Author Archives: Alexis

The Need For Some Time to Appraise

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It’s the daytime after the group has first started scouting Tarkus Vell’s warehouse. Ethelred is on watch.

Alexis stirs, pushes himself upright, and glances around the camp. The others are still wrapped in sleep, breath rising steady from their blankets. The quiet hum of the nomad quarter beyond, the wide grasslands holding steady at the city’s edge. He spots Ethelred on watch and lowers his voice.

“Evening Red” Alexis whispers.

…

“Mostly good,” he says after a moment, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Though I woke from another of those dreams—like the visions back in the Westlands. This time I was behind the eyes of a great white wolf. It dug at the earth, but the ground gave back bodies instead of dirt. And still it tore on, trying to reach something burning below.” His hand closes around the red jasper at his throat. “We can’t let him succeed. He’ll ruin everything if we do.” Alexis says it plain, as though stating the weather.

Alexis takes a moment and shifts gears.

“I’ve been thinking that after we leave here we need to spend some time discerning what some of our tools do. I still lament giving up those wooden rings, but we weren’t spending the time we needed to figure them out and Mavon needs the money. But while traveling away from here, or wherever we are next that’s quiet, please make sure I make time to uncover the mysteries.”

Alexis eases back down onto his bedroll, folding his hands behind his head. His gaze lingers on the pale sky, a faint smile touching his lips as the sounds of the nomad quarter drift across their camp.

Raiden’s Grove Again?

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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

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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.

Post-Gate Reflections

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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.

Soul Pusher

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The group has started moving away from the tower of Ilceros’ spymaster. They have already crossed the bridge, but the traveling has barely started. The group is going slowly due to the slow speed of the wagon, especially over the broken ground.

Alexis falls into step beside Ca’armine, tone easy but deliberate.

“Priest,” he says with a half-smile. “That move you pulled with Zrithak—what was that? Looked like you and Rask had it rehearsed. The way the soul flowed from the body to the blade… clean, seamless. Almost too smooth to be an accident.”

Nice Scrolls

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The group is a few days past E’armos and where Ethelred got his new set of scrolls. Ethelred has gotten a good night sleep, and Alexis is talking with him on the road before he’s quite started studying his new scrolls.

“Morning, Red. Collegium petitioner, if we’re being proper about it” Alexis takes on a brief mocking air of formality.

“Hey. Before you crack into those new scrolls, I’d like to hear what you pulled from the first set—and maybe what you think this next batch will reveal.

So tell me—what tools have you found for us? Perhaps a compass to Ezrin? Something to burn out cursed relics? A way to sniff out immortal energies using your lack-of-knowing as a tool?” Alexis leans in, clearly eager to hear what Ethelred is excited about.

Who Are The Allies of The Wilderness God?

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While the group travels across the Westlands away from the First Gate, Alexis addresses Gustav across the campfire one night.

“Gus, level with me.

Last time I asked why you’ll take favors from non-human gods but turn your back on the Grand-Matron of humanity. You sidestepped it, pressed the VahnYir bracers into my hands, and paid the price yourself—a brave move, but it felt like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Since then, you’ve kept refusing the Grand-Matron’s workings, and then turned down a solid tool against Bandesinge and blood magic, and yet you’re fine with the collegium’s spells and Ca’armine’s gifts. I’m not here to put you on trial—I’m here to get this team through the the trials we face in one piece. To do that, I need more than a yes-or-no list. I need your why. If there’s a line you won’t cross, show me where it runs and what it protects. Your compass matters.

Ca’armine takes blessings from the other human gods. I understand that map. Help me read yours.

So talk to me, Gus: why turn down help from allies? What do you trust, what don’t you, and how can I lead so your convictions make us stronger—not weaker?”

Alexis patiently waits for Gustav’s answer. There is no rush on his face or in his body.

Heard of Any Other Bells?

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The group has been traveling through the Westlands and they’ve started moving away from the coast heading back East. After camp has been set up Alexis sits next to Ca’armine. Alexis engages Ca’armine in polite discussions about the travels of the day and then turns the conversation to other things.

“Well, my taciturn friend, I’ve been meaning to ask you what rumors you might have heard regarding and of humanities lost artifacts. We have already found the mantle crafted, or re-crafted, with his power.”

Alexis looks at Ca’armine, waiting for a reply.

Our Lost Comrade. Bravest of Us

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The group has stopped for lunch after they’ve left the First Gate (but before they encounter Illceros’ Spiders).

Alexis addresses Gustav and Ca’armine. “I’m not sure about you Raiden boys, but these western lands have gotten me thinking more about…” Alexis puts his arms out “the bigger things.”

“You both chose to give up Dauntless” Alexis holds up an apologetic hand to Ca’armine “even though you weren’t fully aware of what that meant” Alexis says to only Ca’armine.

“With some time and space, how are you feeling about the ‘Collegium’ holding such a powerful artifact in your cause?”

Alexis looks between Gustav and Ca’armine.

Saddles to Summon Unkillable Steeds

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As the group is all on the surface near the ruined tower where they found and imprisoned Zyrithack, during some down time. Alexis talks to the group

“Some of the greatest human knights, scouts, and explorers used to have saddles that would summon steeds which would never tire. The greatest of these were said to summon steeds that could even carry their riders across the water or open air across chasms.”

“For this kind of exploring” Alexis gestures to the ruins “we could really use some of those saddles. Unfortunately I don’t know where the great knights and scouts could have been housed around these human lands. Perhaps the Collegium has one or two in the bowels. Perhaps there are some in Ederos. Perhaps there are a few between here and Ederos.”

“Red, is this the sort of thing you could figure out? Some essence of the Westlands imbued in saddles, that is brought forth. Or perhaps a creature captured in a saddle that is forced to serve in the form of a horse. Perhaps a creature like Yog’s large cat. Or the 3-armed giant. Or Earyka.” Alexis gives Ethelred a large, playful smile and a wink “How would that work without necromancy? Perhaps there’s a better way.” Alexis waits for an answer from his companion.