Four or five days into Elthered’s Compass project, Rask approaches Alexis while Alexis is between tasks and the group is resting after Ethelred has been working on his Magic ‘Compass,’ the in the misty first ‘room,’ or level of this strange place, he waits for Alexis to acknowledge him and then respectfully speaks:
“Alexis, do you think it would be useful to us all to better understand what you know or have heard about Sasherak, this King Illceros, and that ‘Kobos’ place the dwarves,”
Rask pauses and glances down, a little ashamed of having slaughtered the dwarves so brutally,
“mentioned?”
Rask pauses breifly, before resuming his inquiry.
“The Dragon and Spider,” the warrior glances at Alexis’ ring briefly, “they are connected to King Illceros, right?”
“Was… Handonis telling the truth about the Time Magic? Do we really need giant hearts as anchors?”
Rask is confused and perhaps even a bit frightened.
Alexis acknowledges Rask.
This silver coin between his knuckles is turned over once.
“Sasherak, King Ilceros, Kobos.” He says the names like he’s sorting through a pile on a table. “Here’s what I think I know. Kobos was a dwarven stronghold, probably inside the same mountain as the temple of Dian-Cet. It fell. Given what we saw at Nodden-Torr, and what we know about Dura-Intun, I’d wager it fell to orcs. Every old dwarven fortress we’ve found has.” He pauses. “That’s worth sitting with.”
He glances at the Spider’s ring briefly.
“The Dragon and the Spider both connect to King Ilceros somehow. He was clearly someone of enormous consequence at the end of the second age. From Eellos, which is a place nobody remembers anymore.” He looks up. “I got a vision once. Before all of this made sense.” Alexis recounts it plainly:
the split throne, one half elven script, one half orcish glyphs. The tower with the dragon clutching the top, everyone moving backwards. The figure feeding shadows with blood from red crystals. The warlord who casts no reflection. The sigil of a broken circle devouring its own center.
“I attributed it to my new connection with Raiden. Any visions from Raiden come differently; I got it without context, and in fragments. Then we stood on that ledge and watched the orcs pouring into Nodden-Torr.” He leaves it there.
“As for Hedonis and the hearts.” He shakes his head once. “We’re here now. Can’t go back for them. But I don’t believe hearts were the only answer. Hedonis had reasons to tell us what he told us, and reasons to leave things out.”
He looks at Rask directly.
“We’re not lost, Rask. We just have more questions than answers.” Alexis shrugs light-heartedly. “That’s not new for us.”
Rask listens gratefully and carefully. He clearly has a thought when Alexis talks about the fall of the Dwarven strongholds and orcs, but sets it aside without breaking his attention to Alexis.
He relaxes visibly a bit when Alexis says that they are not lost. He nods slightly, pondering what Alexis has shared.
“Thank you Alexis, that is helpful and comforting. Your vision… We are on the path Raiden set for us.”
Rask straightens slightly, buoyed by this thought. He looks to Alexis to see if Alexis has any more information he wishes to impart or any questions. The warrior also seems to have at least one more thing to say.
Alexis looks at Rask. “What else?”
Rask looks to Ethelred, Ca’armine and Gustave briefly and turns back to Alexis, gratitude and releif evident in his posture.
“Thank you Alexis.” Rasks says with genuine gratitude and with a bit grim camaraderie.
“I trust you and the others will figure out the magics, let me know if I can help. It seems to me Raiden set us on this path, and Raiden will be out guide home. If studying my tattoos help you connect to Raiden’s magic or anything. I do not feel the Raw Power of Aegir here,” Rask is briefly saddened.
“Except when Ca’armine blesses me, but if it is helpful let me know.”
Rask gestures to the items as he speaks of them, Buoyed by faith in Raiden and his trust in Alexis’ knowledge and the groups skills and abilities, he is earnest and grateful to bear such treasures.
“Like wise with the Mantle, the Sword of the Raidensblud, the signet ring, the Shield Ethelred made me, or anything I can do to help get us home.”