Swamped

You're not sure how long whatever's happening to him is going to last, so you go for a calculated blow to knock him out.

Except, as your hand touches his neck, it feels like all the force just evaporates. There isn't even any knockback, your hand just... stops.

You pull it away. That's more than a little eerie.

"Marshall," you ask. "What did that message say when you read it?"

"Um. It was something like, 'Young warrior of the bog, you still have time to repent.' But it, um, it kind of hurt to read. So I wasn't sure what would happen if Captain Long read it, since he's been a Bogknight much longer than I have."

"Strange. For Ash it just said the same thing it did for me... then again, I suppose he's not a Bogknight any more," you muse. "So it seems this thing here isn't just a message, it's a weapon."

A weapon the gods can wield against their enemies. Frankly, you find that worrying even if they aren't wielding it against you.

And just as you're pondering what to do about it, the quiet kid comes in. Must have finished this guy's errand.

Wait, what's that he's holding?