Hunger Unites Them

Posted on by
3

More than just a few steps after the walking conversation about Ath, Telosh slides up next to Alexis again.

“Hunger. When I connected with the Dark Third, I felt a deep, bottomless hunger. That could be Undeath, it could be Crows, and it could be the ArruNoroth. The undead hunger for the living. Crows are always hungry for food. Dragons are always hungry for gold and power.”

Telosh pauses.

“What is Ath hungry for? I am hungry for recognition, praise… trust.”

Telosh grows very quite, even his steps are softer.

The TyLin Two Step

Posted on by
3

In a moment in the tent, Telosh approaches Ethelred.

Hey ’Red, can I talk to you for a minute? The other day you said something about how I’ve been lying about following TyLin. I know I’m deceitful, but I’ve never lied about that.”

Telosh is clearly upset, but trying to hold it back.

“Yes, I turned away from TyLin and didn’t say anything about it, I let that be part of Inkam, not Lucius, but I have never falsely revered Her.

Bitterness and anger are apparent on the Westlander’s face.

“I would have sensibly cowered with you and the others when we faced Yogg if I had not received the stone beforehand. I would still have Thraan’s rapier, and the bow I took from The Made.”

He takes a long look at the Aegrian, and shakes his head ever so slightly.

“I may use trickery and guile when needed, but I don’t lie to my companions.”

If The Sword Falls

Posted on by
1

After the previous conversation.

“And if the three of you are the only ones to survive, take it to the Westlands. Having touched it, I have come to realize, and I still don’t really understand why, that it belongs there.”

“If it comes to this, Red, you’re my first choice to hold the blade. You have a fate surrounding a blade and you’re reluctant.”

“If not Red, then you Gus, since you’re just reluctant.”

“What should be done with the blade?” Alexis shrugs his shoulders.
“Unite the tribes, or at least attempt to?” Alexis shrugs his shoulders again.
“Become a servant to one of the leaders of the West?” More shrugging.
“Depose one of the leaders yourself? Actually that sounds like a bad idea.”

“Can I get your agreement on this? Alexis looks for the agreement of each in this group.”

If I Am to Fall

Posted on by
1

While the group is in the Copper Hills mine waiting with Raff and his few remaining followers, Alexis addresses his companions in a hushed voice.

“If I don’t survive Earika, please take my notebook to the Collegium along with my ring. There is another copy of my notebook in Sutheron, but this one should go to the Collegium. Will you promise me this?”

You can take the boy out of the country…

Posted on by
3


Sometime along the way to Yog’s fortress…

“Oi, Coz,” Telosh calls to Gustav.

Gustav looks confused, Telosh’s accent is extra think at the moment, and a little odd, different somehow from his usual Westlander, or his reasonable good Sutheroni, and his attempt at Aegerian.

“What was it like where you grew up? You’re different from Red and the other Aegerian’s I’ve met. More like my cousins, maybe.”

Telosh’s accent seems to have shifted back quickly.

“Aye, you remind me of Gorf, and Sven a bit too…”

Telosh looks away for a moment, blinks a few times and looks back.

Waiting for Earicka

Posted on by
1

Waiting in the darkness with Raff and the last few followers, Alexis turns to Telosh.

“If you’d taken the sword, you might be far enough away by now that Earicka would have a hard time finding you. Or you might be in the spot where Raff is. Still happy you didn’t take the sword?” Alexis gives Telosh a wink.

Before Alexis goes back to keeping an ear out, his eyes linger for a moment on the red gem in the Sword Chaotic. This face softens a little, and then his head continues the turn back to the front of the mine.

One arm, two arms, three arms, dead!

Posted on by
6

After the failure of his small scale ballista Ethelred talks to the group.

“Building this ballista is going to be a bit more work than I had expected. The materials and the actual building should be trivial to work with. The part I am struggling with is how to make the weaponry work right.

To start with I will need a bow that I can take apart and rebuild for a simple test. Better yet finding someone else that knows how to make bows or maybe even weapons in general would help. If I am unable to build a small scale ballista with confidence we should have another plan.

The giant presents some problems. If we attempt to replicate and attack like we did on the dragon I think we could have success. But we don’t have the sturdy chain, nor something sturdy to attach it to. Tree a abound, but we also know the giant can uproot those with little challenge.

The key to the dragon attack was not to deal one killer blow, but to hold the creature in place while we wore it down. We should try and do the same with the giant.

What are other options besides the ballista that we could achieve in the woods?”

This Looks Like Your Kind of Wood

Posted on by
6

As the group is walking back to their tent to witness the failure of Ethelred’s ballistae attempt Alexis moves close to Gustav, takes off his two wooden rings, and hands them to Gustav.

“Hey Gus, I need you to tell me everything you can about these rings, yeah? I figure if you have any question you can ask Telosh since he’s working on mastering the Arts.”

Alexis waits for Gustav to acknowledge the request.

Adventures Belong Close to the Adventure

Posted on by
15

The group is hanging out in their tent in the Copper Hills Fort. Ethelred is working on his model ballistae. As the test fails and the model collapses, Alexis exclaims “that’s it.” He gives a quick visual scan of his companions and continues, signaling everyone to come in close; a conspiratorial whisper.

“We don’t belong here. Yeah, we need to find..” Alexis looks at the various walls of tent and then finishes “…it. But we should be out there.” He gestures to the forests to the north and east.

“I didn’t realize what was wrong until I was looking at how uncomfortable Gus was while we’ve been in the tent. The longer we’re here the worst he looks. And then it hit me. We don’t need to be here right now. We should be out there. And then everything clicked:
We set up a base on the goblin/warg hill.
We offer the refugees from Thater a place with us in the woods.
We conduct our experiments and scouting from there.
We check in with the fort regularly.”

“One, or two, of you will have questions, so let’s hear ’em” Alexis looks between his three companions huddled close.