Session 289 - Tests of Courage and Wits

GM’s Observations

- Another long absence due to poor health on the parts of both myself and David. This session focuses on two key events during Ethan’s attempt to charge the vessel with Wits. The background section is a bit lengthier as it explains what has happened between sessions.

- I quite enjoyed this session as I like it when there is development in the relationships between characters.

Major Characters

- Ethan, Abbie (Abigail)

Adversaries

- Ares

Adventure Hook

- Abigail is directly threatened as part of the Test of Wits.

Background - Olympus

- In Session 288, Ethan and Isabelle successfully charged a vessel with the essence of Courage from their time facing the Necromancer’s minions in the Legendary Realm. The priming of this vessel gives Hephaestus the base courage that he needs to achieve his first Great Task (on his journey to become Complete).

- Hephaestus travels to Olympus with Ethan, Grant and Isabelle as his ‘companions’. Presenting himself to his fellow Olympians, Hephaestus declares his intention to become ‘whole and finished’, and to become worthy of his mother’s respect and his wife’s love. This course of action pleases Zeus. Zeus praises Hephaestus’ determination and he offers encouragement. Hephaestus achieves the first Great Task with his public declaration of his intent.

- Hera is cautious of Hephaestus (she remembers being tied to a chair by him) but does not dissuade him from his course of action.

- Aphrodite says nothing but her feelings towards Hephaestus remain unchanged (she is disgusted by him). Aphrodite does not want Hephaestus to succeed but she cannot directly interfere. She quietly sends spies to monitor and report back on her husband’s progress. She also discusses the matter with Ares. Ares has every interest in seeing Hephaestus fail.

- Some Olympians begin taking wagers as to whether Hephaestus will succeed or not (Hermes is the ringleader of this). 

Background - Barida

- For some time Vala has warned about a flashpoint called Barida. She has asked Ethan to intercede before but he has not done so. 

- Three Stair-capable factions are vying for control of a key world which used to be part of Bastiano's Empire. The remnants of that Empire still remain on Barida (including some Bastiano's descendents) but the 'Emperor' has been missing for some time.

- Abraxas considers himself the God of Cats, and he rules the Allax Brotherhood (aka the Black Brotherhood) which rules from the shadows.

- The Draconian Empire had sent Abigail to lead 'diplomatic' efforts, but her mission has now changed - she has been directed to seize control of the realm.

- Vala is concerned about Barida being a flashpoint and since Ethan could not be convinced, she sent Drake to secure the world, or at least to prevent the Dragon Emperor (Lofwyr) from doing so.

- Barida itself is a feudal world with advanced technology. There are other starsystems as well but Barida is the focal point. Since Bastiano’s departure (death), four Kings have arisen - one for each of the noble splinter-houses - Visari, Ventauri, Vincentius and Sinden. A fifth faction is ruled by the warlord McBride.

- Isabelle and Ethan have determined that resolving the conflict on Barida can be used to charge the vessel of Wits, which is needed to help Hephaestus with his second Great Task.

- Ethan’s Divination says that Abigail will be killed if he does not intercede. He is certain of this, hence he has a personal stake in wanting to go to Barida.

Adventure Preamble

- Ethan decides to deal with Abraxas first. Macavity refuses to get involved (this is another Cat’s turf) The conversation with Abraxas is cordial - he can be persuaded to stay out of any upcoming conflict but he wants to be well paid. (Ethan agrees to this but feels like he is being conned by the Cat)

- Ethan meets with Drake. Drake doesn’t like the potential for conflict with the Draconian Empire and he agrees to hold off. Ethan says that he will attempt to bargain with Abigail (the Dragon Emperor’s representative). 

- King Visari is seeking support from the Dragon Emperor (Lofwyr) to increase his control over the Baridan realm. However, King Ventauri plots to destroy House Visari before assistance from the Draconian Empire is provided which would make House Visari unstoppable.

- Grant agrees to talk to Lofwyr (whom he has a good relationship with) and see if he can persuade the Dragon Emperor not to pursue Barida. He knows that Lofwyr respects him but he has never asked for a favour like this.

Part 1 - Abigail Under Attack

- Ethan knows Abigail has been tasked to secure Barida on behalf of the Dragon Emperor Lofwyr. Abigail is highly valued by Lofwyr as a precious asset (mine!). Ethan also believes that she will be killed unless he intervenes. His Divination spells are clear about this but it’s not clear to him as to how this will happen. Ethan suspects that an Olympian working against Hephaestus is involved but he doesn’t know who or why (yet).

- Ethan knows that Abigail won’t be dissuaded from her mission. He knows her very well - if she accepts a job, she will dogmatically pursue it even if it kills her. She doesn’t back down. So Ethan tries a different tactic: he explains that her life is in danger and he will join her until the danger has passed. At first Abbie is cautious but Ethan seduces her (an unusual tactic for him), and then promises to protect her, even if that means standing against fellow Lords of Gossamer.

* Image sourced from Google Images, representing the Royal Palace on Barida

- Ethan joins Abbie’s retinue at the Royal Palace on Barida. She is busy with negotiations and has little personal time. They both remain visibly professional but increasingly they talk secretly via Icon. Abbie has no idea why Lofwyr wants Barida, except that he wants it - and she doesn’t question the Emperor very often on his motives. If he wanted her to know the reasons, he would have already told her.

- Ethan remains very tense during the weeks that follow. His Divination spells continue to warn of imminent danger. 

- Then it happens. The King of the Visari is dead, killed by poison. 

- His death triggers conflict but not open war. The King’s two children (Moni and Hurel) become Abigail’s wards and she becomes defacto ruler of the Visari. This triggering event results in her calling in Draconian reinforcements to reinforce the Visari.

- Meanwhile, Ethan feels that the danger has not passed. In fact, he is even more certain that Abigail will be next.

- The poison is traced back to a trusted servant who is found dead. A doppelganger is suspected. Ethan works with Doctor Thrann, a middle-aged physician in the service of House Visari, to perform an autopsy on the body and they find a small mark on the lower back below the ribcage. Ethan wonders if a parasite could be involved and they investigate further. This is quickly confirmed as they confirm that this is an entry mark, but the parasite exited explosively from within the throat (making a mess inside the mouth). From outside, the body appears unmarked. Within, not so.

* Image sourced from Google Images, representing Doctor Thrann (the image is actually of Ursula Le Guin who wrote the Earthsea books, and many others)

- The parasite has escaped, and Ethan wonders if there could be more of them. Doctor Thrann and Ethan look through the medical and biology archives and find evidence of a parasite that can puppeteer and kill. It has been used before on Barida, but this sort of engineered lifeform is highly illegal (but so is assassination). The parasite is reasonably vulnerable outside the body but it is difficult to detect when inhabiting a host. Even a medical scan might not find the parasite. However, there are certain scents which an infected person becomes hypersensitive to and this may trigger a reaction.

- Armed with this information, Ethan goes to check on Abigail and confirms that she is not herself infected. He explains what they are looking for and she orders him to deal with it. (Ethan notes that Abbie is a little shaken by what this parasite can do but she keeps it well hidden).

- Ethan and Doctor Thrann go to work to synthesise the offending odours that will trigger a reaction, then they start screening people. They find Abigail’s normal bodyguard, a bulky draconian warrior named Murak, has been infected. Ethan uses a spell to put Murak to Sleep, enabling Doctor Thrann to perform an operation and remove the parasite. They continue hunting, finding two more - one in a House Visari chambermaid (who dies when revealed) and one which has control of the family pet (a ‘bog’).

- The danger has passed.

- That evening, Abbie asks Ethan to stay with her. During the night, Abbie has nightmares which disturb her sleep and Ethan tries to reassure her. He has not seen her visibly frightened in a long time. Abbie tells Ethan that she loves him, and apologises for sometimes pretending that she doesn’t, and that things are okay when they aren’t. 

- The next day, Abigail’s confidence has returned and she maintains a professional and commanding presence. Ethan remains watchful - they may have found these parasites but not the individual who unleashed them in the first place.

Part 2 - Ethan under Attack

- House Ventauri (the No.2 house) allies with House Vincentius (the No.3) against the ruling House Visari. Abigail assumes the formal title of ‘Lord Protector’ and puts Ethan in charge of Moni Visari and Hurel Visari (the two surviving children of the King). Ethan contacts Isabelle via Icon and they talk about the situation. Isabelle hopes that Ethan is using all of his ‘wits’ to charge the vessel (it is going poorly so far). She comments that Hilda has been asking for him so Ethan agrees to let her come and visit. Hilda is introduced to the two Visari children and they get along well.

- As tensions continue to rise, Ethan tries to talk to Abraxas again. However, the Cat is having too much fun (and making a lot of money from both sides) and isn’t interested in helping further.

- By this point, Ethan suspects that Ares is involved, probably at Aphrodite’s request. If the myths are true, Ares enjoys stirring up trouble and formenting conflict. He could be behind it all. 

- Representatives from House Ventauri and House Vincentius appeal to the Lord Protector (Abbie) and attempt to reach a peace accord. However Ethan correctly divines that this is a ruse and he protects Abbie and House Visari from another attack.

- This open attack further escalates the conflict and Ethan visits House Sinden to try to find out which side he will take. Ethan has already divined that King Sinden is not interested in joining the civil war but he believes that King Sinden will reveal what he knows. Ethan travels by a space vessel to the world of Sindar (ruled by House Sinden). He is expecting trouble from what is revealed, and Abigail advises him to be careful. King Sinden is an honourable man but honourable men still do terrible things when they feel that they have no choice.

- Ethan visits the palace and is welcomed by King Sinden and his court. However, the welcome is short-lived as Ares is introduced. Ethan realises that King Sinden is being coerced and Ares has taken this opportunity to isolate and eliminate Ethan. 

* Image by Stefan Kopinski which is part of the Mythic Battles Pantheon board game

- Ares is almost eight feet tall, well built and armed to the teeth. As soon as Ethan sees him, he discerns Ares’ intent and Ethan cuts loose. He has long had time to adjust Sorcery to this realm’s particulars, and he slams Ares back with a Force-Push. Ethan starts the fight in the throne room. 

- What follows is a no-holds barred fight. Ethan has fought Grant many times in personal combat and been beaten (almost) every time. He assumes that Ares is as strong as Grant is so his only choice is to use brute spellcraft (which is tiring), fight dirty and get the hell out of the fight as quickly as possible.

- Ethan’s use of Sorcery brings down a good part of the palace, killing King Sinden and some of his court. Ares is unable to close to use his sword (Ethan keeps driving him back), so he decides to use other, more modern weapons. Ethan’s Dragonshield will protect him from pretty much any weapons, but it doesn’t cover him completely, nor does it protect from sonic attacks. Ares successfully puts a hole in Ethan’s leg and uses concussive blasts from a sonic pistol to disorient him. Ethan is unable to inflict more than a flesh wound on Ares using Sorcery and Power Words. He quickly realises that he is completely outmatched here and he attempts to run (or rather fly, using spells which give him Superman-level flight). Unfortunately this again fails as Ares is able to continue to disorient Ethan and close the distance. 

- At last Ethan whips up a vortex (which requires less concentration and is more a case of ‘cutting loose’). This gives him a little protection from the sonic blasts, keeps Ares at bay and gives him the opportunity to use one of his more basic spells (Mental Invisibility). With a final push, Ethan vanishes and the storm dissipates. He has taken to the sky and Ares is not sure where he has gone. 

- Returning to House Visari, Abigail is concerned by what has happened. King Sinden is dead and House Visari is being blamed for the assassination. The other houses are aligning against House Visari. She finds it interesting that Ares has singled Ethan out. Mars (Ares) is venerated on her homeworld of Meridian. Ethan remarks that if Ares is involved then Venus (Aphrodite) will also probably be involved. Abigail is smart enough to realise that Ethan knows more than what he is prepared to say. However, she doesn’t like that Ethan is withholding information from her which might be important.

Adventure Conclusion

- The Houses gang up on House Visari, leaving Abigail in charge of defending an otherwise leaderless house.

- Grant asks the Dragon Emperor (Lofwyr) to withdraw from Barida. Lofwyr is surprised by the request and readily agrees to this. He can’t remember the last time that Grant asked something of him, and he quite likes the idea that Grant will owe him a favour in the future. 

- Grant returns with this news to Barida and Abigail is crushed. The Dragon Emperor has withdrawn his support and the people of House Visari will almost certainly be annihilated if she leaves. Grant offers to stay and turn the tide of the war, as does Ethan. Abigail is quietly furious with Ethan, believing he has somehow engineered this mess, interfered with her task and lessened the Dragon Emperor’s opinion of her. Abigail agrees to Lofwyr’s instructions to withdraw most of the military forces, but retains what is needed to protect ‘Draconian interests’ (ie: protect House Visari from annihilation).

- Grant becomes ‘General’ of House Visari and takes over the defence of the house. He works with Abigail and Ethan to stabilise the realm. It takes him more than a year to engineer a new peace, but this requires multiple battles to be fought before the other Houses are willing to entertain the idea. Those battles require personnel and equipment from the Draconian Empire and from Hephaestus himself in order to achieve victory. Grant suspects that Ares remains involved but there are no sightings to confirm it. Tinkerbell and Grant grow very close during this time.

- Hilda makes good friends with Moni Visari and Hurel Visari (the surviving children of the late King) and wants to stay longer with her friends.

- Abigail makes the best of the situation, being stuck on Barida for a year. She advances the Dragon Emperor’s interests and stays close to Ethan.

- Isabelle continues to work in Hephaestus’ workshops, making significant leaps in her projects due to the equipment and resources available to her. She enjoys working with Brontes, a jovial cyclops who works in one of Hephaestus’ forges. She wonders when Lucien will return, and is saddened that Ethan has been away so long.

- The ‘Test of Wits’ vessel is finally charged and Hephaestus is ready for his Second Task.

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.