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?”

Ca’armine seeks Gustav’s Vow

Ca’armine, moving through the group as we walk along, pulls Gustav aside for a word.

“My friend, we have a problem.  I need your help to solve it—though we may both perish in the attempt.

Rask has a cursed sword, and his increasing disquiet—even with the sword out of reach—tells me he may be hosting an evil soul.  Perhaps Zrithak is joined with him.

I am asking him to give me his swords, to fight with batons only for now, but this is a stop-gap.  If the evil inside him concludes he must move against the party—and Red heard him say as much in his sleep!—there will be serious trouble, mainly for me as the keeper of the Black Blade.

Please keep close to me and be ready to defend me if he tries to take the sword from me?

In my prayers it has become clear to me that the sword, and perhaps the evil soul, are avid to destroy us all.  If Rask is under the thrall of these evils, he is the most dangerous foe we have faced together, and we will need to be resolute.

In Raiden’s name I charge you—NONE OF US may wield the black blade even one more time, and he that attempts it, must be stopped, even if his death is the only way.  Will you accept this charge?”

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!

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?”

Not Just an Arm

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.

The Little Death that Brings Complete Obliteration

Rask moans in in his sleep…

“No… not Gus…”

“…Ca’armine…”

Sad moans shift to flat mutterings…

“… exis… join the horde… sword…”

“… ‘thelred is the weakest…”

“Two swords… the only real threat…”

“.. ‘us… at a distance…”

And finally, grim determination.

“Break the bow… cut Red down… then the Priests…”

The Hobgoblin of Little Minds

Rask approaches Alexis as the group prepares to follow the hobgoblins tracks into the grasslands.

“Boss, I’m not going to be able to use a sword, given what happened to Ca’armine this morning…”

Rask pauses, and looks apologetically at the priest, then the Ethelred and Gustav.

“I think Zrithak has… influence over my sword arm… I’m pretty sure he was one of the escaped chained creatures connected to that crypt in Sutheron, and somehow his soul is… more aware? stronger? than the others trapped in… my sword.”

“I’m concerned simply destroying the sword will free the all the souls trapped there, including Zrithak. My preference would be to force him out of my body and back into the sword somehow and eventually to turn the sword over to the Hoodites.”

“In the meantime, I’m afraid I need to fight with just my hands, and perhaps a bow.”

Rask In the Morning

In the morning before departing from the camp where the barghest battle occurred, Rask does his usual set of sword exercises, including the new flat-of-the-blade less lethal techniques. Rask starts with a plain longsword, and before he can do anything else, he tosses the plain longsword into the woods with abandon and starts his exercises with the Black Blade.

Demons In Our Midst

While riding away from the Spider of Illceros’ ruins and bridge, Rask approaches Alexis and Ca’armine.

“When was last time we heard from Balls Wrecked? Back in Ghanil, right? It seems the demon’s interest in us vanished as we approached the First Gate? He only works in crowded places?

The Cycle of Neef

A bit after their conversation about dwarves and mountains, Rask perks up suddenly, looks around and approached Alexis.

“Alexis, do you remember the song Grimsby Thorne was signing when we first met him? The Cycle of Neef? Neef was the squire right? But Igvar, his master, was a holy crusader of Raiden and founded Fellsbee… right? There was something about a wizard too…”