Author Archives: Alexis

Missive in Response to Lady Alba

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To the noble Lady Sophia Alba of House Veronia

I must admit, the passion in your letter brought a warmth to my heart. There is boldness in your request that I can respect—and that I will answer. But first, a word of caution: treasure hunting requires wisdom, a keen mind, and above all, patience.

I look forward to our next expedition, perhaps the crypt of Drayak, perhaps another crypt or lost temple – yet before we speak of that, I would speak to you of my specific approach to treasure hunting. Imagine you stand before a vast ruin, doors thrown wide and the smell of the ancients washing out. Within, there is untold knowledge—or so the legends say. Most eager explorers would dive deep, pressing onward, lured by the call of gold and glory at the dungeon’s heart. This is what I call “deep-delving exploration,” and it is one of the most certain ways to get oneself hopelessly lost—or worse.

Instead, my method of patience and prudence: “wide-path exploration”. Move carefully from chamber to chamber, mapping each as you go, understanding the layout of the place before delving deeper. Each room, each hall, must be understood before venturing further. In this way, you’ll always have an exit path—a path that can be your salvation if something unexpected and unfortunate happens. Wide-path exploration provides knowledge of the surroundings and provides clues of what lies ahead, so as to not be caught unaware.

We both know of promising treasure hunters who have vanished because they did not have this piece of my experience. I have survived many close calls because I held it dear. Long forgotten mysteries and danger await us, but a true treasure hunter knows the value of every footstep and the wisdom of moving wide before moving deep.

If you wish to learn from me on your passionate path to becoming a treasure hunter, consider this your first lesson.

I look forward to more time together, more exploration, and more lessons. To my great sadness, I am besieged with other obligations in our fair city at present. The murder of poor Master Alaric Trevelian is but the tip of the buried colossus.

Yours with great fondness

Alexis Laelius of the Crimson Calling

Adept of the Collegium
Reclaimer of Humanities’ Lost Treasures

Strange Findings Below: A Report on the Halfling in the Depths

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Honored Undersecretariat, Custodian of Hood’s Wisdom,

While pursuing the elusive “Snake” through the underbelly of the city, we crossed paths with a figure from ancient tales—one of the small-folk, or a “hin” as some old tomes call them. This one, who called himself Brin, struck us as peculiar for two reasons. First, though dressed in nothing but rags, he clutched a human-sized skull, marked or decorated. <Alexis includes a physical description of the skull, including the markings. He also includes, in an academic script, the insights he was given from Avv’s insights of the skull>

Secondly, my companion, a devotee of Raiden detected something… unsettling. The halfling, he claimed, was neither alive nor dead, yet bore none of the marks of undeath. He was, somehow, something else—an aberration in defiance of natural order.

As you requested regular reports and of unusual matters, I thought this might be of interest. We could not extract the hin from the sewers, but I confiscated a small sack he carried, filled with odd, seed-like objects that may be worth your inspection.

May our shared vigilance hold strong against the shadows cast by the Dark Hand. With the highest respect,
Alexis Laelius and the Crimson Calling

The Ironjaw Surprise

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The group slips away from Vordegern’s warehouse under the bright mid-morning sun, its rays casting long shadows as they weave through the alleyways. Alexis casts a quick glance over his shoulder, then leans in to Rask.

“You looked… surprised when you saw that Cedric Ironjaw character.” His voice carries a hint of curiosity, as though he’s fishing for a story.

Caution, My Dear Family

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To my dearest family,

My apologies that I have not yet come to see you since my return to the city. Much has been moving fast. My return has stirred old currents, and though our name has been respected for generations, I fear it now draws unwanted attention from enemies I have in our wondrous city. The politics within the Collegium are complicated, and I am in the middle of more of them than I would like. And beware the Lascaris family.

I left a considerable amount of gold from my first adventure, and I urge you to use it wisely. Whether it’s for additional guards or securing our home and shop, take every precaution. Be cautious of those who come asking too many questions or offering deals too good to be true. Brothers and sisters, please keep to familiar paths and avoid attracting curiosity. A harmless question today may grow teeth tomorrow.

While I work to untangle these unseen threads, know that I will do everything in my power to ensure our safety. Until I can speak more plainly, use the gold as you see fit, and stay vigilant. The road ahead is uncertain, but with caution, we will weather it. If you need to communicate, send messages to the Lord of Mithril. My love to you all.

Love in Haste

Alexis Laelius; Adept of the Collegium

Regarding Your Granddaughter, Helvia Minor

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My Esteemed Publius Helvius Laeca,

My greatest apologies for not writing sooner, but with how matters stood between us when last we talked, I feared you would want nothing to do with me.

Regardless if you want to hear from me or not, I felt I must send you news and tidings. I am back in our wondrous city and events are moving fast around me. Hopefully all of them will turn out of the best and our city will be better for it after these trials.

You might have heard, I am a full-member of the Collegium, although I know how you feel about my patron, so I am not sure how happy you are for my admittance. You also might have heard that I was ambushed in the Collegium library by Lorianne of house Lascaris, including with the use of fire.

And this gets me to my first reason for this correspondence. It has been said by some that your dear Helvia Minor has been working with some treasure hunters, and I would ask after her well being, as many in my line of work can be somewhat unpalatable.

I know we both want what is best for her.

The second reason for this letter, is that some of my competitors know that I still have a fondness for yourself, and might attempt to use it against me. They already lured me to the ambush with a letter falsely signed by yourself (a copy has been included to sooth any curiosity you might possess). With how dangerous things are in our fair city currently, I beg that you take extra precautions.

If you need communicate with me, send to me through the Lord of Mithril.

With a nervous heart,
Alexis Laelius, Of the Crimson Calling

<Copy of message addressed to Alexis, that was the lure for the ambush by Lorianne of house Lascaris>

He Did The Right Thing, For Now

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Alexis is staying up on his watch with the smell of smoke still coming into the mansion of the Crimson Calling. He has spent the time on his watch so far pacing to try and stay ahead of the memories from his time with Malkar.

During his pacing Alexis checks on Gustav, and notices Sally as well. Alexis is able to forget about himself as he remembers what Sally went through.

Alexis squats next to Gustav and speaks to Sally “we both went through a lot today, didn’t we, although I might have come out with fewer scars than you, huh?” Alexis smiles faintly at Sally and reaches out to pet her.

Alexis gets up and walks away coming back a few minutes later with some morsels for Sally. After feeding Sally Alexis asks “I’m going to keep walking around, did you want to join me?” Alexis extends his hand for Sally to hop on.

There Are Worse Prisons

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After the group is arrested by the Collegium guards and taken to the comfortable “holding cell”.

Alexis, looking tired and energized at the same time, who is still bruised from the bookshelf and burned from the scroll magics, speaks.

“Well” he says looking around the richly appointed room “if we’re going to be held for questioning, this is a better spot than most.”

He sits down and starts fiddling with his jasper necklace.

“Lorianne’s surely going to have already gotten the first word. I never thought the Collegium could be so compromised. Have to see how this plays out.”

After shortening the leather thong around the jasper necklace, Alexis wears his red jasper around his wrist. He moves to Gustav to tend to him while they wait.

Threatened Beggar

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The man on the street had grabbed onto Ca’armine’s leg with an iron grip. He then told Ca’armine “You may have killed the Snake, but the Wolf still hunts and spider weaves its web, and the King Behind the throne is coming.”

Seeing that Rask was about to draw his sword on the man, Alexis threw himself between Rask and the old man. After the threat of Rask’s sword has passed, and Alexis gets back to his feet, he looks at Rask with concern.

“Are you doing okay? Did he remind you of someone from your past?”

Not Who We Are

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After arriving back at Mavon’s estate after the confrontation with the Bloodfang and the killing of Thorgar. Alexis takes Rask slightly aside.

After a moment making sure they’re alone.

“Rask. Throgar surrendered. Twice. The Crimson Calling aren’t blood-thirsty mercenaries. Killing isn’t how we solve problems. I appreciate you leaping in front to confront Throgar after I’d gotten him angry. I do. Thank you for being so willing to risk yourself for me. But when someone surrenders we need to let them. If we kill the helpless, we sink to the level of those we fight against.”

At this moment one of the other Crimson Calling hands Rask and Alexis their share of the money for completing the job and killing Throgar.

Alexis looks at a loss for words

“This… we don’t kill… who surrendered.”

Alexis starts to walk away while putting his reward away.

Coming Home, Again

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The night before the Crimson Calling enters Sutheron.

“Tonight I stand before you not just as Alexis Laelius, renowned treasure hunter and lore seeker, but as a son returning to his beloved home city, a place where the echoes of my family’s leather working craft still resonate through the cobblestone streets.”

“As I prepare to walk those familiar avenues, I can’t help but feel a rush of memories. Memories of my father, tirelessly crafting fine leather goods with hands weathered by time and toil, trying to instill in me the value of hard work and dedication. Memories of my mother, whose gentle spirit and unwavering support guided me through the darkest of tombs and the most treacherous of pits. And let us not forget my dear younger brother, who shares in our family legacy, ensuring that our craft endures through the ages.”

“But there is another figure, a mentor whose wisdom illuminated my path like a torch in the darkness. Publius Helvius Laeca, sage of our city, whose passion for humanity’s past glories and the pursuit of lost artifacts ignited a flame within my soul that has burned ever brighter with each discovery, each adventure.”

“I am reminded of the rich tapestry of history that weaves through the very fabric of our city. A city where old meets new, where the craftsmanship of antiquity mingles with the innovations of tomorrow. Yet, amidst this juxtaposition, there lies a challenge, a challenge to uphold the standards of excellence set by our forefathers, to preserve the legacy of our ancestors, and to safeguard the treasures of our past for generations yet to come.”

“For too long have we allowed the shadows of mediocrity to cloud our vision, to tarnish the splendor of our… heritage. But fear not, for I return not only as a prodigal son but as a champion of our city’s greatness, a defender of its legacy.”

“Together, we shall embark on a new quest, a quest to free humanity from the shackles of those who would enslave us and send us into the dark. The path ahead will be full of peril, and though the challenges may seem insurmountable, I know that the Crimson Calling is up to the task!”

“So let us raise our voices in triumph, let us march forward with heads held high, for we are the heirs of a legacy forged in the fires of history, and together, we shall write the next chapter of our not just our city’s tale, but the tale of humanity once-sundered, being stitched back together. And remember, as we journey forth into the unknown, we do so not as mere mortals, but as guardians of humanity’s past, present, and future.”

“To glory, to adventure, to the enduring spirit of humanity!”