Author Archives: Alexis

The Choice of Steel

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The night forest is shadowed in the soft glow of lamplight and Alexis’ magical light, revealing old trees, dead bodies, and pools of blood. In the center Alexis stands amidst his weary but resilient team. Their faces are etched with concern and anticipation. Gustav stands slightly apart, clutching a simple dagger with a look of stubborn defiance.

ALEXIS
(seriously, addressing the group)
“This isn’t just about a choice of weapons. It’s about understanding the weight of our decisions, especially when they put others at risk.”

Alexis looks over the group, capturing their post-battle adrenaline-state, Ethelred’s post-battle dread, and highlighting their reliance on each other for survival.

ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(firmly)
“We’re in this together. Choosing a dagger over a magic sword, in the face of bow-wielding orcs no less, it’s not just a personal mistake. It’s a risk to every single life in this camp.”

Alexis walks over to Ethelred, wiping off some of the blood running down Ethelred’s armor and looking at it on his fingers, his voice softening as he turns back to Gustav.

ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(softly)
“Gus, your bravery isn’t in question here. But bravery without wisdom is folly. We needed that sword, not just for its power, but for the protection it would offer us all.”

He steps closer to Gustav, looking into his eyes, searching for understanding.

ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(gently)
“Every choice we make in our crusade against the Dark Hand has consequences. Today, it was a close call. Tomorrow, it might not be.”

A moment of silence fills the room as Gustav stubbornly meets Alexis’ gaze.

ALEXIS(CONT’D)
(curiously, with a hint of something else)
“So, I have to ask… Gus, why? Why choose the dagger over the sword and put Red in dire peril? What was it that you saw in this choice that we didn’t?”

Gustav, looks down at the dagger in his hand, then back up at Alexis. The rest of the team looks on with curiosity.

Good Blessings. Bad Blessings.

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At some point during their two weeks at the grove before heading to Barra’s pool the three treasure hunters are all having an evening meal together. After some logistics Alexis turns to his companions.

“I’ve been thinking about our battle with the Red Cloaks under the fort, and how much easier it might have been if you’d both accepted the ‘blessings’ of the symbol/archtype you both refer to as ‘Avv’. And the thing that has me confused is the ‘blessings’ you’re willing to accept and the ones you’re not. And I speak as someone who is happy to accept boons and blessings from almost any ‘god’. Obviously Nurgle would be hard for me because the slime, the spores, etc.” Alexis gives a shudder of revulsion. “And I wouldn’t trust a gift/boon from the Arril-Noroth since I expect it would contain a barb of some sort. But back to the subject at hand…”

“You both willingly accepted a ‘blessing’ from Bora Bloodfist, servant of She-Who-Is-Fierce, and from that ‘blessing’ we were taken on a journey together and now better understand the Path of the Peacemakers. Great. But that started because you both accepted magics from a priest of the goddess of the gnolls. That was acceptable, but ‘blessings’ from ‘Avv’ are not.”

“And you both willingly accepted the task to break Dauntless for a boon from She-Who-Is-Fierce. And I was, and still could be, excited to see what sort of boon that would be. But my point is that getting a boon from that goddess whom many consider evil and hostile to humanity, Raiden, etc was acceptable, but blessings from Avv are not.”

“Red, you can I carried the Eyes of Maglubiyet accepting the risks and rewards therein. But somehow a blessing from a matriarch of humanity is not.”

“Gus, you wear bracers of the VahnYir, who pledged themselves to the Arru-Noroth. And you accept the magics I learned from those bracers to further help you in your aim. Magics that also come from the VahnYir. This is all acceptable to you, but blessings of Avv are not.”

“Please help me understand how you are both willing to accept the magics of forces so antithetical to humanity and Raiden, and so hostile to accepting help from the human magics of ‘Avv’, who defended humanity at one of the points when humanity needed it most.”

Alexis looks between Gustav and Ethelred.

Another Troll About To Be Born?

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As the group is about to leave their two week spot after getting Dauntless, Alexis muses to his companions “I can only imagine Leer’s troll powder supply is getting pretty damn depleted. Even though we haven’t seen eye-to-eye with Leer, and he poisoned us, nobody deserves whatever fate is about to befall him.

“I’ve made a little progress with scrying magics, but if I’d studied more at the Collegium I might be able to know Leer’s fate now.”

Test Plan: Wooden Rings

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After Alexis has examined the wooden rings and found out

  • They are abjuration-hued
  • Clear connection between them
  • They seem identical
    • but in two different places
    • AND they seem more like one thing than two things
    • OR like their connection is so strong they seem like one thing
  • They appear like pieces of a working, but not the full working
    • They seem like they are a blank canvas which other magics have yet to be put on

He addresses his companions “I would like to test the nature of these rings. The one time we experimented with them, my nausea was amplified because of what Red was feeling? Or I got his feeling of nausea?”

“Over the next while I’d like us to run some tests, and I want us to come up with a plan for these tests. Red and I will be ‘conducting’ the tests. Ezrin, you’ll be studying the effects from the outside, and possibly working on trying to save us if things go very badly. Gus, you will do your best to protect us. I leave it to you to decide how best to do that.”

“Some of my thoughts on the rings:

“I would like to figure out what makes these rings ‘abjuration’ in nature. What sort of protection was the intent?”

“The ‘blank canvas’ nature of the rings made me think that perhaps we could put magics within the rings and they could be released at a later time. And this might be the case, but perhaps only protections can be ‘painted on the blank canvas’?”

“I didn’t notice any particular warren flavor while studying the rings, which is interesting of itself. Especially interesting given the material of the rings.”

Alexis looks at the group “everyone understand the plan? Any questions, or other feedback?”

A Remembrance Of Mysteries

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After Vagram and Teldon have left the tent of the Crimson Calling, Alexis consults his notebook and then addresses the group.

“Depending on how things go up north we might be able to answer some of our outstanding questions, mostly from our time at the Greyfax estate.” Alexis looks at his companions, and through his look conveys that this is a good time to bring Ezrin up to speed on anything that might have been missed previously.

“Some of the questions that have been on my mind” Alexis pats his notebook

“What really happened on the night we witnessed?”
“What was the nature of the donkey cart with all the monies that went into the woods?”
“Who was the girl chased by the wolves? It would be nice to make sure her name is sent to the Hoodites for a proper ‘rememberance’.”
“Where were the people taken? What were the swirls in the mist?”
“What happened to Torrin, and why was he the anchor for Utiog?”
“Were they aware of Avv’s involvement? Can they tell me more about that?”
“What happened to Lady Sofia that night? Where was she?”
“Who was the girl Ty-Lin girl that haunted Telosh? … and who was eventually… um… banished to the undead city?”
“What is the name of the undead city? Is it Kobos? Do they happen to know anything about Kobos? Now that I think about it, I should ask Vagram and Teldon on our hike north, on the very-remote chance.”
“How much interaction did they have with the Dark Hand? My understanding was that the ‘night-of-the-mists’ resulted in the people at the Greyfax estate being taken away into slavery. If so, it seems reasonable that they could have had a ‘relationship’ with the Dark Hand.”
“Much to do with Barra’s cave. Did they know it was Barra’s cave? What do they know about the pool? What do they know about the Eyes?”
“Based on how much Torrin hated Arri, it seems reasonable that they might know about Arri. I would be curious to know more.”
“Do they happen to know any more about the Saggi or the Akkil?”
“Obviously, all the mysteries around the twice-broken?”

And there are some additional questions I have since we will be going north.
“What is the nature of the bell?”
“What other treasures do they know about at the undead city? Do they know more about the nature of the undead city?”
“Have they heard about lost treasures north of Middlebar?”
“What was the effect within Middlebar when the villagers came out and confronted the Aegirian army?”

Alexis looks between his companions, mutely asking for additional questions, or ready to answer questions they have about his questions.

So Flexible, So Elusive

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During the two weeks in the fort after Earyka has the Sword Chaotic, on several occasions in the dark (early morning, late at night) Alexis has gone outside the tent to conduct some soft chanting.

During one of these sessions Ethelred has come out of the tent and watched Alexis’ chanting. There’s clearly some sort of magic, but not any kind he can get a grasp of.

When Alexis finishes Ethelred asks him what he was trying to do.

Alexis responds “Ezrins lessons have gotten me thinking about my magical studies more. Some in the Collegium talk about magics that are more flexible, although always less powerful. The spell sometimes-called ‘Prestidigitation’ is a good example of this sort of flexibility, but there are precious few spells like this within the framework of the Collegium. Some say it’s the nature of the Collegium that the magic is so strict. Some say it is the nature of ‘true-magic’ itself to be rigid. Others say that after the betrayal of the 2nd age, Shasharak had something to do with limiting the nature of Collegium magic.” Alexis gives a nonchalant shrug.

“I’ve decided to spend some time seeing if I can tap into this more flexible magic. The darkness helps a little, but the old fort helps more. There are secrets kept in those walls” Alexis gestures towards the mostly dark Copper Hills Fort, with the torches visible at the gates and on the parapets. “Those centuries of secrets are my focus as I try to open myself to a little bit of raw energy that can be shaped to find the secrets and bring them to our aid. The aid of humanity.”

Alexis continues to look towards the fort in the darkness. His eyes a little squinted as if he’s trying to peer through the walls.

Post-Lectures Thoughts

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At some point after Ezrin has given Ethelred lecture 13, Alexis asks Ethelred about the lessons when the two of them are alone.

“Listening to Ezrin’s lessons takes me back to my time learning the arts. And sleeping through lectures. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well, as when I was hearing those lectures.” Alexis smiles remembering the time fondly.

“But I wanted to see how you’re faring with your teacher. You’ve gotten a lot of lectures, and I hope he’s given you concrete tasks; I know you do well with those. Perhaps he has given you a gem and asked you to probe it for flaws? Or perhaps he’s given you a few materials and had to rank them by hardness? Had to list a primary purpose for each material? In a ‘spell-component’ sort of way. Perhaps he’s brought you a stick from a nearby tree and asked you to discern which tree he got it from? I never did very well with that exercise, but I think you would be better suited to it.”

Alexis stops talking to allow his friend a chance to talk about his journey into magical learning.

Permission, But Only If You Say So

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To the most suitable secretary under Nardor-Threp, Head Marshall of the Collegiate of the Esteemed, Keeper of the Keys, Bearer of the Mysterious Inner Flame, and the most previous Patriarch of the old Sutheron Council,

It seems nearly-pretentious to take any time with the matter with which I write you today, but I thought it best.

During the treasure-hunting and fact-finding myself and my companions are currently undertaking we have been exposed to artifacts, mysteries, and strange fellows with strange magics. As one might expect, my very-clever engineering companion has nearly discovered some causal links within the pre-first circles of the greater materials sciences. For the time being my engineer explores in darkness, but it’s clear our understandings of the material sciences could benefit from his insightful nature, bestowed upon him from a relatively generous deity.

Sorry for such a trivial bit of minutia. Any rejoinder correspondence before spring would be appreciated if there is time. If not, I will endeavor to navigate as best as I am able.

Your humble fellow collegian,

Alexis Laelius, Adept, sponsee of Nardor-Threp, Bearer of the Mysterious Inner Flame, Keeper of the Keys, Head Marshall of the Collegiate of the Esteemed, and the Ultimate Patriarch of the old Sutheron Council

The Final Obituary of Telosh Winterborne

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Dear Mr Okken Winterborne,

I write to you as the last, and final, companion of your son, Telosh Winterborne. Perhaps you have been made aware that your son has been fighting the slavers known as the Dark Hand for more than a year now, and unfortunately they were able to get the upper hand in the woods to the Northeast of the Copper Hills Fort.

While Chia-eenee shot the arrow that almost surely killed your son, we were unable to check his body as it was carried away by the giant that haunts these woods. Perhaps you will take some small solace in knowing that your son helped defeat three of the Dark Hand’s most ruthless agents in that same combat, although I regret to inform you that Chia-eenee was able to escape in the confusion of the giant’s arrival.

It was my great pleasure to have discovered Telosh at his lowest; drinking and throwing fights for small-time criminal bets, and to have seen his embrace of the battle against the Dark Hand and of taking up the path of the Peacemakers.

During our short time together, your son fought the Dark Hand with his wits and with his strong-arm. He visited the lost Dwarven city of Dura-Intun, and helped slay the black dragon that dwelled under the mountain. He stole a powerful artifact of the goblin god. He ransomed a Sutheroni noble working for the Dark Hand on more than one occasion. He helped drive the goblin army away from the Copper Hills fort when they were led by Barra, including helping kill a troll. When magic was unleashed in the the Copper Hills mine, he worked diligently to reverse the threat to humanity. He saw the ancient Sword Chaotic, and had the good sense to leave it alone. He confronted the enemies of humanity known as Malor and the Arru-Norroth, and walked away to write about it in his book.

During all of our adventures, Telosh spoke often and fondly of yourself, Dakun, Sven, Gorf, and Dirk.

Unfortunately none of your sons belongings were able to be included with this letter, since the body was carried away by the previously mentioned giant.

My deepest condolences on your loss,
Alexis Laelius of the Crimson Calling