As the group is about to leave their two week spot after getting Dauntless, Alexis muses to his companions “I can only imagine Leer’s troll powder supply is getting pretty damn depleted. Even though we haven’t seen eye-to-eye with Leer, and he poisoned us, nobody deserves whatever fate is about to befall him.
“I’ve made a little progress with scrying magics, but if I’d studied more at the Collegium I might be able to know Leer’s fate now.”
After Alexis has examined the wooden rings and found out
He addresses his companions “I would like to test the nature of these rings. The one time we experimented with them, my nausea was amplified because of what Red was feeling? Or I got his feeling of nausea?”
“Over the next while I’d like us to run some tests, and I want us to come up with a plan for these tests. Red and I will be ‘conducting’ the tests. Ezrin, you’ll be studying the effects from the outside, and possibly working on trying to save us if things go very badly. Gus, you will do your best to protect us. I leave it to you to decide how best to do that.”
“Some of my thoughts on the rings:
“I would like to figure out what makes these rings ‘abjuration’ in nature. What sort of protection was the intent?”
“The ‘blank canvas’ nature of the rings made me think that perhaps we could put magics within the rings and they could be released at a later time. And this might be the case, but perhaps only protections can be ‘painted on the blank canvas’?”
“I didn’t notice any particular warren flavor while studying the rings, which is interesting of itself. Especially interesting given the material of the rings.”
Alexis looks at the group “everyone understand the plan? Any questions, or other feedback?”
After Vagram and Teldon have left the tent of the Crimson Calling, Alexis consults his notebook and then addresses the group.
“Depending on how things go up north we might be able to answer some of our outstanding questions, mostly from our time at the Greyfax estate.” Alexis looks at his companions, and through his look conveys that this is a good time to bring Ezrin up to speed on anything that might have been missed previously.
“Some of the questions that have been on my mind” Alexis pats his notebook
“What really happened on the night we witnessed?”
“What was the nature of the donkey cart with all the monies that went into the woods?”
“Who was the girl chased by the wolves? It would be nice to make sure her name is sent to the Hoodites for a proper ‘rememberance’.”
“Where were the people taken? What were the swirls in the mist?”
“What happened to Torrin, and why was he the anchor for Utiog?”
“Were they aware of Avv’s involvement? Can they tell me more about that?”
“What happened to Lady Sofia that night? Where was she?”
“Who was the girl Ty-Lin girl that haunted Telosh? … and who was eventually… um… banished to the undead city?”
“What is the name of the undead city? Is it Kobos? Do they happen to know anything about Kobos? Now that I think about it, I should ask Vagram and Teldon on our hike north, on the very-remote chance.”
“How much interaction did they have with the Dark Hand? My understanding was that the ‘night-of-the-mists’ resulted in the people at the Greyfax estate being taken away into slavery. If so, it seems reasonable that they could have had a ‘relationship’ with the Dark Hand.”
“Much to do with Barra’s cave. Did they know it was Barra’s cave? What do they know about the pool? What do they know about the Eyes?”
“Based on how much Torrin hated Arri, it seems reasonable that they might know about Arri. I would be curious to know more.”
“Do they happen to know any more about the Saggi or the Akkil?”
“Obviously, all the mysteries around the twice-broken?”
And there are some additional questions I have since we will be going north.
“What is the nature of the bell?”
“What other treasures do they know about at the undead city? Do they know more about the nature of the undead city?”
“Have they heard about lost treasures north of Middlebar?”
“What was the effect within Middlebar when the villagers came out and confronted the Aegirian army?”
Alexis looks between his companions, mutely asking for additional questions, or ready to answer questions they have about his questions.
During the two weeks in the fort after Earyka has the Sword Chaotic, on several occasions in the dark (early morning, late at night) Alexis has gone outside the tent to conduct some soft chanting.
During one of these sessions Ethelred has come out of the tent and watched Alexis’ chanting. There’s clearly some sort of magic, but not any kind he can get a grasp of.
When Alexis finishes Ethelred asks him what he was trying to do.
Alexis responds “Ezrins lessons have gotten me thinking about my magical studies more. Some in the Collegium talk about magics that are more flexible, although always less powerful. The spell sometimes-called ‘Prestidigitation’ is a good example of this sort of flexibility, but there are precious few spells like this within the framework of the Collegium. Some say it’s the nature of the Collegium that the magic is so strict. Some say it is the nature of ‘true-magic’ itself to be rigid. Others say that after the betrayal of the 2nd age, Shasharak had something to do with limiting the nature of Collegium magic.” Alexis gives a nonchalant shrug.
“I’ve decided to spend some time seeing if I can tap into this more flexible magic. The darkness helps a little, but the old fort helps more. There are secrets kept in those walls” Alexis gestures towards the mostly dark Copper Hills Fort, with the torches visible at the gates and on the parapets. “Those centuries of secrets are my focus as I try to open myself to a little bit of raw energy that can be shaped to find the secrets and bring them to our aid. The aid of humanity.”
Alexis continues to look towards the fort in the darkness. His eyes a little squinted as if he’s trying to peer through the walls.
At some point after Ezrin has given Ethelred lecture 13, Alexis asks Ethelred about the lessons when the two of them are alone.
“Listening to Ezrin’s lessons takes me back to my time learning the arts. And sleeping through lectures. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well, as when I was hearing those lectures.” Alexis smiles remembering the time fondly.
“But I wanted to see how you’re faring with your teacher. You’ve gotten a lot of lectures, and I hope he’s given you concrete tasks; I know you do well with those. Perhaps he has given you a gem and asked you to probe it for flaws? Or perhaps he’s given you a few materials and had to rank them by hardness? Had to list a primary purpose for each material? In a ‘spell-component’ sort of way. Perhaps he’s brought you a stick from a nearby tree and asked you to discern which tree he got it from? I never did very well with that exercise, but I think you would be better suited to it.”
Alexis stops talking to allow his friend a chance to talk about his journey into magical learning.
At some point in their travels together, around a camp fire Alexis addresses Gustav “Who is the good Mr Eggertson? What’s he like? Good father?”
To the most suitable secretary under Nardor-Threp, Head Marshall of the Collegiate of the Esteemed, Keeper of the Keys, Bearer of the Mysterious Inner Flame, and the most previous Patriarch of the old Sutheron Council,
It seems nearly-pretentious to take any time with the matter with which I write you today, but I thought it best.
During the treasure-hunting and fact-finding myself and my companions are currently undertaking we have been exposed to artifacts, mysteries, and strange fellows with strange magics. As one might expect, my very-clever engineering companion has nearly discovered some causal links within the pre-first circles of the greater materials sciences. For the time being my engineer explores in darkness, but it’s clear our understandings of the material sciences could benefit from his insightful nature, bestowed upon him from a relatively generous deity.
Sorry for such a trivial bit of minutia. Any rejoinder correspondence before spring would be appreciated if there is time. If not, I will endeavor to navigate as best as I am able.
Your humble fellow collegian,
Alexis Laelius, Adept, sponsee of Nardor-Threp, Bearer of the Mysterious Inner Flame, Keeper of the Keys, Head Marshall of the Collegiate of the Esteemed, and the Ultimate Patriarch of the old Sutheron Council
Ezrin approaches Alexis one morning g after breaking the fast.
“Alexis Laelius, I believe learning the Recollection Perfextion incantations from you would help me teach Ethelred. I would better be able remember the lectures and be able share them more accurately. Would you be willing to teach me?”
When Ezrin is gone or very deep in his own work Red approaches Alexis.
“You asked if I could create an object to hear at a distance. And while I do not quite have the skills to do that, although I am happy to make an attempt, I do have an idea. It was something that Ezrin said when teaching me about the ‘true nature of light’. He mentioned how for him to bring forth light he needs something that has a connection to light.”
Ethelred bring out a pair of rabbit ears.
“These have something of ‘hearing’ to them. Could we use one ear, placed somewhere, to hear in the other? I didn’t think this would be the sort of.. divination… meddling that Ezrin would appreciate. He didn’t seem to approve of my… collecting of the rabbit and it various parts.”
While Gus and Ethelred are out gathering materials, Ezrin takes a break from his studies and waits for Alexis to pause his own work.
“I say Alexis Laelius, what do you make the fine Aegierian hospitality we’ve seen of late? The King Adelfried’s Army set’s a fine example, don’t you think? The guests we met the other night, do you think they were guests of the Green Shirts, or just friends of a soldier?”
Ezrin winks very obviously at Alexis.