessions haven’t taken more than a full day. 
- This session makes a marked change for Grant as he decides to go ‘undercover’ and infiltrate the Dwimmerlaik Empire. This is something that the Lords of Gossamer have never attempted before. It allowed Grant to be proactive and not be overshadowed by the more experienced Lords.
- This writeup will be a little different - I normally detail every realm and every section of Stair that the PCs go through. I can’t do that in this narrative because Grant goes to many many places. This was actually a hard session to writeup. It took me quite a bit of time. Much longer than usual.

Part 1 - A New Strategy
- Grant and Bastiano spend a good evening at the Lambs Go Bar. Bastiano is quite ‘the life of the party’ as he attracts drinking buddies and dance partners easily. It is cold and snowing outside and no one really wants to go home, so after ‘lock-in’, the party gets more animated. Bastiano spends some of the time dancing and the rest of the time chilling at the bar with his new buddies. Meanwhile Grant is dominating a dart-throwing game with a complicated target structure, and he’s hit it off with a young woman whose hair is snow white. Grant learns that this valley is the home of the “Alpine Corps”, a military training academy. Most of the people here are locals, but there are some soldiers too who are off-duty. The girl seems to think that Grant is one of the officers. 
- A few hours after midnight, Bastiano’s friends call it quits and Bastiano leaves with them as they’ve offered him a place to stay. Not long after, Grant mentions that he needs a place to stay, and one thing leads to another. The girl takes him home. Fade to black.
- The next morning, Bastiano is keen to move on. After a late breakfast, Bastiano and Grant head back to the Stair. This time it is a different section - the air here is cold and misty, and the steps which lead upwards appear to be made out of translucent crystal. Shutting the Door behind him, he again reconnects with another realm and steps through. This time, they step into a small modern study with a simple desk and chair. Bastiano severs the Door once more and goes downstairs to make a pot of coffee. 
- After some strong coffee, Bastiano takes out a small metal rod and scans the data crystals which they acquired. He then transfers the information to two data pads (one is larger and clunkier than the other. He keeps the newer data pad for himself and gives Grant the clunky one to look over. They sit down to read. After a while, they compare notes, and eventually they return to the Athenaeum.

• It is not obvious from the records where the stolen memories are being held. Lox did work on the ‘prismatic shielding’ for the storage array but there is no information as to where it is. The records confirm that Mowbray is responsible for the Breath of Eden.
• Red Hands has performed many experiments to create powerful and compliant soldiers for the ‘good of the Empire’. There are also mentions of biogenetic experimentation that sounds very much like the creatures that attacked Arcadia (GM’s note - way back in Session 34)
• The records confirm that Lydia was captured and experimented upon by Red Hands. She became unhinged and escaped captivity, and has since created other human-machine hybrids which the people from Coscarla Division call the ‘Snatchers’. Red Hands considers them a minor nuisance, though occasionally useful.
• There is a long list of Lox’s inventions, including a mass driver cannon that can ‘shoot across dimensions’. A lot of Lox’s research seems to be related to other mechanisms for transdimensional travel, including sorcery, portals. There are a number of references to Shadow, suggesting that the Dwimmerlaik consider it to be a real physical place.

- In the weeks that follow, Grant acquires true Mastery of the Stair. He sees Lords of Gossamer come and go at the Athenaeum - they are all very busy, whether it be on scouting missions, or disrupting the Dwimmerlaik’s plans, or tracking down the lost Lords of Gossamer who have forgotten who they are. Lucien continues to make progress on reversing the Breath of Eden’s effects, but he still needs to know where the memories are being held. There are powerful magics blocking him from simply Wayfinding to it.
- Grant decides to help the Lords of Gossamer cause by infiltrating the Enemy. It has the virtue of never having been tried, so Vala, Bastiano and Lucien are willing to support the idea. Over the course of the next two weeks, Grant and Bastiano scout out potential targets. They settle on House Sural, one of the noble houses famous for producing the Empire’s best artisans - and focus their attention on an industrial realm known to the locals as “655” (as the present year in this realm is 655).
- Bastiano leads an attack on “655”. Pathfinders are sent in first, and then Bastiano brings in a group of powered armour ‘mecha’ which function in this ‘steampunk era’. Two young Dwimmerlaik Lords are caught up in the pitched battle - a sister named Urla and a brother named Forst. Despite the House Guard’s best efforts, Lady Urla is hurt when one of the structures collapses on her, and many of the House Guard are killed. As the battle rages on, much of the city crumbles or is set on fire. Using the confusion as cover, Grant manages to pick off one of the House Guards and he spends fifteen minutes absorbing as much of the Dwimmerlaik’s mind, memory and personality as he can. At last when he feels there is no more time, Grant tranquillises the Dwimmerlaik and passes the body to one of Bastiano’s companions. Grant shape shifts into ‘Trell’ and rejoins the battle on the Dwimmerlaik side. The House Guard has been decimated and only Trell remains to defend Lord Forst and his sister.
- After another half hour of fighting, additional reinforcements arrive - some more Dwimmerlaik from the House Guard and some of the native “665” armoured airships. Driven back under heavy fire, Bastiano ‘retreats’ from the realm and the young Lord Forst swears vengeance against Bastiano for injuring his sister.
- Grant as Trell helps Lord Forst retrieve his sister from the rubble. She needs medical attention and Trell advises that Lord Forst should summon aid in case the Lords should strike again and then withdraw to safety with his sister. Lord Forst agrees to this and uses an Icon. Grant finds it interesting that the Dwimmerlaik are still using Icons - he decides to remember this.

Part 2 - I am Trell. I am Trell. I am Trell
- Lord Forst brings through a skeletal-looking Dwimmerlaik Witch named Belligar who is wearing an amulet that marks him as a member of House Suril. Forst quickly explains the situation and the Witch starts ‘sniffing’ to find out how the Lords got here. When it is mentioned that Lady Urla is wounded, Belligar immediately goes to her aid. Deciding that her wounds can be healed and that she is not gravely injured, Belligar counsels Trell to take Urla and Forst to a place of safety. Belligar produces a Icon of a massively horned Dwimmerlaik, and suddenly Krovaliss is there. 
- Krovaliss is truly massive. The Grant in Trell is buried deep as he tells himself that he is Trell, only Trell. Krovaliss surveys the scene quickly but chooses not to ask any questions of Urla, Forst or Trell. He himself summons ten members of his Sable Guard, the black-clad warrior elite, and then sets off to re-fortify the city in case of a second attack. Each of the Sable Guard summon other Dwimmerlaik and Krovaliss’ army quickly grows.
- Lord Forst does not linger. With Trell carrying his wounded sister, the three of them travel via Icon to a place that Grant has never seen before, but Trell knows that this is Chammont. The palace here seems to be made of glistening metals. Looking over the city below, everything seems to be made of the same materials. The metalwork here is gorgeous - carefully crafted by master artisans. Everything here is so bright in the sunlight.
- Lord Forst and Lady Urla are taken to healing chambers and Trell is allowed to rest. Troll’s chambers are simple but functional. Two human slaves with tanned skin and black eyes (with no whites in them) see to his needs. They appear to be well fed servants. They offer him wine and different types of fruit. 
- Grant sends the servants away and he rests. It was hard to maintain himself as Trell. He hopes it will get easier. Still, he peruses Trell’s memories and tries to assimilate what he has learnt. He knows he needs to be a Dwimmerlaik, to be Trell. He thinks hard about what he has observed of the Dwimmerlaik, and what he has learnt of Trell. He thinks hard and wills himself to be Trell, with all of Trell’s mannerisms.
- Trell himself is a relatively interesting character. Going through Trell’s memories, Grant is astonished to find that Trell has faced Mordecai before in battle and survived. Trell is not especially proud or arrogant, and is somewhat bemused at his fortune at surviving the encounter. The Dwimmerlaik do not have the concept of ‘fate’ or ‘destiny’ - they would say it was ‘By Design’. This is how Trell thinks of it. It was simply meant to happen that way.
- Trell has no living siblings that he knows of, and no offspring. He has no mate, nor any living parents. He has no close friends. Trell is loyal to House Suril and to the Empire and he has no particular ambitions beyond wanting to serve both to the best of his ability. He is a capable commander and warrior, but he is not a warlord. His masters are craftsmen, artisans, charm-makers and master builders and he is content to serve and protect their way of life. Grant finds this all astonishing - he has been extremely fortunate in picking Trell. (GM’s note - yes, lucky Good Stuff, plus good planning - i.e.: leveraging 1st Rank Warfare plus X+1 Rank Warfare) Also, Lady Urla and Lord Forst are said to be ‘special’ - rumour has it that they are descended from Mowbray himself. Trell does not necessarily believe that, but he knows that they have powerful patrons and they have the potential for greatness.
- Grant hides who he is, suppressing his Warden abilities and Umbra abilities as well as he can. He knows that Wardens can sense other Wardens but he knows that he can hide this with concentration. In this place, he doesn’t feel that anyone is looking for spies but he has no wish to tempt fate. When he is ‘listening’, he can feel the presence of Doors here but he does not go looking for them.
- Two days later, Lucien contacts him via Icon. They speak briefly and then Lucien cuts the contact. This routine continues, but Grant as Trell is free to reject the contact if it is not convenient. As this continues, Grant finds this a useful anchor to remind him of who he is, as he spends a great deal of the time suppressing Grant and being Trell.
- Trell returns to the court as Lady Urla’s personal bodyguard. Lady Urla has kind words for him in his defence of “655” (though the Dwimmerlaik refer to it by another name). Trell has survived again. She encourages him to choose others who will serve in the House Guard and protect her and her brother, and he does this. As the weeks pass, Trell is asked to give a formal oration of the battle to the court. This is enormously difficult for Grant as the oration is a form of formal poetry which is unfamiliar to Grant, but which is familiar to Trell. Nevertheless he succeeds.
- But not all of it is hard. Some of House Suril’s best musicians play forked pipes and delicate stringed instruments to the court, and Grant finds the performance very moving. Even though Trell would not be moved, Grant is a musician at heart.

Part 3 - Conquest. Deeper and Deeper
- After nearly a month on Chammont, Grant is starting to feel restless as Trell. He doesn’t feel that he is gathering useful intelligence that could help the Lords of Gossamer win the war, even though he is learning a lot about the way the Dwimmerlaik live and they relate to others. His conversations with Lucien, Bastiano and occasionally Vala herself are helping him to remember who he really is, but they don’t tell him very much about what is going on in the war. They tell him that they are making progress, but they are careful not to give him any specifics lest he be captured and reveal what he knows. 
- Grant doesn’t hate the Dwimmerlaik - they have a different outlook on life, and their perceived rightful place in the universe. They are not cruel, but they are ordered. Where they are not dominant, they strive to be dominant, whether it be in war or in craftsmanship. 
- Then, quite abruptly things change. Lady Urla and Lord Forst have been given an assignment to convert a world to the Dwimmerlaik and they need Trell to accompany them. Together they journey to an Earth-like world where they appear to the indigenous people as divine beings like angels. Those who see them quickly ‘believe’ and their number of followers grow. But there are many ‘unbelievers’ who see their sudden appearance as something other than the divine. Even though the unbelievers are in the minority, they attempt to reason with the majority, and then when that fails, they defy the growing regime. 
- Over the course of the next five months, the Dwimmerlaik Lords conquer the planet, with only Trell needing to get his hands dirty by dealing with some pockets of unbelievers who continued to resist Dwimmerlaik rule. Trell does not question why this world is important - Grant knows that it will be revealed at some point. He’s not sure if it is the people itself or some natural resource. 
- Grant studies how the Dwimmerlaik work, marvelling at how quickly only two Dwimmerlaik can subjugate an entire world. He wonders if this is a test for Lady Urla and Lord Forst - he hopes that this is the case but before the conquest is completed, Lady Urla summons Trell and tells him that she has been summoned. She instructs Trell to come with her. Again, an Icon is used and Trell finds himself in a machine world with large corridors and monolithic machine structures which stand like skyscrapers and are dotted by blinking lights. Trell follows Lady Urla and keeps an eye out for trouble. He sees mechanoids but no threats. There are stars high overhead but it does not appear to be nighttime. It is a strange place. He spots a large containment vessel that looks like it carries an organic fluid. Risking a use of Umbral sight, Grant is surprised to find that it looks like the same plague virus that was used in an attack on Arcadia. (GM’s note - way back in Session 34) At last Lady Urla reaches a control complex and meets with a stern-looking Dwimmerlaik commander dressed in a black and red uniform. They speak privately and Trell cannot overhear them, but Grant is able to observe enough from the monitors to realise that this machine realm is a weapon. He realises that this place is Lox’s mass driver. Grant decides to do nothing, but he will remember this place.

Part 4 - From Farm to Fortress
- Meanwhile, Ethan is introduced to the Host as ‘Appleplum’. The Host greets him with a deep bass voice and speaks to him in the native tongue (which Ethan can understand). The Host is very interested in Ethan and they sit down to discuss. Ethan repeats his story that he doesn’t know who he is or where he came from. The Host theorises that he may have lost his memories by travelling through the Glimmerwoods (the woods which are close to the farm) - it is largely unexplored so it is possible that there is something there (a Sleeper) that had done this. Ethan asks whether the Host knows where he came from. The Host does not know but he offers to help Ethan find out. Ethan finds the Host difficult to read, but he thinks that the Host is genuinely interested in helping him. He seems sincere and he appears to care for the people of the farm.
- Ethan agrees to go with the Host. A great metal sphere, intricately decorated and enamelled is waiting for them outside, hovering a short distance above the ground. One quarter of the exterior is open with stairs leading inside. Ethan asks if he needs to take any food or water and the Host tells him that these will be provided. Before he agrees to leave, Ethan goes back into the house to get his things as he hopes that these might provide clues as to where he has come from. He says goodbye to the scholarly gentlemen, and finally asks his name. His name is Jeremy Crabapple. Ethan asks if he can bring anything back for him and Jeremy asks for some more books if Ethan can find any.
- Getting into the capsule, it closes up and a plasma-orb like device in the centre crackles to life. Ethan feels himself pressed back into the wall as it rotates a little, and then suddenly there is acceleration. The flight is over in 15-20 seconds and then the feeling of movement is gone. The door opens and the they step out into a very different place.
- Here it is rocky, and there is a lot of shale on the ground. There is a path built on top of the ground, and it leads to a fortress made of marble-like stone with very high walls. At each corner stands a massive tower. The huge door opens as the Host and Ethan approach. Ethan asks if the Host built this, and the Host says that his people did, but not here. 
- Inside the fortress perimeter there are fortified structures and there are many people here - both Hosts and humans, but mostly Hosts. They are all busy and working together, carrying loads and transporting goods. There are no beasts of burden here. Everything is being done by hand. As the Host leads Ethan deeper into the complex, Ethan asks the Host’s name and the Host tells him that it is Marcavius. 
- The people here are very busy - but they are all adults. Ethan can’t see any children. It is only when he gets closer to the centre of the complex that he finds a wider courtyard space where there are some children - Host children, not human children. then there is an inner keep which has even stronger fortifications but the door is (for the moment), open.
- Inside there are screens and glowing lights. There are many beds here. It is well lit in here. It is some sort of hospital. A female Host asks Marcavius about Ethan and Marcavius explains that Ethan survived the Glimmerwood but has lost his memories. At that moment, a siren goes off and the Hosts quickly gather the humans and shield them with simple charms and with their bodies. The ground shakes and everyone holds their breath. The seconds tick by and within two minutes there is another siren. Everyone relaxes and Marcavius explains that this is the ‘all clear’. 

Part 5 - Collateral Damage
- Marcavius and the female Host show Ethan over to a stone bed and ask him to lie down. There is a disc-like machine nearby. Ethan refuses to lie on the bed until he is shown what the machine will do. Once convinced, he lies down and the machine looks over him. The female Host is astonished and says that “Appleplum” is showing no sign of injury or trauma - he’s in perfect health. So perfect that it’s impossible.
- Ethan is then asked to hold two crystal orbs - one in each hand. One glows in his hand, the other does not. They have many more questions for him but they still cannot tell him what he wants to know. Opening up the sack he has been carrying, Ethan produces his many possessions and the Hosts look through them. They have not seen anything like these things, or people with the same hair colour as Ethan has. One of the orderlies is able to identify the weapons for Ethan and offers to show Ethan how to use them. Then a female Host is introduced to him as Doctor Marta, and she offers to help him figure out where he came from. She produces a stethoscope-like device with two pads and puts one to her own head and the other to Ethan’s. Then she concentrates….…. and passes out. Other staff members rush over but she cannot be roused.
- After a few minutes of confusion, the other doctors look at Ethan with a mix of pity, fear and bewilderment. They assure him that it’s not his fault and they will probably be able to help Marta. One of the older doctors with grey shaggy hair and a broken antler tells Ethan gently that it was not the Glimmerwood that caused him to lose his memories. Ethan has been damaged by a device called an Icon, and it’s something that they may not be able to help with because they don’t really know how it works - but contact with Ethan can cause the effect to be transferred. The Hosts explains that they are doctors, and they don’t have knowledge of such things. He says that they could call in a specialist who might know, but that might end badly for Ethan. He says that he is sorry he can’t do more.
- Ethan sits down to think. After a few minutes he decides that he should return to the farm and he asks Marcavius to take him there. Marcavius agrees to help but asks why he would go back. Ethan explains that he must have come through the woods, so perhaps he can backtrack as to where he came from. Marcavius offers to go with Ethan, especially if he is thinking of going into the Glimmerwoods.


And that’s where we left Session 81. Session 82 was run on Thursday 26th and it wasn’t a long session so I should be able to get it written up and posted more quickly than this one.


And finally, yes some LEGO Lords of Gossamer. Long overdue, I took some photos last week and am finally posting some up.

The LEGO Lords of Gossamer 01

Here are all of my current Lords of Gossamer (in LEGO format) with their names.



The LEGO Lords of Gossamer 02

And a close-up of Lady Vala with Drake and Grant in the background. I’ve posted Lady Vala shots before, but this is with her ‘angry face’



The LEGO Dwimmerlaik Lords - Work In Progress

And finally a work in progress shot as I build the some Dwimmerlaik Lords (and some of their Mechanoid minions)




Session 82 was run last Thursday. This session was an Ethan-only session so I think it’ll be easier to writeup. Hopefully only a few days and I’ll get that one posted too.