Rask Rebuilds

In the first few days after the Ritual on the Road Rask is subdued. He prays with Ca’armine and Gus whenever he can. He invites Ethelred to join them if Ethelred doesn’t seem busy. Helps them around camp and on the road, and spends a lot of time tending to the horses. He touches the wooden Shield of Raiden brooch Ethelred made him often.

In the morning on the first day after Rask very tentatively does a long set of calisthenics, pushing himself up off the ground, jumping up and down, marching in place and more. He exercises vigorously for nearly a hour, but he does not practice any fighting moves at all.

The next morning he does the same, more confidently.

On the third morning he adds a few minutes of slow movements that seem somewhat like unarmed fighting moves, but at the slowest possible pace in the most idealized form. He prays to Raiden for guidance and protection while holding the small wooden shield. The next day his routine changes, he prays briefly before starting m, a short intense burst of calisthenics is followed by a long, repeated cycle of the same slow, very controlled movements. After about and hour he prays to Raiden briefly in thanks, and goes about the rest of his day.

The remainder of each day continues very much the same: An occasional conversation, lots of praying, tending to the horses, and helping Gus or Ca’armine any time they will accept it.

The next morning, the cycle of unarmed movements progressively gets faster until it is blinding fast, and then slow again until it ends at the slowest possible pace. Throughout Rask is calm and focused, the movements carefully controlled and precise.

That day, Rask asks Ca’armine for permission to start practicing with a baton, and Ca’armine assents.

His routine shifts again: short burst of calisthenics, unarmed forms at a moderate pace and then at his fastest, fully controlled pace. Only then, starting at the slowest possible pace, does his begin the fighting forms with the stick. Two days later he is practicing at full speed with the stick as well. At the end of each session he sits, contemplative, offers a prayer to Raiden, and then goes about his day.

It takes a couple days of full speed stick practice before Rask asks Ca’armine for a sword. Rask does so with humility and some sense of resignation and sadness.

The cycle starts again, Rask adds a prayer to Raiden at the beginning, then the calisthenics and unarmed forms at their slowest pace as well as the sword forms. Rask takes a little longer with the steel sword, and spends two days of excruciating slow forms. A skilled swordsman would notice that the forms are almost exclusively focused on using the flat of the blade, the pommel or creating an opening for a kick, leg sweep, or other unarmed strike, and not on thrusting or slicing attacks. Rask slowly works his way up to speed with the steel sword. Rask is precise, focused and in complete control throughout the exercises. At the end of each session, he prays to Raiden before starting the rest of his day.

The morning before entering Gahnil, and after praying together, Rask approaches Ca’armine with the same sad, humble resignation and asks to partice with and carry the Raidensblud Blade. Before starting practice he prays to Raiden. His calisthenics and unarmed forms are just under full speed, control and precision are his complete focus. He is cautious at first with the Blud Blade, using the slowest possible forms again, but builds to full speed, still completely in control and with a precision that is both comforting and frightening to those who watch.

He concludes the session with a moment of contemplation and then a prayer to Raiden. He is ready to break camp and make the final ride into Gahnil, to find Tarkus Vell and return to the hunt for Bandesingh.

Raiden’s Grove Again?

The group is about 9 days out from Ghanil and three days since driving Zrithrak out of Rask. Ethelred is in the back of the wagon studying, Rask is riding his horse, and Gustav and Alexis are leading the cart horses.

“About what we talked on yesterday,” Alexis says. “Can you make another grove, wherever we stop next? Could Ca’armine help?”

Alexis keeps walking with Gustav, waiting for his friend to answer in his own time.

The Forest Fortress From the Grasslands

The group is about 10 days out from Ghanil and two days since driving Zrithrak out of Rask. Ethelred is in the back of the wagon studying, Rask is riding his horse, and Gustav and Alexis are leading the cart horses.

“Have you heard anything from the grove up north?” Alexis asks

“It’s been months since we were up there and you were pretty worried about it dying of the flame.”

Alexis keeps walking with Gustav, waiting for his friend to answer in his own time.

Gratitude and Brotherhood

A couple days after the Ritual on The Road, Rask approaches Ethelred in camp before watches start. The warrior’s hair is short and choppy, his beard messily trimmed close, both cut hastily with his dagger. His armor is still filthy, its dull reddish color somewhat obscured.

“Brother, I can’t thank you enough for your support. You heard me when Alexis didn’t. Your advocacy led the group and Ca’armine to freeing me from Zritthak…”

Rask pauses, to those who pay attention to such things, there is something left unsaid, those who are very savvy would likely suspect Rask is not yet ready to acknowledge that the group also freed him from the Blade of the Betrayers and his… identity as the Black Blade of Aegir.

“Raiden be Praised Brother, if there is anything I can do for you, please tell me. You are always welcome to sing and pray with us, anytime. It will truly be an honor if you would join us.”

He gestures to Gustav and Ca’armine, who he as started praying with whenever possible.

Killer Sees Killer: Gustav and Rask Go A Walk

A few days after the Ritual on the Road, Rask approaches Gustav away from the others after camp is set and horses are tended to.

“My Brother, it felt like our battles in Sutheron against the agents of the Dark Hand, the mercenaries in the alley, and against the Raidensblud Blade in the sewers were some of the first times you struck the fatal blow against a fellow human.”

Rask pauses and looks away from Gus, giving the ranger all the space he needs.

After a few moments of silence, he quietly speaks.

“Gus, my Brother-in-Raiden, and true son of Aegir: Anything you need, I am here for you. I’ve been there. I’ve lost count at this point, anything you need to get off your chest or talking about, you will get no judgement from me.

“Anytime. If you need to talk, or just go for a walk with a friend, you tell me, and I will do everything I can to do it. You’re a good man. Killing a fellow human is never easy. Not the first time, not the hundredth time.”

Rask is a bit sad, but most of all, focused on Gustav.

Post-Gate Reflections

The group is almost back to E’armos from the First Gate. The group has traveled through the Howling Wastes, but has made it out of them. Alexis is walking beside Ca’armine.

“You know,” Alexis said, eyes on the horizon, “I keep thinking about the Gate. About what we walked away from.” He hooked a thumb toward the north-west without looking. “They knew Bandesingh’s name there. They knew his allies. We tracked the weapons being made to there. That wasn’t nothing; we had a trail, and we left it cooling.”

He glanced sideways. “You’ve said Raiden wanted you to turn back. Maybe. Or maybe… it wasn’t about turning at all. Maybe it was about where to put our eyes. We were looking one way, but the truth was sitting right there in front of us. Or maybe going to the First Gate wasn’t the most direct way to get to Bandesingh, but perhaps it could have been the quickest way, that Raiden knew-if asked, to disrupt his working, or to topple the Hand.” Alexis shrugs at his thought that will never be known and was never tested.

“And Drennos. You said he taunted you. Maybe he did. But it sticks with me—reminds me of that beggar in Sutheron. ‘You may have killed the snake, but the wolf still hunts, the spider weaves, the king behind the throne is coming.’” Alexis pauses to gather his thoughts. “Whatever that poor beggar was trying to say, Rask certainly took it as some sort of curse or threat. But sometimes messages come in ugly wrappers. Perhaps Raiden was working through Drennos.”

Alexis kicks a stone forward, watched it skitter. “And those visions—the ruins of Raiden’s long-gone armies? They don’t have to be warnings. That could have been a clue or an omen of both weal and woe. When his armies fell, they almost certainly left something behind. Power. Tools. Maybe even a key to tearing the Hand apart or to stop Bandy’s evil master plan.”

“So maybe the Gate was a pit.” Alexis nods his head towards Ethelred, to emphasize ‘pit.’ “Fine. And we climbed out. And we carried things with us when we did. Maybe doom wasn’t the only story written for us there.”

Alexis keeps walking beside Ca’armine. Letting the words hang between them as the group moves closer and closer to E’armos.

In Game 09072025: Ca’armine’s dream

That night after the ritual, feeling deeply connected to Raiden, Ca’armine sleeps well and slips into dreams. 

You find yourself standing in the plains, stretching beyond sight in every direction, at night with the stars bright above. A warm wind from the east carries murmurs…”soon the false god shall ride again, clothed in shadow, born into this world on the blood of innocents. Time is running out. The sands in the hourglass are nearly spent and the gate of skulls will soon have a new lord. My time is nearly spent. If the shadow returns, the night will never end.”

Shadows grow and blots out the light of the stars. You awake, heart pounding.

A Moment Each Morning Praising the Protection of Raiden

Red feels like the conversations the group has had about Raiden’s protection have been fruitful. Each morning after breakfast he gathers the faithful of Raiden to reflect on Raiden and recite the song Ca’armine has created (Alexis is welcome of course).

Red keeps a watchful eye on Rask, noting his tone, posture, tension. During Red’s watches at night he stays near Rask. Not wanting more dark murmurs to go noticed.

Red is tempted to ask Alexis to grant him the wisdom of the past, to recall more precisely what Rask was like before the encounter in the spiders area. But something stops Red, something seems off about such a step. This task must be done with the blessings of Raiden. And this thought, inspires Red.

Red takes a piece of the wood from Gustav’s Glade to Raiden from his pack. He carves a small shield with the symbol of Raiden’s protection on it. Make sure to keep all the shavings from the carving. He takes his time crafting this totem. The symbol must be just right, the shield shape just so. As he does this carving he recites to himself the song of protection to Raiden. The wood yields in way that seems odd, as if ready for the task.

The shield takes days to make. Red is not in a hurry. He continues to keep watch on Rask during his breaks from the scroll. He continues to gather the group. He continues to try and keep Raiden protection present.

Finally one morning after reciting the song Red offers the shield to Rask.

“Rask I have a small offering for you. The protection of Raiden takes many forms. But the shield seems the most fitting. Here is a small shield of Raiden I made of wood. I wish it was of metal, but I lack those tools at the moment. But the wood is from the Glade of trees Gustav created in honor of Raiden. It can be worn on the breast of your cloak, if you like?”

Stolen Wild Horse Murder Chaos

One afternoon on break from scrolls Red approaches Alexis. Red is peering out across the plains scanning all around with his spy glass as if looking for something.

“Alexis…. I am worried a bit. I know you and Rask wanted horses. But…. I am concerned. The how we got those horses… the death.. the stealing.

Let me back up… The Westlands is known for two things. Slaves being stolen. And Horses.

The horses we have just seem like horses to me. But I am guessing that Westlanders would see them differently. I bet that when we get to Ghanil someone will recognize these horses… at least where they are from.

Worst would be if word of the killing had reached Ghanil. Then the stealing and the murder

it could be messy”

During all of this Red continues to scan the horizon looking for something

Ca’armine seeks Gustav’s Vow

Ca’armine, moving through the group as we walk along, pulls Gustav aside for a word.

“My friend, we have a problem.  I need your help to solve it—though we may both perish in the attempt.

Rask has a cursed sword, and his increasing disquiet—even with the sword out of reach—tells me he may be hosting an evil soul.  Perhaps Zrithak is joined with him.

I am asking him to give me his swords, to fight with batons only for now, but this is a stop-gap.  If the evil inside him concludes he must move against the party—and Red heard him say as much in his sleep!—there will be serious trouble, mainly for me as the keeper of the Black Blade.

Please keep close to me and be ready to defend me if he tries to take the sword from me?

In my prayers it has become clear to me that the sword, and perhaps the evil soul, are avid to destroy us all.  If Rask is under the thrall of these evils, he is the most dangerous foe we have faced together, and we will need to be resolute.

In Raiden’s name I charge you—NONE OF US may wield the black blade even one more time, and he that attempts it, must be stopped, even if his death is the only way.  Will you accept this charge?”