Shared Security Agreement?

Rask asks Alexis, “Alexis, if you are going to continue to nurture our connection with Lady Alba, I would like your permission to establish a security sharing agreement with Ser Olvar. I was thinking I would start by offering a short threat assessment based on our recent investigations.”

Rask has another messy draft document in is hands and the he shows to Alexis.

SER OLVAR:

GIVEN THAT ALEXIS MY LEIGE AND YOUR LIEGE HAVE BEGUN NEGOTIATIONS ON CONTINUED ALLIANCE, I AM GRANTED LEAVE TO MAKE THE FIRST OFXXX SHARE THE FoLLOwING INTELLIGENCE SHARED AS IT RELATES TO THE SECURITY OF OUR POTENTIAL SHARED OPERATIONS.

WE HOPE THAT LADY ALBA WILL ALSO GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE THAT THAT SHE DEEMS APPROPRIATE WITH US AS WELL.

  • INTEL:

THALINDRA OF THE COLLEGIUM KILLED ALERIC TREVAYLEN AND TRIED TO FRAME LADY ALBA. THIS WAS DIRECTED BY “THE SPIDER” AN AGENT OF THE DARK HAND.

HOUSE LASCARIS HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY THE DARK HAND.

THALINDRA IS NOT No EVIDENcE oF CONNECT TO HOUSE LASCARIS.

?WARDER AND ALTHORIN ARE LIKELY CORRUPTED BY THE DARK HAND OR OTHER FORCES MOVING AGAINST US ?

  • RECONNAISANCE OF SUTHERONI SEWERS HAVE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING:

           DARK HAND AGENTS USE THE SEWERS

           GOBLINS & GIANT LIZARDS INHABIT THE SEWERS – THREAT ASMT: HIGH

           DWARVES WE ENCOUNTERED MAY BE CONNECTED TO MOUNT SUTHERON

           HALFLING  ?

  • THREAT ASSESSMENT – THE DARK HANDEXTREME THREAT MAXIMUM CAUTION

MOTIVE: SEEKS ANCIENT ITEMS OF POWER

USES POISON, MURDER, EVIL MAGIC, NON-HUMAN ALLIES

KNOWN OPERATIVES: THE SPIDER, THE SNAKE, THRAAN LASCARIS, SHYEENI, VARISIMUS, BANDESING, BRIN

KNOWN ALLIES: VORTIGERN SHADOWBLADE, THALINDRA

  • THREAT ASSESSMENT – HOUSE LASCARISHIGH THREAT

MOTIVE – SEEKS ANCIENT ITEMS. GLORY. ALLIED DARK HAND.

KNOWN MEMBERS: LORIANNA LASCARI, THRAAN LASCARI

  • THREAT ASSESSMENT – THALINDRA MODERATE THREAT

MOTIVE UNKNOWN. COLLEGIUM MEMBER. WILLING TO USE POISON

END REPORT.

IF YOUR LIEGE ALOW WE WELCOME ANY INFO YOU HAVE ON THESE TOPICS OR oTHERS THAT YOU DEEM oF IMPORT TO MUTUAL INTEREST. MAPs? BoOOKs W INFO?

RF – THE CRIMESON CAULING

Rask muses as he looks at his work, “Why do you think they chose to frame Lady Alba? And who chose? Was it Thalindra or The Spider?”

The Tangled Web – Crafting the SitRep

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.

Early in the morning, Rask rises to his feet.

Armored and clean. Back in the scene.

As usual, he quickly scoops up and girds the Black Blade of Aegier.

Unusually, he does not stretch or patrol the permiter.

Instead, he immediately moves to find Alexis Laelius, leader of the Crimson Calling.

No longer exhausted, the deadly Aegeirien warrior finds and rouses the Sutheroni lordling.

“We need to talk,” Rask says in an even; non-threatening tone, as he gently shakes AlexIs’ shoulder.

Once Alexis is a awake and ready, Rask speaks again, calmly:

“I am not a mercenary Alexis. Not yours or anyone else’s.”

“I’m not much of a treasure hunter or deal maker either. I know what I am.”

A hint of sadness, a heap of resigned determination.

“I joined with you because we seek a common goal: the end of the Dark Hand.”

“It is time for us to figure out how to trust each other, our work will only get more dangerous.”

“I need to know, from you, why you wanted those… Dwarves… to live and escape.”

Threatened Beggar

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?”

Not Who We Are

After arriving back at Mavon’s estate after the confrontation with the Bloodfang and the killing of Thorgar. Alexis takes Rask slightly aside.

After a moment making sure they’re alone.

“Rask. Throgar surrendered. Twice. The Crimson Calling aren’t blood-thirsty mercenaries. Killing isn’t how we solve problems. I appreciate you leaping in front to confront Throgar after I’d gotten him angry. I do. Thank you for being so willing to risk yourself for me. But when someone surrenders we need to let them. If we kill the helpless, we sink to the level of those we fight against.”

At this moment one of the other Crimson Calling hands Rask and Alexis their share of the money for completing the job and killing Throgar.

Alexis looks at a loss for words

“This… we don’t kill… who surrendered.”

Alexis starts to walk away while putting his reward away.

In With The New

A day or two down the road to the Greyfax estate, as the Crimson Calling has just finished setting up camp and is starting their evening chores, a lone man approaches leading a horse.

The man is wearing a heavy winter cloak, and a simple undyed tabard. Under the cloak and tabard, the observant make out dark-red, almost black chain mail and the hilt of odd shaped, dark-handled sword. It reminds those that remember of the blade Ethelred called “Bushwacker,” but longer.

The man raises his arms confidently in the universal gesture of peace,

“Hail, I am Rask Felmar, of Thater that Was. You must be the Crimson Calling.” He calls out confidently.