Tag Archives: mystery

What Do We Know About Bandesingh and the Dark Hand?

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On a lovely sunny day, late in the early afternoon, after a fine day of exercises Rask addresses Alexis and the group as a whole.

Rask’s exercises of late have including live blade sparring with Ca’armine and Gus, the two of them taking turns wearing Red’s armor. Rask working to burn non-lethal longsword-strikes into his muscle and bone through repetition. Along the way he offers many suggestions to his Brothers-In-Raiden in the art of fighting defensively, his expertise in combat as evident as the Power of Aegir is represented and channeled by the tattoos on his chest and back. Rask wears little but the shield ring and boots, but he is maddeningly difficult to land a strike on. When he does get hit or cut he shrugs and fights on, accepting first aid at the end of the skirmish, and only after he opponent has been looked to.

Sitting in the midst of camp, clean, content, and sun-soaked, Rask speaks clearly and catches Alexis attention, and looks at Ca’armine as well.

“My Liege, our target, what do we really know about about them and their Band-Leader?

“Did they really steal away the Empress from her wedding?”

“Their slithering and spinning pets, and their truffle-hounds, we have met, and we seek their farrier now?”

Rask is clearly still paranoid not naming their enemies. In addition, the group may have noticed that he has been trying hard not use any of their names since they left the sewers.

Gus and Ca’armine he calls “Brother” or Brother Arrow an Brother Blade when he needs to specify, he calls Alexis “My Liege,” or “Boss.” Ethelred is too busy studying for Rask to talk to often, Rask usually address him as “Friend,” but Rask has been testing out a few nicknames, “Book” and “Ak’lyte,” “Hedgey,” but nothing has stuck yet.

The Tangled Web – Crafting the SitRep

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Rask approaches Alexis with a piece of parchment in hand, the parchment has several things written on it, many of them crossed out. Rask’s hand-writing is rough, bur the all caps simple style is readable, where not blotted or marked out.

“I want to send a message to Captain Blackwood, my old CO. Cedric Ironjaw is still alive, Maris Bloodbane is too, if Mavon’s intel is correct… Ironjaw said the Captain still believed in me…

“I’d like to see if I can get him to back off, maybe sow some dissention, and warn him about the corrupting influence of the Dark Hand… I’ve been trying to remember the ciphers, but I don’t have a Code-Book…”

“Anyhow, here’s what I was thinking.” Rask hand the parchment to Alexis.

STAT-REP – CIPHER 3-BLACK – TS/NTN

FROM: SGT. FELMAR TO: CPT BLACKWOOD

GLAD YOU ARE ALIVE. CHAOS-FIRE-CURSE BATTLE RESULTS UNKNOWN.

I HOPE LT. E.N. SGT K.S. & CPL. L.S. ALSO STILL LIVE.

NTN/TS: I AM ON A MISSION FROM RAIDEN THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY

THE DARK HAND HAS CORRUPTED COMPROMISED THE KINGS DOGS.

CPL CI FOUND ME OBSERVING OPS OF WORKING TO INFILRATE SUTHERON SHADOWBLADES LOCAL MOCKERY OF OUR UNIT *sHADowBLADE THAT HAs pROPERTY

VORTIGERN IS CONECTED TO THE DARK HAND IN SUTHERON. sEEkS

NORTHBROOK IS CENTER OF KI-DARK HAND’SG GS DOGS IN SUTHERON

^ DO NOT TRUST ^ WALDER – LIKELY COMPROMISED INFEKTED

DO NOT TRUST ALTHORIN – LIKELY COMPROMISED

I WILL FIND YOU WHEN THIS MISSION ENDS. PRAISE RAIDEN. FOR AEGIR.

“I want to try to let him know that the Dark Hand has corrupted the Raidensblud and to not trust Warder or Allthorin. If we do it right, maybe we can see if he tells them something or not? Maybe get them to focus on Vortigern?”

There are several notes, and a rough cipher, but sections seem to missing.

“Can you help me with the cipher?”

Rask is also clearly asking for permission and help crafting the message as well.

“Wait, what if… ” Rask crosses a bit out and adds a rough edits, “I share that Vortigern has an item the Dark Hand wants? And we ask the Bloodfangs to keep an eye on Vorty’s warehouse? See who rolls up on it? Maybe even we could get Marcellus to raid it with not-us…”

Rask looks at the red uniforms Mavon procured, signature outfits of the of Crimson Calling.

“and signal that we are going to be there to Cap, and if they or the Red Cloaks show up, I’ll know where I stand with my old unit.”

Alexis can tell that Rask means he will know how many of his old friends he might have to kill.

Threatened Beggar

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The man on the street had grabbed onto Ca’armine’s leg with an iron grip. He then told Ca’armine “You may have killed the Snake, but the Wolf still hunts and spider weaves its web, and the King Behind the throne is coming.”

Seeing that Rask was about to draw his sword on the man, Alexis threw himself between Rask and the old man. After the threat of Rask’s sword has passed, and Alexis gets back to his feet, he looks at Rask with concern.

“Are you doing okay? Did he remind you of someone from your past?”

Just Confusion?

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Rask scanned: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails. After a few minutes, his eyes settled into a pattern and he started to think again.

His eyes slowed a bit as they swept across Gustav and the sword Alexis called “Dauntless,” Torr Bjorn’s sword, a gift from Ishtar, made of start metal, and re-forged by Torr himself. The sword had rejected Rask, chosen Gustav, but Gustav spurned the sword, wished to be rid of it. Gustav Raidensbless’d seemed disgusted and disturbed by the relic. They both needed protection from the Dark Hand.

Alexis Laelius, Ethelred, they were planners, engineers. What was the plan here? Were they really going to take the sword to Mage Eye and Ursill? Even if that is his plan, doing it while being hunted by the Dark Hand and their orcs?

It must be an elaborate ruse. We learned a bit more about the enemy. We could double back soon, push the logs over the trap door, and take on Shyeeni and her orcs. We killed three quickly, we could take out the slaver and her minions before going into the caves to rescue the refugees from the other slavers below… Yes that must be the plan.

Rask scans: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails…

A bit later, Rask clears his throat “A-huH-lex-IS.”

He looks at the Sutheroni sharply and jerks his head back towards the cave and enemy.

He whispers, “How much time are we going to give them?”

Rask scans: the horses’ and mule’s ears, the trees, the trails…

Another Troll About To Be Born?

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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.”

A Remembrance Of Mysteries

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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.

So Flexible, So Elusive

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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.

The Kommandant and Earycka?

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During the time spent studying, practicing and preparing in the tent, Ezrin gets Alexis’s attention and asks,

“Alexis, do you think that Earycka intercepted the Kommandants packet of reports that we helped prepare or had a copy made for herself? Do you know much about their relationship? It seemed like more than that of simply an ally. Or favored vassal…”

Owl Speculation

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During one of the meals after the group has retreated from the “chaos river of rage and eternal hunger”. The group is discussing the significance of the white owl, while it is not around. This discussion is some time after Alexis has studied the owl with Avv’s sight.

“There is a strong possibility the owl is tied to Hood. And given the weird alliance between Hood and Ty-Lin, if your near-death dreams can be believed Telosh,” Alexis says with obvious good-natured humor in his voice “then perhaps this owl is also connected to Ty-Lin, although hard to imagine how.”

“The dreams I had seemed to have little to do with what scholars and priests call ‘Hood’ and ‘Ty-Lin’.”

Who Were Those Mystery Horsemen?

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While the group is at the spring talking about what to do regarding the four horsemen.

“The last time someone wanted me specifically, rather than The Crimson Calling as a whole, was Creepy Doll and the undead wanting my key. Before that was Barra because of my memory of giving the eyes to Lady Sofia.” Alexis gives a nervous shrug.

“With the eyes retrieved, the key seems to be the most likely culprit. Any other ideas?”