Tag Archives: Ethelred

May Raiden Protect You

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During the midday, the sun high, Red approaches Gustav. The group is moving through the endless grasslands. Rask and Ca’armine are in conversation. As Red engages Gustav in conversation he slows his pace, forcing Gus to slow down.

“Gustav, it such a warm day should you not let your Crow fly free for a bit? That is where I would want to be, up in the breeze. Who knows what your Crow could see from such a lofty position…

As they move far back from Rask and Ca’armine Red lowers his voice, and side steps closer to Gus, shoulders almost touching.

“I am concerned about Rask and the soul that seems to be trapped within him. I sadly understand little of the whole mess. How it happened, and how can be resolved. But I had a thought. Rask is aligned with Raiden. Removing as soul from a body…”

Red’s seem stunned for a moment, has a slight shiver.

“What I am trying to say is Rask needs to lean into Raiden more now than ever. You have spoken of the protective Raiden powers that your mantel offers. Would you be willing to allow Rask the privilege of wearing the Mantle of Raiden?”

Red peers ahead and tries and sense if Rask suspects anything about his conversation with Gustav.

Getting Back to the Mission

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Red takes a moment to chat with Ca’armine as we travel through the Westlands.

“Ca’armine, I have gotten the sense you are increasingly unhappy with the direction the group has been going. We have been distracted from our shared goal: pursuing Bandesingh.

We know of many possible locations we could head to get information about Bandesingh, or encounter those working for him. We know he had forces in the Copper Hills Fort. We know he had forces near the Grayfax estate. I assume he would have forces watching the MiddleBar fort. He likely has forces near Fjællsby. Last time we were in the Twins he had forces there.

But most importantly we know he has at least a few people in Gahnil, which we are getting very close to.

We have very little information about Bandesingh. We know he works with many humans. We know he works with the ‘3 cheek’ Orcs. I would assume he works with ‘normal’ Orcs and other non humans.

But we need more information about him We do not even know what he looks like, Is he human? Can he cast magic?

We have focused so far just on ‘where’ he might be, but that doesn’t seem like the most important piece of information.

Do you know anything about Bandesingh? Is there anything specific you would like to learn?”

The Little Death that Brings Complete Obliteration

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Rask moans in in his sleep…

“No… not Gus…”

“…Ca’armine…”

Sad moans shift to flat mutterings…

“… exis… join the horde… sword…”

“… ‘thelred is the weakest…”

“Two swords… the only real threat…”

“.. ‘us… at a distance…”

And finally, grim determination.

“Break the bow… cut Red down… then the Priests…”

The Hobgoblin of Little Minds

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Rask approaches Alexis as the group prepares to follow the hobgoblins tracks into the grasslands.

“Boss, I’m not going to be able to use a sword, given what happened to Ca’armine this morning…”

Rask pauses, and looks apologetically at the priest, then the Ethelred and Gustav.

“I think Zrithak has… influence over my sword arm… I’m pretty sure he was one of the escaped chained creatures connected to that crypt in Sutheron, and somehow his soul is… more aware? stronger? than the others trapped in… my sword.”

“I’m concerned simply destroying the sword will free the all the souls trapped there, including Zrithak. My preference would be to force him out of my body and back into the sword somehow and eventually to turn the sword over to the Hoodites.”

“In the meantime, I’m afraid I need to fight with just my hands, and perhaps a bow.”

Each Morning

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Each morning when Red sits down to study he pull out his dagger and the stone. He sets the stone down before him. He holds the dagger with care. He goes over each part of the spell to bring flame from the blade. Each gesture, each word, each change in temperature, each way the energy moves. Careful he is to not actually bring forth the flame, but to merely warm the blade. Attention is paid to how the energy moves, where it comes from, how it interacts, where it goes. Slowly he practices. Always aware of the presence of the stone.

While traveling Red will take as much time as he can in the cart, going back over the scrolls. While he appreciates they have a ‘natural order’ he attempts to find other ways to organize them. First he just mixes them up, like one would a deck of cards. A fresh take on an old subject.

Next he looks for similarities and rearranges them around theme, common words, general similarities and even opposites. Each reordering of the scrolls reveals new dimensions to the words.

Each morning after study Red approaches Alexis, stone in his palm and ask it today is the day. So far, no.

Saddles to Summon Unkillable Steeds

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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.

Perfectly Recalled

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Along the journey to the far west Ethelred has the opportunity to receive perfect recall from Alexis. This aids his daily study of the scrolls, brings forth subtle ideas and connections he had missed.

But as Red gets closer and closer to feeling like he can make a flame spring from a blade, he is nervous he might have missed some details of the instructions.

With perfect recall in place he closes his eyes, focuses on recalling the full interaction of receiving the scrolls, and the instructions on what he is to do.

….

Flames in Swamp part II

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After some light scouting of the swamps the group settle back down for another week.

Ethelred takes up working nights again. The focus is the flame. Picking up the slow work of lighting the candle without out burning the wick, without using the material of the candle itself.

Slowly Ethelred works with different materials, different approaches to bringing the flame forth onto the candle. Each night reveals more of the essence of fire, the possible sources of material. Going over the scrolls again and again he tries to find the ‘ley lines’ that the scroll mention can be a source of power. At first his attempt fails, but after a full night of focusing, eyes closed, he sense the faint lines. Pulling slowly from them he is able to produce a small flame, and hold it as the power flows through him.

The following night he attempts to be the source of the flame, to power to effect on his own. Long hours spent, sweat beading his brow as he tries hard to generate the energy needed. Struggle, toil, but no results. Exhausted he sits back down, returns to the ley lines. What become apparent is much like the ley lines, his own power is there. Gradually he is able to feel the power, channeling until he has a small flame in the palm of his hand. Flickering in the wind, his palm a light, warm but not burning.

For the rest of the week he continues to practice, to improve, to grown this flame power. Until he is able to control, understand and transcribe the process into this book. Producing a flame is now something he can do at will.

Progress.

Flame in the Swamp

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As the time of training with the fighters comes to an abrupt end, Red switches focus inward. The task of the flaming dagger become his sole focus. The days become a time to sleep. Nights are spent mostly in the dark, with a single candle he will not light.

He starts with warming his fingers. Feeling how his heat can work to barely soften the wax. Gradually conjuring more heat, but only enough to slightly melt, and never enough to even hint at lighting the candle. Slowly reducing the heat, with the goal of leaving the candle visibly undisturbed.

Night after night he works with the candle, taking it apart more and more. Eventually reducing it into parts: as glob of wax, a bit of wick, some flecks of dirt. Then slowly shaping it back, as if it was never apart.

The material now fully yields to him and reforms. Only then does he begin to bestow light upon the candle. Drawn from, elsewhere than the candle, a few sparks dance around the wick. Without letting them grown to fire or go out, he works them into a dance. One more nights spent with just the sparks.

And then the groups seems restless to do other things with their days the be in camp. Red’s wants no part of exploring, of looking around.

Bandages

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After a particularly active afternoon of training with the fighters Ethelred submits himself to Gustav for some bandaging. While watching the ranger work a phrase from the scrolls pass through Red’s mind.

“Gustav, what do you think about when you are healing people? Does the skill you have flow out of you like water? Are you a river or an ocean of healing?”

Red, for the first time, seems genuinely interested in the healing arts.