Bruce

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- Calador to the North, Damara to the South

- Damara has been shattered into numerous fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel, Barony of Polten

- Calador fell 10 years ago and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence.

- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.

- Two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous.

- Baron Geoffrey Tranth was one of the survivors. His son Hervis was slain at the battle of Goliad. His daughter Aeflwynn is the last of his line.



GM Observations (Part 1)

- Once again, Grant and Ethan return to the Legendary Realm. They were last there in Sessions 62 to 66. Generally the Legendary Realm is a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons realm, however the realm itself attracts high calibre heroes and villains from other worlds. It even ‘scales up’ based on the calibre of heroes. Better still, the Legendary Realm knows a great deal about Grant and Ethan - and it wants to keep them.



Part 1 - Preparations for the Legendary Realm

- It is 1996, three years into the time compress. Life has moved on. Abbie has met a young Frenchman named Marc, and Ethan is (for the moment) separated from her. Ethan has let her go but he hopes that one day things will be different. Ethan has learnt enough sorcery to be able to do simple divination spells, but hasn’t attempted to divine his future with Abbie. Ethan feels unmoored, and it is hard to focus on Clockworld and Earth without Abbie being part of his life.

- Meanwhile Grant and Sophia are still together, and Grant has recently completed his paramedic course on Earth. He is keen to celebrate this milestone, and has persuaded Ethan that they should go back onto the Stair and have some fun ‘like old times’.

- Grant has long wanted to help the Princess in the Glass Mountain (originally seen in Session 44) but according to the legend, only a Prince can free her. Grant knows that in the Legendary Realm that he and Ethan were referred to as the ‘Lost Princes’ so he is keen to return there and learn more about this place where they are royalty. However, given that they could be recognised by their real names in the Legendary Realm, Grant decides to call himself “Rook”, and Ethan chooses to go by “Griffin” once more.

- They know that they cannot contact people via Icon whilst in the Legendary Realm. On their last trip, Ethan established a contact with Abbie and she was pulled in. So Grant advises Sophia of his intentions to return to the Legendary Realm (but he says nothing of the Princess in the Glass Mountain). Ethan contacts Abbie and lets her know that he’s leaving for a time. He promises to let her know when he returns, and says that if she is in real trouble that she should contact him (because then at least she’ll also be brought to the Legendary Realm). Abbie thanks Ethan and wishes him well, saying that she hopes that he will find something that will make him ‘smile again’.

- Grant prepares for the Legendary Realm as if he is going on a long and dangerous mission. He wears armoured cloth (which he knows will be transformed upon entry to the Legendary Realm into some sort of armour), he carries a variety of weapons and a pack which carries provisions and water. He also carries a cittern. In contrast Ethan dresses in his ‘musketeer’ outfit (GM’s note - seen in the official picture of Grant/Ethan), carries his rapier and wears his dragonshield slung over his back. They meet at Westgate cottage. It is quiet here. The ravens, cats and even Macavity have gone.

- Ethan pauses as they are about to leave. He considers contacting Isabelle to see if she would like to come. He feels bad that he hasn’t spoken to her in a few months. He considers using her Icon, but decides to leave it.

- Grant claps Ethan on the back and reminds him that ‘what happens on the Stair, stays on the Stair’. It is clear to Ethan that Grant is looking forward to an opportunity to cut loose and raise a bit of hell. His mood is infectious and Ethan cheers up.



Part 2 - Through the Red Door (Day 1)

- The journey to the Legendary Realm is very short. The Door is on the home landing, close to Earth 0. Grant and Ethan arrive in a mediaeval township, stepping out of one of the wooden buildings into what appears to be the town square. There are many people on the streets, but this is a poor township. Many of the people here are dressed in old clothes and there are numerous refugees. However, the mood of the people is bright (at least for now) as the circus is in town and everyone is on the streets waiting for it to roll into town. A few plucky street vendors have set up stalls to try to sell their wares or are weaving through the crowd, trying to sell what they can to the throng of people. While Ethan talks to some locals, buying some snacks from a street vendor, Grant steps away from the town square and shapeshifts into a sparrow.

- Grant then takes off and goes for a look over the town. The houses and city wall have stone foundations, but otherwise they are made of wood. Most of the houses have slate roofs. The streets to the east are choked with people waiting to see the circus. Grant quickly spies it - it consists of seven large covered wagons which are moving under their own power (probably via magic) towards the east gate. Each covered wagon bears the sign “The Circus of Doctor Trundles”.

- Grant returns without incident. Ethan introduces the two farmers that he has met to Grant, and shares some information about where they are. This town is called Valls in the Duchy of Arcata. It is run by Duke William, who is also called “William the Lazy”. The farmers speak of misery ever since King Virdin was slain two years ago in a terrible battle, and now half the population is on the move fleeing the Witch King from what used to be Calador (before the Witch King made it his own).

- Grant spies a tavern on the other side of the congested town square and decides to head for it, leaving Ethan chatting with his new farmer friends.



Part 3 - The Golden Grain Inn (Day 1)

- At the Inn of the Golden Grain, Grant finds that it is packed and he is unable to reach the bar to order a drink. As such, he announces that he’ll buy everyone a round and the crowd parts to let him through.

- Once it is clear that Grant has coin, everyone wants to be his friend. Grant introduces himself as “Rook” and says that he is a freesword from the south. Settling down at a table with a group of men, he asks them all about what has happened here. The information flows freely.

- For generations, these lands were ruled by the Kings of Damara. Always Calador to the North (beyond the Galena mountains) and Damara to the South. However, ten years ago, Calador fell and became a wintery wasteland. Fell winds continue to blow from the north every winter, bringing misery and pestilence with them.

- Where once a great and noble of King of Calador ruled, now, there is only the Witch King of Vaasa. No one knows where he came from, but he is known to use necromancy.

- Then, two years ago, King Virdin of Damara was slain at the battle of Goliad. Many of the competent loyalists were slain, leaving only with the pliable and the traitorous. This split the old Kingdom of Damara into many fiefdoms - the Barony of Arcata, Duchy of Brandiar, Duchy of Carmathan, Duchy of Sorovia, Barony of Bloodstone, Barony of Morov, Barony of Ostel and Barony of Polten.

- Grant asks if the death of King Virdin ended his line, and those at the table confirm that the entire Damaran royal bloodline was wiped out. Those who survived the Battle at Goliad were wiped out a few weeks later in the ‘Night of Long Knives’. No one really knows who was behind the ‘Night of Long Knives’ but all across Damara, most of the remaining ruling nobility who were still loyal to the King were wiped out in a single night.

- Grant asks about the ‘Lost Princes’ and the men laugh. To them, it is just a fairy tale.



Part 4 - The Circus Arrives (Day 1)

- Meanwhile, the cheers from the people outside in the town square grow louder. The Circus of Doctor Trundles is approaching. One by one, seven covered wagons move slowly into view. In front of them is a small carriage in which sit the wild haired Doctor Trundles, his shortish sidekick Tanaroo and a grey Cat called Schrödinger.

- Even Duke William has come to see the circus. A raised platform has been set up for His Lordship, and a corpulent fellow sits on a large chair, watching the Circus’ arrival with interest.

- Doctor Trundles tries to calm the crowd, but it is Tanaroo who silences them all to give his spiel. Speaking into a wand to amplify his voice, he encourages the audience to “gather ‘round” while he introduces the attractions. He is excitable and quickly whips the population into a frenzy of excitement.

- Grant and Ethan are surprised to hear Tanaroo claim that they have come from the Agora, and that they have collected creatures from many worlds “beyond your wildest comprehension”. Grant watches from one of the open windows of the Inn whilst Ethan watches from street level as he continues to munch on an apple from one of the street sellers.

- Tanaroo introduces the first attraction as a landshark - a strange beast that resulted from a mad wizard’s experimental cross-breeding of a snapping turtle with an armadillo with a touch of demon’s blood. The curtain draws back to reveal the beast. Tanaroo assures the gaping audience that viewing the attractions is quite safe. He claims that Doctor Trundles is a sorcerer of rare and exceptional talent and the creatures cannot escape. (GM’s note - yeah yeah, this is the Legendary Realm - as if those creatures are going to stay caged for long …)

- Jumping to the next wagon which is even larger, he draws back the curtain to reveal a strange beast which has the hindquarters of a goat, the foreparts of a lion, the wings of a dragon and three heads. While the audience stands astonished, Tanaroo goes on to explain that this is the original Chimera, and that Bellerophron was lying when he said that he slew the beast - for how else could it be here otherwise. Grant and Ethan chuckle at the reference, but no one else in the crowd seems to get the joke. The Chimera looks very cross.

- Reaching the next wagon which is the largest of the seven, Tanaroo further whips the crowd into a frenzy by warning them that there is a dragon inside, but again assures them that they can view this fearsome beast in complete safety “only at the Circle of Doctor Trundles”. Tanaroo explains that dragons come in all shapes and sizes, but this one is a storm dragon of the very largest size. Opening the curtain reveals a very pissed off looking storm-grey dragon which fills the entire cage. The crowd takes a frightened step back (Ethan included) but there is finally some nervous applause.

- Jumping to the next wagon, Tanaroo reveals a two-horned jet black horse which Tanaroo says is a ‘nightmare’ from the Nine Hells. The bicorn glares balefully at the crowd, and paces up and down. Every footfall raises a spray of flame and smoke.

- Tanaroo doesn’t get as much applause from the nightmare as he expected, so he moves to the next wagon. He warns the audience (again to get them excited) that the creature within is dangerous, but only to men. He says that the creature inside is a foxwoman, capable of changing form from a silver fox to a beautiful elven woman who would capture the heart of even the hardest man. Again, he assures that the enchantments of Doctor Trundles will allow patrons to view this unearthly beauty without being entranced. Tanaroo gives the audience a taste of this, by forcing the foxwoman to change briefly from fox to beautiful maid, but it is only a fleeting glimpse for very few of those who can see. This definitely excites the (predominantly male) crowd.

- Leaping to the next wagon, Tanaroo introduces a creature ‘from another world’ which can walk through solid stone. He refers to it as a Delver Zorn. Again the crowd is impressed by the strange beast with its stumpy legs, stubby arms and the jawed mouth on the top of its head.

- Tanaroo then leaps to the last wagon, and introduces a ‘chaos fiend’ - an amorphous creature consisting of eyes and mouths. Before the crowd can take a breath, Tanaroo returns to the biggest wagon, and begins his spiel once more on top of the storm dragon’s prison, telling the audience that the ‘performance’ will astonish and exceed all expectations. He tells the people where they will be performing, the price and continues to make his sales pitch of this ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.

- Then, suddenly, the Nightmare has had enough. Casting a counter-spell, the enchantments on the cages collapses. The Nightmare shifts into mist form and simply phases through the bars. The storm dragon powers up (electricity crackling) and blows the top off the wagon. Tanaroo bursts into flame and is flung high into the air. The sudden sound startles the landshark and it runs against the side of the cage, shattering it like matchwood.

- Cue, mayhem.



Part 5 - Mayhem (Day 1)

- During Tanaroo’s speech, Grant established an Icon contact with Ethan and asked him to ‘be ready’. (GM’s note - Grant’s High Warfare prepared him for the possibility of a break-out. Also, he knew that they are in the Legendary Realm and that the realm itself provides opportunities for heroics.) At the very first sign of trouble, Grant vaults through the open window of the Inn and makes a bee-line for the Circus of Doctor Trundles.

- Grant reacts faster than the crowd, who are momentarily too shocked to do anything. He sprints towards the landshark as it crashes out of the cage. The landshark is confused and scared by all of the people - and it decides that flattening some of them is the best way of establishing its dominance of the situation.

- Then all hell breaks loose. The Chimera smashes apart its cage and takes to the air. The Delver Zorn starts melting through the floor. The Chaos Spawn oozes through the gap in the bars and begins spraying people with vile ochre to keep them away.

- Amidst this, Doctor Trundles cries out to the crowd to spare his attractions and promises one thousand pieces of gold for every creature subdued. Nobody in the crowd attempts to subdue any of the creatures - instead they all panic and run (the Duke included).

- Grant leaps through the crowd as the landshark lumbers after them. Normally going head to head with a ten-tonne landshark would be a bad idea, but Grant is incredibly strong (and especially so in the Legendary Realm). He hits the landshark hard enough to stun it and stop its charge (which confuses it immensely), and then he wrestles with it and then flips its great bulk onto its back, immobilising it.

- During all of this, Grant has directed Ethan to take care of the Chimera given that it seems intent on killing people (whereas the Storm Dragon has taken to the air and is summoning a storm and drawing electrical power into itself). Ethan takes to the air, deftly avoids the three heads and then makes physical contact with it. His Psyche comes down on it like a crushing piledriver. The Chimera attempts to resist but Ethan’s Psyche is overpowering. The Chimera is suddenly put to Sleep in mid-air. It doesn’t matter that there are three independent heads with three separate brains - Ethan smashes through its weak mental defences and shuts it down.

- The ground rocks as the Chimera smashes into the ground. But Grant is no longer there - he is airborne, leaping into the air with an Incredible Hulk style jump after the Storm Dragon. The dragon is incredibly surprised by this. Grant is electrified as he lands on the dragon’s left wing but he still manages to pull its wing down, making it difficult for the dragon to stay aloft. While the dragon flaps to stabilise itself, Grant attempts to flip himself onto the dragon’s back. The first attempt fails, but the second attempt is successful. He manages to get a handhold further up the dragon’s body and hold on, beating it further with his fists. Each blow is titanic (it helps that Gorgorin is in ring-form on his right hand) and the shockwaves from each blow sound like thunder. The dragon reels with each impact, and it seeks to escape, trying to throw Grant off. But Grant persists, using his godlike strength to beat the dragon senseless. Eventually it crashes to the ground about a half mile outside of the town. Dusting himself off, Grant is suddenly overawed by his achievement - he physically beat the living snot out of a dragon - but then he remembers that there are four other creatures running amok and snaps out of it. He shifts back into a sparrow and heads back to help Ethan.

- Meanwhile, Ethan’s Sorcery is just as strong as he remembers it in this place. In the Legendary Realm, Ethan is truly powerful, even though the Legendary Realm blunts a Warden’s Wayfinding abilities. In only a few minutes he has subdued the Nightmare as it sought to escape the town square (redirecting a lightning bolt from the stormclouds which the Storm Dragon had summoned), snared the beautiful foxwoman by one hand and surrounded the amorphous chaos spawn with a spherical shield to contain it.

- Ethan can tell that the Delver Zorn is somewhere beneath him (melded with the ground) but he’s not sure how to flush it out. Meanwhile, the foxwoman (in the form of an elven maiden of semi-divine beauty) tries to ensorcel Ethan to release her. She is very attractive, and Ethan doesn’t really want to let her go. Part of him is quite enchanted with her, but he has a Very High Psyche and he remains rational.

- Grant returns to the town square. Almost everyone has fled. The landshark is still immobilised, and Grant does a quick mental count of all of the creatures. He realises that there is one left - the Delver Zorn. Grant is about to ask Ethan about it when the foxwoman asks Grant for help, seeking to ensorcel him. Grant is taken aback by the sudden thought that he should save this beautiful maiden from Ethan, but before he can take further action (or shrug it off), Ethan has planted a kiss on the maiden’s forehead and she swoons. (GM’s note - yes, Ethan has once again used a Sleep spell - one of his favourite devices) The foxwoman returns to her silver fox form and the spell is broken. Grant thinks no more of interceding. As Ethan puts her gently on the ground, Grant asks how they should deal with the last creature.

- They talk quickly. Ethan is unwilling to dig the creature up as it would “make a mess”. So Grant tries using Umbra to create an uncomfortable resonance through the ground for the creature and drive it upwards. This produces swift results - the Delver Zorn comes to the surface and tries to amble away on its stubby legs. Grant gives one of its legs a kick and the ungainly creature falls over and is quickly immobilised.

- The friends give each other a grin. Ethan offers a thumbs up.

- Then they notice two ten-year old boys who have been hiding under one of the wagons and have watched the whole thing. Their eyes are wide. Their jaws are wide open. “THAT WAS AMAZING !” they cry, quickly scrambling out from their hiding place.



Part 6 - The Plea for Help (Day 1)

- The two boys introduce themselves as Garlen and Garvin. They are twins (which reminds Ethan of himself and his brother). Tumbling over words and finishing each other's sentences, they explain that their village, Bloodstone, is threatened by bandits. They came to Valls seeking heroes to help them.

- Before the duo can even offer the ‘five silvers a day’ that the village can afford, Ethan has given Grant a knowing look (he knows it is a plot hook from the Legendary Realm and the circus was just a teaser) and Grant has agreed that they’ll come. He introduces himself as “Rook”, and Ethan as “Griffin”.

- Gaping, Garlen and Garvin can’t believe their luck, but before they can speak further, Ethan has spied poor Tanaroo and he excuses himself to heal the poor fellow. Grant asks Garlen and Garvin to wait for a few minutes as he spots Doctor Trundles and Schrödinger still cowering in the lead wagon. Grant heads over to Doctor Trundles and asks him to pay up seven thousand pieces of gold. He doesn’t expect Trundles to have the money, but to his surprise, Trundles says that he does. Trundles is equally surprised that all of the creatures have been subdued. When Grant explains that they are scattered around the town square and half a mile away, Trundles asks for Grant’s help in recovering all of the creatures so that they are not killed by the locals. It will take a good night’s work to re-enchant all of the cages but they can’t risk any of the creatures waking up until the cages are ready once more.

- Grant agrees to help. Ethan and Tanaroo return (Tanaroo is still a bit red, but the worst of his burns have been healed) and Trundles explains the plan.

- As many of the townsfolk of Valls watch (some of whom are quite angry), the smashed wagons are wheeled slowly out of town. Grant and Ethan drag, carry and ‘levitate’ the various creatures out of the city limits, defying any attempts by the thuggish-looking city guard to stop them. Ethan repairs the carts and strengthens them, and Doctor Trundles then starts re-enchanting the wagons to keep the creatures contained within. Ethan strengthens the spells with Eidolon to prevent them from being breached again.

- That evening, on the edge of town sitting beside a warm fire, Ethan asks Trundles if he truly came from the Agora. Trundles confirms this, and he seems surprised that Grant and Ethan know of the place. They talk a little, but the conversation is quickly diverted to the adventure at hand. Garlen and Garvin eagerly fill ‘the heroes’ in.



Part 7 - The Tale of Bloodstone Pass (Day 1)

- Garlen and Garvin explain that the town of Bloodstone lies in one of the few mountain passes through the Galena Mountains between Damara and the northern kingdom of Vaasa (what was once Calador). The Bloodstone Pass was once an important trade route, but when the sea route was opened up, the pass became less used and the town fell on hard times. But worse, when the war with the northern kingdom continued, the Bloodstone Pass found itself more and more cut off. Then the King of Damara was slain at the Battle of Goliad and the kingdom of Damara has largely disintegrated.

- Bandits have been a problem in the Bloodstone Pass for a long time, but in the last few years they have become more organised. Baron Tranth (the ruler of Bloodstone Pass) believes they have a new leader. It was the Baron who sent them to seek help. The bandits have been taking most of their harvest every year and last year the annual tribute also included healthy men and women - taken away and never seen again. The annual harvest is expected to be completed soon and the bandits will come again. The villagers are terrified of them, but there are many who would fight if only someone would help them.

- Ethan asks Garlen and Garvin how many bandits and how many villagers. The numbers are not good. The bandit army numbers over a thousand, and includes giants and other monsters. The villagers have only a few hundred fighting men. Ethan quickly reasons that they will need to hire some mercenaries.



Part 7 - Splitting Up (Day 1)

- Grant agrees with Ethan’s assessment. They discuss and Grant decides that he will head directly to Bloodstone with Garlen and Garvin to prepare the villagers. Ethan will try to hire soldiers to help - he guesses that it will take a week to hire troops, and Garlen guesses that it should take about a week to reach Bloodstone Pass on horseback or two weeks on foot. Grant asks when they expect the harvest to be finished and Garvin explains that it should be in about a week’s time, after which an envoy from the bandits typically arrives to inspect the village.

- Grant and Ethan talk for a while about the situation. The adventure reminds them of ‘The Seven Samurai’, except there don’t seem to be any others who are brave enough to stand with them. Grant decides that he’ll leave with boys at first light. They agree to use Icons to keep in touch. Ethan offers to keep watch while Grant sleeps, but Grant says that Ethan will need more rest than he - the people here are poor, and Ethan will be carrying a lot of gold. Grant warns Ethan that he will likely be a target for someone so he should “watch his back”. He suggests that the Legendary Realm “doesn’t do boring”. Ethan accepts this and he sleeps for a few hours.



Part 8 - On the Road (Day 2)

- In the morning Rook (Grant) sets off with Garlen and Garvin. They set off initially on foot, but when they are well out of sight, he reveals that he can shapeshift. Transforming into the form of a black pegasus, Rook asks the boys to hop on his back and then he takes to the air.

- On the first day, Rook soars over forest and low hills. He spies refugees on the road heading south and some thuggish-looking giants in the low hills. In the late afternoon, they set up camp and he contacts Griffin via Icon to warn him as to what he has seen.

- In the meantime, Ethan (as Griffin) has been very busy looking for experienced soldiers. He isn’t looking for individuals. He is looking for mercenaries who are used to fighting together. Garlen and Garvin told him that the village could support soldiers, but no more than one hundred and twenty fighting men (unless provisions were brought).

- Griffin finds that he is quite recognisable here. His red hair is distinctive here, and the dragonshield that he typically slings over his back is unique. The locals are surprised and a little nervous when Griffin begins asking questions about hiring armed men for a campaign. He notes that the town’s constabulary begin taking an interest in him. But worse are the hangers-on - those who offer to help but have no interest in helping him, simply trying to part him from his money. Griffin can tell the difference but it wastes precious time getting rid of nuisances.

- By the end of the first day’s travel, Griffin feels that he has a few leads but nothing concrete. Griffin stays at the Silver Lion, a better establishment than the Golden Grain, and he is treated very well as everyone knows that he has a lot of coin. He considers masking his presence, but decides against it in case there is a valid lead who seeks him out. He remains tense even though there does not appear to be an immediate threat.

- He half-expects someone to attempt to rob him overnight, but no one does.



Part 9 - Trouble Finds Ethan (Day 3)

- On the second day of his travels, Rook spots some dwarves from the air (and the boys wave to them) heading south on the road towards Valls. Other than this, their journey is uneventful.

- Meanwhile, early in the morning when Griffin he going to check on the leads that he was given yesterday, a group of soldiers attempts to take him into custody ‘for his own protection’. They appear to be thugs but Griffin isn’t sure if they are the local constabulary. Griffin bluntly tells them that he doesn’t require their protection and they move to arrest him. What follows is quick and brutal. Griffin doesn’t draw steel, but he soundly thrashes the lot of them, leaving them bruised and battered but alive.

- After that, a lot of the locals give Griffin a wide berth - evidently they were the real constabulary and associating with him could get them into trouble. Griffin becomes a little frustrated - his Wayfinding is telling him that there are soldiers to recruit here, but he can’t seem to find them. All he sees are peasants, refugees and thugs - certainly not a body of men who would be willing to follow him into battle.

- Another attempt to arrest him is made, but Griffin spots the soldiers early and uses Mental Invisibility (GM’s note - again, one of his favourite spells) to simply walk past them, leaving them confused. For hours after this, Griffin chases down his leads, one by one, but all of them seem to be dead ends. There are individual soldiers who might be willing to join him, but no mercenary band.

- Griffin wonders if he might be able to ‘buy’ some of Duke William’s men. Perhaps this is what the Wayfinding has been telling him to do - he still feels that there is an opportunity here in Valls to recruit some soldiers. He decides to go and seek an audience with the Duke.

- However, before he reaches the Duke’s keep, Griffin feels that he is being followed. He senses that his pursuer is concerned for him and he uses Mental Invisibility to slip aside and then catch the individual.

- The man is a middle-aged warrior with a grey handlebar moustache. Griffin is shocked as he recognises the man. It is Mister Elwood, who was once Grant’s and Ethan’s geography teacher in high school. This man has a moustache, and longer hair, but the resemblance is unmistakable. Griffin asks the man if he is looking for him, and the man confirms that he is. He introduces himself as Olric, and he says that he has one hundred fighting men at his command who would be willing to sign on if the cause is just and there is fair compensation for them. Griffin nods, a bit surprised at how suddenly his fortunes have changed, and he suggests that they talk in private.

- Heading back to the Silver Lion, Olric explains that he was once the commander of the 1st Damaran Dragoons, a heavy cavalry unit in the service to King Virdin, the last Damaran King. Even though the Battle of Goliad was lost, Olric managed to save those he could. Many of the Dragoons disbanded, but a core have remained with him and they will fight for coin. Griffin is intrigued but he has seen few fighting men in Valls. He asks if they are in Valls and Olric says that some are here, but many are not. He could gather them swiftly if required.

- They talk - Griffin senses that Olric is an honest man and he decides to trust him that their destination is Bloodstone and their mission to destroy the bandit army there. At this news, Olric agrees that this is a worthy cause. They speak briefly of money and Olric seems happy that the gold that Griffin has will be more than sufficient to buy their services. They seal the deal with a firm handshake, and Olric says that he will return shortly with men to protect Griffin while the others gather as swiftly as they can. Griffin laughs and says that he can defend himself, to which Olric says “Of that I’m sure, my Lord.”

- That evening, Griffin relays the good news to Rook. He advises Rook that he’s recruited a unit of cavalry that used to be part of the Damaran army. Griffin tells Rook that he likes Olric, and he mentions of Olric’s resemblance to their old school teacher. He hopes to be ready in two, possibly three days.

- Not long after their contact, Griffin eats a hearty dinner at the Silver Lion. A minstrel plays a happy tune and Griffin finds himself humming along. There is a pretty lady in a red dress at another table whom he makes eye contact with. He finds himself staring and she blushes. Alas, the evening is spoiled when another patron sits down at Griffin’s table without asking, and asks of his business in Valls. The man has thick fingers and wears far too many gold rings. Griffin takes an instant dislike to him. The man claims to be in the service of Duke William. He praises Griffin for his quick actions in saving the town from the circus creatures and politely asks whether Griffin could remain in town while the circus is here, just in case. Griffin agrees to this (even though he’s not sure he will honour this promise). The man presses further, and ventures that a man ‘like Griffin’ could be very useful to His Lordship. He asks what brings Griffin to Valls and whether His Lordship might be able to find him some employment.

- Griffin smiles at this. The lady on the next table has glanced over again, and he finds himself rather pleased with this situation. He introduces himself as Griffin to the man who has joined him, and the man introduces himself as Riccard. Griffin thanks Riccard for the very generous offer and asks for his regards and appreciation to be conveyed to the Duke. Griffin says that he would be most gratified if a suitable offer of employment became available (although he has no intention of accepting employment, he figures it might be wise to keep the Duke onside whilst he is in Valls.) Riccard is pleased, and he wishes Griffin a good evening.

- Griffin returns to enjoying the music until the minstrel retires late in the evening. The pretty lady in the red dress glances at him when she chooses to leave, and Griffin follows her when she pauses outside. He’s almost certain that she is in Riccard’s employ or this is an attempt to rob him, but she is quite alluring and he is curious as to how this will play out. As Griffin joins her, she comments that he is very bold given that he’s been staring at her on and off for some time. Griffin offers an apology but says that she is the most beautiful woman that he’s seen in a long time. Her lip curls a fraction and she replies that it is nice to be thought in such a way. She proposes that they walk a little - she would prefer the company as sometimes the streets are not safe.

- Griffin chuckles and agrees. He jovially asks whether he should be expect to be attacked on this block or the next and she matter-of-factly asks if it really matters. Her eyes tell him that it is indeed a trap so he offers to take her arm “so that she gets home safely”. She laughs at that, and says that she will make it home whatever happens. However, he can feel that she’s not as confident as she sounds.

- The ambush takes place only two blocks away. A crossbow bolt is fired from a rooftop, but it shatters on Ethan’s dragonshield as he turns away from it. The lady is thrown off-balance by this and Ethan offers an apology and suggests that she step back. Three groups of thugs approach him with swords and axes. She wishes him luck in a detached sort of voice, and she steps away as the thugs attempt to rush him. The battle is swift, and again, brutal. Within two minutes there are fifteen dead bodies in the street - Griffin has killed them all with his rapier and one of their axes. Even the assassin on the rooftop was hauled down to street level with a sorcerous pull (Force pull) and then hacked.

- The lady in red says nothing. She simply steps back to Griffin, takes his arm again and says that her home is not far away. Griffin escorts her to her house in the village but declines when she invites him inside. Griffin says pleasantly that he has no wish to have his throat slit in the night, and wishes her a good evening. He returns to the Silver Lion and rests for a bit - but there is no further trouble that evening.



Part 10 - Arrival and Gathering (Day 3)

- The next morning, Griffin finds that four soldiers of the Olric’s Dragoons are already waiting for him at breakfast time. They’ve heard about what happened the previous night. One of them, Jol, explains that Olric has sent word to the others, but they have been ordered to stay with Griffin until they are ready to depart. Griffin asks Jol more about the Dragoons and is impressed by what he hears - the group sounds very professional and they are taking their duties very seriously. Jol suggests that Griffin leave with them when ready as it’s not possible for them to organise themselves adequately within a town crowded by refugees. Olric has organised a mustering area outside of town for the Dragoons to assemble - when they are fully gathered, they will ride for Bloodstone Pass.

- Griffin finds himself wondering about the lady he met the previous night. Was she a simple courtesan or an assassin? He never even learned her name. But such thoughts are fleeting as he begins organising additional supplies to go with the Dragoons. He also organises a horse for himself, and an axe to use in battle whilst on horseback (a rapier is hardly appropriate). Then he goes with Jol and the others to join the Dragoons and the gathering army.

- On the same day, Rook and the two boys arrive in the Bloodstone Pass. They land a few miles from the township and continue the last few miles on foot. Garlen and Garvin promise Rook to keep his secret that he can shapeshift and fly.

- Rook is taken to the Inn of the Clowns and is welcomed by Stephan, its owner.



GM Observations (Part 2)

- Some words on the combats fought during this session - eg: Grant beating a dragon physically into submission, Ethan dealing with multiple monsters simultaneously. Firstly, Grant and Ethan are very powerful at this point. Even 3 years into the time compress, they are nearing 300 points. What would be a challenge for Superior or Paragon ranked individuals is less of a challenge for them. Yes, the Legendary Realm scales up the power levels of these critters, but Grant is physically strong enough to flip a charging rhino (or landshark), jump like the Incredible Hulk and outfight anything short of a demi-god; Ethan is powerful enough to crush any normal individual’s Psyche, fend of a dozen normal sorcerers and, like either, outfight anything short of a demi-god.

- Hence most monsters are simply ‘speed-bumps’ to ranked PCs (especially given how formidable Grant and Ethan are). Even a powerful adversary will likely have a ‘glass jaw’ to Grant and his Dominant Ranked Warfare, armed with Gorgorin, and using Umbra to find the weaknesses in the combat.

- Nevertheless, the Circus creatures were dangerous. The landshark could have crushed many people in the crowd if it was not stopped quickly. The Chimera would have dived into the crowd and terrorised as many as it could before fleeing with the Nightmare (who was the brains behind the escape). The Storm Dragon was very powerful and very strong - but Grant did the unexpected whilst it was still ‘powering up’. Even the Foxwoman’s unearthly beauty was a distraction to Ethan, but his Psyche was such that he could withstand it.

- When designing this sort of adventure, it’s important to work out which encounters should just be ‘speed bumps’ and which should not. Speed bump combats can still be mentally challenging to the players but the PCs should trounce their adversaries. Often it’s a lot of fun to play through the speed bump fights because they reaffirm in the players’ minds that their characters are vastly superior to most of the individuals that they run across. They are special. They are the superheroes of the game. It can be a negative to only pit the PCs against individuals who have Attributes and Powers equivalent to their own - it makes them feel less special. It’s better to use such challenges sparingly.

- In this specific combat, the challenge was twofold - firstly there were multiple adversaries with very different powers, and secondly, there were defenceless civilians. If the PCs had dithered, the creatures would have killed many in the crowd and this would have been their failure.

- One of the challenges with playing games at this level is that the PCs’ Warfare vastly exceeds the players’ own Warfare. For example, Grant has Dominant Rank Warfare - even if David (the player) can’t think of a plan, Grant can. More than that, the plan that Grant devises is likely to be successful, and the best plan that could be thought of. Hence when David decides that Grant needs to tackle the landshark first because David thinks it is the greatest threat, the GM then decides that Grant has assessed the situation and determined that the landshark is the greatest and most immediate threat because it is really is. That is, don’t fight the players - the GM simply modifies the scenario and runs with it. That’s very different to most other games.

- Anyway, hopefully these musings are useful to some of you ...