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

[Muttonhawk]

"I am sure that with the rumours already in circulation you could make up just about anything," Lunise remarked. She gave Meesei a look and drew her hand up Meesei's leg. "As many things might be spread about you, I shall prefer to stay with the real you."

Sabine sat up properly again. Most of her hair was wet and clinging to her shoulders now. "Where did you grow up, Lunise?"

Karl opened his mouth, hesitated, and let his breath go. The subject had already moved on.

"In Alinor," Lunise said. She remained perfectly composed despite the game progressing under the surface. "Much of my time was spent either in education or sitting quietly while my parents socialised with family friends. I wish I could say I had embarrassing stories to tell but, with most mistakes being punished with shame, there are few that I can say are just amusing little accidents."

"Oh," Sabine's expression faltered with a hint of guilt.

Lunise tilted her head. "Now, I did not say there were none." She resisted a smile. "I do recall, back in the ancient history that was my childhood, a time when I got the taste for fresh tuna that was prepared raw. I had it with nearly every meal that I was allowed. After about a month of this newfound taste, my best friend at the time wished to try it. I gave her a piece, and we found out by the end of the day that I was sold a catch markedly less fresh than all the others beforehand."

Sabine opened her mouth in realisation. While she smiled, Karl lowered his brow. He was not following along.

Lunise's head lolled to one side. "And we found out in the middle of a hall of our school." Her head lolled to the other side. "...And those with a lesser constitution found the display magnificent enough that they added their own eaten lunches to the mix then and there."

Finally, Sabine laughed. Not in cruelty, but in sympathy. Karl remained oblivious.

Taking a moment, Lunise closed her eyes, raised her brow, straightened, and took a long breath in through her nose. "While our health eventually recovered over a few days, we were forever stained with the story. And the floor was stained such that only a very well paid alchemist could erase our deed from the stonework. Both the puddle and the smell."

"Ah," Karl sounded flatly. "Food poisoning. I see."

"You are lucky you never have it, Karl," Sabine said through another laugh. By the way the pair moved, Sabine had probably prodded Karl in the side. "You were born lycan."

[EliteCommander]

Throughout Lunise's story, Meesei remained clinging to her, listening intently. She continued her now close-to-inappropriate massage under the surface, but her thoughts were more traditionally romantic. Just as Meesei had hoped, the awkwardness and worry that Lunise had possessed before seemed to have diminished now that they all had a chance to settle in. The night itself had gone wonderfully, as Sabine was speaking with Lunise just as comfortably as with anyone else in the pack. The hints of anxiety and uncertainty that had permeated their meeting after the pack had learned of Lunise could no longer be felt. Meesei was starting to believe her own encouraging words on Lunise's chance of being considered part of her family.

There was a part of Meesei that wished Lunise could be more completely a part of her family. Not necessarily by being a lycan herself, but at least by living among them. However, Meesei knew that was simply a dream. For their plans going into the future, Lunise had far too important of a role using her position within the Thalmor, and besides that, Meesei did not think that she would want to give up her life so completely. Still, it was a thought that Meesei quite enjoyed having.

[Muttonhawk]

As the conversation went on, the four soon showed signs of sleepiness. Between the lengthy evening out and the relaxing waters, the pairs grew only closer as they leaned on one another. Sabine in particular looked like she was about to fall asleep any minute. At that point, Karl politely asked Meesei to open a portal back to Blackreach for them. Karl carried Sabine out of the water with her still clinging onto him. After collecting their clothes, the two of them were brought back to the Silent City, where Sabine opened her eyes and smiled at Karl right before the portal closed.

Lunise and Meesei remained in the hot springs for a time. They exchanged only a few words before their previous intimacy reached its logical outcome.

Meesei woke up in Lunise's arms the next morning. Her skin was still smooth and warm from the hot spring. Though groggy, Lunise was blissful in her thanks to Meesei for the particularly nice evening, requested to pass further thanks and greetings to Sabine and Karl, and reminded Meesei that she loved her. They took their time parting ways, even after Lunise had donned her dark dress again. She gave Meesei a warm look and a wave from the other side of the portal to Valenwood.

When the portal closed, Meesei's duties returned. She was not long towards getting breakfast when she was forwarded a message regarding last night's council meeting.

[EliteCommander]

As planned, the pack allowed Darahil two days to perform his experiments on their automatons. Meesei and Sabine had been informed of the events of the meeting, and Meesei largely agreed with the approach Fendros had taken. Meesei herself did not have a problem using undead to their benefit, but she also recognized the more political types of issues that could arise from it. It was best to avoid anything that could cause a significant reduction in morale, but the safety of their infiltrators was paramount. For Meesei, that went even more so due to the fact that Sabine was being considered for that task.

Once he was ready, Darahil had a message sent to Meesei for her to meet him in the scholar's loft. As the subject pertained quite closely to all of them, Meesei also collected Sabine, Ahnasha, and Fendros to meet with him as well. Darahil had his own personal section of the loft in proximity to, but separate from the workspaces of most of the other scholars. Given his experience and many years of service to the clan, he was granted just about any tool or resource he requested for his investigations and experiments. With his range of skills and interests, there was quite a variety of trinkets and relics around the chamber, from active and inactive Dwemer machines, to samples of Aetherium, to Ayleid relics kept from their days in Bruma. As for Darahil himself, he certainly showed the dedication he had put into his most recent project. Even his stoic visage could not completely hide his fatigue.

"Greetings, Darahil. You sent for me, yes? I am assuming you have some results from your experiments?" Meesei said shortly after entering the chamber.

[Muttonhawk]

From the time the clan moved into the silent city, the scholar's loft had been called as much more by anachronistic habit than by description. The Bruma clanhome barely had a few spaces in the upper levels, while the city provided an entire compound of conjoined buildings. The increased population of scholars over the years had only spread the use of the compound further.

Sabine was sobered by the plan they were to undertake just as much as Ahnasha. She discussed the details with Fendros and Ahnasha for some time the previous day before she was satisfied to join in. She was not mistrusting of her packmates, rather she was afraid of some unforeseen trap.

Ahnasha and Fendros had thankfully not continued their outing for more than one day. Without the time for recovery, they might have looked worse than Darahil.

The four of them entered Darahil's laboratory to find him not alone. Three other people were tinkering with dwemer machinery and soul gems on various parts of the central table of the room. Two worked on their own, while two others murmured to each other over one piece. Additionally, a robed figure was sitting cross-armed on a chair with his cowl over his head and eye, clearly napping. None of them gave Meesei and her pack any more than a passing glance before absorbing themselves back into their tasks.

From a darker part of the room, Darahil himself appeared out from behind a Dwemer sphere well lit from three orbiting magelights. As usual, he was straight as a board, lightly frowning, and stoic. However, his usually slicked and orderly hair had sprung several frizzy bangs and his sunken, dark-ringed eyes were wide and intense, as if in deep, stimulating focus.

"Champion, thank you for arriving swiftly," Darahil said. He was just as eloquent, but speaking at a faster pace than usual. "Apart from a few possible avenues of testing that would not be appropriate for the scope of time required, I believe I have found a method of muffling the automata."

Fendros raised his brow in surprise.

Darahil's nose twitched. "Unfortunately," he continued. "The enchantment not only frays via any violent movement, the working enchantment only lasts exactly two hundred and fifty-seven seconds after activation, thereafter requiring two common souls to recharge. Any longer and the power required would interfere with the enchantments already laid into the apparatus. The Dwemer were unparalleled engineers and enchanters, but that unfortunately means that every enchantment they inlaid has an elemental and intertwined role in the automaton as a whole. Fray one, and you compromise upwards of a quarter of the functionality. They would not fight."

[EliteCommander]

"Two hundred fifty-seven seconds." Ahnasha repeated. "So just over four minutes then. I'm not going to lie, that's a really restrictive time frame for an infiltration. At least it could be."

Meesei appeared concerned. She did not doubt that Darahil and the others had done everything they possibly could to extend out the enchantment, and she doubted she could do anything to improve it herself in any reasonable time. So, for this task, that would be the time frame they would have to work with if they used automatons. “How restrictive exactly? How much time do you think the infiltration will take?”

“I could imagine getting in and out that fast. Or, I could imagine having to stop and wait for something, then the enchantment wearing off. There's just no way of knowing." Ahnasha answered.

There was a pause as Meesei thought. “What do you think, Sabine? Do you have any suggestions?’

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine blinked and glanced down. She hesitated and rubbed her shoulder. "Ahnasha is right. The timing is restrictive. Even if we plant the book and begin leaving in time, the enchantment could expire on our way out. But, they will only see automatons if that happens. Not the alternative." She deflated. "Is there a way to manually maintain the enchantment?"

"I had considered it," Darahil answered. "It is possible. However, whoever maintains the enchantment will have to infiltrate as well, with a impractical number of filled soul gems or varla stones and maintain concentration throughout. I had surmised that taking the extra steps would add unnecessary complexity and difficulty to the existing plan."

Casting her eyes down again, Sabine nodded. She opened her mouth to speak and found herself without anything further in mind.

Darahil lifted a hand. "I understand fully that the restrictions of this option may or may not make it suitable for this coming mission. I shall be continuing this research on a more sustainable schedule after you make your decision either way, so I would urge you to select only the most appropriate reinforcement."

Fendros put his hands on his hips and scuffed his feet. "Hmm. Even with some of the unknowns discovered, both choices have their own upsides and downsides. Risks and rewards. I admit, my opinion is still to keep you two as safe as we can." Fendros eyed Ahnasha and Sabine, before looking to Meesei.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha took a glance over to one of the active automatons in the room. She did believe them to be more deadly threats than some reanimated chaurus, but the actual extent of their fighting ability was not important to their role. Undead or automatons would be just as effective in that regard. "I agree that we should keep it as simple as possible. Too many parts in the plan means more places it could go wrong. My vote would easily go to undead if I just had to worry about calming Oswall's temper, but one of the main people we are trying to convince with this plan is also a Nord. And everything about him screams that he is just as much of a traditionalist. I do not want to sabotage the plan from the start."

Meesei's eyes too were on an automaton, but the one she focused on was inactive, something that placed an idea into her mind. "This enchantment, its purpose is to silence the automatons, yes? They can compact themselves into small spaces, so keeping them out of sight would not be difficult. The trouble comes only from the noise they make, as we could not get them close enough. For this plan to work, do the automatons necessarily need to remain active continuously?" Meesei asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine pressed her thumb and forefinger just under her cheekbones. "It depends." Her eyes turned up to Darahil. "Is it difficult to activate and deactivate them?"

Darahil spun on his heel and walked to a nearby bench. "Allow me to demonstrate," he said. Leaning on the corner made by the bench and the wall was a decorated rod of orange-yellow Dwemer metal. He snatched it up in one hand and pointed it at the inactive automaton. A trace of invisible magic pulsed through the air and a series of mechanical clicks and ratchets sounded. In a series of noisy jerking movements, the inactive Dwemer sphere split, extended its upper body, extended its weaponised arms, and ejected two short spurts of steam from vents behind its shoulders. A soft rumble hummed from within its body.

"As you can see, the sphere variety takes only a few moments to deploy," Darahil said over the new noise. Another pulse of unseen magic emanated from the rod he held. The Dwemer sphere moved to collapse back into its inactive form. "Provided the automaton is not damaged, the reverse process is much the same." Darahil held the metal rod forward in both hands to show the pack. "This control rod is used to activate, deactivate, and direct the automaton. It is unfortunately otherwise limited to commanding only one at a time. So managing a number at a time with a series of commands, not to mention when moments are of the essence, may prove unwieldy."

"It could be done, though?" Fendros asked.

Darahil nodded. "Of course. I emphasise that the moments of difference between commanding 'activate' and then 'attack them' for each one as opposed to simply 'attack them' may be important to you."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha rubbed her chin. "Hmm...with two of us, it might not make too much of a difference. For instance, if I'm the one moving up to plant the book, then Sabine could be on a vantage point with the control rod. The enchantment would probably have worn off by the time we re-activate them, so if they are loudly springing to life and charging in, that would still serve the same purpose, even if it is just one slightly after another." She reasoned.

Ahnasha gave a look towards Sabine. "Though, that would mean you would have to be proactive in activating them. There would be much less of a margin for error. You have to be able to recognize quickly when I'm in danger and judge when to activate them. Otherwise, both of us might be overwhelmed."

Meesei decided to pose another question to Darahil. "I recall that automatons can also take commands more intuitively if they are bound to an individual during their creation. However, we could not bind the automaton to a different person once it was created. Were you ever able to discover if it is possible to change that binding, or is it still a limitation?" She asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Darahil paused to think. He abruptly shook his head. "No. There is a team of scholars that have been attempting it, though they have neither made the process stable nor have their attempts been faster than simply rebuilding an automaton."

"Sorry to go on a tangent," Fendros said, showing his hand. "But, Ahna, about that plan you just suggested. If you did not raise the alarm and left without being noticed, would the automatons not make noise on their way out when you and Sabine go? Granted, it is safer than when you are in the camp, but they would still be noticed from a distance."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha nodded. "Yes, but the automatons are expendable. More...expensive than undead, I suppose, but it's not like our clan will miss a few machines. I'm assuming that anything we bring to help us will not be returning. Once we've escaped, it won't matter if they find and destroy them. Perhaps we could make it seem like a failed ambush to distract from our actual goal?" She suggested.

"Perhaps. I would suspect that the chances of the reinforcements, machine or undead, being detected are fairly high, but if we have escaped by that point, it will not matter. But, it seems we have our answer. Performing this plan using automatons is possible, but comes with its own disadvantages. With automatons, you shall either have to plant the book quickly, or Sabine will have to make sure to command the automatons quickly. But, they are not as controversial of a choice, to either our enemy, or our own clan. Undead are a safer choice, but their use could reflect poorly upon us to the very people we are trying to persuade. Ahnasha, Sabine, you are going to be the ones in danger. What are your opinions? Now is the time for us to make this decision." Meesei asked.

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine clasped her hand on her front and turned her frown to the floor. "I actually think that the undead could leave as quietly as we bring them in. But the automatons still look less bad. Even if it gives a clue that we are based in a Dwemer city."

"We don't even have to have the machines attack once we leave," Fendros added. "We could just have them run -- or roll -- the opposite direction from us and distract them."

Eyes closed, Sabine's frown deepened. It was not a simple decision. She took a few moments to respond. "I would feel safer with the undead. But the automatons are option we should make to work." She looked forward and sighed. "We need to not raise the alarm either way. We see the consequences once that happens. And there are consequences for both options. I feel uneasy about them."

[EliteCommander]

Unfortunately, it seemed that at least some of the indecision among the pack had not gone away, though it was quite understandable. But, now was the time for them to definitively make that decision. Ahnasha put her eyes on Sabine, looking quite serious, and perhaps somewhat worried. "My biggest thought is that, if we're doing this, I want it to work. I don't want to go through all of this risk for nothing. I am comfortable going in with the automatons, but only if you are too, Sabine. The automatons won't be quite as quick to react as the undead, so it will be on you to call them in at the right time. If you do it too early, or when I am in the wrong position, it could end badly. But, if you are confident in your judgment, they are the best option. Can you do it?"

Meesei was not going to make the decision for Ahnasha and Sabine, but she was going to make sure to try to ask the right questions to make sure they had all of the necessary information. "Darahil, aside from the enchantment's limitations, can you say with confidence that the enchantment is reliable at its function. Has it ever stopped working prematurely, or do you think it has been tested sufficiently to say that it is reliable within the limitations you have described?"

[Muttonhawk]

Darahil clasped his hands behind his back. "Champion, if I had brought it to the point of risk of failure, I would have presented a broader timeframe. Perhaps ten minutes or more. I could not ethically present that option for so important a mission."

Once again, the attention of the group was drawn to Sabine. She stared at the inactive automaton and mulled over what Ahnasha said. When she turned her eyes to Ahnasha, she kept her hands together, but held her eyes with determination. "I can do it," she said. "I can activate them at the right time."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha gave a single nod to Sabine. "Then I agree. I guess you should have as many of these enchanted as you can, Darahil. We are probably going to want to carry out this plan as soon as we are able."

As much as she was dreading this mission, Meesei was in agreement. After a long breath, she also gave her approval. "We will need to make sure to make our move before our enemy re-locates. The rest of us will wait with Ri'vashi's warriors as close as we safely can without triggering their detection enchantments. With luck, there will not be any trouble, but if there is, the automatons will hopefully buy us enough time to reinforce you. My role shall be to create a portal for our escape. Darahil, I will require some assistance, either more mages or welkynd stones, for my portal. It will need to be larger, and sustained for longer than usual."

While Meesei was discussing the details with Darahil, Ahnasha did the same with Sabine. "Okay, so we have our plan. Your most important job will obviously be to call in the machines if there is trouble. But, we will need to make the best use of the resources we have. I know you have your shapeshifting magic, which will definitely be helpful. I also noticed that, unlike our transformations, you don't turn back naked. How does that...work exactly? Would you be able to carry that control rod with you freely, or would have to stay in your Human form the whole time? It would be very helpful for you to be able to watch over the camp from above and help guide me. Of course, that would also hinge on us finding some way to communicate discretely."

[Muttonhawk]

"I will assign my pack and colleagues to it," Darahil assured. "You shall have a full section of Dwemer spheres enchanted and attuned to a control rod in roughly fourteen hours." He turned to Sabine. "Operating the rod is simple enough. You will be taught and practiced in its use when it is convenient for you."

Sabine nodded firmly.

Though only a slight change, Darahil's eyes looked a measure more fatigued at the mention of welkynd stones. "I can spare many capable mages," he said. "And I am sure there are other mages in the militia that Ri'vashi shall provide. Unfortunately, with how difficult they are to replace, it is my recommendation that our remaining stock of welkynd stones must be kept for threats to the clan itself. We have few enough as it is and no Ayleids exist to make any more."

As for Ahnasha's questions, Sabine false-started in her answer twice in a row. There were a few things in her mind at once. "...I should explain the shapeshifting more," she said. "It is not intuitive. Not as much as lycanthropy." She ran a hand back through her tangled hair. She found the right words eventually.

"When you transform into a werewolf..." She held out her hands and finally made eye contact again. "...Your body is twisted and changed until your flesh and bones are that of a werewolf. It is different with shapeshifting. It is like...without knowing all the magic surrounding it, it is not easy to understand. It is like..." she held her hands to her chest. "I am a Breton with clothes and belongings now. Then I alter the area of Mundus I am in...that caused be to be a clothed Breton...until I am a raven instead. It is like borrowing a different fate by convincing Mundus of a different past without making it true. The more that I have to shift, the harder it is." She stumbled to reassure. "I-I could take the control rod into my raven form but I could not use it. It temporarily would not exist. I would use it by turning back first. I also cannot talk as a raven. Or use much magic. It affects the way I think."

Sabine took a deep breath and continued. "Normally I would agree about keeping watch in raven form. It is just that Arinette knows I can take the form now. She will be on the lookout for ravens watching them. I could get away with looking like a wild raven flying over once or twice like Fendros suggested. I would be an easy target otherwise. I can hide better in a tree and obscure myself from the wards in my Breton form." Sabine pressed her palm into her forearm tensely. "Do you know of a way we can talk at a distance without being noticed?"

[EliteCommander]

Meesei was in agreement with Darahil. So as long as she had the additional magical power from other mages, she was confident that she could maintain her portal as long as would be necessary. "Very well. Once we are done here, I would like for you to take me to the mages who can assist me. I need to demonstrate exactly how they should contribute their magicka to the portal."

Ahnasha at least partially understood Sabine's explanation. Certainly, it did seem like there was a reason that shapeshifting was not terribly widespread. It was something of an esoteric form of magic. It was unfortunate that she could not utilize it for this mission, but she would be able to obscure herself perfectly well with invisibility, or even simple foliage. As for the matter of communicating, she had an answer, but was not completely certain if it would help. "Communicating at a distance? Well, yes, technically. Have you read The Doors of Oblivion? Its accounting of the concepts of conjuration are correct. One of the foundations of conjuration is to connect your mind to your thrall so that you can exert your will on it. For most conjurers, that connection is nothing too strong or complicated. It doesn't need to be. A master, though, can use telepathy much more directly. I just don't know if we can use that here, in this case. It might depend on how much conjuration knowledge you have gained over the years. I could probably send you my thoughts, but you would need more than just basic conjuration knowledge for me to get anything from you."

[Muttonhawk]

"It shall be done," Darahil said. He remained where he stood to overhear Sabine and Ahansha's discussion in case he was needed, though staying still was making him lower his eyelids until he caught himself.

Sabine hummed affirmatively but scratched her head. "I do not know enough about Conjuration magic to know how to do bond with your mind. Though, I think I understand what you mean. Do you think you could try to connect to my mind? Has anyone tried it before? Maybe you can teach me if we have time."

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha shook her head. "No, it would be difficult even if you were a conjurer. Telepathy, at least between mortals, is not simple. It might not really be practical for us to talk to each other with words, but surely there is some other way we can have some form of communication. Some sort of signals, perhaps? It just has to be something I would notice, but that they would not."

Pondering for a moment, Meesei glanced down to one of the two rings on her hand. It was the one bound to Lunise's ring. "I may be able to help. I can provide an enchantment to bind two objects together. If you apply the right sort of magic to it, then acting upon one of the objects would immediately influence the other, regardless of distance. I could have it send a slight glow, or even a sensation. I am sure you two could work out a system of signals with that." She suggested.

"Hmm, like that ring you have?" Ahnasha commented. "That could work, but we should probably start right away to establish our signals."