Session 288 - Return to the Legendary Realm

GM’s Observations

- We’ve had some long gaps in the game due to poor health on both my part and David’s part. I’m writing this write-up almost five months after the actual session as my life is just very busy these days.

- The narrative splits in two at this point. One thread follows Ethan, Isabelle, Yaeger Zane and Cal as they proceed through the red Door to the Necromancer’s lair. This happened ‘off camera’ as the actual session focused on Grant and his actions when he lost contact with the others.

Major Characters

- Ethan, Isabelle, Grant, Yaeger Zane, Cal, Jessamyn

Adversaries

- The Dead, The Necromancer

Adventure Hook

- This session carries directly on from Session 287.

Background

- Ethan, Isabelle, Yaeger Zane and Cal have entered the Gates of Night and travelled through ‘the Paths of the Dead’, a section of the Stair where the living do not normally go. There they have found a red Door which appears to lead to the Legendary Realm. The Legendary Realm was supposedly destroyed (or at least severely damaged) through Ethan’s actions against the Dragon Lord, Nicol Bolas.

- Grant has lost contact with the group as they went through the red Door. 

Adventure Summary - Grant’s Story

- Leaving Jessamyn behind on the Ventar side of the Gates of Night, Grant walks the Grand Stair in pursuit of his comrades. He periodically contacts Jessamyn to let her know of his progress. The dead do not interrupt his journey. They watch him but allow him to pass..

- After some time travelling through the many passageways and stairways, Grant reaches the red Door. Studying it as only a Master of the Stair can, he decides that this is indeed the Legendary Realm but there is something different about it. There is something broken about the realm and he can tell that there is something wrong with the Door itself.

- Grant is approached by a revenant that he recognises. Greinvir is, or was, a Dwimmerlaik. They talk a little - no one has talked to Greinvir in a long time. Grant offers Greinvir some sustenance in exchange for information - the Dwimmerlaik confirms that four Lords of Gossamer entered the red Door.

- Grant decides to repair the Door’s connection and he opens it. He finds himself in a very different place where Ethan and the others have journeyed to (GM’s note - this has happened before - entering the same Door to the Legendary Realm does not result in the characters ending up in the same place. The Legendary Realm tends to place people where it wants to place them - it has a guiding will). He finds himself in what looks like a 17th or 18th century European township with buildings made of stone and timber. The streets are mostly deserted.

- Grant cannot sense Ethan in this place. He begins looking around, eventually taking to the air in crow-form and finds that the people are fleeing to the west. A great undead army has gathered on the other side of the river to the east. The undead army is definitely large enough to easily take the town and it looks like the remaining living soldiers are with the refugees.

- Perplexed and frustrated, Grant tries to get his bearings and then he recognises the mountains to the west and north. These are the snow-capped peaks of the Galena Mountains. Grant has been here before and he recognises these lands as ones that he once ruled long ago. This suggests to him that that city below him is Heliogabalus, which was once the largest trading city in the kingdom.

- As he considers what to do, Grant’s other self (the Shadow King) becomes aware that Ethan and the other Lords of Gossamer have exited this realm. (GM’s note - whatever the Shadow King knows, Grant knows and vice versa). Grant attempts to return to the Grand Stair but finds that the Legendary Realm does not want him to leave. The Door is no longer accessible. Clearly this Realm wants him for something. He considers forcing a connection, creating a Door but wonders what the Legendary Realm’s response will be. The realm feels fragile and brittle. Grant remembers a faerie grotto on the way to the town of Bloodstone where the pixies lived and he decides to return to it to find a faerie path out of the Legendary Realm.

- The faerie grotto is empty and cold. The pixies and the funny faerie dragon that lived there are long gone. Nevertheless, Grant is able to open the faerie path that has not been used in a long time. He enters the living earth and journeys into the deep.

- After a lengthy journey under the ground Grant enters a damp grotto where an underground waterfall fills a clear pool. There are small cultivated gardens here - a family of blue-hatted gnomes lives here. They welcome Grant and offer him hospitality in exchange for some stories. Grant contacts Jessamyn to tell her where he is, and then he tells Grennir and his family some of his many travels.

Adventure Summary - Ethan’s Story

- Ethan’s experience in the Legendary Realm is very different. (GM’s note - the Legendary Realm remembers that it was Ethan who hurt it very badly and it lashes out at him) They have reached the Necromancer’s grave-fortress of marbled stone and are being attacked on all sides. An undead harpy-like creature has carried Isabelle off. A great undead giant is slugging it out with Yaeger Zane, and Cal has been injured.

- What follows is a full-blown battle and no way to retreat as the Legendary Realm has changed the Door back to a normal door. The three remaining Lords of Gossamer fight to the death in the tomb city. Yaeger Zane goes toe-to-toe with the undead giant, hacking off great sections of it but it refuses to die. Ethan fights with sword and Dragonshield to keep the fast moving undead waves from sweeping over them like a tide. He is unsuccessful in protecting Cal who is dragged off and under their throng.

- Meanwhile, Isabelle slays the harpy-creature in mid-air before it can fly her outside of the city limits and she lands heavily near the immense perimeter walls. Ducking into the shadows, she Wayfinds her way back to the others, narrowly avoiding groups of undead who are hunting her.

* Image sourced from Google Images but I think this is from one of the Tomb Raider games (City of Light?)

- There is no sign of the Necromancer himself (or herself) in the battle - just a tidal wave of fast moving undead of different sizes and shapes - they come from all directions. Even Yaeger Zane agrees that it is folly to stand and fight given their overwhelming numbers and poor position. Ethan fights through the army to recover Cal before he is slain, and then they make a run for it through the city, looking for a more defensible location. Isabelle rejoins them - she is battered but alive.

- With no apparent way out, Ethan leads them deeper under the white sands into the catacombs beneath. There seem to be no other Doors here, or even other doors. Ethan collapses the corridors behind them to give them some respite from their pursuers.

- It is not long before they hear sounds of digging. The undead are still coming after them. Whatever is coming after them is big.

- Icons are not working, and there is no Door to access. Cal has a device which should trigger an emergency recall spell, but he has no idea if it will work for four of them. While they discuss options, Ethan heals their wounds and fatigue using Eidolon. They have not seen any sign of the Necromancer here but clearly the whole world is against them - the undead seem quite feral in their ferocity in hunting the living. Cal and Ethan discuss ways to mask their ‘scent’ while the pounding continues. The chamber that they are in trembles as if something large is coming. Cracks form in the roof and sand trickles down from above.

- Yaeger Zane volunteers to hold whatever breaks through to give them more time. Isabelle suggests following the passages deeper. She thinks that there may be another way out (using her Wayfinding). With the pounding becoming louder, Cal tells the others that he’ll try to get help. He activates the device and teleports out, leaving Yaeger, Ethan and Isabelle behind.

- Isabelle asks Ethan about using Sorcery to teleport out, but pieces of the ceiling start falling in. They retreat further and Ethan collapses more of the passageway behind them. As they run, Ethan says that the realm is fighting him - he could use Sorcery but it’d probably ‘break’ the realm in some way.

- Tapping into the power of Wynterlyr’s Ring, Ethan reshapes the corridor ahead of them and an icy wind begins to blow. The corridor changes from hewn stone to a natural tunnel of jagged rock and ice. After about a mile of running, the tunnel opens up at a cliff-face looking over a frozen coastline of ice and rock. The temperature is well below zero but Ethan is not feeling the cold at all. His breath doesn’t produce condensation like the others. 

- Ethan can tell that they are no longer in the Legendary Realm. He’s used faerie magic to escape - the others don’t quite understand how he has done it - they assume that he has used Sorcery after all. Feeling his strength in Sorcery returning, Ethan collapses the tunnel behind him to prevent pursuit. 

- As Isabelle moves to ask Ethan where they are, he receives an Icon contact. It is Abbie (Abigail). He excuses himself and accepts the contact. Abbie asks if he is okay. She felt that something was wrong and that he was in danger. She asks if he needs help. Ethan reassures her and tells her that he is fine. He also mentions that the last divination that he did for her also suggested that she was in danger. He asks after her. They dance back and forth, neither of them offering to share what they are up to. It ends with a joke, and Ethan suggests that they should just find a sailing boat and just sail away together. They both like the idea but they both know that it won’t happen. The Icon contact ends with the offer of help on both sides.

- Isabelle frowns. She can tell who Ethan has been talking to. Isabelle is not normally envious but she is on this occasion. She suggests that they get to someplace warmer and Ethan agrees. With no nearby Door, Ethan uses a Sorcerous teleport to return them to the Agora and a nearby ‘tea shop’. They make numerous Icon contacts (to Cal, to Grant etc) to reconnect and debrief.

- Yaeger Zane is frustrated with the situation. He didn’t like the Paths of the Dead, didn’t battle the Necromancer and he calls Cal a ‘chicken’ for leaving. Yaeger decides that ‘tea’ is not his thing and he goes to find a beer instead. This was Ethan’s intent as it leaves Ethan with Isabelle.

- Isabelle is pretty shaken by the adventure. There were moments where she thought she was going to die. Ethan reassures her as best he can, but it is half-hearted. He also didn’t realise it would be that bad. Isabelle points out that the vessel of ‘Courage’ is charged. They have completed what they set out to do. The fact that the Necromancer is still out there is a problem for others.

Other Impacts

- The Necromancer remains in control of a powerful realm. His (her) goals remain unknown.

- The vessel of Courage is charged, enabling Hephaestus to perform his first Great Task (of three).

Further GM Observations

- I did not want the Necromancer to be a pushover. I set this up to make it impossible for even four Lords of Gossamer to just walk in and win. We have had many adventures where the Lords of Gossamer defeat the villains easily because of their power level - I wanted something different this time. The villains are not stupid and they are on their home turf. The PCs need to learn from this and if they want to pursue, they need to find more information and new avenues of attack.

Session 287 - Through the Gates of Night Part 2

GM’s Observations

- This session was a little different because David played the character of Isabelle rather than his normal character, Grant. The reason why this happened is that Grant chose not to enter the Gates of Night, hence it was important to focus on another character.

- This section of Stair has been foreshadowed in other sessions. It is a section of the Grand Stair where the living do not go and are not welcome. The Doors lead to the various realms of the dead. The Necromancer took his forces through the Gates of Night to an unknown destination. The late Jacob (a Lord of Gossamer) believed that the Necromancer could be a Lord of Gossamer himself, and the other Lords of Gossamer are considering the Necromancer to be a Stair-capable threat.

Major Characters

- Ethan, Isabelle, Grant

Adversaries

- The Dead

Adventure Hook

- Yaeger Zane has reached the Gates of Night. He contacts others before crossing the threshold.

Background

- Yaeger Zane has been travelling overland in the realm of Ventar to the Gates of Night. He has been journeying for many weeks and it was always expected that he would contact Cal (and others) when he reached his destination.

- Meanwhile Ethan and Isabelle have been trying to help Hephaestus to gain the qualities that he was not born with, and help him to achieve his heart’s desire of being respected by his mother (Hera) and loved by his wife (Aphrodite). This is no small task.

Adventure Summary

- Grant and Tinkerbell are in New Syrtis (on Mars) when Grant receives Icon contact from Cal. The news is that Yaeger Zane has reached the Gates of Night and confirmed that the gates are a Door to the Grand Stair. The huge doors are covered in carved faces frozen in anguish. Yaeger Zane is spooked by this and has sought advice before proceeding further. In turn, Cal asks for Grant’s thoughts. Cal wishes to contact Drake and Vala and seek their counsel. Grant asks for Cal to wait as he wishes to be given some time to think.

- In the Courts of the Shadow Fey the Shadow King (Grant’s alter ego) seeks counsel about the Gates of Night and what lies beyond. In his war chamber he talks with Macavity and asks what the Cat knows. Macavity clearly knows a great deal but he is still evasive and is unwilling to share. The Shadow Cat also visits Shylara (the elf necromancer) and the Blind Seer in his Tower. He already knows that the Multiverse is vast but these parties advise him that there are many realms of the dead that are connected to the Grand Stair. These realms are not easily accessed by the living. To cross the boundaries typically requires a necromancer - someone who is an expert in both the worlds of the living and the dead. Necromancers call these ways of crossing over the ‘Paths of the Dead’. Sometimes these ways are via the Grand Stair. They are difficult to travel because the dead do not like the living to use them.

- Thinking this over, Grant suggests that Ethan talks to Liliana. It has been some time since they have spoken (since the destruction of the Legendary Realm) but Ethan reaches out to her via Icon. Initial conversations are polite but Liliana is uncomfortable when Ethan asks about the Paths of the Dead. Liliana says that she has put necromancy behind her and she is trying to walk a different path. Nevertheless she shares a little of what she knows. She explains some of the rituals that necromancers use to reach the Realms of the Dead but also why necromancers seek to reach these realms in the first place. Often it is to recover something that has been lost, but the lure of power and control over the dead is something that slowly corrupts a necromancer. There is also the lure of lost knowledge and forbidden secrets that could be a temptation, and then finally the thought that perhaps death itself could be conquered or controlled in some way. Listening to Ethan’s description of the Necromancer, she points out that this individual is clearly comfortable controlling large armies of undead and he (or she) could be using the Paths of the Dead to move his (or her) armies around. The Paths of the Dead are far less travelled and it could be difficult to detect their movements except for someone who is familiar with them. Liliana will not help directly. She wishes Ethan well and asks that next time they should speak about more pleasant topics.

- Still in Hephaestus’ workshops, Ethan talks with Isabelle about the situation. They have completed the vessels required to harvest Courage, Wits and Grace but the vessels need to be charged. Isabelle is convinced that the Paths of the Dead is an opportunity to charge the vessel with Courage. Ethan agrees - his divination spells suggest that this will be very dangerous. Ethan doesn’t think that they will meet the Necromancer himself but that Isabelle herself will be put in serious danger. Ethan contacts Grant and says that he and Isabelle will be joining Yaeger Zane to enter the Paths of the Dead.

- Grant thinks over the situation. He has decided to go but wonders whether Tinkerbell will also want to join him. Tinkerbell has no desire to enter the Paths of the Dead but she’ll accompany Grant - she’s grown quite fond of him.

- The companions head to Tyvar (in Ventar). There, Ethan uses Ventarian magic to reach Yaeger Zane’s location. They are joined by Cal and Jessamyn.

- None of them like the look of the Gates of Night. The Door is quite an ominous sight. The group prepares to enter the Paths of the Dead. Grant, Tinkerbell and Jessamyn will remain behind on the Ventar side. 

- When ready, Grant opens the Door. The smell of open graves fills the area. All is quiet, dark and still on the other side.

- Ethan, Isabelle, Yaeger Zane and Cal proceed cautiously onto the Stair. 

- What follows is a journey through a section of Stair that resembles a tomb. There are occasional walking dead but they show little interest in the living, at least at first. Ethan has a bad feeling about this place but he is confident in his abilities. (He is more worried about Isabelle - the Divination did not look good for her). They journey deeply on the Paths of the Dead, overcoming many difficult obstacles. There are physical obstacles, but also lures which attract their attention which are traps for the living. At last they reach a red door which Ethan recognises. It appears to be the Legendary Realm. 

- The Legendary Realm was apparently destroyed (or at least so damaged that the Door disappeared) during the last battle with Nicol Bolas. Ethan is certain that this is a Door to the Legendary Realm but if it is here, what does that mean for the realm on the other side?

- Proceeding through the red Door in pursuit of the Necromancer, the companions find themselves in deep trouble. They have reached the Necromancer’s lair and it is well defended. They come under attack almost immediately by fast-moving undead (gaunts) that are difficult to kill. A flying harpy picks up Isabelle and carries her off from the group. Cal is wounded. A great undead giant clad in armoured plates blocks their path and seems impossible to slay. The situation seems dire as they are attacked in waves and cut off from the Door. The undead numbers increase rapidly.

- Back in Ventar, Grant realises that something has gone wrong. The regular Icon contacts to report progress have stopped. Grant prepares to enter the Stair himself. He knows that they have travelled deeply and it will take him some time to reach them.

Other Impacts

- The vessel of Courage is partially charged. The vessels for Wits and Grace have been crafted but are not yet charged.

Session 286 - Through the Gates of Night Part 1

GM’s Observations

- This session was a little different because David played the character of Isabelle rather than his normal character, Grant. The reason why this happened is that Grant chose not to enter the Gates of Night, hence it was important to focus on another character.

- This section of Stair has been foreshadowed in other sessions. It is a section of the Grand Stair where the living do not go and are not welcome. The Doors lead to the various realms of the dead. The Necromancer took his forces through the Gates of Night to an unknown destination. The late Jacob (a Lord of Gossamer) believed that the Necromancer could be a Lord of Gossamer himself, and the other Lords of Gossamer are considering the Necromancer to be a Stair-capable threat.

Major Characters

- Ethan, Isabelle, Grant

Adversaries

- The Dead

Adventure Hook

- Yaeger Zane has reached the Gates of Night. He contacts others before crossing the threshold.

Background

- Yaeger Zane has been travelling overland in the realm of Ventar to the Gates of Night. He has been journeying for many weeks and it was always expected that he would contact Cal (and others) when he reached his destination.

- Meanwhile Ethan and Isabelle have been trying to help Hephaestus to gain the qualities that he was not born with, and help him to achieve his heart’s desire of being respected by his mother (Hera) and loved by his wife (Aphrodite). This is no small task.

Adventure Summary

- Grant and Tinkerbell are in New Syrtis (on Mars) when Grant receives Icon contact from Cal. The news is that Yaeger Zane has reached the Gates of Night and confirmed that the gates are a Door to the Grand Stair. The huge doors are covered in carved faces frozen in anguish. Yaeger Zane is spooked by this and has sought advice before proceeding further. In turn, Cal asks for Grant’s thoughts. Cal wishes to contact Drake and Vala and seek their counsel. Grant asks for Cal to wait as he wishes to be given some time to think.

- In the Courts of the Shadow Fey the Shadow King (Grant’s alter ego) seeks counsel about the Gates of Night and what lies beyond. In his war chamber he talks with Macavity and asks what the Cat knows. Macavity clearly knows a great deal but he is still evasive and is unwilling to share. The Shadow Cat also visits Shylara (the elf necromancer) and the Blind Seer in his Tower. He already knows that the Multiverse is vast but these parties advise him that there are many realms of the dead that are connected to the Grand Stair. These realms are not easily accessed by the living. To cross the boundaries typically requires a necromancer - someone who is an expert in both the worlds of the living and the dead. Necromancers call these ways of crossing over the ‘Paths of the Dead’. Sometimes these ways are via the Grand Stair. They are difficult to travel because the dead do not like the living to use them.

- Thinking this over, Grant suggests that Ethan talks to Liliana. It has been some time since they have spoken (since the destruction of the Legendary Realm) but Ethan reaches out to her via Icon. Initial conversations are polite but Liliana is uncomfortable when Ethan asks about the Paths of the Dead. Liliana says that she has put necromancy behind her and she is trying to walk a different path. Nevertheless she shares a little of what she knows. She explains some of the rituals that necromancers use to reach the Realms of the Dead but also why necromancers seek to reach these realms in the first place. Often it is to recover something that has been lost, but the lure of power and control over the dead is something that slowly corrupts a necromancer. There is also the lure of lost knowledge and forbidden secrets that could be a temptation, and then finally the thought that perhaps death itself could be conquered or controlled in some way. Listening to Ethan’s description of the Necromancer, she points out that this individual is clearly comfortable controlling large armies of undead and he (or she) could be using the Paths of the Dead to move his (or her) armies around. The Paths of the Dead are far less travelled and it could be difficult to detect their movements except for someone who is familiar with them. Liliana will not help directly. She wishes Ethan well and asks that next time they should speak about more pleasant topics.

- Still in Hephaestus’ workshops, Ethan talks with Isabelle about the situation. They have completed the vessels required to harvest Courage, Wits and Grace but the vessels need to be charged. Isabelle is convinced that the Paths of the Dead is an opportunity to charge the vessel with Courage. Ethan agrees - his divination spells suggest that this will be very dangerous. Ethan doesn’t think that they will meet the Necromancer himself but that Isabelle herself will be put in serious danger. Ethan contacts Grant and says that he and Isabelle will be joining Yaeger Zane to enter the Paths of the Dead.

- Grant thinks over the situation. He has decided to go but wonders whether Tinkerbell will also want to join him. Tinkerbell has no desire to enter the Paths of the Dead but she’ll accompany Grant - she’s grown quite fond of him.

- The companions head to Tyvar (in Ventar). There, Ethan uses Ventarian magic to reach Yaeger Zane’s location. They are joined by Cal and Jessamyn.

- None of them like the look of the Gates of Night. The Door is quite an ominous sight. The group prepares to enter the Paths of the Dead. Grant, Tinkerbell and Jessamyn will remain behind on the Ventar side. 

* Image sourced from Google Images

- When ready, Grant opens the Door. The smell of open graves fills the area. All is quiet, dark and still on the other side.

- Ethan, Isabelle, Yaeger Zane and Cal proceed cautiously onto the Stair. 

- What follows is a journey through a section of Stair that resembles a tomb. There are occasional walking dead but they show little interest in the living, at least at first. Ethan has a bad feeling about this place but he is confident in his abilities. (He is more worried about Isabelle - the Divination did not look good for her). They journey deeply on the Paths of the Dead, overcoming many difficult obstacles. There are physical obstacles, but also lures which attract their attention which are traps for the living. At last they reach a red door which Ethan recognises. It appears to be the Legendary Realm. 

* Image sourced from Google Images, but this is by Byung-ju Bong

- The Legendary Realm was apparently destroyed (or at least so damaged that the Door disappeared) during the last battle with Nicol Bolas. Ethan is certain that this is a Door to the Legendary Realm but if it is here, what does that mean for the realm on the other side?

- Proceeding through the red Door in pursuit of the Necromancer, the companions find themselves in deep trouble. They have reached the Necromancer’s lair and it is well defined. They come under attack almost immediately by fast-moving undead (gaunts) that are difficult to kill. A flying harpy picks up Isabelle and carries her off from the group. Cal is wounded. A great undead giant clad in armoured plates blocks their path and seems impossible to slay. The situation seems dire as they are attacked in waves and cut off from the Door. The undead numbers increase rapidly.

- Back in Ventar, Grant realises that something has gone wrong. The regular Icon contacts to report progress have stopped. Grant prepares to enter the Stair himself. He knows that they have travelled deeply and it will take him some time to reach them.

Other Impacts

- The vessel of Courage is partially charged. The vessels for Wits and Grace have been crafted but are not yet charged.

GM Notes

- Sorry to be so far behind with the writeups. I’ve had some health difficulties.

Session 285 - Regrouping

GM’s Observations

- This was a bridging session that was designed to take the threads from Sessions 279 and 284 etc and enable the PCs (Grant and Ethan) to move forward together. David explained that he would prefer to see the two PCs reunited rather than running separate plotlines and switching back and forth.

- We used Forged In the Dark (Vergence) rules during this session, which essentially uses Fortune Rolls to see how the narrative plays out. I didn’t use the full Vergence FitD ruleset as it isn’t necessary.

- I liked the connection being made between Clockworld (which was created by three Lords of Gossamer: Lucien, Jacob and George) and Hephaestus.

Major Characters

- Grant, Ethan, Tinkerbell

Adversaries

- None

Adventure Hook

- None, this session carries on directly from Session 279.

Background

- When we left Session 279, Grant used one of Jacob’s Keys to find the realm of Avalon and meet Morgan Le Fay. Grant realised that King Arthur Pendragon and Lord Drake are one and the same. We then flashed back to complete the Courts of the Shadow Fey story arc. This story arc concluded with Grant becoming the Shadow King. Hence Morgan Le Fay recognises him as the Shadow King (even though he did not announce himself as such).

- Meanwhile, Ethan and Isabelle are helping Hephaestus.

Adventure Summary - Part 1 - In Avalon

- The interactions between Morgan Le Fay and Grant are cordial and respectful. He has announced himself as a Prince of the Legendary Realm, not as the Shadow King. Morgan does not betray his secret to the court of Queen Argente. Grant learns more about Avalon from Morgan and some of the other nobles that he is introduced to. Lord Pendragon has been gone a long time but they all believe that he will return. The land of Avalon seems idyllic and there are no obvious threats to it.

- Grant accepts the Queen’s offer to stay for a few days. Tinkerbell flits in and out. She is always curious about new places and she reports back to Grant that there are ‘strange beasts’ in the forest. Grant and Morgan talk from time to time, and Grant decides to give Morgan one of his Icons should she wish to contact him. She accepts this favour graciously.

- At the end of their stay, they retrace their steps back through Parry’s Wood and onto the Grand Stair. No one follows them.

Adventure Summary - Part 2 - Returning to Mars

- Grant and Tinkerbell return to Jacob’s workshop in Syrtis Major (Mars). Tinkerbell has numerous half-finished projects which she wishes to dabble in. Grant wishes to learn more about this place that Jacob used as a base for many years. He studies more of the history and reflects upon the Keys that Jacob left behind.

- They decide to visit the Explorers’ Club where Jacob was a member. It is a well known posh gentlemen’s club (gentlewomen also welcome) where the well known explorers (including the famous Red Captains) come to drink, eat and share tales of adventure. Grant and Tinkerbell have prepared documents indicating that Jacob is dead and Grant is his chosen successor. He presents these papers to the club and is welcomed inside.

- Grant wanders around the establishment and finds portraits of each of the famed explorers, including one of Jacob with his etherflyer ‘Theseus’ in the frame. The plaque on the picture indicates when Jacob joined the Explorers’ Club, but there is no year of his death. Grant meets with the management and organises for corrections to be made. A lawyer, Mister Ferguson, begins preparations to organise the transfer of assets to Lord Grant Aitken (Grant’s surname is Aitken).

- At the bar, a toast is proposed in the memory of Jacob. There is only a small crowd there but they enthusiastically drink to Jacob’s memory. One of the gentlemen is a red-faced fellow named Butler. Butler claims that he owns Tinkerbell as she was part of a wager which Jacob reneged on. Tinkerbell blows a raspberry and decides to ignore Butler. Grant asks for corroboration of the story and an accented fellow named Wagner remembers the card game, but does not believe that Jacob agreed to the ‘lady’ being part of the stakes. Butler is incensed and feels that he is owed something. Grant decides to smooth it over - he offers gold coins but this only annoys Butler further. Trying a different tact, Grant introduces Butler to an ‘antiquity’ that he has collected - a small metal plate the same size as a playing card which can be folded into a box. Each time the box is opened, the box holds something different. Butler is quite fascinated by this and asks Grant to show him ‘the trick’. Grant offers him another drink and gifts him the box. 

- (GM’s note - somewhere during Grant’s time on Mars, he goes to join the poker game which was covered in Session 284. Then he returns to Syrtis Major.)

- Mister Ferguson works quickly and Barker (the custodian of the ‘Theseus’) is informed that, in accordance with Jacob’s Will, ownership of the etherflyer will now pass to Grant. Grant and Tinkerbell go to the airfield to take possession of the vessel and look it over. While they are inspecting it, Grant receives an Icon contact from Ethan. Ethan points out that they didn’t have much time to talk at the poker game - he suggests catching up for dinner. Grant invites Tinkerbell (who is keen to meet Ethan given that she liked the speeder bike that he built) and they settle upon a time and place.

Adventure Summary - Part 3 - The American Bar

- Grant and Ethan meet at the American bar that they visited during their early days exploring the Stair. (GM’s note - way back in Session 2!) The name has changed (it is now the ‘Touchdown Bar & Grill’) but it still has the same feel. The place is busy so Grant and Ethan have to wait at the bar until a booth becomes available. They have a drink and chat while they wait.

* Image Sourced from Google Images

- Tinkerbell sits on Grant’s shoulder, enjoying all of the hustle and bustle of the place. She has cast a spell that makes the mortals of this place forget her almost as soon as they’ve seen her. They look at her, turn away and forget what they have seen.

- Tinkerbell patiently listens as Grant and Ethan talk. They talk about the False Greywalker who turned up at the poker game. Whoever it was must have been invited. Ethan is surprised that he’s the only one that picked up that this wasn’t Greywalker. He wonders if the False Greywalker was carrying some sort of device to mask his appearance and mimic Greywalker’s. Neither Grant nor Ethan know the truth. Ethan’s Divinations have been unclear, suggesting that he’s asking the wrong questions and that he needs more information.

- Ethan changes the topic of conversation. He explains that he and Isabelle are helping ‘a friend’ and he needs Grant’s help to connect some Doors to the Stair. Grant immediately agrees to this. Ethan goes on to explain that he’s trying to collect aspects (including Courage) to help bolster this individual, and his Divination says that one of those collection events is approaching.

- Ethan knows that Yaeger Zane is heading for the Gates of Night. He will reach there in a week or two, but he will ask for help when he reaches the Gates. Ethan’s Divination spells tells him that things are not going to be ‘pretty’ and he needs Grant’s help as well as Isabelle’s. In fact, he’s certain that if Isabelle is not present that they will fail. He is assuming that this event will enable them to acquire ‘Courage’, but this also suggests that whatever is behind the Gates is perilous.

- The topic of conversation turns to what they know of the Necromancer and what could be beyond the Gates of Night. Grant shares what he has learnt from Jacob’s journals about the Necromancer. Tinkerbell recalls an unusual conversation that she had with Jacob long ago. She says that, in some cultures, doors are feared because they hide what is on the other side, and a door can be a metaphor of the boundary between life and death. Jacob felt that the Necromancer was someone dangerous. Most Lords of Gossamer have limits to the size of armies that they can recruit and control. However, the Necromancer is clearly able to control very large numbers of undead - she’s heard enough about the Necromancer War (in Tyrnador) to know that the ‘Doom of Ventar’ (as the Necromancer is known) is looking for something, and he has vast resources at his disposal.

- A hearty meal is had and Tinkerbell enjoys going through the dessert menu.

- Ethan reveals to Grant that he has accepted the title of Lord Wynterlyr. The fey lord who was imprisoned in the faerie well is dead and Tyland Mills is free of faerie influence. He hopes that the fey will stop coming after him. Grant points out that Beethania was married to the fey lord, not the title, so that should be the last of her as well.

- Ethan asks if Grant knows anything about what Lofwyr (as Dragon Emperor) is up to. He is worried about Abigail - his Divinations tell him that there is something bad coming which will affect her - probably even get her killed. Grant has heard that Lofwyr is focusing on realms of strategic value, and some of those realms are ‘disputed’. He agrees to investigate further and get back to Ethan.

Adventure Summary - Part 4 - A Meeting with Hephaestus

- A few days later, Ethan contacts Grant via Icon and brings him onto Hephaestus’ bronze ship. Grant is astonished at the workshop - it is vast and complicated. It reminds him of Clockworld. Tinkerbell gapes. She sees the similarity as well.

- Grant connects the Doors. In doing so, he catches a glimpse of the Olympian god, Hephaestus and he realises what Ethan and Isabelle are doing. Hephaestus is shyly looking on from a distance, but is too embarrassed to meet Grant. He quickly ducks out of view.

- But Tinkerbell has seen Hephaestus too. Quick as a flash, she flies after him. Despite his discomfort, she greets him warmly as Lord Hephaestus and she bows respectfully to him. Hephaestus asks where Jacob is, and Tinkerbell explains that he’s dead. Hephaestus nods sadly - he didn’t know and he always wondered why Jacob and the others never came back. He’s been feeling abandoned. Grant and Ethan catch the conversation as Hephaestus’ voice is loud - it becomes very clear that Clockworld was derived from Hephaestus’ inventions. Jacob, George and Lucien took the concept even further and used it to stabilise a shattered world, but the technology used to make Clockworld is derived from Hephaestus’ handiwork. Hephaestus hasn’t seen any of that triumvirate in a long time. He assumed that they were alive and still on the Stair ‘somewhere’.

Other Impacts

- Ethan did not reveal that Lady Sophia was rescued from the faerie well where the former Lord Wynterlyr was imprisoned.

GM Comments

- I am keen to move the game to a more episodic style, similar to Blades in the Dark. In that system there is the Hook, Gathering Information and the Score (the actual core of the adventure session). Then a transition to Downtime. We probably won’t use all of the mechanics but I can see value in structuring the game in this way. Having played a lot of Blades in the Dark, Scum and Villainy etc, there is a lot of benefit in being able to move forward the game straight to the action, trigger flashbacks if required and get on with the story rather than be paralysed with plotting/planning.

Session 284 - The False Greywalker

GM’s Observations

- I was surprised to see David introduce a character who could pretend to be another Lord of Gossamer and yet Ethan was the only one who decided to ‘take a walk in the other direction’. I don’t think I was metagaming (smelling a plot device) - Ethan also figured out that this was not the real person. I’m not sure quite what David is foreshadowing yet by introducing this character - we’ll have to see.

Major Characters

- Ethan, Grant, Cal, Cordelias, Jessamyn, False Greywalker

Adversaries

- False Greywalker?

Adventure Hook

- Regular poker game held by the Lords of Gossamer

Background

- The regular poker game is a social event in which the younger Lords of Gossamer typically meet to chat, share news and play poker. The stakes are typically weird and wonderful items that they have gathered throughout the realms.

Adventure Summary

- Ethan arrives at a 1930s-style hotel. He is well dressed for an evening out. The people of this place are almost human, but not quite. Their appearance is uncanny - they don’t look quite right to Ethan, nor does Ethan to them. Attendants greet him and he is ushered into the foyer. The vehicles in this place have a strong smell (like rotten eggs) - once inside, it doesn’t smell as bad.

- Ethan gets a drink at the bar. Grant arrives - he is also well dressed. They chat for a bit, and then Cal, Cordelias and Jessamyn arrive. They make small talk. Cordelias mentions that she is still spending time in Tyrnador - she is hunting for someone that won’t stay put - but she is interrupted before she can explain further.

- Greywalker walks in. Ethan doesn’t believe it - for starters, Greywalker disappeared and is supposedly dead. Apparently he’s been dead before. However, he’s not one of the ‘junior generation’ so it is a bit suspicious that he would simply walk into the poker game. Ethan studies Greywalker and is convinced that it is not the real person. He is definitely a Warden, but he is not Greywalker.

* Image sourced from Google Images

- They go upstairs to a private room to play poker. Drinks and snacks are made available. Jessamyn has brought a playing board with well-crafted game pieces made out of some sort of gemstone as her stake. Cal has brought some elven pins that exude a soft light. Cordelias has brought matching daggers. Grant has brought some metal orbs, each of which plays a different note when touched. Ethan has brought some orbs that contain minor sprites who are compelled to provide small favours when summoned. Greywalker brings a scroll that tells a story that is different each time it is read.

- In the introductory rounds, Ethan has increased his holdings of coins and gemstones. Greywalker and Cordelias are losing. 

- Over time, some of the magical items are wagered and bigger stakes are revealed. Greywalker offers a Key which apparently opens a Hidden Door into Middle Earth. Ethan is immediately sceptical and he concludes that the Key is cursed in some way - Greywalker wants to lose it. Cordelias produces a small shrunken head - the head is alive and grumpily talks to them. She says that it has a message, but she doesn’t understand it. Ethan considers anteing up Yaeger’s Belt but he doesn’t like this False Greywalker - he decides not to place it as a stake.

- As the games continue, Cal ends up with the Key to Middle Earth, and Grant heads up with the shrunken head. 

- They break for dinner and Ethan chats with Jessamyn. Ethan always likes Jessamyn’s company and she seems to enjoy chatting with him too. (GM’s note - the belt again? Maybe, maybe not) Jessamyn seems surprised that Isabelle isn’t with him - she was hoping to talk with her. After dinner, Ethan decides to opt out of the game and heads downstairs to the bar.

- Ethan wonders who the False Greywalker could be - and why the ruse? He contemplates the situation over a drink and concludes that he’s the only one who has noticed. 

- Ethan casts a simple Divination spell, and given the result is favourable, he decides to use Abigail’s Icon to contact her. She responds and is pleased to see him - she apologies that she hasn’t been in touch. Work has kept her very busy. They talk for a while, and Ethan tells her much of what has happened (except for assisting Hephaestus). Abigail is surprised that he’s accepted a position in the Winter Court, but she says that they should talk further about this - she has some information which may help him. Ethan is pleased with the idea that they should meet in person and talk soon - he misses her. Ethan mentions that the Divinations that he has done suggest that there will be danger for Abigail in the near future - not imminent, but not too far off either. Abigail is a little evasive but she says that not all diplomacy is easy. She says that she’ll ask for help if it gets ‘rough’. The contact ends.

- An hour has passed and Ethan hears a cry of dismay from above - someone isn’t happy with their hand. The poker game ends and the Lords of Gossamer come downstairs (except for Greywalker). Cal, Jessamyn and Cordelias leave. Grant joins Ethan and they talk for awhile. Apparently Greywalker got a Full House and won the pot - he reacted negatively to winning. Ethan asks what Grant lost and Grant shrugs that it wasn’t particularly important. Ethan remarks that the Lord of Gossamer who appeared to be Greywalker was definitely not Greywalker. Grant is surprised - he thought it odd but he didn’t think it wasn’t the real person. He asks if Ethan is sure and Ethan is very sure.

- They go upstairs to see where Greywalker is and find that he has vanished (presumably Iconed out).

Other Impacts

- None yet. The Olympians are not yet aware of what Hephaestus is planning. 

- Lady Sophia and Vidaniel remain on Tyrnador (while Sophia recovers).

- Yaeger Zane continues towards the Gates of Night on Tyrnador.

- There are no other interruptions (eg: Icon contacts, emissaries from the Winter Court etc).