[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

Meesei scanned the area around them, still finding no hint of life other than fungus, and the warband itself. The sent of Falmer was much weaker atop the citadel than it had been at any other point in the cavern. It was weak enough that it was almost easy to forget they were present at all. "It is difficult to say. It could be danger keeping them away, or something else we are yet to see. Regardless, it looks like there are several buildings to explore, so we should split the warband and clear it all at once. Our numbers will not be as useful in confined spaces anyway."

Once again, the warband split into three gruops, headed by Meesei, Ri'vashi, and Hjergir respectively. Meesei's pack lead her group into the tallest of the structures, which actually seemed to connect to a part of the cavern's ceiling that hung down to meet it. Stepping inside, Meesei prepared herself for an ambush or other dangers, but just as before, they were met with only bones and the constant hum of Dwemer machinery. The first room they entered was particularly badly damaged, with rubble scattered all around the room. It did not look like it was in imminent danger of collapsing, but it would certainly need to be repaired if they intended to settle in the place.

Immediately to the right as they entered, Lorag spotted something which caught his eye. Against the wall, there were two skeletons, one Falmer and one Human .In itself, that was nothing unusual, but it was the way in which they were arranged that he found interesting. "Huh, that's weird. Look at these two; both dead against the same wall, with a lot of shattered bones. Looks like the Falmer had the back of its head caved in, and the ribs of the Human are really shattered. I'd say something smashed the both of them against the wall hard enough to cause the majority of the damage. 'Course, that would mean they were both attacked by the same thing." He observed.

[Muttonhawk]

Meesei's orders to spread out and check the buildings was sensible, given her reasoning. Nevertheless, the security of their large group was protecting against the anxiety that many soon felt by them being dispersed. There was still no knowing what exactly the nature of this place was.

The next building had little in the way of telegraphing what was inside, save for perhaps a large staircase or lift upwards. Meesei's pack followed in with renewed vigilance.

The mystery only deepened. Lorag's observation suggested that the bodies they were finding were indeed not the result of a battle.

"It had to be big, whatever it was, or ungodly strong," Fendros said. "If it just crushed their bones like that. Doesn't look like they were eaten either, seeing as their bones aren't spread around. Whatever did this is not likely to be some wild beast."

"I do not like this." Sabine's small voice echoed all of their minds.

[EliteCommander]

"Could be automatons." Ahnasha reasoned. "Physically, they are powerful, and they obviously wouldn't eat the bodies. They could deliver these sorts of wounds, especially a centurion. Though, this particular room would be pretty tight for one of those to maneuver around with all this rubble."

Meesei nodded. "It is a strong possibility. We have not yet seen any evidence of automatons active in this citadel, but that does not mean they are not present. I do not know why there would be men, mer, and Falmer all present to fight against them, but it would be consistent with what we have observed. Although, these skeletons are all years old, at least. It is also possible that whatever killed them has long since moved on. Still, be on your guard."

Exploring the first chamber, Meesei's group found several rooms branching off from the main chamber which, based on the ancient stone beds, were bedrooms. They had obviously been used for that purpose since they were built by the Dwemer, but they also seemed to have more recent tenents. There was rotten food on the tables, along with more modern bags and other items. Again, all of the skeletons they found were Human or Elven, instead of Falmer.

There was certainly a mystery as to what happened in the ruins, particularly since one of the Human skeletons they found was killed by an arrow not of Falmer make, but it was a mystery for later. Since each of the side rooms were dead ends, the group continued on up the stairway and came across another lift. Just as before, Meesei's pack was the first to test it, and as she had guessed, it was a much shorter lift that carried them up to the high platform they had seen from below when entering the ruin.

Stepping out onto the platform, even Meesei could not help but to be impressed with the sight before them. They were slightly above the glowing orb hanging above the citadel, so they had an excellent view across a large portion of the cavern. It was like a forest of glowing mushrooms separating grand and ancient Dwemer structures. She could even see, ever so faintly in the distance, the entrance they had used to enter the cavern. Although, there also appeared to be other potential entrances, some even closer to the citadel.

On the platform, there was a single stone throne overlooking the ruin beneath them, which Meesei leaned herself against. "This place somehow seems even larger than before from up here. I cannot pretend it would be easy for us to settle here, but...it is probably the most defensible home I could imagine. I doubt there are many people in Tamriel, if any, that even know of this place. If there were, there would be scholars coming from all corners of Tamriel to study it. There is no telling what we could learn from it, what resources we could find. Provided there are no dangers lurking within, this citadel would be a secure enough position, and the Falmer seem to avoid it. If we can secure the closest exit, we can begin bringing in people and supplies to further fortify it. This could be our safe haven, though I have no doubt it will be a long process to make it so." Meesei commented to the others.

[Muttonhawk]

The pack took in the view with Meesei. Seeing everything laid out before them offered the first true impression that they might make a new life here. Some things had not changed; the danger of Vile's cultists and their weapons, the Falmer, the automatons, not to mention whatever had dispatched the previous residents. For now, though, there was more hope.

"If this place is safe, it's the safest place we could possibly be," Fendros thought out loud.

Sabine began glancing over to the throne. Eventually, she stepped up to study it, and then reluctantly sat down upon it. It was too cold and hard to be comfortable, but it was perfectly placed to take in the view of the cavern. She was quiet while she looked from the vast ceiling to the glowing buildings below.

A hint of Janius' human form came through as he let out a low chuckle from his long mouth. "Are you queen of the cavern...Sabine?"

Sabine's eyes snapped wider and she shot her surprised face to Janius. "No, I..." Sabine's cheeks went slightly red. "It is just...this is going to be our home. Maybe." She looked back at the view and trailed off.

After a pause, Fendros nodded his head backwards. "We should probably keep going. It's not home until its safe." This probably wasn't the time and place to tease Sabine when there were so many unexplained skeletons around.

[EliteCommander]

With the size of the warband, it did not take long to clear the citadel; not that there was actually anything to clear. Even after a thorough search, no hint of danger was found within, just long-dead skeletons. Meesei and Ri’vashi both agreed to focus their remaining efforts on their expedition to securing the path from the citadel to Raldbthar, then returning to the surface.

In the two months that followed, what was formerly the Bruma clan was quite busy relocating themselves. Before the non-combatants could be settled in, they had to ensure that their new home would be completely safe for day-to-day life. The Bruma, Riften, and even Solitude clans lent warriors to the cause. Raldbthar was easy enough to clear of any remaining trace of Falmer or Chaurus, though the occasional Dwemer spider or sphere would still appear from time-to-time from the walls. The cavern below was more difficult, as there was quite a distance between the Raldbthar entrance and the citadel they had discovered. Ri’vashi eventually settled on a large-scale hunt of the area surrounding the pathway, followed by regular patrols across all sections of the path. It required a constant, dedicated effort on the part of their warriors, but Falmer attacks became small scale and infrequent. Meesei had most of the skeletons removed, apart from that of the dragon. She was not interested in claiming a trophy from a creature she had not killed, so she had its bones, and some scales they found partially covered in dirt beneath it, taken to a storage room in the citadel that she deemed sufficiently secure. Dragon bones were rare and valuable, so she was sure they would find a use for them eventually.

At the same time as they were clearing the cavern, Meesei sent word to clans across Tamriel, in somewhat covert terms, to send their Dwemer and Falmer scholars to them. It was not a mandatory order, but the nature of their discovery meant that there were many who were more than willing to undertake the journey to Skyrim. And, of course, there were scholars nearby, among the Riften and Solitude clans, who were eager to explore the ruins. There were even trusted, non-lycan scholars that were allowed to live among them. Some discoveries were made fairly quickly, once the scholars had the chance to translate some of the Dwemer inscriptions and written materials they had found. The cavern itself, Fal Zhardum Din, was often simply called Blackreach by the Dwemer, and the citadel they had discovered was known as the Silent City. Alchemists and enchanters also performed tests on some of the unique resources in Blackreach. Despite hopes to the contrary, the glowing mushrooms that filled the cavern were found to be inedible. In fact, they were a largely poisonous fungus that could cause blindness if ingested over time. However, they still had some useful alchemical properties, and were certainly abundant. There was also a curious, crimson red variation of nirnroot growing throughout Blackreach. While nirnroot was somewhat rare in Tamriel, this crimson nirnroot was actually fairly common throughout the cavern, and it was exceptionally useful for creating particular potions and poisons. As such, a group of alchemists set out to see if they could find a way to cultivate the root reliably. Since it grew naturally in Blackreach, it would be somewhat easier than trying to grow nirnroot on the surface.

Eventually, the clan was once again able to settle down into a routine, and with more members than before. There was some disagreement on whether they should refer to themselves as the “Blackreach clan” or the “Silent City clan,” but the fears of relocating had largely worn off. Saras in particular seemed to like the idea of expanding their reach in the new location. The scholars had determined that there were many entrances and exits to Blackreach across a large section of Skyrim, so if they could secure them, he reasoned that it would make it easier for them to maneuver in the province. Any sort of expansion would take a dedicated effort, but from what Meesei had been told, several of their other problems now had potential solutions.

It was early in the morning, or at least, Meesei assumed it to be. Her duties had kept her underground for the better part of a month, so she simply had to assume that her sleep cycle at least somewhat lined up with the day and night cycle on the surface. There were, of course, members of the clan who left the cavern regularly, particularly those who dealt with their supply runs. Although, Meesei had recently been informed that week that the light from the Silent City’s “sun” could actually sustain plant growth. They had already planned to receive a shipment of seed from the Riften clan to begin their own, underground farms. Saras was currently in the city, though he was currently dealing with an issue regarding his supply shipments, so he would not be able to attend the meeting that Meesei had planned. Evidently, the efforts of several scholars, alchemists, and other members of the clan, had finally bore fruit, so she and Ri’vashi would be meeting with the scholars, and the clan’s leadership, to decide how their findings would impact their future plans. Meesei had told her pack that they could attend if they wished, though they did not necessarily need to.

The clan had dedicated a room inside the Silent City’s debate hall to be their new meeting room. It had a large enough rectangular stone table to accommodate quite a few people, and they had provided wool and fur cushions to deal with the uncomfortable stone chairs. Meesei was among the first to arrive, so she had time to collect her thoughts.

[Muttonhawk]

The months following the discovery of the Silent City had Meesei's pack feel like they were moving into the Bruma clan's old clanhome all over again. New routines were set, new locations were there to navigate, new rules, a new atmosphere, and plenty of new people. Veahiliec, the Ayleid city that was the previous clanhome, was large, though it was still cramped and labyrinthine enough that it was more of a lair. The Silent City, with its tall ceiling, separate buildings, streets, and walkways, felt like an actual town. For those that had grown up in cities and towns, it was surreal and nostalgic after a while. For those that had never lived in a town, it was completely new.

Janius resumed his position with the militia with a full timetable. There were always more expeditions to protect or areas to patrol. It was a mild comfort that they wouldn't have to worry about legion patrols, but that didn't quite outweigh the danger of the Falmer's poison. It was painful and had the potential to incapacitate them with a scratch. He was thankful that they kept to themselves after the clan asserted dominance of the area.

Between helping the resettling of the clan and watching over the children, Fendros discussed the details of the marriage with Ahnasha over the letters they shared with Llarasa. They all had different ideas of what exactly they wanted to do, probably because neither of them knew exactly what they wanted to do. Each time, the only thing they could agree on was to go to Cheydinhal to try and marry under the reclamations. That much always caused Fendros more anxiety than he would have liked, as it involved visiting his family. The hope of making amends with them, or at least showing them his new life rather than hiding, was something he rationally wanted to do. He only feared what their reaction would be. When they wrote to Llarasa mentioning that they would be visiting eventually, even Llarasa was dubious about admitting things to the family, though she was verbally thrilled, not only to see them again, but to also be at their marriage.

Meanwhile, Sabine's life did not slow down for a second. As before, she was working feverishly with the other alchemists find a countermeasure for the soul tearing gas. If this didn't take up enough of her time, she found input with the research into the enchantments in the city, such as the automatons and the great glowing ball that lit the place and grew the crops. Just as she had predicted, the soul gem clusters throughout the cavern gave her more resources for enchantment than she knew what to do with. Project after project piled up on her list, and she loved it all. However, while living this life, her social interactions had decreased. She tried to find time to spend with Peiter and her friends where she could, though these ended up being infrequent gatherings. Peiter was somewhat busy as well, with his new magical tutelage, though it was getting clear that the pain of not being in each other's presence was beginning to fade.

As for Gallus' pack, things were in various states of highs and lows. The months of relative stability, routine, and activity were what they all needed to properly heal from their experiences in Elsweyr. Uthri was back to her jolly, outspoken self, but remained motherly to the boys where they needed support. Tzirret in particular was struck by bouts of emotion when enough time went by without receiving a letter from Ma'tanza, but even he was improving. He managed to strike up friendships with some other boys and girls that he had to share manual labour with. It turned out that a few of them were hobby artists like him. He still found it tiring to socialise for too long, though socialising at all was showing a profound improvement in his health.

Gallus himself had a bumpy ride during the resettlement. His decision in the end with his flairs Persephone and Olivia was to avoid them. This did not end well. One night, when he rejoined his pack for dinner, he had visibly bruises around his left eye and his right cheek. He didn't say a word to explain it, but they knew that Persephone and Olivia were right and left handed, respectively. The rumour mill filled in the gaps, revealing that both had worked out what was going on. This meant, unfortunately for Gallus, that he was back to his womanising ways. It was not as egregious as before, perhaps because he was now being reined in by his new friends, Ri'vashi and Meesei. Nevertheless, his contributions to the clan were tireless and outweighed his infrequent social indiscretions. Not least of his contributions was being there to take care of Tzirret and Peiter more actively. He may not have been the best role model, but with the issues they were both dealing with, he was there as a safety net for them both. A safety net they both had use for over the months.

The only major disturbance that affected everyone over the three months was the death of Najirra. Two months into the resettlement, his body began to slow down and he could see his death coming. From his bedroll, his daughters took care of him and he summoned some of his old charges to speak with them. Counted amongst them were Fendros and Ahnasha, to which he said that they had overcome a great challenge with their problems and they should never doubt their ability to overcome more. Indeed, it had been six months since Fendros had required a dose of Sabine's dreaming medicine. The exercises they had been taught had not vanquished the Black Marsh episode from their minds, but at least their lives were closer to normal. Najirra's heart stopped four days later and the entire clan was present at his cremation. His daughters, Vharei and Saraya, took up his mantle to heal the minds of those in the clan that needed help.

And now, three months in, the clan was more or less rooted into their new home. The regular meetings of the clan leadership were almost indistinguishable from how they were when they were the Bruma clan. The next to join Meesei in the meeting room was the clan leader, Vera. She walked in with a number of scrolls under one arm and gave Meesei a nod as she walked in. "Good day, Meesei." She found her seat and spread the scrolls in front of herself. "Three months. I never thought we would be where we are when we left. It's still a mystery as to what happened with the previous owners, my wager is still on followers of Mora clearing the place. It makes it rather uneasy, but at least we're safe from other things." Vera looked up from her scrolls and smiled, "And the last full moons were the first where I didn't worry about our clan getting found. There is so much space down here that releasing some livestock into the caves gives us something closer to a controlled hunt than I ever could have fathomed."

Interrupting the conversation was Oswall pushing through the double doors with Gallus. "Good morning!" he announced.

"Champion, leader," Gallus greeted with a half smile. "I spotted the others approaching. They should be here in less than a minute."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei, though she was somewhat tired, reflected Vera’s good mood. There was a great deal she could be worrying about, but it was occasionally helpful to remember that there were positive developments she could focus on. “Indeed. And if we are ever short of livestock, there is always the Falmer and their Chaurus. Dangerous prey, but if we arrange a steady supply of ingredients for poison resistance potions, our warriors could organize hunts to sate their hunger, and thin the Falmer’s numbers. Although, I am beginning to question whether it would actually be a good idea to eliminate them entirely. They are a reliable source of meat and souls, and they keep intruders away from the Blackreach entrances we do not yet control. They seem to avoid the Silent City out of superstition, likely because of whatever wiped them out before. If they did not occasionally attack us, I would not mind them as neighbors.”

After Oswall and Gallus arrived, it was not long before most of the others followed suit. Vera’s lieutenants were, of course, present as usual, but there were also several scholars, alchemists, and a curious Bosmer who had specifically asked to attend. Members of Meesei’s pack, like Lorag, were also in attendance, though he had nothing to do but observe. The Dwemer scholars had brought a stack of parchments as tall as a child, as well as a rather large crate. The others, like Marcaille, had a more tame collection of research notes, but it was clear they would have quite a lot to cover.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Meesei started off the meeting. “It seems we have quite a lot to cover today, so I shall begin directly. We do have some administrative matters to discuss. For instance, Saras has reported that he has nearly established secure communication routes between us and the rest of Tamriel’s clans, so we should be able to resume regular communication soon. However, I believe the first matter we should address is the results of our many research projects so far, as, from what I understand, they could all have a large impact on the short and long term course of this clan. To start, I will give the progress of a project myself and Darahil have been closely involved with.”

Reaching into the bag beside her chair, Meesei produced a broken shard of a disk or crest, made from a glowing blue material and etched with obviously Dwemer markings, and slid it onto the table between them all. “As most of you know, we discovered this unusual shard in Raldbthar shortly after we arrived. Now that we have had a chance to study it, we have found that it is even more unusual than it appears on the surface. It seems to be near indestructible, and as Marcaille has confirmed, entirely alchemically inert. There is a great deal of magical power locked within, but we have found no way to tap into it. There is no way to forge it, or otherwise work with it. But, we have learned more about it. Based on translations our scholars have made in Raldbthar and the Silent City, and other writings we have gathered from elsewhere in Skyrim, we have determined that this shard is made from a material known to the Dwemer as Aetherium.”

Meesei paused a moment to collect a few of her notes in front of her. “Evidently, the dwemer learned how to mine and forge with this Aetherium. They described it as being immensely powerful, and considering that this is the race which build a machine god from the heart of Lorkhan himself, that is not a description I take lightly. Considering its name, it could be related to Aetherial fragments, the rare and powerful materials from which the Ayleids created many of their magical constructs, like welkynd and varla stones. However, we have only just begun that avenue of research. What we do know is that several of Skyrim’s Dwemer cities played different roles in the production and refinement of Aetherium. Raldbthar just happened to be the city that mined this Aetherium; Blackreach was the primary source of this material. From what we have learned, some of the glowing blue crystals we have found in this cavern are pure Aetherium. However, despite its power, we still cannot work with it. The Dwemer built a special forge specifically to work with Aetherium, but we have not been able to locate it. All we can say is that it is not in Blackreach, or any of the ruins connected to it. It is possible that, if we explore some of the other Dwemer cities involved in Aetherium production, we could perhaps locate this forge.”

[Muttonhawk]

The meeting was joined by most members of Meesei's pack. Sabine was specifically there as a part of the research teams, but Fendros and Ahnasha had joined proceedings to see what was to be presented. Ahnasha had been following the research into the local resources in case they would help her own projects and Fendros just wanted to keep up with the clan decisions. Janius was absent as he was minding the children today.

After the explanation, Oswall reluctantly leaned across the table and took up the shard in one hand. His face twisted as he turned the shard and scrutinised its surface. "So what we have is a material that contains magical power, cannot be destroyed..."

"As far as we have been able to test, Oswall," Darahil clarified.

"Yes, yes, indestructible," Oswall continued. "And there is no way to shape it or get at its power without one of these forges?" Oswall's eyes peered up from the shard to Meesei. "I have a few questions. Is there any indication of where to find the ruins that have these forges? Do we know how to work them, or what they are even capable of?"

Again, Darahil spoke over his habitual crossed arms. "It may help if we, as a council, decide what applications of this Aetherium would be most important to our clan. Knowing what we are looking for would help in making decisions of risk, as well as provide an objective for our scholars."

Vera picked this time to speak up. "That was what I was about to ask, actually. I mean, it's obvious that an indestructible material could be used for anything, from weapons, to tools, to building materials, to...anything. If I'm honest, this could benefit all of Tamriel, not just us lycans. If we weren't in this war and in hiding from civilisation, such a thing could be for the good of every nation on the continent." Vera exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes. "That said, we need to come first, especially with how swiftly we need to bring the war to a close. But, back to the matter at hand..." Vera turned to look at Meesei. "This magical power you mentioned. What else do we know about it? Do we know what it could be used for?"

[EliteCommander]

Once everyone who was interested had seen the Aetherium shard, she took it once more and held it up in front of her. “I believe I should clarify that Aetherium, as the Dwarves used it, may not necessarily have been indestructible. We have not found a way to break this crest, or Aetherium in its raw form, but it may not be as durable once forged. None of the Dwemer sources seem to refer to it as being indestructible. It does, however, hold a great deal of power. Unfortunately, we do not know what that power might be. The sources we have are not specific, though if it originates from Aetherius, as the name suggests, then it may hold power outside the bounds of normal magic. But, with the number of unknowns, I would not recommend making this a priority. We do not know if this Aetherium forge is even still intact, and if it is damaged, we are unlikely to be able to repair it. It is certainly an avenue of research I would like to pursue in the future, but for now, I believe some of the others have more tangible discoveries. Brenann, you have something for us?”

Standing alongside the table, the short Breton man practically jumped when he heard his name. He was one of the scholars of the Dwemer that had accepted Meeseir’s request to join the Blackreach clan. He wore a loose brown robe, despite the fact that the still-active Dwemer machinery made the air in the Silent City somewhat warm. Interestingly, he was not actually a lycan, but rather, his sister was a lycan in one of the Hamerfell clans, which happened to also use a smaller Dwemer ruin as its clanhome. Given that he had lived peacefully among the clan for the past ten years, he was deemed to be trustworthy. He swallowed nervously, and held up a parchment of notes in front of himself. “Oh, yes, of course…Champion. Um…let’s see…”

Looking through his notes, Brenann took a deep breath before beginning to read directly from them. It was quite obvious that he was uncomfortable being the center of attention. “As you all know, um, probably. Probably know…we have been working on restoring function to the Silent City’s ancient machinery. Dwemer machines are incredibly complex, and even the…brightest of today’s scholars cannot understand their more complex creations. But, we do have enough understanding to at least maintain…some of the machines. One of these is the pumping station. Now that the rubble has been cleared, we were able to repair some of the more important pipes and get steam power flowing through the system once more. As of yesterday, the Silent City once more has water flowing through it, and at least half of the fountains are functional again. We hope to find the blockages to the rest of the fountains and have them repaired in the next few weeks. We have also been studying the lifts, and finally found the mechanisms to lower or raise them without needing to pull the lever on the lift itself. So, we won’t need to assign anyone to lift duty anymore. We also believe we have enough of an understanding of their mechanisms to repair them if they happen to break, but with how long they have survived so far, we believe that is unlikely. But, our must exciting discovery so far has been…” He began, turning briefly towards the crate beside him before nudging one of the much taller Nords that had helped carry it in. “Ulfar…open the thing.” He whispered.

The Nord pried off the side of the crate, then rolled out a seemingly inactive, but undamaged Dwemer sphere from within. “We have discovered that Raldbthar’s animunculory is still active, and has been building new automatons as the old ones are destroyed. We believe it was set to maintain a certain number of the machines at all times. It is why we still ran into them occasionally in Raldbthar, even after we cleared the ruin. We have shut down steam power to it, so it is no longer producing automatons, but we have also been studying it non-stop. It is…complex beyond anything I, or any of the other Dwemer scholars, have ever seen. We have been selectively powering parts of it for our experiments, and we managed to produce this.” He explained, motioning to the automaton beside him. After a brief pause, he delivered a light kick to the side of the sphere, which prompted it to suddenly come to “life” and deploy itself into its more humanoid form. Although, unlike other machines of its kind the clan had encountered in the past, it did nothing more than roll back and forth in place.

Even Meesei was visibly impressed with the machine. She clasped her hands together and leaned forward onto the table. “So you have managed to take control of the animunculory and produce a full automaton of your own; I will say that is certainly more than I expected. Does it follow your commands?”

“Um…no.” Brenann answered in an almost embarrassed voice. “It…doesn’t really listen to us at all. Or do much of anything other than pack and unpack itself into a sphere. But, it also isn’t hostile, which shows we can successfully modify their behavior. I think the problem with this one is that it doesn’t have a…mind, so to speak. No one understands exactly how automatons function, but there is something within them that controls their decision making. Some scholars believe that the soul gems found inside each of them are what serve as their center of thought, and I am inclined to agree. The soul gem in this automaton is empty, and it does not do anything beyond basic reactions to simple stimuli. What we do not yet know is how to ensure that an automaton we produce with a filled soul gem would actually be allied to us. That will require much more research.”

[Muttonhawk]

There were no objections to moving on to the next project. The aetherium was interesting, but without a guarantee that they might be able to use it, it was not worth assigning immediate worry to it.

The Dwemer sphere that Brenann awoke caused more than a few of the councillors present to grab at their weapons on reflex. They were calmed by the sphere's lack of further action within a moment, especially when Brenann explained that it was essentially brainless.

Reactions that followed were varied. Sabine had her eyes glued to the automaton, blank faced and wide eyed in fascination. Some were quite for similar reasons, others brought their fingers up to their lips in concern.

Vera placed her palms on the table in front of her and shook her head, bewildered. "And we have an artefact that can create Dwemer creatures, that is amazing enough by itself. The prospect of stopping the artefact to secure the ruins is also a nice one. I commend you and your colleagues, Brenann."

"I think the same thing," Gallus spoke up. "Those automatons are tough. Not having to deal with them -- or even possibly having some on our side -- would make the patrols a lot safer."

Advocating for a critical view as usual, Darahil spoke. "Unlocking the secrets the Dwemer left behind is indeed beneficial, though I would not hasten to prevent all of the ruins from producing automatons." He turned from Gallus to Vera and Meesei. "Though they may be hostile towards us, it remains that they are a deterrent to intruders and keep the falmer contained. We should ensure that we can regularly set watches and patrols in any part of the ruins where there will no longer be automatons until such time as we can better influence them to ignore us."

[EliteCommander]

"Yes, of course." Brenann answered quickly, nodding to Darahil. "We can activate or deactivate the animonculory at will. We don't know if any of the other ruins connected to Blackreach have active animonculory, as we have only been able to study Raldbthar. I know the entrance to Alftand is to the northeast of the Silent City, and I have translated references to the city of Mzinchaleft as well. If those ruins are secured, we may be able to tell you more."

"This one believes her scouts have found the entrances of the ruins you speak of as they mapped Blackreach, but this one has not sent any force into the ruins themselves. The one to the northeast, Alftand, is likely home to more Falmer, according to the reports. However, if it would be useful to us, this one could organize a warband to clear the ruins, but that would also mean having to guard new pathways between the Silent City and these ruins. The more locations we secure in this cavern, the more spread thin our warriors become." Ri'vashi explained.

Given the progress made so far, Meesei was cautiously optimistic about what their scholars might achieve. "If it becomes necessary, I can call for more warriors to join us from other clans, but there may be another option. Our scouts have noticed that the Falmer tend to avoid the automatons by habit, or perhaps superstition. If the ruins are still producing the machines, it makes sense. If we could learn to command the automatons ourselves, assign them to patrol the paths between the entrances and the Silent City, then that would relieve us of most of our problems with manpower. Automatons do not require food, or sleep, and do not become bored. I am sure there is something needed to power them, but with how long they have remained active, we can likely keep them working for much longer at once than a person. Unless any other projects are more appealing, I recommend putting the Aetherium project on hold and focusing our resources on learning how to control the automatons."

[Muttonhawk]

"More than patrols! These automatons are soldiers!" Oswall added, "They cannot be hurt by most of the weapons that Vile uses, including the gases made for us." He thumped a fist on the table. "This will not be something they would expect, we would retake the upper hand with such creatures!"

"Do not get too excited, Oswall," Vera said as she lifted a finger. "There's no knowing how long it will even take to make these things safe, let alone fight for us out of the ruins." She then addressed Meesei. "I am inclined to agree with focussing on this project, but as Ri'vashi warns, we should not spread too thin. If we can, we should only take these ruins one at a time. If the research teams must relocate to another ruin, we ought to leave the previous one producing automatons until we have need of it again. Unless, of course, we need to keep that ruin as a safe thoroughfare for the rest of the clan." She took a deep breath through her nose and weaved her fingers together. "As for diverting from the aetherium to this...I feel as though the aetherium has great potential, but the automatons are likely to grant us something tangible and helpful in a shorter amount of time. Time is something we do not have the luxury to squander." Her eyes peered to each lieutenant in attendance. "Are there any objections?"

---

Janius sat on the brassy bench that overlooked the playing children. In one of the clearer squares of the silent city, one of the carpenters had constructed some small skeletal wooden structures and secured them to the floor for the children of the clan to play games in. Mostly, they tended to use their imagination to envision sailing a ship or being on a cart being attacked by bandits. Now, however, they were simply playing tag. Rhazii was dominating the game, courtesy of his height, while Newt was sitting at the highest point of the structures, watching proceedings. Apart from the occasional fall or accidental knock, it was a safe enough play environment. They all loved the playground. Janius wished he had been lucky enough as a child to have such a thing. Although, seeing the scene brought his memories back to his old home in Bravil. He was reminded that he had many things in his upbringing that others didn't have.

Nearby, Janius spotted Saras walking up a nearby street. Janius smiled and narrowed his eyes, before calling him over. He cupped one hand to his mouth. "Saras! You still owe me an ale for shielding you on the last patrol!" Janius then pointed a thumb behind him, in the general direction of the nearby storage room. "Grab me a mug now and we'll be even. Come, share one with me."

[EliteCommander]

For a few moments, there was silence as everyone looked around for any objections, but there were none to be had. While each lieutenant no doubt had their own opinions, none of them were closely-held enough to argue against the decision. After a few seconds, Meesei spoke up once more. "Unless another option presents itself, I believe we stand to gain the most from studying the animonculory. Of course, I do not believe we should dedicate any forces to clearing the other ruins until we know for certain that we can control the automatons. If we can, then we will simply be able to use them to hold any territory we capture in Blackreach or the adjacent ruins. As for turning them into soldiers...what are your thoughts, Brenann? Assuming we can control them, would it be possible?"

"Oh..." Brenann began, again startled by hearing his name. "Well, that was the purpose the Dwemer used them for, but...even they could not fight battles solely with their machines. They used them as supplementary forces to their armies. The automatons are not intelligent like we are, and cannot carry out complex strategies on their own. They can be likened to war beasts; they require handlers to give them instructions. I am no military strategies, but I think they would certainly help. It is just...you may need to be careful where and when you use them. The animonculory was operating in a sort of low power state before, but even if we gave it full steam power, time has taken its toll on the machinery. And it is...complicated machinery. There is no one left alive on Nirn who understands it. I doubt I could understand it entirely even if I studied it for an Elven lifetime. We can make some repairs, but our best efforts will probably only get it to produce at only about...forty percent capacity? Maybe forty-five? With enough time, we could still produce quite a few automatons, and we could greatly improve that if we find another animonculory. It is just that we might not be able to replace them exceptionally quickly."

"I see." Meesei responded. "Still, even with those limitations, I expect we could make great use of them. Not to mention the knowledge we may gain in the process. If no other project offers more, I will join personally. Speaking of, I believe we have another proposal." She said, turning her gaze to the far end of the room towards the Bosmer who had asked to join the meeting. Only those who worked closely with the scouts would likely even recognize his face. "Forgive me, but I do not know your name. You are one of our scouts, correct?"

"Yes ma'am...Champion." He answered, stepping closer to the lieutenants. "My name is Peralain. I am originally from Valenwood, but I fled all the way to Skyrim to escape the Thalmor. I was a member of the Riften clan, until recently. I was part of the first warband into Blackreach, and after living here the last few months...I have had an idea for a project. It is nothing that would take away any resources from anything else, or...any other project at least. I wouldn't need any scholars, I just need permission. You see, my family were beast tamers; it was our trade for centuries. There are very few creatures in Tamriel that cannot be trained. When we cleared this place, I saw that the Falmer had...also tamed a creature. The Chaurus. And, well, I believe I could tame them too."

Peralain's suggestion naturally caused quite a few varied and immediate reactions. One of the lieutenants, Tola, audibly scoffed. "You want to tame those giant insect monstrosities?"

Peralain held out his hands in front of him. "I know, they are quite frankly terrifying. But they're already tame; the Falmer have already done all the hard work for us. Subservience is already conditioned into each generation. We just have to take some of the eggs and train up the larvae to see us as their masters. As disgusting as they are, the Falmer build pretty much everything out of their chitin, and they are strong allies in a fight. And, we already know they can easily live down here in Blackreach."

---

Saras was both surprised and somewhat uncomfortable at being stopped by Janius. He was generally a reserved and serious individual, and while he was not unemotional by any means, he tended to conduct himself professionally at all times. His clan was well-aware of his personality, but he supposed that Janius was not a part of his clan. And seeing as he was a member of the Champion's pack, he was not someone that he was going to ignore. Besides which, he had just finished the duties he had been tending to.

"Um...I suppose I do have some time." Saras answered in a neutral tone. "Aside from ale, is there something specific you want to talk about?"

[Muttonhawk]

Vera breathed in to speak, but held her breath to think about how to respond. The others paused to allow her to start until she leaned back in her seat and pinched her lip between her fingers in contemplation.

"I fought those creatures, their shells would be useful, as well as their use as beasts of burden or battle. However, am not so convinced either," Oswall began to answer, this time with more consideration than before. "Those chaurus drooled and spat that poisonous acid everywhere on the battlefield. Some warriors are still disfigured from the scarring." Oswall lowered his tone, "I do not doubt your skills in taming beasts, Perelain, but if that muck they spit gets in our water or someone's eyes, it may be simply too dangerous to house them."

It was at this point that Vera contributed. "I'm inclined to agree, though we don't have to allow it to be dangerous just yet." She glanced to all present again. "There are some structures displaced from the Silent City that could be used to pen these creatures away from where they could do harm. Doing that would at least allow us to answer most of the unknowns; we need to find out about the temperament of these creatures, how exactly they behave, how to care for them properly." Vera offered a hand. "What they eat, how they breed. All of this would need to be done outside of where we live before we try to tame too many of them."

Oswall nodded. "If it does not put anyone at risk, I can agree to it, certainly."

"Perelain." Vera looked to the Bosmer with optimism in her eyes. "If you selected a pen to contain and study chaurus, do you think you could find out more about them and report back to us? Without putting yourself or the clan at any...incidental risk?"

---

Janius cracked a half-grin. "Come now, you're not in trouble," he answered. "It'd just be nice to share some company, that's all. Drinking alone is nigh on a sin!" He dipped his head and threw another beckoning wave. "Fetch mugs, take a seat, I insist."

[EliteCommander]

Perelain looked to Vera with a distinct confidence in his expression. "I know beasts. No matter where they come from, they act in the same ways. There is always a danger when taming predators or other large creatures, but I have done it countless times. If I have a place to raise them, and learn about them, I know I can do it without any special danger. If these savage Falmer can raise and maintain their chaurus, then I know we can do it too."

Since none of the other lieutenants had disagreed with Vera, Meesei gave her input. "Then I recommend searching around for volunteers to help you with this. We can assign a few warriors to keep you reasonably safe outside the city, but I would rather that everyone involved with the project be aware of and accept the risk. And of course, if there is a risk, I expect you will be the one taking it."

"Yes ma'am. I have a few people in mind. I will not let the clan down." Perelain answered before taking his seat.

Since there were no other major projects that would require the attention of the scholars, it seemed like they would be devoting their resources to the animonculory. However, there were still other matters to discuss for this meeting, chief among which was the issue that had been at the back of their minds for months. "For the next issue...Marcaille, do you have any news to report on the soul-tearing gas?" Meesei asked.

Letting out a sigh, Marcaille placed her notes on the table so Vera and her lieutenants could pass them between one another. "We have learned about the gas, but not nearly enough. My notes describe exactly what will cause it to transition from liquid to a gas, exactly how fast it spreads and how long it takes to dissipate. I have estimates on how long it takes to kill and the minimum fatal dose, but we're not any closer to finding an antidote. Determining the ingredients used to make any potion or poison is very difficult by itself, and this one is particularly stubborn. But, I'm almost positive that some, or maybe even all, of its ingredients come from Oblivion itself. The way it reacts to different conditions is very...otherworldly. The only ingredient I can say it contains with any level of confidence is probably spiddal stick. It's one of the few ingredients that can cause that liquid-to-gas effect that the soul-tearing poison has. Glow dust and ectoplasm can also do it, but it's harder to get those on a large scale. Unfortunately, knowing that hasn't helped. Anything that we could normally do to stop it from turning to a gas doesn't seem to work. It also doesn't help that we're running very low on samples. We're being as conservative as we can, but sometimes, we have no choice but to use some of it for our experiments."

Meesei was disappointed, but understanding in the lack of results. There was a great responsibility being placed on their alchemists, and the task they needed to complete was difficult. "We can instruct the other clan, and particularly Hircine's non-lycan followers, to capture samples of the gas whenever possible, as long as we can establish a secure supply line to have the samples shipped to us. However, I believe there is something more we can do. Finding a solution to this gas is among our highest priorities, and we need to take every available option we have. This gas was likely derived from the suppression gas, so I believe we need to enlist the aid of the suppression gas' original creator."

---

Letting out a sigh, Saras somewhat reluctantly agreed, finding no excuse he could use to refuse. He did not actually mind drinking with others in his free time, but Janius' outgoing enthusiasm for it reminded him of what he viewed as some of the drunken Nord louts in his own clan. Regardless, he complied and grabbed a mug for Janius. "At the very least, there is nothing threatening us at the moment. The Silent City is acceptable, by the standards of underground lairs."

[Muttonhawk]

Up until this point, Sabine had been pinching at her fingers nervously. She stopped and peered up at Meesei when she mentioned Ariel. As well, Fendros traded glances with his packmates upon the topic coming up.

"Remind me again, who is that?" Vera asked with lowered brow.

"Ariel," Sabine said quietly. "My sister."

Darahil's neutral eyes flicked from Sabine to Meesei. "The Ariel living in Black Marsh? Thorn?"

The new information was causing some in attendance to start murmuring and trading confused looks. Some might have been aware of Sabine's sister, but none save for Meesei's pack and the council knew that she was the one who had originally created the suppression gas.

"I assume..." Darahil unfolded his arms. "That you intend to find her in person? I should hope you would want to bring her here so that she may collaborate with the rest of us. However, a journey to east coast of Black Marsh is no short walk."

"I'm sorry," Pierette, the Breton lieutenant, interrupted with narrowed eyes. "This is the first I have heard of Sabine's sister having created a weapon for the enemy. Is there something I have missed?"

"Aye, what is going on?" Tola added.

Oswall raised a hand to calm them. "It is well, Ariel is still an ally. She tried to destroy her work after finding Sabine. It is a long story."

---

"Ah, thank you," Janius took his mug in both hands and looked out onto the playground. He took a sip before responding to Saras. "Indeed. It's nice to not have to worry about being attacked again. Living in the wilderness always had that danger, but..." Janius gestured to Newt. "With a child around, it's more than fear for yourself that makes you appreciate places like this."

Janius sipped again and shifted in his seat to more comfortably face Saras. "What's your pack like? Have you got any mate or children?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei nodded in agreement with Oswall. "Indeed, she created the gas before there was a war, or sides to take. And I do not believe she knew it would be used by Vile when she created it. She was a member of a witch's coven who sought to cure Sabine of her lycanthropy. The story is a long one, but the most relevant facts are that she helped us destroy her version of the gas years ago, shortly after my pack killed the Orc bearing Hircine's Ring. They did re-create it years later, and of course, have now modified it into the soul-tearing gas. Even so, I believe Ariel may be the most qualified person to produce an antidote. I have no doubt she would do anything for the well-being of her sister, but even so, she may be reluctant to leave the life she has created for herself in Thorn. She is in debt to the city for her shop, so she may not even be able to leave for an extended time without incurring a bounty. With the finances the clans have accrued, however, I believe it would be appropriate to give her sufficient compensation for her time and effort. She may be more willing and able to help us if she does not have to permanently abandon another life." Meesei suggested.

In truth, Meesei disliked the idea of having to call on Ariel's aid once again. She had already helped them before, and she knew that, regardless of compensation, this would be another major disruption in her life. Meesei wanted to just allow her to live in peace, with the occasional letter or visit from Sabine, but the stakes were too high to simply ignore the help Ariel could provide.

---

"No." Saras answered quickly, and with a certain absolution to his voice. "I have never had the luxury of such bonds, and I may be a werewolf, but I am not a member of any pack." He answered. It was quite unusual to find lone werewolf who was not feral; even moreso a lone werewolf that lived among a clan. Organizing into packs and other groups was simply natural for most forms of lycans, especially werewolves. For Saras to refuse to be a part of one meant that he was consciously going against his instincts. Although, being the leader of a clan could alleviate some of those instincts.

"I find that I administer my duties most fairly when I have no such special attachments, no motivation for favoritism. Even before I became a lycan, I was trained to be a part of my family, while also being fully independent." Saras added.

[Muttonhawk]

Pierette curled her lips and placed her palms on the table. "Well, I will trust your judgement, champion. If she is in debt to her city, you might bring her a down-payment with you so she can negotiate with her creditors." Pierette sighed. She did not sound especially sure of her words. "If she is lucky, they might allow her to leave for a time, but I cannot see it being easy."

Sabine murmured just loud enough to be heard. "She will be away from Rukeewei for a long time. If she agrees."

"Will you need to carry a significant sum, Meesei?" Vera asked. "We are on a tight budget after moving. We have only just established our crops. If we will not be left enough to purchase food if they fail, the risk may be too great."

"We have other treasures than gold," Darahil suggested before Meesei could answer. "Soul gems, ingredients she would pay great amounts for in her climate, artefacts. We need not send a wagon of coins."

---

Janius' smile turned down as he tilted his head. "Curious," he remarked. "I've never heard of a clan werewolf who wasn't in a pack." Janius moved his arm from the back of the bench around to hold his mug in both hands. "You make it sound like you were groomed for a leadership position. Are you related to your predecessor? What was growing up like for you?"

[EliteCommander]

"I do not intend to take all of the necessary gold from our clan alone." Meesei clarified. "We do have our connections across Tamriel, after all. Rather than to take a large sum from one clan, I will request smaller sums from many clans. As the Champion, I do have that authority. It is not an authority I have exercised before, but that should speak to its importance in this situation. We have purchased entire plots of land as investments for our own farming and businesses; I believe we can finish the payments for a single building to invest in an antidote to the most effective weapon against our kind."

Meesei understood the hesitation to spend gold if it was not strictly required, but Meesei felt that Ariel would be a lot more willing and able to help if she did not have to make any major sacrifices to do so. "We can decide the specifics of how much gold to dedicate to this once we get together an updated, accurate account of the clans' finances. For now, I just wanted to give my intentions. My pack will need to make this journey personally, though I do not expect to be away for nearly as long as our last mission." Meesei explained.

---

Saras gave a single chuckle. "Leadership? No, my first family, my first real family, was nothing like my current clan. My current skills are the result of a lifetime of challenges. I was born the unwanted son of a prostitute, and I do not know nor care who the father was. I have no ancestors, and my blood relatives are irrelevant. My family was...adoptive. I served them for over a hundred years before the Nerevarine killed them all, and cut me open." He explained, surprisingly nonchalantly.

[Muttonhawk]

Vera sucked in a breath through her teeth. "If that is what you wish to do...perhaps let me help you pen the request to other clans. I would rather not risk information about this mission being given to our enemy, which means that requesting it might bring suspicions of..." Vera circled a hand and looked to the ceiling to think. "Taxation? They respect you as champion, Meesei, but the clans are still independent groups. That isn't to say it cannot be done, but politics will need to be played for this matter, I'm afraid."

"That's if we have to call on the other clans," Pierrete added. "We may be able to spare the gold if we make use of natural resources, and if our finances go as projected."

Vera turned her eyes to the table and nodded. "Very well. If that is the case, let's defer that discussion for later." She looked at Meesei and took a breath. "Thank you for telling us, all the same. Needless to say, we'll give you the supplies you need on the journey."

Sabine sat quietly, looking down and away from the others. Ariel's relationships in Thorn were not a topic that the lieutenants were concerned with.

"What is next on the agenda?" Darahil asked.

"I'll be going with you for part of the way, Meesei." Gallus spoke before Vera could gather the next topic. He looked at Meesei with his head bowed forward. There was no jest in his voice. "If you do not mind. I have some unfinished business in Black Marsh."

The council all turned their heads to Gallus with confusion. Even Oswall.

---

Janius listened on with curiosity. That turned when the last details were given, prompting him to lower his brow. "So, you're from Morrowind?" He shook his head and sipped his ale once more. "Sorry, I'm just trying to figure out what you're turns of phrase mean. How did the Nerevarine do that? Something to do with the societal changes back then flowing on?" Janius paused before relaxing his face in doubt. Saras wasn't the type for turns of phrase from what he seen of his behaviour. "You aren't being literal, right?"