EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha returned Fendros' fear in triplicate. The thought of her son being taken by these power-hungry cultists nearly caused her to start running right then and there to get back to the camp, but the rational part of her mind stopped her. If they already knew where they had made camp, then they were certainly already there. They had Sabine and Rhazii, there was no denying that. All she could hope for now was to stay in the good graces of these filthy cultists until she could find him again. For that reason, she was going to be certain that neither she, nor anyone else in the pack did anything to anger them.

The cultists lead the pack up one of the intact stairways leading to the top of the xanmeer, being sure to keep them surrounded at all times. Once at its apex, the Altmer used telekinesis to move aside tablet of stone beneath them that covered the entrance. It was somewhat inconvenient to get everyone down into the catacombs, as the only way down was a single ladder, but once inside, Meesei was thoroughly shocked at what she saw. As opposed to the worn ruins above, these catacombs were the most pristine example of ancient Argonian architecture she had ever seen, and likely ever would see. They looked like they had been lived in and maintained since the day they were first built. No moss grew along the walls, no stone had any significant crack or fault, and every carving was in near-perfect condition. Meesei could still feel that sense of dread which originated from the cult's magic, but the atmosphere felt entirely different. In better circumstances, Meesei would have loved to examine the place more thoroughly.

The Altmer and Argonian led the pack through the well-lit hallways, while most of the other guards followed behind. The hallway they were in was not especially wide or tall, but there seemed to be a lot of them, as they passed quite a few on their way to wherever the cultists were taking them. Instead of torches, the sconces that lined the walls had within them a permanent enchantment of magelight, with tinted glass cases that prevented them from being too bright. They passed by a few more cultists on the way; not all wore the black robes of their guards, but most appeared to be mages as well. It seemed that might be a requirement for entry into this particular cult.

Eventually, the pack was lead into a larger chamber just as pristine as the catacombs they had been walking through. While the stonework was still of course in the ancient Argonian style, all of the furnishings had a more modern feel. On either side of the chamber, there were rows of long tables and chairs, all currently empty. High up from the ceiling hung extravagant, blood-red tapestries woven with symbols of Molag Bal, while on the walls there were, of all things, paintings on a wide variety of subjects. Some appeared to be Argonian in style, while others looked to originate from Morrowind, Elsweyr, and even Cyrodiil. At the far end of the chamber, near the center was an elevated platform with two identical thrones. One was empty, but seated in the other was a pale Argonian woman partially obscured in shadow in a finely embroidered red and violet dress. The guards following them spread out to fill up the empty space in the room as the Altmer led them to the base of his master's throne.

"My lady, these are the intruders. They came without incident." He explained.

"Excellent. I much prefer it when my guests accept my...hospitality. You are dismissed, Vinaremo. Now, for our guests, I feel we should become better acquainted. Tell me, what brings you to my home? Why, in a time of war such as this, has a pack of lycans found it prudent to intrude upon my domain?" The Argonian woman asked in a tone that could be described as "politely threatening."

Meesei managed to keep a calm visage, but even she was struggling not to show her fears in such a situation. They were in the heart of a dangerous and powerful cult, who likely had two members of her pack in their hands. Any mistake could lead to the deaths of herself or those she cares about, so she had to be careful. "My name is Meesei. I am the Champion of Lord Hircine." She said, raising up her hand which bore the ring. "We have come on behalf of our lord, not to fight, but for peaceful discord. We wish to discuss how this war with Clavicus Vile will affect us all. By what title should I call you?" She requested. Her tone was polite, but she made sure it did not sound meek. While she did not wish to anger these cultists, she also did not want to appear weak to them.

Through the shadows, Meesei could see a slight grin on the woman's face. "Title? Those in my domain often call me master, their lord and lady, but you, why you are my guests..." She began, clasping her hands together and leaning forward slightly, bringing her face into the light. She had orange coloration on her neck with eyes to match, pale white scales, and two prominent horns on her head which curved down and forwards, each decorated with gold jewelry. "...you may call me Hal-Neesa."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Or, actually, I think I'll save that other part for later.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Next one might take a little bit to finish.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Nothing about this was going the way Meesei would have liked, but at the very least, they were not being immediately hostile. In their current situation, Meesei reasoned that they might be able to emerge victorious in a fight, depending upon the skill of the cultists, or at the very least, they could escape, but not without casualties. Hircine himself would have to intervene if they wanted to avoid losing someone, so Meesei would cooperate for now.

"We do not have any problem speaking to your leader. In fact, that is why we are here; we did not come here to fight." Meesei explained briefly.

The Altmer was entirely unfazed by Fendros' glare, to the point that he essentially ignored it. For Meesei, he only seemed to regard her words with mild interest. "I see. Well, I do not actually care why you are here, or what you want. It is the master's curiosity I am here to satisfy, not mine. Let us just get inside, and get this over with."

"Very well." Meesei responded, hiding her annoyance. "I am guessing you wish for us to disarm?"

"You may keep your weapons. I assure you, they would not matter." He answered, doing nothing to dispel the stereotype of Altmer arrogance. "Oh, and do not worry about the little ones you left behind, we have sent people to collect them. They will be joining us promptly."

---

Back at camp, the fog in the air seemed to thicken to the point that it was difficult to see more than a few feet away. The feeling of dread only became stronger, which made it difficult to keep Rhazii from crying for his mother. Even Leaps was curled up frightened at Sabine's feet. Just like with the rest of the pack, when the cultists arrived, it was sudden. Four robed Argonians backed up by three skeletons appeared from the fog, as if invisible, surrounding Sabine on all sides. She had no chance to move before they blocked all escape, but they did not attack. Instead, a dark-scaled Argonian stepped forward and addressed her. "Do not attempt to run, little lycan. You will not escape, and you will not survive. You would not be alive if we wished to kill you. Our master demands the presence of you and your pack, so you are going to come with us."

Elder Scrolls: Danger of Discovery (EliteCommander and Luna)

After leading them back down to the room, Murnglesh went back upstairs to return to her duties, leaving the others to their conversation. Swims was glad to be able to give his thanks to Khaj, though he wasn't too certain what to say beyond that. Khaj had been an acquaintance for him and Veria, but it wasn't as if they were close friends. Still, they were on friendly terms, so he was sure he could find something to speak about.

"So, Khaj, how have things been going for you since you entered the Legion? I can't say I know much about a soldier's life." Swims asked.

Khaj went over to the table in the corner and took a seat on one of the old, wooden chairs. "Well, Khaj made captain. He has his own patrol now. Honestly, though, for now at least, we are more guards than soldiers. The Dominion is a threatening presence, but the bandits and other vagabonds that operate in this area are more of an immediate concern. Khaj does not disagree with that sentiment; he would much rather fight criminals than soldiers."

"You certainly do know how to fight. I...don't remember much, but I think I remember you taking them out very quickly. I can't wait until I am good enough to do that." Swims remarked.

Khaj put on more of a concerned expression and let out a slight sigh. "Look, Swims...Khaj spoke to Veria, he knows why you were out here. It is easy to understand why you would want to get away, but...please, just go home. Khaj spent years training to learn how to fight, he is a soldier. You do not have that, and a patrol may not come around next time to save you. Khajiit does not wish to insult you, he is just speaking the truth. You are not soldiers, please do not put yourself into danger."

"I...I understand." Swims responded. He wanted to shout in protest, but deep down, he knew Khaj was right. If he was as good as he wished he was, those bandits would not have bested them. Swims turned his head and looked to Veria with a saddened expression. "After I get better...do you want to head back to Leyawiin?"

Blood Act I: Auxilary Tale - Ssarak's Story (Private Party)

Lucius Cypher said
Well, it was mostly going to be Annabeth saying "Okay, let's go to Underhaven." And than I fill up the rest of the paragraph with her internal thoughts and such, however not only did I feel that was a cheap way to add fluff, but didn't have much anyways. Barely five hundred characters. At least this way I could add a bit from Annabeth and Colette too. you don't mind if Colette sits in on the conversation, right?

Alright, I assume Coco will come along?

Blood Act I: Auxilary Tale - Ssarak's Story (Private Party)

We may wish to finish the current conversation first, though.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Though they had said nothing while they were watching the pair, Meesei could tell that the others shared her apprehension on the situation. It wasn't as much as something felt wrong as it was that nothing felt right. From the convenience of having two cultists outside, unguarded, to the ominous atmosphere itself, she felt like something could go wrong at any moment. Nevertheless, they could still hear the cultists' conversation very clearly from their position.

The Altmer vampire did not seem as enthusiastic as the Argonian. "I disagree; I feel this is a waste of time. I doubt we will gain anything more than if we just handle it in the...usual fashion. But, the masters' orders are our command. Even I am not arrogant enough to believe I could yet oppose them."

The Argonian moved away from the tree he was leaning on and looked around for a moment. "Speaking of which, the intruders, they should be present by now, correct?"

Upon those words, Meesei's first reaction was to signal everyone to retreat, but the Altmer's reaction gave them little time to act. He held out his hand, conjuring up a small orb of dark, pulsing energy. It sent out pitch black tendrils of energy that seemed to meld seamlessly into the fog around them. "Indeed." He grinned, then diffused the orb and looked directly at Meesei and the others. There was no clear line of sight between them, but that did not seem to matter. "You may reveal yourselves now. I assure you, there is no use in hiding...or running, for that matter. You see, you are quite surrounded."

Before the Altmer even finished speaking, at least a dozen forms stepped out of the fog around them. About half were reanimated skeletons and corpses, while the others were robed individuals, mostly Argonian, with one or two of other races. Like the Altmer, some were pale enough to suggest that they could be vampires. How they had gone undetected, Meesei did not know, but they seemed to appear from nowhere, perhaps using invisibility. Beyond that, their scents, even those of the reanimated corpses, were completely nonexistent. With how completely they had hidden themselves, Meesei wondered if they were perhaps just convincing illusions. Unfortunately, the dark power permeating the area seemed to be deadening her magical perceptions, and she was not about to test that theory without knowing for sure. As it stood, they were surrounded on all sides, outnumbered, and with no cover. They did not have the advantage, and the cultists obviously already knew they were there, so for the moment, Meesei reluctantly stood from her hiding spot and signaled for the others to do the same.

As the pack revealed themselves, the Altmer gave a satisfied chuckle. "Surprised? I would not be. Did you really believe you could hide from us in our own home, after being here for days, no less?" He paused, then slowly took in a deep breath. "The power in the air, do you feel it? Because it can feel you as well. Our masters' magic is powerful, and as ancient as the ruins themselves. There has not been a step you have taken since you entered our domain that our master has not felt. Now, as for the matter at hand, the reason you are not dead is because our master finds it curious that a pack of lycans would be so blatantly searching for us in times as...tumultuous as these. You shall follow us, and speak to our master, or die where you stand."

The Depths of Deception

The rest of the team was prompt to arrive and take their seats in the Hummingbird. Rareth had previously spoken with Ashley about the flight plan, so she went ahead to the cockpit to perform the pre-flight checks while Rareth addressed the rest of the team. There was no denying that the mission would be dangerous, but given the types of people who she was working with, they had all likely been a part of more dangerous operations before. Rareth certainly had. The greatest challenge here would be to minimize civilian casualties, as it was a hostage situation.

"Alright, looks like everyone is here. We should be taking off shortly. I'm sure you have all reviewed the plan, but just to be sure, but the objective is to identify the exact locations of the hostages onboard the station, then transmit that information to the small fleet that is waiting outside the planet's orbit. The station is decently large, and there were a fair number of civilians onboard, so there is no way we can extract them quietly. We just have to give our allies the information necessary to strike fast before these terrorists can conduct any executions. The Hummingbird has been outfitted with an IFF tag that should signal the station's defenses to ignore us, and to not report our approach. As well, the video feeds recovered by the Assembly's hackers early show a small hanger near the bottom of the station that the rebels do not appear to be using. We should be able to use it to get in undetected. If not, we do have one backup plan. The company that made this station has given us a program that can cause the station to block all communications within its hull. If we are detected, we can use that to prevent them from reporting our position, but it should be used only as a last resort. The rebels have been forced to struggle to gain control of the station's technology ever since they occupied it, so a comms blackout may not immediately suggest an infiltration, but it will put them on alert. Plus it would only be a matter of time before they figure out how to disable the jammer, so we will be on a timer from the moment we activate it. Now, since scouring every room of the station would be impractical, our best bet is to find the room that the rebels are using as a data center and find whatever records they are keeping on their prisoners. There are a few likely locations we can check." Rareth explained. For this mission, they would likely have the advantage of being able to use some of the station's technology against the rebels, but even so, they could not necessarily rely on them, just in case the rebels turned out to be more capable than they guessed.

The Depths of Deception

I believe I will go ahead and make a post assuming everyone arrived. I need to do some work first, though.