V: Dimansion of the Tectomancer - Chapter XVII
Finally meeting Ypsilanti face-to-face, our party hopes to finally achieve what they set out to do. But it's not as easy as they'd hoped.
Finally meeting Ypsilanti face-to-face, our party hopes to finally achieve what they set out to do. But it's not as easy as they'd hoped.
After passing successfully through the mirror passage, Omid, Row, and Gashana have reached the innermost sanctum of Ypsilanti. But to explore it they first must survive a fight with its guardian when they're already weak.
We use Jason Cordova's Labyrinth Move (of Gauntlet fame; link incoming) to construct a session where our heroes explore the magical portal they figured out in the last chapter. They travel across great distances, but push through to get closer to the heart of the Dimansion... and to Ypsilanti's most private space.
Confronted with an unknown contraption, but with sure-footed confidence in their direction, our party shakes off the fear of what came before. Together, they tackle a tower of violet light as friends that have been through hell but still hope to emerge on the other side.
Omid, Row, and Gashana consider how best to handle a mysterious seal and the chain holding it in place. Then a face to face confrontation with someone unexpected leaves Row shaken.
Our heroes find themselves in alien territory as they get closer to their ultimate goal. But they're not alone, they still have more questions than answers, and they're running out of time. Spoilers for Series IV in the stinger on this one (kinda).
Omid, Gashana, and Row aren’t sure where to push forward, but a sudden confrontation drives them to make a decision. And we check in with the characters' emotional states in one of my favorite scenes of the series!
Our adventurers explore Ypsilanti's workshop. Despite feeling a little anxious, Gashana and Omid settle in for some reading. Row pokes around while waiting on the nerds.
Gashana starts a firefight, Omid watches too much pro wrestling, and Row tries to keep things together. When the way forward seems obscured by illusion, what else is there to do but play your own games of light and shadow?
Faced with the crumbling facade of the Dimansion, our heroes decide to push forward one way or another. Though no path in this place meanders without intrigue and obstacle.
The crew meet Ypsilanti's apprentice and obtain the first real insight into how to progress toward their goal. Unfortunately for them, the facade of the Dimansion begins to unravel and the portents get very grim indeed.
Gashana, Omid, and Row sit down to dinner where the conversation gets a little personal. Then they get some much needed rest before deciding on their next course of action.
Row, Gashana, and Omid make their first steps in the halls of Ypsilanti's home, marked by a hospitable greeting and a hostile meeting.
Gashana, Row, and Omid play shadow puppet theater as they puzzle over how they can enter the Dimansion itself.
Omid, Gashana, and Row continue to explore Ypsilanti's domain as well as their trust in each other.
Gashana, Omid, and Row make their way across the riverlands and glimpse the distinctive work of the wizard they are seeking. The exploration of Ypsilanti's domain begins.
The full custom move used in this episode can be found in this episode's comments.
Our heroes undertake a perilous journey from the rocky coasts of their heist to the riverlands where they seek Ypsilanti's Dimansion. The locals are not pleased at their arrival.
Apologies for the audio in this episode. We had a problem with our setup during this recording that we did not realize until much later. I'm labeling this Chapter 0 because, while it establishes details that will return later, it can be skipped with regards to the main adventure if the audio problems are an issue. I will provide a summary in the comments of the episode (and eventually plan to have a full transcript). I hope the issues aren't too distracting, though, because while it might stand alone as a subsection of this adventure I honestly believe this episode is very strong in content and character development. Please give it a shot.
Our heroes need to steal a book in order to enter the Dimansion. Naturally, all other books are just getting in the way.
The Second Cycle around our Dungeon World table begins with Series V, entitled "The Dimansion of Ypsilanti the Tectomancer." Here, we meet our new party: Gashana the formerly enslaved elvish princess Immolator, Omid the Mage running from the Ashkeshahri Empire, and Row the guerrilla Battlemaster still fighting a lost war. Normally, we also ask questions setting up the coming campaign, however the original recording was distorted due to an electronic problem. So we have re-recorded this introduction to explain how the original questions were answered. It's not our normal enthusiastic brainstorming session, but it will get you everything you need to know for the upcoming Series!