Post by Bruce on May 25, 2017 11:03:40 GMT
GM Observations
- While working through the time compress, this full length adventure triggered which then becomes a turning point / part of the new baseline for Grant and Ethan.
- In terms of how Ethan does some of what he does (because I believe it is OP), I have provided an explanation below.
Part 1 - Trouble in the Night
- It is the middle of the night (3am local time) when Ethan wakes. He is in Clockworld and alone in the small sleeping quarters. He has only been asleep for about four hours but a significant shift wakes him prematurely. He can sense that a planetary scale change has been made in Realm 0. He feels great darkness and he quickly dons his attire, figuring that one of the powers on Earth has finally decided to reverse some of the changes that he has made recently.
- Heading to Clockworld’s control centre, he uses the instrumentation (which he is becoming familiar with) to identify the source of the disturbance. There is a great storm hanging over North Africa with a diameter of over two thousand kilometres - it is classed by the systems as a hurricane but it is bigger and more powerful than anything previously catalogued. It’s epicentre is in the Sudan. Gearwing projects that the storm is intensifying at a geometric rate. It’s not just a storm - it’s a planetary threat, pulling other weather systems into itself and growing at an alarming rate. News reports are already describing catastrophic events in southern Europe.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Confirming that Clockworld has a Door in Kenya, he grabs his Dragonshield and a number of weapons and hastily makes his way to the Door.
Part 2 - The Dark Storm
- The Door opens out from a modest home in a village. He knows that he is more than a thousand kilometres away from the storm’s epicentre and yet even here clouds are swirling overhead, drawn northwards. It is light here (just after 6am) due to the timezone difference. Ethan can tell immediately that whatever is causing the storm is moulding gossamer reality.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Ethan suddenly realises that there are two other powerful minds nearby and he instinctively cloaks himself. Then there is another sorcerous teleport - within ten miles to the east. Ethan isn’t sure whether these are friends or foes but he doesn’t have time to work out which. Instead he assesses what he sees and what he feels, and decides that the storm is a product of Wrighting but there are also tinges of Umbra as well. He thinks that normal Sorcery won’t survive heading north towards the storm, but he has ‘the Force’ (Eidolon) to bolster his Sorcery. Certainly flight will be harder but he doesn’t like his chances of being able to teleport close to an object (or person) that is that powerful at this distance.
- Then the moment is gone and Ethan is airborne and heading north, trying to avoid the wind shear as it intensifies. He catches the occasional glimpse of others also heading north - one on a magic carpet, another riding a horse through the desert moving faster than a car, a third swimming through the sand and another pair who are attempting short range teleports on the ground in order to get closer. Ethan can sense that they are not his enemies - they are scared and desperate.
- As he carries on, Ethan is forced to use an Eidolon shield as well as flight. The storm whips around him, desiccating everything. Ethan’s mouth is dry. There is no humidity in the air at all. The crops on the ground are all but destroyed. There are dead people everywhere - whole villages wiped out. The storm gnaws at him and Ethan wishes that he had some protection for his eyes.
Part 3 - Phoning a Friend
- As Ethan closes in on his destination, visibility proves more and more difficult as the storm has whipped up the sands of the Sudanese desert into a formidable barrier. Ethan senses that some of the other sorcerers are still there, trying to head north. Some of them are working together, but he is also aware that some arguments are becoming heated - he senses a mage flare being discharged as some of them fight it out over perceived sleights. Ethan does not slow down - he ignores them and carries on as the energy in the storm clouds continues to build.
- The storm is pulling in multiple forms of energy now, and Ethan can feel it trying to consume the energies of his shield. Down below, there are now people and animals that have died from having their very life energy drained from them. Anything with an engine or a battery has been completely drained of power.
- Ethan decides that whatever or whoever is gathering these energies isn’t able to control it effectively, or perhaps they have lost control. Then suddenly he is through - he is within the eye of the storm, and below him on the ground is the remains of a small city, mostly swallowed by the sands. There is no moisture here at all, and Ethan can feel tremendous power deep beneath the sands.
- As he soars overhead, Ethan spots a group of five sorcerers who have made it this far - two humans, a misshapen dwarf, a deep one and a yeti-like creature. They are doing battle with a number of enormous guardians who look like enormous grey trees, but these are covered in bloodshot eyes, gaping maws with sharp teeth, and great talons. For a few seconds, Ethan considers trying to kill all of the sorcerers in one shot while they are busy, but he decides at last that it would be a waste of his energy as he has bigger problems.
- Ethan then plays his trump card - on the journey he has been in contact with Grant and Grant is armed and ready to come through.
Part 4 - Doomsday Weapon
- Grant emerges on the battlefield and heads to engage the nearest colossal treant to buy Ethan some much-needed breathing space. Meanwhile Ethan does his best to be ignored whilst he figures out how to reach something buried far below ground. Ethan is a little tired but he still has more than enough reserve to deal with the situation. He can feel ‘it’ below the ground trying to dismantle his spells but he is powerful enough to resist for the moment. Judging that a large scale teleport would most likely fail, Ethan decides to go for the direct approach. He warns Grant (via Icon) that he will need to be a little ‘vulgar’.
- Ethan has never tried to excavate mass quantities before, but he is well aware that he could move a mountain given enough power and there is plenty of raw power in the storm clouds above. He wields Sorcery backed with Eidolon to use the storm itself to excavate the ground below, moving mountains of sand and rock outwards from the centre as he drives deeper. To Ethan’s surprise, this tactic works better than he expected. The sands are easy to shift and what should be bedrock below is brittle and fractured. (GM’s note - Ethan doesn’t know it, but the earth has been broken ever since ‘it’ crashed, ages ago)
- Ethan tears open the Earth, displacing mountains of rock and sand. The earth below is cold as Ethan descends into the deepening pit, surrounded by his own high speed tornado. Miles down, he finds it. It is huge - colossal - more than a half of mile in length, it is of Dwimmerlaik origin. Ethan can sense that it is broken - it has devolved. More than that, he can tell that it is not a ship. It is a weapon. A bomb of some kind. He can’t possibly use Eidolon to repair it. Worse, it’s active. Something or someone has activated it.
- It’s so huge that Ethan wonders for a moment how he could possibly move it. But then the moment has passed and he simply ‘does it’. How he does it is something to be considered later. Ripping the Dwimmerlaik vessel from its earthy subterranean tomb, Ethan pulls it skywards with him, erupting from the great pit. Using raw power, and still channeling the power of the storm above, Ethan carries it into the outer atmosphere and flings it into the starry heavens. (GM’s note - this is only possible because the Dwimmerlaik vessel has anti-gravity so Ethan isn’t trying to lift a huge dead weight) The vessel accelerates into the distance and is gone. Ethan floats in the heavens, looking down at the ruin of the Sudan - he’s not only torn a hole that can be seen from space, he has changed the topography of the entire area. Then suddenly there is a flash of light from the stars - the Doomsday weapon is gone. Ethan ponders what to do next, and then the gravitic shockwave hits.
- Ethan easily deflects what feels like rain, but below him, tiny ice crystals fall from the sky.
- Remembering Grant, and suddenly feeling more than a little tired, Ethan descends back to the ground. He finds Grant still fighting two of the remaining colossal tree-beasts, but he has some other sorcerers helping him. Ethan is too tired to chip in - he lets Grant destroy the trees. He looks down upon the gaping hole in the Earth that he has made, and wonders what to do next. How can he possibly cover up something of this magnitude?
* Image sourced from Google Images
Part 5 - The Aftermath
- At last Ethan realises that he doesn’t have a mental invisibility cloak up, and he could be recognised by the other sorcerers. He attempts to teleport back to the Kenyan Door, but it takes him longer than it would normally as he is quite fatigued. As the ice crystals start falling like a soft rain, Ethan makes the teleport, figuring that Grant will find his way back to Marindar without him.
- Ethan returns to Clockworld, and sits down to have some tea and crumpets. He just wants to close his eyes, but he needs to know what Gearwing can tell him about what has happened. Gearwing tells him that the storm is dissipating but there has been severe damage across a wide area, and hundreds of thousands of people are dead with many millions now homeless and facing starvation given that their crops have been wiped out.
- Ethan is about to ask about the time elementals when he receives an Icon contact from Abbie. Ethan accepts it and tells her that he’s okay, just tired. Abbie doesn’t realise that the crisis is over - the news reports haven’t quite caught up yet. Abbie agrees to come through and Gearwing repeats its evaluation. Horrified, Abbie asks what happened. Ethan explains that some sort of Doomsday weapon had been activated, but it’s not clear by whom. He stopped it, but he made quite a mess. Abbie is stunned and asks Gearwing what would have happened if Ethan had not stopped it when he did. Gearwing hypothesises that there would have been planetary devastation within four hours, with planet-wide extinction somewhere between six and ten hours after that.
- Abbie sits down and has some tea and crumpets as she comes to terms with the fact that all life on Earth was nearly wiped out, and Ethan managed to prevent it. They talk a while, and Abbie ends up comforting Ethan. Ethan is more than a little upset - almost everybody died, and even when he did his best, a lot of people (millions of people) died. Ethan asks Gearwing about the Time Elementals and whether it is possible to reverse everything that has happened. Gearwing explains that a large scale reset is not possible - it would more likely reopen the fractures in the world which were caused by the Great War. The Time Elementals can’t be used anywhere near the Sudanese Pit due to the energies there, but elsewhere (for example in Europe, the Middle East, Southern and Western Africa) it would be possible. Tiredly, Ethan tells Gearwing to send them out to repair what they can.
- Ethan asks Abbie to stay with him for a few hours, and he sleeps deeply while she watches over him. When he wakes, he finds out to his disappointment that it was all real, and not just a bad dream. Ethan explains that he moved mountains in the Sudan which is beyond anything he has ever done before. He had heard from Lucien that it was possible to control the fabric of reality in a realm - he wonders if what he did was a taste of that. He felt like he truly could do anything.
Part 6 - Invitation
- Two weeks pass as the world adjusts to the ‘Sudanese Cataclysm’. Whilst mainstream media refer to it as a meteor strike which very nearly destroyed the planet, it is very clear that most governments are skeptical of this and seeking to investigate what really happened given that the storm disappeared so abruptly. (Coincidentally, the newspapers are also reporting a flash (perhaps an explosion about three light-minutes from Earth - roughly the same distance as Mars is away from Earth - (GM’s note - yes, this was the exploding Dwimmeraik super weapon) People flock to York as part of a pilgrimage (remembering the ‘miracle’ that Ethan performed there). Ethan tries to adjust back to university life, whilst also trying to deal with a vastly changed world.
- Then one day a letter arrives at Abbie’s address in Manchester. It is addressed to her, and she has opened it. The letter has been cosmetically enchanted to look pretty. Inside, both Abbie and ‘her companion’ are invited for a magical evening where the laws of hospitality will be upheld. The invitation is for a date two weeks away. Macavity listens in, and is disappointed that he is not invited.
- Abbie seems pleased with the invitation and she encourages Ethan to go with her as the other sorcerers clearly want to meet him. But Ethan doesn’t want to go. He is suspicious of any gathering where they could ‘gang up on him’ and he doesn’t want to put her in danger. He doesn’t share that he considered killing some of them whilst they were vulnerable in the Sudan. Abbie tries to reason with him again, explaining that they would be well prepared. The invitation makes it clear that they want to thank ‘her companion’ for saving the planet - they think he’s a hero and they’ve promised that the laws of hospitality will be upheld. Given that she has started learning the basics of spell craft, she wants to go. Also, the chance to meet others who might be interested in helping improve the world is too good an opportunity to pass up.
- Ethan refuses. He says that he doesn’t want to go, and he suggests that she go with Grant instead. Seeing Macavity glaring at him, Ethan suggests that she take Macavity as well. Hurt, Abbie doesn’t know what to say and Ethan goes to get some fresh air.
Part 7 - A Gift
- Ethan and Abbie do their best to carry on as if nothing has happened, but things have changed. Ethan is finding it harder and harder to meet his study commitments as he spends significant amount of time covertly repairing what he can in Africa, and he works long hours to transport food, water and medical supplies across. His studies suffer, but he hides this. Abbie tries to talk to Ethan about coming, suggesting that there may be others who will help, but Ethan still refuses. Instead he kisses her on the forehead and tells her that she’ll be safe with Grant, but to contact him (via Icon) if anything goes wrong.
- Ethan carries on working whilst Abbie and Grant go to the party.
- Later that night, Abbie contacts Ethan via Icon to tell him that she is fine and that the party went well. Ethan asks if they wanted anything, and Abbie explains that the sorcerers only wanted to express their gratitude and seek his guidance as to how to prevent a repeat. Ethan is glad that Abbie is well, and he agrees to come home when she asks. Appearing via the Icon, he hugs her and says that he’s glad that she is okay. Abbie tells him that the sorcerers still want to find a way to meet him, perhaps at another place that he feels comfortable with. Ethan shrugs the thought off and says that he’s not interested in meeting them.
- In the week that follows, nothing much changes. Abbie struggles to connect with Ethan. On one level, they are together, but there is something very wrong with Ethan. Then, a parcel is delivered. It is a book on magical theory - a gift. Inside the front cover is another letter, addressed to ‘Abbie’s friend’.
- Ethan opens the letter. The writer apologises that they have not been able to meet in person and hopes that ‘Abbie’s friend’ will change his mind at some future date. The letter warns Ethan that there are places in the world which should be left undisturbed, particularly in the frozen wastes of Antarctica. He is warned not to wake what sleeps there.
- Ethan folds up the letter, puts it back in the book, and puts the book aside. He had not forgotten that he and Grant were asked to mind Westgate Manor by the previous owner, who never returned from Antarctica. (GM’s note - way way back in Session 1).
Part 8 - Arguments
- Over the next two months, things go from bad to worse for both Abbie and Ethan. Ethan is constantly working, doing as much as he can to help thousands and millions of people in need. Ethan has almost no time for study - he has made almost no friends at university and most think that he has dropped out. Abbie can’t talk to Ethan - he does what she asks, and he is always busy, trying to make a difference. Ethan tries harder and harder but they don’t seem to be making a difference in all of the places where they want to make a difference. Abbie is herself frustrated. Aid which has been sent to Sudan and Ethiopia is not getting through - the aid is delivered but it never reaches the people. Ethan knows that the Sudanese and Ethiopian authorities are keeping the aid themselves - Abbie wouldn’t believe it at first but Ethan took photographs to prove it.
- Arguments become more frequent. Abbie wants to make permanent positive changes but she keeps hitting problems, and meanwhile people are dying or starving. Ethan is getting tired, and increasingly cranky. He withdraws to Clockworld more often, particularly when he needs to sleep. Abbie argues that if there are people who are stopping the aid getting through, who are opposing their efforts, then they should be removed by one way or another. Ethan refuses to do any such thing - he won’t change people’s minds and he won’t remove governments, not even warlords. They argue over alternatives, but almost all involve ‘going public’ and ‘seeking more public support’ and Ethan is not prepared to do that.
- The situation becomes more and more miserable. Neither of them are having any fun.
Part 9 - Missteps
- Ethan reaches the point where he realises that he will fail in his studies unless he takes it seriously and dedicates more time. He’s already missed so much. He tries to catch up - effectively ‘saving the world’ by day and studying by night. Whilst at Manchester University, Ethan notices another student who has a strong mind and some magical potential, but he decides to ignore following it up - he’s too busy.
- Whilst studying late one night, Ethan is interrupted by Abbie. She reminds him that she loves him very much, and asks him to come to bed and let it go. Ethan thanks her but says that he can’t just drop it. He needs to study or else he’ll fail - and he doesn’t want to fail. He also needs to do everything he can to help Abbie improve the world because he doesn’t want to let her down. Abbie can’t seem to get through to him, so she leaves him be.
- As the days roll on, Abbie becomes increasingly worried - Ethan hardly sleeps, and he’s always working. She contacts Grant and asks him to have a word with Ethan. While at Manchester University, Grant bumps into Ethan and suggests that they visit some places on the Stair for fun - Ethan politely declines and says that he’s too busy. Grant suggests that he’s trying to do too much. He points out to Ethan that it doesn’t matter if he does the subjects this year, or the next, or the year after that. Grant tells Ethan that he doesn’t look happy and he suggests that he needs to have some fun, or else ‘what’s the point of being here’?
- Ethan accepts this but it is too late to pull out of his subjects this semester, so he tries. He puts in a last burst of effort and gets through most of the subjects, but fails two. Ethan is crushed. How could he have failed?
- Abbie decides to cheer Ethan up, and they go out for quiet dinner. Over dinner, she suggests a getaway, and asks if Ethan will take her to a place that neither of them have been before. When Ethan protests, Abbie presses and says that the world will survive a night without his intervention. Ethan agrees, and they head out together. Together they find Eflan, a faerie world within two kilometres of Realm 0 which is infested with curious and mischievous faeries. It is high Spring when they arrive, and the hills are awash with flowers. The two are welcomed as honoured guests, although that also means that they become the butt of many practical jokes. Ethan’s hair is turned bright blue by a sprite who wanted to practice some ‘magic’ with him. A satyr attempts to woo Abbie with song and fine manners. A group of long-eared elves invite them to a merry dance and offer fine wine and ‘flower tea’. A group of pixies challenge Abbie to a friendly competition of magical prowess - which ends badly for Ethan when she accidentally sets his blue hair on fire. Nevertheless they pass a happy few hours together, and the experience serves as a pleasant distraction, quickly forgetting about their problems. (Although a goblin elixir to help Ethan’s hair grow back ends up giving him three feet of long red hair). Neither is particularly keen to spend the night being pranked, so they head to Marindar and spend a relaxing evening there. Grant is aware of their arrival, and contacts Ethan via Icon - Ethan explains that they needed to get away, and Grant seems relieved that they have done so.
- Returning back to Earth, some of the tension between them is lifted but Ethan quickly resumes his work and he works far too hard again. Even though he should have more free time as he’s finished studying for the time being, he fills it quickly with more work.
- Then, ten days after their return, Abbie tries to use her apprentice-level magic to persuade some of her guests to aid her, hoping that it would perhaps ease some of Ethan’s burden. But this backfires badly and she alienates a number of her high profile guests who accuse her of spiking the drinks with mind-altering drugs.
Part 10 - Another Try
- Knowing that her attempt will end up on the front page of the newspapers, Abbie returns home that evening in tears. She trying everything she can to make a positive change in the world, and she knows Ethan is too - but it’s making them both miserable. She’s fed up and sick of this ungrateful world. Ethan looks after her. That night, snuggled up in bed, Ethan admits that he thinks that they are both trying too hard - they’re trying to change big things too quickly, and throwing physical resources like goods and money at the problem isn’t working. They talk candidly about what they could do differently - and for once Abbie feels like the old Ethan is back - they’re close to one another and talking to one another.
- Ethan explains that it’s difficult to make people different from what they are - he can’t make people kinder, or more considerate, or more tolerant - and he’s tried. He might be able to change one or two, but people are complicated and it’d probably fail if he tried to do it en masse. He speculates that it might be possible to acquire a level of control over the realm (similar to what he has on Skandia) but it takes time to acquire that - and here, the sorcerers may not be too happy if he were to actually achieve that.
- Abbie acknowledges that she’s been asking a lot of Ethan, and she knows that he’s been trying really hard. She asks if they can start small, and maybe make a difference there? Ethan kisses her goodnight and promises to try.
- The next morning they sit down with a fresh pot of tea and share ideas. Ethan wonders if it would be possible to bring out the good qualities of people by infusing water with Eidolon which is then passed into the food chain. They know there are dozens of dams in the United Kingdom - it would be hard to infuse them all and keep them infused. Harder still to do it on a regional or planetary scale. Abbie points out that Santa Claus had a way of infusing presents with a spark of kindness and optimism - she wonders if Ethan could learn something from Nicholas.
- They head to Santa’s workshop and meet with Nicholas. He’s pleased to see them both, but he also shows some concern that they haven’t been taking proper care of themselves (or each other). When hearing what Ethan has to say, Nicholas explains that it is very difficult to change people. Even he only puts a subtle spark of positive energy into the presents, and it doesn’t last very long. What Ethan is suggesting would be difficult and very laborious to implement and maintain. Besides, even if were to change one part of the world - for example, made half the people kind, the other half would probably take advantage of their brothers’/sisters’ kindness and it wouldn’t end well. Ethan and Abbie thank Nicholas for his counsel and return.
- They return to Westgate and then drive back to Manchester. Upon arrival, they write a list of all of the things they’re going to do to try to improve things gradually. Ethan has decided that he wants to introduce some technology which will make a difference to people’s lives - clean energy, food production, clean water. Abbie wants to start developing and empowering people to make a positive difference - leaders, medical professionals, teachers. They start drawing up a list of dos and don’ts. Ethan records the rule that he’s prepared to heal people, but he won’t tamper with them or kill them.
Part 11 - The Doctor’s Daughter
- In the months that follow, Ethan makes some significant changes. Chernobyl is magically cleansed, to the astonishment of the world (another miracle!). Ethan works with an Indian engineer named Kapoor to develop a working Powell-Kapoor reactor to produce clean power. (GM’s note - I’m not saying whether it’s fusion or cosmic energy - it’s just groundbreaking) He has many inventions that he plans to release gradually, but he knows that this will badly disrupt the fossil fuel industries. Kapoor is pictured on the front cover of Time Magazine for the invention of the century - Ethan retains his anonymity even though the invention bears his name.
- Kapoor becomes the front-man for many of the subsequent inventions, whether it be mobile condensers for making drinkable water from moisture in the atmosphere (to help drought affected areas), or the larger vaporators for irrigating crops.
- In the background, Ethan continues to work on Clockworld, seeking to understand what would be involved in achieving control of the realm. He half expects the other sorcerers in Realm 0 to intervene, but to his pleasant surprise, they do not.
- Periodically, Ethan seeds Eidolon infused energy into a number of the water supplies of Great Britain, and then monitors the changes it makes as it flows through the food chain.
- Meanwhile, Abbie records another album, and she works hard to build and inspire a small army of helpers to improve the lives of all those who live in the United Kingdom.
- Medical miracles occur - sudden breakthroughs which seemed impossible are suddenly possible. Ethan has been deliberately helping a number of doctors in key facilities around the country. It is during this time that he meets Thaddeus. Thaddeus is a doctor but he is also a sorcerer. Ethan can see that he has been working hard to find a cure for a degenerative disorder, but he has been unable to find one. Thaddeus’ daughter is afflicted with this condition, and Ethan decides to help.
- Ethan goes to meet Thaddeus in person and Thaddeus doesn’t even bother to erect a defensive ward - he knows that he is totally outclassed. Ethan kindly asks if he might be allowed to help, and Thaddeus gratefully accepts. His wife couldn’t cope with their daughter wasting away like this, so she left. His daughter (now 11) is little more than skin and bones and Thaddeus’ spells are helping to keep her breathing. The condition she is cursed with is very aggressive, and he has been unable to reverse its course through either science or magic.
- Ethan takes a look at Thaddeus’ daughter and finds that she is infected by some sort of parasite which is feeding on magical energy. He reasons that if he tries to use magic, it will attempt to latch onto him, so he decides to put it to sleep - and then he is able to remove it. Using Eidolon, he gently brings her out of danger, and then he decides that he has no choice but to destroy the parasite. Ethan would have preferred to keep it as such a creature could come in useful, but he can’t see any way of containing it safely, so he terminates it.
- Thaddeus can’t believe it - he offers to help Ethan any way he can, even giving him access to his library. Ethan declines the offer, but takes the opportunity to ask for his counsel and to learn more about the other sorcerers.
Part 12 - A New Beginning
- Thaddeus tells him that most of the warlocks and witches on the planet work alone. Very few of them work together. The Circle (an American group which occasionally meddles in politics) is the only significant group, but they only perhaps five now - some were lost in the Sudan. Ethan explains what he is trying to do - to improve the world - and Thaddeus thinks that it is very unlikely that Ethan would be opposed, partly because improving the world is a noble pursuit, but also because Ethan is far more powerful than any sorceror on Earth and no one would dare oppose him. Ethan thanks him for his counsel and says that he’ll be in touch.
- As the months go by, a new level of national pride is visible. Britain is doing great and ground breaking things. The British are a happier people than they were. They are more optimistic. John Major is the most inspiring Prime Minister since the Second World War! It’s not all rosy however - there are many more people who wish to migrate to Britain, and many of their European allies look across the Channel with envious eyes.
- Jacob returns to Realm 0 and Clockworld one day, and finds Ethan exploring the inner workings of Clockworld in an attempt to extend the machine’s functions - to achieve control (or at least influence) over Realm 0. Jacob is wary of this idea and suggests that Ethan proceed carefully. He listens to what happened in the Sudan, and praises him for the way he acted. Jacob leaves shortly after.
- A few days later, Ethan receives an Icon contact from Isabelle - she wants to visit. A little surprised, Ethan accepts the contact and brings her through. She heard from Lucien (who heard from Jacob) that he is doing some work on Clockworld - and she wants to be involved. Ethan agrees, and decides to tell Abbie what is going on lest she think poorly of him. Abbie asks Ethan to invite Isabelle to stay with them (as she knows Clockworld is not particularly comfortable to sleep in), so Isabelle is given the choice of Westgate or Manchester. She chooses to stay in Westgate.
Part 13 - Tea with Thaddeus
- Ethan meets up with Thaddeus again over tea and asks him more about Earth magic. Thaddeus explains that there is little cohesion to magic here on this world, such that most wizards have acquired Sorcery that works in all of the world’s many magical ‘pockets’. Thaddeus confirms that his daughter is feeling much better (she’s been on TV - another medical ‘miracle’) and thanks him again. It is during this time that Ethan asks Thaddeus about divination - foretelling the future. Thaddeus knows that it is possible, but it is also tricky to get an accurate reading on something that is in motion. He himself uses a ‘lesser divination’ to see if anything unusual may happen, and if that tells him that something is going to happen, he then tries to prepare himself accordingly. It’s not always accurate, of course. He didn’t expect Ethan to walk into his office, for example. (GM’s note - that’s a factor of Ethan regularly using ‘mental invisibility’)
- Isabelle and Ethan spend time investigating Clockworld’s functions. Ethan finds Isabelle’s presence a little uncomfortable - she is beautiful and intelligent, and yet quite different to Abbie. Ethan knows that Isabelle knows that he finds her attractive - but she pretends not to notice. Assessing the machine, they decide that it is highly highly complex, but it would be possible for the mechanisms to influence Realm 0 - but new controls would need to be built as Clockworld was never designed this way. Ethan and Isabelle begin working on the modifications.
…. and that’s where we left Session 103 (the adventure). The next session (Session 104) details the time compress from 1993 to 2002 and then Session 105 re-baselines the Grand Stair proximate to Realm 0. After all, with Mastery of the Stair and ten years passed, some changes were made.
- While working through the time compress, this full length adventure triggered which then becomes a turning point / part of the new baseline for Grant and Ethan.
- In terms of how Ethan does some of what he does (because I believe it is OP), I have provided an explanation below.
Part 1 - Trouble in the Night
- It is the middle of the night (3am local time) when Ethan wakes. He is in Clockworld and alone in the small sleeping quarters. He has only been asleep for about four hours but a significant shift wakes him prematurely. He can sense that a planetary scale change has been made in Realm 0. He feels great darkness and he quickly dons his attire, figuring that one of the powers on Earth has finally decided to reverse some of the changes that he has made recently.
- Heading to Clockworld’s control centre, he uses the instrumentation (which he is becoming familiar with) to identify the source of the disturbance. There is a great storm hanging over North Africa with a diameter of over two thousand kilometres - it is classed by the systems as a hurricane but it is bigger and more powerful than anything previously catalogued. It’s epicentre is in the Sudan. Gearwing projects that the storm is intensifying at a geometric rate. It’s not just a storm - it’s a planetary threat, pulling other weather systems into itself and growing at an alarming rate. News reports are already describing catastrophic events in southern Europe.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Confirming that Clockworld has a Door in Kenya, he grabs his Dragonshield and a number of weapons and hastily makes his way to the Door.
Part 2 - The Dark Storm
- The Door opens out from a modest home in a village. He knows that he is more than a thousand kilometres away from the storm’s epicentre and yet even here clouds are swirling overhead, drawn northwards. It is light here (just after 6am) due to the timezone difference. Ethan can tell immediately that whatever is causing the storm is moulding gossamer reality.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Ethan suddenly realises that there are two other powerful minds nearby and he instinctively cloaks himself. Then there is another sorcerous teleport - within ten miles to the east. Ethan isn’t sure whether these are friends or foes but he doesn’t have time to work out which. Instead he assesses what he sees and what he feels, and decides that the storm is a product of Wrighting but there are also tinges of Umbra as well. He thinks that normal Sorcery won’t survive heading north towards the storm, but he has ‘the Force’ (Eidolon) to bolster his Sorcery. Certainly flight will be harder but he doesn’t like his chances of being able to teleport close to an object (or person) that is that powerful at this distance.
- Then the moment is gone and Ethan is airborne and heading north, trying to avoid the wind shear as it intensifies. He catches the occasional glimpse of others also heading north - one on a magic carpet, another riding a horse through the desert moving faster than a car, a third swimming through the sand and another pair who are attempting short range teleports on the ground in order to get closer. Ethan can sense that they are not his enemies - they are scared and desperate.
- As he carries on, Ethan is forced to use an Eidolon shield as well as flight. The storm whips around him, desiccating everything. Ethan’s mouth is dry. There is no humidity in the air at all. The crops on the ground are all but destroyed. There are dead people everywhere - whole villages wiped out. The storm gnaws at him and Ethan wishes that he had some protection for his eyes.
Part 3 - Phoning a Friend
- As Ethan closes in on his destination, visibility proves more and more difficult as the storm has whipped up the sands of the Sudanese desert into a formidable barrier. Ethan senses that some of the other sorcerers are still there, trying to head north. Some of them are working together, but he is also aware that some arguments are becoming heated - he senses a mage flare being discharged as some of them fight it out over perceived sleights. Ethan does not slow down - he ignores them and carries on as the energy in the storm clouds continues to build.
- The storm is pulling in multiple forms of energy now, and Ethan can feel it trying to consume the energies of his shield. Down below, there are now people and animals that have died from having their very life energy drained from them. Anything with an engine or a battery has been completely drained of power.
- Ethan decides that whatever or whoever is gathering these energies isn’t able to control it effectively, or perhaps they have lost control. Then suddenly he is through - he is within the eye of the storm, and below him on the ground is the remains of a small city, mostly swallowed by the sands. There is no moisture here at all, and Ethan can feel tremendous power deep beneath the sands.
- As he soars overhead, Ethan spots a group of five sorcerers who have made it this far - two humans, a misshapen dwarf, a deep one and a yeti-like creature. They are doing battle with a number of enormous guardians who look like enormous grey trees, but these are covered in bloodshot eyes, gaping maws with sharp teeth, and great talons. For a few seconds, Ethan considers trying to kill all of the sorcerers in one shot while they are busy, but he decides at last that it would be a waste of his energy as he has bigger problems.
- Ethan then plays his trump card - on the journey he has been in contact with Grant and Grant is armed and ready to come through.
Part 4 - Doomsday Weapon
- Grant emerges on the battlefield and heads to engage the nearest colossal treant to buy Ethan some much-needed breathing space. Meanwhile Ethan does his best to be ignored whilst he figures out how to reach something buried far below ground. Ethan is a little tired but he still has more than enough reserve to deal with the situation. He can feel ‘it’ below the ground trying to dismantle his spells but he is powerful enough to resist for the moment. Judging that a large scale teleport would most likely fail, Ethan decides to go for the direct approach. He warns Grant (via Icon) that he will need to be a little ‘vulgar’.
- Ethan has never tried to excavate mass quantities before, but he is well aware that he could move a mountain given enough power and there is plenty of raw power in the storm clouds above. He wields Sorcery backed with Eidolon to use the storm itself to excavate the ground below, moving mountains of sand and rock outwards from the centre as he drives deeper. To Ethan’s surprise, this tactic works better than he expected. The sands are easy to shift and what should be bedrock below is brittle and fractured. (GM’s note - Ethan doesn’t know it, but the earth has been broken ever since ‘it’ crashed, ages ago)
- Ethan tears open the Earth, displacing mountains of rock and sand. The earth below is cold as Ethan descends into the deepening pit, surrounded by his own high speed tornado. Miles down, he finds it. It is huge - colossal - more than a half of mile in length, it is of Dwimmerlaik origin. Ethan can sense that it is broken - it has devolved. More than that, he can tell that it is not a ship. It is a weapon. A bomb of some kind. He can’t possibly use Eidolon to repair it. Worse, it’s active. Something or someone has activated it.
- It’s so huge that Ethan wonders for a moment how he could possibly move it. But then the moment has passed and he simply ‘does it’. How he does it is something to be considered later. Ripping the Dwimmerlaik vessel from its earthy subterranean tomb, Ethan pulls it skywards with him, erupting from the great pit. Using raw power, and still channeling the power of the storm above, Ethan carries it into the outer atmosphere and flings it into the starry heavens. (GM’s note - this is only possible because the Dwimmerlaik vessel has anti-gravity so Ethan isn’t trying to lift a huge dead weight) The vessel accelerates into the distance and is gone. Ethan floats in the heavens, looking down at the ruin of the Sudan - he’s not only torn a hole that can be seen from space, he has changed the topography of the entire area. Then suddenly there is a flash of light from the stars - the Doomsday weapon is gone. Ethan ponders what to do next, and then the gravitic shockwave hits.
- Ethan easily deflects what feels like rain, but below him, tiny ice crystals fall from the sky.
- Remembering Grant, and suddenly feeling more than a little tired, Ethan descends back to the ground. He finds Grant still fighting two of the remaining colossal tree-beasts, but he has some other sorcerers helping him. Ethan is too tired to chip in - he lets Grant destroy the trees. He looks down upon the gaping hole in the Earth that he has made, and wonders what to do next. How can he possibly cover up something of this magnitude?
* Image sourced from Google Images
Part 5 - The Aftermath
- At last Ethan realises that he doesn’t have a mental invisibility cloak up, and he could be recognised by the other sorcerers. He attempts to teleport back to the Kenyan Door, but it takes him longer than it would normally as he is quite fatigued. As the ice crystals start falling like a soft rain, Ethan makes the teleport, figuring that Grant will find his way back to Marindar without him.
- Ethan returns to Clockworld, and sits down to have some tea and crumpets. He just wants to close his eyes, but he needs to know what Gearwing can tell him about what has happened. Gearwing tells him that the storm is dissipating but there has been severe damage across a wide area, and hundreds of thousands of people are dead with many millions now homeless and facing starvation given that their crops have been wiped out.
- Ethan is about to ask about the time elementals when he receives an Icon contact from Abbie. Ethan accepts it and tells her that he’s okay, just tired. Abbie doesn’t realise that the crisis is over - the news reports haven’t quite caught up yet. Abbie agrees to come through and Gearwing repeats its evaluation. Horrified, Abbie asks what happened. Ethan explains that some sort of Doomsday weapon had been activated, but it’s not clear by whom. He stopped it, but he made quite a mess. Abbie is stunned and asks Gearwing what would have happened if Ethan had not stopped it when he did. Gearwing hypothesises that there would have been planetary devastation within four hours, with planet-wide extinction somewhere between six and ten hours after that.
- Abbie sits down and has some tea and crumpets as she comes to terms with the fact that all life on Earth was nearly wiped out, and Ethan managed to prevent it. They talk a while, and Abbie ends up comforting Ethan. Ethan is more than a little upset - almost everybody died, and even when he did his best, a lot of people (millions of people) died. Ethan asks Gearwing about the Time Elementals and whether it is possible to reverse everything that has happened. Gearwing explains that a large scale reset is not possible - it would more likely reopen the fractures in the world which were caused by the Great War. The Time Elementals can’t be used anywhere near the Sudanese Pit due to the energies there, but elsewhere (for example in Europe, the Middle East, Southern and Western Africa) it would be possible. Tiredly, Ethan tells Gearwing to send them out to repair what they can.
- Ethan asks Abbie to stay with him for a few hours, and he sleeps deeply while she watches over him. When he wakes, he finds out to his disappointment that it was all real, and not just a bad dream. Ethan explains that he moved mountains in the Sudan which is beyond anything he has ever done before. He had heard from Lucien that it was possible to control the fabric of reality in a realm - he wonders if what he did was a taste of that. He felt like he truly could do anything.
Part 6 - Invitation
- Two weeks pass as the world adjusts to the ‘Sudanese Cataclysm’. Whilst mainstream media refer to it as a meteor strike which very nearly destroyed the planet, it is very clear that most governments are skeptical of this and seeking to investigate what really happened given that the storm disappeared so abruptly. (Coincidentally, the newspapers are also reporting a flash (perhaps an explosion about three light-minutes from Earth - roughly the same distance as Mars is away from Earth - (GM’s note - yes, this was the exploding Dwimmeraik super weapon) People flock to York as part of a pilgrimage (remembering the ‘miracle’ that Ethan performed there). Ethan tries to adjust back to university life, whilst also trying to deal with a vastly changed world.
- Then one day a letter arrives at Abbie’s address in Manchester. It is addressed to her, and she has opened it. The letter has been cosmetically enchanted to look pretty. Inside, both Abbie and ‘her companion’ are invited for a magical evening where the laws of hospitality will be upheld. The invitation is for a date two weeks away. Macavity listens in, and is disappointed that he is not invited.
- Abbie seems pleased with the invitation and she encourages Ethan to go with her as the other sorcerers clearly want to meet him. But Ethan doesn’t want to go. He is suspicious of any gathering where they could ‘gang up on him’ and he doesn’t want to put her in danger. He doesn’t share that he considered killing some of them whilst they were vulnerable in the Sudan. Abbie tries to reason with him again, explaining that they would be well prepared. The invitation makes it clear that they want to thank ‘her companion’ for saving the planet - they think he’s a hero and they’ve promised that the laws of hospitality will be upheld. Given that she has started learning the basics of spell craft, she wants to go. Also, the chance to meet others who might be interested in helping improve the world is too good an opportunity to pass up.
- Ethan refuses. He says that he doesn’t want to go, and he suggests that she go with Grant instead. Seeing Macavity glaring at him, Ethan suggests that she take Macavity as well. Hurt, Abbie doesn’t know what to say and Ethan goes to get some fresh air.
Part 7 - A Gift
- Ethan and Abbie do their best to carry on as if nothing has happened, but things have changed. Ethan is finding it harder and harder to meet his study commitments as he spends significant amount of time covertly repairing what he can in Africa, and he works long hours to transport food, water and medical supplies across. His studies suffer, but he hides this. Abbie tries to talk to Ethan about coming, suggesting that there may be others who will help, but Ethan still refuses. Instead he kisses her on the forehead and tells her that she’ll be safe with Grant, but to contact him (via Icon) if anything goes wrong.
- Ethan carries on working whilst Abbie and Grant go to the party.
- Later that night, Abbie contacts Ethan via Icon to tell him that she is fine and that the party went well. Ethan asks if they wanted anything, and Abbie explains that the sorcerers only wanted to express their gratitude and seek his guidance as to how to prevent a repeat. Ethan is glad that Abbie is well, and he agrees to come home when she asks. Appearing via the Icon, he hugs her and says that he’s glad that she is okay. Abbie tells him that the sorcerers still want to find a way to meet him, perhaps at another place that he feels comfortable with. Ethan shrugs the thought off and says that he’s not interested in meeting them.
- In the week that follows, nothing much changes. Abbie struggles to connect with Ethan. On one level, they are together, but there is something very wrong with Ethan. Then, a parcel is delivered. It is a book on magical theory - a gift. Inside the front cover is another letter, addressed to ‘Abbie’s friend’.
- Ethan opens the letter. The writer apologises that they have not been able to meet in person and hopes that ‘Abbie’s friend’ will change his mind at some future date. The letter warns Ethan that there are places in the world which should be left undisturbed, particularly in the frozen wastes of Antarctica. He is warned not to wake what sleeps there.
- Ethan folds up the letter, puts it back in the book, and puts the book aside. He had not forgotten that he and Grant were asked to mind Westgate Manor by the previous owner, who never returned from Antarctica. (GM’s note - way way back in Session 1).
Part 8 - Arguments
- Over the next two months, things go from bad to worse for both Abbie and Ethan. Ethan is constantly working, doing as much as he can to help thousands and millions of people in need. Ethan has almost no time for study - he has made almost no friends at university and most think that he has dropped out. Abbie can’t talk to Ethan - he does what she asks, and he is always busy, trying to make a difference. Ethan tries harder and harder but they don’t seem to be making a difference in all of the places where they want to make a difference. Abbie is herself frustrated. Aid which has been sent to Sudan and Ethiopia is not getting through - the aid is delivered but it never reaches the people. Ethan knows that the Sudanese and Ethiopian authorities are keeping the aid themselves - Abbie wouldn’t believe it at first but Ethan took photographs to prove it.
- Arguments become more frequent. Abbie wants to make permanent positive changes but she keeps hitting problems, and meanwhile people are dying or starving. Ethan is getting tired, and increasingly cranky. He withdraws to Clockworld more often, particularly when he needs to sleep. Abbie argues that if there are people who are stopping the aid getting through, who are opposing their efforts, then they should be removed by one way or another. Ethan refuses to do any such thing - he won’t change people’s minds and he won’t remove governments, not even warlords. They argue over alternatives, but almost all involve ‘going public’ and ‘seeking more public support’ and Ethan is not prepared to do that.
- The situation becomes more and more miserable. Neither of them are having any fun.
Part 9 - Missteps
- Ethan reaches the point where he realises that he will fail in his studies unless he takes it seriously and dedicates more time. He’s already missed so much. He tries to catch up - effectively ‘saving the world’ by day and studying by night. Whilst at Manchester University, Ethan notices another student who has a strong mind and some magical potential, but he decides to ignore following it up - he’s too busy.
- Whilst studying late one night, Ethan is interrupted by Abbie. She reminds him that she loves him very much, and asks him to come to bed and let it go. Ethan thanks her but says that he can’t just drop it. He needs to study or else he’ll fail - and he doesn’t want to fail. He also needs to do everything he can to help Abbie improve the world because he doesn’t want to let her down. Abbie can’t seem to get through to him, so she leaves him be.
- As the days roll on, Abbie becomes increasingly worried - Ethan hardly sleeps, and he’s always working. She contacts Grant and asks him to have a word with Ethan. While at Manchester University, Grant bumps into Ethan and suggests that they visit some places on the Stair for fun - Ethan politely declines and says that he’s too busy. Grant suggests that he’s trying to do too much. He points out to Ethan that it doesn’t matter if he does the subjects this year, or the next, or the year after that. Grant tells Ethan that he doesn’t look happy and he suggests that he needs to have some fun, or else ‘what’s the point of being here’?
- Ethan accepts this but it is too late to pull out of his subjects this semester, so he tries. He puts in a last burst of effort and gets through most of the subjects, but fails two. Ethan is crushed. How could he have failed?
- Abbie decides to cheer Ethan up, and they go out for quiet dinner. Over dinner, she suggests a getaway, and asks if Ethan will take her to a place that neither of them have been before. When Ethan protests, Abbie presses and says that the world will survive a night without his intervention. Ethan agrees, and they head out together. Together they find Eflan, a faerie world within two kilometres of Realm 0 which is infested with curious and mischievous faeries. It is high Spring when they arrive, and the hills are awash with flowers. The two are welcomed as honoured guests, although that also means that they become the butt of many practical jokes. Ethan’s hair is turned bright blue by a sprite who wanted to practice some ‘magic’ with him. A satyr attempts to woo Abbie with song and fine manners. A group of long-eared elves invite them to a merry dance and offer fine wine and ‘flower tea’. A group of pixies challenge Abbie to a friendly competition of magical prowess - which ends badly for Ethan when she accidentally sets his blue hair on fire. Nevertheless they pass a happy few hours together, and the experience serves as a pleasant distraction, quickly forgetting about their problems. (Although a goblin elixir to help Ethan’s hair grow back ends up giving him three feet of long red hair). Neither is particularly keen to spend the night being pranked, so they head to Marindar and spend a relaxing evening there. Grant is aware of their arrival, and contacts Ethan via Icon - Ethan explains that they needed to get away, and Grant seems relieved that they have done so.
- Returning back to Earth, some of the tension between them is lifted but Ethan quickly resumes his work and he works far too hard again. Even though he should have more free time as he’s finished studying for the time being, he fills it quickly with more work.
- Then, ten days after their return, Abbie tries to use her apprentice-level magic to persuade some of her guests to aid her, hoping that it would perhaps ease some of Ethan’s burden. But this backfires badly and she alienates a number of her high profile guests who accuse her of spiking the drinks with mind-altering drugs.
Part 10 - Another Try
- Knowing that her attempt will end up on the front page of the newspapers, Abbie returns home that evening in tears. She trying everything she can to make a positive change in the world, and she knows Ethan is too - but it’s making them both miserable. She’s fed up and sick of this ungrateful world. Ethan looks after her. That night, snuggled up in bed, Ethan admits that he thinks that they are both trying too hard - they’re trying to change big things too quickly, and throwing physical resources like goods and money at the problem isn’t working. They talk candidly about what they could do differently - and for once Abbie feels like the old Ethan is back - they’re close to one another and talking to one another.
- Ethan explains that it’s difficult to make people different from what they are - he can’t make people kinder, or more considerate, or more tolerant - and he’s tried. He might be able to change one or two, but people are complicated and it’d probably fail if he tried to do it en masse. He speculates that it might be possible to acquire a level of control over the realm (similar to what he has on Skandia) but it takes time to acquire that - and here, the sorcerers may not be too happy if he were to actually achieve that.
- Abbie acknowledges that she’s been asking a lot of Ethan, and she knows that he’s been trying really hard. She asks if they can start small, and maybe make a difference there? Ethan kisses her goodnight and promises to try.
- The next morning they sit down with a fresh pot of tea and share ideas. Ethan wonders if it would be possible to bring out the good qualities of people by infusing water with Eidolon which is then passed into the food chain. They know there are dozens of dams in the United Kingdom - it would be hard to infuse them all and keep them infused. Harder still to do it on a regional or planetary scale. Abbie points out that Santa Claus had a way of infusing presents with a spark of kindness and optimism - she wonders if Ethan could learn something from Nicholas.
- They head to Santa’s workshop and meet with Nicholas. He’s pleased to see them both, but he also shows some concern that they haven’t been taking proper care of themselves (or each other). When hearing what Ethan has to say, Nicholas explains that it is very difficult to change people. Even he only puts a subtle spark of positive energy into the presents, and it doesn’t last very long. What Ethan is suggesting would be difficult and very laborious to implement and maintain. Besides, even if were to change one part of the world - for example, made half the people kind, the other half would probably take advantage of their brothers’/sisters’ kindness and it wouldn’t end well. Ethan and Abbie thank Nicholas for his counsel and return.
- They return to Westgate and then drive back to Manchester. Upon arrival, they write a list of all of the things they’re going to do to try to improve things gradually. Ethan has decided that he wants to introduce some technology which will make a difference to people’s lives - clean energy, food production, clean water. Abbie wants to start developing and empowering people to make a positive difference - leaders, medical professionals, teachers. They start drawing up a list of dos and don’ts. Ethan records the rule that he’s prepared to heal people, but he won’t tamper with them or kill them.
Part 11 - The Doctor’s Daughter
- In the months that follow, Ethan makes some significant changes. Chernobyl is magically cleansed, to the astonishment of the world (another miracle!). Ethan works with an Indian engineer named Kapoor to develop a working Powell-Kapoor reactor to produce clean power. (GM’s note - I’m not saying whether it’s fusion or cosmic energy - it’s just groundbreaking) He has many inventions that he plans to release gradually, but he knows that this will badly disrupt the fossil fuel industries. Kapoor is pictured on the front cover of Time Magazine for the invention of the century - Ethan retains his anonymity even though the invention bears his name.
- Kapoor becomes the front-man for many of the subsequent inventions, whether it be mobile condensers for making drinkable water from moisture in the atmosphere (to help drought affected areas), or the larger vaporators for irrigating crops.
- In the background, Ethan continues to work on Clockworld, seeking to understand what would be involved in achieving control of the realm. He half expects the other sorcerers in Realm 0 to intervene, but to his pleasant surprise, they do not.
- Periodically, Ethan seeds Eidolon infused energy into a number of the water supplies of Great Britain, and then monitors the changes it makes as it flows through the food chain.
- Meanwhile, Abbie records another album, and she works hard to build and inspire a small army of helpers to improve the lives of all those who live in the United Kingdom.
- Medical miracles occur - sudden breakthroughs which seemed impossible are suddenly possible. Ethan has been deliberately helping a number of doctors in key facilities around the country. It is during this time that he meets Thaddeus. Thaddeus is a doctor but he is also a sorcerer. Ethan can see that he has been working hard to find a cure for a degenerative disorder, but he has been unable to find one. Thaddeus’ daughter is afflicted with this condition, and Ethan decides to help.
- Ethan goes to meet Thaddeus in person and Thaddeus doesn’t even bother to erect a defensive ward - he knows that he is totally outclassed. Ethan kindly asks if he might be allowed to help, and Thaddeus gratefully accepts. His wife couldn’t cope with their daughter wasting away like this, so she left. His daughter (now 11) is little more than skin and bones and Thaddeus’ spells are helping to keep her breathing. The condition she is cursed with is very aggressive, and he has been unable to reverse its course through either science or magic.
- Ethan takes a look at Thaddeus’ daughter and finds that she is infected by some sort of parasite which is feeding on magical energy. He reasons that if he tries to use magic, it will attempt to latch onto him, so he decides to put it to sleep - and then he is able to remove it. Using Eidolon, he gently brings her out of danger, and then he decides that he has no choice but to destroy the parasite. Ethan would have preferred to keep it as such a creature could come in useful, but he can’t see any way of containing it safely, so he terminates it.
- Thaddeus can’t believe it - he offers to help Ethan any way he can, even giving him access to his library. Ethan declines the offer, but takes the opportunity to ask for his counsel and to learn more about the other sorcerers.
Part 12 - A New Beginning
- Thaddeus tells him that most of the warlocks and witches on the planet work alone. Very few of them work together. The Circle (an American group which occasionally meddles in politics) is the only significant group, but they only perhaps five now - some were lost in the Sudan. Ethan explains what he is trying to do - to improve the world - and Thaddeus thinks that it is very unlikely that Ethan would be opposed, partly because improving the world is a noble pursuit, but also because Ethan is far more powerful than any sorceror on Earth and no one would dare oppose him. Ethan thanks him for his counsel and says that he’ll be in touch.
- As the months go by, a new level of national pride is visible. Britain is doing great and ground breaking things. The British are a happier people than they were. They are more optimistic. John Major is the most inspiring Prime Minister since the Second World War! It’s not all rosy however - there are many more people who wish to migrate to Britain, and many of their European allies look across the Channel with envious eyes.
- Jacob returns to Realm 0 and Clockworld one day, and finds Ethan exploring the inner workings of Clockworld in an attempt to extend the machine’s functions - to achieve control (or at least influence) over Realm 0. Jacob is wary of this idea and suggests that Ethan proceed carefully. He listens to what happened in the Sudan, and praises him for the way he acted. Jacob leaves shortly after.
- A few days later, Ethan receives an Icon contact from Isabelle - she wants to visit. A little surprised, Ethan accepts the contact and brings her through. She heard from Lucien (who heard from Jacob) that he is doing some work on Clockworld - and she wants to be involved. Ethan agrees, and decides to tell Abbie what is going on lest she think poorly of him. Abbie asks Ethan to invite Isabelle to stay with them (as she knows Clockworld is not particularly comfortable to sleep in), so Isabelle is given the choice of Westgate or Manchester. She chooses to stay in Westgate.
Part 13 - Tea with Thaddeus
- Ethan meets up with Thaddeus again over tea and asks him more about Earth magic. Thaddeus explains that there is little cohesion to magic here on this world, such that most wizards have acquired Sorcery that works in all of the world’s many magical ‘pockets’. Thaddeus confirms that his daughter is feeling much better (she’s been on TV - another medical ‘miracle’) and thanks him again. It is during this time that Ethan asks Thaddeus about divination - foretelling the future. Thaddeus knows that it is possible, but it is also tricky to get an accurate reading on something that is in motion. He himself uses a ‘lesser divination’ to see if anything unusual may happen, and if that tells him that something is going to happen, he then tries to prepare himself accordingly. It’s not always accurate, of course. He didn’t expect Ethan to walk into his office, for example. (GM’s note - that’s a factor of Ethan regularly using ‘mental invisibility’)
- Isabelle and Ethan spend time investigating Clockworld’s functions. Ethan finds Isabelle’s presence a little uncomfortable - she is beautiful and intelligent, and yet quite different to Abbie. Ethan knows that Isabelle knows that he finds her attractive - but she pretends not to notice. Assessing the machine, they decide that it is highly highly complex, but it would be possible for the mechanisms to influence Realm 0 - but new controls would need to be built as Clockworld was never designed this way. Ethan and Isabelle begin working on the modifications.
…. and that’s where we left Session 103 (the adventure). The next session (Session 104) details the time compress from 1993 to 2002 and then Session 105 re-baselines the Grand Stair proximate to Realm 0. After all, with Mastery of the Stair and ten years passed, some changes were made.