Category Archives: Exposition

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?”

Warrior in a Garden

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Rask tends to the horses and helps set up camp in the calm grove, free from the unnaturally cold mist. The cherry tree in bloom, soft grass and moss underneath it is inviting. Rask finishes unsaddling and brushing down the horses and begins to set up his own camp. It is safe here, calm, the owl, the white wolf, the hawk, all at ease.

Rask takes off his pack and sword belt and a sits on the grass beneath the cherry tree, amid the blossoms on the ground. He focuses on his breath at first, pausing between exhale and inhale. He turns his mind to Raiden, the protector. There is a connection between Raiden and the land. He can feel it. His own tattoos, Runes of Raiden, described to him by Mage Eye as the Raw Power of Aegir. It is strong in Gustav, and part of Ca’armine’s connection too.

The feeling of gentle southern breeze brushes over Rask, the thought of an early fall day, warm and sunny, ‘Raiden’s Summer!’ Rask insisting to Brude and Yon, who called it ‘Zephrus’ Goodbye.’ Thater, so clam and peaceful in the afternoon light.

Children singing songs about Raiden… farm animals, gentle and kind… farm and village dogs, sweet and protective…

The clarity and mercy of every strike in his recent battle, the Gift of Raiden’s Mercy flowing through him…

Rask’s eyes are open, focused gently at nothing, a middle distance, his mind at peace, his vision taking in the garden in general and in detail. A cherry blossom floats to the ground, wafting through his field of vision. The thought of a lesson, from his mother perhaps, perhaps a chaplain… the sleeping goddess… cherry trees, the white hawk… kindly defense, the sword unstained… Tai-Lynne…

Alexis approaches the white wolf, it growls at him, and moves away as Alexis slowly continues his approach. Alexis backs off.

Rasks stands slowly and deliberately. He unpacks his bedroll and removes his armor, taking great care in each movement. When his camp his set, he returns to meditating under the cherry tree, his back and chest bare, the top two thirds of the Iron Tree runic tattoo visible.

Rask’s eyes are open, focused gentle at nothing, a middle distance, his mind at peace, his vision taking in the garden in general and in detail. A cherry blossom floats to the ground, wafting through his field of vision.

Gustav’s Crow and the owl greet each other and begin to play some sort of game of tag or follow the leader.

Rask breathing settles into an easy rhythm, his mind wanders through peaceful memories, visualizing defensive and non-lethal combat forms, children playing a fighting, a peaceful wind wafting through white tree blossoms, a hawk soaring in white clouds, cherry trees in full bloom with petals perfect beyond belief, gentle bees buzzing in the boughs, tree branches bent under the load of pale flowers, the breeze as ceaseless as the peaks of the mountains are lofty, Brude and Myrsky young and laughing in the sunshine, families working the land on warm spring days, preparing the soil, sowing the seeds, tending to calves and foals, gathering wax and honey from the hives, playing with puppies… peace like Rask has not known in a very long time.

A harsh black rage interrupts Rask’s calm with a silent howl. Rask is jarred to a specific awareness. Alexis and Ethelred are talking. Something about cooking and gardening. The rage is quiet.

Rask sighs, and returns to measured, controlled breathing, pausing between each inhale and each exhale. His mind quickly returns to its peace, families harvesting in the warm fall, breezes wafting gently, non-lethal combat forms, playing with dogs, milking gentle mama goats…

Again! Another harsh black rage and a silent howl. Ethelred is looking at some of the plants in the grove, they are withered and dead. Alexis removes a necklace and tries to clean up the withered plants.

Another wave of rage. As Alexis attempts to clean, black waves of wrath flow over Rask. The white wolf whines.

Alexis stops and begins to make camp at the edge of the garden. The wolf whines. Rask asks Gus if he can calm the wolf, and the group sets watches for the night.

Before laying down to sleep, Rask sits once more beneath the cherry tree and returns again to measured, controlled breathing. His mind returns to its peace, families sharing a meal in a warm house in the winter, a cold morning, warm breath wafting gently away from young boys excited to explore the freshly fallen snow, a white panther fearlessly leaping from ice cover rock to ice covered rock with joyful focus, defensive combat forms, playing with dogs, tending to the farm animals in their stalls, making candles in a warm work-room… Kark Bergthison’s songs of Raiden, the protector of humanity, sung at the hearth in the Worn Stone Tavern…

Rask’s breathing settles into a natural rhythm. His mind wanders to children playing at fighting… Yon and Sten… to defensive combat forms… to non-lethal combat forms… Raiden… the Protector.

“Praise Raiden” Rask intones and moves to take his rest in the Garden of TyLin, his first truly peaceful rest in far, far too long.

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 Rebuilds

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In the first few days after the Ritual on the Road Rask is subdued. He prays with Ca’armine and Gus whenever he can. He invites Ethelred to join them if Ethelred doesn’t seem busy. Helps them around camp and on the road, and spends a lot of time tending to the horses. He touches the wooden Shield of Raiden brooch Ethelred made him often.

In the morning on the first day after Rask very tentatively does a long set of calisthenics, pushing himself up off the ground, jumping up and down, marching in place and more. He exercises vigorously for nearly a hour, but he does not practice any fighting moves at all.

The next morning he does the same, more confidently.

On the third morning he adds a few minutes of slow movements that seem somewhat like unarmed fighting moves, but at the slowest possible pace in the most idealized form. He prays to Raiden for guidance and protection while holding the small wooden shield. The next day his routine changes, he prays briefly before starting m, a short intense burst of calisthenics is followed by a long, repeated cycle of the same slow, very controlled movements. After about and hour he prays to Raiden briefly in thanks, and goes about the rest of his day.

The remainder of each day continues very much the same: An occasional conversation, lots of praying, tending to the horses, and helping Gus or Ca’armine any time they will accept it.

The next morning, the cycle of unarmed movements progressively gets faster until it is blinding fast, and then slow again until it ends at the slowest possible pace. Throughout Rask is calm and focused, the movements carefully controlled and precise.

That day, Rask asks Ca’armine for permission to start practicing with a baton, and Ca’armine assents.

His routine shifts again: short burst of calisthenics, unarmed forms at a moderate pace and then at his fastest, fully controlled pace. Only then, starting at the slowest possible pace, does his begin the fighting forms with the stick. Two days later he is practicing at full speed with the stick as well. At the end of each session he sits, contemplative, offers a prayer to Raiden, and then goes about his day.

It takes a couple days of full speed stick practice before Rask asks Ca’armine for a sword. Rask does so with humility and some sense of resignation and sadness.

The cycle starts again, Rask adds a prayer to Raiden at the beginning, then the calisthenics and unarmed forms at their slowest pace as well as the sword forms. Rask takes a little longer with the steel sword, and spends two days of excruciating slow forms. A skilled swordsman would notice that the forms are almost exclusively focused on using the flat of the blade, the pommel or creating an opening for a kick, leg sweep, or other unarmed strike, and not on thrusting or slicing attacks. Rask slowly works his way up to speed with the steel sword. Rask is precise, focused and in complete control throughout the exercises. At the end of each session, he prays to Raiden before starting the rest of his day.

The morning before entering Gahnil, and after praying together, Rask approaches Ca’armine with the same sad, humble resignation and asks to partice with and carry the Raidensblud Blade. Before starting practice he prays to Raiden. His calisthenics and unarmed forms are just under full speed, control and precision are his complete focus. He is cautious at first with the Blud Blade, using the slowest possible forms again, but builds to full speed, still completely in control and with a precision that is both comforting and frightening to those who watch.

He concludes the session with a moment of contemplation and then a prayer to Raiden. He is ready to break camp and make the final ride into Gahnil, to find Tarkus Vell and return to the hunt for Bandesingh.

Rask In the Morning

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In the morning before departing from the camp where the barghest battle occurred, Rask does his usual set of sword exercises, including the new flat-of-the-blade less lethal techniques. Rask starts with a plain longsword, and before he can do anything else, he tosses the plain longsword into the woods with abandon and starts his exercises with the Black Blade.

Marching On

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Rask follows Alexis direction and keeps his distance from Drinos as much as possible throughout the journey. When not marching on the opposite side of the wagon from Drinos, Rask keeps himself busy with camp chores, helping Gus and Ca’armine hunt and gather when needed, and tending to the group’s horses. He prays with Ca’armine to Raiden whenever he can, and listens closely when anyone in the group talks about the gods.

Rask puts very little of his kit on the wagon most days. He typically wears his armor at all times as far as anyone notices. Those close to him can hear him singing Raiden-themed songs, sometimes to a marching cadence.

Rask stays up on watch for much of most nights. Over the first week or so he pushes his sleep schedule to the point of exhaustion and naps a bit in the cart one day before finally sleeping a bit each night.

Rask starts focusing on the last watch, early in the morning. He still sleeps for some portion of most nights, and avoids sleeping in the daytime again. Occasionally he sleeps thought most of the night.

In the wee hours of the morning, always after he is certain Drinos is sleeping, Rask removes and services his armor, and works through his full set of sword forms using the red blade, he does a set and then starts over, this time slightly modifying each strike to turn the blade just so to not do deadly damage. Somewhere near Earamos, he switches to carrying and using his black blade for these exercises, wrapping the red blade.

Rask still manages to make a point to be kind to Sally-Crow and he helps Gus train her as needed. Rask follows Gus’s lead and copies and reinforces and rules for tricks Gus works to train Sally on.

Copromancy and the Raw Power of Aegier

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One more morning, shortly before Gustave rejoins the group, Rask approaches the Aegierian ranger.

“Brother Arrow, if I may, your thing,” Rask grimaces as if bearing down to defecate,

“I’m sorry, I just… there’s something about you and your thing that… feels more like my tattoos than other… things…”

Rask shrugs a little, sheepishly.

“‘The Raw Power of Aegier,’ that’s what Mage Eye and Ursul called it… but it’s Raiden too, right?”

Rask looks at Gustav for a moment,

“So anyway… sorry to bug you…”

Rask pauses for a moment to see if Gus has anything to say, but is clearly growing uncomfortable with the whole conversation, and regrets bringing it up.

Praise Raiden! The Great Protector of Aegir!

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After a few days a routine develops, in the mornings, Rask trains with whomever will join him. After sword and bow practice, he swims with Red.

In afternoons Ca’armine prays to Raiden, Gus does Gus things, and Red and Alexis study.

Rask assists with camp chores in the afternoons and often continues to practice his sword forms, never using his Black Blade, and working diligently to advance with the flat of the blade and on pommel-strikes.

One afternoon, about five days into their stay on the banks of the Llanos River, Rask approaches before dinner as Ca’armine is concluding his afternoon prayer, he waits patiently for the right moment and then addresses the holy man,

“Brother, Can you teach me some prayers so that I might join you on occasion? I know a little from Service in the chapels at various Forts, but would like to learn more, and learn more stories of Raiden if you would be willing to share?”

Regiments and Regrets

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In the dry part of the sewers, where the Crimson Calling has paused, and as Alexis starts to relax: Rask is on guard facing back the way the came when he quietly but clearly starts to speak to the leader.

“Alexis, you – all of us -” He looks around in the darkness, “Need to understand the Army and the Raidensblud.”

“The second group we fought was Raidensblud and probably some their soldiers, maybe mercenaries. They are, in theory, the King’s Guard, right? The sworn brothers at least, and serve the King Directly. In theory.”

Rask looks at Ca’armine briefly.

”Out in the world, the Sworn Brothers primarily act like officers do in the Armies. The Raidensblud have their own men at arms, most are not much better trained than a common foot soldier. And they hire mercenaries.”

Rask’s disdain for mercenaries is as evident as ever.

“In the field, the Kings Dogs work like that Blade did, leading a group of 4 to 10 men at arms, archers, crossbowmen and sometimes a specialist or two, trackers, trap-breakers etc.”

“The Raidensblud, all of them and their soldiers, are probably about the size of the First army, but they… operate in the King’s Interest… anyhow…”

He looks to where he thinks Ca’armine is again.

“They are separate from the armies, but do work together on occasion. Sometimes the lead groups of soldiers, sometimes the really high ranking ones “advise” commanding officers in the Army.

In addition to one leading a group of men at arms, they travel in pairs, or in small groups, and some times lead larger forces in pairs or small groups, The army in general doesn’t usually work that way, but some of the small companies, like mine, do.

“There is a bit of a rivalry between the Armies, especially units like the one I was in, and the Raidensblud. There are a lot of high born in the Raidensblud, and even the ones that aren’t… often act like their shit doesn’t stink.”

“My unit, Captain Thorne Blackwood’s unit really, Company A, Fourth Battalion of the Second Army’s 9th-Infantry, numbers about 100, mostly probably about half soldiers, a quarter scouts and a quarter specialists and leadership. I was a sergeant, so lower level leadership. I did what that Blade was doing, led a group of soldiers though, no mercenaries.”

“So, not exactly what Darius was doing, but.. still, I led a group of solders and a specialist or two. Most often I was second in command, under a lieutenant, and had a small group that was the ‘distaff claw of the pincer,” or the ‘bolt of the ballista.”

Rask smiles ruefully recalling a some of the ambush maneuvers he used to drill with Lt. Nightshade.

“Sometimes there are two or three of us of rank, Sergeants, a Lieutenant and maybe a promising corporal or two, in a small hard-strike team, or surveillance team. I was less on the surveillance teams.”

“The battalion had 5 fighting companies, most of them larger than 100, not all of them as well trained as ours, and but the Fourth is a proud fighting battalion, even the support battalion had some tough cooks and paper-pushers. The 9th Infantry.. has maybe 5 battalions? The Second Army doesn’t really have 9 Infantries, really, the 9th is just the division that the Infantry is in. I’m honestly not sure how many Army’s there are, at least three, I think?”

“I have no idea how many battalions… or Army’s Aedelfred has in Sutheron, nor how many Raidensblud are here, but I doubt more than Company A is here with Cedric and Maris, it may not even be the whole Company, though, just survivors that worked with me closely enough to recognize me.”

“I am my own Kaelen Darkwater.”

Rask shakes his head.

“I led the Bolt of the Ballista, the frontal strike team on that mission. Our whole team was about thirty people. Kaelen Darkwater was a former Aegierian soldier who had served in the First Army under Ursill, and had been one of their toughest commanders. He knew of Aegierian military tactics well, and used them.. quite effectively against… us… his former comrades in the Aegierian army…”

Rask becomes very quiet.

Early in the morning, Rask rises to his feet.

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Armored and clean. Back in the scene.

As usual, he quickly scoops up and girds the Black Blade of Aegier.

Unusually, he does not stretch or patrol the permiter.

Instead, he immediately moves to find Alexis Laelius, leader of the Crimson Calling.

No longer exhausted, the deadly Aegeirien warrior finds and rouses the Sutheroni lordling.

“We need to talk,” Rask says in an even; non-threatening tone, as he gently shakes AlexIs’ shoulder.

Once Alexis is a awake and ready, Rask speaks again, calmly:

“I am not a mercenary Alexis. Not yours or anyone else’s.”

“I’m not much of a treasure hunter or deal maker either. I know what I am.”

A hint of sadness, a heap of resigned determination.

“I joined with you because we seek a common goal: the end of the Dark Hand.”

“It is time for us to figure out how to trust each other, our work will only get more dangerous.”

“I need to know, from you, why you wanted those… Dwarves… to live and escape.”