Rask Rebuilds

In the first few days after the Ritual on the Road Rask is subdued. He prays with Ca’armine and Gus whenever he can. He invites Ethelred to join them if Ethelred doesn’t seem busy. Helps them around camp and on the road, and spends a lot of time tending to the horses. He touches the wooden Shield of Raiden brooch Ethelred made him often.

In the morning on the first day after Rask very tentatively does a long set of calisthenics, pushing himself up off the ground, jumping up and down, marching in place and more. He exercises vigorously for nearly a hour, but he does not practice any fighting moves at all.

The next morning he does the same, more confidently.

On the third morning he adds a few minutes of slow movements that seem somewhat like unarmed fighting moves, but at the slowest possible pace in the most idealized form. He prays to Raiden for guidance and protection while holding the small wooden shield. The next day his routine changes, he prays briefly before starting m, a short intense burst of calisthenics is followed by a long, repeated cycle of the same slow, very controlled movements. After about and hour he prays to Raiden briefly in thanks, and goes about the rest of his day.

The remainder of each day continues very much the same: An occasional conversation, lots of praying, tending to the horses, and helping Gus or Ca’armine any time they will accept it.

The next morning, the cycle of unarmed movements progressively gets faster until it is blinding fast, and then slow again until it ends at the slowest possible pace. Throughout Rask is calm and focused, the movements carefully controlled and precise.

That day, Rask asks Ca’armine for permission to start practicing with a baton, and Ca’armine assents.

His routine shifts again: short burst of calisthenics, unarmed forms at a moderate pace and then at his fastest, fully controlled pace. Only then, starting at the slowest possible pace, does his begin the fighting forms with the stick. Two days later he is practicing at full speed with the stick as well. At the end of each session he sits, contemplative, offers a prayer to Raiden, and then goes about his day.

It takes a couple days of full speed stick practice before Rask asks Ca’armine for a sword. Rask does so with humility and some sense of resignation and sadness.

The cycle starts again, Rask adds a prayer to Raiden at the beginning, then the calisthenics and unarmed forms at their slowest pace as well as the sword forms. Rask takes a little longer with the steel sword, and spends two days of excruciating slow forms. A skilled swordsman would notice that the forms are almost exclusively focused on using the flat of the blade, the pommel or creating an opening for a kick, leg sweep, or other unarmed strike, and not on thrusting or slicing attacks. Rask slowly works his way up to speed with the steel sword. Rask is precise, focused and in complete control throughout the exercises. At the end of each session, he prays to Raiden before starting the rest of his day.

The morning before entering Gahnil, and after praying together, Rask approaches Ca’armine with the same sad, humble resignation and asks to partice with and carry the Raidensblud Blade. Before starting practice he prays to Raiden. His calisthenics and unarmed forms are just under full speed, control and precision are his complete focus. He is cautious at first with the Blud Blade, using the slowest possible forms again, but builds to full speed, still completely in control and with a precision that is both comforting and frightening to those who watch.

He concludes the session with a moment of contemplation and then a prayer to Raiden. He is ready to break camp and make the final ride into Gahnil, to find Tarkus Vell and return to the hunt for Bandesingh.

The Forest Fortress From the Grasslands

The group is about 10 days out from Ghanil and two days since driving Zrithrak out of Rask. Ethelred is in the back of the wagon studying, Rask is riding his horse, and Gustav and Alexis are leading the cart horses.

“Have you heard anything from the grove up north?” Alexis asks

“It’s been months since we were up there and you were pretty worried about it dying of the flame.”

Alexis keeps walking with Gustav, waiting for his friend to answer in his own time.

Gratitude and Brotherhood

A couple days after the Ritual on The Road, Rask approaches Ethelred in camp before watches start. The warrior’s hair is short and choppy, his beard messily trimmed close, both cut hastily with his dagger. His armor is still filthy, its dull reddish color somewhat obscured.

“Brother, I can’t thank you enough for your support. You heard me when Alexis didn’t. Your advocacy led the group and Ca’armine to freeing me from Zritthak…”

Rask pauses, to those who pay attention to such things, there is something left unsaid, those who are very savvy would likely suspect Rask is not yet ready to acknowledge that the group also freed him from the Blade of the Betrayers and his… identity as the Black Blade of Aegir.

“Raiden be Praised Brother, if there is anything I can do for you, please tell me. You are always welcome to sing and pray with us, anytime. It will truly be an honor if you would join us.”

He gestures to Gustav and Ca’armine, who he as started praying with whenever possible.

Post-Gate Reflections

The group is almost back to E’armos from the First Gate. The group has traveled through the Howling Wastes, but has made it out of them. Alexis is walking beside Ca’armine.

“You know,” Alexis said, eyes on the horizon, “I keep thinking about the Gate. About what we walked away from.” He hooked a thumb toward the north-west without looking. “They knew Bandesingh’s name there. They knew his allies. We tracked the weapons being made to there. That wasn’t nothing; we had a trail, and we left it cooling.”

He glanced sideways. “You’ve said Raiden wanted you to turn back. Maybe. Or maybe… it wasn’t about turning at all. Maybe it was about where to put our eyes. We were looking one way, but the truth was sitting right there in front of us. Or maybe going to the First Gate wasn’t the most direct way to get to Bandesingh, but perhaps it could have been the quickest way, that Raiden knew-if asked, to disrupt his working, or to topple the Hand.” Alexis shrugs at his thought that will never be known and was never tested.

“And Drennos. You said he taunted you. Maybe he did. But it sticks with me—reminds me of that beggar in Sutheron. ‘You may have killed the snake, but the wolf still hunts, the spider weaves, the king behind the throne is coming.’” Alexis pauses to gather his thoughts. “Whatever that poor beggar was trying to say, Rask certainly took it as some sort of curse or threat. But sometimes messages come in ugly wrappers. Perhaps Raiden was working through Drennos.”

Alexis kicks a stone forward, watched it skitter. “And those visions—the ruins of Raiden’s long-gone armies? They don’t have to be warnings. That could have been a clue or an omen of both weal and woe. When his armies fell, they almost certainly left something behind. Power. Tools. Maybe even a key to tearing the Hand apart or to stop Bandy’s evil master plan.”

“So maybe the Gate was a pit.” Alexis nods his head towards Ethelred, to emphasize ‘pit.’ “Fine. And we climbed out. And we carried things with us when we did. Maybe doom wasn’t the only story written for us there.”

Alexis keeps walking beside Ca’armine. Letting the words hang between them as the group moves closer and closer to E’armos.

In Game 09072025: Ca’armine’s dream

That night after the ritual, feeling deeply connected to Raiden, Ca’armine sleeps well and slips into dreams. 

You find yourself standing in the plains, stretching beyond sight in every direction, at night with the stars bright above. A warm wind from the east carries murmurs…”soon the false god shall ride again, clothed in shadow, born into this world on the blood of innocents. Time is running out. The sands in the hourglass are nearly spent and the gate of skulls will soon have a new lord. My time is nearly spent. If the shadow returns, the night will never end.”

Shadows grow and blots out the light of the stars. You awake, heart pounding.

A Moment Each Morning Praising the Protection of Raiden

Red feels like the conversations the group has had about Raiden’s protection have been fruitful. Each morning after breakfast he gathers the faithful of Raiden to reflect on Raiden and recite the song Ca’armine has created (Alexis is welcome of course).

Red keeps a watchful eye on Rask, noting his tone, posture, tension. During Red’s watches at night he stays near Rask. Not wanting more dark murmurs to go noticed.

Red is tempted to ask Alexis to grant him the wisdom of the past, to recall more precisely what Rask was like before the encounter in the spiders area. But something stops Red, something seems off about such a step. This task must be done with the blessings of Raiden. And this thought, inspires Red.

Red takes a piece of the wood from Gustav’s Glade to Raiden from his pack. He carves a small shield with the symbol of Raiden’s protection on it. Make sure to keep all the shavings from the carving. He takes his time crafting this totem. The symbol must be just right, the shield shape just so. As he does this carving he recites to himself the song of protection to Raiden. The wood yields in way that seems odd, as if ready for the task.

The shield takes days to make. Red is not in a hurry. He continues to keep watch on Rask during his breaks from the scroll. He continues to gather the group. He continues to try and keep Raiden protection present.

Finally one morning after reciting the song Red offers the shield to Rask.

“Rask I have a small offering for you. The protection of Raiden takes many forms. But the shield seems the most fitting. Here is a small shield of Raiden I made of wood. I wish it was of metal, but I lack those tools at the moment. But the wood is from the Glade of trees Gustav created in honor of Raiden. It can be worn on the breast of your cloak, if you like?”

Raiden our Protector

Ca’armine catches up with Rask as they walk along. “Alexis told me that he was asking you about the Protector aspect of our great god Raiden, and I came up with a song for you.  It is short, I’m not the bard, but maybe Alexis can spank it up for us a bit?”

Ra-a-aiden, brother, protector! 

Shield us from the foe!

We stand behind you, weak and vulnerable

Save us from the Blow!

Raised by Anashar,

blessed with glory

Resolute and Strong

Wield thy sword to help the lowly

As we make our way along!

Heard of Any Other Bells?

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.

To Honor the Man Made God

On a morning that everyone is preparing for the day Red approaches Rask. Rask is DOING SOME SORT OF MORNING EXERCISE. Everyone else is around.

“Morning Rask! For some reason I find my missing home today. I haven’t built anything in a while. Makes me miss the old shop in Aigier. Make me miss the grand city.

This got me thinking that maybe knowing more about Raiden might warm my spirits. My parents never really taught me too much about Raiden. I am curious about any stories about Raiden you might know?”

May Raiden Protect You

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.