The new one.
http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3647 to the previous thread
Ian, back at camp
An intense burst of light a few feet in front of him caused Ian to puase and allow his eyes to adjust to the light. In the magical light, his vampirism was much more dramatic than it had been when he'd left. Ian's eyes were now almost completely white, his face was hagard and exhausted, he appeared to be much older than he really was.
He held his right arm straight with his left, the shoulder continued to slowly bleed, and the formerly pristine white leather was now crimson with his blood. In the back of his mind Ian recognized that he had returned to the camp and reunited with the group.
In his dazed state he couldn't begin to try speaking, he was completely detached from everything. All that was driving him was a primal instinct to survive, and the vampire slowly approached the group, stopping a few feet away.
All he could give was a indistinct nod, and indicate the direction the werewolves' howls were coming from...... then he was able to give a single message telepathically. "The werewolves are following me here........."
Patholos, at the camp
Patholos smiled at Flogir, and laughed quietly to himself. They will not think you sane if you play tricks with them, he thought to himself. He laughed again. All of the sudden, Patholos felt a strange force he had not felt in a month. He turned to the bushes and laughed. There standing in the bushes was a vampire, with the Prophet's former mentor's strain of the disease.
"You!" he yelled at Ian, "What have you brought here? Where is the vampire that bit you? Quickly, speak, I have much need to find the vampire that bit you!" Patholos' skin showed strain and signs of being flustered.
He drew his dagger and pulled the knife across his palm, the blade, with the blood of Patholos on it, began to glow green.
"Before you pass out, vampire, come over here and feed..., my blood is immune to your curse...."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint looked at the vampire who'd appeared out of the bushes.
,,Ian?" He asked in a whisper. The wolves howled again.
,,Ah crap, you're a vampire now. And you brought the whole pack of wolves with you. Why can't we ever get some peace around here? Crap, crap and double crap." The Breton complained, louder.
He then saw Patholos' reaction to Ian.
,,Eww, now that's just gross. I think I prefer to tangle with a bunch of wolves rather than watch that."
OCC: By "them" Ian is refering to the agents he recruited to help against the Silhoute
Ian
Being among people again allowed Ian to take over again, for the moment. "The vampire who gave me vampirism? He's probably in Bruma by now with the rest of them."
When the Dunmer offered to allow him to drink the blood on a dagger, Ian didn't refuse. "All right, I'd rather be useful in this fight than unconscious and leaving the fighting to you." Then recalling that Flint might have use for his glass armor, Ian reached into his satchel, which was now torn and soaked with blood from his fall, and retrieved his black glass pieces; offering them to the Breton.
The Sage
As expected, Ian arrived shortly, but his apparent infection of Porphyric Hemophilia caused her to arc an eyebrow. Knowing him he'd become diseased on purpose, but there wasn't anytime to question anyone's motivations right now.
The Sage watched the treeline, aiming to spot the wolves before they could take them by surprise.
Telina, running for her life ![]()
Telina looked at the vampires, before trying with one of her usual witty comebacks..."so, eh, um...I anyone hungry"? she smiled at her comment before realising that asking ten big vampires if they are hungry, when you are a bit drained, isn't the best thing to do...especially not when you are the only thing that is edible.
"OH Bugger" she yelled, before wrenching open the door, running full pelt in the general direction of away.
After running for a time, she realized that she was heading towards a camp, and next thing she knew she colloded with a person letting out a large "OUFF" as she fell to the ground her breath knocked out.
She loked blurrilly at the person she had run into..."Flint"? she asked.
Amrita stalking!!!!
Amrita observed as her aunts no good sister ran for her life away from the vampire cave she knew about. To think the the oh so great Telina Delvanni, running for her life away from some illusionary vampires she had placed out many years ago made her give away an unvouluntary giggle 'wait where did that come from'? she asked herself.
She snuck closer to the camp, intent on trying to listen o some of the conversations that would erupt.
OOC: Yes it was actually Telina who placed the vampires in that cave many many years ago. She was always rather protective of her closest items (the cave happens to be the resting place of her own personal cookbook
) of course, she has forgotten about the entire thing, that is why she ran for her life.
Karn, also stalking
Karn had watched silently as Ian had appeared, and then when some Dunmer maiden, mage by the looks of her, showed up. How many more are going to join this group before Veric chooses to act? He mused, maybe an entire army......
He noticed a very faint rustling just a few feet from his tree. Whatever it is has to be very skilled to be so quiet at this distance..... Karn dropped from the branch he'd been sitting on for the last few hours, and landed with a dull thud on the ground.
The ninja searched the brush for what was skulking about.......
Rann
Rann woke up groggily, due to the loudest 'Oh Bugger' he had ever heard.
"Who the hamster is shouting?" he asked as he stood slowly. "'Cause it was hamster cave rude." The narcotic effect of the potion had apparently worn off. He was only hearing sounds now.
He then realized that his unnatural fatigue was gone. Sure, he was tired, but that was merely because he just woke up, not because of the use of his newfound gift. Or was it a curse? He hadn't decided.
"Who are these people?" he asked, referring to the dunmer woman and the almost-dunmer man. The latter made him wonder if 'people' had been the proper word choice.
Flint Ironwood, knocked down.
Flint fell to the ground with a loud ,,Ouff!"
Down there, he wobbled his head for a bit, trying to shake out the dizzyness.
,,What, who........Telina?"
Once the Breton had recognized the woman, he jumped back onto his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothes.
,,Guess you're out here as well? Must be the time of the year or something that makes everyone go here. Nice to see ya. Looks like time hasn't been as nasty to you as it has been to me." He quipped with a small grin.
,,Look at me. I'm old, and it feels great!" He shouted, arms spread wide, completely forgetting about the danger he'd been complaining about just a moment earlier.
His face fell when he remembered.
,,Ah crap, I just loudly gave away our position to any baddie lurking about. Is the job of village idiot still open?" He grumbled, drawing his blades.
,,Speaking about baddies, why were you in such a hurry, lady Delvanni?"
Rann
Despite the fact that his question went ignored, Flint answered half his question.
Telina....Miss Delvanni...she's the umbrella seller my dad is in love with after twenty years.
He didn't say a word about that fact, which contradicted his entire personality. He would go another route.
"Telina Delvanni..." he said as if he were in deep thought, "Where have I heard that name?"
Satyana
Telina? Why Iīve heard of that woman....she ...she did something to my mother, but? I donīt remember...But what???? Rannīs father..in love with that woman???? Oh no it just canīt be true.....why do I feel so bad....I īmust not let anyone notice what Iīm thinking....must keep a low profile until I know if this is bad news... Hopefully Rann is thinking about something else and donīt "hear" what Iīm thinking..
Satyana just sat still with an empty face....but inside her it was chaos, she had a very bad premonition....something was wrong here
Serene, waking up
She was indeed surprised to see Telina again....so she rose to her feet and went to her
"Now now, is this a surprise....what brings you here?" she asked, not knowing how to proceed...
What the h*** is she doing here? I wonder....this is not good.., that sister of hers is bound to be here...somewhere
Serene looked at Ran and Satyana..worried. She noticed the blank face of her granddaugter and sensed her thoughts..
Oh my..she knows more than she should do!
Rann
Rann interrupted the reunion of Serene and Telina. "You know, I don't think I heard your name from anyone here. Wait - I remember now..."
Unfortunately, he couldn't deny his big mouth or hot head for long.
"I heard in a brothel." he finished with all the rudeness he could muster just before spitting on the ground.
Flint Ironwood.
Flint shook his head and impatiently tapped on the ground with a foot.
,,Just like the old days. Within a single moment after meeting, we already have several conflicts brewing. Brilliant. Mind if I remind you of the pack of werewolves, the army of goblins and orcs, not to forget that sneaky duplicating assassin who's been bugging us at every step?" He said with a stern expression.
,,Rann, say and think what you like, but trust me when I say you don't want to anger any of the women here. They can torch you as simple as I can jump over a mountain. Actually, it is simplier for them to torch you than it is for me to jump. Just a bit of advice. Oh yeah, and they're all telepaths."
Rann
Rann just stood there, matching Telina's glare. Inwardly, it was a difficult thing, but he didn't show it.
"Mind your own business, Flint." he said, not averting his eyes from Telina's.
"I'll say what I damn well please." he said to Telina then, emphasizing the curse word for further rebellion.
Flint Ironwood.
Flint shrugged and walked to the edge of the camp.
,,Whatever you say. Have fun yelling at each other and enjoy your competition of who can make the worst threats." He thought inwardly, fully aware that his thoughts were no longer private.
,,Bah, my wife is ten times scarier than they are, and she can't even cast the most mundane spell."
He cast a detection spell and scanned the area. He was not going to let himself be surprised by that pack of wolves, or the goblin army, or the duplicating assassin or whatever else might be out there.
(I assume that Amrita's spell also makes her invisible for detection spells?)
Semir Grey, Imperial City harbour.
They'd been waiting for hours now, with nothing to see. Semir had sent a few of his men into the city to investigate and their report had only confirmed what he already knew. The city had been abandoned.
,,Bloody cowards. The citizens and that invading army, they're all bloody cowards. I wish I could take the battle to them. The army, not the citizens."
As he stood on deck, brooding over his fate, he was approached by one of the sailors who'd been sent to the Imperial City earlier.
,,Sir. The crew and I have been thinking. We came past the mage building and we got a small idea for several.......modifications." He began. Semir grinned as he looked at the Redguard.
,,Let me guess, birdie. Does it involve lots of soulgems, an altar, Sparky the amateur mage and several carpets?" He asked the man whose usual job was to sit on top of the mast and look out for trouble.
Birdie grinned as well.
,,Operation Flying Dutchman is about to commence, sir."
,,Take every man and woman we can spare with you. I want to see if that mad dream of Sparky and you can actually be turned into reality." Semir ordered and returned to his brooding.
(Three guesses what Operation Flying Dutchman does.
)
Rann
He matched her gaze for a couple of seconds, honestly trying to decide whether or not to provoke her. He figured he could use his power to nullify such a thing, but decided against it. Such a squabble wasn't worth the subsequent hell he would feel.
Flint was right anyway; this served no purpose. Rann wasn't even sure if he was even angry at Telina or if he just wanted confrontation. He hadn't really thought about it, he had just spoken. He did that a lot.
"As long as we're clear." he answered, brushing off the insult.
Serene
OOC: Serene and Telina ususlly have their "insulting-each-others-as-much-as-possible-fights!, they actually enjoy it, deep down, but they can get pretty mad at each other....
Rusty? Old? Damn it Telina, age doesnīt matter among us mages, and you darn well know it! If I had wanted to eradicate you, you would have been a wet spot on the ground by now...And god knows Iīm starting to wish you were! You hurt my daughter, for that Iīll never forgive you, and I do not intend to let you hurt any of my grandchildren!
Serene heard Rannīs arguments with Telina and smiled inside..that boy was something special, cocky and brave...she decided to keep an extra eye on him...just in case. She knew perfectly well he was able to take care of himself, and Satyana as well, if it came to that
Satyana
Oh no Rann, donīt make her angry....there is a black aura around her....something very evil follows her as a shadow...Rann please, take care, for my sake!
Satyana grabbed Soldinīs hand in a firm grip....she was really scared...for the first time since this started
Ian, immensly unimpressed by the display of exploding emotions
Rejuvenated by the fresh blood, Ian nodded his thanks to the dunmer, not really worried at the moment about his...... oddities. He watched the entire verbal barrage of explicities and screamming with a shaking head. And hence the challenges of getting mixed-matched characters to work together toward a common goal......
While the tempers continued to flare, Ian stood erect eyes closed, and every broken and misplaced bone quivered and snapped into place. He gasped at the wave of pain, but knew this was only half of the problem. Ian drank heavily of a vial of healing potion, and his muscles reknitted and cracked bones became whole again.
After testing his repaired limbs, the imperial turned vampire finally spoke, condescending at that. "I loath to break up the incredibly cordial and civilized reunion between old friends, but let's focus the immediate danger to our lives first....... then you can all have tantos hovering above each other's necks once we're relatively scarce."
Inwardly Ian knew he was talking down to mages that were likely twice his age and could probably torch him due to his weakness to fire, but the agent didn't let that stop him from trying to mantain order.
Karn
Summoning his bound shortsword, Karn continued to sweep through the bushes; stopping every few meters to study the evironment before continuing. Finally, he stopped scrutinizing a certain patch of shadows. The shade didn't appear any different from the others around it, but the Dunmer just had a feeling something was amiss.
As if testing the shadow he ran his blade through it and the tree behind it. Nothing happened....... Karn stared critically at it, convinced he looked like an idiot.....
Issac
The situation had turned from a happy meeting of old friends to a frenzy of aggressive remarks. Issac disengaged from the spectacle, partly because it would draw the attention of the hunting werewolves and he wanted to be as far away from those combatants at the moment.
He joined Ian at the edge of the group, keeping his eyes on the forest.....
Flint Ironwood
Flint wasn't a telepath, but he could just feel the whole conversation. They were literally screaming at a telepathic level, which made everyone including non-telepaths, hear it as well.
,,Can't you people keep it quiet? I'm trying to focus on saving lives here."
His detection spell had revealed the usual assortment of bugs, mice and other small animals. And a single humansized signature who was waving around like a freak.
,,Yup, and another crazed fool. What's next, Uriel Septim falling down from the heavens to reveal the divine plan of the Nine Divines? Martin popping out of his stone skin and soaring through the sky again as a freaking Akatosh?"
Rann
Rann was surprised that Serene hadn't berated him for his actions, but didn't complain. He suddenly became all business as he noticed Flint peering into the forest.
"What is it?" he asked, coming up to stand beside him.
Flogir
Flogir had quickly distanced himself from the "reunion" of sorts with the stranger, "Telinda", appeared. He heard of the threat of the werewolves, so he immediately retrieved Iceshard and went to Flint's side.
"Rather irritable on the ears aren't they?" Flogir muttered as he stared off into the darkness, waiting for Flint to point in the direction of danger.
He nodded to Rann as he arrived beside them. "Glad to see you've recovered some sense about you," he told the Dunmer with a wry grin on his face.
Rann
Rann couldn't tell if Flogir was referring to his previous intoxication or the more recent quarrel with Telina, making a witty comeback impossible.
"Had to happen sooner or later, I guess," he answered, still looking ahead.
"Are you seeing a werewolf, Flint?"
Veric
Veric confirmed Karn's fear of looking like an idiot by asking in a condescending tone, now standing directly behind the ninja either by way of teleportation or stealth, "What are you doing?"
He raised an eyebrow at the Dunmer's antics, though Veric sensed Brianna's bloodline near and could almost assume why Karn was testing the shadows. He didn't let on however, and with a shrug turned to Voltar. "Please stay hidden here, if things get messy, I'll signal for you. Sorry to leave you at, but you have been seen by that vampire" If he doesn't know what I speak of, he will figure it out soon enough.
Veric then changed his form back into the character of the political radical Altair that had first appeared when Karn attacked the Imperial City. His now Altmerish appearance offset and blended with his trademark yellow eyes. He closed his mind, and his intentions, as well as he could so even the most adept telepath would only be able to sense something amiss about him; nothing more.
"Fancy seeing you all here," he interrupted as he emerged from the undergrowth into the steadily enlarging camp, making himself notable to Rann, "There are werewolves about, you'd best prepare to defend yourselves."
OOC: i apoligize, metal mallet, for neglecting your character, only to now leave him behind with karn. please just bare with me a little longer.
Rann
Rann blinked a couple times to make sure he was seeing correctly and that there was no residual drug effect on him. Apparently he was fine.
"You're help will be appreciated," he said, approaching the mer and extending his hand. "After these werewolves are dead, maybe we'll finally get a chance to talk."
He didn't actually think they would get to talk in peace. Everyone in the group was overly paranoid so they were suspicious of the mer. Not to mention the fact that he was travelling with a bunch of people supportive of dictatorships. At least he would have more of a chance this way.
Ian
When the Altmer politician came from the trees, Ian's new blood boiled. Unconsciously, Ian knew that Rann still believed democrasy had a chance, but Rann was free to his opinion. Altair, on the other hand, was a two-faced politician, looking to further his goal by whatever means necessary........ as in that wouldn't ruin his image.
Ian muttered under his breath, "yeah, we never could have guessed that there were werewolves." And where is his favorite lackey? Then the Imperial wondered what Rann would think of the counciler if he found out that Altair had healed Karn.......
Veric
'Altair' shook Rann's hand hastily, before drawing his dwarven broadsword and slashing out at the first of the werewolves that lept out of the brush next to them. His attack struck, but was not mortal, and the lycanthrope regained himself and began circling the perimeter of the group, soon joined by others.
(action initiated)
Rann
Rann lunged at the first werewolf katana drawn, hoping to finish the job started by Altair. The wolf cleverly dodged and responded by biting him on the arm. Rann was stunned by the well-executed counter, but didn't let it phase him for long. The wolf wimpered as Rann's katana drove down into its skull.
He looked at his arm. It was bleeding, but nothing too serious. The healing could wait. He was suddenly glad that he had given Soldin his bow; these werewolves were not to be trifled with.
Ian, payback
"Come on, Issac," He shouted, launching a orb of light high into the air to better illuminate the area. Ian leapt high into the air and slashed at one of the blurs. The wolf skidded to a halt a little ways away, favoring one side over the other.
Not so nice having a messed up arm now is it? The Imperial thought smugly, let's see how you fight on a level playing field..... Both opponents circled one another on the edge of the clearing, eyeing one another.
Issac
No sooner did that politician show up did the first werewolves appear. Issac had no time to voice his contempt of the mer, and he temporarily let the Altmer slip from his awarness to fight the most pressing threats.
Pyrorend sang through the air, loosing a wave of heat, which only set the wolves on fire, but that was all Issac had aimed for anyway. He thurst Pyrorend into the ground at his feet, the weapon's charge spent, and took hold of his other blade.
The Sage
As the first wolves broke from the treeline, the Sage planted a series of barriers before most of the blurs. To which the wolves slammed headlong into the shields, allowing for the group to ready themselves.
Her hands glowed with blue and red auras, she struck a glancing blow to one of the charging lycanthropes. Despite only being grazed the monster flinched as its chest suddenly became covered in ice. The Sage struck several more times as the wolf was still stunned, until it fell into pieces, some chared by fire or shattered ice.
Karn, indignant
He fixed Veric's retreating Altmeri form with a disgusted look. He really didn't think much of his client, and certainly wasn't going to bow down and take hindsight critism from the mage. As the werewolves started coming from the other side of the clearing, Karn returned his attention to the shadow.
No matter how idiotic he looked or felt he was certain something was amiss about this patch of shade.....
Flogir
Flogir was just about to groan about more people showing up when the first werewolf leaped into battle. Shortly following that, more hulking figures emerged from the darkness of the woods. Weilding Iceshard expertly, Flogir managed to toss the first werewolf aside by using the creature's leaping momentum against itself. The wolf crashed into the fire pit, immediately consuming it in flames. Now the scent of burnt fur, skin and blood filled the air.
As he ran through an unsuspecting werewolf in the back, Flogir was then tackled by one of the beasts. Its claw dug into his flesh and Flogir cried out in anguish as he pushed the flat of Iceshard against the beast's drooling snout, seeking to avoid the glinting teeth of the werewolf.
"Assistance.... would be.... appreciated!!!" Flogir grunted as he fended off the werewolf.
Voltar
Voltar nodded to Veric's orders. He thought them to be somewhat odd considering that Voltar had been seen with Veric when he had assumed his Altmer identity. Yet he did not voice this, figuring that there must be some reason for his actions.
"I will watch from here, Veric."
Voltar decided to lean against a nearby tree that was far enough for his elven eyes to see the encampment. Fortunately the light of their fire would make them blind to him since he stood outside of its range. As the wolves began their attack, Voltar did not fret. Instead he divided his attention between the fight and Karn standing off to his side. Even without getting a good look at the Dunmer, Voltar could tell Karn was not in a good mood.
"You should be fortunate that you were given the command not to fight," he told the Dunmer, "There's always the possible freak chance that you could be killed in a fight such as this. And that's not to dismiss your abilities at all. Mistakes can happen..."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint tore himself away from what he'd been watching when the attack began. He leapt straight up to get some time to assess the situation. The first thing he saw was that Flogir was in trouble.
,,Oh, you're so not going to eat him, fleabag! Eat excessive Telekinetic death!" The Breton shouted, unleashing the fury of his twin blades on the creature.
The werewolf was struck by a barrage of invisible blasts, some throwing it through the air like a ragdol, others cleaving through its flesh. What returned to the ground was a sorrry pile of rent flesh.
,,You ok?" Flint asked as he landed next to the Nord. Another werewolf lunged at them. The old Breton dodged to the side before slashing at its side with the Storm. Injured but not defeated, the beast altered its course and swiped at him.
,,I knew this would come in handy sometime. Yeah, we Bretons rock. Admit it, Dragonskin for the win!" Flint gloated and grinned as the werewolf struck against the barrier without any success. While his barrier held, Flint sheathed his blades and summoned his Daedric longbow instead.
,,One shot, one kill. It's quite easy to do if your target is within melee distance and drooling on a barrier." He muttered and launched an arrow into its mouth.
He circled around warily, making sure he stuck close to Flogir.
,,Am I the only one that the arrival of that damn politician and these moonloving animals was a bit too convenient? Whatever, it's not important right now. Flogir, I suggest we team up. You hack them up close and I'll turn them into Daedric pincushions from a distance."
Patholos, in the midst of battle
A lone wolf was stalking up the south side of the camp, and it looked as if no one saw it. Patholos thought to himself, "Do I warn someone, or let them fight it?"
Patholos yelled, "Nord, Dwarf! From the Rear!" And the blade in his hand quivered. He threw the blade with the accuracy of one who has practiced and it pinned the wolf's leg to the ground. The paralysis combined with the poison imbued on the blade began to take affect. The wolf's calf muscle turned green and started to rot. Patholos yelled, "Finish the job, and bring me my knife!"
Cackling like a maniac, Patholos ran to the campfire remains and grabbed a burning log.
Flogir
Flogir nearly jumped to his feet once Flint blasted the wolf that was upon him. His sides burned from the claws that had dug into his flesh, but he knew it was just uncomfortable rather than serious.
"Thanks!" Flogir said as he finished off a werewolf that crashed against Flint's Dragonskin from behind.
Flogir decided to follow Flint's plan and assisted him with taking out the wolfs that evaded Flint's bow fire. It was exhausting work, but the wolves ferocity allowed them to reveal careless defense, which Flogir took advantage of.
Soon he heard the Stranger calling out. He could help but grin at what he said. "Did he just call you a Dwarf, Flint?" he asked snickering. "We may as well oblige him, right?" he continued as he scanned the battle ground for the particular wolf the Stranger was mentioning.
Flint Ironwood.
Working together, the two older men found themselves to be just as effective as the younger members of the pack. After finishing several wolves, Patholos called out.
,,Me, a Dwarf? I'm not that short." Flint said and returned Flogir's snicker. He too scanned the battlefield for the particular werewolf. It didn't take long to find the creature.
,,Ew, what's on that dagger?" Flint mumbled and fired a daedric arrow in the beast's shoulder, immobilizing it even further.
,,Your turn, friend."
Ian
Jumping over the wolf to dodge its swiping claws, Ian flipped and landed behind it. The Lycan turned and snarled, but was cut short as its head was smacked to the side by Ian's well-aimed kick. The vampire thrust his wrist-spike through the stunned wolf's neck, severing arteries and impaling it through the wind-pipe.
As the foul thing fell, Ian couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction at killing the loathsome enemy. Still he stopped his revelry, and pitched in to help Soldin and Satyana. Ian slammed himself into the closest one, knocking both of them to the ground.
The werewolf snapped at him, trying to gain purchase on the prey with its fangs. Ian slashed through its left collarbone, tearing the Subclavian Artery. Blood spattered over his face, but aside from a few glancing blows from the struggling lycan, no serious injuries before he jumped back.
He watched its deaththroes for a few heartbeats before wiping its blood from his face. Vampires had reputation to drink almost any creature's blood, but the cursed blood of Werewolves was one of the few that was reprehensible to vampires.
"Are you both alright?" Ian asked them, turning his attention away from the battle for a moment.
Flogir
Flogir stuck to Flint's side, knocking aside the odd werewolf, as they approached the wolf that Patholos had attacked.
"With pleasure," Flogir replied to Flint as he charged in on the visibly weakened werewolf. The werewolf swiped vainly at him, but Flogir ducked under the paw and hamstringed the good leg of the beast, completely immobalizing it. From there, Flogir leapt onto the creatures back and drove Iceshard into the beast's neck, severing the spine from the brain stem. The frost enchantment caused the beast's head to freeze off and shatter upon the ground.
Retrieving the dagger from the creature's leg, Flogir stared down at the frozen pieces of skull. "That'll stink when that thaws..." he muttered.
He approached Flint and clapped him upon his shoulder, he then winced as he aggravated his claw wounds. "It's always great working with you on these things old chap!" he said grinning, "But now I gotta return this to that weirdo..."
He walked up cautiously to Patholos, fearing that the bleached man/mer would smack him with that flaming brand of wood. "Umm.... here's your knife back," Flogir said warily from a distance, holding the knife out for him.
Soldin
Soldin felt himself slip into a bit of a panic when the werewolves attacked. He dealt with wolves all the time, but never lycanthropes. Still, Satyana's presence enbravened him. He drew the bow Rann gave him and tested it out from afar on any werewolf he could pick out. It was much easier to draw than his own, but in turn the one passed to him from his hated father would be more powerful once he got strong enough to use it...
When Ian stopped to ask if he was alright, Soldin replied with a dazed nod.
Rann
Rann struggled in freeing his blade from the dead wolf's skull, but still got it out in time to defend himself from the next attacker.
The man-turned-wolf pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. Rann still kept his wits about him, though, and managed to hold on to his katana.
He was pinned, but his arms were free, at least. His sword arm began to bash the wolf's head with his sword hilt while the other worked furiously to fend off the wolf's bites.
The wolf had enough after several moments and got off, circling Rann. He tried to stand, but was pounced on again.
"Get the hell off!" he grunted, this time using his feet to push the thing away. He used the extra time to actually regain footing, and the werewolf tried the same tactic again.
The wolf jumped towards him, but Rann was ready with his katana held at the perfect angle. The wolf did succeed in knocking Rann over for a third time, but this time found a katana through its heart.
He shoved the wolf off (hopefully for the last time) when another appeared over his head, growling. Rann figured that if it was in human form it would be smiling.
OOC: Anyone got a bow?
OCC: Ian does...
Ian, lending a hand
Satyana had been through a lot, but Ian knew she'd gotten used to this sort of thing by now; Soldin on the other hand was the one he'd wanted to know about. Soldin nodded and Ian ordered, "Stay here for the moment, feel free to use that bow, just don't draw too much attention."
With that he turned to heck on everyone else and noticed Rann's plight. Unslinging his glass bow, Ian nocked one of his poisoned arrows, and aimed for the wolf's chest. As the arrow flew forth Ian hoped the paralysis effect would give Rann the chance he needed.
The Wandering Sage
As another wolf rushed past, the Sage's hand rubbed its fur, and the Lycanthrope slammed into the ground, hard. It snarled in outrage at the indignaty of being grounded, but it struggled in vain against the magical burden upon it.
While immobilized the creature still posed a threat to the unwary, so, giving it a wide berth, the Sage circled the trapped werewolf. It's persistant, I'll give it that much.... A purple aura of mysticism swirled about her right hand, and she struck the wolf at the base of its skull, cracking the vertebrea and severing the spinal cord.
The wolf's struggles ceased, it tracked her with its eyes, but the beast had lost its ferocity and it whined helplessly. The Sage's sympathized for its suffering, and spoke quietly to the man or woman inside the monster. "Don't worry, it will only last a little longer....."
After a minute the werewolf closed its eyes for the last time, as its disabled body gave out. Before leaving the body, she began its cremation with a small flame. As the body caught fire, the Sage turned to aid those that could be aided.......
Rann
Rann didn't know where the arrow came from that killed his enemy, but he was grateful nonetheless. He stood to find a small break in the fighting; at least for him. A burning corpse got his attention, and he began to approach the stranger responsible.
"Who might you be?" he asked, wiping his blade off on his pants. Before she could reply he pointed behind her. "Watch out!"
Another werewolf was thinking to creep up on the woman.
Kirana, the Wandering Sage
She turned to the approaching Dunmer and was about to give him a similar greeting to the one she'd given the Breton at Hero Hill, but his warning took a heartbeat to make sense. Thinking faster than she would of liked, the Sage slammed her palm against the ground at her feet and the air around her exploded.
Despite herself her heart was racing at the sudden attack, and she realized she'd done overkill on accident. Momentarily lacking her normal calm, she looked back at the charred body shivered unbiddenly.
"Thank you for the warning, Dunmer, I go by many names, but you may call me Kirana." Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have given her real name so early to a stranger, but he had just saved her life- well, maybe a limb, but anyway she owed him that much. She added in a quieter tone. 'I very much appriciate it...."
OCC: the explosion is overkill because she only intended to create a flash-fire (which burns the air things are breathing, so it chars the lungs). Btw, I found that out when watching Posiedon, that movie about the cruise liner.
Rann
"Good to meet you, Kirana, but there's not much to thank. It's not as if saying 'watch out' took tremendous effort." he answered, thoughtlessly forgetting to give his own name.
"Maybe we'll meet over another corpse later." he said, realizing that he was doing too much talking and not enough fighting.
He jumped back into the fray, choosing another target.
Kirana
She watched the Dunmer as he went back to the fighting, and beneath her hood she grinned. Then returning to the battle, she scanned the area with night-eye keeping an eye out for any more wolves coming form this side of the camp.
Actually, we've probably killed more than half the pack...... if this one is around the average in size. She thought matter-of-factly, fingering the now filled soulgem that contained one werewolf's soul.
Issac
Up until Cryorend began to lose its charge he'd been doing reasonably well, but now that the katana was not as chilling as it normally was Issac was having more trouble. Time for spells I guess, ducking under the claws of one wolf, Issac blasted it point-blank with Deadra's Fury.
The Lycanthrope flew through the air, due to the electricty that ran through its body and the explosion, it shattered as it slammed into a tree trunk. Breathing hard, he pulled out a welkyd stone he'd collected, the Aylied artifact shined aquamarine in the night.
Issac held it high and all the magika within it flooded his reserves. The stone turned to dust and blew away with the wind. Gathering his newly restored magika, Issac moved to help the others, and he noticed the wolves were less frequient now.....
Flint Ironwood.
Flint kept a close eye while FLogir and Patholos were conversing. In the meantime, his Dragonskin began to shimmer, a sign of its imminent dissipation.
,,Well I'll be, it used to last longer. I really must've gotten old."
Two wolves snuck in from the sides, odd when compared to the mad berserking nature of their brethren.
,,Oh, no you won't!" Flint shouted and let his Dragonskin expand, turning it into a solid wall moving at high speed. It held out long enough to slam into the wolves and knock them down before dissipating.
,,And that is that. No more Dragonskin." The Breton mumbled as he summoned a new arrow for his bow. Instead of challenging him, the two wolves withdrew into the forest.
,,Eh? They're not so brave anymore. Did someone kill the pack's leader while I wasn't watching?"
OOC: My, apologies, Flint. The other rp i am doing, there are two dwarves and one is named Flint.
Patholos, talking to Flogir
"Thank you, Thank you, the Dread Father be Praised! He has given us victory!" No emotion was on his as he looked into Flogir's eyes. Then he gazed down into his hand and watched Flogir offer back the blade. A look of confusion passed over Patholos' face, then he snatched the dagger away.
"Thank you, and thank the man you were with. This is the first time I was able to feel comradery, and it feels good. I must speak with a Elder, or someone who can ease my mind. I have to clear it..., can you take me to one?"
Patholos, for the first time since the accident, had started to cry. The tears were blood.
Flogir
Flogir kept silent as Patholos raved and ranted about the Dread Father. If anyone gave us victory, it was their combined individual effort, not some diety. At least that's what Flogir believed. The Aedra would only help if some manifestation of them appeared, much like Akatosh did at the climax of the Oblivion Crisis. Yet Flogir kept silent about that, looking to not offend the strange Patholos.
It was after this that Patholos began to speak of Elders. "Well... I don't know what "Elders" you speak of. By all means, it could mean old people, and there's more than a few of those in this group," Flogir stated and then saw that the man was crying. He recoiled as he saw the tears were crimson. "Umm.... are you all right? Is that normal?"
Flint Ironwood.
Flint keeled over, holding his knees in an effort to remain balanced. His heart was thumping in his chest and his lungs burned.
,,Note to self, don't overdo it. You're not the youngest."
,,I'm not the kind of Elder you're looking for. Now if you excuse me, I think I'm going to sit on a log and feel sick." He mumbled, ignoring the battle which still raged around them, though the aggression of the wolves had greatly diminished by now.
(Priest, don't worry about a thing. Flint and I were rather amused. We had a good laugh. Yeah, he is a bit short so Dwarf fits in a way.
)
Rann
The fighting was done, at least for now, so Rann wiped his blade on the grass before returning to the main gathering of people.
He had been about to say something about not having been introduced to Patholos, but changed his mind when he witnessed the events that were unfolding. Having killed a few Dark Brotherhood members in his life, he knew exactly what the stranger meant by 'Dread Father' and 'Elder'. He no longer wished to be introduced.
Instead, he came to stand beside Altair. "I guess we get to speak now - I have a lot of questions."
Voltar
Voltar still sat idlelly by a tree. Smoke from the remains of a werewolf drifted lazily into the air. The beast had made the unfortunate mistake in trying to flee in the direction that Voltar stood waiting. Voltar was actually happy to have a bit of a momentary distraction, as he was often quite curious on how effective a certain spell would work on something. Turns out that the one he had chose work quite well, as it basically obilerated the beast from the inside, expelling out.
Looking at the encampment, Voltar managed to make out Veric speaking with the young Dunmer. Veric was scanning the woods, so Voltar could only guess at what was now going to happen. He turned to Karn.
"I suggest you make yourself scarce. I have a feeling Veric will be bringing a guest this way and it would prove detrimental to our plans if this guest were to see you in our company..." he said cooly to the Dunmer.
Karn
He spun on his heel and fixed the Altmer with a glare. Karn actually considered showing himself and revealing the conspiracy, but it was just a fantasy that he doubted would pay off. After a few heartbeats he replied in an even colder tone than Voltar. "Right."
The Dunmer turned and vanished amongst the foliage....
OCC: when is Amrita finally going to come out of her shadow?
Patholos
After a few seconds, Patholos wiped his tears away and stared, if you could call it that, at the distance. He turned his gaze towards Flint. He coughed and turned away. He went to sit down on a log and when he got there, he fell over.
"With this new vampire, that means my master is still alive... and that means he'll come after me..., I'm so scared right now..., DID YOU HERE THAT, MASTER?" Patholos yelled, then he whispered, "Did you hear that?'
Patholos continued to mutter to himself, slowly rocking back and forth. "Dread Father, why do I experience these emotions, all those years killing and sacrificing, without doubts. Now I see what people truly are, and I doubt you, Dread Father, I doubt you....
Ian, camp
Now that the werewolves had fled, Ian cleaned his blades on the grass that remained uncharred by fire. His armor now had blood all over it, not to mention the damaged cuased by those giant dogs' claws and fangs. I'll have to get it repaired......
Then he recalled that he still had his glass armor fragments; Ian approached Flint and handed him the pieces. "I have no use for these anymore, but I imagine you could have use for them, Flint." He added, "Yes, I am a vampire; that doesn't change my reasons for fighting alongside you all."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint nodded, still tired from his exertion.
,,Thanks. And don't worry about it. I still trust you." He replied. With a trained eye, he examined the glass.
,,Hmm, it's not enough to make a full suit, but it is enough to reinforce that wacko's clothing at the vital areas. Won't stop him from being injured, but at least we won't have to collect his organs." He muttered to himself.
He then looked up and examined Ian's gear as well.
,,Need that stuff fixed? I'd rather fix the damaged stuff before I start making a whole new outfit."
Ian
"Sure if it's not too much trouble," he replied. "My robes will suit me fine while you work on to leather."
Ian set the armor down on a rack beside them. "I'll keep the gauntlets, they're relatively intact."
He added quitely, replacing his guantlets over his hands, "that politcian from Leyawiin and the Imperial City is back; I wouldn't trust him."
Green-Root, still in the damn cavern.
After countless turns, twists and branches, Green-Root and Merethicus finally saw something approaching the light of the outside world.
,,And here we are, at the exit............What?! This is the place we started at!" Green-Root hissed, extremely annoyed.
,,Gah! I've had it with this mess. I'm out!" He crawled up through the hole and vanished into the woods, not bothering to check if Merethicus could climb out of the cavern with that heavy armour of his.
Semir Grey, Flying Dutchman.
Semir looked at all the carpets that covered the ships cabin and belowdeck areas. Each glowed dimly in the moonlight.
,,So, Sparky. Ready when you are." He whispered. Sparky the Breton gave a gleeful smile and pressed a finger into the carpets. The finger glowed with an arcane light that soon travelled out, spreading through the carpets like a stream of water.
The Blue Serpent shuddered. It leaned over to one side heavily, causing some panic for a moment. Semir rushed up on deck and pulled one of the recently installed levers near the wheel. At the starboard side of the ship, a ring enchanted with dispell was moved away from a metal rod enchanted with burden. The starboard side became heavier, and the ship stabilized.
,,So this is how Sparky envisions an airship? Burden spells to steer and a massive dose of levitation to fly. Crude, but effective." Semir thought.
,,Alright men, full sails! We're going to Argonia!"
Flint Ironwood, at the campsite.
,,Yeah, keep the gauntlets. They look fine, for as much as I can see. Sharp blades attached to a gauntlet isn't exactly my type of weapon but hey, it's not as if I know a lot about these things. I'm a smith, not a warrior."
Flint yawned and looked closer at the leather.
,,Hmm, it looks like there are bug shells woven into it. Sorta like chainmail. I need to replace them but whatever critter provided those shells, I doubt it's here. Hmm, I need a substitute." He concluded and looked around.
,,Wood? It might burn, but it's the closest to the original material in strenght and weight."
The Breton retrieved the tools he needed from his belt and got to work.
Flogir
Flogir approached the seated Patholos slowly, a concerned expression on his face. Taking a seat about a full arms length away he placed Patholos' dagger beside him.
Slowly, he edged his arm out and patted his shoulder in an unsure way.
"Umm.... There there, Patholos, you just try to.... err... cheer up... ya....." Flogir managed to say off the top of his head. The man or mer's behaviour was quite unsettling.
"Do you think we can move camp. All I smell is burnt flesh, blood, and an extreme version of bad wet dog smell," Flogir added in disgust.
Patholos, talking to Flogir
"This means much to me, friend," Patholos said, having a hard time with the last word. "It really does. I need to find myself again, and its been years since I've seen any of my Order. The loss is spiritually and emotionally draining, and it feels like when I lost my family,..." Patholos closed his pupilless eyes and put his hands on his head. Then Patholos turned that pale face towards Flogir.
"I'm sure you don't care about what I say, I am physically ruined, and I am a cold shell of a man. But heed this, there is nothing more important in life than friends. Nothing." Patholos paused, then the muscles on the corners of his mouth twitched, and he tried to smile.
"Would you like to see if we can give Flint a hand, friend?..."
Flogir
Flogir sympathized for Patholos. Whomever he dealt with before had made him a wreck. Flogir thought it would probably take a lot of patience and understanding before Patholos felt more comfortable around them.
Flogir stood up. "Sure, let's go see what Flint is up too."
Flogir led the way to Flint, who seemed to be examining some armour. Flogir tsked. "If only I had my supply cart. I'd have all the supplies you need to make those pieces perfect again. I had boldmold fragments and everything..."
Patholos
Patholos followed Flogir to the place where Flint was working. Patholos noticed the careworn hands of a smith on Flint and wise old eyes. Patholos noted that this man could be a fountain of knowledge and he could help with the information that Patholos had to deliver.
"Flint, I would like you and Flogir to know that I trust you," Patholos' cold blank face did not portray any emotion, but it did not appear false or aggressive. "And I would like to confide in you a secret my Dread Father shared with me..., but the Dread Father is not an attractive ideal, and I do not wish to convert any of your ideas, but I need to talk to someone who has lived longer and seen more than I..."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint looked up from his job.
,,That would be handy. But we can't complain about it now. So the idea is to improvise." He replied to Flogir. He then looked around the campsite for a moment.
,,I was thinking of replacing those bugshells with wood. As for protecting our new friend Patholos, I just got an idea. See if you can convince some of our friends here to remove the flesh from those werewolves. The ribs, shoulderplates and some of the other bones should be useable as armour."
While his mind mulled over the possible forms of armour he could create, Patholos spoke up.
,,Well, I have seen a few things. I don't know much about the Dread Father though. But go ahead. What do you want to talk about?" The Breton answered. He flipped out a knife and carefully removed a cracked bugshell from Ian's armour.
,,Bugs as armour. How peculiar. I should ask him about it someday."
Flogir
Flogir was just about to question Flint about the fact that the werewolf corpses might revert back into human anytime now that using their bones would probably be pointless when Patholos spoke up.
Flogir listened carefully to him and then to Flint's response. He took a moment to consider.
"The little I know of this "Dread Father" is that the Dark Brotherhood refers to it as one of their patrons. But that's about it. I figure you don't necessarily follow the Dark Brotherhood as I heard you say mention that the Dread Father involves itself in other things as well. But I'm curious, so continue."
Veric
Altair looked to Rann, waiting for him to answer Serene, though when he saw that he wasn't going to he answered, "Me? No. We need a person to really connect with the people of Cyrodiil, find out what it is they need, what they want, and problems they have. Too many politicians fighting for the throne are looking only to gain fame. Now that the Septim bloodline has faded, it seems honor in the Empire has as well.
"No, we need a person who can connect with the populace, and we need a situation to make him well known. I am not much of a people person myself..." Altair purposefully eluded to this 'person' as possibly being Rann and the situation as the Silhouette in an attempt to entice the still young, yet remarkably sharp Dunmer. He purposefully avoided speaking of what exactly the plans of reform were because, quite frankly, Veric was still coming up with a believable answer.
Rann
"Me?" he asked, as if the very idea were ridiculous. "Wouldn't work. Sure, I'm charismatic and all that compassion, but I don't clean up very nicely. Besides that, nobody's going to support a dunmer barely starting his second decade of life. You've got everything necessary for that position; just give me one that keeps me out of the spotlight."
"I was hoping that we could put heads together to plan out the organization of government and plan of action before trying to bring the populace into our folds and uniting against this Silhouette bastarde."
Ian
Sitting beside the campfire, Ian ran a stone over his blades, honing their edges. He paused briefly to take in the fact that Rann and "Altair" had resumed where they left off in Leyawiin. Ian went back to his work, sharpening more .
The Imperial could guess that part of Rann's fiercely independent, and, in his opinion, reckless nature, was due in part to the natural impulsiveness and authority problems many young men had. This Altair appeared to support views and ideals that Rann held to, so naturally the Dunmer got along with him well.
Ian's features darkened, no mean feat when one was under the effects of . But even if that Altmer is nothing more than he appears, he is still a politician. In Ian's experience with politics, few practicioners were straight arrows rather than two-faced minipulators trying to further themselves.
He set down his blades and cast aside the smoothed-out rock. Ian didn't trust the High Elf as far as an ogre could throw him, let alone with any of the group's souls. He continued to brood over his suspicions and the fates of the youngest charges.
Issac
With the fighting over, Issac decided not to approach Satyana for awhile, at least until everyone started moving westward again in the morning. Then Issac noticed Rann and that Altmer counciler making their way to the woods.
An amused smile played across his face as Issac saw no reason what soever not to join them. Besides if Altair is as noble in his intentions as he claims, what ill could possibly come to pass? With that thought in mind Issac caught up with the two, "Hail, you two."
OCC: If this was too intrusive, then just tell me
Veric
"Indeed, though this Silhouette bastarde needs dealing with now, or there will be no Cyrodiil left to run. We are in no rush though, so we can still discuss this," Altair said as he began to walk away from the camp, seeing as Rann was not going to answer Serene.
"Picture this: a council, ensuring that no single man has too much power, however in times that require speedier action than that which a council can provide, times like right now with the Silhouette destroying cities, a leader among them is elected to execute decisions. This presence should be dealt with now, though, so we could use it to give spotlight to me or whomever will bring forth this new idea to give it a better chance of surviving," he finished waiting for a comment from Rann when Isaac appeared.
Veric was unsure of how much of the coversation he had heard, but since he was in character the whole time he had little to worry about, "Hail friend," he replied with a smile that could barely be seen in the darkness, "Rann and I were just discussing politics."
Rann
Rann gave Isaac and odd look that communicated the question 'Why are you here?' it wasn't rude, merely a sincere question, since Isaac had seemed to hold a certain contempt for Altair earlier.
"An elected council would work," he said, continuing as if Isaac never joined the conversation; he could jump in when he felt it was necessary, "But how would it be organized? Obviously each country of Tamriel would have to be represented, but they would most certainly need more than one representative per country, and each country would have to have an equal number of representatives in order to keep everyone happy."
Veric
Seeing that Rann did, Altair followed suit and continued the conversation with Isaac. "Perhaps the number of couniclors should depend on the number of people they are representing?" he offered, acting unaware that this may lead to more councilors per one country than another.
Rann
Rann shook his head. "That would only divide Tamriel. We have the Silhouette to unify Cyrodiil, but nothing like that to unify the rest of the continent. Keeping all the countries together will be tricky, and we have to keep a balance of some sort. Right now, most everyone wants to be independent. Morrowind has wanted it for centuries, and the Great Houses have already taken back a lot of power in the Emperor's absence. We will need to be firm, but fair and equal towards everyone if we want this union to stay together."
Rann
"What you are suggesting requires a population count of entire nations. Frankly, with Cyrodiil being the largest nation as far as population and land mass I doubt there will be a problem. If Cyrodiil is content with having the same power as say, Valenwood, then I doubt Skyrim will complain, because then Cyrodiil would have more power than both. As long as councillors with such an attitude were elected in Cyrodiil it would work perfectly."
He actually agreed with representation based on population, but not for a government that was just getting to its feet; it would cause too much confusion. That was something that could be implemented after the government established itself and garnered enough strength to support such an idea.
Patholos
"I do not want to convert anyone against their set beliefs, faith in the Dread Father must be from the entirety of one's soul. You must believe absolutely in the Dread Father."
Patholos paused and let the words he said sink in. Then he said, "The Dread Father is the Essence of All Things, from which All Things came and All Things Will Return." Patholos smiled, and then said, "But I have my doubts...."
Issac
Silently he watched Altair and Rann making points and counter-points on the supposed new government.
Issac thought about what he wanted the reformed government. Finally he reasoned that he would back the new regime that was best for Tamriel, long term and short term.
Issac
He turned to Satyana and Soldin nodding in responce to her question. "I don't see why not, we were just talking about government reform and politics." Issac answered respectfully.
In truth, he wasn't certain he wanted her to be nearby at the moment. Only weeks ago Satyana had brought to light Altair's shadier nature, Issac just wanted to avoid any turbulance that might arise.
Issac
"We don't know really. Only that whatever it is commands the army in the East, wants to kill us all by sending some assassin after us, and that same honored user tried to kidnap Satyana." He answered the younger man's question.
"As for what it looks like, or what in Nirm it is, well, that's beyond us at the moment...." Then responding to Altair's offer. "Yes, that would be wise, however," Issac emphasized the next sentence. "However some of us don't have the right skills for fighting a full-scale war."
Part of his saying this was because he wished Satyana to be a safe distance from the heaviest bloodshed. Not the entire war, but just not in the thickest fighting.
Rann
Rann saw Isaac's comment as potential grounds for a quarrel between the two. One he didn't want to hear. So in order t ohopefully avoid it, he kept talking to Altair.
"Well," he said in response to Altair, since Isaac took on Soldin's question, "You can do like many before you and make a name for yourself with force. Kill the Silhouette, scatter his armies and end the threat, and nobody will ignore what you have to say."
Veric
"I certainly don't have the ability to kill such a monster," Altair said. Yeah, Altair probably couldn't but Veric was more than confident of his ability to go toe to toe with the Silhouette. "However us with that group back there," he gestured towards the camp, "Perhaps we can avoid full out war and simply cut off the serpent's head. I'm sure just being part of such a heroic band would grant me enough publicity to give me a shot at a new government."
"I mean, we have the responsibilty to deal with this, don't we?"
Flint Ironwood.
Flint listened with interest. Not because he believed in this Dread Father, but merely because......he was simply curious to what shaped Patholos into the being he was today.
,,I personally don't believe in a single omnipotent being. At least not one with a conscious will or the desire to deal with us mortals. But what about these doubts? Please continue."
While they were speaking, he heard a twig snap. He looked up to see several backs vanish into the woods.
,,Great, it's the damn politician again. Don't give me this nonsense again. Didn't we had that discussion already, right next to the damn death body of Ocato?" He grumbled before raising his voice.
,,Hey, what happened to sticking together?! If that guy has nothing to hide, he can preach his beliefs for all of us to hear, not just some select few. This reeks of manipulation, I tell you!" He shouted.
,,Kids. No common sense these days."
As if nothing had happened, he turned back to Patholos and Flogir even though he made sure he remained aware of the group's position.
,,Anyway, where were we?"
Patholos
As Patholos continued, his mood became darker. "The Dread Father is the essence of all things, as I have said before. He is what made everything and everything will return to him. Here, take one of these..." Patholos handed Flint a leaflette of paper. "These are the Tenants of The Dark Brotherhood. This is what the followers of Sithis believe." Patholos also turned to Flogir and handed him one.
"I don't want to seem like an apostle, yelling convert or die. I want you to read these and then we can talk about it. I will not convert, only console."
"There is one more thing," Patholos added, before he sat down. "The Dark Brotherhood and the Night Mother all answer to the Head of Sithis, the Master of my Order. My Order is far more secretive than you may think."
OOC: Went a little crazy with capitals, oh well. Don't think Patholos is trying to preach, this is a FYI pamphlette.
Rann
"Good luck with that," he said, heading back towards the main group; apparently their discussion wasn't so private anyway, so he saw no harm in it, and maybe some of the others had some sort of insight into the Silhouette's whereabouts.
they may be against democracy, but they will all jump at the opportunity to take care of the Silhouette.
Rann cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Well, since we are all reunited and even have a few newcomers," (he omitted the fact that Patholos and Telina were not exactly good additions in his opinion) he said, "We should probably get back to our real objective," He jingled his coin purse the same way he had earlier, "We were paid quite a sum to take care of this Silhouette bastarde, and we've kind of lost sight of that."
"So," he said, changing his tone to a business-like one, "Anyone have any kind of clue as to where to find him?"
The Silhouette
The Silhouette approached the assembled army of Tsaeci and they parted to allow him to pass through it. At the end of the snake man tunnel stood the largest of them, obviously the leader. When the Silhouette grew near, he bowed down and said in an odd language, "I am at your command."
"Follow me then," the Silhouette replied, "We march to Hero Hill."
Flogir
Flogir briefly scanned the parchment. After reading a few he emitted a low whistle. "This is some pretty dark stuff here Patholos. I've always been a follower of the Nine Divines myself, especially after the whole Oblivion Crisis. I just simply can't abandon something I've followed for so long, especially one where the gods themselves had divinely appear. I can't really believe in this Sithis until I see him, or it, or whatever."
Shortly following that, Rann, with the politician in tow, came out of the woods. Looked like they wanted to continue the hunt of the Silhouette. Flogir rose from his log.
"Well I'm not one to back down on a promise. I said I'd help with this Silhouette problem and so I shall. You have me and Iceshard."
Rann
Rann, always the one to be distracted, noticed that Flint and Flogir both held a similar parchment. He looked at the one in Flogir's hand intently for a few moments, though there was no possible way he could read it from the distance he was standing.
He shook his head as he reminded himself of the important task at hand. He'd ask Flogir about it later. Then, getting even more distracted, he thought about how he and Flogir had once been fairly close, but hadn't even spoken to him in quite some time....
"Glad to hear you're still on board," he said, finally getting back to the business at hand, "Does nobody know where our target is though?"
Patholos
As Flogir got up to speak with Rann, Patholos got up as well. He walked over to a tree and withdrew his knife. He carved a "P" into the side of the tree and poured one of his nighteye potions into the groove. He then went to another tree and performed the same task, finishing the vial on the last tree.
"Flogir, the Nine Divines you worship, they are all good?" Without waiting for a response, Patholos continued, "Because if they are, you had better hope they are all on your side, besides, Nine Gods to worship would just be really hard..."
Patholos exploded with laughter as he sat back down on a tree stump.
Ian, capfire
Patholos' lecture on gods and worship brought Ian out of his thoughts. It wasn't hard to imagine the Dunmer was insane, but he believed the mer was only unstable.
"You can't discount that the Nine Devines have affected history, or that the Deadra have influence over our land, but that is as far as I go.". Ian spoke up, "I know they all exist but worshiping them to gain their favor is not the smartest course in my opinion."
Flogir
Flogir shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think me and Flint asked that question when we interrogated that Argonian... That actually seems like an important question now that I think of it," Flogir replied sheepishly. He couldn't help but think that Rann had changed a little bit from the first time he had seen him. He didn't show the same aloofness he originally had, as if he now accepted his role as a potential leader.
Patholos snapped him out of reverie. "Well it's actually not that difficult to worship nine gods, since they actually ask for much. One can choose how much time they wish to worship the Gods. Myself, I give ample amount of charity to my local chapel in hopes that the Priests there do what they see fit to do with it."
Ian
Taking a moment to reflect over the new topic, voiced and unvoiced, Ian found himself in a measure of agreement with Serene and Flogir. He may prove to be a leader, though I would perfer someone with more experience......
Shrugging, the agent muttered, "More to leadership than being able to give the right orders to your followers." A leader has to bind those following him into a cohensive unit, inspire them, and have a huge amount of luck half the time.
"Let's not forget that we're not only facing a few hordes of goblins and orcs, but an entire army as well. Simply charging in and kicking them in the flanks won't suffice; as the saying goes: 'an army marches on its stomach.'" Ian added, "we'll have to demoralize them, make the lose their will to fight, break their spirit, and while they're stunned we take out the Silhouete."
Kirana, contributing
Silent up until now as they began to speak of destroying the being that commanded the enemy force, she backed up the familiar Imperial's warnings. "They will most certainly have necromancers and conjurers among their number, it won't be an easy task with hundreds or thousands of undead and Deadra swelling their ranks."
OCC: I don't think the group is aware of the Akaviri army in Black Marsh, but it wasn't difficult to make the current threat quite pressing.
Patholos
As the fire he was sitting at grew low, Patholos wandered off to get more wood. When passed by the trees he had enchanted, he whispered a small spell. The letter "P" glowed brightly for a second, then dissipated.
"I'll have to remember to tell them that the letters glow when I am near them..." Patholos thought to himself.
Patholos whistled a tune that his mother had taught him as he came back to the campsite. The others were discussing battle tactics, and he wasn't much of a leader. So he set down his logs next to the fire and stoked it.
After listening to the countless numbers of enemies this "Silhouette" had at his command, he grew worried. Then he began to sing softly the same tune he used to sing with his mother.
"All the days line up together,
Like Evergreens, they never die,
Waiting always, to finally wither,
The earth itself begins to cry.
Carry on, Wayward wanderer,
Hope will guide you on your way,
Carry on, Wayward wanderer,
Grow tall and green, Start the day."
Rann
Rann heard the various comments about his leadership, and in response, he decided to abandon it. He didn't want to be a leader; that meant he had to be responsible. Leaders couldn't call newcomers whores, hold grudges, and be argumentative. He still wanted to do all that.
"Well, you seem to know what you're talking about," he said to Ian, "Come up with a plan."
He had obviously just passed on whatever bit of leadership the elder members had noticed.
Patholos
Muttering quietely to himself, Patholos got up from the stump he was sitting on, and walked over to Rann. He didn't say anything, he just stared at him with those pupiless eyes, white and blank. After about a minute of staring, he finally spoke,
"I barely know you, my name is Patholos." He continued after a smile, or what seemed like a smile. "I noticed you had been eyeing one of those leaflettes I gave to Flint, haven't you? Well, I have more..."
Patholos extended his hand, and in it, was a leaflette. He offered it to Rann, and then said, "Read this and then we will talk..."
Patholos laughed again, only this time it was to lighten the mood, and he pat Rann on the back.
Rann
Rann took the paper, despite his distrust of Patholos and hatred for the Dark Brotherhood. He glanced at the paper and looked back up to Patholos.
"Are these the f***ing Five Tenets?" since he already knew the answer, he didn't wait for a reply. He ripped the paper and dropped the shreds on the ground.
"I'd rather skip the talking part," he said, "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me again."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint had politely ignored the 'leadership' conversation. There was nothing he had to add anyway. He wasn't a leader nor did he knew who might be suited for the role. When Rann returned to his downright rude and insulting self though, the Breton figured it was time to speak up.
,,Oh, just cut it out Rann. You don't have to show everyone you can take care of your bussiness by yourself. Because you can't. Admit it, you need us right now to survive. Trying to make everyone hate you is not going to help." He berated the youngster.
,,Besides, I know you hate the Dark Brotherhood but that is no reason to simply act like that against Patholos. I looked at the five tenets myselve and they're nothing but your standard Guild rules. The no stealing, no killing and coöperation one. Only instead of threatening with expulsion, they threaten with some supernatural being's wrath, which in itself is the same thing they say at the temples. So in short, you're acting like a child." He continued, glaring at Rann.
,,Oh, and one last thing. Aren't you an assassin yourself, just like your dad? If so, then how do you justify your own killing? In this world, you have to judge yourself before you judge others."
,,I don't have experinece with war, armies or stuff like that, but might I add a bit? I'd say we use guerilla tactics. Stay out of sight and pelt them with long range attacks, preferably poisoned arrows or something. I heard it works fine in Valenwood and Argonia. Nothing is more frightening than an enemy you can't see. Oh, and focus our fire on the leaders." He spoke, turning to the rest of the group.
,,What can I say, I read a book once." He added with a shrug.
Ian, planning
After the surprise of the abrupt change in command, Ian listened to Flint as he offered something along the lines he'd been coming across. "Yes, hit-and-run is probably the wisest course of action, but we can do more than that."
He continued, "Obviously the Silhoute's army is compromised of plunderers. I can't imagine having goblins working some underground farm. So for practical reasons we could steal their supplies: food, weapons, raw materials, and their riches. It could allow us to stay here for as long as needed without running out of rations, and serve to stick daggers in the army's side."
"But that won't win this conflict for us, we need more than ourselves to defeat them; we'll need the rest of Tamriel to ultimately confront them." He adopted a thoughtful look, "Flint, could you spread the word to Chorrol? The Countess might be able to contact the other counties and perhaps the other provinces."
Kirana
She greeted Serene with a friendly nod, "Hail, friend, I am Kirana, Mages Guild Scholar; pleased to meet another practicioner of the arcane arts."
Kirana smiled, "Yes, I believe someone mentioned your name once, had something to do with a conflict on Vardenfell several years ago."
Flint Ironwood
Flint stroke the small beard that graced his chin.
,,Chorrol, I think I could reach that easily. I don't know if the countess can get word out fast enough, though. Let's see. I read about rapid intercontinental transportation once. I believe they were called shiftgates." He spoke to himself, thinking out loud.
,,Alright, I'll head over to the countess and if necessary, I'll bring a few scholars to the Imperial library to look for this Shiftgate thing." He reasoned.
,,But one more thing. Since you'll be busy stalking the Silhouette, how will I find you upon my return. Maybe you could give off a signal that doesn't look like a signal. Man, I'm talking in riddles, aren't I?"
Ian, same
"I would imagine by the time you return you could follow the trail of dead bandits and goblins." He replied mildly, "If necessary I'd recommend killing the nearest living creature; I can smell freshly spilled blood unless it's downwind of course."
Flint Ironwood.
Flint nodded.
,,Well, looks like being a vamp does have some unexpected advantages. Alright, I'll be off then. Stay safe." The Breton replied and made sure he'd everything safely attached to his belt. He knew from experience how annoying it was to lose something in midflight and have to jump back to pick it up, usually with a few hours of searching bushes.
,,See ya. And take care of mister badmouth over there." He said, pointing at Rann and shot away into the sky.
Rann
Rann stood silently for a moment before walking into the woods by himself. He didn't let on as to his intentions; he didn't say if he was leaving for good or if he was just going to think. He hadn't quite decided himself.
Flint says I can't take care of myself? Well damn him.
Ian
He watched Rann retreat out of the corner of his eye. Shaking his head, Ian mused. I wonder where he got his fragile ego....... Seems like he can't even take sarcasm
Turning his attention to the rest of the group, he began. "Well, we've had a rough time over the last few months. This isn't even halfway, everyone get some rest before the sun rises again."
Ian paused for a moment, then added. "It might be the last good sleep we'll get for awhile. I doubt vampires need consistant rest, so I'll keep watch."
Flogir
Flogir waved Flint off as he took off into the air. Well that's one less person I can talk to easily... he thought sadly as he returned to the warmth of the fire. While staring into the flames he noticed Rann walk off into the darkness. Obviously, Flint's comments had gotten to him.
Should I see how he's doing? he questioned himself. The most likely response should he inquire would likely be some form of "Bugger off!" but Flogir decided it was something he would risk.
Rising to his feet he groaned as stiff muscled reacted to his movements. The battle with the werewolves had been more taxing than he thought. Still, he calmly followed the path Rann took. Seeing just slightly ahead of him, he called out softly.
"Hey Rann, you okay pal?"
Flogir
Flogir took a stump beside Rann. "So I take it what Flint said got to ya a little bit? To me it just seemed that Flint hit a bit of a boiling point with all the bickering that has been going on lately. It could've been anyone to make the next mistake to set him off. The bad luck just seemed to have fallen on you."
Issac
Following the yelling and cursing, he found Rann, Flogir, and Patholos in another part of the woods. It was clear that they had struck a tense cord.
Issac lobbed a weak (standard scale, not the uder mage scale) fireball in between them. He halted a good distance away.
"Hey, let's be civil; save the fury for the enemy!". Issac held both his hands level with his shoulders, "We don't have time for in-fighting."
Rann
Rann stood and was ready to draw his blade when Patholos burst through the woods threatening him. He didn't plan on actually drawing until it was necessary, but he was almost praying for Patholos to make the first move.
Patholos calmed down then, and a fireball erupted between them. Rann knew it came from Issac, and that made it non-threatening in his mind; Issac wouldn't actually hurt either of them.
"If you didn't want people to insult your life, maybe you should've chosen a different one."
Then he walked off, actually intending to leave this time. In his mind, he wasn't infighting as Issac said; he had been using his energy against the enemy.
Satyana
She observed the latest happenings, though nobody seemed to take any notice of her, which pleased her a lot. She had hidden herself in the woods after followingher brother without being seen. No this was a bit too much for her, seeing her brother leave...just like that!
She never knew where her strength really came from but she practicaly "flew" after him on light feet, touching his arm, very lightly
"Rann! Donīt leave me! You are the closest I have as family right now, do not leave me just like this...and without even saying goodbye. I love you and I was hoping you care for me...I canīt stop you leaving, but Iīd appreciate if you let me go with you"
She stopped....hoping that Rann would care to answer her
Flogir
Well it turned out that his private conversation wasn't as private as he thought it was. Suddenly there were people everywhere and bickering once more.
Flogir dropped his hands to his sides. "I'm going to bed," he grunted in an agitated tone. He was fed up with dealing with problems for today.
Issac
As he passed Flogir; Issac nodded to him, "Sleep well." He approached Patholos cautiously, not wanting to upset or provoke him. "Don't mind Rann, he can be rash and stubborn at times. I'm not sure he knows what he actually believes in."
Oddly enough, the last part of the sentence made some sense. Rann seemed almost as erratic as Patholos, just in different ways. "Look on the brigth side, all you have to do is just tune out the insults. Everything becomes bearable at that point." Issac said with a reassuring smile.
Patholos
Patholos stormed off away from Issac, and thought about whether or not he should attack Rann. With another roar of anger, Patholos turned to where Rann had walked off through the woods. Patholos, used every swear word he had ever heard, and even some he had made up. He yelled, hoping Rann would hear him, "If your family was killed and all you had was the Order, what would you do, you coward!"
Patholos returned to the campfire he was sitting at earlier. He sat and thought a long time about his dead family and his ruined body. He thought about the Order, and how they are so hated. Then Patholos came to a realization, his Order consisted of murderers and criminals. A wave of nausea passed over Patholos and he vomited. He had come to believe that Sithis only granted membership to the Chosen. Patholos got up and walked back over to Issac and said, "Friend, I need to speak with your concerning matters of the utmost importance. My whole life is in question now because of the insults that rang true. Please, I beg of you, I am lost, help me find myself again, lest I resort to killing blindly..."
Issac
"Well, alright," He replied awkwardly. "Just tell tell me how to help and I'll do so to the best of my abilities."
I hope Satyana's alright; maybe I've been too distant of late.....
Patholos
"My friend, I feel sick all the time, and I have doubts. My Master is alive, and apparently living in Bruma. I thought him dead after all these years, me being the one thought killed him. He was the one, of which I found out later, that staged the "magical accident" at my home and murdered my family. In my order, if you want retribution, you take it. Thats all. I ambushed him and struck him with a blow that would have killed a normal man, but, he persevered, his stink I can smell on Ian." Patholos paused, a feeling of uneasiness passed over him and he looked around in the bushes.
He continued, "I think that what I did in my long years as a Dark Brotherhood member and an exclusive member of the Order, I didn't care about all the death, now I find that every death lingers on my soul. The Dread Father does not answer my entreaties and I find myself worthless and hollow. It wasn't until this band of heroes and the information I tried to relay to everybody came about that I thought the Dread Father had abandoned me. I need to talk to someone about Rann, and maybe we can both agree to be civil, then, after this battle, we can end this strife with the taking of life."
OOC: my bad about the last line rhyme, but i did't know how to finish it proper like. MY B!
Rann
Rann didn't know where he waas headed. He didn't even know which direction he was headed, and he didn't bother to look at the stars and find out.
He didn't want to leave many of the people in the group, but he didn't want to travel with a member of the Brotherhood either. He figured maybe he could meet Altair later to finish whatever tentative plans they had made. How, he didn't know.
He walked on, suddenly realizing that he had left his supplies with the others. He had walked too far to consider going back though. All he had now were his clothes and his sword.
It's all I need for now, I guess.
Issac, doing his job (mediating)
"Well, I've only known him for the last few monthes. If you want to get some helpful insight into his life and not just how to deal with the constant squables, I'd suggest Serene or maybe Satyana, his sister."
Issac pondered about this master's involvment with Ian. "I'm certain 'Tyana is nearby; I'll go find her."
He turned and traveled a short distance searching for her. Finally, Issac found her sitting behind a bush not too far away. "Satyana," he said softly placing his hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing back here?"
Patholos, following Isaac
Patholos followed Issac to the bush he stood in front of. Without even looking, Patholos felt eyes staring at him, boring through him. Patholos immediately felt uncomfortable, and even a bit sickly.
"Excuse me, Satyana?" Patholos said, after hearing Issac say her name. "My name is Patholos, and I believe I met one of your kin earlier." Trying his best to put on his manic grin, he smiled. "I believe we had somewhat of a quarrel and it almost came to blows. I may have said some words that would have angered your brother, and if it is possible, I would like to talk with him."
Satyana
"Ssshh, Issac! Youīre not supposed to find me! Iīll have to look after Rann, so nothing will happen to him." Then she turned to Patholos looking at him coldly
"I donīt think you should have anything to do with my brother....you did yell at him, and I donīt like that, even if he had it coming to him...what is your business here anyway Mister?"
Patholos
With another manic grin, Patholos replied, "To uphold the balance of things in this group. You see," Patholos paused, looked off for a second, then replied, "What your brother said had some truth to it. I do have a questionable lifestyle and i would like to talk to him about it. You are kin, and that means you understand him more than I ever would."
Patholos looked at Satyana's face, noticing faint similarities between Rann and her. Patholos, not wanting to scare or enrage Satyana, looked off again as he said, "If I owe you penance for what I said, so be it. I will serve it if it kills me, but know this, I mean everything that I said. Once this endeavor of ours is over, You, your sibling, and I will finish this quarrel." Patholos gazed deep with his white eyes, then dropped to his knee in front of her and said, "What is my penance for the wronging of kin?"
The Silhouette
He stood atop Hero Hill, having reached his destination nearly an hour ago. The army of Tsaeci had merged with his existing Tamrielic army, but still remained distinctly separate.
He was thinking to march on the capital city soon.
Rann
Rann walked on, still unable to believe that his (former) companions so readily accepted an obvious and self-proclaimed member of the Dark Brotherhood into their ranks.
He finally stopped to look at the stars to get his bearings.
I'm headed towards Hero Hill...maybe I should take a shot at the Silhouette by myself. Hell, I bet they haven't even moved yet.
He kept walking until he came out of the thick forest and saw Hero Hill in the moonlit distance. He thought he could see a dark figure standing on top, but couldn't be sure. What he was sure of, however, was the mass of strange-looking things surrounding the distant hill.
He silently backtracked through the woods again, until he was sure he was far enough away to avoid being caught. When he was confident of his safety, he ran back towards the group. They had to be warned, no matter who was travelling with them.
Issac, camp outskirts
He was about to ask if penance was really necessary when he heard a rustling to the northeast.
Without saying a word, Issac approached the direction of the sound to find- "Rann, back so soon? We just broke open a crate of mead to celebrate a momwnt of peace and quiet."
Mostly the comment was a joke, but Issac realized it coulf be taken as an insult.
Satyana
She was just about to answer Patholos when she heard a commotion of some kind, and got this special feeling that only siblings sometimes encounter..
"Rann?" she whispered, seeing Issac head off towards northeast...
Satyana
She approached her brother slowly....
"Rann? Are you OK? What is the matter?"
There was something weird here, otherwise Rann wouldnīt have come back....
Please Rannie....no more harsh words..tell us whatīs wrong instead, just like that!
Issac
Holding both hands, palms open, at shoulder hieght, Issac replied. "As you wish." Now what could be so important that it could cause Rann to not only stop in his tracks, but change his mind when it was clearly set on something?
On the one hand, Issac really wanted to no on the other, he knew he wasn't going to like whatever could make Rann turn-tale.
Rann
"The Silhouette is close," he explained, stil breathing heavily from the run. "I've seen him."
"I thought of going after him myself, but getting through a few thousand snake-men wouldn't be fun. Yes I said snake-men. Damned snake-men! Who the f*** has heard of that?"
He had, of course, heard of the Tsaeci, but doubted that anything from Akavir would be here, especially not in such numbers...
Issac
"Wait a minute, 'Akaviri Snake-men?' Didn't Moldaire have something to do with some magical order from Akavir?" He asked, though he fully remembered what that book had said about "Moldaire." This certainly makes things worse, but now that we know; we should have realized the possibilities.
"What if this entire war has been nothing but a ploy to soften up Tamriel for the Akaviri to conquer?"
Green-Root, back in the fray.
Green-Root had observed the army for quite some time. Now though, he was on his way to the campsite of the 'heroes'. When he approached, he slowed down. Just long enough to draw his spear. The silver tip was lowered, a sign of his willingness to talk yet ready to defend himself if needed.
,,I doubt it. I've seen the army and it does indeed look impressive and capable of laying waste to a large area of Tamriel. But, I've only seen destroyers, no conquerors. Slaying your enemies in combat is not enough if you wish to conquer. You must be able to hold your territory and make use of it." He hissed as he boldly strode into the camp.
,,Whatever is the case, do not underestimate the scaled ones. They came through Argonia as foreigners. A feat worthy of respect. But it has to be said that they also lost quite a few of their numbers in the Black marsh. Still, what remains is more than enough."
He looked around, searching for something, someone. He saw Flogir, sleeping. The Argonian walked over to the man and kicked him awake with his tail.
,,Well met again, Nord. Where is your Breton friend? I still owe him repaymant for that gash upon my snout. For that matter, I owe repayment to you as well." He snarled, baring his teeth.
OCC: Flogir went to bed before Rann came back.
Kirana, nearby
Though not close enough to see the young ones one the outskirts of camp, she was able to hear them without a good deal of difficulty. When the hissing voice of an Argonian became apparent, Kirana made the connection to the one she'd spoken to before the Imperial City's evacuation.
"I'm sorry, Serene, but it would appear another matter has come up." She excused herself and slowly approached the cluster of youngsters and the Argonian.
Serene, stepping back
She nodded at Kirana and sat down re-packing her backpack. It was time to leave now, the young ones could very well cope on their own, she would stick around for a short while just to see how things turned out in the near future. After that she would go home...
Satyana
She took out a worn piece of parchment from her pocket and read the runes written on it to herself, memorizing them...memorizing them well. She hadnt used this spell so many times but she knew its power all too well. Her eyes were dark and cold, as her mind. Just focussing on the devastating magic made her alter her personality..or at least so it seemed
Flogir, grumpy at being awaken
Flogir groaned as he was kicked awake. "What the hell was that for?" he grumbled angrily. It was then that a particular detail entered his mind. He recognized that the voice has the hissing accent of an Argonian, yet the problem was that there wasn't any Argonians around. Once his eyes focused, he saw the Argonian from Hero Hill looming over him and holding his spear.
Instinctively, Flogir kicked out at the Argonian, hoping to trip him as he scrambled back up to his feet. He hurried over to his pack and withdrew Iceshard.
"Flint had to go on a little trip. But if you seek payback I'm sorry to say but you have bad credit with us," he said snidely as he kept a fair distance between him and the Argonian. He realized that the rest of the company were around so it would be foolish for the Argonian to try anything. He also noticed that Rann was back.
"Good to see you back so soon Rann. I thought it would've taken you a bit longer, but the return is welcomed," he said, acknowledging the Dunmer.
Kirana
Nodding, she replied to Rann. "I met him and many of his kin in the waters around the Imperial City. They had been sent by the Silhoute to wipe out the Imperial Navy."
"Still," Kirana began. "We should try to make as much of this oppertunity as possible."
Flogir woke with a start and rose to defend himself.
"This Argonian could give us information on the Silhoute and his army. Killing him won't help us, but bargaining will."
Flogir
"Well I certainly don't intend to kill him now, he doesn't seem all that willing to fight now that I'm fully awake," Flogir said defensively, easing his battle stance into a more comfortable, but ready, posistion. "But if he makes one wrong move to make me think he's going to hurt me, he'll be regretting that move."
Flogir paused as he registered what the others were talking about. "Haven't me and Flint all ready interrogated him once? He didn't know much back then, what makes you think he knows more now?"
Green-Root.
He'd been expecting such a move, so he jumped out of the way in time. He allowed Flogir to retrieve Iceshard.
,,If you think I'm out for blood, you're mistaken. I prefer a good drink at a tavern. Buy me a drink when this is over and I'll consider the debt of you and the Breton paid." He hissed amiably.
,,You, on the other hand. Don't even think of stepping one step closer. I know you Dunmer. You're all arrogant, selfish monsters! One step, slaver, and I'll put you on my spear! I'll never bow to your kind again, never!" He growled at Rann, lifting his spear to help bring his point across.
,,I can't tell you anything more than what I've seen. The army consists mostly of those Akaviri snakes now. There are still a few goblins, trolls and Orcs, but those don't seem to have much fight left in them. The Silhouette himself, I don't know what he is. He could be a snake, but he seems different, he seems more. And he's always accompanied by that cursed beast of his and a personal guard. Slaying him won't be easy."
Rann
Never one to be lenient when given such a challenge, he did indeed move one large step closer to the argonian as he spoke of the gathered army nearby.
Rann listened to the argonian now though, forgetting all about the minor quarrel that was forming. From what he heard right now, things didn't look good.
Flogir
Flogir stood there dumbfounded for a few moments before burst out laughing. "Jeez! If that's all ya wanted to settle it then why did ya have to kick me so hard?" he said indignantly, but started laughing once more. "Of course I'll give ya a drink!"
Though Green-Root didn't seem to want to hurt Flogir, the same sentiments didn't seem to go the same way towards Rann. Understandably for an Argonian who had once been a slave. Flogir decided to voice his opinion.
"You needn't worry about that, Rann here is a Cyrodiilic Dunmer. I'm not sure how informed he is about his native race's slaving habits, but I assure you, I don't think he displays common Dres or Telvanni Dunmer traditions," Flogir informed Green-Root.
The information about the Silhouette was discouraging when he heard the situation on the matter. "This does not bode well for us.... Any suggestions, or should we sleep on it? I'm still tired myself," he added sheepishly.
Green-Root.
Green-Root's eyes narrowed when the Dunmer had the audacity to approach him. His toes dug in the dirt and his muscles tensed. It was then that Flogir spoke up in an attempt to prevent the fight.
,,I'll be the judge of that. Cyrodiil or Morrowind, I'll be keeping an eye on you all the same." He hissed, lowering his spear and planting it into the ground next to him.
,,What do you think I am, a wise sage who can foretell the future? Some old monk who's studied an obscure prophecy during his entire life? You figure out how to kill that thing. I'll help once you come up with a plan." He shot back at Flogir and shook his body in an act of frustration. He needed something to calm down, anything.
The Argonian dug into his pack and took several blackened, shapeless lumps out of it.
,,Cold rat, anyone? I'm hungry."
Satyana
She approached the others...slowly. The she just stood there like a statue, her face all pale under her rich dark hair. Her strange eyes glistened, but were so cold, like made of stone. There was an aura engulfing her, an aura of cold and strength. Satyana had turned into a thorough mage now...nobody but Kirana was able to feel it...Satyana hoped she would. She wanted so much to be recognised, especially now, when she felt the power grow inside her.
Rann
Rann had some idea of a plan, but figured it best to put the argonian at ease, especially now that he was sure that the argonian wasn't hostile.
"I'm Rann," he said, etending his hand, " And even if I was from Morrowind, I doubt I'd sell anyone into slavery."
Green-Root.
Green-Root looked at Rann's hand, then at his face.
,,Prove yourself first. Then, I might shake your hand."
Kirana, curious
As the others engaged in civil, somewhat, debates over racial misconceptions and attempts at deplomacy, she slowly became aware of a cold presence in the back of her head.
The sensation was quite unsettling, Kirana straightened an inperceptable fraction, ill at ease.
Barely turning to look, she studied the aproaching young woman. The aura of chill that surrounded her wafted outwards, spreading. Kirana's wary look morphed into undisguised interest.
The revelation that one so young could possess such force of will was more dramatic than most of what she'd witnessed in recent years.
OCC: did you mean thuragist (sp.)?
Issac
When Satyana ignored him, a feeling of unease ran through him. Issac shivered as the air suddenly cooled, his mind raced.
It was early morning in the lowland forest that decorated the foothills of the Valus Mountains. Seeing as noone yet felt the sudden cold, Issac realized the being naturally weak to the elements he was more sensitive to the sudden change in temperature.
Veric
Altair watched. No one had really noticed him in the past minutes as he observed personalities flare. Veric made a mental note on Rann's recklessness. He wanted badly to voice his idea that perhaps this Green-Root required that every man prove himself, not just Dunmer, and how Rann was blinded by the idea that everyone was out to get him. He remained silent, however, wanting to remain in Rann's favor. He is still very much a teenager.
Veric also felt a chill. Normally it would be nothing. It was, after all, a bit frigid out, but Veric's robes kept him warm enough to make the chill odd. He looked in the direction of Satyana. His eyes showed a "I know your secret" gaze, though his face remained in character; tired, relaxed.
OOC: wasnt sure whether satyana was actually visible, hence the use of 'in the direction of' rather than 'at'
Soldin has been lost track of by the group, and is nowhere to be found at the moment.
Flogir, seeking to end this pointlessness
"All right, all right!" Flogir said loudly, stepping between Rann and Green-Root, "I don't care if we can't be friendly with each other, but let's at least move on from here. We have more important issues then defending our egos, no offense," he said heatedly and paused to catch his breath.
"Now, from what I hear, we have some snake people and this 'Silhouette' thing just on our doorstep. If you want my opinion on the matter, I say we go with guerilla warfare like someone else mentioned. We have to keep em guessing and eventually we'll find the chance to draw the Silhouette out or we'll be able to get to the Silhouette. Now, do we have any other suggestions?"
Times to get things moving folks, I don't really feel like getting our backs stabbed while we're busy arguing... Flogir thought as he awaited answers.
Rann
"We should split into two groups," he said, realizing that Flogir was right, and offering his suggestion. "One group should have our stealthier people in it, and the other should have our fighters. Maybe a mage for each."
"The group of fighters could make some sort of diversion while the other could try to sneak in to take care of the Silhouette." he suggested, waiting for some response before he elaborated.
He hated that he had just lumped himself into a group with Patholos and possibly Green-Root, but the Silhouette needed to be taken care of. He now thought that his running off earlier was a bit silly, though not unreasonable.
Veric
"I wonder if it is wise to split our forces like that. And plus our stealther team would have to be powerful enough to actually take down the Silhouette," Altair chimed in. Veric was confident of himself in being able to take down the Silhouette in a duel of magick, but Altair would probably not be so powerful. If worse came to worse though, he thought, I could intervene.
Sadril (k have no idea what the last post was, but i believe brianna ran into something or something i dunno)
"Bats," Sadril said as a barriage of shrieks reached their ears. It was too dark to tell, but the family of bats that were living in the cave had been startled by the presence of Sadril, Brianna, and Rahvin, and were scattering making all sorts of noise. They weren't the only thing making noise, though.
Sadril stopped sudenly. Anyone trailing close behind him would've ran into him. He stopped because he heard a quite ominous low growling noise coming from within the cave. His nighteye saw nothing except a bend coming up in the cavern. Whatever was growling was behind that bend.
"What do ya think that is?" Sadril asked, assuming his companions could hear the growling.
Flogir
Flogir pondered the ideas that were given. "Perhaps we can comprimise. We still split into groups, but each group is balanced for stealth, strength, and magikal abilities. I'm sure a stealthy person can perform a better distraction than anyone else could, plus we'd have a well-rounded attack on the Silhouette should stealth prove useless against this thing. If we go with this idea, hopefully we'll be able to separate ourselves appropriately. In other words, people should volunteer for which party they want to take part in.... That's my suggestion. I'll take others, but we gotta make up our minds soon," Flogir stated, suddenly shocked that he seemed to be taking charge now.
Whatever... I'm just making sure we don't get ourselves unknowingly killed.
Ian
Noticing that most of the members, those awake anyway, were gathered discussing plans. So much for being well rested. He thought dryly.
As Ian approached he put in, "I hope that no one is implying an attempt already. Most of us have been traveling none stop for days, not to mention any enchanted items will likely be devoid of charge by now."
He pointed out, "any attack at the moment will be ill fated; we need to gain the necessary advantages before commiting our selves to a point-of-no-return. I mean plundering their treasure troves for supplies and possibly Varla Stones for our weapons."
Rann
"Only send out a couple of people to do that if you're serious; the army is too close to make too many preparations. I did walk there and run back a in a matter of minutes."
"Time isn't really on our side. I'd rather attack them while they're laying around than when they're on the move."
Flogir
"Aren't we well equipped anyways? I thought our supplies were still pretty good last time I checked. Plus, if you're worried about us getting tired, I think the adrenaline will take care of that. Trust me on that, I've relied on it plenty of times. But if you think you can get in and out with a very small group without attracting notice then go for it," Flogir said, responding to Ian's contribution.
"But I emphasize the "getting no attention" part!" Flogir said in a slightly threatening manner. Flogir thought he may as well see if anyone else was interested in going with Ian.
"Anyone willing to go with Ian and get supplies? If not, we'll get groups sorted out."
Rann
"I'll go with him," he volunteered, though he didn't especially agree with the plan. If nothing else, he needed to speak with Ian about somehting, and the short mission would provide a nice opportunity.
"Shall we?"
Green-Root.
Green-Root chewed on a bit of cold rat.
,,I'll join you two. As far as supplies are concerned, my kind can live on pretty much anything and I don't require to recharge anything. Worst come to worst, I can be of help in a fight and perhaps I can even talk our way out. Upon discovery, I could pretend that you are new recruits. You wouldn't be the first vampire to join." He commented, got up and dusted off his feet.
,,Now you'll also get a chance to prove what you're capable of, Dunmer."
Flint Ironwood, halfway to Chorrol.
,,Jump five. And here comes number six." He stretched his weary legs again and lifted off the ground. Two metres, then he returned back to the surface.
,,Crap it all. Out of Magicka." He grumbled. He began to walk at a pace that provided the best balance between speed and endurance.
,,Now there was a campfire nearby. Maybe I can find a horse to borrow or a way to refill my Magicka?"
Ian
"Very well," he nodded to Rann and Green-Root. "Don't get killed before we get back. We'd hate to have to take out the Silhouete ourselves......"
Flogir
Flogir noted that Rann and Green-Root volunteered to go. "All right then, step to it. For now, I'm going to take a power nap," he replied and grinned. "Good luck," he added before heading closer to the fire once again.
Rann
"We'll keep our eyes open for anything especially useful," he said as he walked back towards the army of snake-men, assuming Ian and Green-Root would follow.
He wasn't sure exactly where the army would keep their supplies, but he figured there would be a wagon or beast of burden or something carrying weapons and food.
Food...the army will definately need food...and if we get rid of their supply... he kept the thought to himself; it wasn't their main goal, but he would consider the idea if he was presented the opportunity.
Ian
Following Rann to the Northeast, Ian reflected on the anticpated end of this Silhoute. And hopefully this entire conflict, but if we actually kill him this soon the rest of Tamriel will still be as devided as before. No, it will take time for their armies to organize.
Though he hadn't voiced it, Ian wanted to take an approach that would allow for Tamriel to rally and bring down the Silhouete. That way the provinces will at least still have a reason to be united, but if the Silhouete is vanguished without a final assualt then nothing will change..... Except that Morrowind and Argonia will be the weakest of the newly devided competitors.
Tamriel needed to fight this battle, it needed to come back together, at least if there would be any hope of reinstating the former way of life that flourished under the Septims. We might be able to win this on our own, but that won't help anyone in the long run....
Rann
"There we are," he said, pointing to the army that was now visible through the dense forest. They were still hidden by the treeline, and were it not for the darkness, a few steps would render them more than visible.
"Any ideas as to where supplies would be?"
Green-Root.
Green-Root crouched down beside the Dunmer. His eyes scanned the army anxiously.
,,If it's weapons and armour you want, you're out of luck. Every soldier carries his or her weapons and armour. There are no central stores for that. Food on the other hand, is stored in a central place. However, the snakes are now in charge of that. Apparently, the Silhouette trusts his own kin more than he thrusts the lowlifes he's drawn to him here."
He gave an amused hiss.
,,With good reason. Anyway, the snakes don't speak our language so I can't talk them out of their food. And even if I could communicate, it wouldn't help. Food is only given out in carefully measured rations at noon. If you want food, you'll have to get rid of the snakes guarding the sacks and crates. Trust me, it won't be so easy."
Ian, contemplating
"I'm certain the goblins would store their plunder in the tunnels where they can protect them. If we could locate the caverns then we could stumble upon the lowlives resources."
He finish, "provided that the Silhouete has't made them get in line."
Then a thought came to Ian, "You said that there were vampires in the army, correct?"
Green-Root, thinking.
Green-Root wrinkled his snout and winced as the fresh scar upon it burned for a short moment.
,,Yes, five of them. I might have ignored their rather pale skin but I can't ignore the title they used for themselves. Quarra, a vampire clan from Morrowind. They're somewhat different from your clan. For example, they can't stand the sun no matter how much blood they drink. I've told you all I know. It isn't much."
He looked around the army once more.
,,There. Those five, sitting slightly away from the rest. The ones who hide themselves within those black robes." He spoke, pointing at a group that was partially obscured by the trees. He picked up his spear and shifted his balance.
,,What's your plan?"
Ian
He grinned as he spotted them. "Can you imagine having to drink blood, but the only sourses are your compatriots?"
"Nasty," ian muttered. "Wait here," the agent became transparent, then vanished
Rann
"Goblin loot? We're out here wasting time with goblin loot?" he said after Ian was gone, "You're just going to end up with some rusty swords and raw meat. What do you say to some Akavirian goodies?"
He still didn't like Green-Root, but right now he was a companion and had to at least work together for a short while.
Green-Root, not pleased.
Green-Root didn't agree with Rann.
,,If you want to fight your way through fifty of those scaled fiends just for some food, be my guest. Apperantly, you missed out on the stories. The bards are still debating whether a Redguard or an Akaviri is the best swordsman." He hissed in an annoyed tone. Or at least, the Argonian equivalent.
,,Now be still and focus on watching that Vampire's back. I don't know what he's planning, but I bet it won't go the way he hopes it will."
Rann
"You think I'm after food?" he shook his head and began mumbling unpleasant things about his counterpart's intelligence.
"And who the hell said anything about fighting them?" he asked, "It's night. Most of them are asleep, and the few guards they have are looking outside for danger, not inside. We should be in and out with something in no time at all."
Ian
Taking care not to hit rocks, trip over cracks, or otherwise give away his approach, Ian made his way to the outskirts of the Sil's camp. Taking cover behind on of the many boulders, he shed his invisibility and made his approach to the camp.
He removed his hood to reveal his subtle, but recognizable vampiric features. Ian sat down just outside of the Quarra's rough circle. Underneath their black cowls they glared at him with cold hostility.
"You all look hungry," he muttered. Silence Their colorless eyes were dull red because of the blood running past them. Ian's expression remained composed despite the demoralizing look they could give someone they hated.
"Watch your tongue mongrel, your kind may have dominant in this province, but your too much like prey, weak and soft." One of them hissed, Ian guessed it was a Dunmer by his voice. "Go back to your city and prey on those that are too sickly or weak to fight back; leave us to feed on worthy adversaries."
"Can't we just be civilized, I just noticed a couple of suspicous characters on the otherside of those boulders." Ian muttured, shrugging. "Seeing as you're no doubt in need of something to feed on."
Most seemed skeptical, but one sniffed the air. "Hey,I do smell something, not dead or wounded either, fresh!" The others shot him a glance, then noticed the growing rays of sunlight, with a sense of urgency.
They blurred out, and Ian pursued them. "Rann, get moving I managed to isolate the vampires, but they're after you and Green-Root. Get moving NOW!"
Green-Root.
Green-Root looked away from the vampires and now focussed fully on Rann. To be honest, he was not impressed by the Dunmer. Rather the contrary.
Rann
Rann saw and 'heard' what was going on, and looked to Green-Root, ignoring his stare of disapproval.
"We just got used as bait to isolate some vampires." he said flatly to Green-Root. "And I thought we were after loot?"
Rann thought of running, but figured he and Green-Root could hold off a few vampires until Ian joined the fight to even the odds. Running seemed a waste of energy when he figured they could kill the vampires with little effort.
Patholos, lost in the field
Patholos was wandering off into the fields around the camp, lost and confused. A feeling of dread swept over him as he couldn't find his way back. The group had talked about and army close by so Patholos didn't want to risk yelling or attracting attention. Patholos couldn't help but feel rejected after Satyana blew him off. Anger boiled in him again, and he drew his dagger. Who does that woman think she is? Patholos asked to a tree. She is kin of the Rann, Patholos thought the tree said. That makes sense, that makes sense, Patholos watched a small bee hover near a flower. I really need to talk to them, he told himself. Patholos sheathed his dagger, the act calming him and settling his mood. He turned to walk back the way he came, towards voices when he felt a telepathic disturbance. The magicka in the air frizzled his hair and his hackles rose. Crouching low to the ground Patholos drew his dagger again and pulled the blade across his palm. The fresh blood on the blade made it glow and Patholos muttered the trigger spell to activate it. He waited for movement...
OOC: Whew! long post, good to be back, Patholos is lost...
Green-Root, seriously bad mood.
Green-Root's head shot back towards the enemy camp.
,,That idiot! What does he want us to do, run?" He hissed extremely angry.
,,Argonians aren't build for running! Gah, I hate this waterless dump!"
He got up slowly and gripped his spear, pointing the silver tip at the incoming group of bloodthirsty vampires.
,,As long as we don't get the rest of the army on our back, we might just come out of this alive. They probably want to use us as food. That means they'll have to come close. Standard technique against a numerically superior foe with no form of long distance attack. You've got my back, I've got yours." He continued, moving so that his back was towards Rann's.
He glanced at the early sunrays.
,,Ha, time is on our side. If we can hold them off long enough, they'll have to retreat."
Flogir, waking up
Flogir rose from his sleeping bag and stretched. The loss of heat from the dying fire had awaken him. Looking around, he made a quick head count. Looking to the sky, he could tell that dawn was quickly arriving, but not quite yet.
"Has Rann and the rest of them gotten back yet?" he asked no one in particular. He had lost track of time during his sleep so he had no clue how long the trio left.
Ian
As the Qaurra came near Rann and Green-Root, Ian skidded to a halt on the rocky ground of the Valus Mountains. He drew and nocked his bow taking aim at the one closest to his comrades. The projectile flew through the air, striking its target in the shoulder.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Quarra stumbled (becoming visible as he slowed). Likewise surprised, only two stopped to check on their clansman. While being no faster than they were, Ian utilized the swiftness of his attack to slam into one of the two that had stopped.
The vampire he'd rammed lost her footing, as she struggled to regain her balance, she came into the still faint rays of the rising sun. By this time the others had reached Rann and Green-Root, and the two he'd passed earlier had recovered from the initial shock of his attack.
Kirana
Approaching the girl, she let her curiosity show. Kirana smiled, "Hail, what would by the name of one so strong and young?"
Kirana
Shaking her hand, she replied. "My powers come from decades of study and experience. You have much potential, Satyana."
While her respect and courtesy were genuine, Kirana's mind was evaluating Satyana. Her powers are great, but not measured. They are still new..... Whether Satyana could control this power, she couldn't say. Power is like fire, when it is not controlled it can consume everything it touches.
Issac
Watching the exchange between Satyana and the robed Altmer, Issac couldn't shake the feeling that this was all very familiar. That he knew this Altmer woman...... it came to him then, Kirana, his adoptive mother.
The surprise only lasted an instant, now what was happening was obvious. It was Kirana who'd taught him about magic, for she enjoyed passing on and learning arcane knowledge. I'll just let them get aquinted, Issac retreated to eat some breakfast.
Green-Root.
,,An hour? I don't know. We are fighting vampires after all!" A vampire lunged at him, arrogantly ignoring whatever threat Green-Root might be. The Argonian braced himself and lunged forward with his spear.
The vampire evaded the blow with a smirk on his face. His hand gripped the spear's shaft and began to push it away. Then the vampire screamed and let go of the spear.
,,Refined silver decoration! Die!" Green-Root screamed and lunged at the vampire again, who dodged the second blow as easily as the first.
,,I've changed my opinion. One hour is definitely too long!"
Flint Ironwood.
The light of the campfire led the way.
,,Ah crap, an Orc! Damn, no help here." He thought once he'd saw the campfire and the being next to it. His first instinct was to flee before he was discovered but something made him wait.
,,I never saw an Orc with glasses before. And.....wait, is he reading a book? An Orcish scholar, what do you know."
Warily, the Breton approached the campfire.
,,Umm, excuse me."
Rann
Rann abandoned the back-to-back idea, as it just didn't seem to fit due to the fact that they weren't surrounded.
Instead, he took up his stance beside Green-Root just as the vampire dodged his spear. He immediately engaged the vampire with a flurry of attacks at close-quarters. The attacks were all easily blocked by the vampire's longsword, but they were meant to leave him open for Green-Root's spear anyway.
His plan was solid in theory, but the second vampire caught up then, ruining it by swinging an axe Green-Root's way before he could do much against Rann's opponent.
Green-Root.
Green-Root had seen the opening and lunged with his spear for the third time. Something flashed in the corner of his eyes and instinctively, he ducked while slowing his spear. Something collided with the horns on top of his head, something heavy and sharp. Both horns were cleanly cut off.
,,That thing is sharp!"
The Argonian had fought against axefighters before and he knew that once committed, not even a vampire could stop his blow. While this second vampire was out of balance, he stepped to his left and stabbed. His spear missed the thing's nose though he did manage to gauge out a large gash in the man's cheek. The silver did its work, charring the flesh around the wound and bringing further pain to the vampire. The pale Quarra fell back, abandoning the battle for now.
Green-Root returned his attention to the first vampire who was still blocking Rann's flurry. He thrust his spear at the vampire's ribcage and hoped it would hit.
Ian
Both vampires came at him with shortblades and daggers. Ian was forced to fight two battles in two directions. His wrist-blades also reinforced his gauntlets, allowing him to block with his arms. Neither Quarra were willing to give up their advantage, and Ian knew he couldn't fight like this.
Ducking low, he loosed a powerful flash of light, both Quarra flinched, possibly mistaking the intense illumnination for sunlight. As his opponents were stunned, Ian knocked the one he'd shot down and run his right blade in between his ribs.
Before he could rise to strike the other, a blade of cold ebony slashed through his back, from his left shoulder to his right hip. Grunting in pain, Ian stood, causing his lifeblood to cover his attacker.
Rendered inert by disbelief, the Quarra was unable to dodge his touch of paralysis. Her muscles went limp, like a puppet without strings, she fell to her knees, then landed on her back. Struggling to stay conscious, Ian pulled out a severe poison of drain fatigue.
The Quarra was unable resist drinking the vial's contents. She fell unconscious moments after Ian did.
Karn
Wandering about the forest for the past hour, Karn was getting very restless. Nothing was being done, nothing was...... He paused, straining to listen for the sound again. There, not far away someone was pushing through the foliage.
Silently, Karn moved closer to the person his crimson eyes finally resting on Serene. "What would you be doing so far from your precious grandchildren?" He asked in a mocking tone while remaining hidden from view.
Edit: looks like we're about to start a new playground..... that didn't take so long.
Rann
Rann kept up the assault, knowing he couldn't last much longer without having to go on the defensive. Fortunately, he didn't have to as Green-Root took a well-aimed jab with his spear.
The vampire had the presence of mind to hack the speartip away, but it still grazed his chest, and it left Rann a good opening. His katana slashed diagonally down, creating an ugly gash on his shoulder.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted both friend and enemy vampires collapse to the ground.
"Ian's help looks to be out of the question," he said through gritted teeth as he blocked a vicious downward chop from his opponent's longsword.
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