GM’s Observations
- The foreshadowing encounters over the past two sessions have made Grant and Ethan very cautious. These Others are able to traverse worlds via the Stair, and they seem to be numerous. Grant and Ethan are Lords of Gossamer, but they are still only two. This section of Stair is warped, even ‘sick’. They tread carefully whilst they learn more about what dwells here. What they find is more monstrous than they expected ….
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan
Adversaries
- The Others
Adventure Hook
- This session continues immediately on from the previous session.
Adventure Summary
- The new section of Stair looks less like a landing or staircase, and much more like a guttered ramp. It slopes unevenly both upwards and downwards. This section of Stair is cold and a little damp. A line of strange silk reaches from the Door that Ethan and Grant has just slipped out of, and extends across the ramp to another point, then it criss crosses back and forth off into the distance. Ethan feels the lack of Eidolon here. There is a sense of decay. The Stair is not ‘right’ here.
- The Lords of Gossamer tread carefully as they make their way downwards. There are many silk strands and both assume that if they are to trip any of them that they will alert someone or something. They pass more than one Broken Door. The whole place feels lifeless, but something is lurking. They reach a landing no more than four metres across with a depression in the middle, and Ethan sits down to craft a spell. He sends his Awareness out as a scout, following the ramp as it spirals its descent toward unknown depths. Ethan senses that most of the Doors here are broken. At least two thirds of them. There are many silk strands below. Some Doors seem to be covered with them, forming a sort of wrapping over them. The further into the distance he looks, the more vertical the Stair becomes. It becomes more like a chute. Ethan grimly describes this to Grant, telling him that it will be very difficult to climb back up again. It is as if the whole Stair has tilted in this section. Neither of them have seen anything like this before.
- As they descend carefully, they note that some of the Doors are ovoid, and some bulge out or in from the wall of the Stair. There are occasional decorations such as statues and pictures, but the faces in them seem arrogant and bored. Their eyes are black and beady. They don’t look like Dwimmerlaik. Whatever these people are, they are something else.
- After traveling for over an hour, they encounter their first junction. It is criss-crossed by silk strands, but away from the main descent, the branch seems clear of threads. Ethan hesitates and then suggests to Grant that they check it out. The side branch seems to be darker and colder than the main corridor. It feels different. It feels like a tomb. Even the wall hangings resemble drooping black flowers. At last they find a Door. There is no silk thread attached to it so they open it.
- The Lords of Gossamer find themselves on what looks like what was once a terrible battlefield. They have stepped out of a bunker and into a complex network of trenches. The air is cold. This place is deathly silent. Grant shapeshifts into a bird form and takes to the air to get a better look. He spies mummified bodies. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of them. The people here are six-limbed, and have three eyes in the heads. Every corpse has a terrified look on its face. Every corpse has been hollowed out surgically. Ethan inspects one of the bodies and finds that some sort of preservative was applied to the target, and then their bodies were harvested while the victim was still alive.
- Above, Grant finds the remains of a small city nearby. It is empty of life. He starts to investigate and finds pictorial evidence of their attackers. They are not a uniform race - they have different shapes but the same characteristics. The same arrogant and bored look, the same dark eyes - but there is something else as well. Something incomprehensibly alien about them.
- Grant and Ethan compare notes and then withdraw. They continue down the branch tunnel, looking for more Doors. They find many, and behind each is the same. A destroyed world. People butchered and harvested.
- The sixth Door is a high tech ovoid shape. A keypad is built into it. Ignoring the keypad, Grant opens the Door and they find themselves in an immense city, choked by vast structures extending up towards dark, starless heavens. But the place is completely silent. Barely a breeze wafts through this tomb-city. There are no animals. Ethan goes for a walk on one of the boardwalks. Grant takes to the air and surveys what he can.
- Again there are the tell-tale signs of a terrible incursion. There are bodies and piles of ash. Even though the battle here appears to be old, it is not as old as the other places that they have visited. The people here are still very dead though. It is a city of ghosts.
- Ethan feels a slight presence in this place. There is still some life here, somewhere. He goes looking for it. Occasionally an advertising screen pops into life, replaying an emergency broadcast. A human face reports that the barricades have fallen and the only avenue for survival is to get off the planet. To leave while it is still possible to do so. Behind the human broadcaster is some footage that shows a swarming tide of the Others. There are more than a thousand of them, rushing forward in some sort of coordinated wave. No two in the throng are the same but they all have rounded muzzles and beady black eyes. Some have two eyes and some have four eyes. All appear to be armoured, and some have strange trophy-like appendages stuck to them. They hurl themselves at the defenders and can be seen harvesting their still living victims.
* Image sourced from Google. These are obviously Tyranids from Warhammer 40K. It’s the best that we could find when searching Google for something to match our mental image of these creatures. (I don’t particularly like the idea that the Others are Tyranids but it’s the best we could find.
- This world proves a trove of useful information. Grant finds data pads, and last messages. Ethan finds a way of accessing more news items regarding the invaders and together, they start to piece together what happened here.
- The original encounter was via a single Door. The Others came, attacked, but were driven back. The images of these creatures show that they lacked some of their armour plating and projection of their joints. The second encounter with the Others was different. The creatures sent this time were covered with plating that absorbed the defenders’ energy bolts. Nevertheless, the people here used different weapons and the Others were thrown back. On the third assault, the Others were more diversified, and used dozens of Doors, attacking dozens of places at once. Ethan feels a chill at this thought - this means that a Master of the Grand Stair is amongst their number.
- The Others show no interest in technology which is why so much information is able to be collected here. They are only interested in harvesting organic material. They are after the people.
- Grant and Ethan grimly assess the situation. These Others are monsters. They clearly have the ability to traverse the Grand Stair, and to open multiple Doors. They threaten and have threatened many worlds. But they don’t know enough about their adversaries to know how to proceed. Ethan still senses life in this place, so he asks Grant to investigate. As Ethan heads out on foot, Grant flies ahead and finds a section of this city-planet where the buildings have collapsed in a ring. In the middle, a single building stands. Astonishingly, it has some power reserves as some lights can be seen, and the ground around it is glowing green. There are no walkways to or from the structure.
- Grant flies ahead, and then uses an Icon to contact Ethan and bring him in. Ethan uses Mental Invisibility and together they sneak around the complex to find out more about these people.
- The people here are the desperate, wretched remains of the population. Their power supply is jury-rigged. They are living off reconstituted paste and a dwindling supply of canned food. They have a barely working still, but the filtration system has failed and toxins are building up in the water supply. The people are sick. They are without hope. The people here are stressed, exhausted, malnourished and slowly being poisoned. Many need medical treatment, and there are no supplies.
- Ethan thinks of Abbie. He knows that she could not turn away from such a situation, and he feels unable to leave them. Grant asks Ethan what he wants to do - there are so many people here. Ethan decides to repair the water filtration system using Eidolon, and using his command of storm-magic, he generates rain to replenish their reserves. While he repairs the unit, he comes across Pell, the exhausted technician who has been maintaining the unit and he takes pity on him and heals him. Pell is grateful - he assumes that Ethan has come from one of the off-world colonies to save them all. Ethan asks for more information about what happened here, and Pell explains that they survived the catastrophe that affected their world by clearing a ring of buildings, and smashing all of the openings that the Others may have been able to turn into Doors, and then killing all of the creatures who remained. Pell asks timidly if Ethan has a ship to take them all to safety.
- Unfortunately Ethan has no such ship, but in talking with Pell he realises that he cannot abandon these people. Grant rejoins Ethan and they discuss the situation. Grant seems pleasantly surprised that Ethan has decided to stay and help these people - he expected him to want to move on. Pell introduces the two Lords of Gossamer to others in the community. There is no leader here, but there are many who are inspired by the Lords’ presence and word sweeps through the community that there is hope once more. Ethan works hard to heal as many people as he can, and then to restore vital systems whilst Grant looks for a suitable ship which could be used to assist with their escape off world.
- This escape is further complicated when Ethan restores their radio (which has not been working for two years) and finds that there are three other communities on the planet that have survived (two are repeating distress calls), and also one from the nearby moons. The task is much bigger than expected, and Grant takes a leadership role to organise the people. Meanwhile, Ethan works hard to repair a serviceable heavy cruiser with help from the natives. He wishes that Isabelle were here to help him. He wishes that he could talk to Abbie. He knows that Abbie would approve of what he was doing. He misses her.
- Their simple decision to help takes them four months of work. During that time they rescue the other communities one by one, and repair two other ships for the journey off-world. They find out that the other settlements isolated themselves in similar ways - they destroyed the walkways to other structures and left no doors in the buildings. They sealed off the lower floors. However it is the military base on the nearby moon that is the most interesting. The troops have been living on algae for almost five years, and are very happy to be reunited with the rest of their people. They sealed the airlocks and removed doors in order to survive.
- Nine weeks of hard work and the Lords of Gossamer feel that they have done enough. They could stay longer but the remaining population is safe, and will survive. They have learnt a great deal about the Others and how they operate, and they have had plenty of time to plan their next move. Ethan is determined not to simply keep walking, but instead to do something about these monstrous Others.
Other Impacts
- As per Session 129, they are unable to contact their friends and family back in the main section of the Stair, so some events will occur of which they have no knowledge.
GM’s Observations
- I’m going to break up this session into two parts because it makes it easier to tell the story. In this session we are introduced to a new adversary on the Stair. Called the ‘Others’ by the lizard folk, they harvest other sentient beings to improve themselves. But what is not known (yet) is how they are able to travel on the Stair.
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan
Adversaries
- The Others
Adventure Hook
- This session continues immediately on from the previous session.
Adventure Summary
- It is a sunny day. Ethan pauses at the stream for a drink and the opportunity to wash himself. Grant shrugs and lays back on the grass to rest. It is a pleasant enough place to stop but Ethan does not feel relaxed here. After resting for a little, he tries his Icon to Abbie once more. The Icon works, but there is no connection to her - it is as though there is some great gulf between them and all he can sense is ‘static’. Perhaps she knows what has happened. In fact, he feels sure that she is aware. She always knew that there would come a time that he would be unable to reach her, or vice versa. It still feels odd to be unable to contact her.
- Ethan focuses and begins casting Divination spells. The fabric of Gossamer reality is very inflexible here. Magic only works to a strict set of conditions. Nevertheless he confirms that there is danger ahead. Strong danger. There is also danger here but it is weaker. Behind, the path has the smell of danger but it is much less.
- Grant also senses that there is something very wrong here. Everyone here is concerned about newcomers. Something from the Stair frightens them. Could it be the Dwimmerlaik or perhaps some rogue Lords of Gossamer? He talks over the possibilities with Ethan. Whatever is here clearly can’t get to the section of Stair that they have left behind, because of the direction of the current. Returning back to Sharra’s undersea world is almost impossible without a ship.
- They conclude that there is something else threatening this place - something new. Ethan doesn’t like this situation at all. He has been travelling light for the sake of comfort, and he has only a light weapon: a rapier. He isn’t equipped for a run-in with someone or something capable to put this level of fear across so many worlds.
- There is no easy way back, so they decide to continue to the next Door. Around the tower is another settlement, but this one is compromised of many tents. Each tent is made of strong canvas that has been stiffened - they are clearly not meant to be portable. The lizard folk who live here wear loose fitted clothing. They stare at Ethan and Grant as they approach. Ethan spots one of them cooking a rabbit-like creature over a fire - the smell makes him very hungry and he wishes that he had purchased some sausages from the furry creatures’ town. But it’s too late for that.
- The lizard folk freeze and stare at the Lords of Gossamer as they pass, transfixed by terror. At last they reach the tower itself and the lizard guards there are just as frightened of them as the rest of the people. Ethan uses ‘the Force’ to calm them, and asks what they are so scared of. They mean no harm. A red-robed elder is summoned and a discussion is had.
- The elder lizard’s hide is weathered and battered. He explains to the Lords of Gossamer that they should be Beware of the Others, for they will Reject you or Accept you as Theirs.
* Image sourced from Google
- Ethan asks how they may recognise these Others? The elder lizard looks tired and says that they look like the task that they need to do. They have many forms but they are the same thing. They are smooth of skin, dark of eye and leathery. They harvest. They are not friendly. They have not been here for many years, centuries ago in fact, but his people no longer have a land to return to. The Elder lizard explains that his people came from another place on the Stair which no longer exists.
- Grant asks about how to find, and how to avoid the Others. The elder lizard surveys him carefully and says that they react to disturbances on the Stair. He asks them to leave quietly, and for their own safety, to travel quietly. If they disturb the Stair, the Others will come for them. Everyone that they meet will give them the same counsel. He sends them on their way with a blessing: “May the rocks you rest upon be warm.”
- Inside the tower is a series of portcullis and then the Door. Ethan and Grant inspect the Door and find a series of wires drilled into the Door and walls. Grant uses Umbra to bypass the traps that are set, Ethan opens the Door a fraction to peer out.
- Immediately he notices strands of silk attached to the other side of the Door. Someone else has set up a trap to tell if the Door is opened. Carefully, very carefully, Ethan and Grant slip out onto the Stair without setting off the trap.
Other Impacts
- Obviously they are unable to contact their friends and family back in the main section of the Stair, so some events will occur of which they have no knowledge.
GM’s Observations
- This was a shorter session (because I was very tired) in which Grant and Ethan explore a new section of Stair that is cut off from the rest of the Stair. There is something very wrong here ….
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan
Adversaries
- None. The danger is not immediately apparent.
Adventure Hook
- This session continues immediately on from the previous session.
Adventure Summary
- Grant and Ethan arrive on a new section of Stair that they have never seen before. Immediately that they feel that something is different. Their connection to their home (Realm 0) feels extremely distant. Ethan concentrates and can't sense any of his sorcerous markers to be able to return to the other sections of Stair. They try their Icons - the Icons work within this Stair section, but they cannot reach anyone outside of this section. They appear to be cut off.
- Before moving on, Ethan tries a divination spell and concludes that the only way back is the way they came. This is problematic as the Gullwind will almost certainly have left by now and they have no vessel to fight the current in the last section of Stair. They have literally 'gone beyond', into a new and potentially dangerous section of the Stair. Grant is not disheartened though -he is eager to learn more of this new section of Stair and is confident in his abilities to get back home eventually.
- Ethan double-checks that Grant wants to come further and Grant eagerly nods. Grant asks about Abbie, and Ethan explains quietly that she thought this might happen one day - that he might reach a place that he couldn't easily get back from. He knows that she understands, even though it could be hard for a while. Ethan asks about Sophia and Athelwyne. He knows that Sophia will be fine, and she knows about Athelwyne. But what will Aethelwyne do in his absence? Grant pauses and thinks, but concludes that she will be fine. She is used to his many absences.
- Ethan decides not to press the matter and he consults the Agoran compass. It points back the way they came and they walk in the opposite direction. This disconnected section of Stair is very strange. Each step is at a slight angle, like a faint zig zag. A groove runs up and down the Stair. The Stair winds around, bends up and down like some sort of stressed, ribbed tube rather than a corridor. There are no landings here. Occasionally there is a turning point which is little more than a quarter circle platform. The place is humid and the surfaces are slightly damp.
- As they go, Ethan asks Grant about Captain Sharra. Grant grins and says that he liked her a lot. Ethan pauses and laughs, acknowledging that he liked her too. Ethan ventures that Grant has yet another secret to keep, and Grant says "what happens on the Stair, stays on the Stair." Ethan nods, and Grant suddenly picks up that his friend was more interested in Sharra that he realised. Grant apologises and says that he wouldn't have slept with her if he had known. Ethan shrugs and says that Sharra was a 'big girl' and it's up to her who she spends time with. Grant looks a little sheepish, but Ethan tells him not to worry about it and they quickly move on.
- They pass many Doors. Ethan tests each and feels that each is dangerous. After seven of them, he decides to open one. Behind the Door is a raised platform with three rocky steps leading down to a large expanse of dark sand which stretches off into the distance. A gong echoes from far away. A mechanical device is linked to the back of the Door to sound an alarm. Ethan and Grant get a very bad feeling about this place. There are dark masses in the sky which don’t look like clouds. There is foliage in the distance, but there is little cover here for them. The two Lords of Gossamer confer briefly and decide to leave.
- Back on the Stair, they continue on, passing more Doors. When they stop to check, Ethan and Grant are both convinced that these realms are not safe. They continue on for hours down the strange winding Stair. At last they find a Door which they feel is reasonable safe to stop and get some food. The Door is odd - it has four sides but it is almost triangular in shape. When opened, the Door opens outwards and folds down.
- On the other side there are numerous free standing single-storey structures within a much larger structure. The creatures moving back and forth up and down the street are like large spider crabs without claws. Each wears clothes and stands over 4 1/2 feet tall. Suddenly a strange chime sounds and the Lords of Gossamer realise that a warning has been sounded by opening the Door. The sound causes consternation in the crab-like inhabitants and they scuttle away. They appear to be afraid.
- Wandering away from the Door, Grant and Ethan find a marketplace which serves a variety of meats and vegetables and has plenty of available seats to choose from. Everyone seems to have fled. Occasionally they catch of a glimpse of movement but the people here are definitely trying to avoid them. Grant and Ethan look over the stalls, but the written menus make no sense. The words are too alien to be understand. Grant and Ethan pick out some food to eat, and Grant leaves money for the missing shop owners. Then suddenly Grant spots one of the crab-like creatures cowering behind one of the stall, and he quickly convinces him that he means no harm to the creature.
- The creature’s eyes blink with surprise at the end of their eyestalks as it realises that Grant actually means to pay for what he is taking. This has an electrifying effect on the creature, it starts trying to hawk its goods with cricket-like sounds which the Lords of Gossamer can understand but cannot speak.
- As Grant and Ethan sit down to eat, some of the other inhabitants come out of hiding to stare at them. The food is very good. The water tastes different - it is a little sweet and very crisp. At last, a bigger crab-creature who looks to be wearing a uniform comes over to speak with them. It asks what their business is. Unable to talk to it, Grant is nonetheless able to explain that they are only interested in food. This relieves the creature immensely, and it gives the ‘all clear’ to those who have been hiding on the fringes.
- Grant and Ethan are just as curious about the people here as they are in them. It seems that they are in some sort of grand museum, this is a ‘food court’, of a sort, and there are many different visitors here including school groups. Within a few minutes, a number of smaller crab-creatures have surrounded them, chittering wildly and flashing small metal spheres, presumably to keep a record of this encounter. The children are very excitable and easily startled.
- They do not work out why the people here are so scared, but clearly something comes from the Stair which is hostile to the locals. There is danger in this section of the Stair.
- Eventually the Lords of Gossamer leave. Consulting the compass once more, they continue on their way, chatting as they go. They wonder if either of them will ever really ‘grow up’. Ethan is reminded of the advice given to him by Lucien (back in Session 106) that things don’t last, and wonders what it will mean for the people back home in Realm 0 (and Marindar). He remarks that he hopes that nothing goes wrong in Realm 0 whilst they are far away and unable to return quickly.
- At last the compass leads them to a large hexagonal shaped Door which looks like it opens in six triangular parts. Ethan places a sorcerous marker in front of the Door and then opens the Door. On the other side there is a stone platform, about twenty metres across. Far away there is another platform with a drawbridge on it. Between the platforms there is a pit which is glowing hot.
- Ethan senses another Door reasonably close-by. Perhaps a few miles away. The two Lords of Gossamer easily travel from one platform to the other. Grant shape shifts. Ethan uses a Flight spell. The door on the other platform is barred from the other side but this is no obstacle for Lords of Gossamer. Grant opens it and finds a small army of about fifty heavily armoured knights on the other side. However, none of these knights are larger than knee height - they are all tiny. Faced with the gigantic Lords of Gossamer, the knights panic and flee, trampling some of their comrades in their wake.
- Finding themselves in some sort of throne room, the Lords make for the other Door. Ethan uses a Mental Invisibility spell to hide them, and they move slowly through the fortress, passing numerous of these small creatures. Without their armour, it’s obvious that these are portly mammals like overgrown rodents. Despite Ethan’s invisibility, they have some psychic awareness of the Lords’ presence as they puff themselves up to ‘make themselves look big’ as the Lords pass them by.
- Below the fortress is a modern village. The mammals seem to enjoy cleaning their houses and village - it is remarkably clean. Nevertheless, they puff themselves up as the Lords approach - even though they cannot see the Lords, they can feel something ‘odd’. Grant and Ethan spy a few lizard creatures which are slender but taller than the furry creatures. It seems a little out of place, but there seems to be a second very different race living here.
- In the distance there is an old tower and Ethan senses that this is where the Door is. The terrain between is hilly, lightly treed with pockets of farmed landed and other pockets are uncultivated. The tower ahead is stockier, older and cruder. The construction is quite different from the fortress and structure that they journeyed from.
- It is a sunny day and Ethan pauses at a stream to ponder the situation.
Other Impacts
- None
GM’s Observations
- The basis for the Godfall realm is Curnorost, the Realm of Dead Angels from the Monte Cook’s Beyond Countless Doorways. It is designed to be a spooky realm.
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan, Sharra
Adversaries
- Eidolon-charged 'sparkling' clouds.
Adventure Hook
- This session continues immediately on from the previous session.
Adventure Summary
- The realm is literally singing, a chorus of soft voices. The sound can be heard despite the drone of the heavy hover vehicles. In the distance is a great crystal city. The crew of the Gullwind have reached a series of pre-fab hexagonal containers. There are enough for perhaps 20-30 individuals to live here. Both Grant and Ethan recognise these structures as Dwimmerlaik made. The place is eerie.
- In the distance, the clouds in the sky are slowly falling. Occasionally something glittering falls. Grant adjust his eyes and spots a silver circlet falling from the sky. An object of power.
- Ethan feels oddly comfortable in this place, but it feels like they are disturbing something hallowed just by being here. Grant feels that he is creating a dissonance - it is an uncomfortable place. He decides not to use Umbra here as it would create more dissonance.
- Skarra attempts to contact the outpost but there is no response. Grant asks her what she thinks happened here and Skarra says with a crooked smile that she does not know. They power down the hover vehicles within 100 metres of the outpost. Skarra orders the crew to spread out and find the people that were here. But there is only fine dust, no people, no bodies. Inside, there are no signs of a struggle but the disappearance was abrupt. Many things are left unfinished here. Even a computer is left on, its screen locked.
- Ethan feels a connection here which feels almost like an Icon contact. It is cold, but the feeling is blissful. Meanwhile, Grant finds the remnants of one of the Dwimmerlaik using Wayfinding - its dusty shadow is a slightly different colour. Grant wonders how this could happen. He uses Umbra to look more deeply at this, and realises with horror that these have been touched by pure Eidolon - effectively touched by 'the divine'. Grant realises that he is very exposed here. He goes to find Ethan.
- Ethan is busy listening to the voices on the wind. He can hear many beguiling voices, and some that are sad. They are calling him. Then Ethan spots a glittering white cloud in the distance which is different from the others. He wonders if it is some sort of guardian. Grant finds Ethan and tells him that they shouldn't stay. Ethan nods and points to the crystal citadel in the distance. There are many Doors there and that is the opposite direction to where the compass is pointing. Besides, he doesn't want to go back the way he came. Grant agrees, but the crew of the Gullwind are also in danger.
- Grant goes to talk to Sharra. She gives him a pretty smile, and tells him that they don't plan to linger here. They got the cargo that the team here has been gathering - they'll ditch some of the supplies and everything of value. Grant asks if she had previously brought the habitat containers here, and she admits that she did. She'd been doing supply runs to this outpost up until Feritz’s mutiny, which made it impossible for her to continue supplying them.
- Sharra tells one of her crew to fire a flare gun into the air, just in case any of the Dwimmerlaik fled the outpost and are still alive. Meanwhile, her crew continue loading cargo and ripping out all of the computers that might be useful. A second flare is fired into the air.
- Ethan keeps a careful eye on the glittering white cloud in the distance as it meanders across the landscape. He senses power and intelligence there. Ethan thanks Sharra for getting them here, and he privately offers her an Icon in case she ever needs help. She offers an alluring smile and acknowledges the thought, but then returns it to him. Sharra frankly says that it's better if she doesn't have it - because if she did, it might mean that should have to give it up if the Old Man asked. He has ways of knowing things like that. She wishes him well on his journey, then gets back to work.
- Ethan starts to move in the direction of the distant crystal city, but he moves slowly to give Grant time to catch up. Grant thanks Skarra, and she gives him a knowing smile, and admits that it was fun. With a 'see ya next time', she gives him a wink and shoos him in Ethan's direction.
- Grant and Ethan begin the long march towards the distant crystal citadel. Occasionally they look back. As the two hovercraft finally move away, one of the glittering white clouds moves to follow. There is the sound of music (Handel's Messiah perhaps) and a flash of light. A silent thunderbolt has struck one of the vehicles. There is a disturbance of dust.
- Grant asks Ethan if he wants to go back, but he shakes his head. Skarra seems like a survivor and can take care of herself. Grant accepts this, and they continue on. Some time later they see that one of the hovercraft has continued moving whilst one has disappeared.
- Slowly moving on, they spy more glittering white clouds on each side. Ethan can hear the ebb and flow of music, calling to him like a siren's call. Grant can't seem to hear it. There are faint wisp of dust in the air. Each is a different shape. They are all graceful, hairless and somewhat curious. One small wisp follows them for some time, like a sad lost dog.
- The structure looms huge in front of them, threatening to swallow them up.
- As they walk, Ethan trips over a stick - a smooth polished stick. It is silvery white and beautiful. As he picks it up, it sings its story to him. Ethan has a strange desire to collect more of these objects, but then he puts it down gently and leaves it be. It feels wrong to take any of the items here.
- The two of them head into the great crystalline structure. There are a labyrinth of passages here in what feels like a great empty city. The Doors here are of polished gemstones, and there are silver clouds here and there. In the central chamber is a huge hairless figure that has skin like ivory. He looks up briefly from a ghostly book to gaze at the tiny Lords of Gossamer. Ethan consults his compass but the needle points in one direction, then a different direction, then a third direction. The great librarian stares at them, and then points to a Door.
- Guessing that the creature here has discerned their intent, Grant and Ethan follow its instructions and open the Crystalline Door. Beyond lies a new section of Stair.
Other Impacts
- None
GM’s Observations
- The Stair gets stranger. Grant and Ethan are introduced to 'The Old Man' (he leads the White Hand, but the PCs don't know that yet. They also reach a section of Stair which is effectively one-way. Worse than that, as they will find out that Icons don't work in this new section of Stair - they are unexpectedly cut off and on their own.
- Also, I wanted to introduce a interesting foil for the characters. Someone who could hold their own against them, someone intriguing who was almost certainly working for the enemy.
- The basis for the Godfall realm is Curnorost, the Realm of Dead Angels from the Monte Cook’s Beyond Countless Doorways.
Major Characters
- Grant, Ethan, Sharra
Adversaries
- A shark-dude bouncer in the Last Chance bar.
Adventure Hook
- Ethan is trying to reach the Edge of the Stair. Grant is along for the ride. Someone has put a deterrant on the Stair and they have traced someone traversing the Stair to a deepwater realm.
Adventure Summary
- Grant and Ethan sit at a booth in the Last Chance bar. The view from the bar overlooks the shiploading area. There are a range of submersibles here. It is very congested. They appear to have atomic engines on pylons away from the main ship. There are lots of different designs here suggesting many different cultures. Ethan has dropped the Mental Invisibility spell so that they can order some food. Grant pays with some golden beans that come out of his purse.
- Food arrives. Ethan has ordered something rubbery which moves which he is unable to eat. (GM's note - Bad Stuff) Grant's dish is grilled fish and perfectly edible. In disgust, Ethan heads to the bar to get some drinks. The girl with the strong mind has returned back to the gaming machines with a drink in hand, and she begins pulling a lever on the side of the machine to play the game.
- Ethan notes that the bouncer - a huge sharklike fellow seems to be keeping an eye on her. He looks over the patrons. The sign at the front of the bar says 'no weapons' but everyone seems to be armed here - with crude percussion weapons, and nightsticks. This seems like a violent city. Grant and Ethan walked past a dead body on the way to this place. The poor individual was shot in the back.
- Ethan can't sense any other Wardens here apart from Grant. There is definitely another Door here but it is a long way away. The girl seems intent on playing games so he heads back to Grant with two glasses of blue liquid.
- Meanwhile, Grant has also been looking over the girl. She is quite cute, in a spunky sort of way. Umbral Sight tells him that she's not very well. There seems to be some sort of slow-acting poison in her system. Grant mentions this to Ethan. Ethan comments that they will need to get a ship to get to the next Door.
* Image sourced from Google
- While they are talking, the girl kicks the machine that she is playing so hard that she dents it. She heads back to the bar for another drink and sits down on a stool. Unfortunately the sharklike bouncer takes a dislike to her. He says something to her that neither Grant nor Ethan can here, she clearly swears back at him, and he kicks the stool out from under her. She falls heavily, whacking her head on the edge of the bar on the way down. The sharklike bouncer doesn't stop there, grabbing her but the scruff of her neck and dragging her up again. No one else in the bar bats an eyelid at this.
- Grant intervenes. He asks what the problem is, but the girl interjects and makes a joke of the situation, saying that she just wanted another drink but Ferrak here (referring to the bouncer) told her 'no'. She says that it's all under control. She says that she can handle this. Grant offers to buy her a drink, and Ferrak grumpily says that he'll regret doing that. Ferrak stomps away but keeps an eye on them.
- The girl gives Grant a crooked smiled, gets back to her feet and orders a drink from 'Sally', the tentacled barman. Wiping some blood off her face where the edge of the bar has cut her, she gives him 'the look' and tells him that she's all his. Grant is a little surprised by this 'come on', as she looks dreadful. Nevertheless, she seems very sure of herself.
- Grant leads the girl over to the booth where Ethan has been sitting patiently. She gives him a smile too as she sits down. She asks if they work for the Old Man? Grant wonders if this is Greywalker, but when he asks this, she becomes guarded. Her eyes narrow and she asks who 'the hell' they are. Grant introduces himself, as does Ethan. Grant asks about the aqualung found on the Stair, and the girl quickly confirms that she went with 'Kirn' onto the Stair. He went on, she came back.
- Grant and Ethan glance at one another. Both know that she is no Warden, and yet she opened a Door. Therefore she must have access to a Key.
- Observing that she is quite unwell, Grant asks how this came about. Again, she offers a crooked smile and she says that they took her ship, but didn't find what they were looking for. They stranded her in this 'shithole', then tried poisoning her but she still hasn't told them what they want to know. She coughs and says that she'll be fine - she has 'powerful friends' who will turn up sooner or later. Smiling broader, she wonders aloud whether her friends have sent Grant and Ethan to help her.
- There is a strange allure about this woman, despite her wretched appearance. Ethan asks her name and she says that her name is Sharra. Sharra then shifts the conversation and says that she is hungry. She asks Grant to get her some food. Grant obliges her and heads to the bar. As soon as Grant's back is turned, Sharra turns her attention to Ethan and shifts closer to him. She whispers that they can help each other - she can get them to the other Door if they require it. Ethan shows interest in this, and Sharra chuckles - she's achieved her goal and Ethan realises that he’s been tricked.
- Grant returns with the menu, and Sharra shifts away from Ethan and turns on the charm for Grant instead. She slyly says that she wants her ship back, and they want to get to the other Door. She offers to help them.
- The conversation is continuing, when Ferrak returns and interrupts the conversation. Sharra tells him to get lost, and Ferrak drags Grant out of the booth. Once away from the table, Grant clobbers Ferrak, felling him with a mighty blow. Sharra brightens at this immediately. Ethan then goes to the fallen bouncer and places his hand on his head, seeking some information about what is going on. Instantly he is informed that Sharra, once Captain Sharra of the Gullwind, is effectively a prisoner here, and a significant sum of money has been offered to hold her here. The current Captain of the Gullwind, a man named Feritz, has taken her ship, but apparently doesn't know how to open the Doors.
- Ethan tells Grant that he has what he needs, and Grant explains that Ethan has read Ferrak's mind. Ethan then proceeds to scramble his mind so that he won't remember what has happened here. Sharra looks a little guarded as Ethan explains this, but she says that they should get of of the bar and plan their next move. The Gullwind should be returning in a day or two, and they should hole up until then.
- Grant quickly agrees to find a safe place to go, and suggests that Ethan heal her. Ethan was expecting to use this as leverage, not to disclose so readily. Grant sees the surprise on Ethan's face but it is too late, so he explains to Sharra that Ethan is a healer. Sharra's eyes narrow and she decides that she likes Ethan. You're useful, she purrs.
- Grant quickly finds a safe hotel for them to rest. Ethan heals Sharra, purging the poison from her system and healing her many injuries. She is quite astonished but recognises Eidolon for what it is. She thanks Ethan with a kiss which lingers, and then reminds him that she still wants her ship back, hinting that there will be other rewards if he continues to help her. Ethan is astonished by her directness.
- Over the next day, Grant explores the city a little further. He confirms that the Gullwind is returning, and Sharra explains that she will kill the new Captain to take back her command. Feritz is unlkely to be popular with the crew given that they don't know the same 'tricks' that she knows. He can't make them rich. Grant asks her where the Keys to the Doors are. He presumes that she has at least one. Sharra is evasive but at last she confirms that she has access to at least two Keys.
- While Grant is on one of his expeditions out into the city, Sharra shows further interest in Ethan. She asks further about Eidolon, and encourages him to take a look at some of her equipment. Ethan obliges her by updating her percussion gun, and her nightstick. He admits that he and Grant are Wardens of the Stair, and asks her about the device on the Stair that was placed to deny access to a junction. She knows of it, and says simply that the Old Man didn't want anyone coming this way. Sharra remains evasive about what lies beyond the next Door. Ethan is certain that she knows, but simply won't say. He does sense some urgency in her, but she is withholding information. Ethan gets the impression that she is attracted to him, and he is somewhat pleased by this, despite feeling a bit guilty at the same time.
- When Grant returns, they speak further about Sharra's role in this realm. It definitely sounds like her ship, the Gullwind, has been uesd as a shuttle service to carry people from one Door to the next. She is definitely knowledgeable about many aspects of the Stair. Her lip curls when asked if she has ever ferried Dwimmerlaik. They get very little information out of her about the Old Man. He is almost certainly not Greywalker, but like Greywalker he is an old man, with a white beard.
- Grant considers returning to Marindar until the Gullwind arrives, but he decides against it as he is enjoying Sharra's company and she seems to enjoy his. This pleases him.
- A day later, Grant confirms that the Gullwind has arrived. The two Lords of Gossamer escort a fully-fit Sharra back to the Last Chance. At the door there is a new bouncer who is vaguely lion-like, with a great bushy mane around his head and shoulders. Sharra quickly locates the new captain, and a quick gun battle is fought. Feritz is gunned down, and Sharra declares that she is once more in charge. She tells the other five crew members that they need to leave at once with the supplies as they are 'badly overdue'. Some of the crew ask about payment, and she points to Grant and Ethan and says that they have passengers who will pay, but also to think of what the Old Man will say and do if the supplies don't get through. The crew agree to follow her. She rips the captain’s patch from Feritz's corpse, adds it back onto her breast and tells them to get ready.
- Sharra's mood brightens, and she leads Grant and Ethan to the Gullwind. The other three crew members are already onboard, including Scooter, a tracked maintenance robot. While the crew scrambles to get ready, Grant and Ethan look around. The Gullwind appears to be carrying food and water - but for whom? The technology onboard is old and clunky. 20th century at best. Atomic drives requiring radioactive pellets for fuel. Sharra is back in command and back in her element. She shows Grant and Ethan to some guest rooms and tells them to make themselves comfortable.
* Image sourced from Google
- Within six hours the crew are back onboard and the ship is prepared to depart. Sharra comments that they have extra fuel reserves so that they can 'get back', but it'll take four days to reach the other Door.
- They set off through the depths of this nameless world, and Sharra treats Grant and Ethan to a private dinner. One of the crew (her chef) prepares good food for them, and Sharra opens up a little, explaining that this world was attacked many years ago, and trade was driven underwater, though the aliens still believe that it was wiped out or driven offworld. She admits that she grew up in this world, but she has seen others. She asks about them, and is surprised to learn that both Wardens come from the same realm. That is unheard of.
- After dinner, Grant tells Ethan that he plans to return to Marindar for a few days but to contact him if anything comes up. Ethan asks about whether he should visit Aethelwyne instead, and Grant hesitates. Grant clearly still wants to return to Marindar. He says farewell and uses an Icon to reach Sophia and return home. In the meantime, Ethan makes himself busy in the engine room, helping the Gullwind's two engineers to make repairs and improvements where it is possible to do so when the ship is in operation. Sharra is pleasantly surprised by this. She is clearly aware that Grant is no longer onboard, and she rolls up her sleeves to help.
- At last the task is done and the crew have gone to the mess to eat and relax. Sharra produces a bottle of wine and two glasses, and sits down to talk with Ethan. The conversation is good, and Ethan admits to be enjoying Sharra's company. He knows that his guard is down, but feels very comfortable with her.
- With the bottle of wine drunk, they go to clean themselves up, but Ethan agrees to sharing a private dinner with her. They talk happily - both share an interest in exploring new places and being a master of their own destiny. A second bottle of wine is drunk, and Ethan tries to excuse himself. Sharra puts on a crooked smile, draws herself close to him and tells him that she doesn't really want him to leave her quarters. Fade to black.
- The next morning, Ethan is feeling very confused. There is something about Sharra that is messing with his head. With her warm body close to his, he decides to gently put her into a deeper sleep and then find out more about her. Sure enough, she is in the service of the Dwimmerlaik - or at least a faction of them called the White Hand. The Old Man is another Lord of of Gossamer, or at least an Imperial Warden. She has no particular loyalty to the Old Man, but she fears him and the Dwimmerlaik enough to want to do what they say. He appears to be a serious and imposing figure.
* Image by OMangueOTangue on DeviantArt (cropped and with a sepia filter)
- Ethan can tell that Sharra is attracted to him, but she's also trying to find out more about him, partly for her own self-preservation and partly because it could be useful to those she works for. In terms of where they are heading, apparently it is a place where angels die.
- Before he can probe further, she wakes.
- The rest of the day carries on like nothing has happened in front of her crew, but she gives Ethan a private smile from time to time when she comes to check what he is doing. Ethan tries not to think about Sharra and instead focuses on further engineering tasks. Grant contacts Ethan via Icon and Ethan says simply that they're on their way, and there is nothing to report. Grant chuckles and guesses that Sharra has been making a play for Ethan since he's been away. Ethan lies and says that he's been busy in engineering. Grant comments that he should have returned to the Legendary Realms rather than come to Marindar. Lady Sophia is busy with some negotiations and he feels a little superfluous. Ethan asks if he wants to come through and Grant accepts.
- Sharra is pleased to find that Grant has returned. The three of them share dinner that evening, and they talk further about their destination. Sharra explains that they will start descending into a nine mile trench in the next two days, and then there is a Door at the bottom which leads to a section of Stair that she calls 'The Slipstream'. The Slipstream has a fast current which will sweep the ship along. It takes significant navigational skill to reach the right 'quiet' near the target Door.
- Grant is astonished by this. The target Door must be big. Very big. Big enough to put a ship the size of the Gullwind through. Sharra confirms this, and she explains that when they leave the 'quiet' near the arrival Door, they'll be swept along. They need to use the navigational thrusters to steer, but a considerable amount of power to slow themselves so that they do not overshoot the target 'quiet'. A lot of the fuel is used on the return journey given that they have to go against the current. It burns more fuel but it is easier to steer on the return journey.
- Grant asks about the systems onboard - most computers and machinery don't work on the Stair. Sharra agrees that there will be failures, but there should be enough system control to reach their destination.
- Grant asks what is at their destination, and she says that there is a place where 'angels go to die'. It's called Godfall. When the angels die, their bodies turn to dust, but a lot of their material possessions are left on the dusty plains. Grant is horrified - someone is looting the graveyard of angels. Sharra shrugs and says that she doesn't really know what sort of creatures they are, but she admits that there are lots of things there that the Old Man is interested in.
- The conversation returns to more conventional matters. Ethan plans to keep working in engineering with Mirb, the Drasalite engineer. Mirb is a blob-like creature who can extrude part of himself to create appendages. Mirb is a bit of a joker, and Ethan enjoys working on the ship’s systems with him. Grant wants like to learn more about the general control systems onboard. Ethan wonders if Sharra will give him some sort of cue that she wants him to stay the night, but she gives no such cue. She is charming with both of them, and Ethan pushes the thought to the back of his mind. He retires early, and decides to get a good night's sleep.
- That evening it is Grant who is surprised by Sharra, whom he discovers has snuck into his quarters with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Sharra pours on the charm, and Grant enjoys a very pleasant evening. They spar verbally as Sharra clearly wants to know more about him, but he is equally canny in his responses as he tries to find out more about her and the Old Man. They spend the night together. Fade to black.
- The next two days are a strange mixture of boredom, working on old 20th century machines and guidance controls, and flirting. Sharra spends more time with Grant than Ethan, but she flirts with both. It is only because Grant and Sharra make a lot of noise on the third evening that Ethan has any idea of what is going on. On the fourth day, the Gullwind descends into the trench. Ethan is completely muddled - on one hand he knows that his friend has slept with Sharra, but she is still seeking a level of intimacy with him too. He doesn't know if this is a game to her or whether she just has a different moral code than he does, or what. He knows that she is affecting him - being around her is intoxicating. He hopes that when he gets away that the effect will wear off. It's not a spell, he's sure of that. This is something else.
- The Gullwind reaches a huge Door in the sea floor. The Door is some three hundred metres across. It's the largest one that he's seen. While Grant and Ethan are wondering how the Door will open, they notice a smaller craft piloted by Scooter head out to the Door. When the craft is close, the Door begins opening. So either Scooter had the Key all along (unlikely) or Sharra passed the Key to the robot (more likely).
- When Scooter has returned to the Gullwind, the ship moves into position and begins to descend. The external lights are switched on as they descend. The Door shuts behind them. They are in a huge corridor of inky black fluid.
- Captain Sharra tells Grant and Ethan that "this is where the fun begins". She directs her crew to enter The Slipstream, and as soon as the vessel leaves the stable pocket near the Door, there is a tremendous kick and Gullwind is pulled along by the current.
- Systems fail as they travel along the giant corridor. Even critical systems go offline, and Ethan uses Eidolon to restore them. Two hours into a very tense journey, Sharra directs the crew to spin the Gullwind in the current. This places a great deal of stress on the frame, and the superstructure groans under the strain. At last they are close to their destination and the Gullwind's main engines flare to life to slow their progress. Then suddenly, they hit the pocket of water that is as still as glass. Sharra applies full power to the engines so that they are not carried back into The Slipstream. They have arrived.
- The crew is relieved. Sharra sends out Scooter in the small craft once more and the Door is opened. This Door is enormous, like the other one. They rise up through a pool of milky water, and then suddenly break the surface.
- This place has a blue sky which is peppered by wisps of cloud. The terrain extends in all directions as an endless plain of dust. Sharra tells her crew that they should make this quick. Two heavy hover vehicles are broken out, and the crew begin loading the supplies onto them. Meanwhile, Grant and Ethan look outside at this Godfall realm.
- It does indeed appear that the wispy clouds here are falling slowly, raining dust. Occasionally there is the flash of something metallic falling from the sky. This place here is rich in Eidolon, and natural order.
- The crew take almost two hours to load the vehicles, and they set off across the landscape. In the distance there is seen a colossal citadel of glass and crystal. The closer they get, the bigger it clearly is. An hour into the journey, they spot a cluster Dwimmerlaik fabricated structures. It is some sort of outpost.
- Ethan fingers an Icon and finds that it doesn't work here. They are cut off. He mentions this to Grant.
Other Impacts
- None
GM’s Observations
- This session continues Ethan's journey to the theoretical edge of the Stair. This arc continues for many sessions.
Major Characters
- Ethan, Grant, Abbie
Adversaries
- Unusual defences (owned by whom?)
Adventure Hook
- In Session 123, Ethan had located Abbie's former homeworld and Grant reconnected it to the Stair. The damage to the world is severe but there are survivors. Ethan wonders for some time how to tell Abbie this. Finally he tells her. At first she merely shrugs this off - she claims to have moved on. It appears to be a fizzer.
- Two days later, Abbie has changed her mind. She is touched by what Ethan has done, even though she would have preferred that he had asked first. She asks to 'go home', and Ethan takes her.
- After seeing what her home has become, she is quite emotional. She admits that she can't ignore what has happened to 'her people'. Ethan offers to help, and she agrees.
- Hence whilst Grant is assisting Drake with reviewing his tactical records looking for anomalies, Ethan spends time with Abbie, helping her and the survivors.
- Weeks pass, then months. Grant splits his time between Marindar and the Kingdom of Bloodstone. Occasionally he catches up with Ethan for a game of cards, or to talk about returning to the Dragons' Graveyard. Ethan confesses that his relationship with Abbie has never been better, but he is finding it difficult to 'sit still' for so long. He wants to return to the Stair and use his Agoran compass to walk in the opposite direction to where it points, to find the Stair's edge.
- At last, Ethan feels that enough progress has been made with Abbie's home that he feels that he can 'take a walk'. He and Abbie promise to keep in contact, and Ethan promises not to be gone too long. He returns to where he reached before and continues walking.
Adventure Summary
- Ethan is getting further and further away from 'normal' sections of the Stair. It has been three days since he spoke to Abbie, and already he has new stories to tell her.
- The decor on this section of Stair is Victorian, with a distinct nautical feel. Even the floor seems to ebb and flow as if gently rocking.
- Then Ethan encounters some sort of light-house like beacon, man-height, at the next junction. The light burns, even at a distance. He hasn't seen anything like this before, so he contacts Grant via Icon and asks for him to join him. Grant does so.
- Grant inspects the device from a distance and is surprised by it. He wonders what else is nearby, so they backtrack to inspect some of the nearby Doors to see if there is anything here that is worth protecting. The nearest Door looks like the cabin door on a sailing ship. Behind it there is only rich, blue water and brightly coloured yellow fish.
- The next Door leads to another underwater realm. It looks very deep here judging by the blackness of the water.
- With their way ahead blocked, the duo withdraw a few miles to another realm. Behind this Door is a seaside town, sunny and bright. The shops here have red and white awnings. The people here are very short, and they stare at Grant and Ethan, thinking that they are 'foreigners'. They order some fish and chips and are quickly circled by annoying seabirds that make 'nuk nuk' sounds.
- A group of midget children with big chunky camera take pictures of them. Grant looks around for anything unusual while Ethan continues to eat. Strangely he finds some green crystals on sale in one of the shops which are dull in colour, but the shopkeeper says that the darker it is, the more they will glow. Grant buys some. He wonders if there could be any Dwimmerlaik here but his Wayfinding cannot lead him to any so he assumes there are none. He buys a pair of sunglasses.
- Grant and Ethan return to the Stair and look at the strange lighthouse at the junction. The device stands about two metres tall, and there is a light spinning around at the top. Grant is determined to approach it, and he shapeshifts into a reptilian form with silvery scales. Ethan finishes off the last of the chips and quips that it's a good thing that Lady Sophia can't see Grant now as the form he has adopted is most unattractive.
- As Grant approaches the device, the lighthouse light starts spinning faster and the heat increases. Grant smells burning plastic - the sunglasses that he is wearing are starting to melt. At twenty metres away, he thinks that paper would ignite. It is uncomfortable. He uses Umbral Sight to look at it. The device carries an Eidolon charge, and it appears to be some sort of sensor. He muzzles the light, and deactivates it using Umbra.
- Once deactivated, Ethan comes to join Grant in inspecting the device. It is ornate, and made of some sort of bone. Definitely some sort of advanced race made this. There is an identification code on it, suggesting that it is a manufactured item. Grant decides it is some sort of sentry, and that it responds to voice commands. He decides to properly deactivate it, and leave it deactivated.
- The two of them wonder why this junction was guarded in this way. The device is not just a sentry - it's a device to deter people from entering this section of Stair - but why?
- There are three new corridors off the junction and they start investigating the one that Ethan picks (which incidentally is also away from the Agora). Down one corridor they find two smaller rabbit-sized Doors in the wall which are two small for them to open. A further 600 metres down the same corridor they find a black door that looks like a modern ship's cabin door, but there is an aqualung lying outside the Door - an advanced one. On the other side fo the Door, the water is greyish black, suggesting deep water. Occasional bubbles drift upwards in the water behind the sorcerous membrane that separates the Stair from the realm.
- Checking the aqualung, they find that the tank is one-quarter full. Otherwise it appears to be in good working order, although the air within has a strange cinnamon-like odour to it. The mask will fit over a human face but Ethan doesn't feel comfortable about using the equipment here. He says that he'd rather bring his own equipment.
- They decide to leave and come back when better prepared. Ethan marks the spot with a sorcerous marker so that he can teleport back. They decide to regroup the next day.
- Grant returns to Marindar. Ethan uses an Icon to return to Abbie. Abbie herself needs a break from helping so many people, so Ethan suggests an impromptu getaway. This delays Ethan's return to the sorcerous marker by another day as he spends extra time with Abbie.
- To his surprise, Ethan finds that the teleport back to the black door fails. The connection just doesn't work. As such, Ethan teleports to an earlier mark and then walks the rest of the way. He picks up an aqualung, wetsuit and a spear gun en route, then contacts Grant via Icon when he has reached the black Door.
- Grant and Ethan exchange notes - both have had a good two days. Ethan muses thoughtfully that he thinks Abbie and he are in a very good place. Grant laughs and suggests that Ethan marry her so she doesn't 'get away'. Ethan blinks, and remarks that she's already taken his surname. She seems to assume that they're married already. Grant shakes his head and says that they're not married until he asks her (or she asks him). He explains patiently that Abbie has spent time on Earth and watched many movies. She knows very well that someone has to ask. Ethan frowns, and says that marriage is a bit a strange idea for someone who is going to live a very very long time. Grant tells him not to change the topic. There is a moment of silence, and Ethan asks about Aethelwyne. Grant shifts uncomfortably, and admits that things are 'complicated'. He loves Sophia, but she encouraged him to see other people. But he didn't expect to end up King with Aethelwyne as his Queen. There is an uncomfortable silence as it is clear that Grant doesn't know what to do. Finally he shrugs, and says that he likes being able to get away from it all. On the Stair, things are just simpler.
- They prepare to go through the black Door, and Grant decides that they will reactivate the sentry at the nearby junction before moving on.
- The water on the other side of the black Door is not normal water. Large shapes move in the brackish liquid. Grant shapeshifts into another form and dives through. Ethan follows. The pressure is significant but they are able to handle it. On the other side of the Door, they can see that it is a pressure door on a large metallic underwater structure. There is a tethered yellow and black rope-line leading down the side of the structure. They follow it. There is no other Door nearby but Grant has a feeling that there is another one somewhere out there in the water. Ethan has the same feeling - he is not surprised as he thought the next Door might be distant.
- The rope leads to another pressure door. A code is required to open it but the two Wardens open it easily. They find themselves in a cargo storage chamber with grated floors. The gravity here is heavier than normal. The air is breathable. Grant finds a rack of aqualungs and is not surprised that one is missing, but another has been recently used.
- Ethan feels with 'the Force' and finds that magic is usable here but it is sluggish. The two Wardens explore 'Sub-Level 3', passing a tracked fork lift, and they decide to make their way to higher levels. Avoiding the main elevators, they use the back ways up, using a combination of service ducts and pipes to reach the main level. It is warm and humid here.
- The structures here are a mixed bag. This is clearly an undersea city, but the structures are a layered jumble that appears to have grown over time. There are a range of humanoid races here, but both Wardens sense danger in this place. Ethan uses Mental Invisibility to hide the two of them. Grant tries to find the last person who wore the aqualung, and of course it leads them back the way they came. Grant then tries a stretch using his Wayfinding - he wants to find someone associated with the person who wore the aqualung. He already has other markers, guessing that one of the recently worn aqualungs would have been worn by that person. It is a bit of a longshot, but he tries it.
- Ethan is meanwhile thinking about how to reach the next Door. It must be a long way away, which means they will probably need a vessel to get there.
- They make their way through the complex. The major humanoid race here is human, or human-like. But they have smaller proportions. They are about 15-20 centimetres shorter than the average normal humans. Exploring further, they conclude that this is sort some sort of hidden trading hub. There appear to be a lot of gambling dens and sex shops here.
- Grant follows his nose, which leads him to a bar. The name of the bar translates as 'The Last Chance' bar. It overlooks the submersible pens where many underwater vessels are docked. They order some food (everything on the menu looks very fishy), and Grant looks around at the patrons, wondering which of them could be useful.
- But it is Ethan who spots her. She is shortish, looks to be in her early twenties and has short dark hair. Her mind is stronger than the others in the room. She is clearly tougher than she looks. Uttering a foul curse, she kicks the gaming machine that she has taken her money, and she saunters over to the bar for a drink.
Other Impacts
- This session further foreshadows Grant's conflict in being effectively married, but in love with someone else.
