EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth had no idea how to handle the situation, for more reasons than one. If she tried to comfort Vera, the children would probably notice, but she was not sure if she could just do nothing. It was frustrating not knowing what she could do, and when she finally did speak up, both her tone and the look in her eyes showed that she was confused and nervous. She just hoped that moving on to a new topic would help her at least get her mind off of everything that had happened.

"So, uh, how long do the children usually practice on their own? I have never been in a...class like this." Kaleeth asked.

Meesei looked to Sabine reassuringly. "Do not worry, I will make sure it is healed properly, but these lessons are quite important. If you fight for long enough, injury is unavoidable, and knowing how to heal can mean the difference between life and death for yourself or your allies. Not only that, but in learning to heal, you also learn all of the intricacies of the body, all of its strengths and weaknesses. Now, let us find some place quiet."

It was not difficult for the pair to find a suitable room nearby. It was not entirely empty, as it looked like it was used for something, even if it was just storage, but there was no one currently using it. The main reason behind starting the lesson was so Sabine could stay nearby to her experiment, but while they were waiting, there was no harm in actually going through with the lesson. Meesei sat herself down on the floor just in front of Sabine as she began.

"Restoration, just like with most forms of magic, is about the understanding of your subject. In this case, the body. For the convenience of learning, we start with your body, that of a female Breton. Of course, the races of Humans and the races of Elves are not greatly different from one another, so knowledge you learn from one can be applied to another, in many cases. You may need to spend some time studying the anatomies of Khajiit and Argonians to fill out your knowledge completely, but for now, we shall start with you. To master healing, you will learn everything about the body: how the muscles interact with each other and how they connect to bone, where every organ is, what they do, and what they are made from. Every minute detail can be important. I cannot say it is easy, and it is sometimes an...unsettling topic to learn about, but I do have to say, there is a certain beauty to the inner workings of our bodies. They demonstrate how truly complex we all are." Meesei explained. To begin the lesson, she reached out and grabbed Sabine's wounded hand.

"For this lesson, let us start with pain, since it gave you trouble last time." Meesei began, pausing to numb Sabine's hand with a minor restoration spell. "In general, one cannot die from pain, and in an emergency, your first priority should be the wound itself, but it is easier for all involved if the pain is not an issue." Meesei released her hand, allowing the pain to return to it. "The most important step to understanding pain is understanding what causes it. It may seem like your skin, and the flesh underneath, can simply feel pain, but that is not the case. The flesh itself does not feel, but rather, it is an incredibly small, long organ that spreads throughout your entire body, in much the same way as your arteries and veins. They are invisible to your eyes, but with magic, you can perceive them. Try practicing looking inside yourself with your magic, as I taught you. Try to feel the slight presence of magicka within your body, feel how your energies are disrupted around the wound. If you have trouble, you might try taking your dagger and pressing on your skin until you feel a slight amount of pain, then see if you can feel what changed."

"Yeah, I guess." Lorag answered, taking a step forward and looking over the Dunmer. "Harriet's got the right of it. Be aware of your reach, and your enemy's. When you're not attacking, you want to be outside the other guy's reach. Usually, where they'd have to take a step forward if they wanted to hit you. That means they'll have to telegraph more if they want to hit you, which gives you time to react. The place you definitely don't want to be is where you can't hit them, but they can hit you. If you're in that spot, then either back off, or push forward, but do somethin' quick. If your weapon's shorter than theirs, then push the attack quick to get in range. A shield's great for that, so make sure you use it. Also, be more aggressive. A good defense is important, but it won't win the fight alone."

The Depths of Deception

Given how long we've been on this mission, I think I will do a timeskip to Pax after this scene is over. From there, I'm debating on whether or not we need to look for more people. On one hand, it can't hurt to have more, but on the other, I don't know if we really need more than we have.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek did not think he could actually understand Onyx's beliefs without a much more in-depth explanation of the beings she was referencing, but it was obvious those beliefs were strongly-held. Of course, he felt that a more likely explanation for her ability to carry him was simply that she was much stronger in flight than he initially assumed, but he also did not doubt the power of faith in motivating someone towards their goals. Whatever the case, Onyx's suggestion that he get some rest was starting to seem quite appealing.

"Oh, I do not think I will have any trouble getting to sleep. I will finish my meal, then retire for the night. Thank you for your hospitality. I hope my warning helps your people." He said. After a few minutes, he was finally able to finish what was left of his meal before bidding her goodnight, then returning to his room.

As Tarentek was undressing himself, he sat down on the bed with his robe in hand, running his finger through the hole in its front. The robe was not his originally, but rather that of his friend whom he escaped Amman with, as his own robe had been torn to shreds by the same weapon which gave him his scars. Tarentek had done everything he could to save him, but the bullet had pierced his heart, and the bleeding outpaced his regeneration. His death, unfortunately, was not quick nor painless, but at the very least, he had a chance to give his final words to another. Tarentek could not help but to wonder how many of his fellow warriors had not been given the same opportunity. How many had died with unfinished arguments, unconfessed love, or other unsaid words? There was always the possibility that some had survived, but with what he had seen during the battle, he held little hope. There had been far too much death; it was something that he was still having a difficult time coming to terms with, so for the moment, Tarentek did his best to push the thoughts aside. After finding a place in the corner of the room to tuck away his clothing and other belongings, he finally laid down in the bed for some well-deserved rest.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

“Leave?” The Twi’lek male said with a scoff, glancing around to his friends with a smug expression. “He wants us to leave. Now, that doesn’t seem very nice.” He gave an exaggerated laugh for a few moments, then suddenly slammed his hands down onto the table. “Now, what makes you think I’m gonna let you go that easily?”

Sirka’ith showed signs of anger and annoyance, but one emotion she did not show was fear. The group had her outnumbered, which was probably why they felt they could take on someone who was obviously physically superior to all of them. Considering that they were all only lightly armed, it was an idea that almost made her laugh. It was rare for someone to even know what a Ssi-ruu was, so they were likely unaware of what she was capable of. Regardless, she maintained a threatening demeanor as she stared the Twi’lek down. “I don’t know who you think you are, but I can tell you have no idea who I am. I’ll say it again, leave. If you think I can’t handle a few two-bit thugs like yourselves, then you’re dead wrong. Doesn’t matter how many of you there are. Also, I’m a woman, idiot.”

“Hmph, as ugly as you are, I bet you have to clarify that all the time.” He responded, producing a few chuckles from his entourage. “Well, I don’t care how big or tough you think you are, ‘cause it doesn’t matter. I’m the fastest shot in the sector; I’d burn a hole through your head before you could lay a finger on me. Now I’ll say it again, buy me a drink.” The Twi’lek demanded. He definitely seemed to believe his own threats, as he had an obnoxiously strong air of confidence about him. He glanced to the woman in his group with a smug grin as he waited to see if Sirka would give in to his demands.

Sirka took in the man’s scent once again, giving her a good sense of his mood, which gave her a good idea of what this was all about. Adrenaline was pumping through him; he was anxious for something, and had heightened confidence and libido. Sirka had the feeling this was all just to put on a show and make him seem tough, likely to impress the Twi’lek woman he kept glancing at. If he would have tossed a few credits Sirka’s way, she might have even helped him out, but now, she was going to make him regret it.

After letting out another, heavy sigh, Sirka slowly stood to her feet, causing a few of them to take a step back. She towered over all of them, but the Twi’lek seemed undeterred, though with his hand now hovering over his hip.

“Enough of this. I gave you a chance to back off, and you schuttas know as well as I this isn’t about drinks. What you looking to show how tough you are? Pick a fight with the biggest person in the room to show off and impress this girl?” She began, shifting her glare to the Twi’lek woman for a moment. “Don’t know why you’d even go through all the effort. From the looks of her, it seems like you pulled her straight out of a brothel…”

Sirka’s efforts to rile up her aggressor were successful, as he suddenly shouted out in anger. “That’s it!” He screamed. To his credit, he was actually reasonably fast on the draw, and while his shot did not hit her head like he bragged, it did hit her straight in the chest. Normally, that was enough to essentially fry any unarmored foe, but much to the Twi’lek’s horror, the same was not so for Sirka. There was a burn on her chest, but it had obviously not penetrated her thick, blaster-resistant scales. Any pain it might have caused, she was not showing in the slightest. There were a few, brief moments where the cantina was dead silent and the Twi’lek stood speechless, unable to bring himself to do anything but stand in fear. Eventually, he released his grip on his blaster pistol and let it drop to the ground, but Sirka was not letting him surrender so easily.

Before the Twi’lek could flee, Sirka snatched him up by the neck and lifted him up off the ground with one hand. She pulled his face close, almost to the point of touching her muzzle, and spoke in a low, growling voice. The others, despite being armed themselves seemed to offer no help to their “friend.”

“You know those stories about wookies pulling the arms off of stormtroopers? Let’s just say I can do that too. And you know what? You’re really making me want to give a demonstration.” By this point, pretty much everyone in the cantina had their attention on the scene unfolding before them, including the barkeeper whom Sirka locked eyes with for a moment. Like most other barkeepers, he obviously wanted to avoid killings in his cantina, and if Sirka still wanted to order drinks after this, she would need to oblige that preference. Focusing back on the Twi’lek in her grasp, she decided to leave him with one final warning. “You’re going to go give the barkeep a tip for the trouble you’ve caused him, then you’re going to get out of here before I crush your skull and turn your head-tails into soup.” She threatened before throwing him straight onto his back on the ground. “Now, move.”

As Sirka sat back down at her table and the Twi’lek started to skulk away, she flicked out her scent tongues once more, allowing herself to take in that sweet, sweet smell of shame from the thoroughly embarrassed thug.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sep said we could start putting up IC intros...so I did.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sirka’ith was alone, as was common between jobs, at the cantina with the strongest drink she could buy, as was common at virtually all times. She did not actually know what it was she was drinking, just that the bartender assured her it was strong. With her body mass, it took more alcohol to have the desired effect than with Humans and other, similarly sized species. This particular cantina looked old, run-down, and with a clientele that, for the most part, seemed just as likely to rob you as look at you. In particular, there was one group of two Twi’leks and two Humans by the bar that kept passing glances in her direction, but they kept their distance for the moment. Overall, the cantina fit quite nicely with the rest of the station. Prior to this job offer, she had not even known the station existed. From what she had looked up about it, the station’s name was Pondut, and it apparently used to be some kind of research station, but beyond that, she had no idea what happened to it. She assumed it had been abandoned at some point, because she highly doubted it still had its original owners.

The booth Sirka was using was the most spacious she could find, but it was still uncomfortably cramped, and her tail was hanging out quite far into the isle. She was used to being too big for basically everything, so it didn’t bother her much, but she still wished she could be back at her regular spot on Nar Shaddaa. She was a regular at a small cantina on the moon, to the point that the owner actually put in a booth specifically for her. It was cheap and tended to fall apart under her weight, but she appreciated the thought. Honestly, she was not even sure why she agreed to come all the way out to this station in the middle of nowhere. The pay seemed far too good to be true, but against her better judgment, she was taking the risk to find out. If they started asking for credits, though, she would be out of there.

Eventually, the group of four that had been eying her stood up all at once and started walking in her direction. Considering the exit was on the other side of the room, she assumed they were not looking to leave. Both of the humans and one Twi’lek were male, and all of them had a certain thuggish look about them. Sirka flicked out her scent tongues to get a sense of the hormones they were putting off, which served to confirm her suspicions. The Twi’lek male in particular was starting to grow more anxious the closer he came, so it did not come as a surprise when he “accidentally” stumbled over her tail and spilled his drink.

Sirka let out a sigh. Cantina brawls could be fun, but she wasn’t in the mood for one at the moment. She just wanted to drink in peace, but these idiots probably were not going to let that happen. Just as she expected, the Twi’lek slammed his empty glass down on her table and put on his best “tough guy” impression.

“Hey, stupid lizard, get that fat tail out of the isle…and get me another drink!” The Twi’lek shouted, his words slightly slurred.

Of course, no matter what kind of a mood she was in, Sirka was not going to put up with such a fool, so she gave a low growl and gave a simple warning: “Leave.” By this point, some of the other cantina patrons had their eyes on her table. She hoped they wanted a show, because she was not backing down.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth watched curiously as Vera stood up and approached a shelf in the corner of the room, grabbing an object that looked something like a fruit, though not one she was familiar with. Most of the plants that Imperials grew for food in Cyrodiil did not grow in Black Marsh, so she had found herself unfamiliar with many foods they had come across in their stops in Cyrodiil. She thought she might have seen one of these "apples" before, perhaps in an inn, but she was not sure.

"I haven't seen one of those before, is it a fruit? Most of the things that grow in Black Marsh are different from here." Kaleeth commented before shifting in her seat somewhat uncomfortably and speaking more quietly. "But...are you sure you should eat? Meesei said..." She began before trailing off, not sure how to continue discretely.

"Ah, that is good." Meesei commented after Sabine added her own blood to the mixture and assured her it would emulate how the poison affected a lycan. "It is best that your experiment be as representative as possible. Given its potential origins, it is possible that it could even be a poison designed to harm only lycans. We could test for that later, if this works."

As Meesei paused, her expression turned more concentrated, as if deep in thought, for a few moments before she continued. "Now, I simply need to figure out how to pass the time. There is quite a lot I need to do over the next week or two, but right now, it is going to be quite a few hours before I can start on my next order of business." Meesei said, turning her head to Sabine. "Perhaps we can find a space nearby and have another lesson in magic, Sabine? It has been a while since we have had an opportunity for one. That would also allow you to check periodically on the experiment."

Meesei started to reach out her hand, which was glowing slightly with restoration energy, to grab Sabine's, but stopped herself just short of holding her bleeding hand. "Actually, I believe now would be an opportune time for another lesson in healing."

Lorag simply gave another grunt in response to Harriet's opinion on Malacath, though this time, it had something of an agreeable tone to it. When the Dunmer woman approached, he looked her over, but just like with Gerald, withheld his judgement based only on her lithe form. Of course, Harriet's description of her skills would be plenty reliable. It seemed she had a problem with spears, which made sense for someone who had never fought in a military.

"Spears? Yeah, I've got training with those, mostly from the Legion. They are one of the most effective weapons you can use in war. Of course, most of my training with 'em was about how to use spears in formation. I trained in how to use them on a battlefield, not so much in just a one on one or small group fight. I mean, I can use them in a normal fight, but I probably don't know any more than you for that. Tell you what, I'll watch and give some tips if I see her make any mistakes you don't fix." He said.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek leaned back in his chair, lightly scratching his chin. "I...do not know how to answer that, honestly. To pursue lost knowledge is not opposed to our beliefs, but instead central to them. Perhaps I can explain." He said, leaning forward again and taking a quick bite of his meal before continuing.

"Koisk is our body. She gives the gift of the physical form we carry through life; she gives strength, fertility, and ensures our lasting good health. My people, the Karisskan, will heal from any wound that does not kill us. If an injury is terrible enough, it can take a long time to recover, such as with my mother, but even her leg would have healed completely given enough time. Vikrii is our spirit. He gifts us the essence of life, the spark of our being. And, he shepherds us through death, beyond our world. But Jhala, she is the one most central to our daily lives, for she is our mind, our thoughts and knowledge. It is her gift that separates us from simple beasts, not our bodies, no matter how strong or resilient they are. She grants us reasoning and understanding, and to serve her is to expand that knowledge. We seek the lost knowledge of the world before because it strengthens her gifts. So you see, gaining that knowledge is a core part of our values." Tarentek explained.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek tried to understand how it felt to fly from Onyx's words. Her way of describing the experience was quite vivid, though he doubted he would ever truly understand what it was like to fly under his own power, not unless he found a way to grow wings. He had not heard of this other race she mentioned, but if they had indeed died out, then why would he? "The way you make it sound...I do wish I could experience it, and not passively as before. It does seem like flight would give your people a great advantage." He commented, giving a pause to take a drink of his water. "Although, I suppose my people are not without any advantage. I am somewhat...larger than everyone I have seen so far here. I am honestly surprised you were able to carry me here; it could not have been easy. I do remember that my kind tended to have at least a bit more in the way of...muscular definition compared to most of the traders and other visitors to our city. Then there is our regeneration."

After Tarentek trailed off himself, Onyx asked a question about his people's gods, which he had no problem answering. "Yes, Koisk, Jhala, and Vikrii. They are our body, mind, and spirit, respectively. I could explain more about them, if you are curious." He offered.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Kaleeth had to stop and think for a few moments to answer Vera. "I...think so." She said, her tone somewhat unsure. "I remember Fendros teaching Sabine a while back, and I...think everyone else can. I haven't really asked, so I don't know for sure. I guess everyone raised in Cyrodiil can. I don't know if Meesei can. I would have to ask her."

As she had not been with the pack very long, Kaleeth wondered what else she did not know about them, or even just Janius. Granted, they had been traveling through Black Marsh for most of their time together, so writing in Cyrodilic was not something they had to commonly do, but it still seemed like something she should know about her friends. For a moment, she wondered if she should take the time to simply ask all of her friends about themselves once they had found the traitor and made peace in the clan, but since she was still talking to Vera, she decided to worry about it later. "Have you taught everyone in the clan to read in Cyrodilic, or are there some who still don't know?"

Once again, Meesei had little she could do as Sabine and Carana were preparing their next test, so she simply went back to waiting to the side patiently. Eventually, the pair set up their test, which Carana explained would take some time to complete. Meesei had expected that the test would take some time, though she was not quite certain what she should do in the meantime. She did not wish to continue questioning the lieutenants until she had the results of the test, and she had to wait until the proper time to speak to the three of Jerrick's trusted that were serving as her eyes in the clan. She did not like being idle as long as the traitor had not been found, but she did not have many options at the moment.

Meesei stood up and walked back over to Carana and Sabine. "That is quite alright. Will the test be able to accurately model what the poison will do to a lycan? I am assuming that is who Vile's followers would intend to use it on." She questioned.

Lorag shrugged his shoulders. "No clue. After I was assigned to fight that war in Skyrim, I never went back. I did talk to someone from Cheydinhal a few weeks back and asked her about it, but she didn't know either of 'em. She did say there was an Orc who died a while back, then her wife went to find a good death. Could've been them, or not. Plenty of Orcs in the city that'd do the same. I probably won't know unless I go back, which I'm probably not."

Instead of spending the entire time talking about himself, Lorag decided to comment on Harriet. "You're from a stronghold, you say? Better than a city, but I still wouldn't live there. I'm all for strength and Orcish tradition and all that, but Malacath's holdin' us back. Since when has anything good actually happened to the Orcs following him?"