Category Archives: Conversation

Bugbear Math

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After the battle with the 36 bugbears Alexis fixes his hat, dusts off his sleeve and turns to Ethelred.

“Red.”

“A creature passed over the enchanted threshold 8 times. But there were 36 bugbears. How do you figure they did the math?”

Alexis ponders for a moment, working out some possible numbers on his fingers.

“If we hadn’t pushed the hyena-beast through 3 times, would there have been 15 bugbears in here?” Alexis gestures around “If we had pushed the gnoll-monstrosity through one more time would there have been 45 bugbears?”

“And if we walk through the threshold again, what will the number be? One? Nine? 37?”

The Honorable Hyena-Beast Fight, Observed

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The Crimson Calling is in the under-level of Nodden-Torr. The summoned hyena-beast has been used as a magical testing creature on the magicked door and the group is debating what to do with it. Ca’armine is advising Rask kill it honorably.

Alexis catches Gustav’s eye and draws one finger quick across his throat—clean, like you’d do for a lame horse. Then he shrugs.

After Rask takes a few scratches putting the thing down, Alexis glances back at Gustav and shakes his head, palms up. What did we expect?

What the What?

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After tending to the horses on the groups’ first return to the to top of the stairwell, Rask approaches the rest of the group:

“This,” he gestures all around them, “what… I’m not even sure where to start…”

“Hadonis… those giants… this… that five-eyed thing…” he gestures downward, and looks to Alexis, Ethelred and Gustav.

“You’ve explored dwarven ruins before, right? How are they different or the same? Were they this infested with magic? What do you make of all this? Anything Ca’armine and I should know?”

What About Raiden?

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It’s the morning after the group camped at “Ty-Lynn’s Garden”. Morning settles soft over the camp, the mist clinging low to the bedrolls and the blackened stones of the fire. A crow mutters somewhere in the trees. Alexis stands near what’s left of the coals, warming his hands more out of habit than need.

“Since Warder Yule,” he says, eyes on the faint embers, “and especially after what happened last night, I’ve been thinking about where my magic comes from.” He straightens a little, turning his hat absently in his hands as he speaks. “Avv’s realm has its uses—finding what’s hidden, drawing the unseen to light. But I’m not her servant. Never was. And since we left Ghanil, treasure-hunting hasn’t been high on the list.”

He looks up then, toward Ca’armine, but his voice carries to all of them. “The name of Avv… tends to make people uneasy. You’ve felt it. Yule certainly did.” He gives a small, crooked smile—more acknowledgment than humor.

“I trained with the Collegium,” he goes on. “They teach you to touch where you choose, not a servant any one realm. And I’d like to be in greater harmony with you; my Raidenites.”

Turning to face them fully, the mist curls around his boots, “Are you willing to help me make the shift?”

Poor Morwraith

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Mist clings low over the road, swallowing sound. The horses’ hooves make dull thuds in the packed dirt, and every breath comes with a hint of cold damp. The drops of mist make drops on Alexis’ hat that never seem to actually fall.

After a stretch of silence, Alexis speaks to Ca’armine—low enough that the words barely rise over the muffled creak of leather and the steady rhythm of hooves.
“Since we left the ferryman, I’ve been thinking.”

He turns his head just enough for Ca’armine to hear him clearly. “You said you didn’t want to interfere with Raiden’s plan for Morwraith to be undead.” Alexis’s tone isn’t challenging, just curious—careful, like a man testing thin ice. “But it was my understanding that all the gods stand against the undead. The mantle”—he jerks his chin toward Gustav—“makes it pretty clear how Raiden feels about undeath.”

Alexis turns the Collegium ring around his finger. “I’m not sure Raiden made Morwraith what he is.”

He glances sidelong at Ca’armine, waiting a beat for a reply. When none comes, Alexis adjusts his hat and looks forward again, pace unbroken. The road bends into deeper mist.

What Else Could I Say

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Shortly after the Grove of TyLin, as the group is breaking camp after rescuing Alexis from the bloated river zombie, Rask approaches Alexis. Rask is unarmed, all of Rask’s weapons are with his horse and pack.

“Alexis, I’d like to apologize and express my gratitude. You have put up with for more from me than I have any right to have expected. You are a good leader, I am grateful to be able to join with you and the Crimson Calling. I didn’t understand your… the value… and righteousness… of sparing the life of an enemy.”

“Anyhow, I am thankful for all you’ve done, your insights and your leadership. I’m pretty rough around the edges, and can be pretty raw, but I’m working on… staying more centered. This is new territory for me, not killing my enemies, staying focused on that… is… seems to be helping. Thank you. I hope that I am able to show you that I am… thinking more clearly, and that I will follow your lead, and orders, as we move forward through this this mist and our enemies.”

Choose Life

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A couple days after the fight with Verisimus and his gang, Rask approaches Ca’armine. Joyful and excited, but not exactly exuberant, he is still a soldier after all.

“Ca’arm, that felt really good. I mean the power or Raiden flowing through me was incredible,I always love that! But beating Ironjaw and Blackpike but not killing them. I wish we had stopped Verisimus for good, and I’m not sure what we would have done if I had knocked him out… But not killing… defeating the enemy without killing them…. that is a true victory!”

Rask is clearly excited about this new insight, but still a little unsure, and he looks to Ca’armine with a desire for confirmation an understanding as much as with joy and celebration.

Varis? Verisimiss? In Vivo Veritas?

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One evening after a long day of careful travel through the forest North of Gahnil, Rask quietly asks the group,

“What do we know about this Veris-a-miss? That’s the same as Varis right? The one Sheyeeni worked under who is hunting us? He’s a mage and he has access to scrying magic, but it is not portable scrying magic right? He’s got a henchman named Thraan? The cousin of that… mage who ambushed us in the collegium? Thraan’s a bit of a duelist, Shyeeni is probably a sneaky assassin type fighter…”

“The have the orcs, what other resources could they bring to the fight? You’ve defeated or suborned several of his people already…”

Rask looks at Alexis first, but glances at Elthered and Gustav, as well as Ca’rmine and Alikimo.

Rask and Alikimo Talk

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A night or two after leaving Gahnil for the second time, and after talking with Alexis: Rask starts tending to the horses as the group settles in at camp, he catches Alikimo’s attention, and starts to talk to him. Rask is earnest, if a bit awkward. After all, he is a soldier, not a diplomat..

“Alikimo, you have shown your trustworthiness and you have accepted my apology, I am deeply grateful and I will always regret not being able to keep your confidences.”

“I do feel the need to clarify that this is my horse,” Rask gestures to the steed he bargained for at the First Gate, “and that neither Alexis nor I intended to give it to you outright. More like as if you were our heirs. I apologize for the confusion and would like to do what I can to help you acquire your own horse soon.”

Rask pauses for a brief moment. Before the young Aatori can speak, he resumes:

“In any case, I find myself wondering what you are thinking about doing next. I know you said you had family to the North…We are on a very dangerous mission, but Alexis has said that you are welcome to travel with us for as long as you would like, and as I have said, I will do my utmost to protect you… I don’t think we can take you family with is on our mission thought…””What plans are you considering Alikimo? We are focused on our mission, but I will aid you as we can while we travel together. Perhaps we can help you sharpen a skill or two, trade rumors and stories of interest, if you would share what you know about horses with me for example, I would be happy to teach you… a skill you are interested in improving… but it be helpful to know what you thinking…”

Rask fades out a little and continues to brush the horses, waiting for the Aatori’s response.