EliteCommander

The Depths of Deception

I think it's about time to move onto more interesting parts, given recent delays. I'll skip to the ship soon.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth sat up and leaned against Janius, putting her arm around him as he spoke. He did not describe cities as being great, but neither did he say they were terrible. She had not yet seen the positive things he spoke of, but then again, she had only been there a short time. "Well...I guess you did insult them right next to them. I might have been mad too." Kaleeth chuckled. "Maybe you could show me around the city later and point out the good parts? I would not know where to start on my own. We can stay in here for a while though, I don't think I want to go anywhere yet."

After a brief interruption from Fendros, Meesei resumed her conversation with Sabine. "Now that we have dropped off our belongings, we can leave now. Besides, it would be nice to get out of this district of the city." She said. Meesei locked the door to their room behind them, which was admittedly flimsy. It likely would not stand up to most thieves, which was one reason that it was important for at least one person to stay in the inn at all times to watch over their belongings. Meesei kept a close eye on the other patrons as they left, as well as anyone that seemed to be looking at them as they walked down the street. They were traveling in a pair, but an unarmed Argonian woman and a young Breton girl did not make for the most intimidating duo. Even if they could handle any threat to them, it was still preferable to avoid confrontation. Meesei had to admit that she was likely being overcautious. After all, most people had no ill-intentions, but it only took one deranged individual to cause them problems. Nevertheless, Meesei became more comfortable as they exited the slums in search of the market district. "There is something I have been wondering, Sabine, if I may ask. I know you very much enjoy alchemy, but you have never really been open about other things you like. And I am not referring to hunting or other things we have to do, I am curious about what you want to do. Or did you never really have time to form varied hobbies as a child?"

Lorag was indeed at the bar, though he had not yet ordered a drink. Instead, he was leaned against a wall, staring at a coin resting between his fingers. On the one hand, they didn't have much to spend, but on the other, he could really use a drink, more so than usual. He was in an altogether sour mood, not because of anything anyone else had done, or the place they were staying, but because of something more personal, something that disturbed him at his core. He probably would have missed Fendros approaching if he wasn't the only Dunmer in the entire tavern. "Oh, hey, what do you want?" He asked directly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh, so the people are the reason I have to wear it, that makes sense. Well..it doesn't, but neither does anything else, so I can accept it." Since they were alone in the room, Kaleeth wasted no time in removing the dress and tossing it aside before laying down on the bed. She let out a deep breath and held an uncertain expression on her face. I have always wanted to see the cities. I was told what they were like, how big they were and how many people they had. I was told how you could find all sorts of things here you can't find in the swamp. But, it seems like something is...wrong here. The place we came in at didn't look so bad, but these buildings are about to fall down. The people on the street look so sad, and the ones in there were rude and...angry. Are all cities like this? If so...I don't know if I want to go to any more."

Meesei gave a light chuckle. "I'm sure it might have been at first, but Stormhold has been settled for a few eras by this point. I think all of the traps have been disarmed, and all the secrets found long ago. Anything scholars could have learned about this place, they likely already have. I think the ruins are mostly just pretty stonework now. Still, it has been a very long time since I have been in an Ayleid ruin, and there might even be some books about what Stormhold used to be. Maybe after we find a courier, we can see if we can find some?"

Rhazii was, quite predictably, much more content now. At the very least, Ahnasha had so far been quick to handle whatever needs he had. If he cried too much, it might anger the other patrons of the tavern, and they were already not on good terms. It was one reason why she felt nervous about leaving him with anyone else for any length of time, other than the fact that her natural inclination was not to let him out of her sight. If he started crying, whoever was watching him might not be able to stop him, since she was the only one who could feed him. Of course, at that point, it probably would be best to leave Lorag with him. Not many people, no matter how drunk, would willingly pick a fight with him.

"We might be able to risk leaving him with one of the others. If not, you could go out with Lorag or one of the others and find what we need. I'm sure Lorag would be good for keeping the local thugs off of you, anyway." She suggested.

The Depths of Deception

I would have taken us farther, but I have things I need to do. If anyone wants to talk to Rareth, or any of the representatives before they leave, feel free.

The Depths of Deception

Since most of the team did not seem to have any further questions, the representatives started to leave, but Ghirn remained to answer Bit's question. "I wouldn't worry about supplies. Your ship will be very well stocked for any preferred weapon you might have. It is not ready yet, but if you are concerned about supplies, send a message to the ship's requisitions officer." He suggested, pausing for a moment to send Bit the contact information of said officer. He remained for a few minutes longer just in case there was more he wanted to ask.

As much as Rareth wanted to stay and question Ghirn, she decided it would be best to leave and return to the apartments. It probably wouldn't be best to let the others know just yet that she already had a professional relationship with one of their representatives. Indeed, she was quite curious about why it was him that was assigned to this task. His job involved collecting information and directing the actions of Datius; he was a very important individual. For him to be here seemed like a downgrade...unless this team was far more important than Rareth realized. There wasn't anything about this specific mission that seemed that important, but perhaps there was more going on than the representatives were letting on. Rareth did not like the fact that she did not know; she wasn't usually a person who was left out of the loop.

Instead of heading straight into her suite, Rareth decided to wait outside in the common area, which wasn't too crowded at the moment, and wait for the others to come by. There were a few of her teammates that she had not had much of a chance to speak to, and she wanted to do so before they set off the next day.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth followed Janius silently into one of the rooms. She was not certain she understood everything that had transpired, but it seemed like Janius had upset the men at that table. At least, for the moment, it seemed to be over, so she could focus on all the other things that were confusing her. Just like everything else, she had never seen a room like this. It was small, with only a bed and a dresser and little room for anything else. "This place looks so strange to me, everything does. The other places in town seem okay, but this building and others around it look like they are about to fall down. Why do they build from wood when they have plenty of mud? Wood rots, mud doesn't. And why did Meesei make me wear these uncomfortable clothes? They hold in water, not like my scales that let it slide off. It doesn't make sense."

"I'm not sure, we'll have to ask around, but I suppose it will give us a chance to look around the city. The Ayleid district in the center I find particularly interesting." Meesei answered to Sabine as she went into the as of yet unclaimed room. It seemed she would be sharing it with Sabine and Lorag. While small, the room was not anything she was unaccustomed to.

Ahnasha sat down on the bed and tried to calm down Rhazii, but no amount of rocking or shushing seemed to be helping. "Maybe, though I think he is hungry. Not much you can do about that." She commented before adjusting her dress so he could nurse. "You're lucky. For now, feeding him is my sole responsibility, since no one else can actually do it. Once he starts growing up, though, you can bet I'll start passing that responsibility off to you. You'll have a lot of lost time to make up for." She said with a grin. "Anyway, if he gets to sleep, and I really stress that if, we might both be able to go looking. You won't hear him admit it, but I think Lorag is starting to warm up to Rhazii. He might look after him. I don't blame him, really. Look how cute he is, after all."

The Depths of Deception

I can post soon, hopefully, I'm just doing some work right now.

Elder Scrolls: Danger of Discovery (EliteCommander and Luna)

Do'Khajra audibly sighed when he heard Veria's explanation. "Veria...Mara help me, is that what this was about, an adventure? Khaj thought you two were smarter than that. This one is a soldier, and even he is cautious about going into the wilds. You don't have the training or experience to survive outside of Leyawiin's wall. Maybe in the future you will, but you need training for now." He said as they started heading downstairs to the basement of the chapel. "Just...just think about it, alright? Khaj has been doing this for years, you can trust his judgement."

As they reached the room, Murnglesh led them inside. Swims smiled once more when he saw Veria and Do'Khajra, being careful not to hurt himself again in the process. "There is our savior. Do'Khajra, I'm sure Veria has already said it, but I have to thank you. We wouldn't have survived without you, and your patrol of course. Please pass on my thanks to them as well."

Khaj had a wide smile on his feline face, as he certainly seemed to like the praise. "Ah, well, Khajiit only does what he has been trained to do. Khaj may not have known you two very well before he joined the Legion, but still, it is good to be reminded of why he joined in the first place. He was glad to protect you."

Elder Scrolls: Danger of Discovery (EliteCommander and Luna)

Do'Khajra nodded. "Of course, you are the reason this one has remained in the village this long. Do'Khajra was meant to be in Leyawiin a few hours ago, but Imperial Captains are given some...discretion in our choices. It should be no problem. Khaj will go with you to visit Swims, but then he will have to go." He explained, allowing Murnglesh to take the lead to guide them back to Kynareth's chapel.

On the way back, Do'Khajra walked alongside Veria to question her further on last night's events. "Khaj has not seen you two much since he joined the Legion, what brought you so far from the city? County Leyawiin is a dangerous place, even with the Empire stationing troops along the border to the Dominion. Now, the bandits just set up on the east side of the Niben river. With tensions as high as they are, bandits are taking advantage of how distracted the Legion has become."

Elder Scrolls: Danger of Discovery (EliteCommander and Luna)

Murnglesh nodded to Veria, who came running up beside her. "Yes, I do. He should still be in the Legion outpost on the edge of the village. I believe he has to leave soon, but he delayed because he wanted to know if you two recovered. I'm sure he will be glad to see you. Come, I will take you to him."

The pair walked upstairs, then out of the Temple of Kynareth. As Blankenmarch was not a large settlement by any means, their temple was not a grand stone cathedral like the ones in the big cities, but it was still the largest building in town. There wasn't much different in the environment around Blankenmarch from Leyawiin, as both locations were in the swamp-like Blackwood forest. The air in Leyawiin felt a bit saltier due to the ocean nearby, but that was about the only difference. The village itself was small, consisting of simple wooden buildings treated to withstand the high humidity. There wasn't much in the way of decorations, so it wasn't a beautiful village, but it seemed peaceful. The Imperial Legion had a modest presence to keep the people safe from bandits and other dangers, which was why there was an outpost to begin with.

Murnglesh guided Veria to the Legion outpost, which was essentially a watchtower with a few small rooms in the bottom floor. Very little happened in Blankenmarch that concerned the Legion, so the Imperial sitting in the cramped first room was a bit surprised to see them enter.

"Oh, uh, hello. Can I help you?" He asked.

"Yes, is Do'Khajra still here? We would like to speak with him." Murnglesh requested.

"Yes, uh, hold on, I'll get him." The Imperial responded before getting up from his chair and stepping into another room. Not a minute later, Do'Khajra emerged with a relieved expression on his face once he saw Veria.

"Ah, it is good to see you have recovered. How is swims, is he still alive and well?" Do'Khajra asked.