Session 205 – Starfighter Academy Part 3

- GM’s note: Continuing the adventures of Grant and Ethan as part of a flashback to their early days on the Stair. In case anyone is interested, we’re using a Google Hangouts video chat with a spare camera pointed at a Manoeuvre Chart from FATE Tachyon Squadron and a bunch of counters when the starfighter combat occurs. That way we can play on a game ‘map’ that both of us can see.

I also have a series of small cards with the character stats on them. Grant and Ethan have FATE stats for the Starfighter skills (Piloting, Gunnery, Tactics and Technology) plus we’ve given them a nominal Discipline rating as even young Lords of Gossamer can suffer psychological damage if they have near-death experiences surrounded by hard vacuum.

- The next morning, Starfighter Academy as usual, with physical training at 0600 hours. Most of the cadets haven’t had much sleep as they have been up celebrating but the instructors don’t cut them any slack. After P.T. there is more starfighter training, preparations for simulated missions and the other unusual routine tasks. However, in the afternoon, the cadets have a hand-to-hand combat lesson from “Marlin”, one of the senior instructors.

- They have received a few lessons so far to teach them basic techniques but this is the first where there is actual sparring. “Deadeye” hasn’t learnt any martial arts before the Academy, but he is highly competent (GM’s note – Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare and Strength). Ethan has the advantage of having done some karate before in high school but it hasn’t been mentioned and Grant has all but forgotten this. “Deadeye” does some sparring against other students and is able to beat even those with good martial arts skills such as “Ajax” and “Cobra”. Ethan similarly shows that he has some good skills, flattening Baker and overpowering “Iceman”. The class ends but “Deadeye” is feeling pretty good about his skills and asks if anyone else would like to spar a little longer. (GM’s note – they have an hour for lunch and hence an hour until the next class) To his surprise, no one leaves. “Proton”, a young Hispanic man and one of the “Birdie”-“Proton”-“Fuzz” training team, gives it his best shot but he is significantly overmatched. 

- A few other sparring matches are fought between keen cadets but it is clear that “Deadeye” is the best amongst them. Even though his techniques are limited, his precision and speed exceed the others. “Mayhem” prompts Ethan to challenge “Deadeye” and Ethan steps forward, much to Grant’s surprise.

- Ethan asks if they want to use swords or fists. (There is a rack of bladed weapons). Grant decides that fists would be more appropriate given where they are. The two do battle and Ethan quickly surprises Grant with a blow to the face that knocks him back. They battle again, and the intensity between them increases. They clash and are both knocked back. The fight goes for almost ten minutes before Ethan lands another decent blow and Grant realises that Ethan actually has a decent edge on him based on his previous experience. The bout ends without a clear winner – they need to grab a shower and some lunch before the next class. However, the other cadets see just how strong and tough Grant and Ethan are. 

- The next day there are boarding party drills. They will attempt to board an ‘enemy ship’ that is docked with the station, free the hostages and kill the enemy onboard. The enemy party consists of the Instructors, however some of the cadets who have had their own turn will join the enemy party for the next waves of cadets. The aim is to give the cadets the opportunity to learn to fight as a team as they may be required to do so, even out of the cockpit. The cadets are split into random teams of two, breaking up existing teams. Despite the random teams, Grant and Ethan are paired together. (GM’s note – no joke, I actually rolled that)

- While they wait for their turn, “Books” has a private word with the cadets from Training Flight 1 and tells them to attend a briefing at 2000 hours.

- “Deadeye” and Ethan are very effective at boarding the vessel and clearing the enemy. The instructors are pleased. 

- “Woody” and “Iceman” do a good job of boarding the vessel and fight hard to clear the enemy but some of the hostages are killed. Most of the other cadets have mixed success, typically killing the enemy but sometimes losing hostages or some of their own number.

- That evening, “Deadeye”, Ethan and “Woody” attend the briefing. All of the pilots from the operational Tachyon Squadron are there too. The CO of Tachyon Squadron “Skipper” gives the briefing. 

* Image from FATE Tachyon Squadron

- He explains that a scoutship has traced the raiders which attacked the Neptune Conveyor back to the planet Asami. A major raiding force has been dispatched from the raiders’ base and Tachyon Squadron is being sent to intercept. The Starfighter Academy cadets, “Deadeye”, Ethan and “Woody” along with LT Natasha “Books” Ross are ordered to be ‘the backstop’ in case the pirates try to escape back to their base on Asami. They are designated Juno Flight (the tenth operational flight).

- Asami is a hostile, cold world of ice and snow. Juno Flight takes up position in orbit and waits. They hear Tachyon Squadron’s radio chatter as they engage the large raiding force in a vicious dogfight. Then, they hear “Magnet”, Tachyon Squadron’s XO, telling them they have incoming.

- And boy, do they have incoming. A total of sixteen enemy ships, all Gators, are heading straight for them. They’re outnumbered four to one. However, the enemy is in such a hurry to return to Asami that Juno Flight is able to get the drop on them and “Books” orders them to engage.

- What follows then is a bloody battle that sees both orbital and atmospheric combat, a vicious dogfight with all four members of Juno Flight fighting for their lives and finding it hard to cover one another. Even hunting down one flight of Gators gives the others to chase and get on their tails or run. It is extremely difficult to stop them from escaping. 

- Scoring early kills, “Deadeye” and “Books” find themselves surrounded and chasing the Gators that enter the atmosphere. Ethan and “Woody” pursue with fighters on their tails.

- In the end, two fighters out of sixteen escape Juno Flight and are seen reaching a pirate base built into the side of an icy mountain. 

- “Deadeye” destroys six enemy Gators but he is hit multiple times. One of the enemy shots hits the cockpit and he is wounded. 

- Ethan destroys three enemy Gators. His ship’s shields are destroyed but the hull only takes a single hit.

- “Woody” destroys two enemy Gators. Her ship’s shields are hit many times but not destroyed due to a shield regeneration module onboard. She survives the battle with a single hit to the hull.

- “Books” destroys three enemy Gators but her ship is destroyed in the lower atmosphere. She ejects but is badly hurt.

- In the aftermath of the battle, the cadets of Juno Flight pick up a radio transmission from the pirate base. A frightened man claims to be a passenger from the North Star and he begs for assistance. He says that his captors are rigging the place with explosives. The communication is cut. Noting that the pirate base has at least two turrets and their ships are badly damaged, the cadets elect to land. After recovering “Books”, “Woody” calls back to headquarters to request orders. But “Deadeye” and Ethan refuse to wait. 

- “Deadeye” uses the emergency stims on himself to counter the pain of his wounds and they head out into the bleak cold to rescue the hostages, armed only with blaster pistols. Above them is the cavernous landing bay which is built into the mountain side. Using Wayfinding, they find another way in – a service hatch which leads into a vehicle bay. Then, still undetected, they make their way to the landing bay and stop a cargo shuttle from being prepared and loaded. Then they make their way section by section through the complex. Pirates are encountered and quickly eliminated. Hostages are freed. Explosive charges are disabled. 

- They find the hostage who tried to use the communications array and called for him. He has been killed. 

- In the lower level of the complex, the illegal mining operation has been stripped of most of the valuable equipment, however there are more than twenty hostages here. There are pirates too, and a series of firefights break out as “Deadeye” and Ethan are finally detected. However, the two Lords of Gossamer are at their finest (despite Grant’s injury) and the battle is one-sided, even when the surviving pirates attempt to take hostages and parley. 

- At the end of the day, Juno Flight has destroyed fourteen enemy starfighters, rescued thirty-one hostages from the Northern Star and killed thirty-four pirates (twenty in the complex, fourteen in their ships). It’s a massive achievement for a cadet group that wasn’t even supposed to see serious action. 

Session 204 – Starfighter Academy Part 2

- GM’s note: Continuing the adventures of Grant and Ethan as part of a flashback to their early days on the Stair. We defined their early Aspects, Relationships etc using FATE.

Grant - FATE System

Aspects: Aspiring Lord of Gossamer

Relationships:

• To Ethan: Into trouble and out of trouble together

• To “Woody”: We stick together

Decompression:

• Healthy: Hit the gym

• Unhealthy: Anxiety and Insomnia

Other Aspect: Better than he thinks.

Ethan - FATE System

Aspects: Aspiring Lord of Gossamer

Relationship: 

• To Grant: My Brother Grant

• To “Woody”: Can’t leave Woody behind

Decompression: 

• Healthy: I run therefore I am

• Unhealthy: Heartbreaker

Other Aspect: Boldly Go / I Can Do This

- Each day is a regular routine. Each evening sees the cadets at the Spacers’ Rest, the local bar.

- Grant, Ethan and “Woody” fly a simulated mission to defend Free Trader Beowulf, which is under attack by raiders. They acquit themselves well. Free Trader Beowulf has become a bit of a joke amongst the cadets. Most of the cadets fail to save the poor merchant vessel, but the trio are successful.

- That evening they go for a drink. “Woody” seems to be attracting attention from the other cadets. They seem to pick on her because of her father. Ethan keeps an eye on the level of ribbing. He doesn’t like anyone being picked on. Grant talks to the other cadets and makes friends where he can. Baker has big wooly hair – he doesn’t have a Callsign yet. One of the cadets is called “Radar” as he has big ears. Another is called “Mayhem” because his hair is like a bird’s nest. 

- There are eighteen simulators but they are frequently booked out.  “Birdie”, “Proton” and “Fuzz” seem to be on them all the time. Grant, Ethan and “Woody” never seem to be able to get a slot.

 

- The cadets are introduced to firearms and a range practice is organised. There, Grant demonstrates just how good he is with a gun. (GM’s note – even at this early stage, he has Dominant Rank Warfare) His marksmanship awes everyone. They cannot believe how unbelievably accurate he is. The instructor calls him “Deadeye” and the Callsign sticks.

- Finding the simulators unavailable yet again, “Deadeye” (ie: Grant) talks to “Books”, one of the instructors and she organises to take the trio out on a patrol to give them more familiarity in a real cockpit.

- On the first patrol, Training Flight 1 performs some simple dog-fighting practice, but on the second they are sent to investigate a non-communicative ship that is adrift well off the established space lanes. Four hours into the patrol, they receive an emergency radio transmission from the Neptune Conveyor, a cargo ship which is under attack by raiders. This is not a simulation. It’s a real mission with real enemy ships.

- “Books” calls in for assistance and then the four of them hit ‘maximum burn’ to assist the Neptune Conveyor. They are up against four “Gators” and a swarm of supporting drone fighters. The battle is quick and vicious as the Cadets sweep in and take the enemy by surprise. Each of the four kills one of the “Gators” and they quickly clean out the drones. “Deadeye” picks up a group of far off signals – a D-99 corvette with escort fighters. “Books” elects to let them go until reinforcements from Draconis Station arrive to guard the Neptune Conveyor.

 

* Image from FATE Tachyon Squadron

- Once those reinforcements arrive, Training Flight 1 continues on with the original mission to investigate the drifting ship. They find a passenger ship called the North Star which has been missing for two months but there are no passengers onboard. The ship has taken significant damage and signs of forced entry. The ship appears to be abandoned and they have to request for assistance to tow the wrecked ship back to Draconis Station.

- It is late when they arrive back at Draconis Station but all of the cadets are up to welcome them back. Starfighter Academy cadets have made their first ‘kills’ and everyone wants to celebrate a little. “Deadeye”, Ethan and “Woody” are treated as heroes, although some of the cadets are obviously jealous. “Woody” makes an effort to call her father to tell him of her success but she returns disappointed that her father was not as impressed as she thought he would be. “Woody” is on edge for the rest of the evening and drinks too much. Harsh words are spoken between “Birdie” and “Woody” and it is clear that there is rivalry between the cadet groups. Ethan goes to defend “Woody”, inadvertently escalating the situation and Grant has to step in and diffuse the situation.

- As the hour grows late, Grant makes a new friend in “Mayhem” who seems to be an all-around great guy; and Ethan absolutely fluffs his cover that he came from the Stellar Republic when talking to “Woody”. Ethan quickly brushes off his lack of knowledge of where he is supposed to have come of but Grant groans internally and hopes that nothing comes of Ethan’s stupidity. (GM’s note – yeah, right….)

- That evening, the names of “Deadeye”, Ethan and “Woody” are added to the official Kill Board in the main hangar bay. They are on the bottom of the list, but they are on the list.

Session 203 – Starfighter Academy Part 1

- GM’s note: We’re now playing a flashback for a bit of fun, using the FATE setting of Tachyon Squadron.

- Flashback to some of the early days when Grant and Ethan were first exploring the Grand Stair. They did not have Eidolon or Umbra and only had limited experience with their Warden abilities.

- Their journey has taken them to the city of Prime Landing on the planet Draconis. They sit by the sea-front admiring the view over Eden Bay. This is a high-tech society. There has been a decade-long war between the Stellar Republic and the Dominion of Unity but just over a year ago, the two exhausted sides declared a ceasefire and an uneasy peace has descended over the galaxy. In the wake of this, the Draconis system has declared independence from the Dominion of Unity and been recognised as independent by the Stellar Republic. Flushed by their newly won independence, the people of Draconis have a new energy about them but there are elements of society that still yearn for the old days when they were part of the Dominion. Draconis is recruiting pilots and building ships at the old Draconis shipyards. The people expect some level of trouble from their old masters.

- Into this world come Grant and Ethan. They enjoy the sights of Prime Landing but are particularly curious about an orbiting space station. Neither of them has been to space before and it seems to be an available destination so they book a trip for a spot of ‘sightseeing’. 

* Image from FATE Tachyon Squadron 

- It is there on Draconis Station that they find out about the Draconis Volunteer Group (DVG) who are hiring starfighter pilots. A number of pilots from the Stellar Republic and Dominion pilots who originated from Draconis have joined the DVG but there is also a fledgling Starfighter Academy being set up to fill out the ranks with the necessary pilots to bring Draconis’ squadrons to full strength. Draconis has managed to acquire three squadrons of SF-46D Blackfish multi-role starfighters, aging fighters from the last war but they do not have enough pilots to fly them.

- Grant and Ethan have no identification or history here but they are able to explain away their presence as coming from the Stellar Republic on one of the many merchant vessels that come here. They attempt to enlist in the newly formed Starfighter Academy and to their pleasant surprise after going through the enlistment process and undergoing a number of tests, they are offered places for the promise of allegiance to Draconis. There are thirty cadets and Captain “Rabbit” Tran warns them that not all will make it through the program. Most of the cadets seem to come from Draconis nobility but there are some odd-balls like Grant and Ethan who come from elsewhere.

* Image from FATE Tachyon Squadron

- The first two weeks of the Academy teaches them the basics, which Grant and Ethan pick up relatively easily. They train using simulators and in SF-30 Wasps which are used as trainers. Grant and Ethan are teamed with a third cadet named Blackwood (or “Woody”). Cadet Blackwood seems to be competent and motivated to succeed – the word is that she is some ‘Colonel’s daughter’ and she’s trying to live up to her father’s expectations.

- They get to know multiple instructors but they spend most time with “Red” who teaches them the basics of dogfighting and working together as a team. They fly missions in the simulators and also simple missions in their SF-30 Wasps to build their skills. Grant and Ethan have no problems with the physical training (PT) – they have Ranked stats and are by far the strongest and fittest of any of the cadets. However this doesn’t seem to help them much in the cockpit. Grant and Ethan spend long hours doing additional training to get more out of the academy, whether that be in the simulators or with Chief Petty Officer Bagri’s maintenance team to learn more about how the Wasps are put together.

- All of the cadets are eager to prove themselves and to win the Kalkidan Trophy. The trophy is named after Capt. Kalkidan “Kallie” Hakim, a starfighter pilot and fallen hero of the Draconis independence movement. The trophy is awarded to the top student and all students are very motivated to win. Grant keeps an eye on the competition, particularly the triumvirate of three cadets who already have their callsigns – “Birdie”, “Proton” and “Fuzz”.

- At the end of two weeks they go for their first assessment. Using SF-46D Blackfish that have been setup with simulated armaments, they go up against three instructors – “Red”, “Blank” and “Panic” along with six SF-30 Wasps that have been setup as aggressive drones. The mission is to shoot down at least two of the instructors with extra points for tailing and breaking the tail. Their team is successful in shooting down all three of the instructors and all of the Wasps before the time runs out (ie: ‘Bingo’, representing the minimum amount of fuel to return to base). At the end of the first assessment, Grant and Ethan are on maximum points (16) with their closest rival “Birdie” on 14. “Woody” acquitted herself well but she is not in the Top 5.

- GM’s note: Next session we’ll need to come up with Ethan’s and Grant’s aspects. Also we’ll need to come up with their callsigns. There will also be more starship combat and some interplay with the other cadets.

Session 202 – The Architect’s Legacy

- GM’s note: Another adventure set on Millennium.

- It is only a matter of time before the other Supers realise that The Architect (ie: Prince Grant from the Legendary Realm) is absent and possibly not coming back. The Baron is working hard to take advantage of this situation and his research has borne fruit.

- Baron Blade has discovered The Architect’s hidden retreat. Figuring that it will be well defended with many traps, the Baron enlists a range of hired help and suggests to Ethan that his friend Grant join them. The Baron has figured out that Grant is very good at getting into and out of places.

- The adventure centres around a ‘Fortress of Solitude’-type citadel which is found in the icy wastes of the northern polar region. After using the Baron’s hired help to scout out the citadel’s defences, Grant is able to penetrate them by using a combination of shapeshifting and an Eidolon ‘blessing’ from Ethan. Inside are many treasures and relics from a multitude of worlds that Prince Grant has visited. However, it is clear that some of the ‘best stuff’ is hidden elsewhere and Grant is able to learn of its location before the Baron and his flunkies start looting the place. The Architect has kept his best treasures in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean in a place called the Abyss.

- GM’s note: For some reason I can’t find my notes about the Baron’s flunkies. I remember that there was a Captain Cold style character and a female speedster who was dependent on the Baron to retain a measure of coherency. 

We then paused this plotline and started a flashback sequence which commences from Session 203.

Session 201 - Too Many Ethans

- GM’s note: Now shortening the writeups to make it easier for me to manage. 

The collapse of the Draconian Empire is not sudden. There is no immediate reaction from the Dragon Lords in the wake of the Emperor’s death. 

Meanwhile, Ethan lies low on Millennium.

The backdrop is that Prince Grant (The Architect) has had plenty of time to build and refine a superpowered team. As an Eidolon Master, he is a Lawful/Ordered person and hence his team is an organised group, not a group of misfits. It is not clear who leads them in his absence. Whoever it is, they are probably acting in accordance with The Architect’s plan. They certainly have awareness of The Stair, the capability for trans-dimensional travel and have made a number of raids across many different worlds (to what end?) 

However, The Architect has left, rather suddenly. Baron Blade knows that he is gone but many of the other Supers in Millennium are not aware of The Architecture’s departure yet.

- Ethan2 has renamed himself as Robert (or Rob, for short. He and the other Ethan are still in their ten-year-old forms. Isabelle can tell them apart. Abbie cannot.

- Baron Blade works to help Ethan and Robert (formerly Ethan2) return to their adult forms. The Baron is a bit of a loon, only too keen to experiment on his assistants. One of his assistants is returned to childhood and then back into being an adult. However it doesn’t work on Ethan as he is far too ‘real’. The Baron had help with building the original raygun that reduced both Grant and Ethan to their childhood forms and he knows what is missing – a crystal or some other source of ‘real’ power.

- Ethan contacts Isabelle and asks for her help. She comes through but finds the two Ethans squabbling. Apparently Robert wants to be a ‘supervillain’ in his new life. 

- While the squabbling is going on, one of the assistants admits that there is another chamber that the Architect used. Intrigued, Baron Blade goes to find the chamber and Ethan is able to open the Door. Inside there are many tubes holding copies of Grant and Ethan in child form. Most are blanks but some are not. Furthermore there are three Ethans and one Grant missing. 

- Isabelle produces some crystals which can get the machine running and Ethan elects to go first. The machine works for the first time and restores him to his adult self. However, the machine does not work so well on Robert. The machine fails half-way through and even though Robert is almost Ethan’s age, his body is continuing to age at an accelerated rate. Robert feels ghastly.

- Isabelle, Ethan and the Baron try to help but end up having to ‘freeze’ his condition until they can find a suitable cure. A few days of hard work later, Robert is stabilised and he appears to be back to normal.

- During this time, Ethan’s Divination spells suggest that the hunters are already in Millennium but they have not located either him or Robert yet. Ethan hopes that if they lie low that they will not attract attention.

- The Baron’s sensors detect a disturbance in the suburbs (some sort of summoning circle) and he tips off the local superhero team to deal with the situation.

- Robert talks privately to Isabelle. He doesn’t know where he fits in – even though he feels real, he knows that he isn’t. Isabelle is supportive and encourages him to find a new place for himself. 

- The disturbance in the suburbs continues and the Baron takes an interest in what is happening. A number of creatures (animal hybrids) are attacking a bunch of kids. The kids are beating the hell out of their adversaries. There are two Ethans among them and one Grant-sized shape of black goo that is lashing out in all directions. They are aided by a number of other local ‘super-kids’.

- Ethan goes to help them out and the Baron teleports him nearby. Using Mental Invisibility, Ethan approaches the fight and then uses Telekinesis to tip the balance between the players. The kids win but out-of-control-child-Grant remains in a primal state until the adult Grant is able to help him to stabilise. It seems to be the same problem that hit the real Grant previously – that the Umbra was consuming his body and needed outside help to stabilise. Ethan contacts Grant and asks him to come and stabilise his kid-self.

- After the battle, the kids head back to their ‘HQ’ which is a backyard treehouse which is much bigger on the inside than the outside. The kid Ethans and Grant seem to have partial memories of growing up here. They don’t think of themselves as either Ethan or Grant. They have their own names. However the Dwimmerlaik showed up, got confused and went after the wrong targets.

- Hoping that the Dwimmerlaik are not aware that the real Ethan is here, Grant and Ethan withdraw and leave the kids as they are.

- Grant leaves to return to Marindar. Before he leaves, he and Ethan agree to destroy the ‘blanks’ (ie: the other bodies of Grant and Ethan) so that no further superpowered copies of themselves will exist. After that, Ethan stays in Millennium and builds a relationship with the Baron. He’s a villain, but he’s quite intelligent and charming. Robert has seemingly moved on from Isabelle and seems to be quite attracted to a superheroine from one of the other factions. 

- Isabelle finds it hard to warm to Ethan as he’s undergone yet another change. Ethan speaks to Abbie once but she is cool and guarded towards him. She tells him that they can’t talk and she cuts the contact.

Session 200 – Traitor to the Empire

- GM’s note: Session 200 is a major milestone. I think after this session writeup I’m going to go back to abbreviated writeups once more. It takes too long to write these sessions up. 3-4 hours per writeup is just too much. Extrapolate that over 200 sessions and it’s a colossal amount of work. This session took a huge amount of time to write because it was such a complex session.

Besides, those of you who’ve read some of the session writeups have a pretty good idea how Lords of Gossamer can be run by now so surely you don’t need more to this level of detail. 

In terms of generating the plot for Session 200, I used Savage Worlds, FATE Cards, some of the idea generators from the D6 West End Games version of Star Wars. I wanted conflict and combat. I wanted to introduce new characters and to see more role-playing. But there also had to be a satisfying ending.

Too often in fiction do we see the problem neatly solved and everyone goes back to being happy. Not this time. David and I talked in advance about what would be a realistic outcome and what would be a satisfying outcome. And we went with that.

- Grant thinks over what Lofwyr has said and he asks more about the different dragons which make up the ruling council. He wants to know the major players. If Lofwyr is asking him to kill a dragon to split the Empire, he needs to know much more about the factions and the personalities.

- Lofwyr tells Grant about the Dragon Emperor who has been sick for a long time, so long that people start to wonder if he is really ill, or not. Lofwyr also goes on to tell him about the five most powerful members of the ruling council. He includes himself. Then Sturmvald, Nephron, Asmadi and Arcades. Lofwyr shares information into the late evening. His attendant occasionally offers to top up their wine goblets but they are otherwise uninterrupted as they discuss the state of the Empire.

- Grant listens and asks the occasional question. Lofwyr explains that all of the Dragon Lords have considerable resources at their disposal and if there were a suitable crisis in the Empire, the factions would likely turn those ‘resources’ against one another rather than send them to hunt and kill one dragonslayer. Grant asks more about the resources that Lofwyr has at his disposal but Lofwyr politely refuses to tell Grant. He does say that he has assigned the task of hunting Lord Ethan to his advocate (referring to Abbie), suggesting to Grant that she may be holding off passing on the orders to those who would hunt Ethan. Grant assumes that Lofwyr knows that Abbie is holding back his assets and may even be counting on this, ‘keeping his powder dry’, so to speak.

- Suddenly all is quiet. Even quieter than normal when Lofwyr has just spoken and Grant finds himself reflecting upon what has been said. Everything is still except for the faint movement of shadow in the many glass walls that separate rooms on this floor of the building.

- Sensing an attack, Grant drops the goblet and gets to his feet. The goblet instantly freezes in midair and does not fall to the ground. A time stop! 

- Using Umbral Sight, Grant spots a number of shadow-like forms heading in their direction. They are ignoring gravity and moving through the glass walls. They are armed with weapons made of the same shadow-stuff as their bodies. Shifting Gorgorin into staff-form, Grant moves to engage the shadows on one flank. 

- The battle is fought in complete silence. Grant in ten-year old form faces against ninjas who are invisible except to Umbra Sight. They strike hard and fast and Grant fights back furiously. The elf attendant is slain but he remains motionless and does not fall. Grant throws back one flank but the ninjas on two other sides are heading directly for Lofwyr. Lofwyr is hit by a projectile in the chest.

- Grant throws off an Umbal Blast against a group of ninjas who are racing to finish Lofwyr off. The blast shatters the glass walls but the fragments do not fall. Five shadow warriors are blown through the crystal-clear fragments. But two more ninjas have reached Lofwyr’s desk.

- Leaping onto Lofwyr’s desk, Grant prevents either of the ninjas from dealing a death blow and he clobbers one of them, then the other. The rest of the shadows regroup and charge at Grant, some of them hurling projectiles which Grant deftly blocks with a sweep from Gorgorin.

- Grant attacks and parries, deflects and interposes himself as the shadows seek to kill both him and Lofwyr. Then, as suddenly as the fight started, the glass falls with a crash, the elf falls down dead and the surviving shadows are melting through the floor to escape. Only two minutes have passed but for two minutes Grant has fought off a horde of nearly invisible shadow-ninjas. 

- Turning his attention to Lofwyr, the dragon lord is shocked by the attack but his shock quickly turns to anger. He is bleeding all over his immaculate suit from multiple wounds. Grant quickly counters the poison and neutralises the corrosive acids that have reached the dragon’s bloodstream. 

- Lofwyr gets to his feet, casting defensive spells as he does so. He sees the remaining ninjas melting through the floor and names them as ‘Shadowmasters’ (assassins). Lofwyr tells Grant that he will contact security as he wants one ‘alive’. Lofwyr sounds very angry. He tells Grant to talk to Lord Sturmvald and he marches out of the room. Grant doesn’t interrupt him further. He follows while Lofwyr casts other spells. He tells Grant that he has confirmed that Lady Abigail (Abbie) is safe. He asks if Grant requires healing and within a few seconds, an elven healer has arrived in a flash of orange light. Lofwyr’s regeneration is swift. He is back to normal in under a minute. Another spell is cast and Lofwyr is gone, leaving Grant with the healer. The healer offers the same healing to Grant and his bruises are swiftly removed.

- Surveying the wreckage around him, Grant decides to check with Lady Sophia to see if she is okay. The Icon contact finds her perturbed. She is painting a landscape scene in the Arcadian forests and the light is fading quicker than she can finish what she had planned. She confesses that she will need to stay another day in Arcadia. Grant is relieved by this and asks that his regards be passed to the Queen.

- A clean-up crew arrives and Grant is given an armed escort. The assigned security detail looks like an experienced crew. 

- Grant decides that he needs to freshen up. He decides not to ask Lofwyr’s crew but instead accepts their escort as he goes to find a local six-star hotel. He finds the Gilded Lily about a kilometre from Lofwyr’s tower. He has no problems booking a room and he drops Lofwyr’s name as he is signing in. He is given a good room with marble floors, gold trims, fine crystal chandeliers and a personal concierge. He orders room service and then uses his Icon for Drake while he is waiting for the food to be brought up.

- Drake accepts the contact. When Grant reports the attack on Lofwyr, Drake is immediately suspicious. Drake didn’t know that Grant had a relationship with one of the Dragon Lords. Drake is stern and explains that Lady Vala is attempting to diplomatically resolve the current problem directly with the Dragon Emperor. She is currently awaiting an audience. Drake warns Grant not to do anything which might complicate matters.

- Grant asks what else is going on and Drake tells Grant that the omens are not good. Skadi (his frost giantess soothsayer) is warning that something is brewing. He has put multiple teams on stand-by. Whilst there is no obvious threat, it is sensible to be prepared.

- After the contact, Grant settles back to enjoy an immersive sim-sense: Neil the orc barbarian.

- Grant loses track of time playing the game. Five minutes more ends up being five hours more. (Grant is still finding it hard not to be a ten-year old) Eventually he decides to pause the game and contact Ethan via Icon. He figures that he should tell him about the attack on Lofwyr and that Abbie is okay.

- Ethan1 answers the contact. He thanks Grant for the information that he gathered from Lofwyr and the news that Abbie is safe. Ethan1 also says that he and the other Ethan came under attack whilst in Drake’s care. They were well trained, and they were fast. They managed to infiltrate Drake’s own guards but didn’t manage to injure either of the Ethans. Ethan1 postulates that it may have been a feint or a probing attack. Either way, some of Drake’s men weren’t as loyal as Drake thought they were, which is concerning. He and the other Ethan have gone with Isabelle to a place that she knows about which is by ‘Invitation Only’. Ethan explains that the place is called Abele, and it’s a nice island with plenty of fruit trees. He’d like to go back to Millennium to get his body back but has been advised not to (Ethan1 sounds a lot like a kid). Ethan explains that even though Abele is ‘By Invitation Only’ so no one should be able to hunt him down here, he wants to invite Grant just in case.

- With the call done, Grant returns to his sim-sense and the adventures of Neil the orc barbarian. He plays right through the night until he feels that he really should have breakfast. Ordering a big fry-up, he decides to contact Vala to let her know what is going on. Vala assures Grant that she will talk to the Dragon Emperor shortly and that Drake had passed on his news that Lofwyr has been attacked. When Grant offers to assist her, she tells him that ‘your time will come’. Grant gets the distinct impression that Vala is with someone else and is unwilling to speak further. He wonders who. Someone from the Draconian Empire, or Drake, or perhaps Lucien?

- Grant feels the beginning of another Icon contact whilst talking to Vala (this hasn’t happened before – receiving a call whilst on another call). Grant ends the contact with Vala and accepts the new call. It is Abbie. She asks if he is okay and he confirms that he is. He explains that he is still in his ten-year old form which limits how much ‘fun’ he can have – ie: no beer. Abbie opens up a little and explains that she can’t help criminals (as Ethan has been marked) but she can listen to requests and perhaps even provide information or support to Lord Grant where appropriate. She says that Lofwyr believes that Grant and he have some shared goals and hence she will assist where she can. Grant gets the impression that this is not a social call – she is operating within the guidance that she has been given.

- Grant asks if it is possible to continue the conversation with Lofwyr but Abbie says that Lord Lofwyr is currently unavailable although he greatly appreciates Lord Grant’s efforts to date. Again, she offers to help him where she can.

- Grant asks if she can tell him more about Lord Sturmvald and even to set up an introduction. Abbie has never met Sturmvald in person but she has heard him to be an honourable dragon and much respected. He has a large army and it is unlikely that he would stoop to assassination (or attacking Lofwyr as the Shadowmasters have done). However, Sturmvald called for the mark against Ethan so he seems to be a stickler for the rules. She has also heard that he doesn’t like time-wasters. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

- Abbie agrees to arrange for a meeting with Sturmvald and asks Grant to stand by. Grant waits happily in the Gilded Leaf. In the meantime he organises a tailored suit (for a ten-year old) and a thick overcoat (given that he has been told that Sturmvald’s world of Turien is very cold). Four hours later, Abbie contacts him again – she has organised an appointment. Grant brings her through. She is dressed formally and she wears an insignia brooch which marks her as representing Lord Lofwyr. She expresses no visible surprise at Grant’s ten-year old form. She is all business. She has a talisman that will take them to Turien and they are expected in two hours’ time.

- In the next two hours Abbie fills Grant in on etiquette and what to expect, on Sturmvald and his relationship to Lofwyr. They are not friends, but they are not enemies either. They respect each other even if they don’t always agree. Sturmvald seems to be the Drake of the Draconian Empire. He didn’t like Bolas but didn’t stand up to him. Neither did Lofwyr. Abbie doesn’t mention Ethan once. She gives Grant the impression that she is operating under instructions. She explains that she will do most of the talking, but Grant was an eye-witness in the attack on Lofwyr and Lord Sturmvald will pay particular attention when Grant speaks.

- Grant asks Abbie what they expect to gain from this exchange and Abbie says that an attack on Lofwyr will be seen as an attack on the Empire itself. Grant is assisting Lofwyr in rallying support which could be useful later. She points out that Lofwyr repays his debts and having a Dragon Lord owe Grant is a powerful position to be in. Grant wonders aloud how this will all help Ethan. Abbie stiffens at this and says that she presumes that Lofwyr is relying upon them to rule out a suspect and perhaps shed more light behind who is behind this. Grant points out critically that Lofwyr probably already knows who his enemy or enemies are. He just wants Sturmvald to see the same things that he does. Abbie grimly accepts this as a possibility.

- Two hours pass then Grant and Abbie head to a guarded room which is used for arrivals and departures. This room in the Gilded Lily is strongly defended as it is the most obvious place to launch an attack from. Abbie uses the talisman and a sorcerous teleport is triggered. The world around them melts away, revealing a very similar chamber, heavily defended but with hanging tapestries of silver and blue. The soldiers here are both human and dragonborn. 

- Abbie and Grant are greeted by Sturmvald’s advocate and her associate. Sturmvald’s advocate is a blue haired lady who calls herself Irina. Grant can tell that she is a Warden of the Stair. She speaks with a heavy accent and she quickly pairs up with Abbie, making small talk as they walk. (GM’s note – yes, we are finally introducing The Blue Widow, one of the official characters from No Beast So Fierce)

* Image from Lords of Gossamer. This one is the Blue Widow. Official character – yay!

- Irina’s associate is a large dragonborn mage named Borvangar. Borvangar nods when introduced but does not speak. He follows the group as they walk through the corridors. Grant sizes them both up – they both seem pretty dangerous. 

- As they travel, Abbie explains what she knows of the attack on Lofwyr. Irina and Borvangar listen to the account. Both are interested when Abbie explains that Lord Grant was a witness and he probably saved Lord Lofwyr’s life. 

- They leave one cold facility to journey to another via an antigravity transport. Traveling across a world of ice, snow and rock, Grant notes that the sun here burns with a cold, blue light. It seems that the people here of Turien use both magic and science, just like the people of Lofwyr’s world. Their transport is taken into a huge mountain fortress with large numbers of soldiers and defensive weaponry. Grant has no doubt that they have been taken on this route to give them a glimpse of what Lord Sturmvald has at his disposal. It is all set up to impress.

- It occurs to Grant as he steps out of the vehicle into the arrival hall that he has never seen Lofwyr in dragon form, only ever in human form. The arrival hall is full of thousands of soldiers, all standing to attention. There are infantry, anti-gravity tanks, flying creatures and metallic giants. Irina ushers them through the arrival hall to a great chamber beyond which serves as an audience hall.

- There, they see a very large, silver skinned dragon who has a distinct molten appearance. He is surrounded by advisors, mages and soldiers. This is not a private audience. It is very public.

* Image is of an Archwing Dragon from Magic the Gathering

- Lady Abigail (Abbie) and Lord Grant are formally introduced. As Lofwyr’s representative, Abbie leads the dialogue. She details the attack and how Lofwyr’s security failed. She explains that the attack might have succeeded if it were not for Grant’s presence. She does not explain Grant’s immunity to the sorcerous ‘time stop’ except to say that Grant was the only one free to act when the assassins attacked. She then introduces Grant to give an eyewitness account, which he does.

- Stormvald listens patiently. Grant feels uncomfortable to be standing in the dragon’s presence but he maintains his cool. Once Grant completes his explanation, Sturmvald thanks him for the information and for defending his fellow Dragon Lord. He muses briefly that any attack on a dragon of Lofwyr’s stature would surely be futile and wonders openly why anyone would attempt something ‘so silly’. He seems dismissive that the assassins actually got close to killing Lofwyr – Grant wonders whether Sturmvald understands the situation or whether he has an inflated opinion of their strength. Sturmvald concludes by asking what Lord Lofwyr requires in terms of assistance.

- Abbie says that no assistance is required but that an attack on one is an attack on all. Sturmvald senses that Grant wants to ask something privately and so he establishes a private mind-to-mind link (GM’s note – we just hand-waved that dragons can do this sort of stuff).

- Grant asks Sturmvald why he singled Ethan out to be marked as a dragonslayer. After a pause, Sturmvald says that there are many answers to that layered question. He says that Lofwyr proposed it and that he agreed to it on a point of principle. Surprised that Lofwyr would suggest this in the first place given the impact that this would have on his advocate, Grant asks a further question. He asks why the dragons would want to remove Ethan. Sturmvald says that Lord Ethan is known for having a gift for healing. He says that some would wish him not to use it. Before Grant can answer a further question, Sturmvald says cryptically: Who can understand the mind of a dragon? And then he answers: Few can.

- The conversation ends. Sturmvald thanks both Abbie and Grant for their consideration and asks Abbie to convey his regards to Lord Lofwyr. Dismissed, they leave the dragon lord’s presence but then have further conversations with Irina and Borvangar to go over more details as to what happened so that they might learn from it. (GM’s note – we didn’t want to roleplay through this conversation. We decided to park it and run it as a flashback in the future) The conversation is positive and Grant is left with the opinion that Sturmvald is a fair ruler.

- Leaving Turien, Abbie and Grant return to Essen and the Gilded Leaf hotel. There they part to make separate reports. Grant contacts Drake. Drake asks if Grant is safe and tells him that Lady Vala wants to talk with him, Grant then contact Vala. After the normal pleasantries, Vala tells Grant that she has spoken directly to the Dragon Emperor. The Emperor advised her that he has been poisoned and is dying. Vala offered to help remove the poison but the Emperor refused. The Emperor is more concerned about which of the dragon lords has stooped to using poison to kill him. The Emperor wants the individual found because whoever poisoned him must never become Emperor. Effectively the Lords of Gossamer are being asked to find out which of the dragon lords is a traitor…..

- Grant thinks about what Vala has said. It sounds increasingly likely that there will be conflict in the Empire. Shortly, Abbie returns. She says that she briefed Lofwyr. They talk a little. Grant is disappointed. He was hoping for more from Sturmvald – a lead of some kind. Abbie says plainly that she didn’t expect Sturmvald to have any answers but it was important for him to talk to someone who was actually there and hence for this story to be believed. The role that Grant played was very important. She remarks that if there is going to be conflict, Sturmvald is an important ally to have.

- Grant wonders what they should do next. Abbie plans to use divination to try to determine the next steps. She said she learnt from the best, a reference to Ethan. She tries a number of divinations but the responses are hazy, suggesting interference. She expects this but she keeps posing different questions, explaining that whatever wishes to remain hidden can’t block every one of her inquiries. After about two hours, she gets a lead. The next strike will be …. home.

- But whose home? Grant’s or Abbie’s. It is very inconclusive. Disappointed, Abbie says that she has no plans to return home in the near future. Grant asks where her home is and Abbie gives him a stern look and says that she has no intention of telling him. (GM’s note – Abbie has a safe realm which she considers home that I have not yet introduced into the game narrative) After thinking for a while, Abbie says that she’s going to give the next steps some further thought. She thanks Grant for his help and leaves him.

- Grant decides to go wayfinding for a clue as to the next step. He heads back onto the Stair and wanders. This is the worst kind of wayfinding when you don’t know quite what you are looking for - he feels like he is wandering aimlessly. He feels like he is heading in the direction of the Agora but it is still a vague feeling even after two hours. Grant is interrupted by an Icon contact from Lady Sophia.

- Accepting, Sophia explains that a representative from the Draconian Empire has arrived to see him. The representative, a draconian named Virn, has been in residence for just over a day but only now has asked for an audience. Grant decides to go and find out what this representative has to say. He goes through the Icon contact and joins Sophia on Marindar.

- Still in his ten-year-old form but wearing semi-formal clothes, he decides that he is presentable enough to meet with Virn. They meet in diplomatic chambers with glass windows on one side looking out over Central. Virn is a large draconian, standing almost eight feet tall, but he greets Grant heartily and speaks in rhyming couplets.

- Virn is lavish in his praise of Lord Grant and his hospitality. He says that he represents the Dragon Highlord Arcades, whom Grant knows is something of a strategist. Virn talks in such a strange way that Grant finds himself doing mental gymnastics trying to keep up with the wordplay and Virn’s riddling style. Virn muses from time to time, posturing, seeking input. It is a strange dance that Virn weaves. He has a quick mind and he appears to be trying to take the measure of Grant.

- Grant is quite enjoying the unusual conversation when he suddenly feels a sharp pain in his chest. He feels speared. Stabbed through the chest. Gasping, he brings the Umbra to mind and staggers. He is under some sort of attack.

- A shot rings out and Grant feels himself falling. Something feels odd as his world seems turned upside. He feels something missing and at some conscious level he knows he’s under attack and has been seriously hurt. His subconscious is already tapped into Umbral shapeshifting.

- Grant has been hit by a large calibre round. Part of his head has just been vaporised and the wall is splattered with his blood, skull and brains. The shot has gone clean through the reinforced window, taken out a good part of his head and the force of the impact has thrown him off his chair. 

- On the floor, Umbral energy ripples through his body and he melts through the wall. At a primal level, his body has chosen to Flee. He leaves the building as a black blur, moving blindingly fast (GM’s note – he has Engine speed). He doesn’t know where he is going. The Umbra takes him to a random location well outside Central’s city limits and there, he broods like a wounded animal and licks his wounds.

- Time passes. It takes a little while before he has regenerated enough of himself to regain coherent thought. Night falls. At a subconscious level, his mind has registered that his ten-year-old shape has been badly injured. He regenerates into his nineteen-year-old form. The same form that he first stepped onto the Stair with (GM’s note – all the way back in Session 1)

- He contacts Sophia via Icon. She is relieved to hear that he is okay – she hasn’t been able to contact him for hours (Umbral defences prevent Icon contacts). She gives him the rundown as to what has happened since the attack and he agrees to come back home.

- Stepping through, Sophia embraces Grant. She knows that he was alive but she still feared for him. She explains that there were four assassins, all Dwimmerlaik. They had been in Central for weeks as part of Lord Morla’s entourage. Lord Morla is apparently horrified by this as he brought them to Marindar as part of his security detail.

- Of the four assassins, one of them had some sort of voodoo-magic powers which enabled them to immobilise Grant. A second assassin had a sniper’s lance weapon. A third was using magic to gain supernatural speed. A fourth has the ability to petrify a target like Gorgon’s stare. Of the four, three were killed and only the fourth was captured. Three Marindan Defenders have been slain.

- Grant takes in the situation and goes to see the scene of the attack. Virn is still standing in the audience room where Grant was meeting with him. He stands motionless. Grant looks over Virn’s petrified form and thinks that he might be able to break the effect with Umbra, but he decides instead to interrogate the Dwimmerlaik and force him to reverse the spell.

- For the rest of the night, Grant works on the Dwimmerlaik and forces him to reverse the petrification effect. He also forces him to reveal his lineage and where he took his orders from – a Lord Yarloc. (GM’s note – this information is stored for the future and was not followed up in this session)

- Grant is angry and pissed off. He listens to Lord Morla’s apologies and excuses that he knew nothing about this. He sees this as a stain on his honour and promises to investigate how this happened. Grant pushes him to follow through or it will undo everything that has been accomplished so far.

- During this time, Ethan contacts Grant via Icon. He was concerned that something might have happened to him given that he felt ‘blocked’ before. Ethan tells Grant that even though they thought they were safe on Abele, they still came under attack by a group of fey assassins that bypassed the need to be ‘Invited’ to the island. Isabelle was hurt in the attack but she’ll recover. Ethan explains that Eric and Macavity were on the island too. It was a hard-fought battle as the fey used some strange abilities. Ethan warns Grant about the fey and is surprised that the attack on Grant was by Dwimmerlaik, not fey. Ethan explains that they plan to move on to another location but that they enlisted Liliana’s help to talk to one of the dead fey to compel the departed spirit to tell them who had hired them. The contact is ended. (GM’s note – more on who hired them in a subsequent session)

- Reversing the petrification effect, Virn is restored to flesh, bone and blood. After accepting that Grant has changed his form, Grant brings him up to speed and gets him to explain what he is offering. Grant wants answers and wants to go after the assassins. Virn presents Grant with a talisman which will take him to Lord Arcades, his master. He suggests that Arcades will have some of the answers that Grant is seeking as he likes to gather information and esoteric knowledge.

- Virn activates the talisman. He and Grant are bathed in golden light and transported to a futuristic setting which looks strangely familiar. It is reminiscent of a transporter room from Star Trek [i](GM’s note – yes, yes, finally we have a Star Trek reference after 200 sessions.)[/i] Virn is greeted on the transporter ‘pad’ by a uniformed officer who says that His Lordship is waiting for Grant. He was expected some time ago. Virn comments that they were ‘delayed’.

- Escorted through the vessel, Grant passes many races, most uniformed in Star Trek fleet colours (GM’s note – Next Generation of course, none of this Enterprise, Discovery etc, reimagining of the original generation rubbish) He is taken a room which seems to be a diplomatic lounge. There, the dragon is waiting for him in dragon-form. He is large, but nowhere near as large as Sturmvald.

 

* Image is of Arcades the Strategist from Magic the Gathering

- The dragon welcomes Grant to his ship. He offers Grant a drink. He chooses tea whilst Arcades chooses vodka. They talk for a while (the dragonlord is quite talkative) and Arcades explains he is shocked by the attack on Lofwyr. He knows that most of the dragonlords have covert teams of their own, or at least access to specialists. If Grant is interested in finding assassins, then Arcades knows where one of the ‘nests’ is. 

- Grant asks how far away the ‘nest’ is and Arcades explains that they have already arrived at Alpha station. Grant asks how much Arcades knows about what is going on between the dragons and, like Sturmvald, he answers cryptically saying: More than a little but never too much.

- Arcades talks about Alpha station being a collection of many worlds, but there is a ‘dark spot’ called Terreli which is a sort of training ground for the Black Hand, a loose affiliation of assassins used by at least two of the dragonlords. It is Arcades’ belief that they will find some answers on Terreli. When asked how he knows this, Arcades explains that he is highly proficient in augury.

* Image sourced from Google Images but I believe this one is from the movie Valerian

- Grant asks more questions of Arcades about the state of the Empire and who could be behind these attacks. Arcades believes it is either Nephron or Asmadi. Possibly both of them. Nephron is a dragon warlord who would very much like to be in control of the Empire. Asmadi is a dragon-sorcerer, ruinous and destructive. Arcades speculates that it will be chaos if the Emperor dies.

- Grant is transported onto Alpha Station and he goes hunting for Terreli, the part of Alpha Station which is ‘off the map’. He uses wayfinding to assist in his search. This is Grant’s element and he is an expert hunter. He uses his shapeshifting to appear like one of the aliens here.

- Along the way, Grant feels that approaching a nest of assassins by himself may not be prudent. He stops short and decides to contact Oscar, figuring that even if he doesn’t want to assist, he will have some comment to make about Grant’s recent brush with death. Oscar accepts the call. He shows more interest in talking to Grant this time around, especially when Grant quips that he got his head ‘blown off’ but ‘got better’. Oscar chuckles and asks if this was his ‘first time’ and ‘how it happened’. Listening to Grant’s explanation, Oscar remarks that messing in the affairs of dragons can be a tricky business. Grant asks for his insights about the Draconian Empire and is bluntly told that the universe would be better off without them. The conversation then changes and Grant asks for his help. Surprisingly, Oscar agrees and they both assume shapes that will blend in amongst the many aliens races that can be found on Alpha Station.

- They make their way to the Terreli ‘dark spot’ without incident, even though it takes them a little while to find a way into the place.

- Terreli appears as a mountain-side bathed in snow. Thick snow is falling in this place and there is a temple high on the mountain side. Oscar and Grant make their way to the temple and are attacked by many assassins – more than twenty of them. They come from many different races – some are elves, some Dwimmerlaik, some orcish, some human. All use martial arts but they use a mix of weaponry. Oscar and Grant make short work of them all – they are up against students, not masters. 

- In the temple, they meet a long-haired man who looks to be at peace. He remarks that all of his students have been beaten and when asked, he discloses that he is the only master in residence, implying that all of the other masters are out ‘on assignment’.

- The man opens his eyes and they are red. Grant knows who this is – it’s a manifestation of the Red-Eyed Dwimmerlaik. He’s never met him before but he knows of him from Ethan. Waving Oscar back, Grant engages him in combat. 

- Even though the R.E.D. is clearly puppeteering this man, he appears to be a highly skilled combatant. Furthermore, R.E.D. likes to talk and Grant wants to listen. The R.E.D. boasts that the Emperor is already dead and that a ‘house divided cannot stand’, implying that the death of the Emperor will lead to some sort of collapse in the Draconian Empire.

- They fight for some time and Grant finally scores a hit on the R.E.D, but the R.E.D. shrugs off the blow as if it were nothing. Redoubling his effort, the R.E.D. scores blows on Grant not just once but twice, something that hasn’t happened in a long time. R.E.D. remains chatty as Grant asks what will happen if the Emperor dies. The R.E.D. says that at least two of the Dragon Lords will want the throne and remarks that they will be far too busy to chase poor dragonmarked Ethan. 

- Grant is knocked down a third time. As the R.E.D. gloats, Grant realises that he’s fighting at a disadvantage. The R.E.D. has his Truename and this is providing him with an edge. 

- They continue fighting on the temple roof with the snow falling and making the tiles slippery. Grant uses Umbra as a focus, figuring that it must be hard for R.E.D. to keep fighting at this level for very long. He resolves to tire the R.E.D. He still feels strong and only his pride is injured. They duel on the rooftop, and finally Grant scores two blows and then a kick which throws the R.E.D. from the roof into the snow-covered courtyard below.

- Knowing that he has won, Grant tries to coax some answers out of the R.E.D. The master assassin’s body is broken but still the R.E.D’s presence is there. The R.E.D. tells Grant that Nephron poisoned the Emperor but that the knowledge will do him little good. Then the red eyes fade…..

- The snow keeps falling and Grant feels empty. He has new information but it doesn’t help him. Oscar encourages Grant to raze Terreli with Umbra, and he does so.

- Grant decides to return to Arcades to tell him what he has learnt. Oscar opts out at this point, saying that he’s met Arcades before and doesn’t wish to do so again. They part amicably. 

- On the way back to Aracdes’ ship, Grant receives an Icon contact from Vala. She tells him that the Dragon Emperor is dead. He died suddenly, and Umbra was used. After the initial shock, Grant asks if there have been any moves from the others and Vala tells him that all is quiet for the moment. The call is quickly ended.

- Returning to Arcades, Grant tells him what happened and what the Red-Eyed Dwimmerlaik said – that Nephron poisoned the Emperor. Somehow, Arcades seems to already know that the Emperor is dead. Arcades seems somewhat disappointed. He suggests faintly that perhaps he should have taken action sooner. Grant elects to leave and finds a Door to return back to the Stair.

- Grant thinks to himself that what Vala warned him of has come to pass. The Empire will split, and the dragons will turn upon each other.

- GM’s note: And that’s that – no happy ending. But no immediate civil war either. The universe holds its breath, waiting for the inevitable conflict between the Dragonlords.