While riding away from the Spider of Illceros’ ruins and bridge, Rask approaches Alexis and Ca’armine.
“When was last time we heard from Balls Wrecked? Back in Ghanil, right? It seems the demon’s interest in us vanished as we approached the First Gate? He only works in crowded places?
A bit after their conversation about dwarves and mountains, Rask perks up suddenly, looks around and approached Alexis.
“Alexis, do you remember the song Grimsby Thorne was signing when we first met him? The Cycle of Neef? Neef was the squire right? But Igvar, his master, was a holy crusader of Raiden and founded Fellsbee… right? There was something about a wizard too…”
Rask approaches Alexis in moment where the others are busy.
”Alexis, have you ever heard of Raiden being named a Storm God?”
Rask looks around warily, “My connection to Aegir is lost here, and it has been difficult…”
He gestured at the tattoos on his chest and back. Clearly a saddened and a bit lost.
“I have a vague… memory? “My… grandmother? Referring to Raiden as the Storm God…”
Rask’s brown furrows… Alexis gets the sense that’s not quite right, and that Rask is hoping for help understanding…
As the group is all on the surface near the ruined tower where they found and imprisoned Zyrithack, during some down time. Alexis talks to the group
“Some of the greatest human knights, scouts, and explorers used to have saddles that would summon steeds which would never tire. The greatest of these were said to summon steeds that could even carry their riders across the water or open air across chasms.”
“For this kind of exploring” Alexis gestures to the ruins “we could really use some of those saddles. Unfortunately I don’t know where the great knights and scouts could have been housed around these human lands. Perhaps the Collegium has one or two in the bowels. Perhaps there are some in Ederos. Perhaps there are a few between here and Ederos.”
“Red, is this the sort of thing you could figure out? Some essence of the Westlands imbued in saddles, that is brought forth. Or perhaps a creature captured in a saddle that is forced to serve in the form of a horse. Perhaps a creature like Yog’s large cat. Or the 3-armed giant. Or Earyka.” Alexis gives Ethelred a large, playful smile and a wink “How would that work without necromancy? Perhaps there’s a better way.” Alexis waits for an answer from his companion.
Over some breakfast since leaving the 1st Gate, Alexis is thinking aloud
“Without Drennos I can go back to my musings.” after a little pause Alexis continues.
“I’m still thinking about the Hammer and Crown, and what the Collegium is supposed to be kept from knowing. What about the history or the nature of those artifacts is supposed to stay hidden? Since nobody but villains talks to non-humans” Alexis says with sarcasm “it seems reasonable that the knowledge that the Collegium doesn’t have was acquired from non-humans… perhaps from some long-lived creature or from some lost library.”
“Perhaps the Crown and Hammer could be items that Dwarves would rally behind, but it seems like they would have to be held by a Dwarf, otherwise they wouldn’t be objects to trade, but objects to use.”
“The simple explanation, the uneducated explanation, is that these items are connected and together they form a symbol of royalty. Similar to a crown and scepter.”
“Less intuitive is that they are somehow items used by some ‘rightful chosen of the Maker’, and the hammer is the real item. It forges something. But this gets into wild speculation.”
“What would be a threat to our enemies, or a great boon to them, from those items, that the Collegium wouldn’t be aware of?” Alexis thinks on this while they all eat together.
At some point when the group is all together after Zyrithack has been enslaved in the black blade. The group is talking about what happened. Alexis speaks.
“Zyrithack mentioned Thun-Bül-Dor. Given the twisted path Zyrithack took to get to this location at this time, it could be anywhere. Given how close the legendary dwarven city of Dura-Intun was, maybe Thun-Bül-Dor is just as close. We know there are Dwarves under the Twins, and that the dwarves used to control the top of the Twins as well. There are Dwarves under Mount Sutheron, and perhaps they used to control its peak as well. Perhaps Mount Sutheron was Thun-Bül-Dor. Or the fabled Nadden-Tor. Maybe every major mountain used to hold a dwarven city. Maybe there are old dwarven cities abutting Middlebar fort. That could be a major boon for the rebels if that was true.” Alexis thinks on this for a moment.
“Maybe Mount Lanos has a dwarven city. Maybe Thun-Bül-Dor. Maybe Mount Kobos. Maybe even Nadden-Tor!” Alexis gets a far-off look and a smile starts creeping up his face. “Or… Mount Avernus…!” Alexis looks more serious “No. That doesn’t seem right.”
“I need to get a map of all the major mountains. They could all have dwarven cities!”
Later in the evening after the group has seen Baalrex for the second time and Alexis has the silver coin. The group is in their shared room.
“I’ve been wondering why Baalrex has taken an interest in us. Many interesting things happen in the Collegium, so I thought less about it there. But his showing up here has me wondering about what drew him to us specifically.” Alexis looks thoughtful.
“Given how he exerts a mechanistic, rigid effect on the world, I wonder if our defeat of the Abyssal Lords’ champion earned us an audience with his lordship.”
“Or perhaps something to do with Telosh’s Pit? This doesn’t seem likely, but I can’t rule it out.”
“Perhaps someone has acted as an unwanted intermediary on our behalf and suggested to Baalrex that he solicit us for ‘business’.”
Alexis alternates between studying Baalrex’s silver coin and looking at his companions.
The Crimson Calling is sailing on the Gilded Zephyr, having been smuggled from Sutheron and heading to Llanos port. Alexis kneels down next to Ethelred, who is continually studying the documents from the Collegium, holds the red jasper around his neck, and chants something while his other hand forms precise forms and seems to get a little blue.
For the next many hours Alexis sits next to Ethelred, thinking. Occasionally one of the Calling will ask him for something, or about something, and he will respond and then go back to his focused thoughts. For some portion of his reverie he writes or draws in his book.
The next morning at breakfast clears his throat to get the group’s attention while he idly walks a copper coin across his knuckles. “Yesterday I studied the ritual room with the demon under the Copper Hills Fort. As we had suspected it was human magics calling upon demon magics. Nothing about the magics was anything I’ve ever encountered before. Not the sorcery on the sword, not the summoning. But I could clearly make out two intertwined magics: one demonic, and other was of Avv.”
While the Crimson Calling is aboard the Gilded Zephyr, Alexis approaches Rask.
“Having slipped free of the Shadow Blades, what is their next move? How long will they wait in Sutheron? How will they try to pick up our trail? Obviously, we didn’t know the resources they have in Sutheron that they might be able to call upon, but let’s assume the resources are minimal when it comes to tracking us; I want to know what the Blades will do on their own.”
Early in the group’s training on the edge of the Llanos river, Alexis approaches Ca’armine.
“How is your rest and re-orientation so far?”
…
Alexis listens with genuine interest. After some discussion and follow-up Alexis brings up another topic. “In Sutheron I neglected asking if anyone is hunting you like the Shadow Blades hunting Rask.”
Alexis awaits Ca’armine’s reply.