One long swallow from the crude clay mug finished off the last of the mead. Raam leaned back letting his legs hang off of the scorched wooden walkway of the fort...their fort. Fort Redemption. When Raam had first heard that name, “the Redeemers” he chuckled a little bit at the label. It was so naïve and earnest. Now he realized that it was he who was naïve. Throughout these adventures it had been yet another moment where his preconceived ideas had been turned upside down.
He mused upon the name. A foppish young noble, cast out from his own home was now sitting upon these creaking ramparts a changed man. Throughout his former life he had focused so much attention on avoiding responsibility and duty. He shrugged off the mantle of leadership and tradition, which his father had tried so desperately to force upon him. Now in this short period of time he had come full circle. He held the respect of men whom he respected. He shared a cause. He finally felt the pull of his own destiny. He would put his powers to use. He had direction. He had purpose. He had redemption.
He looked down from the walkway and allowed his eyes to scan the scene. Ox sat quietly in the corner playing with the new wooden toy Chase had carved for him. The mind of the child in the body of a giant. Raam allowed himself a small moment of pride that Ox had survived. Father would be proud of that act. Father had always cursed Raam’s silver tongue and now that gift had saved the life of an innocent.
Where was the tiefling who had carved the giant’s plaything? Although they had only known each other for a short time, Raam was becoming a great admirer of the ranger. The two shared the experience of marching into the Stag Lord’s fort open and exposed. He remembered the mixture of adrenaline and fear that coursed through his body as they spoke to the bandits, so far away from the help of their comrades. The two of them holding a small tower against impossible odds…
It was so dark on that tower, the fire, the lightning, the screams, the clashes of metal upon metal. He would never forget those moments. He had found an ally in Chase.
How amazing was it to see the rest of his companions burst through that gate? Zuhair, Fizz and Balian cut down that monstrous owl bear and stormed the fort. Bandits dropped their arms and cowered in fear at their might. Raam reflected upon the memory of Fizz jumping over a 15 foot wall and chuckled. Amazing men.
Now they had a challenge that dwarfed the quest to defeat the Stag Lord. Instead of destruction they must focus on creation. They must nurture a people and a land. They must build upon the name and the momentum created with this victory. They must make Fort Redemption an icon of light in the wilds of the Stolen Lands.
