Session 265 – Ethan’s Quest

- GM’s note: Trying something different. Exploring what would happen if we were to use Forged in the Dark (FitD) Vergence rules with Lords of Gossamer. The below are bullet-pointed notes. There are many GM comments in the narrative below.

This was written to give David a flavour as to how “Mostly Diceless” (ie: using FitD rules) might work.

Return to Scarlet

- After Abbie leaves, Ethan and Hilda return to Tyrnador, entering this realm through the Door into Scarlet, the King’s capital. The journey to Tyrnador is uneventful. (Fortune Roll - 2D → ‘5’ - there are no disturbances, but there is perhaps a minor distraction as they need to stop briefly to restock their supplies)

- They arrive in Scarlet, the capital. This is the King’s city. It’s a walled city and pennants fly from its many towers. Peasants labour in the surrounding lands.

- Ethan contacts Cal via Icon to find out if all is well in Tyland Mill. (Fortune Roll - 2D → ‘6’ - best result for the PCs) Cal is still Sheriff. Some of the other Lords of Gossamer remain. They have done further delving to explore the ruins of Nyrath and the various dungeons and catacombs that Grant/Ethan discovered in Tyland Woods. Cal has found the place where the gigantic Crawler was slumbering for 200 years, but he has more questions than answers - they still don’t know how the creature was summoned here, and whether the three priestesses (Sylvia, Irina and Nadia) were working alone or whether there may be others.

- Cal and Ethan also talk about what they have learned of the Necromancer War which occurred thirteen years ago. According to the stories, Prince Ventar was charged by Kaavor, the Lord of Pacts, to protect this land. They were told to guard the southern sea, because Ventar’s ‘Fate’ would come from there. Ventar became King over these lands of Tyrnador, formed alliances with the dwarves and the elves (where it was possible to do so) and a series of towers were erected along the southern coastline to watch for ‘Ventar’s Fate’.

- The towers are familiar to Ethan. The Tower Wardens were the group responsible for watching for this unknown threat from the south. But despite two centuries of preparations, when the Necromancer came across the southern sea, his forces were practically unopposed until they landed along the southern shoreline. Neither Cal nor Ethan know much about the Necromancer himself, except that it is said that he comes from ‘beyond the sea’, from the ‘Land of Tombs’. He is supposedly unearthly tall - over seven feet in height, and no one has ever seen his face as he speaks from beneath a deep hood. 

- Wars were fought. The archmage Guynan turned traitor and joined the Necromancer. The city of Ventar fell. The defenders destroyed some of Ventar’s most precious relics lest they fall into the Necromancer’s hands. The Necromancer drove his forces north to the Tyrn Forest, seeking to reach the elven city of Tyr’Va’Lan but he was defeated in the Battle of Duskwood. In that terrible battle, many men and elves were slain. 

- The Necromancer withdrew his forces to the north-west and the exhausted armies of Kings Valerios (humans) and Lavannor (elves) pursued. There in the narrow gap where the Moon Mountains join the Dolosian Peaks, the Necromancer reached a titanic gate of black stone which has always been known as the Gates of the Night. The gateway was said to be unopenable and yet the Necromancer was able to open it and lead his forces through.

- In the aftermath of the war, the human King Valerios married the elven King’s daughter (who renounced her immortality). The last thirteen years have been spent rebuilding the shattered kingdom. In the east, there is a terrible dragon, Blackbane, who controls one of the dwarven strongholds and the lands surrounding it. In the north, the frost giants have begun raiding and this is most unlike them as they were once a gentle race. To the south-west is the barony of Hel, which sided with the Necromancer during the war. And in the midst of all this there are fears that the Necromancer will return, and that there are those still in Tyrnador who are preparing for his return.

- Cal isn’t sure about these stories but he is considering asking one of their fellow Lords to find the Gates of Night. If it is a Door, then this could mean that the whole realm is strategically important somehow.

- At this point, I would probably start multiple Clocks - but let’s put that aside for the moment.

- Ethan uses a Divination spell to work out if there is an immediate threat to either themselves or the Kingdom. (He has 4D in ‘Warp’ and gets a ‘6’ - a success - he will gain valuable insights from this, not something fuzzy. The GM also makes a 2D Fortune roll to see if there is something to find and gets a ‘2’ - hence there is something bad going on) Ethan determines that there is no immediate threat to either himself or Hilda, but there is a threat to the Kingdom. Despite the fact that it’s summertime and spirits are high in Scarlet at this time of year, things are not okay. The Divination suggests to him that Blackbane (the dragon in the east) and the remnants of the Necromancer’s forces are probably the biggest threats to the land. 

- Ethan and Hilda relax in Scarlet for a few days. There is a summer festival coming up and Hilda wants to see the knights joust. A day or so before the summer festival, a chained prisoner is brought into Scarlet. He is supposedly an ‘evil’ warlock that the Knights of Scarlet have captured. The people turn out to throw rotten vegetables at him. The bedraggled prisoner briefly locks eyes with Ethan before the guards haul him away.

- The summer festival is lively and bright. There is a glorious market with all manner of food, goods and flowers being sold. Hilda loves to watch the people and watch the entertainment. She also enjoys watching the armour-clad knights fight one another - so do the peasants. Ethan notes that the King is recruiting - there is the promise of silver in return for service. Ethan has no wish to become a guard, but he considers that there may be an opportunity here to find out more and also improve the security of the kingdom at the same time.

- For the knights there are prestigious events to test their skill in battle and oratory. For the peasants there are simpler affairs - archery, brawling and boxing. Ethan decides to enter the archery competition - he improves a bow and a quiver of arrows with gentle use of Eidolon (so as not to cause too much disturbance) and then he proceeds to win the tournament. (There is no need to roll as he is two Tiers above the nearest competitor here)

- Ethan is awarded a prize for his victory, and he is briefly introduced to the King. Ethan explains that he was one of the deputies for Sheriff Grant of Tyland Mill (King Valerios knows the stories) and Ethan asks how he can be of service. (This is a Persuade roll. Ethan has 3D in Persuade but again there is a two Tier difference - hence the King thinks favourably of this. However, a Fortune roll is required to determine the type of service that the King chooses - the result is a ‘4’ - a partial, suggesting that the service will not be unpleasant but is not completely favourably to Ethan either. In the end, I think that Ethan is asked to join a group to head east and scout out Blackbane’s lands - and find out more about the dragon’s whereabouts and intent. This is not a simple thing because a) Ethan is known among dragons as being a dragonslayer and b) it could potentially put Hilda in danger).

Blackbane the Dragon

- We move the action forward. (Normally Vergence does not have Engagement rolls, but I thought I’d make a Fortune Roll here to see how smooth their journey is - and I got a ‘2’ - ie: it’s bad) Ethan and Hilda are part of a small band heading from the Duchy of Avery to the Dragon Ford, beyond which are dragon-controlled lands. They are travelling with three humans (Heldane, Julian, Vern) and two elves (Alvander, Girion). 

- (Given the terrible roll, I decided that Blackbane knows about Ethan and decides to fly out to meet their pitifully small band. I could have had them encounter one of the Black Orc controlled fortresses but I decided to keep it simple. This puts them in a Desperate situation when the action begins - the threat to Hilda and Ethan’s companions is very real) Blackbane is massive but Ethan has dealt with dragons before. The Kingsmen all flee when the dragon approaches, scattering to try to find places to hide. However, Ethan stands his ground. (I made a Fortune roll for Hilda to determine what she would do - if it was ‘6’ then she would have found a hiding place. If it was a ‘1-3’, she would freeze. However the roll was a ‘5’ so she is very frightened but she remains at Ethan’s side - which puts her in direct danger) Hilda stands just behind Ethan.

- The dragon lands a short way away, and sizes up Ethan. The dragon’s eyes lock with Ethan but he is used to dealing with powerful creatures (Ethan is Tier 3, same as the dragon. Yes, Blackbane is a real dragon, not a lesser drake). Ethan decides to talk to the dragon. (Ethan has 3D in Persuade, but he decides to Push himself for an extra +1D dice because of the risk of failure could be bad for Hilda. Hence this is a Desperate position, Standard effect. The result is a Critical (double ‘6’). As such, this works out very much in Ethan’s favour). 

- Blackbane not only has heard of Ethan, but the dragon is quite intimidated (even frightened) of him. He does not want to pick a fight with a known dragonslayer (one who killed Nicol Bolas). Blackbane tries to buy Ethan off, offering him treasure if he wants it. Ethan isn’t interested in treasure, but he makes it known that he’s decided to stay in Tyrnador and he doesn’t want Blackbane interfering in the King’s affairs. A bargain is struck, and the dragon withdraws.

- Ethan has learnt a great deal from the exchange. With a Critical success, he probably would have learnt what Blackbane knows about the Necromancer. He may also get some insights as to what Blackbane’s plans are for this region. 

- With the dragon’s departure, the Kingsmen return. (A 3D Fortune roll is made - and it is a ‘4’ - basically a partial success. I was attempting to find out their reaction to Ethan’s exchange with Blackbane) Basically the Kingsmen are stunned by Ethan’s interaction - it was the gutsiest thing that they have ever seen - they were out of earshot for much of it, but they get the general idea that Blackbane withdrew because the dragon was afraid of Ethan. There are some reservations from the elder Kingsmen (Heldane and Alvander) but they say nothing.

The Raiding Party

- On the borders of the Duchy of Avery the travellers see smoke on the horizon and they hurry to investigate. They find a well armed warband of Black Orcs that are very different from the goblins that Ethan has seen in the Hexenhoof Mines. These creatures are bigger, broader and they carry the best weapons and armour that the dragon-captured dwarven forges can produce. 

- The small group of Kingsmen are greatly outnumbered (by more than ten to one), but the warband appears to be marching on one of the Avery townships. The people are aware of the danger and are fleeing to the safety of the local tower. 

- Given that they haven’t been spotted yet, Ethan suggests that they attack. (Again, two Tiers difference - the other Kingsmen may protest initially but they quickly fall in line). The battle begins in a Controlled position. Given the size difference, it will be a 4-tick Clock to ‘Defeat the Raiding Party’ (Note that Ethan is Tier 3, the Kingsmen are Tier 1 and the Black Orcs are Tier 1. I chose to make a roll here not because Ethan was in direct danger, but because there could be consequences for Hilda and the Kingsmen should the attack fail) Ethan has 3D in Engage (Skirmish). He doesn’t choose to Push himself or use any fancy tactics as this is just the opening phase. Hence Controlled position, Greater effect (because of ambush, plus it’s Ethan). Ethan rolls a ‘6’ and hence the Kingsmen are victorious with their opening ambush. The ‘Defeat the Raiding Party’ is now 3 out of 4. (Success with Greater effect gives them 3 ticks on the clock)

- At this point, there is a ferocious battle between the two groups. The Raiding Party has been badly depleted but they are not defeated yet. (A Fortune roll is made to see Hilda’s reaction when the Black Orcs charge - she gets a ‘2’). As the goblinoids charge, Hilda freezes. 

- Ethan fires his bow at the approaching Orcs. He will draw steel if they reach the Kingsmen. This time he Pushes himself (for 2 Stress), giving him 4D of Engage (Skirmish). The situation is still Controlled position, Greater effect. Ethan rolls a ‘6’, which completes the ‘Defeat the Raiding Party’ clock. (The Clock is filled - 4 of 4) As such, what happens is that Ethan shoots as rapidly as he can - almost every shot kills one of them. The last of the goblinoids falls within ten metres of their position. 

- The Kingsmen move to confirm that the warband has been completely destroyed. Ethan sits down with a horrified Hilda and apologises for bringing her. Hilda is shaking but she says that this isn’t new for her. She reminds Ethan that she is older than she looks, and sometimes she forgets that she isn’t a child even if her reflection in the mirror says that she is. (A 3D Fortune roll is made as to how quickly she recovers and the result is a ‘5’) She says that she needs a few minutes - when she has recovered she says to Ethan that she clearly needs to be able to defend herself. Ethan offers to help. (Given the result is a ‘5’, this suggests to me that there will be some residual in the aftermath - eg: Hilda becomes clingy for a few days, or perhaps she has nightmares).

- The return to Scarlet via Avery is uneventful, but Ethan has earned the trust of the Kingsmen.

Next Events (Heavily Abridged)

- Upon their return to Scarlet, Ethan and Hilda rest and recuperate (Ethan recovers the 4 Stress that he has expended) The King hears of their journey to the east and is impressed. (3D Fortune roll → ‘6’.) They don’t assign him any further task, figuring out that it is best to keep him in Scarlet for the time being.

- Ethan contacts Isabelle via Icon (2D Fortune roll to determine how busy she is / her reaction → ‘6’) Isabelle is very pleased to hear from Ethan - she has just finished working on part of her latest project and was taking a break. They talk about Hilda and Ethan’s latest adventures. She is envious that Ethan has been spending time with Abbie and suggests that they catch up soon. Lucien is away ‘on some personal business’ and she is looking after the Athaeneum in his absence. She offers an invitation to both Ethan and Hilda - there are lots of books for her to read. Ethan suggests that he needs a day or two and he promises to keep in touch.

- Ethan tries another Divination spell (4D Warp - and gets a ‘3’ - hence not successful). Hence the Divination spell yields no new information. There doesn’t seem to be any direct threat to Ethan or Hilda, and the Kingdom remains in danger.

- Ethan receives an Icon contact. It is Vala. She asks if he is busy - Ethan finds it hard to refuse her and he agrees to meet with her in the Agora for tea. He leaves Hilda in Scarlet, figuring to contact her via Icon to return when he is finished. In terms of the meeting with Vala, a 3D Fortune roll is made → ‘5’. Hence it is positive, but there is a consequence. (There is no need for a Persuade roll as it’s just chit-chat)

- Basically it’s a positive interaction. Vala knows of Ethan’s connection to Lofwyr (via Abigail) and she is trying to assess how much he knows of Lofwyr’s plans (which is a flat zero). Vala explains that Lofwyr is expanding into some of Bastiano’s old territories. The Stair has chosen ‘new Wardens’ in the vicinity but they are unlikely to have the strength to stand up to the Dragon Emperor. Vala doesn’t particularly want some of Bastiano’s domains under Lofwyr’s control, and she thinks that Lofwyr might back off if Ethan were in control of those realms. She questions whether Ethan would be interested in taking control of some of those key realms, at least until some of the new Wardens get more experienced.

Exploring "Mostly Diceless" - Applying Forged In the Dark Mechanics to LoG&S

- GM’s note: The following is an exploration of Forged In the Dark (Vergence RPG) mechanics and applying them to Lords of Gossamer.

Lords of Gossamer is a Diceless game. Diceless is great. I believe in Diceless. 

But there are certain mechanics that are less effective in Diceless. It’s for this reason that we’ve been using Cards and even some Dice from time to time. 

Reflecting on why Diceless is sometimes weak, here is what I came up with:

• Diceless provides a fixed outcome. There is no variability of outcome or degree of success. Yes, I know that the GM can weigh up the factors and ‘decide’ that degree of success, or how long a task takes, but it’s always what the GM decides. The best examples that I have of this are:

• How long does it take a PC to learn something? Or to work towards a goal? (In Diceless it’s an arbitrary decision)

• Does the PC notice something or not? (in Diceless, it is either Warfare or Psyche - but it becomes boring if the PC always notices, or it becomes very arbitrary for the GM to just decide every time if they notice or not)

• Diceless doesn’t really cover Social skills, or Engineering/Building skills, or whether someone Notices something or not, or even Studying/Researching.

• An example of this is that the PC meets someone? Do they get along? (again, if playing with Diceless rules, one would either rule that is based on Psyche, or potentially look at Good stuff - but again, this becomes boring if the PC always gets along with people, even if they aren’t trying.)

• Good Stuff / Bad Stuff tends to be always positive, or always negative. It can become boring if the PC always gets the edge, or always just misses. It lacks variability. It can also be abused - the PC is always liked when meeting people ‘because of Good Stuff’. This is okay in gameplay for a while, but after a while it becomes stale.

• There is no Fortune mechanic that enables the GM to determine whether something happens or not - eg: NPC meets NPC - do they get along? Or, what’s the likelihood that Vala meets a new Lord of Gossamer? Where the Attributes don’t apply (again for example Social, Engineering/Building, Noticing, Studying/Researching), there is no easy mechanism for determining whether a NPC succeeds in something and how well they succeed. Again, it’s just ‘the GM decides’.

Over time we’ve used FATE cards to add that ‘spice’ into the game to determine whether the PC found something more challenging than expected or not. For example, Grant is going to win a combat with Dominant rank - but how well did his opponent do before Grant beat him? Draw a card and this one says “-3 Betrayed/Major Snafu” - in other words, something happened that Grant did not expect, or if he did anticipate (because he has Dominant rank), it still made him work harder than he would have liked to achieve that victory.

Then I started using Forged in the Dark mechanics to determine how likely certain things were to happen, and also whether things went well for the PCs (rolling a ‘6’) or whether they succeeded but something else went awry (rolling a ‘4’ or ‘5’) or whether things just went poorly and they had a tough time dealing with it (‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’). 

I want to go further with this and see how well Forged in the Dark mechanics could be used for Lords of Gossamer. Basically, to run the game as ‘Mostly Diceless’.

Forged in the Dark (Blades in the Dark) uses Tier mechanics so it is still possible to go ‘Mostly Diceless’, and use dice only when there is a chance of failure.

Also, I really like the idea of ‘yes you succeed, but there’s a complication’ - ie: the PC wins, but it takes longer than expected (increment a clock); or the PC wins but something unexpected happens. This is particularly relevant in mass combat battles - yes, a high ranking Warfare character is going to win the battle - but there may still be unforeseen complications and casualties.

So this is what I wrote up to help David to understand how using FitD mechanics might work in combat:

Individuals and Factions are ranked by Tier (or Quality) - which is a measure of the capability that the individual or faction can bring to bear - it represents power, scale, resources etc. Tier is rated between -1 and 4.

Example	Tier
Human Ranked Individuals	-1
Superior Ranked Individuals	0
Paragon Ranked Individuals	1
Ranked Individuals	2 - 3
High Ranked Individuals	3 - 4

A group of individuals typically rates one Tier higher - for example, a group of Human Ranked Individuals would be Tier 0.

Most starting PCs (normal Lords of Gossamer) would be Tier 2. However, Ethan and Grant are very powerful and are Tier 3.

Let’s begin with an example of play:

Grant is Tier 3 and has an Engage (equivalent to BitD’s Skirmish skill) of 3D.

Example 1 - Grant v hostile group of Dwimmerlaik

Grant encounters a hostile group of Dwimmerlaik. Dwimmerlaik are individually at Tier 1 level, but since this is a group, they rate as Tier 2.

• Grant would start the battle in Controlled position, Greater effect (given that Grant is in a superior Tier).

• If this battle were fought, he would have a 7% chance of a Critical success, 35% chance of success, 45% chance of a partial success, and 13% chance of failure. (ie: 87% chance of overall success on the first roll) 

• Failure in this situation typically means a lost opportunity and a decision either needs to be made to ‘fight on’ in a Risky position, or try a different approach. 

• A partial success is also not bad because this is Controlled position. There would be a minor consequence, which could be the tick of a clock, or a small plot twist. It is still a success.

• If the Dwimmerlaik were to ambush Grant, he would start the battle in a Risky position, but still Greater effect.

• The same probabilities as above would apply.

• However, failure from a Risky position could result in Harm, or it could result in a moderate consequence (eg: 2 ticks of a clock, plot twist etc), or it could result in Grant being placed in a Desperate position.

Now let’s explore what else Grant could do:

• Grant draws Gorgorin the Shatterer, a Primal Damage weapon. This increases his effect from Greater to Extreme.

• Similarly, if Grant were to use Umbra in combat, this would increase his effect from Greater to Extreme. 

• Grant can also trade Position for Effect. For example, if ambushed, he would be in a Risky position with Greater effect. He could instead choose to improve his position to Controlled, reducing his effect to Standard.

• Grant could also Push himself (to get an extra +1D) at the cost of 2 stress.

• Grant could accept a Devil’s Bargain (to get an extra +1D or improve Position/Effect). It’s not possible to improve dice using both Push and Devil’s Bargain.

• Hence if Grant were to either Push himself or accept a Devil’s Bargain to improve his dice pool, he would have 4D to roll. If this battle were fought, he would have a 13% chance of a Critical success, 39% chance of success, 42% chance of a partial success, and 6% chance of failure. (ie: 94% chance of success)

Example 2 - Grant v small group of Dwimmerlaik

Grant encounters a small hostile group of Dwimmerlaik (1-2 of them). Dwimmerlaik are individually at Tier 1 level and this group is not large enough to make them Tier 2. 

Hence there are two Tiers difference between Grant and the Dwimmerlaik. No roll is required - Grant wins - this is no challenge for him. The Dwimmerlaik cannot beat him, even if they ambush him.

Example 3 - Grant v Ethan

Now this is an interesting one because technically they are both Tier 3. However, Grant has Dominant Rank, which in FitD would translate to giving him a +1 Tier Bonus. Hence if Grant were to fight Ethan, he would start in a Controlled position because he is a higher Tier than Ethan is (in this area). Depending on the situation, he may have Standard effect or Greater effect. 

Example 4 - Grant v Drake

Drake should be better than Grant, so let’s say that Drake is Tier 4. Grant would begin in Risky position and Reduced effect because of the Tier difference. He can improve Position and Effect by using the assets available to him - using Gorgorin, Umbra, Pushing himself, using a Devil’s Bargain.

Example 5 - Grant v Krovalis

Krovalis is clearly Tier 4 and meant to be much better than Grant. As such, Krovalis attacks Grant first and he needs to make a Resistance roll to avoid taking harm. Depending upon the situation, Grant is either in a Risky position / Zero effect, or possibly in a Desperate position, Reduced effect. Again, he can improve Position and Effect by using the assets available to him - using Gorgorin, Umbra, Pushing himself, using a Devil’s Bargain.

- GM’s note: That’s all I have time for in this session. I’m going to be exploring this further over the next few posts.

Session 264 – Ethan’s Quest

- GM’s note: This session concludes the two part story arc which saw Abigail threatened by unknown forces. David is not in a position to GM for the foreseeable future, so I’m back to GMing once more after this session. I found this session to be a bit surprising, because he let me focus on Ethan’s social interactions rather than focus on the plot.

Out of interest, we did use FATE Cards to randomly determine some aspects as we went along - eg: how successful was the family reunion with Mark (Ethan’s twin brother). I like Diceless but there are aspects that I think work better with dice or cards. If we defer to ‘Good Stuff’, then such interactions tend to be always positive and I think that’s incorrect.

Relationships Rekindled

- Ethan and Abbie can both sense that something is wrong in the diner. There are sounds of an altercation coming from the bathroom. (The Door to the Stair is also the door to the bathroom). There is a sudden crack and one of the light fittings crashes to the floor. The globe itself shatters into a hundred fragments. The brass fitting rocks slowly on the ground. The light fitting is missing above the booth where Ethan and Abbie are sitting. Ethan can sense competing magics at play - one group seems to be threatening them, and the other is interposing.

- Getting to their feet, Ethan takes Abbie by the hand and leads her swiftly to the Door. They reach the Stair without interference. Quickly, Ethan reinstates a spell of invisibility and he leads them swiftly away. While they walk, Ethan asks Abbie what she is carrying that could be used to trace them. His invisibility spell only works to cloud minds - it is imperfect and there are ways to bypass it. Abbie admits that she is carrying some items that are rare or unique. The body armour that she is wearing as part of her suit was crafted specifically for her. She is carrying a stick-like artefact which will be used during the diplomatic negotiations but it is not activated. She is also carrying a brooch which was given to her as a gift by a fellow diplomat. Ethan frowns and decides not to take any chances.

- Ethan seeks out a Door which leads to a dangerous world. The Door opens out onto a molten plane of lava. Ethan flatly tells her to get rid of all of the items that could be uniquely traced to her. She throws the ‘talking stick’ into the hellscape below. Her reinforced jacket and pants are discarded, leaving her with a buttoned shirt, her leggings and comfortable shoes. She hesitates on discarding the brooch for a moment before discarding it. Ethan isn’t carrying much, but he throws away the utility tool that he won in the last poker game from Cal, just to make sure.

- When the Door is shut, Abbie asks where they should go next. Ethan again leads them away. He isn’t armed, and neither of them have protective or armoured clothing. He has a place in mind - a tailor that he has visited before - however the most direct route is via another realm and Ethan has no wish to go through multiple Doors. Hence they will take the long way to Verun, keeping on the Stair and on major routes. It takes them almost forty minutes to reach their destination.

- The realm of Verun has a very British feel to it, but the township that they arrive in is much cleaner than any English township that they have seen. Everything seems to be maintained in immaculate condition, and there is no grime or decay to be seen here. Ethan and Abbie head to a tailor shop with the name ‘Sterling’ above it. The proprietor greets them and agrees to help outfit them, but he also gently chastises Ethan by name for not making a prior appointment.

- The four tailors of Sterling work as a team to fashion both Ethan and Abbie some new formal suits. The fabric being used is no ordinary cloth - they are quite used to working with fabric that has both ballistic and ablative properties. After their measurements are taken, Ethan and Abbie are offered tea and freshly made cakes while the garments are being made. Ethan does a Divination spell and concludes that there are multiple groups seeking them, and the groups are working cross-purposes and they do not currently know where they are. He suggests that Abbie contact Lofwyr for further guidance, but Abbie reminds Ethan that the Dragon Emperor said that he would personally deal with the situation and she cannot just ask him to ‘hurry up’. She has no idea how long she needs to keep a low profile. Ethan smiles pleasantly and suggests that they make the best of the situation - he suggests that they head to Midas. They have previously holidayed there and it holds pleasant memories for them.

- Abbie thinks for a moment, then offers a thin smile and agrees to this proposal. Once the suits are made and the tailors compensated for their craftswork, they return to the Stair and head to Midas. Both of them are exquisitely clothed.

- Midas is a realm that is very close to Earth. Grant and Ethan discovered it very early in their journeys and it is always highly receptive to visitors from the Stair. As usual, they are warmly received (as they are returning guests). Ethan notes that the concierge seems to approve of the quality of their outfits, even though he says nothing. A room is arranged, and they are assigned an immaculately groomed personal concierge to see to their needs. 

- After freshening up, Ethan suggests that they enjoy an evening in Midas and if Lofwyr has not provided guidance by the morning, he recommends that they hire a boat. There are plenty of good diving spots in Midas and he’d rather not waste precious time worrying about Lofwyr, but instead make the most of the time that they have. Abbie agrees to this and they spend a pleasant evening together.

- The next morning, a boat is provided. It is fully provisioned and has diving gear onboard. Abbie is keen to go - she has received an Icon contact from Lofwyr and he has advised her that this should be sorted out in a week or so. There are no other duties that she needs to perform - he will contact her when the current situation is resolved. Ethan and Abbie are happy with this news. Ethan contacts Hilda via Icon to tell her what is going on (she is still safe and sound on Earth with Macavity for company). Then they put the little vessel out to sea.

- The two of them have a wonderful time, reminding them of 1988 when they first went sailing together on a romantic vacation. (GM’s note - way back in Session 58) Ethan learns a lot about Lofwyr from her. Dragons love to acquire possessions. Some love gold. Lofwyr likes ‘people’. He likes to have good people on his staff, and he takes it very personally if people threaten ‘his people’. Lofwyr is like an overprotective (and sometimes over possessive) boss. Lofwyr sees Abbie as part of his ‘dragon hoard’ - a precious thing to be looked after. He clearly wants Abbie to take a vacation while he is straightening matters out. Ethan wonders if Lofwyr could have engineered the whole situation, but Abbie thinks that is unlikely. 

- Even though they are out on the sea and they have their privacy, they feel like the concierge is never far away should they need anything.

- They return to Midas as an intimate couple once more. Both Ethan and Abbie are relaxed in each other’s presence once more, and the relationship feels like it once was. They enjoy a day on-shore back in Midas itself before Lofwyr contacts Abbie once more. He tells her that the situation is resolved - she was not the only delegate who was targeted and some of the delegates did not survive. He has firmly dealt with the situation and the danger has passed. He tells her that he needs her to return in two days to prepare for the negotiations once more.

- With the danger passed, Ethan asks what she would like to do for the next two days. She is still keen to visit Marindar and visit Ethan’s brother, Mark and his family. As such, they leave Midas and head to Marindar. Ethan has a house there that overlooks the bay. He contacts Hilda and Macavity and brings them through. That evening, Ethan cooks a meal for them and they have a relaxing family evening. Macavity comments that it’s ‘about time’ that Ethan and Abbie got back together, and Hilda offers an encouraging smile.

- The next day, Ethan goes to meet his brother, Mark. They are twins, but Mark has aged significantly more than Ethan has. Mark looks about twenty years older than Ethan is - he is thinner, his face is lined and his hair has streaks of grey in it. Mark welcomes Ethan, Abbie, Hilda and Macavity in. His wife Asteria is pleased to meet them. Mark’s two daughters, Danae and Perimede, get along well with Hilda and Macavity. The younger of the two, Danae seems to have the same mischievous streak as Ethan and Mark had when they were young.

- Ethan and Mark talk for a long time. They used to be so close but they haven’t talked in a very long time. They seemed to stop talking about the time that their parents died, and Ethan admits that he didn’t know what to say. Mark doesn’t regret being in Marindar. For a while he resented Ethan - he was always good with mechanics (particularly cars) and being here meant that he had to start over and learn a whole new set of skills. But he likes the people and he still finds ‘wonder’ in this place. Whatever resentment he felt has long since gone. Mark accepts that he will probably grow old and die in this place. Ethan thinks about this - he could prolong his brother’s life using Eidolon - but he chooses not to offer and simply listens to him.

- The day with Ethan’s family is a marvellous one - much better than Ethan could have expected or hoped for. Mark seems to be much older and wiser now (he was always the rebellious one), and Ethan finds himself listening to his brother’s counsel. Mark is surprised when he hears that Abbie will return to her employment as one of the Dragon Emperor’s advocates, and Ethan will probably journey further onto the Stair with Hilda (and Macavity if it suits the Cat). Mark has seen the way that Ethan interacts with Abbie (and even Asteria has noticed it) - Ethan seems happy, and Mark advises him that this is a precious thing.

- In the evening, over a glass of wine, Mark goes for a walk with Abbie and leaves Asteria with Ethan. Ethan finds that he has many questions of Asteria, and she has many questions of him. He wants to know how the two met, and how his brother has become such a family man. She is curious about Ethan and why he did not stay in Marindar, and why it has taken so long for him to visit. Ethan finds Asteria very curious. Marindans are not necessarily monogamous, and yet Asteria seems to have settled into a monogamous relationship with Mark - so how did this happen? She answers it very simply - she feels fulfilled in the relationship and didn’t feel the need for other partners. She admires Mark’s sole interest in her and now in their family - this is a curiosity for her, and something which she finds quite pleasing. She loves Mark’s ‘energy’ - given that he will have a shorter lifespan, he seems determined to make the most of it and not to waste time. She is greatly flattered that he is choosing to spend his limited time with her.

- This gives Ethan a lot to think about.

- It is so late that Hilda is almost asleep on a couch. Ethan decides to carry her home. Mark extends an open welcome and asks his brother to come and visit again soon. Ethan promises to do so. They return back to Ethan’s residence well after midnight. Ethan puts Hilda to bed and Macavity curls up at her feet. Then Abbie and Ethan retire for the evening. Abbie surprises Ethan by making a point of telling him that she loves him. 

- The next day, Hilda sleeps in. Abbie and Ethan go for a walk along the shoreline of Central Bay, walking hand in hand. They return to the residence so that Abbie can say goodbye to Hilda, and then Abbie and Macavity leave via Icon. Hilda wonders openly when she’ll see Abbie again, and Ethan is certain that it will be soon.

- Returning to Lofwyr’s employ, the Dragon Emperor is pleased to see one of his prized staff being suitably refreshed. Abbie is quite competent and powerful, and if she needs the companionship of Ethan ‘the Dragonslayer’ to keep her well balanced, then he decides that he will arrange for future breaks. Lofwyr thinks a long way ahead - months, years, decades and centuries. He must keep his valuable assets in good health. Apart from the need for good, competent tools, there is also the matter of personal prestige to be considered. He wants to have the best, shiniest hoard - and be able to ‘show off’ the best pieces of his hoard. Abbie is a ‘shiny’ piece of his hoard, and he wants to keep her ‘shiny’.

- GM’s note: And that’s the end of that mini-arc. I will then take over GMing for the foreseeable future. We last saw Grant and Tinkerbell off to pursue ‘mischief’. I’m not yet sure if I’ll focus on that, or on the many Courts of the Shadow Fey flashbacks that are needed to fill in the gaps.