Sometime during the two weeks after Utiog has been destroyed, Alexis is walking with Ethelred through what used to be the village green.
“Having seen the sword in action, do you still think it is very fragile and easy to break? From what you’ve said, Barra bashed it several times against the ground while destroying Utiog. A layman like me would think that a powerful being like Barra smashing a sword on the ground would destroy a weak sword.”
Lucius looks around at his companions, and his “liege,” stirs the dirt a bit with a stick, and speaks up,
“We’ve done a bit of exploring, and survived a group of outriders, and now the army is moving out of the Copper Hills fort, it seems to me that we’ve kicked the nest a bit already, and there is a strong likelihood Barra will attack the fort soon…
“Red’s suggestion from a few nights ago was a good one, and now that the army is on the move, it seems like it is time to return to the fort and begin to plan for the inevitable. Being in the woods while Barra attacks the fort doesn’t seem like it will help us fr… break the sword.”
Standing on the path after talking with the trail warden Ethelred takes stock of the situation. There are many paths forward from here. Many twists and turns our fate could take.
Into the field and the hills beyond seem appealing. It is one of the Heroes paths. This action would be taking the fight directly to our current enemy. We know the numbers are not on our side. We know little of the terrain and what else is out there. But from where we stand it is the most direct route to our goal, The Twice Broken Sword.
Turning back to the Copper Hills Fort is another option. There are forces we could rally at the Fort. There is more we could learn about. At the Fort we could join up with the next mission to take on the bandits. We could join the forces fighting the enemies of humanity, or simple to join to learn more about the Fort, about this area and the threats all around.
Or we could wait, watch and learn. Soon enough there will be an attack on the Copper Hills Fort. During this attack we would stand a good chance of capturing the Twice Broken Sword.
Turning to Alexis Ethelred says:
“I would not advice we continue on this path. What do we have to gain now that we know this way is watched? We know the enemy force are larger that we can take on directly. But if we do choose to go forward towards the hill we should prepare. The riders and not a threat alone, but on the wargs they are a problem. We need a way to separate the ride from stead. Could be a trap, I have a net. Could be a pit, I have a shovel. Could be food, since the steads are probably poorly feed, Gus could help procure that.
My advice would be to return to the Fort. Possibly join up on the next outing to take on the bandits, this would allow us to learn more about the enemy.
Better yet be patient. Learn more from the Fort itself. We could easily be a boon to the Fort. But that will take time.
If I was to be honest I would try and bait the enemy to attack the Fort. In the battle we could focus on locating and grabbing the sword.
If we just wait at some point soon the enemy will attack The Copper Hills Fort. But it will probably be when the army has already left.”
Around a wilderness campfire, after leaving the Copper Hills Fort, Lucius “Of Sutheron” slips out of his Sutheroni accent, and starts to speak.
“Well then, I clearly need some help at being from Sutheron… rather than have a noble name, which seems… complicated…. I’m thinking I’m a young bravo out to prove himself, perhaps my mother was a Westlander slave, and I am the bastard of a noble, or perhaps my mother was a Sutheroni woman of the night, and my father was a Westlands horse-trader… Something that will be understandable and also… not worth talking about?”
“What do you think will be the most… sellable? believable? At least to Aegierians?”
“Lucius” looks around at his companions, waiting for them to respond…
The loss at first was great. A pain, a wound deep within. I tried to shield my hurt by making light, but poking fun at Telosh for losing.
While now I finally see it was just a sword. That is not what bushwacker was to me before it loss. It was The Treasure of all the treasures we had found. It was magic to me. It was what finally made me feel like I could be a Hero.
When Alexis found me in Aiger I was in the family rut. My path was set like a well made stone wall. All I had to do was stay and place each day like you place each brick. The world was out there, but it wasn’t a world I would ever see.
And then, quickly, that changed. Alexis spoke of the world outside my grove. He knew of lore and history never spoken in my family. And so I followed him beyond the wall of Aiger into the world about.
When we met with Gustav I saw someone so in his place outside. So able to move through the woods like one would move through a crowded market. His sense of where to go, when to stop and what was edible amazed me.
Quickly I found my footing and learned much. But still I didn’t feel like I had my place. Getting the mules into the Lost City was the first glimmer that I could be useful to this group.
But finding Bushwacker, that was when I finally started to feel like I could fight. The way it felt in my hand. The way it sliced. It was a sword that gave me confidence.
When we met with Telosh it set me back on my heroic feelings. This was a man that could fight, take a beating, give a beating. But I didn’t give up. Watching Telosh I learned that hitting something is important. But where you hit something is even more important.
As we traveled I took every chance to use the sword. This meant swing it at anything, even the underbrush. The group, Alexis in particular, gave me grief. But I needed the practice. With each swing my confidence grew. Each swing the sword felt that much more natrual.
The loss of that Bushwacker meant my journey to Hero had faltered. I felt a bit lost, unsure. At first I blamed Telosh. But truly it was not his fault. He desired the sword the moment he laid eyes on it. I took solace in how it was lost, heroically lunging onto the dragon itself.
Lost to he hero path without the sword. But I could not give up now. We were too deep into our mission. So I pushed on. Found what hope I could. And tried to learn to use new weapons.
Taking down that dragon with our minds., with a well oiled plan… without Bushwacker. That re-lit the spark in me. The sword was just a sword. Alexis was wrong no amount of sharpening could have dulled the magic in that sword. The magic of that sword was in how it made me feel. But what I have learned is that the magic of being a hero is within me, within us. And no single sword can make that big of a difference.
While resting after the group retreats from the black dragon, Alexis is tending to Mavon, Ethelred, Gustav, who are all barely awake.
In the dark, Alexis is talking with Ethelred about the next plans. “Given how that went, I’m thinking a better plan would be to know when the dragon leaves, and then sneak to the trove. While you were out, my couple plans are:
“What do you think? Other ideas?”
The group exits the long passage out to the sunny outside and starts to spread the clothing that needs to be dried. Gustav starts to make a fire to cook the mushrooms.
Alexis turns to Mavon “You’ve thrown your lot in with us but, as you know, we haven’t been fully forthcoming with you. We need to be more forthcoming with you so you can approach this whole situation with your eyes open.”
Alexis looks at Ethelred with a questioning look. The look is clearly interpreted as ‘do you want to tell him, or shall I?’
Telosh – Sneakthief! The scavenger Grokxex, she knows you, from your drunken desperate stench. You came upon her hunt and stole it. Grokxex was starving, and you made off with her last meal. She resorted to chewing on berries and leaves that were poison and she perished. Do you deny this? Do you take responsibility for this? …This is good. She-Who-Is-Fierce wishes for such weakness and stupidity to be culled. When Grokxex returns to us she will be blessed now, with better eyes and ears for detecting and rooting out those who would try to steal and sneak. She-Who-Is-Fierce is grateful.
Gustav – The spirits of those first free’d by the peacemakers…you fought a memory of them in a fragment of this world…they know you and only wish they had been cut down by your blade originally, and reborn, instead of trapped by the spirit catcher of these hills. You called them goblins as an insult, and goblins were the minions of the spirit catcher, and so they have sworn a blood oath to She-Who-Is-Fierce that they will not be so easy to defeat once they are full-grown again. Your taunting has made them more savage and even if they were to fall on a spear they will have the power for one last killing blow.
Ethelred – Seedling of the one who wielded the Fangblade, a warrior of Kuststad who fought with the ageless wanderer. The beginning of a war that until recently raged ceaselessly in these lands. Those who were cut down by the Fangblade grew more fierce in their return and thus our tribes have become more powerful, with warriors who know no bounds. Those who were cut down by the Fangblade are among the greatest of us today! She-Who-Is-Fierce was most pleased. You must be a peerless warrior and leader to your people!
Alexis – You are the one who She-Who-Is-Fierce has sent us visions of, and the Lady has led us to you. The dead god wanders the hunting range of She-Who-Is-Fierce and she tires of his presence. He mourns and weeps and is quite unseemly. She-Who-Is-Fierce worries the dead god will make sheep of our people. She would allow him to walk back into the world and become reborn as is our way, but he cannot as he is barred by his own making. She-Who-Is-Fierce wishes a boon of you, now that you have walked the steps of the peacemakers who free’d our people. With them gone, She-Who-Is-Fierce has guided me to you in hopes that you will attain the object which holds the last of the dead god’s powers, and break the spell that stops She-Who-Is-Fierce from casting him out. The Peacemakers were our allies by blood oath, but now they are gone, defeated by the slavers. The call of war will soon begin again. Find the Peacemakers weapon, a broken sword mended twice, guarded by many spears, in the place the humans have named for the metal they dig from the earth, and break it for the third time to give She-Who-Is-Fierce free range again before her children must fight. The battle to come may be the toughest any of our tribe has ever faced, and we would not do it hobbled.
The giant white wolf has left the group and morning is fresh upon them. Alexis asks for a memento from each as appreciation for the help through the night. Ethelred pulls out one of the spearheads from the stink lizards and starts working it to be more like a fang. While Ethelred works, Alexis takes the pickax and starts digging a relatively shallow hole out of the way, Telosh takes out the goblin potions and decides which to part with, and Gustav finds a stone and starts carving a wolf-head on the stone. After Alexis finishes the hole he brings out one of Nock-Moss’ river rocks and draws a tear on the rock.
When everyone has their offering, Alexis takes each one in turn starting with the stones from Ethelred and Gustav.
“As small tokens of appreciation for you and your wolf, our protector last night, we dedicate this fang and this fierce visage.” Alexis sets Gustav’s stone first and places Ethelred’s on top of it.
“In the name of the wise woman, we offer this tainted potion. May you use the taint as a poison or the potion for it’s power.”
“With the ink of humanity in this remote place, we remember how you have saved humanity once again, and mark it with a tear.”
When the last item is placed in the hole, Alexis looks at his companions. “Now a moment for each of us to silently give thanks.”
The period of silence extends, and extends. The period is too long. It feels awkward.
Finally Alexis breaks the silence with a whispered “thank you.” Then he turns to the group “those awkward silences always make me uneasy. Let’s cover this hole and get over that saddle. May we be blessed across the river and not be stopped by the smooth cheeks.”
(while recovering from the damage of the orc encounters near the cave)
“Alexis, the Dark Hand is breaking open the tombs of the Dwarves, breaking those beautifully made cover stones, raiding any items held with. Any treasure, any items of power… those are all now within the grasp of our enemy. I know your decision was probably the righteous one, the human one, the honorable one. But how do you feel about it now?”