EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Indeed, Fendros is correct. The battle did not remain so strongly in our favor forever." Meesei commented after finishing another part of our meal. "Pushing through, deeper into the cave was a fight, but it was not a great challenge. We were fighting in the hunters' home, but as it seemed, they had not been prepared to face us. After the first room, they armed themselves and we were fighting on equal ground, but our skills were more than a match for theirs in that situation. However...we then met the Orc. At first, he seemed to flee. He left some men behind to fight while he retreated further into the cave. Once we killed those men, we caught up to him only to see him collapse part of the cave between us. We thought he intended to escape through an alternate exit, so we took on our werewolf forms and tossed the rocks aside until we made a passage we could crawl through. From there, we dashed ahead with as much speed as we could muster. We did catch up to him, but he was not the coward he made himself out to be." Meesei paused to take a drink. She guessed that the next part of the story would draw the most attention, in particular due to the suppression gas. Undoubtedly, there would be more questions on the gas, perhaps even from the members of the inner circle. As much as Meesei wanted to give Ariel credit for her great contributions in destroying it, for her own protection, it would be best if her name was not mentioned. "The Orc was not only brutally effective in combat, but he was crafty and intelligent. His apparent retreat had been a ruse to lead us into a trap. The hunters had at their disposal a gas that, when breathed in by a lycan, suppresses our beast spirits. When the Orc released it, the gas, painfully and immediately, forced us all to revert back to our normal forms. Right in the middle of him and his men. We were naked and unarmed, and surrounded and outnumbered by the Orc and his remaining hunters. The Orc himself had his silver spear, and a myriad of other silver blades tucked away in their sheathes. This was a man whose very clothing was made from the hides of fallen lycans. At that moment, he had once again become the hunter. If any part of this tale can be thought of as 'heroic,' it is this. But, it was not only me that overcame the Orc's trap. True, it was me that was leading us, and my magic that protected us from the volley of arrows and spellfire, but it was the strength of all of our skills working in tandem that defeated the Orc. We fought back with magic and what weapons we could scavenge from their corpses. Despite all of their advantages, one by one, they started to die. But even as his men began to fall, the Orc himself fought to the very end with a fury that cannot be described. He had unnatural strength, speed, and reflexes, perhaps from his master's influence. In the struggle, he impaled his spear completely through my stomach, but even so, I landed the killing blow with one of his own blades. He was the one who had killed Hircine's previous Champion, and it was from his finger that I took the ring that now rests on mine." Meesei had more she wished to say about the story, but decided again to pause for a moment to continue her meal.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was concerned when Sabine got up and moved, but as she was in the middle of the story, she could not stop until it was complete. Instead, she moved on, giving a slight chuckle to the person who had spoken out. "Oh, it would have been unwise to get close enough to see. These hunters were fighting on their terms, in their own ambush. They were prepared and ready to fight and kill lycans, and it was very likely they had others in the shadows, just waiting for something to go wrong. Let it be a lesson, the enemy we face, their lycan hunters, are very efficient in their own element. They know all of our weaknesses, and how to exploit them. When they lay a trap, when they are fighting on their own terms, you should never underestimate them. No, what we did was to move our attack to our own terms. " Meesei gave a brief pause to take a few bites of her meal, then continued. "We tracked the hunters and followed them to their hideout, a cave in the side of a mountain. Like the other pack probably intended, we were going to charge into their lair, but unlike them, we made certain we were not expected. We caught them completely off-guard and charged into their hideout. A lycan hunter's advantage over us is diminished when they lose the ability to plan ahead. It was only their silver weapons which gave them some kind of edge. If you can overcome or subvert a lycan hunter's plan, that is when you should press your advantage. We are stronger than them, faster than them, no matter our form. In a tight, close range environment like that cave, the hunters became the hunted." She decided that was a dramatic enough point to give a pause for the crowd to react, and to give her a chance to take a few more bites of her meal.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once Meesei and her pack were settled the crowd was quick to follow. Their curiosity, especially about the story of their slaying of the Orc. Most of them were the younger lycans and initiates, but soon enough Oswall showed up to hear the tale. As well, there were other members of the inner circle who were watching from a distance. Meesei grinned as she looked over the crowd. "All of you wish to hear the story of how I became Champion? Well, I think I can oblige. It was indeed a harrowing experience, wrought with danger and bloodshed. But, if you are expecting the classic tale of a hero facing down some terrible beast alone, well, this is not that tale. No, this is a different story. Now, it does have some of those classic elements, like a greatly formidable foe, perilous battles, a divinely beautiful heroine..." She joked, producing some brief laughs from the crowd. "...but I was far from alone." "I suppose I should start with our arrival in Northeastern Morrowind. We were not the first pack to arrive; there were others who had recieved the same vision from Hircine. Just like us, they were strong and motivated. They scoured the city, searching for clues as to the Orc's wherabouts. One pack did find those clues, but unfortunately, they brought them to their doom. You see, the Orc's hunters had its eyes and ears in the city, and those "clues" they found led them straight into a trap. Near nightfall, this pack left the city towards what they thought to be the hunter's lair, but along the way, they were ambushed. These hunters were brutal and efficient, true professionals at their craft. They set upon them with silver weapons. Barbed crossbow bolts shot out from all sides, each of them attached to ropes tied to trees. They could not move, could not fight, and were killed in but a few moments." Meesei told her story loudly enough that the room could hear. She paused briefly after describing the death of the other pack to allow her description of the hunters to have more impact. She wanted to be sure to convey how dangerous their foes were.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even for Meesei, the walk into the dining chamber was a wake-up call. In her mind, she had known what being Champion meant. She had known that it signified that Hircine found her to be the strongest among his hounds. She had known that it was a station his followers would look up to, something they might even idolize. Now, however, she was seeing it firsthand. The ones that were running up to meet them were mostly younger initiates, but even the older lycans had their attention firmly on her. Of course, the rest of her pack were also receiving their own share of the attention. Kaleeth was nervous at the sudden barrage of questions and stuck close to Janius silently, but Lorag and Ahnasha were much more open. Lorag initially was annoyed by the questioning, but as soon as he realized that it was an opportunity to brag about his own exploits, he started giving some mostly-true answers. Ahnasha responded similarly, though she also had to worry about calming Rhazii. To Fendros' comment, she simply looked at him and nodded with a slight chuckle. Meesei was receiving most of the questions, to the point that she could not answer them all if she wanted to. She was holding on to Sabine's hand, and it was clear that she was not comfortable with the sudden attention. Meesei had to put on a public face, an attitude with which to address the crowd. She had to find something that was a mix between friendly and assertive. Her position was one of strength, so there was no circumstance in which she could allow herself to be viewed as submissive, but at the same time, she did not want to be known as a cruel or distant leader. She wanted to be someone they could approach or admire, but she had to be sure that she was always seen as being in charge of the situation. Meesei raised up her hand and spoke in a voice that was not harsh or rude, but loud and firm enough to demand attention. "Now, even I cannot answer you all at once." She began to bring them to relative silence, making sure to continue before she was interrupted. "I am sure you all have many questions, and there will be time for answers. We are here to help protect your clan, to bring our might down to bear upon its enemies. We will be with you for some time, so for right now, let us sit and eat together, as brothers and sisters of Hircine's blood."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I don't know, it's different." Kaleeth began, uncertain of how to voice her thoughts. "I mean, there are a lot of people here. It is crowded, but not like the other places we've been. The cities and towns are filled with people that don't know each other and aren't really...connected. But here, everyone is a lycan, and lycan packs are supposed to be like a family, right? It kind of feels like a really, really big village. Well, if a village was in a giant Ayleid city. I've never been in one of these before; I've just seen them from the outside. I never expected they would be so big inside. Meesei said it used to have thousands of people living in it, right? That closed off area must be huge too. I like the way it looks, the stones and the way it is built is just beautiful, but the thing I really, really like about it is that its warm. I hate the cold. People who live in the cold are just insane." Meesei stopped as she started to answer Fendros' question, since it was not best to discuss the matter in the halls. "We are newcomers here, and we do not know exactly what we are stepping into. No one is above suspicion, even the leadership. It does not seem likely to me that all of the inner circle would be under Vile's influence, but anything is possible, and I am not going to assume anything. According to their own word they have all been in their positions since before this trouble with Vile began. A good place to start would be to see how accurate that word is. When talking to others, we may wish to ask around for opinions about the clan's leadership...subtly, of course. If we start getting too much variety in the answer for how long they've been here, we may need to focus our investigation on them." She recommended.

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.