Shortly after Alexis gives Ezrin the two priceless potions from sometime around the second age, Alexis sits down with Ezrin.
“You’re new here, and I worry you have an orientation towards treasure hunting that is not shared with the Crimson Calling. The speed with which you wanted to bundle up all the artifacts in your supplies. The clear frustration around being robbed of treasure. These things worry me, and I will share where my fears come from. You have come to us recently, but the Crimson Calling has been around for years and dealt with many treasure-obstacles, and I consider myself very, very, fortunate to have made it this far.”
“While I have always led the Crimson Calling, I have claimed virtually none of the artifacts from our adventures, even though it is my right as the leader. In our first major find, only Gus and Red walked away with priceless items of power.” Alexis gives a shrug clearly showing that this doesn’t bother him.
“Significantly later, on a quest from a powerful patron, two of us were perverted by a powerful magic item and had to be subdued to finish our quest. It is for the best we did not keep that item.”
“One of our previous companions suffered from artifact-avarice such that he stole from us in the night and wandered off with a significant fortune. He has since spent, drank, or gambled all of it and is in a very lonely place.” Alexis looks clearly sad about this last part.
“Another time, one of us succumbed to an item of power beyond comprehension and enslaved most of the rest of us. Thankfully our close bonds allowed us to overcome this item.”
“One of us stumbled upon madness, possibly in the presence of several powerful forces/items/powers, and unleashed a threat to this whole area. The two wyverns that were spotted were part of that madness, and we were fortunate that we were able to prevent many, many, more dark creatures from flocking to this area.”
“Related to the madness I just mentioned, one of us carelessly touched the creation (mentioned earlier) without thinking about the consequences and unleashed a minion of a dark power. A being of corruption and lies. There are still times I wake up in a sweat seeing that corrupted being.” Alexis shivers at the thought.
“More recently, we had someone with us who had learned secrets to use our magics against us. Gus was most affected by this using-our-magics against us, possibly given how magical he is” Alexis looks towards the holy grove for a moment.
“These are the cautionary tales we three live with every day. This is why we don’t see all treasure as equal. Why all power isn’t to be sought with the same ferver.”
“But you know we don’t eschew treasure. You know of the Mithril Lord, who was created because the Crimson Calling pooled our treasure to make sure he would be rewarded for his time with us.”
“And even those that try hard, but fail, we still attempt to reward if we can. Before you, we have traveled with many others. At one point we had the son of a rich man join us for the ‘glory’ of it. And even though he nearly got us killed by the giant, we still rewarded him with a trophy head for his future tales of glory with us.”
“We have refused to work with powerful forces that do not align in treating magics with the sort of care we know is important. They are not our enemies, but we have to go our separate ways. And you have the same question in front of you now Ezrin. Will you embrace the Crimson Calling, even if it means you may never see any magical treasure of your own, or will you strike out on your own for treasure that you may study from, learn from, and grow rich off of?” Alexis looks relaxed but expectant for an answer.
