Category Archives: Exposition

Rask Joins Raiden’s Rangers

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The Crimson Calling decamps to recuperate and solidify what they have learned from their recent adventure after their initial forays into the ensorceled dungeons of Nodden Torr.

Rask asks Gustav and Ca’armine to teach him more about survival and ranging, he wants to help the group more and better connect with the horses and other animals. Whenever they will let him, Rask prays, studies, hunts and gathers with the two Holy Rangers of Raiden. He learns from them what berries, mushrooms and plants can be eaten, the basics of tracking, and how to connect better with animals. He focuses much of his time hunting with them on being stealthy. His ability to hide and move quietly both improve over the two weeks the group spends in the forest.

Rask continues his practice with his sword, fists and other weapons. As has become his practice, he does so in his loin cloth, and he prays to Raiden before and after, and many of his forms focus on less than lethal applications of his weapon. He meditates afterwards, and makes a point to sit near Alexis when when he does so, his back, chest and thighs exposed, the arcane Iron Tree runic tattoo visible.

He spends the every moment of his remaining waking hours tending to and working with the horses. He feeds and grooms them daily, and works with them to better understanding their training and commands. He talks with Gustav and Ca’armine both about animal training methods and how to connect with both tame and wild animals. He is kind to Gustav’s crow, but always deferential to the grumpy ranger, and pays close attention to how Gustav treats and trains the magnificent corvid.

By the end of the two weeks, Rask is noticeably quicker with his attacks, somewhat able to to track and gather food from the forest, and much more connect to the horses and other animals. He is more centered and at peace than he has been, other than the evening in the Grove of TyLin.

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?”

Rask’s Prayer to Raiden

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Rask makes the same prayer to Raiden before his goes to sleep, before he eats, and before and after he does his morning exercises:

Praise Raiden, The Great Protector, Raiden Shields us from our Foes,
We stand before Him, weak and vulnerable. Raiden will shield us from the blows.
Praise Raiden, Raised by Anashar, blessed with Glory, Resolute and Strong
I wield my sword to help the lowly as we make our way along!
The Light of Raiden shine upon Us, as it shines upon me and all of Aegir
Let it shine on me, and through me, let the Light purge the taint of my sorry soul.
Praise Raiden, The Great Protector, Raiden Shields us from our Foes,
We stand before Him, made strong by Raiden. None to save them from our blows.
Praise Raiden, Raised by Anashar, blessed with Glory Resolute and Strong
I wield my sword to help the lowly as we make our way along!
Praise Raiden.

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.