Tag Archives: magic

Who Are The Allies of The Wilderness God?

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While the group travels across the Westlands away from the First Gate, Alexis addresses Gustav across the campfire one night.

“Gus, level with me.

Last time I asked why you’ll take favors from non-human gods but turn your back on the Grand-Matron of humanity. You sidestepped it, pressed the VahnYir bracers into my hands, and paid the price yourself—a brave move, but it felt like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Since then, you’ve kept refusing the Grand-Matron’s workings, and then turned down a solid tool against Bandesinge and blood magic, and yet you’re fine with the collegium’s spells and Ca’armine’s gifts. I’m not here to put you on trial—I’m here to get this team through the the trials we face in one piece. To do that, I need more than a yes-or-no list. I need your why. If there’s a line you won’t cross, show me where it runs and what it protects. Your compass matters.

Ca’armine takes blessings from the other human gods. I understand that map. Help me read yours.

So talk to me, Gus: why turn down help from allies? What do you trust, what don’t you, and how can I lead so your convictions make us stronger—not weaker?”

Alexis patiently waits for Gustav’s answer. There is no rush on his face or in his body.

Heard of Any Other Bells?

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The group has been traveling through the Westlands and they’ve started moving away from the coast heading back East. After camp has been set up Alexis sits next to Ca’armine. Alexis engages Ca’armine in polite discussions about the travels of the day and then turns the conversation to other things.

“Well, my taciturn friend, I’ve been meaning to ask you what rumors you might have heard regarding and of humanities lost artifacts. We have already found the mantle crafted, or re-crafted, with his power.”

Alexis looks at Ca’armine, waiting for a reply.

Not Just an Arm

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Ethelred on watch hears some of Rask’s utterances, seeming to be open to turning on the group.

A night later while Rask sleeps Ethelred chooses to awaken Alexis and Ca’armine. Taking great pains to make little noise. He signals them each individually to be quite and to move away from the group. The three move out of vocal range, but can still see the sleeping Rask (and Gustav).

Whispering and keeping a solid eye on Rask as he sleeps…

“Gentleman, I am worried about Rask. I have heard disturbing utterances from his own lips last night. He seems to be pondering, relishing?, attacking us.There is something not right with Rask.

If we are to pursue taking the fight to Bandesingh we must all be aligned. We do not know enough about Bandesingh. Bandesingh might be able to effect Rask in a way that would leave his even more vulnerable to the soul that seems trapped with in him.

I have racked my brain for things that I might be able to do to help free Rask, but the magics that posses him are beyond my understanding.

Do we need the skull that was involved in the ‘ritual’ that Rask performed to take the soul into this sword?

Car’armine might you have some healing, or turning that could help?

Alexis what light might your goddess shed onto this situation?

It would seem that combining the powers of Ave and Raiden might prove to be a challenging knowing some of the history of them. But maybe that is an option?”

Red looks between his companions, a clear expression of concern is upon him.

Our Lost Comrade. Bravest of Us

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The group has stopped for lunch after they’ve left the First Gate (but before they encounter Illceros’ Spiders).

Alexis addresses Gustav and Ca’armine. “I’m not sure about you Raiden boys, but these western lands have gotten me thinking more about…” Alexis puts his arms out “the bigger things.”

“You both chose to give up Dauntless” Alexis holds up an apologetic hand to Ca’armine “even though you weren’t fully aware of what that meant” Alexis says to only Ca’armine.

“With some time and space, how are you feeling about the ‘Collegium’ holding such a powerful artifact in your cause?”

Alexis looks between Gustav and Ca’armine.

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.

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.

Training in the Swamp

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When Red delivered the killing blow to the crocodile something in him stirred. He felt for a moment some kinship with the true fighters of the group. As if a small flame that had been growing within him caught a gust of wind.

Each morning he would rise, eschew his studies and join Rask and Ca’armine for morning training. The work was hard, and Red gained many bruises. Each day seeing small gains in how he held himself, how the weapons felt more like an extension of him.

After the fight training Red would then lead his own lesson in swimming. The cold water felt good, washing away the sweat, calming the wounds. Swimming made Red miss his home and the pools he helped build, and swam in, in Aigier. Aigier seems like such a distant memory now. Home but yet not as familiar as it once was.

As the days wore on Red finally was able to learn some new skills from the fighters. The path of a hero was visible about before him. But that changed…

An off hand comment from Alexis about Ezrin struck Red to the core. The memory of the last time he saw Ezrin laying on the ground, a lump. Could Red have picked up Ezrin and carried him out? Maybe. What would be different now if he had rescued the best magic teacher he has known.

When Red returned to his bed that night he takes up the scrolls, that all seem to echo with Ezrin’s voice in his ears. That night be does not sleep, does not rise to train. He turns his focus from the physical, to the material.