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Most Recent Posts
I said that ships couldn't fit in, like merchant vessels you would use to transport across the sea. Rowboats would fit and could be used for transport. The reason for not building any sort of path to the outside is the precise reason it is giving our characters problems in the first place: it is more easily defensible. In order to get in, an enemy would have to either swim, or use a rowboat, and a rowboat would make it obvious that they were being attacked, not to mention that it would be an easy target for archers. It does also mean they wouldn't be able to get out as easily, but in the case of an attack, they would be wanting to defend anyway, as that is where all their valuables are.
Sharee did not interrupt Sarel through his rant, but that did not mean she wasn't judging him. She saw him fight when they were taking the ship, and she knew he could do so intelligently, but he was really showing some signs of arrogance here, the dangerous kind too. Once he was done talking, she spoke up, still in a whisper, but with a firm enough tone that he and everyone else could easily tell she was serious.
"Oh, so I suppose your plan is to swim out there into the cove, sit in the water, and throw fireballs at them while they pelt you with arrows? Because if you haven't noticed, that's the only way you could get a decent angle on them. If you truly believe everything you just said, then you're a more arrogant fool than I thought. If you're fighting a strong, skilled opponent, then you give it everything you have. You think about every approach and outcome, then use every trick and piece of knowledge at your disposal to kill your enemy. If you're fighting an unskilled, "easy" opponent...then you give it everything you have. You think about every approach and outcome, then use every trick and piece of knowledge you have to grind them into dust. Unless you have a very specific reason not to. All it takes is one lucky shot from an unskilled archer to kill the most talented warrior. It only takes a single misstep to allow a novice opponent a killing blow. I don't care how good you are, no one can get it right every single time. It might not happen often, but if you charge headfirst into enough fights, you'll meet that lucky arrow eventually. I don't care if we're fighting mudcrabs, we'll be fighting them smart. We're going to get in there under the surface of the water, establish positions on opposite sides of the docks, then push them from both sides. If you're right and these bandits are pushovers, then we'll just kill them extra quickly." Sharee chided before shifting her attention to Noelle. "Now, if you would, go ahead and apply that chameleon."
"Oh, so I suppose your plan is to swim out there into the cove, sit in the water, and throw fireballs at them while they pelt you with arrows? Because if you haven't noticed, that's the only way you could get a decent angle on them. If you truly believe everything you just said, then you're a more arrogant fool than I thought. If you're fighting a strong, skilled opponent, then you give it everything you have. You think about every approach and outcome, then use every trick and piece of knowledge at your disposal to kill your enemy. If you're fighting an unskilled, "easy" opponent...then you give it everything you have. You think about every approach and outcome, then use every trick and piece of knowledge you have to grind them into dust. Unless you have a very specific reason not to. All it takes is one lucky shot from an unskilled archer to kill the most talented warrior. It only takes a single misstep to allow a novice opponent a killing blow. I don't care how good you are, no one can get it right every single time. It might not happen often, but if you charge headfirst into enough fights, you'll meet that lucky arrow eventually. I don't care if we're fighting mudcrabs, we'll be fighting them smart. We're going to get in there under the surface of the water, establish positions on opposite sides of the docks, then push them from both sides. If you're right and these bandits are pushovers, then we'll just kill them extra quickly." Sharee chided before shifting her attention to Noelle. "Now, if you would, go ahead and apply that chameleon."
"Agreed." Meesei commented. The crying cub was attracting some attention to them, and besides that, it would be good to have a place for them to put their belongings. Of course, they did not have a great deal of gold, and this time, they did not have much to trade. As a result, they would need to be frugal in their spending in this visit to the city. Meesei looked through the crowd until she spotted a guard that did not look to be doing anything. Compared to city guards in Imperial cities and in places like Thorn, the guards here were not quite as uniform. They sometimes used different weapons, and their armor was often made from different materials, but the armor was usually at least uniform enough that they could be easily recognized.
"One moment, wait here. I will approach one of the guards." Meesei said before stepping away. Meanwhile, Kaleeth seemed to be unconsciously sticking rather close to Janius, almost like a frightened child. Of course, in this case, she did have a legitimate fear to worry about. Since she had transformed recently, she did not feel too strong of an urge to turn at the moment, but if she did turn in the middle of a city, it would be catastrophic. It would mean the end of her life, and possibly many others. The thought frightened her, but she didn't have to worry about it at that very moment, so she did her best to push her fears to the back of her mind.
"Your home was made of these big white rocks?" Kaleeth asked curiously. "These walls look the same as the ones in these strange places you sometimes find in the swamp. I remember the Treeminder told me about them when I asked. He said they were...Aye-lee-id ruins. I...think he said they were elves, bad elves. They kept slaves like the Dunmer, but then the slaves killed them all. I wonder why they built this city around one of those places? We were always told to stay away from them because of the danger.Though...I guess they would be a good place to live if you could clean out all the monsters; they can stand up against the swamp very well."
"One moment, wait here. I will approach one of the guards." Meesei said before stepping away. Meanwhile, Kaleeth seemed to be unconsciously sticking rather close to Janius, almost like a frightened child. Of course, in this case, she did have a legitimate fear to worry about. Since she had transformed recently, she did not feel too strong of an urge to turn at the moment, but if she did turn in the middle of a city, it would be catastrophic. It would mean the end of her life, and possibly many others. The thought frightened her, but she didn't have to worry about it at that very moment, so she did her best to push her fears to the back of her mind.
"Your home was made of these big white rocks?" Kaleeth asked curiously. "These walls look the same as the ones in these strange places you sometimes find in the swamp. I remember the Treeminder told me about them when I asked. He said they were...Aye-lee-id ruins. I...think he said they were elves, bad elves. They kept slaves like the Dunmer, but then the slaves killed them all. I wonder why they built this city around one of those places? We were always told to stay away from them because of the danger.Though...I guess they would be a good place to live if you could clean out all the monsters; they can stand up against the swamp very well."
Hmm, this should be interesting. Sharee should have quite a response for Sarel.
Unfortunately, Rhazii did not maintain his peaceful composure for the rest of the day. Every other time Ahnasha set him down, she had to pick him back up a few minutes later to stop his crying, and usually to let him nurse. At least she hadn't expected it to be easy, so she wasn't surprised. Through the night, she could not begin to express how grateful she was to Fendros and the rest of the pack, as they took care of his screaming when he inevitably awoke in the middle of the night so she could rest.
Ahnasha felt well-enough to move the next morning, so they packed up and set out for Stormhold as quickly as possible. With what they had on hand, they were able to put something simple together to dress Rhazii in for the city, though she was sure he would ruin it soon enough. They were much less stressed to get there quickly than before. Now, they just had to worry about getting there before running out of food. Luckily, it was less than a day's worth of travel from their camp to reach the city. As they approached Stormhold, they were easily able to see that it was different from any place they had been thusfar in Black Marsh, even Thorn. It was not walled and was built in the middle of the swamp instead of on the coast, so it felt more wild than Thorn, but nevertheless, it was a large city with obvious Imperial influences in its structures. Like most cities, it was divided into districts, though most of the buildings were similar in style. The layout was much like a standard Imperial town, with a grid-like system of roads and pathways between one and two story wooden buildings. The buildings themselves had Argonian aesthetic styling and were built to withstand the humid environment, but even so, many were not quite as well-maintained as the buildings in Thorn. Passing by one of the poorer districts, they could see some buildings that looked close to collapsing from woodrot at their foundations. At least one they could see from the main road actually had collapsed. The biggest exception to this in the city was the very center, the Ayleid district. Stormhold was an Argonian city built around an Ayleid settlement whose structures still stood. There were tall walls made of white stone between which several wooden, well-maintained buildings stood. In contrast to the rest of the city, they were both expensive and aesthetically pleasing, especially with the Ayleid structures surrounding them. The city's Hist tree wasn't in the exact center, as was common among Argonian settlements. Instead, the center was the entrance to the underground portion of the Ayleid's original settlement. Meesei was not exactly sure what it held, but she guessed it was either the wealthier locals, or the local government. Perhaps both.
For Kaleeth, she could not help but to stare in amazement at the city around her. Never in her life had she seen anything like it. Everything, even the uncomfortable clothes Meesei had made her wear, was so foreign. She could think of no words to describe it, but her expression easily gave away her wonderment. As far as cities went, Stormhold wasn't greatly impressive, but it was still more than she had ever seen. She could not fathom why people built such large houses, or why they needed so many. With how many people that could fit into a single one of these homes, she guessed a great deal of people must live in the city. The road they were walking along was rather crowded, which also had the effect of upsetting Rhazii. Being just over a day old, all the chaotic activity around them stressed out the tiny Khajiit, Despite her best efforts to calm him down, Rhazii was crying in Ahnasha's arms loudly enough to turn some heads in their direction.
Ahnasha tried in vain to calm Rhazii by rocking him in her arms, but she made no progress. "Meesei, I think we should hurry and find an inn or something. I don't think Rhazii likes all these people."
Ahnasha felt well-enough to move the next morning, so they packed up and set out for Stormhold as quickly as possible. With what they had on hand, they were able to put something simple together to dress Rhazii in for the city, though she was sure he would ruin it soon enough. They were much less stressed to get there quickly than before. Now, they just had to worry about getting there before running out of food. Luckily, it was less than a day's worth of travel from their camp to reach the city. As they approached Stormhold, they were easily able to see that it was different from any place they had been thusfar in Black Marsh, even Thorn. It was not walled and was built in the middle of the swamp instead of on the coast, so it felt more wild than Thorn, but nevertheless, it was a large city with obvious Imperial influences in its structures. Like most cities, it was divided into districts, though most of the buildings were similar in style. The layout was much like a standard Imperial town, with a grid-like system of roads and pathways between one and two story wooden buildings. The buildings themselves had Argonian aesthetic styling and were built to withstand the humid environment, but even so, many were not quite as well-maintained as the buildings in Thorn. Passing by one of the poorer districts, they could see some buildings that looked close to collapsing from woodrot at their foundations. At least one they could see from the main road actually had collapsed. The biggest exception to this in the city was the very center, the Ayleid district. Stormhold was an Argonian city built around an Ayleid settlement whose structures still stood. There were tall walls made of white stone between which several wooden, well-maintained buildings stood. In contrast to the rest of the city, they were both expensive and aesthetically pleasing, especially with the Ayleid structures surrounding them. The city's Hist tree wasn't in the exact center, as was common among Argonian settlements. Instead, the center was the entrance to the underground portion of the Ayleid's original settlement. Meesei was not exactly sure what it held, but she guessed it was either the wealthier locals, or the local government. Perhaps both.
For Kaleeth, she could not help but to stare in amazement at the city around her. Never in her life had she seen anything like it. Everything, even the uncomfortable clothes Meesei had made her wear, was so foreign. She could think of no words to describe it, but her expression easily gave away her wonderment. As far as cities went, Stormhold wasn't greatly impressive, but it was still more than she had ever seen. She could not fathom why people built such large houses, or why they needed so many. With how many people that could fit into a single one of these homes, she guessed a great deal of people must live in the city. The road they were walking along was rather crowded, which also had the effect of upsetting Rhazii. Being just over a day old, all the chaotic activity around them stressed out the tiny Khajiit, Despite her best efforts to calm him down, Rhazii was crying in Ahnasha's arms loudly enough to turn some heads in their direction.
Ahnasha tried in vain to calm Rhazii by rocking him in her arms, but she made no progress. "Meesei, I think we should hurry and find an inn or something. I don't think Rhazii likes all these people."
They have, I suppose the focus just wasn't on them. I'll move us to Stormhold.
Ahnasha put a surprising amount of thought into such a simple request. Other than her innate desire not to part with Rhazii, she did not especially want to disturb him too greatly. At the moment, he was awake, but content. He could see his mother, feel her heartbeat, and could feel safe. Nevertheless, if something happened, she could at least blame Fendros. "Hmm, if you want to take that risk, I'll pass the responsibility to you for the moment."
As slowly and deliberately as possible, Ahnasha moved Rhazii from her arms to Fendros'. His eyes widened slightly and he started moving a bit more restlessly, but he wasn't crying...yet. Ahnasha could not really confess to knowing what would make him comfortable or uncomfortable; she was just doing whatever came naturally. Learning how to quiet his cries would be particularly important when they were out of the cities, as drawing attention to themselves could be dangerous. She would have to take care of his every need in those situations, and once he grew old enough, he would have to be well-disciplined to stay quiet when told. She really was not looking forward to the situations that would put her in, but it was too soon to start worrying about that. For now, they just needed to learn the basics.
As slowly and deliberately as possible, Ahnasha moved Rhazii from her arms to Fendros'. His eyes widened slightly and he started moving a bit more restlessly, but he wasn't crying...yet. Ahnasha could not really confess to knowing what would make him comfortable or uncomfortable; she was just doing whatever came naturally. Learning how to quiet his cries would be particularly important when they were out of the cities, as drawing attention to themselves could be dangerous. She would have to take care of his every need in those situations, and once he grew old enough, he would have to be well-disciplined to stay quiet when told. She really was not looking forward to the situations that would put her in, but it was too soon to start worrying about that. For now, they just needed to learn the basics.
"Red eyes? What are you..." Ahnasha began, cutting herself off once she looked down at Rhazii. His eyes were just barely open, but when she looked closely enough, she could see what Fendros was referring to..Even in the low, early morning light, his eyes were quite plainly red, like his father's. She thought back into her childhood to see if she could think of any Khajiit in Leyawiin with an eye color even remotely similar, but nothing came to her mind.. She had expected that some of Fendros' more subtle feature might show int heir child, but she didn't anticipate it to be something as obvious as eye color.
"I...didn't think we could, honestly. I've never known or heard of a Khajiit with red eyes...though neither have I met a Khajiit with a Dunmer father. I...guess that trait came from you." Ahnasha commented. She wasn't quite sure what that would mean for Rhazii. In a practical sense, eye color had no real meaning, but from a social sense, it could change how others act towards him. It would make him stand out, which could be good or bad, depending on the situation.
"I...didn't think we could, honestly. I've never known or heard of a Khajiit with red eyes...though neither have I met a Khajiit with a Dunmer father. I...guess that trait came from you." Ahnasha commented. She wasn't quite sure what that would mean for Rhazii. In a practical sense, eye color had no real meaning, but from a social sense, it could change how others act towards him. It would make him stand out, which could be good or bad, depending on the situation.
Not exactly, I think cove is a misnomer for that location. This cove has land in a crescent shape, with the open side facing the ocean. It has a rock canopy, like someone went in and took a scoop out of a mountainside. Sort of like this.
"I feel...tired. I don't even know how to begin to describe that experience, and honestly, I don't think you would want me to. You saw it and, well, being on the other end of it is no better. I don't think I want to go through that again for a very long time...or ever again, really." Ahnasha answered before directing her attention back to Rhazii. Once they got to Stormhold, it would be time grow accustomed to taking care of him, as it would be a lot easier than when they were in the wilds. It was hard to believe that Hircine was still going to have tasks for them. It was probably too much to hope that he would leave them in peace to raise her son, especially with Meesei being the Champion. When another thought came to her mind, she looked up at the sky, searching it to see if the moons were still visible. As luck would have it, she was just barely able to see both of them on the horizon.
"Ah, I almost forgot, the moons. It looks like...ah, Secunda is still full. That means he will become a Cathay, not a Cathay-raht. That is the one closer in size to a Suthay-raht. He wont have quite the size and strength of a Cathay-raht, but it might make it easier to raise him. He'll still end up bigger than any of us, and he's probably going to grow more quickly than you would expect of an Elven child." She explained.
"Ah, I almost forgot, the moons. It looks like...ah, Secunda is still full. That means he will become a Cathay, not a Cathay-raht. That is the one closer in size to a Suthay-raht. He wont have quite the size and strength of a Cathay-raht, but it might make it easier to raise him. He'll still end up bigger than any of us, and he's probably going to grow more quickly than you would expect of an Elven child." She explained.
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