Session 291 - Olympian Errand

GM’s Observations

- Effectively this was a side plot which then contributed to the main ‘Hephaestus’ storyline.

Major Characters

- Ethan

Adversaries

- ??? (no spoilers)

Adventure Hook

- Hermes spoke to Ethan and asked to discuss a matter privately with him. Ethan assumes that Hermes will meet him on Marindar where the Olympians occasionally visit.

Background

- Hephaestus has completed two Great Tasks. Ares and Aphrodite are expected to interfere with the third Great Task. Hera has watched Hephaestus’ conduct with interest but has not expressed a point of view.

Adventure Summary

- Ethan returns to Marindar. A few days later, Hermes meets with him and asks Ethan to perform a task on behalf of his patron. Hermes doesn’t know who the patron was but he believes it to be one of the Olympians. Stressing that discretion is important, Ethan is asked to go to a pastoral realm and fix a broken statue. He is told that he won’t be welcome in that location. The patron of this errand would look upon Ethan most favourably if he can complete this task.

- Ethan doesn’t like the idea of an unidentified patron. He doesn’t sense danger but it could still be some sort of trap. Ethan agrees to try. Hermes gives him directions as to how to find the realm and the house which holds the statue. The status is supposed to be on the upper floor but Hermes doesn’t know precisely where.

- After thinking over the situation and preparing himself for the errand, Ethan departs Marindar. He carries objects for gathering up pieces of a statue, shrinking an object and also dimensionally transporting it (his old dimensional cube). He assumes that the status will be heavy and he doesn’t want to carry it out, especially if it is in pieces.

- Ethan walks the Grand Stair and arrives in a mighty temple to the Olympians. This one is dedicated to the goddess Hera. 

- Using a Mental Invisibility spell to avoid detection, Ethan follows Hermes directions through the farmlands, through a small hamlet to a larger house a few miles away. Ethan can feel that this realm is very strong, and very sensitive to magic. Any significant magic here is likely to create a tremor and be detected. 

- It is late morning when Ethan reaches his destination. The farmstead feels forbidding. He can’t sense any animal life nearby - even the birds seem to avoid this place. Ethan approaches the front door and pulls a cord to ring the doorbell. At last a malformed creature that seems to be part-man, part-dog answers the door. The creature seems to be in pain. Ethan tricks the creature into allowing him entry (Ethan was afraid of breaching the rules of hospitality) and then puts the creature to sleep with a spell. Inspecting the dog-man, Ethan decides that it is not a hybrid - someone has merged a man with a dog, possibly some kind of curse. He decides to let the creature sleep and heads upstairs to find the statue.

- Ethan finds a dead man in the first room who seems to have died of shock. The body shows no sign of decomposition - everything here seems to be frozen in time. In the second room the curtains are drawn and the shattered remains of a statue. There are thousands of fragments, many of them tiny. It appears that the statue was blown apart, possibly by ‘lightning’. Of course, it would be impossible to be struck by a bolt of lightning when indoors but not if the lightning were thrown by one of the Olympians. Zeus seems the most likely Olympian to be throwing thunderbolts and Ethan wonders if he will incur the ire of whoever destroyed the statue if he puts it back together. Ethan assumes that the statue was once a person, but it’s in too many pieces to be sure what type of person.

- Ethan carefully gathers up the pieces and stores them in a dimensional cube. As he does so, he hears something knocking faintly but persistently on the window. He ignores it, finishes up and heads downstairs. The dog-man is still sleeping but there is a small bird flying from window to window, chirping frantically. Ethan makes a discreet departure using Mental Invisibility.

- Returning to the Stair, Ethan decides to visit Isabelle. He arranges to meet her in her home domain. Isabelle is pleased to see Ethan and they catch up on current events. Ethan produces the dimensional cube and explains that he’s been asked to put a broken statue back together, and it is in many pieces. He thought that they could work on the project together. Isabelle is pleased with this and they start work, using advanced technology to scan the individual fragments and figure out how best to align and place them. The task takes them many days but neither of them is in any hurry. They have finished fashioning the Vessel for Grace and are awaiting the opportunity to prime it. 

- At last the statue is restored and it is of a beautiful young woman whose face is frozen in a final scream of anguish. Her arms are outstretched, reaching for something. Using Eidolon, Ethan is able to restore the statue to its original perfect state. He is certain that this used to be a person - the detail is so exquisite that it would be a lifetime's work to carve. He still has no idea who the patron is or what consequences there might be to restore this statue.

- Isabelle is already thinking about another interim project and she needs to visit Hephaestus’ workshop in order to consult with Brontes (one of the Cyclops) there. She wishes Ethan well and heads on her way. Ethan uses technology to shrink and store the statue, and then heads to Marindar where he hopes that Hermes will find him.

- Ethan finds Marindar hasn’t changed much since he left it. The sun is warm, the people are pleased to see him return and the smell of freshly baked loaves of bread is inviting. Ethan settles back into his house but it feels empty without Hilda, Isabelle, Abigail or Antigone. Leaving the statue of the nameless girl in the entrance hall of his house, Ethan goes out into the streets. Central feels alive and vibrant. It’s market day and there are many strangers to Marindar here. Ethan even spots a few reptilian creatures walking around that he hasn’t seen before. Ethan finds Hermes in the marketplace, enjoying a variety of cheese samples provided by a foreign merchant. Ethan doesn’t recognise the race of the merchant - he has a broad face and a squat frame. Another stranger from a foreign land.

- Hermes is surprised to see Ethan back so soon, and he quickly persuades Ethan to try and buy some cheese. Hermes follows Ethan back to his house and Ethan shows him the statue. Hermes inspects the statue but has no idea who this is.. Hermes has tried to find who the patron is of this request but still doesn’t know. Ethan asks about whether Juna (who is probably Hera) is in Marindar but Hermes hasn’t seen her. Hermes agrees to report the statue’s repair and wishes Ethan well.

- That evening Ethan invites Grant to join him for dinner. Grant arrives via an Icon contact and they talk. The topics range from current projects (Hephaestus) to the elusive Necromancer, from the next poker game to Ethan’s unfulfilled obligations to the Winter Court. They have a pleasant conversation overlooking the bay and Grant departs the next day.

- Ethan has no idea as to when Hermes will return so he visits Earth (Realm 0) to recover some possessions to make Marindar feel more like home, and then he spends time in the sun marvelling at all of the different peoples here. He visits his brother Mark and his family. He contacts Hilda to check that she is all right. Time seems to pass slowly on Marindar but he finds it a welcome change of pace.

- After a week, Hermes returns. He says that he knows who the girl is, but not who the patron is. Before Ethan can say to Hermes that he doesn’t want to know who the girl is, Hermes blurts out that she is Apollo’s lover. Grimacing, Ethan asks what the patron wants him to do with the statue. Hermes isn’t sure - he communicated to the patron (via intermediaries) that Ethan has restored the statue but he doesn’t know what will happen next. He assumes that the patron will come to Marindar to collect it or give further direction. Hermes is surprised by Ethan’s lack of curiosity as to who the patron is - he would be very curious if he were in Ethan’s place. Ethan remarks some of the Olympians are known to be vengeful, and he has no wish to offend anyone. Sometimes it is better not to know. Hermes laughs and says that this would be no fun and that no life is without risk.

- The conversation then changes and Hermes asks after Hilda and whether she would be interested in another adventure. (GM’s note - the last one was fun but Hermes and Hilda needed to be rescued). Ethan agrees to ask her. He pours some wine and shares some of the cheese. Ethan asks Hermes about the other Olympians and their disposition towards Hephaestus’ endeavours. Hermes cheerfully says that there is a wager going as to whether Hephaestus will be successful or not. Ethan asks which way Hermes is betting and Hermes roars with laughter. Slapping Ethan on the back, Hermes assures him that he would like to see Hephaestus succeed. Ethan notes that Hermes didn’t say which way he was betting.

- Two days later a letter arrives which appears to have been inked in liquid silver. In the letter, Ethan is thanked for recovering and restoring the statue. There is no signature or symbol. The writer remains anonymous. The letter is so beautiful that Ethan puts it aside as a keepsake. At this point Ethan assumes that the patron will not come himself (or herself) - someone will arrive to collect it.

- Less than two hours later, Ethan has an unexpected guest on his doorstep. It is Juna (whom Ethan suspects may be Hera). Ethan has seen Hera before (on Mount Olympus) but they do not appear identical. Juna is dressed in elaborate Marindan garb. Ethan invites her in and offers her some refreshments.

* Image sourced from Google Images

- In the entranceway, Juna catches sight of the statue and stares at it in wonder.She admits that she didn’t think it was possible to repair it, thus revealing herself as Hera and the mysterious patron. After inspecting the statue, she asks about the others (the dog-man and the bird). Ethan answers her truthfully and she says that she appreciates his discretion in this matter. She explains that she was furious with the girl as she thought her husband (Zeus) was being unfaithful. Instead she struck down someone who was precious to her son (referring to Apollo). She asks if Ethan will return the statue to the house where he found the pieces, and she will lift her curse on the house. (which will undo the manservant’s merger with his faithful hound, and restore Apollo’s daughter from her bird-form)

- Ethan agrees to help. Juna asks what reward Ethan would like for his service. Ethan admits to having thought about it, but he can’t think of anything for himself. There are many things that he would like but he doesn’t think asking help from a goddess is the right way to solve his problems. Juna doesn’t appear surprised and she asks what Hephaestus has offered him to assist him. Ethan tells her that Hephaestus hasn’t offered anything. Hephaestus asked for help and Ethan agreed to help him.

- Juna accepts this and notes that Hephaestus is lucky to have such a selfless companion. She will look upon Hephaestus’ current quest with a favourable eye and forgive previous transgressions (GM’s note - referring to the episode from Greek Myth where Hephaestus tied his mother to a chair)

- Juna asks to be shown around his house and Ethan does so. He offers refreshments and they settle down on the balcony. There they chat for a time about Marindar. Juna asks a little about his travels. It is polite conversation but Juna seems interested in Ethan and what kind of person he is. However, when the topic turns to Abigail and Isabelle, Ethan notes that Juna clearly disapproves of him having relationships with two women.

Other Impacts

- None

Session 290 - A Celebration in Olympus

GM’s Observations

- We’re back and running the game weekly once more. This session focuses on a single event in the Hephaestus plot arc. 

Major Characters

- Ethan and Isabelle

Adversaries

- None really

Adventure Hook

- Hephaestus has successfully achieved his second Great Task and he has invited the Lords of Gossamer to Olympus to celebrate.

Background

- The adventure (debacle) on Barida has enabled Grant, Isabelle and Ethan to charge a vessel with the Wits. This has enabled Hephaestus to perform his second Great Task. He has been successful and Hephaestus asks Zeus to confer upon him a greater measure of Metis. Zeus does this but he elicits a promise from Hephaestus in return.

- Hence the second Great Task has been achieved and the Olympians wish to celebrate this.

Adventure Summary

- On Mount Olympus, the Olympians are celebrating with a feast and much wine. The entire pantheon is present, each god and goddess is roughly eight feet tall. Many other guests from other pantheons have been invited - Ethan can identify some of them: the elephant headed Ganesha, a huge cat goddess who can only be Bastet, a four-eyed four-eared god named Marduk and Bragi, the Norse god of poetry. The Olympians and their divine guests sit at the high table with Zeus and Hera.

- Ethan and Isabelle join a larger table which sits approximately forty guests of human size. Here they find themselves in the company of other notables and many heroes. Ethan finds himself at a section of table where a Celtic hero loudly brags of his exploits. Unfortunately Ethan doesn’t manage to catch his name but he listens with interest as the tales are entertaining. In the meantime, Isabelle has found others to engage with at the other end of the table, and servants continue to bring food and wine.

- As the feast goes on, the high table becomes more boisterous. A plate crashes to the ground. The gods boom as they joke and laugh. The gods are becoming more than just merry. Some of them seem to be getting quite drunk. The guests at the low table have to raise their voices just to be heard.

- Ethan notes that Hephaestus seems to be okay but he also notes a reddish tinge to Athena’s cheeks and she seems to have clammed up (which is very wise). He wonders if someone has ‘spiked the drinks’.

- Suddenly there is a pause in the conversation at the table and the Celtic hero asks for Ethan’s name. Ethan shares his name and there is immediate recognition from those around him - they have heard of him and his deeds. This takes Ethan completely by surprise as he’s not used to being recognised or his deeds known. 

- There is a second crash. A plate has been thrown so hard that it has embedded itself in one of the stone walls (was a god trying to show off and using a plate as a discus?) Ethan suggests that they move outside into the gardens and some of the others follow his lead. 

- It is much quieter in the gardens, even though the noise from the Olympians can still be heard, even at a distance. Suddenly Bastet races out into the gardens and starts darting through the maze-like hedges. Her eyes are wide as if she is an overstimulated cat. Ethan and some of the others find a quiet part of the garden to continue their conversations - an open area with a fountain in the middle. The servants follow their little group and continue to offer food and drink - they seem relieved to be outside where they are less likely to be hit by flying plates.

- Ethan continues chatting away with the Celtic hero who seems to be curious about him. The man gives his name as Fandral (GM’s note - yes, we borrowed this from the Warriors Three) and they talk for a while about their adventures. A wizened asian gentleman with no other hair other than a sharp grey goatee listens to their stories but says little about himself. He introduces himself as Master Li (GM’s note - a homage to Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart). When asked, Li explains that he was not invited, but he read the ‘signs’ and came. Ethan finds this fascinating. He asks the servants for tea (rather than wine) and Fandral loses interest in the conversation. He wishes Ethan well and decides to see if there might be any nymphs in the garden.

* Image sourced from Google Images but this is clearly of Fandral from Marvel

- Master Li and Ethan talk for some time. What Ethan finds so interesting is that Li seems to have no special abilities. He’s just very smart and very observant. He spotted a subtle change in the path of the sun and deduced that there was a change in the Olympian pantheon (as observed by the different movement of the sun chariot). Li is not a Warden of the Stair, and it admits that it was a ‘long walk’ to reach Olympus. Nevertheless he felt that the journey was worth it - he enjoys solving mysteries (and this was a mystery) and he enjoys meeting new people.

* Image sourced from Google Images

- Li then asks Ethan about the blue-golden belt that he is wearing. (Ethan is dressed in Marindan-style robes and has a belt of blue-gold around his waist). Ethan tells Li the story of Marshal Leng, one of the Dragon Emperor’s generals, who wears armour made of blue-gold. The belt was a gift from the Marshal as a result of a ‘battle of wits’ between them, fought over a board game of black and white tokens.

- Ethan observes that Hephaestus has left the gathering of Olympians and he is in the company of Bacchus. He also notes that Isabelle is talking amiably to a dark-skinned man.

- The day passes quickly in polite conversation and Ethan finds that he enjoys meeting so many interesting characters. The noise level from the Olympians always remains high but they seem to be a happy, rowdy group as opposed to an angry group. Ethan half expects a drunk Ares to come looking for him to pick a fight, but it does not happen. In the late afternoon, many of the guests depart. Ethan goes to find Hephaestus and finds him with Bacchus and a number of pixies. Hephaestus is sternly telling the diminutive creatures that their antics have gone too far and they should not have ‘spiked the wine’ with faerie dust.

- Ethan waits patiently and then asks Hephaestus for permission to depart. He thanks the Olympian for the invitation. Returning to the gardens, Ethan is met by Hermes. Hermes smiles at Ethan and says that he would like to talk to him privately in the next few days. Ethan agrees to this. 

- There are few guests left. Isabelle is one of them. Ethan asks one of the servants for a decanter of wine to take with him and one the servants presents him with a beautiful decanter made of crystal. Ethan suggests that they leave together and share the wine, and she agrees.

- Ethan and Isabelle return to Marindar together. It has been a considerable time since they spent any time together. Ethan explains that he chose Marindar as Hermes wants to talk to him and he assumes that he will turn up at some point to meet him. Ethan and Isabelle have talked via Icon a lot but it’s been months since they met in person. They talk a little bit about the Test of Grace. Ethan has already figured out the target - it’s going to be restoring Lady Sophia (who was rescued from Lord Wynterlyr). She remains only a shadow of her former self. Restoring her Grace would be a major undertaking, and they will need Grant to help. At this point Grant doesn’t know that she is alive and recuperating in Marindar (on one of the many islands).

- Isabelle lasts only two days in Marindar before she’s had enough. The Marindans are lovely people but she always feels that they would like her better if she found a local partner and produced some offspring. It doesn’t seem to bother Ethan as much but Isabelle doesn’t like the undercurrent. Ethan asks her to be careful given that Ares and Aphrodite are probably trying to prevent Hephaestus from completing his third Great Task. 

- After three days Ethan needs a change of scene. He heads to Earth (Realm 0) to check on the house, read the newspaper, talk with the ravens and head to the local town of Fiveways. It’s a warm June day and Ethan decides to walk from Westgate Manor to Fiveways. The town has changed again. Many of the buildings remain the same but there are some newer, more modern buildings too. Ethan visits the Tipsy Elephant (the local pub) for a pint. The same jukebox is there, with the CD by Abbie Powell (when she was a singer, long ago). It brings back memories for me. 

- To his surprise, Ethan is recognised at the Tipsy Elephant. The chef isn’t an Earth-native. He’s one of the people that Ethan brought to Earth from the Legendary Realm. ‘Tom’ (Tarth) is overjoyed to see ‘Prince’ Ethan. Tom never expected him to walk into the place that he worked (Tom has no idea that Ethan’s house is nearby - it’s just a coincidence). Tom is genuinely pleased to see Ethan and he talks about settling down, marrying a local girl and raising a family here. Ethan listens in astonishment. He is so used to feeling responsible for ‘destroying’ the Legendary Realm that the gratitude from one of the survivors is a great shock to him.

* Image sourced from Google Images

- There are others from the Legendary Realm in Fiveways. A number of them have gravitated to this place for no reason other than it felt right. Tom asks if Ethan would come back for dinner tomorrow night and he’ll invite as many as he can. Ethan agrees to this. 

- Returning home to Westgate Manor very late, Ethan finds the ravens and cats fast asleep and all is quiet. Going to the sitting room, he takes a book of Greek Myths (by Robert Graves) and begins to read.

Other Impacts

- This session foreshadows the conversation with Hermes, further meddling by Aphrodite, conflict with Ares and so forth.

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.