Recap: Psybear were being controlled by the Dwimmerlaik. Four worlds connect there.
- Attali — medieval fantasy , powerful and magical world, much potential
- Betinien — hollow large tree, powers are very weak, covered by trees and roots, dark
- Desnada — huge dramatic rock faces and trees, some kind of dragon in the distance flying
- Gonoram — we arrive on an ice flow and are pelted by wind and snow
Update: Jericho and Isabelle seemed to teleport away into some future/parallel universe. They watched the pyramid break during the Gossamer Lords' last stand against the Dwimmerlaik, who found their way into Amber. This did allow them the opportunity to watch the way both parties fought. Maarden finds the duo and brings them back to the group.
Today: Everyone follows Maarden to Gonoram. Silas test that he can use pattern, and he can to some degree. They go to the Marquee K…? Silas introduces himself in an effort to establish diplomatic relations. They were attacked and a city destroyed by the Dwimmerlaik. No one out of 10k people has returned from the area.
The group travels via submarine and sees schools of shark-like creatures about 20-30 feet long. Some wear harnesses as they scout the waters. (The sub is equipped with an experimental vortex gun that creates a localized ball of Umbra. The sub also has an Umbra bomb.)
The group approaches the city ruins. It looks like the top of it was ripped off. The Dwimmerlaik here have shape-shifted into water-breathing forms. Devices are exploding around some vortex, feeding it energy. Silas and Jericho make plans to launch the grandest, showiest fake attack to force the sharks to retreat towards the bomb. The plan works, creating massive devastation in the ravine.
In the work area not far from the ravine, the escaping sharks activated some kind of explosive devices. Elodie coordinates the deactivation of them, translating instructions and passing them along the walrus-people working with them. Almost all of the devices are successfully deactivated, save one that ended the life of one poor soul.
Gerhardt finds a rift that goes to the void, causing destabilization in three primary directions, one of which is notably stronger than the others.
Elodie finds some sort of jewel dropped by a fleeing shark. She uses pattern lens and senses some sort of connection through it, similar to a trump/icon. She tells Gerhardt about this and they discuss the merits of touching it. She decides to go for it! The appropriate defenses are prepared and Gerhardt is on guard.
Upon touching the jewel, Elodie is in instant contact with a Dwimmerlaik.
"Do I know you?" he says.
"I don't think so," she replies slowly.
He says they mean her no harm, but that is not really believable. He clarifies that they only intend to rip open and decimate the Gossamer Worlds, but none of the sovereign lands that have a Non-Interference Treaty. Interesting. He informs her that after their contact ends, he will be destroying the contact device, but he offers her a vision of a meeting place so they may talk again later.
Elodie reaches out to her dad, who is none too thrilled with the goings on. Looks like learning to imitate an ancient one won't come from him.
Silas goes into the pyramid control room. There are sparks spewing around a double-sided blade piercing through Maarden and the Major. Marden almost moves his head almost imperceptibly, parting his lips just enough to emit a breathless, "Stop. Run!" Silas tries to make psychic contact with Maarden since words are failing. He can only detect a sense of sorrow from the dying man.
An explosion goes off somewhere in the distance.
Running back to the transport pad, Silas initiates a trump call to Gerhardt, who answers and is subsequently pulled through to the pyramid. Gerhardt investigates as controls and alarms blare around him. Silas trumps Isabelle, who comes through bringing Elodie and Natasha. They look at the monitors and realize the Dwimmerlaik shape shifted into the party members' forms — a perfect disguise for an ambush.
Elodie wants desperately to save Maarden, so she and Gerhardt coordinate their heroic efforts. She quickly snatches the blade free and at that instant he freezes Maarden in order to reconstruct him using Eidolon.
The world of Gonoram is going to be destroyed by a feedback loop in the pyramid. Jericho is still at the center of the world as it crumbles. Silas trumps Jericho to get him out, but instead Jericho shape-shifts into a Dwimmerlaik to follow them through their escape "hole". Isabelle goes through to him and gives him a seed pod with her essence in it. Her body collapse into an empty husk. Silas kindly picks up her belongings and takes them with him as he trumps away.
Elodie tries to escape to auxillary control rooms, but she keeps finding them annihilated. Only a few minutes remain before total obliteration. Natasha, Maarden, Gerhardt, Silas and Elodie transport to safety. Bastiano's guards check out the party ad Silas warns them about potential shape-shifters. The guards instantly quarantine the party to take blood samples and do further identity verification.
A massive plasma explosion marks the demise of the pyramid.
Dwimmerlaik dive through the rift and as they do, lightning arcs disintegrate many and plasma blasts shred others to pieces. Shrapnel pierces Jericho, but he makes it through into…
The dwimmerlaik mount sand worm type creatures and ride away. Jericho sneaks onto one and follows.
The rest of the group is taken to the local Ascendancy station as guests. The guards take the dwimmerlaik egg to a secure location and Elodie goes with them since she can help them understand its controls. The remaining group is under surveillance at all times. Someone comes in to question them. Silas assures them the Dwimmerlaik are no longer a threat. He divulges a few more details, including some about Maarden.
Pieces of the world have been tossed into space. The Dwimmerlaik are collecting them and stitching them back together. There are thousands upon thousands… no — MILLIONS — of Dwimmerlaik. That's a problem.