EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once Meesei was reasonably sure they were not being watched, she joined the conversation, keeping a decently low volume. "No, and knowing who we are, any spy would be cautious. However, there may be some angles we can pursue. For one, I would suppose the initiates are being closely watched. Anyone new would not be allowed to leave without supervision, so it would be difficult for a spy among them to get out a message. It makes it more likely that we could catch them in the act. Of course, if a spy is higher up in the ranks, it could be more difficult." Meesei paused to think for a moment. Part of her wished that she could have gotten into the clan's hideout without revealing that she was the Champion. Sure, it granted her greater respect and authority, but a spy would also be cautious around her and her pack. If they were to ferret out any potential traitors, they would need to be more resourceful. "Unfortunately, a spy would be very careful about his or her actions around us, but asking around may yet be useful. Most of the lycans here are likely loyal, so we could have some of them act as our eyes, even if they do not know they are doing so. While we are here, we will be helping to bolster their defenses and find the lair of Vile's followers. While we are doing so, we should do what we can to become friendly with other members of the clan. We can build connections and ask them what they find out of the ordinary. Some of them, if we trust them enough, we might ask directly keep an eye out for trouble, but even normal conversation can reveal useful information. We just need to make sure to make friends at all levels of the pack, from initiates to officers. That way, they have more of a chance of coming into contact with spies."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Thank you." Meesei said with a polite nod. "Myself and my pack will get settled in, then explore the city in more detail, and get to know some of its inhabitants. I will find Jerrick once we are properly accustomed to your clan." She explained briefly. Once Gallus left, the pack started to unpack their bedrolls and situate their belongings. It seemed like they were going to be staying longer than a few nights, so they unpacked more of their things than they would for a night at an inn. As they had been in Bruma earlier in the day, they were all in their city clothes, which most of them were quick to change out of into their normal clothing. Their city clothing had been worn for over a month, with few spares, so all of them could use a good wash. Now that they were alone, Meesei had a chance to speak to her pack in private. Firstly, she used her magic to detect life around her and see if anyone might be listening in. As well, she attempted to detect any magic that could be used to allow someone to listen in on them. This room had been unused before they arrived, so it was doubtful that any traitors among the clan would have prepared to eavesdrop within, but she could never be too careful. "This city is certainly impressive, but we should avoid getting distracted. We have to ensure that it is well-protected, and to do that, we need to first make sure none of Vile's agents are within."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The variety of magic, Ayleid and otherwise, that was being used throughout the ruin was fascinating to Meesei, and the fact that, according to Gallus, some of the clan were actually intent on studying the ruin was encouraging. While an Ayleid city made for an excellent, defensible hideout, inhabiting it brought the risk of damaging the ruins themselves. However, if there were members that were working on preserving the knowledge found within, then less might be lost than Meesei feared. The Ayleid Empire was a cruel, oppressive entity, and Tamriel was overall better off without them, but the loss of their contributions to magic was also a tragedy of its own. In Meesei's mind, recovering what they once knew could turn the workings of what was essentially an evil empire to the benefit of Tamriel. If Meesei had the chance, she would study everything she could about these ruins, but their present task had to take priority. Meesei diverted her attention from her thoughts once Gallus started to describe their history in the city, which was both depressing and encouraging. Gallus indicated that there were still untouched parts of the city in the lower floors, but they were still hazardous with undead, and probably traps. "They entirety of Ayleid civilization were housed in cities like these, so I imagine its true extent is massive. This is obviously one of the larger cities, so in its day, there were probably thousands of Ayleids within its walls. If ever you ran out of room up here, you would likely have plenty of room to expand into. I admit, I would love to see an Ayleid city being used for the purpose that it was built, but sadly, that may no longer be possible. Even if the clan had enough members to fill this entire city, it is unlikely to ever be brought back to its glory days. As I am sure you know, magic was an everyday part of their lives, and much of that magic has been lost. You have figured out how to operate some of the arcane mechanisms they built into their city, but there are certainly more that people today simply do not know how to operate. The Ayleids solved many of the problems of living underground with magic, and any of the objects around us could have some lost function. The city will probably never be inhabited in the same way the Ayleids lived in it." Meesei commented, her tone almost solemn.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Hearing about this Najirri quite understandably caught Fendros and Ahnasha's attention. Just as they had hoped, it seemed there was someone who could deal with mental trauma among the clan. For a group that dealt with so many new lycans, it was sensible that such a person would be quite important, or at least helpful, to have. However, given the importance of them dealing with Vile's followers, it could be some time before they would have the chance to see him, depending upon how their investigations unfolded. Still, for Ahnasha, it gave her something to hope for. Besides, according to Gallus, Najirri would be the one to call for them. The next chamber, where clothes were washed and dried, would likely not be too important to them unless they ended up staying for a sufficient length of time. Although, with how long they had been traveling away from warm bodies of water, a lot of what they had could use washing. The next, and much more interesting, chamber they visited was a mix between a dining room and a kitchen. The scents in the air were tantalizing, though it was Meesei's guess that the food would have to be rationed, given the number of mouths that needed to be fed. Still, the crowded room was obviously quite a popular location. "Hmm, I would have guessed that Jerrick would use the main chamber for announcements, though I suppose more people often find themselves here. And his balcony would make it easier to project his voice." Meesei reasoned. Looking up at the chimney which handled the smoke created a few thoughts in her mind that concerned her, but she would need to investigate further before bringing anything up. A few of the pack were hungry enough to eat, but as they were still in the tour, they moved on. The next point of interest was not a chamber they stopped in, but rather a long hall with open rooms on each side. Inside were long rows of planters growing corn, wheat, potatoes, and many other kinds of food crops. Surprisingly, there were no openings above to let in sunlight, but rather there were magical lights suspended from the ceiling above. Normally, plants could not grow under artificial lights, even most magical variants, but she had heard of some magic that was capable of mimicking sunlight. Mostly, it was used to combat vampires, but she could see how it might be useful in other pursuits. The enchanted lanterns above did not look Ayleid, so she supposed that there was someone among the clan who was capable of said magic.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose --- That was not supposed to happen. Ssarak was momentarily confused by the guard captain's extreme reaction to his breath attack. At first, Ssarak thought Meirin's weaving spell might have asphyxiated him, but he was reacting even before that would have happened. His breath attack was essentially a calming pathokinesis spell, and while it could have other...potential effects than stopping one from fighting, it certainly should not have incapacitated him. He did not know if the captain had died, but before he could do anything to check, he caught the familiar and terrified thoughts of Lyn, not to mention her audible screams. At a quick glance, he could see the robed man was still alive, but Lyn's safety was more important than him. Though Ssarak could have given chase to Lyn, he worried that might cause her even more terror. Despite the intensity of the fight, Ssarak reached into her mind with a calm voice, meant to soothe her fear. "Lyn, you need not be afraid. We can protect you; just hide behind the carriage, and we will stop anyone who might harm you." In addition to his words, Ssarak used a spell of calming pathokinesis to calm her mind, which she would likely attribute to his voice. So far, Ssarak had been nothing but calm and friendly with Lyn. Hopefully, he had left enough of an impression on her that she could trust him as a protector. It also helped that he was very intent on following through with his promise.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei found herself quite curious about the pillars Gallus described, as she was for any ancient magical artifact. Purifying water was not exactly something vital to a lycan, but nevertheless, it was not something she knew how to do with magic, at least not without boiling it. Therefore, it of course caught her interest, but she would likely need to speak to Darahil if she wanted to learn more. As for the next chamber, Meesei could not tell if it was originally designed to be a pool, but she did know that Ayleid ruins sometimes contained large pools of water. What the Ayleids used them for could only be speculated upon, but the use the pack had found for it was no doubt good for overall morale. Meesei, and indeed the rest of her pack, knew well what kind of hard work it took to learn to gain control of one's beast spirit, so any leisure time was a blessing. Gallus' initiate, Tzirret, was obviously upset with Gallus' attempt at a joke. No doubt, there were many in the clan like him, as those who were turned unwillingly could be subject to intense trauma. Gallus mentioned that Tzirret was not too familiar with Cyrodilic, which made Ahnasha wonder if she could provide some kind of help. Deciding to take a chance, she spoke up in a light tone, and in Ta'agra. "Your turning was not willing, I assume? My mate, Fendros, was turned in the same way. I know it may not seem like it now, but it does get better over time, all of it. Your beast spirit can be controlled, no matter how unruly it seems."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The pack's new guide, Gallus, guided them back through to the main chamber, likely because it connected to most other parts of the city. Whatever purpose it once held to the Ayleids, now its use was fairly self-evident. Its sheer size was perfect for training, or large gatherings. And with how many lycans were apparently in the clan, they would need the space. It was so large, in fact, that most of the lycans that saw them pass did not take special notice of the pack, most likely because they were used to new faces by this point. Ahnasha nodded to Gallus as they walked along through the chamber. "Ahnasha, and yes, Rhazii is a werewolf. You said you first turned when you were in your teenage years? That is what I thought would happen. We still have plenty of years before we need to worry about that." She commented. Other than the training, there was little else actually happening in the main chamber, at least not at the moment, so the group simply exchanged introductions with Gallus as they headed into another corridor, then down the stairs to a lower floor. In addition to the general noise of people moving about in the distance, they could also start to hear the low, steady sound of flowing water echo through the spacious halls. The stairs ended perpendicular to a hallway with chambers on both the left and right on the opposite side of the hall. Just in front of them, they could see into the chamber that Gallus was guiding them to. It was well-lit, with a decently wide and deep stream flowing through its center. Given that the path the stream was flowing through was built into the ruin, it had likely always been the water source for the city. Apart from the stream, the other most notable feature about the room were the small glowing pillars on the sides of the stream, each with a welkynd stone at its top. They radiated magicka, but even Meesei did not know their function just by looking at them. From outside the room, they could also hear voices echoing through the halls to their left, but Gallus would likely take them there soon. "I take it this is the city's water source? I can see how this place would be an excellent home, given that it has its own river." Meesei commented. "Do you happen to know what those pillars do?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose and Meirin Kurenai --- As Ssarak was charging forward, he noticed Meirin use her magic to spring into position behind the guard captain, but despite the general noise of the fight and the fact that she was out of his line of sight, he reacted immediately, and with surprising agility. Had he not known about he might have assumed that the captain had very acute hearing, but as he sprang away behind Meirin, Ssarak recognized what was going on quickly, as it was a strategy he had used countless times himself. The guard captain had been warned by the psychomancer; something that would make this fight much more difficult. Before he even started to think of a counter, Ssarak rushed to help Meirin, though there was no way he could do anything physically in time. Thanks to his training with Satori, however, his mental reactions were almost as natural to him as any block or parry. To the captain, he gave an illusion, one that was subtle enough not to require a high level of detail. As he was beginning his swing, Ssarak attempted to alter his perception of depth enough to make Meirin seem closer than she actually was. Hopefully, his swing would either miss entirely, or at least not be ideal, and therefore easier to block. Meirin was sure that she would have been tripped the captain. Yet somehow he was able to jump over Meirin. Was this another illusion or did that really happen? She didn't think about it for long; illusion or not she didn't feel her weapon hit anything so she missed, and she couldn't see the captain in front of her so she needed to move. Meirin dodged to the side and felt a tug on her sleeve. When she looked she saw that the captain had just her arm, but just barely. Nothing that would stop Meirin but it was very close. If she had to guess the captain must be getting help from the Psychomancer. There was no way he could have seen Meirin get behind him. She had to be careful too however; that Psychomancer could do the same trick to Meirin, as she could still see the demons trying to attack her. She had to block them out from her sight and try not to flinch everytime a demon took a swing at her. "This is getting annoying Ssarak... I know these demons aren't real but they're getting in the way." The worse things these demons were doing were just blocking her view. She made some weak swings to "knock" them away, but they were presistant. She at least knew were the guard captain was at and made sure that he didn't sneak an attack on her while the demons pestered her. The guard captain noticed something off with his sight. He couldn't tell what, but whatever it was it made him miss the red haired girl. It was two against one now and he knew that both his opponents were very skilled. The red haired girl was one of those warrior monks from the mountain, so he knew she was a fighter. The eysire was obviously a threat. The worse thing that could happen to the captain was if he left himself get flanked again. He had only a few seconds to weigh his options and charged the eysire. While he had no doubts that one solid blow could kill the warrior monk, she was fast, likely faster than he was, and if he tried to focus his attention on her the eysire warrior could land a blow that would kill him. No, the captain would need to make sure to take advantage of his speed against the larger warrior rather than match speed with the warrior monk. Keeping his shield arm between him and the dragon warrior the guard captain juked to the eysire's left. As he did so he also stabbed his sword into the a fold in the eysire's leg armor. He wanted to try to peirce the flesh, but failing that he could at least get his blade lodged in to try to trip up the eysire. Given that Meirin was not armored in the same way as Ssarak, he had expected that the guard captain would go for her, but he was ready for his attack nonetheless. The captain was ill-equipped to deal with an armored opponent. Slashing attacks were all but useless against, plate, which meant the only way he could be effective was with thrusts. Therefore, as soon as he dodged to the side, Ssarak had a reasonable guess as to what kind of attack was coming. As the captain was starting to thrust forward, Ssarak grabbed onto the head of his maul with his left hand and yanked it upwards, acting as a lever to snap the haft down onto the blade, hopefully knocking it to the side. At the same time, he decided to give his own, unique counter. In a more direct application of psychomancy than he had been using, Ssarak concentrated some of his magic into a psychomantic breath attack, which shot out through the small, grid-like holes in the front of his helmet. The collection of generally calming effects it produced could make him rethink his decision to fight, or at the very least, its effects would certainly not be helpful in such a fast-paced fight. The captain had put Ssarak between himself and Meirin, but it would still only be a few seconds before she was on him as well. Either Meirin was scarier than she gave herself credit for or the guard captain was trying something when he attacked Ssarak first. She at least could guess that he was trying not to get stuck between him and Meirin since he tried to put Ssarak between them, but Meirin was fast enough to follow him. Just as Meirin got into position to attack Ssarak countered but not in a way she had ever seen him do before. He breathed some sort of smoke into the captain's face. She knew that Eysire could use breath attacks based on their magic but she had no idea what a Psychomancy breath attack would do. Whatever it was though, it would at least blind the captain. Instead of attacking the captain directly Meirin took this chance to use a weaving movement. She thought back to her lessons Ghell and one technquie that would be most effective here. She needed both hands however so she had to drop her monk's spade and took her stance. First she focused on the captain. Than she held her hands close to her center, like she was holding a ball between had palms. She rotated her hands around the center of her body until a small spinning orb was formed between her hands. Than she launched this ball towards the captain, where it grew as Meirin continued to motions until the captain was surrounded but a sort of wind barrier. Normally this was a technquie used defensively, but Meirin learned how to use it offensively by sucking the breath out of those caught inside of it as well as pushing objects away from the orb. Ssarak would feel the wind pushing against him, but the purpose of this technquie was to make sure the guard breathed in all of Ssarak's breath attack. Meirin continued to maintain the movements until she felt that the captain was no longer a threat, or somehow escaped, whichever came first. The guard captain stepped back from Ssarak when his attack failed. He was about to try to get behind the eysire to attack his wings when he breathed a thick smog in the captain's face. This certainly caught him off guard as he raised his shield to try to block the attack, but still breathed in the smoke. His eyes watered and he began to cough as the effects of the smoke immediately began to try to take hold of his mind. He waved his shield around trying to blow the smoke away but than Meirin's wind vaccum prevented that from working. The gas surrounded him, forced him to breath in Ssarak's breath. The captain's vision became blurred, his mind was starting to go blank. Thoughts and visions flashed before his eyes as he both tried to keep fighting and wanted to do nothing more than drop his weapons. The captain flailed forward in an attempt to break out of the wind tunnel, but after he did he collapsed. He was foaming from the mouth and his eyes were blood shot. His last memory was that of a woman that he knew back at his home. Slowly, he closed his eyes as his faded from consciousness.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei remained silent through Jerrick's explanation of his rules. Given how different such a large clan would be from a normal pack, it was sensible that it would have a defined list of rules, with some variation from the norm. Each rule was simple, practical, and likely necessary for the continuing function of his clan. However, Meesei was careful in how she worded her response. She agreed with each rule, but she had to avoid seeming submissive. "My pack will remain respectful, I will be sure of it." Meesei began before turning towards her own pack. "I am Hircine's Champion, granted his authority to lead our kind through these troubled times, but this is Jerrick's clan. He and his people are the ones who have built this formidable clan into what it is today. As long as we are his guests, we shall respect his customs and rules." She said, her voice containing the same kind of authority as Jerrick. She had no doubt that her pack could avoid causing trouble, but she needed to reassure Jerrick just as well. Meesei looked back at Jerrick as she continued. "Rest assured, Jerrick, I am not here to supplant you, if that was a fear in your mind. I know the arrival of new alphas can cause...tension, at times. But, no matter my position with our lord, I respect that you are the leader of these people, just as it should remain. Myself and my pack will start by helping to eliminate the presence of Vile's followers in the area, both outside the clan, and within, if his agents have managed to infiltrate. As outsiders, we may be able to gain information and perspectives hidden from your own people. I do also have some ideas on how to track down our enemy's lair." Meesei paused and glanced to Oswall with a slight grin. "And I may have time to share stories. Actually, there may be a good reason to share that particular tale. But first, I would like for us to be able to get settled in."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As expected, Jerrick and his lieutenants were all diverse in their skill sets, as would be necessary to maintain such a large clan. Provided their self-assessments were all honest, Meesei could certainly make use of their talents. More importantly, they all seemed to have earned their positions years, or centuries, in Darahil's case, before the troubles with Clavicus Vile began. Of course, corruption was still possible after any length of time, but it seemed much less likely. Having an agent of Clavicus Vile in the inner circle could be disastrous, and while Meesei would still remain cautious, she could be more at ease. Meesei was not a person who liked to brag about her own talents, unlike Lorag, Ahnasha, or two of Jerrick's lieutenants, but nevertheless, it would be best for her to present herself as being capable. "Well, being that my pack is much, much smaller, I make all of my pack's important decisions. From the day I was hatched, I have been trained to be a leader. I was to be Treeminder for my village, which also entailed a great deal of magical training. I have been training and using my magic for every day of my conscious life. Some of my village's magical traditions seemed to have been lost by Tamriel as a whole, or were never known to them, but I still retain them. As for my pack, it is fairly young, actually. It was about seven years ago that it was formed, they all very skilled, or have exceptional promise for growth. I shall let them introduce themselves." She said, gesturing first to Lorag. "Ah, well, I'm a warrior, if the hammer and armor didn't give it away. Father was a warrior, mother was a warrior, and I ended up in the Legion as soon as they let me. They sent me to Skyrim to fight in that civil war they had a while back. I got infected up there and after about ten years on my own, Alpha found me. I can fight, and I can do it well. Nothin' more to say than that, really." Lorag explained. Ahnasha started next, once she had enough time to think about how to describe her skills. "I've been a hunter since I could hold a bow. I was young when I first learned about Hircine, and I knew from then what I was meant to do. I'm quick with blades, pinpoint with a bow, and am capable of Illusion and Conjuration as well." Kaleeth was significantly more nervous to speak up than the others. Unlike them, she did not consider herself especially good at anything, and she did not want to disappoint anyone by making herself seem weak. "Oh, well...I don't really know what to say..." Sensing Kaleeth's anxiety, Meesei quickly interrupted to give her own decription. "Kaleeth is the newest member of the pack, apart from Rhazii, of course. She is still very much in training, but as I said, she has great potential. She was trained to be a hunter in her village, so she is not without ability. Being a werecrocodile, she also has a distinct physical advantage. Save for another werecrocodile, I doubt anyone could outmatch her physically."