While the group has a little downtime on the lush forest level in the tower-out-of-time of Nodden-Torr, Alexis muses out loud.
“Something’s been sitting with me.” He waits a moment. “The orcs that tore through Nodden-Torr had black veins running through them. Unnatural. Shadow infused in them, or some-such. Clearly altered by Shasherak. And that shadow creature we fought under Nodden-Torr, same thing: Black veins.”
He glances at the group.
“And Bandesingh uses orcs too. Different mark, same foot soldier.” He glances back. “Why orcs for both of them? Not stink lizards, not hobgoblins, not gnolls. Orcs.” A beat. “Did Bandesingh learn that from Shasherak? Is there a connection between them, or did two men arrive at the same answer separately?”
Another beat.
“There’s a spellbook tied to Shasherak that nobody’s seen in an age. I’d very much like to know where it is. I wonder if it’s being held by the Dark Hand.”
Rask starts to ask a question, “Zrth” starts to form on his lips. He shakes his head. He looks puzzled and starts to speak,
“Split throne… Half-Orc gliffs, Half Elf scrip… Back in Noddin’ Torr you talked about Bandesing and said some thing about ‘Born of Two Hatreds? What Bandesing is trying to bring back? Could it be connected to this? The Dragon and Sahserak? The orcs? That… thing we fought in the room with the columns and lightning?”
Alexis is clearly trying to follow Rask’s train of thought. He angles his hat back while listening and discerning.
“A shadow of Shasherak was the creature we fought in the room with the lightning and columns.” Alexis answers confidently, although there’s an uncertainty about whether this is what Rask is actually asking about.
“A shadow of the shadow” Alexis attempts the weak joke.
“Perhaps you’re getting Bandesingh and Shasherak confused?”
Rask looks back at Alexis, clearly still puzzling out his own thoughts. Alexis’ confirmation that they fought a shadow of Sasherak is clearly helpful.
“Is Bandesing trying to bring Sasherak back?”
Alexis seems confused by this question.
“What makes you ask that?”
Rask looks a bit confused himself for a moment, he furrows his brow in thought.
“You said ‘shadow of the Shadow’… it reminded me… of the amulet we took from the Snake… and the shadow magic they used…”
Rask touches the amulet he now wears, and continues in a stream of consciousness:
“Shyeeni said something about bringing back someone who wanted to become a god… the Dragon said we needed to move fast, that he needed to close the… portal? Before he… Sassherak? could become a god…”
Rask shakes his head, confused by his own thoughts, he shrugs and looks at Alexis for guidance and clarity.
Alexis shakes his head gently.
“Not everything shadow is connected, Rask. The amulet from the Snake, Tarkus Vell’s tunic, the one you’re wearing now, Red’s feather.” He ticks them off without urgency. “Shadow magic runs a long spectrum. Neutral to dangerous. They don’t all point back to the same source.”
He pauses.
“As for becoming a god.” He turns his Collegium ring once. “There are always those reaching for that. There’s a cabal of powerful wizards, the Lich Lords, who’ve been trying to cheat death and live forever. It’s not a new ambition.” He looks at Rask. “But the Dragon was telling the truth about Shasherak. I’m confident of that.”
He looks up toward the fire room.
“Bandesingh is a separate problem. Whether he’s trying to become a god himself or bring something worse through, the result is the same. Darkness. Anti-human. The world shaped into something none of us would recognize.” A beat. “That’s what we’re here to stop. The theology of it matters less than the outcome.”
Rask nods appreciatively and goes a bit calmer and more focused.
“Thank you Alexis, all of this is getting to me, but you’re right. We need to stay focused:
“Get the Tear. Get home. Stop Bandesing.”
He nods affirmatively.