Patholos

As if reading Karn's Mind, Patholos said, "Well put brother, I'll have a sums report and stockpile quote here momentarily. As for current matters, we must deal with the renegades, and with Mannimarco. He is still under the presumption that We are followers of Sithis." Patholos gave Karn a toothy grin, and then said, "Sensei, there are matters that might require more of your personal attention however. Emissaries from the Silhouette's army are at our doorstep, and they want the Dark Brotherhoods' help." Patholos handed a small sheet of paper to Karn, which Patholos had recieved during Karn's speech. "And one more thing, I will assume the command of a small section of our skilled soldiers, which I will call Shadow Eaters, and we are heading deep into Silhouette territory to scout. Brother, we make the world turn." Patholos' last remark was somewhat of a new saying he had come up with. "By your leave..."

Mannimarco

A small riddle played on in the King of Worms' mind, ever since he tried to unlock Reman Cyrodill's secrets. It went like thus:

Three small be what you seek,
One bound in blood, the other week,
Complete is the third, astounding all,
If one shall die, the rest shall fall
Hailing the Ages, Three have come
What unlocks one, seals none

Rann

Rann stood and walked to the boulder Ian had been standing on for quite some time. He had noticed him from a ways off, and made his way there.

"Hey, Ia-" he was obviously ignored, as the newly turned vampire disappeared.

"Fine," he said, slowly trotting back, more than a little angry at Ian.

He couldn't have picked a worse time to abandon us.

Rann suddenly regretted his earlier action of relinquishing his leadership role to Ian some time ago; Ian had made a crucial error in his eyes by deciding to go for loot, and an even bigger one in attacking a group of vampires instead. And now Ian was gone and Rann knew he had no chance of regaining whatever leadership role he may have had for a few short minutes. He'd made too many enemies and not enough friends among his own traveling companions.

He returned and stood in the center of their sorry-looking camp.

"Ian's gone," he said flatly, "And I'm tired of delaying this fight with the Silhouette. And since we are but a few small people, I suggest we hit their supplies. And no, we aren't trying to score any goods for ourselves, as Ian wanted," He said the name with a hint of derision, "We'll be destroying. Once the snake's body is weak," he continued, using Ian's analogy, "He won't have as strong a strike when we go for the head."

Issac

Although out of sight from the rest of the group Issac managed to hear Rann's new. The young man reeled as if struck. "Ian just left?" He shut his eyes and shuddered. The man that had brought him up, taught him how to live had just walked out on him and the entire group? How could he abandon us?

He has his reasons. The thought consoled him, but Issac was still stung by what had happened. He opened his eyes again. "Well, we'd better get back to the others, 'Tyana." Despite how convincingly calm he believed he appeared Issac was not at ease in the least.

Kirana

When Rann showed up again and told them that Ian had left, Kirana arched an eyebrow, nothing overt. Sighing, she fought her weakened body to stand up and form coherant words. "Well, we'd better make sure we're ready. What sort of supplies do we have?"

Karn

He looked thoughtfully at the preposed hit list. The leaders of the remaining counties and the unconquered provises? Hmmm...... we'll just have to do something a bout that. "I'll deal with the emmissary personally, we won't appear hostile to the Silhouete just yet. We need time to organize and prepare to end this war."

Karn grinned slightly at Patholos' pun. "Yes, everyone needs our services. Whatever happened to the stories that parents would tell their children that the world was a peaceful and clean place?"

Patholos

"How indeed, my Brother. How indeed." Patholos smiled and bowed out of the conversation. He turned and selected ten of the best agents there at the tree. "You men, you're with me. You no longer have names, You no longer have value, YOU DO NOT CARE IF YOU DIE, DO YOU?" Patholos asked, and the men responded, "WE LIVE OR DIE BY OUR MEANS!" "Correct, you are now the Shadow Eaters, bear your title with honor and dignity. You are separated from the rest of the Narza'Tai, you will be broken, beaten within an inch of your life. You will experience pain unimaginable, yet you will persevere." Patholos walked right up to each one of the Shadow Eators, and although some were taller than Patholos, Patholos seemed taller than any of them. "We ride in one hour, if you are not ready and on your horse, make peace with whatever you worship, for you will exist on Mundus no LONGER! Go!" Patholos watched as the Shadow Eaters left to pack and mount for a trip they know nothing about. This will weed out the weak, Patholos thought. As Patholos looked back, he saw Karn and he smiled. He is more fit for leadership, as long as he is in control of things, we have a future. Patholos smiled again and this time he turned to the exit of the lair. All his gear had been assembled by the Shadow Eaters, and Patholos yelled, "Who's up for spying on some snakes?"

Rann

"We've got weapons," he answered, "And a small amount of food. Being such a small group, though, we should be fine foraging."

Aerona

Aerona spoke up, "I have medicinal ingredients, and should be able to collect more as we travel."

The Silhouette

The Silhouette rode his tiger alongside the tcaesi, giving minor orders and always looking ahead. The Imperial City was some distance away, but he could already taste the victory to be had there.

Many thought he was merely after destruction, but destruction was only a means to get what he needed.

If only they knew...

Green-Root, awake. (Sort off.)

Pain stabbed into his side and threatened to consume what little of conscious thoughts he'd managed to reclaim. He tried to open his eyes. The strain was almost too much.

,,Never knew this hero bussiness would be so painful." He thought and managed a weak chuckle.

It took the better part of several minutes to achieve full consciousness and gather the strength to sit up. He did so and listened to the conversation taking place while clutching his side.

Ian, playing games

Sitting on a tree branch not too far ahead of the Silhouete and its army, Ian mulled over his "plan." In terms of magical arts, he wasn't very special, only remarkable due to his proficiency in illusion techniques. That disipline was honed to an edge that was quite useful in specific situations.

Paralysis, silence, chameleon, and minipulating people's impressions were invaluable most of the time. Ian however was capable of another feat, not as impressive as Karn's multiple carbon copies. But it was still worth a shot, if anything he could buy some time that could be a blessing for someone else.
As the first ranks passed his tree, the Imperial agent tensed. He closed his eyes and found himself quoting a pray to the gods, of all flavors.

The snarls of a giant tiger brought him back to the present. He spotted a figure that was fully obscured by flowing robes sitting upon a tiger. So that is the Silhouete...... It certainly stands out. Taking a final brief of respite, Ian vaulted from his branch and aimed to land a few feet in front of the abomination atop its mount.

Satyana

She nodded at Issac. It was ok if they had to move on, then let it be so. With a faint smile at Kirana she assembled her things and got ready to move. She didn´t see Serene though...maybe she had disappeared after healing Ian....and where had he gone to?

Satyana still felt the strength inside her...she wouldn´t let anything happen to those she cared for!




OOC: I´m away until sunday now....Revie, please drag Satyana along with Issac, will you?

The Silhouette

The Silhouette pulled his tiger to a halt to take in this new appearance. By the looks of the man, he wasn't here to join them in their cause.

"Don't be stupid," he said flatly, dismounting his tiger, "It's a few thousand against one."

He gave two nearby snake men orders in a foreign tongue.

"I'll give you five seconds to reconsider and surrender."

Patholos

Stalking through the woods near the flank of the snake army, Patholos was well aware of the precautions the Silhouette used to keep his flank secure. Patholos cursed, he saw the extreme close-knit snakemen watch all angles. Patholos was about to return to the Sensei empty-handed, when he saw a deer dart across the rearguards field of vision. "Come on, you snake bastardes, come on." The snakes at the rear must not have eaten that day, for they chased after the deer. Patholos ordered his Shadow Eaters to capture the pair, and then return to the Sensei.

After the snakemen had been successfully apprehended, Patholos began to question the snake men, but, nothing he could do or say had any impact on the snakemen. After all, Patholos didn't speak their tongue. Disheartened, but not disappointed, Patholos and the Shadow Eaters rode off to the Vile Lair.

Manninmarco

The King of Worms brooded over the riddle/ryhme that played on in his mind. Silencing the ryhme for a moment, Mannimarco ordered a servant to his side. "Find me any three people that have been born within the half-century that have ties to the Imperial House, however faint." The servant replied, "But my lord, that could take ages, and with the Army of Snake Men, obtaining that information could be very difficult." Mannimarco shot upwards out of the chair he was sitting in, and caught the servant's chin with his hand. Brutally, he snapped the neck of the servant. Then, using his necromantic powers, reanimated the servant. "Obey me." "Yes my Lord."

This post has been edited by Priest of Sithis: Apr 27 2007, 03:18 AM

Ian

For a moment his gaze moved from the blazing purple eyes to over the Silhouete's shoulder where a bunch of men were hauling away a couple of Akaviri snakemen. Under other circumstances Ian would have found this situation funny, but not now.

Before the third second had passed, Ian jumped in front of one of the snakemen and snatched the shield from the tight, but still relaxed grip. Making the best throw he could muster, Ian let the round disc of a shield fly toward the Silhouete.
As soon as the shield's grip left his hands, the agent vaulted and swung both blades with the intent of dicing the Silhouete to pieces. In his mind though Ian knew this was pointless and would accomplish nothing..... for him at least.

Ian hoped his ploy might actually work, it would make things easier for the coming climax. Knowing Rann that wouldn't be too far off.

Karn

With four assassins in tow, Karn marched to the surface through one of the tunnels. As he and his vanguard topped the rise, the emmisaries came into view. A tceasi (sp.) swathed in robes stood amongst the company of several of his kin guards.

Karn didn't bother asking whether it understood Tamrielic or not, being to the point was often the best way maintain a charade. "Hail, Akaviri, I've reviewed the offer you've presented to us for decapitating the leadership of Tamriel."

He didn't dare allow himself to savor the wording of "decapitate" and "leadership" and their veiled meanings. "We have decided to accept the contracts, this agreement will be mutually beneficial to us all...."

Yeah, right. Even as you spoke to my messenger you were infected by the disease he was carrying. A disease that you shouldn't be familiar with, and your body lacking immunity to. And your death upon trying to reach the Silhouete will be a simple allergic reaction to a common Tamrielic disease....... one that we natives have become resistant to in the recent years. Oh and it is quite contagoius...... Beneath the cloths that obscured all but his crimson eyes Karn smirked wickedly, a smirk that the emmissary could neither see nor understand if he could.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Apr 27 2007, 04:00 AM

The Silhouette

The Silhouette didn't hesitate in ducking under the shield and pulling his scimitars to block Ian's swing. They were in a deadlock, each of them with two blades pressing against each other.

The Silhouette, however, had a trick up his sleeve. With a foreign word, his tiger burst into action, pouncing forward to knock Ian away.

A few surrounding snake-men began to close in.

Rann

Rann had spent the last few moments looking inside his small and nearly empty pack. The only thing there was the gold given to him by the Countess. It wasn't much use in the wilderness.

He left it lying there as he walked just outside the treeline. He had hoped that he would have been able to energize and inspire the group to action, but he had apparently not achieved such an effect. Especially when they were all beaten and bruised.

There was some commotion far ahead, and he could see faint flashes of light that he knew to be blades reflecting in the sun. Snake men were closing around two lone figures...

Ian, you stupid bastarde. he thought, as he broke into a run. He didn't tell the group he was leaving, as his sense of urgency overcame his common sense. Many of them were injured anyway, and one couldn't be caught in sunlight.

Ian

He had waited just a little longer than he'd liked. Any longer and the cat would have had him pinned to the ground.

Ian skidded back, stopping several paces from the tiger and its master.
For no obvious reaon, he chuckled, an odd light in his eyes. "Until next time, conquerer."

He pulled a bag off his shoulder and tossed it to the silhouete's feet.
As the bag landed, Ian vanished from sight...... And chaos broke loose.

Snakemen began to scream and panic incoherantly from things that were not there.
Others of their kin looked perplexed, then broke ranks to chase food that didn't exist.

A dozen large sppore pods rolled out of the bag. The pods were releasing pheremones into the air that impaired judgement and fostered hillucinations.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Apr 27 2007, 12:42 PM

Patholos

Patholos rounded the hilltop first, and saw Karn and the emissary discussing at the entrance to the Lair. "Hold men, hold!" Patholos hissed. The prisoners they were carrying started to make a commotion, so they were knocked unconcious. Patholos and his men confered for a second, then they decided to take the snake men through the waterway into the lair. Patholos would ride ahead and talk with the emissary.

As Patholos descended the hill and finally came to a rest next to Karn. "Morning," Patholos said to the ambasador, and Patholos bowed low, according to the doctrine dictated in "Mysterious Akavir," a book Patholos had read in his youth. "I see that we have the same idea for what we have to do with this Empire," Patholos gave his signature toothy grin, and the snakeman asked in broken Tamriellic, "What wrong with eyes?" Patholos turned to Karn, and with a comic face, he pulled off his covering and showed the ambassador exactly what was wrong with his eyes....

Karn

"As you can see ambassador, the Dread Father bares strange gifts."

The snake had its mouth partially ajar, stunned by the sight before him. Karn decided to wrap this matter up. "Tell the Silhouete that we shall push our brethren to behead the Tamrielic leadership."

Later after the snakemen left, Karn turned his attention back to Patholos. "So, what did you find out." Before his second in command could reply, Karn held up a hand. "Wait, I just remembered."

The Dunmer retrieved the yellow amulet from his robes. "I avoided telling you this, but I had another client besides the Silhouete. Someone who wanted the empty throne and rule over Tamriel. This amulet acts as a way to communicate with him."

Issac

He scooped up one of the packs and slung it over his shoulder. "Well, it would seem we're going west for once. At least we might find someone to help us in the Imperial City." Issac said in a tired cheerfulness.

"Maybe get some rest once we get back to civilization." Though he didn't show it, all this constant chasing and fighting was beginning to take its toll on him. I really can't wait to rest, not the rest we've been getting, but real rest. Issac sipped a restore fatigue to help steady himself.

OCC: Only Flint, Kirana, and Green-Root know that the IC has been evacuated.

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Apr 29 2007, 02:19 AM

Flogir

"I apologise for running off like that; bad memories got the best of me," Flogir said regretfully as he sheathed Iceshard and observed the damages surrounding them. Many of them were receieving attention and fortunately it looked like they'd be all right. "That won't happen again," he vowed.

With that, Flogir received word that Ian had abadoned them for no apparent reason and he suddenly noticed Rann run off. He thought he caught distress in the mer's eyes and immediately Flogir followed him, eager to make up for his previous failing.

When he finally reached Rann's side, a shocking sight greeted him. It appeared the Silhouette's army was going mad.

"What caused this?" Flogir asked in amazment.

Ian

A good distance away, he stopped, leaning against a tree for support as he pulled himself together.

The spores had less affect on him, but he felt very light-headed. Minutes went by before his head was clear enough to stumble along an over grown mountain trail.

Even though the nausia had passed, Ian felt somewhat sick to his stomach.

Kirana

Having followed Flogir to Rann, Kirana found herself without an answer to her companion's question.

At least until she smell something faint, but peculiar. "Phermones.... Spores." She whsipered.

After the initial surprise passed, she regained her confidence and explained cryptically. "Just goes to show that flora aren't harmless."

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Apr 29 2007, 11:20 PM

Rann

"Does this spore sh** affect everyone, or just those snake men?" he asked, "I just want to know before I start trying to kill one of you in a frenzy."

He had meant it as a joke at first, but found it to be a pretty valid question anyway.

Patholos

After Karn had just informed Patholos about the amulet, he thought for a moment. A sudden rage boiled inside him, and he asked himself Why did one Brother withhold information from another? Patholos calmed and said to Karn, "That is good news, Sensei. I have one question that I need you to think about. Do not answer now, for the Shadow Eaters and I (OOC: Thirty men and Patholos) ride to Mannimarco's Lair. The question is this, Is this the wisest choice, My Sensei, for if we follow this new persona, will we be no more than puppets with this man pulling the strings?" Patholos mounted his horse, and the rest of the Shadow Eaters did the same. Patholos spurred his horse and rode off towards the cave system that Mannimarco was supposedly at.

Mannimarco

A scout came into the cave complex and Mannimarco had him report. "Good, have the Dark Brotherhood emissary and his escort allowed into my cavern. And find the information I seek."

Kirana

She shrugged and smiled. "Oh, the spore I would have to identify first, but the wind will carry it eastward so we should be fine. Even if there were numerous pods, the agents will desperse soon and no longer be concentrated enough to have any adverse effects."

She added coyly, "And your concern for our safety is touching."

Karn

He watched the retreating forms of Patholos and the Shadow Eaters. Karn gripped the amulet so hard his knuckles popped. I will think on this, make Veric understand we have a position of power that he cannot take from us.....