EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a nod to Sabine. "She is not someone I would want to ask immediately. Assuming she accepted, the time it would take for her to travel here would be too much for us to risk staying in this location. We will have to see if we can create an antidote, or other solution, with the people and resources we have available for now. If not, we can start seeking aid from the far corners of Tamriel after our clan moves. I have no doubt that Ariel would be willing to help us simply to protect her sister, but thanks to the trade connections and other sources of income we have established over the last few years, we are in a position to offer her a sizable reward for her services. If she develops an antidote for this gas, she would be saving all of our lives, so she would certainly deserve anything we can spare. As well, it would help to smooth matters over with her mate."

Sabine's worried about Ariel were understandable. Even if there were not the risk of being targeted by Vile's servants, travel over long distances was inherently dangerous. Meesei had a few ideas for how to mitigate that risk, but it was not an immediate concern. "Until we make the decision to move our clan, however, I still want you to aid with the research on the gas, Sabine. Ariel taught you about the suppression gas, and you have more experience with it than anyone else in this clan. Combined with your natural alchemical talents, you may have a perspective on the problem that others do not."

The matter of the soul tearing gas was the most pressing, but since it seemed that there was little else to discuss on that for the moment, Meesei was ready to explain Ri'vashi's presence, and her plan for creating a skilled council of leaders of different aspects of the struggle against Vile. For the moment, though, she allowed the others time to consider what she had said so far.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was skeptical that a solution to the gas would come easily, though it would be unwise to rule out any potential solutions without testing them. With how deadly the gas was, it was important that they try everything they could. She leaned forward onto her elbows and clasped her hands together in front of her, contemplating the same subject that had been haunting her mind for weeks. "I am not certain that it will be possible to adapt a water breathing spell for that purpose, though admittedly, such spells are not within my realm of expertise. Regardless, I will help with the research as best as I can. My concern is that, unlike water, this gas is magical in nature. Even more, it is connected directly to Clavicus Vile's realm and may use ingredients from that plane of Oblivion. And, if it is possible to adapt a water breathing spell, we would still have to find a way to deal with residual gas. The person would still have to breathe while under the effects of the spell and would end up taking the gas into their lungs. Once the spell wears off, they could still die regardless. Hopefully, working together, we can find a solution to those problems. But, we cannot rely wholly on any spell we create, as we cannot be sure that we can actually test it. The gas is very deadly, and we do not know how much is a lethal dose, or if there are any long term effects of breathing small amounts. I cannot allow one of our own to sacrifice their soul to Vile to test a resistance spell."

Meesei continued, turning her attention once again to Marcaille. "The reason I have brought Marcaille from Elsweyr is to help work on an alchemical solution to the gas. An antidote. That would hopefully allow us to make all of our people immune to this weapon. I would like to get all of the most skilled alchemists we can find, from all of our clans across Tamriel, to work together on this problem. As I am sure you can all understand, this is now the most important issue we are facing, and solving it is worth dedicating everything we possibly can to it. If we do not find an antidote, or other solution, soon, then we will have to move this clan. Every clan in Tamriel that has been discovered will have to relocate. Secrecy will become our first and only line of defense. I would like for you to get word to every clan whose location is known to the enemy and warn them of this new danger. Now, the best place for a new clanhome is in a remote, open area, not underground. Mages skilled in telekinesis can delay the spread of the gas enough to hopefully buy time for an evacuation, which is something we should begin training soon. The soul-tearing gas behaves similarly to the suppression gas, so we may be able to adapt some tactics to deal with it in combat. In fact, it is likely that the new gas was derived directly from the suppression gas. It may be worthwhile for us to attempt to enlist the aid of the one who originally created the suppression gas." She suggested, glancing briefly towards Sabine.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

”Indeed.” Ssarak responded to Amary. As concerning as it was, he did not wish to dwell on the matter of Tyrael. There was more he wished to talk about with the Naga, like Mar and Lyn, but he knew it was a sensitive topic that he would only really want to discuss with Amary or Lyam. There was the option of a telepathic conversation, but he did not like to read the thoughts of others without permission, unless they were in immediate danger.

For the moment, Ssarak simply continued, deciding to discuss the future rather than the past. ”Adaptability is a defining trait of any intelligent being, and your kind does have a great deal of experience in matters of survival. Do you know in which area exactly you will be settling? If you are in neutral territory, it is not terribly likely that you will be disturbed by anyone, from either side of the border. But, I suppose it is possible that your presence could be investigated by the Esyire. Fortunately, we do not have a history of violent encounters with outsiders. Since our lands are quite hostile to other races, they have never had much of an interest in them. If you are discovered by any of the clans, it is doubtful they will assume you to be hostile, unless given a good reason. If I know which region you are settling in, I may be able to tell you which clan you are most likely to encounter, explain their customs, and how to best interact with them peacefully.”

Ssarak did not expect the Naga to experience much opposition in their new home, given its location, but he wanted to give as much advice as he could regardless. He had risked a great deal to help them, so he was naturally interested in assuring that they would survive. Having favorable relations with at least one of their neighboring groups could be a great help in that regard.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei waited in silence to allow the others to consider the news she brought. The silence hung in the air long enough to give weight to the severity of the situation before Darahil finally spoke up, naturally about the gas itself. "The gas acted fairly immediately. The others with me started to cough and collapse within seconds of breathing it in. It did seem that it would only work if the victim actually breathed in the gas, so I suppose it is likely possible for one to hold their breath if they see the gas beforehand. In our case, though, it caught us by surprise."

Meesei gave a nod to Marcaille, who had been holding on to the samples of the gas, then continued with her explanation. "We did uncover some samples of it; a few flasks. Like the suppression gas, it seems to be stored as a liquid until something disturbs it, like a sudden impact. I would guess that the enemy is able to store it in potion bottles to throw as a weapon in combat, just as they do with the suppression gas. They did not do so during our attack, but from what I observed, it seemed like they had only recently created a formula that worked as intended, so their soldiers were not equipped with it. Regardless, I am sure you can imagine how great of a threat this is, particularly in tight quarters. If we cannot develop an antidote, we are going to have to drastically change how we approach the safety of our clans."

Meanwhile, Marcaille reached into her bag and carefully pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle of furs and cloth, tied together by straps of leather. It took a few moments for her to untie and unravel the thick bundle protecting the flasks within. As one might expect, they had been exceptionally careful when transporting the samples to ensure their glass flasks did not shatter. Not only could they lose their samples, but it could prove to be a danger to anyone around it.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Of course." Meesei answered, taking her seat at the head of the table. Each of the council's members, Ri'vashi, and some of Meesei's pack, took the remaining seats. They rarely held meetings that contained more than a few non-council members at once, so their table was not actually big enough to accommodate everyone present. But, it would only be a small inconvenience for them to stand.

Meesei took in a quick breath to give herself a moment to think. "Well, how to even begin? I suppose to start, we were correct in our suspicions that the Senchal clan had been attacked. The majority were killed or captured, but just under half escaped. Vile's servants were forcing one of the clan's members to help them trap anyone we sent to investigate, but he was able to help us kill them and free his pride. It is a tactic we should be careful of in the future. Afterwards, we moved west and discovered what remained of the Senchal clan at an old outpost. We convinced them to move north and join with the Orcrest clan, a journey which fortunately incurred no losses. We spent some time recuperating there, but our goal was to end the enemy threat in Elsweyr. Ultimately, we decided to combine the forces of the two clans in an assault on the enemy's primary stronghold in the region, which we had learned the location of previously. It was...not a complete success. The stronghold was destroyed and we did cripple their operations in the area, but we did not destroy them entirely. Their leader, a Cathay-raht veteran of the Imperial army named Do'rhajul, most likely survived. And with him, the formula for a devastating new weapon they have developed. Not only does the enemy have access to a new formula for the suppression gas, but they have created a new kind of...soul-tearing gas. Its function is exactly as it sounds. After just a few breaths of the gas, it can rip a lycan's soul from their body and send it straight to Clavicus Vile's realm. It is both effective and terrifying, and as of right now, we have no real defense against it. My Ring kept a hold of my soul and protected me from it, but this one artifact cannot protect every lycan in Tamriel."

Obviously, Meesei had left out quite a few details, but they were all written in her report. For now, they needed to discuss the most pressing threat to their clan, and indeed, all lycans.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I think I'll be heading to bed soon. Goodnight.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With only an occasional wrong turn, both packs quickly found their way back to their old rooms. Both Ri'vashi and Marcaille would be receiving permanent rooms soon enough, but Meesei allowed them to store their belongings in her room for the moment. Everyone was pretty much in agreement that they needed to get the meeting out of the way, and there was no one who seemed interested in sitting out. After dropping off their belongings, they decided to allow Rhazii and Newt to stay in Kaleeth and Janius' room with Leaps. They were old enough to take care of themselves, at least for a while.

Meesei was personally glad to be able to get out of the thick furs she was wearing and down to her normal, more comfortable attire. Despite her insistence that they begin the meeting quickly, she was the last to leave her room, after both Ri'vashi and Marcaille, who Lorag guided to the meeting chamber. She did not remain long, but took the few moments she had to drink another of Sabine's potions. She had not been outright hiding her potions from the others, she still had started feeling some degree of shame at the fact that the had to take them. It made her feel weak and frail to know that her life was being sustained only because she essentially took medicine regularly. She was entirely dependent on these potions in order to keep living her life normally, which did not sit well at all in her mind.

Regardless, it was only a short while before Meesei made her way from her room to the meeting chamber, particularly since they were on the same hall. She was one of the last few to arrive, thought they were still waiting on Oswall and Gallus before they could begin. Or at least Oswall, if Gallus decided he did not wish to join.

As soon as she stepped into the room, Meesei reached into her pouch and produced a stack small stack of parchments, mixed in with a few cut out pieces of animal hide that Meesei had started using after she ran out of paper, then placed them down on the table in front of Vera. "I took the time to write up a detailed report of our mission on our way back from Elsweyr. You may wish to have some copies made of it so you can review it later. Though, do not make too many copies. There is some very sensitive information contained on these pages."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Marcaille gave no particular reaction to Janius' compliment, and instead simply shook Vera's hand, then stepped away from being the center of attention. Pierrette, meanwhile, left to find a few officers to temporarily handle their duties so they could hold a meeting on all that had transpired.

Meesei wanted to take the time to get settled in, but it was also important to give the council all of the news she had as soon as she could. So, she felt it would be best not to get too caught up in relaxing. "Thank you, Vera. Perhaps we can find some rooms in which to offload all of these bags we are carrying?"

"Well, we did keep your rooms for you." Tola responded. "We didn't reassign them or anything. Everything you left in them when you departed should still be there. There was one kid that tried to break into you your room, but we caught him, and handled him appropriately." She explained.

Meesei nodded. "Thank you. You could have used our rooms if you wished, but it is appreciated. I will go there for a few minutes, then head on to the meeting chamber." Once Sabine asked if she should attend the meeting, Meesei nodded to her, then addressed the rest of the group as a whole. "I would encourage everyone to attend the meeting, actually. We will be sharing our report of everything that has happened, so everyone has a place in being there."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To Vera, Ri'vashi stepped forward and offered to shake her hand. Her time as clan leader had trained her to be able to deal with formal meetings in a more professional setting, and it had never been something she had a particular problem with. Her awkwardness mostly only surfaced in more personal, casual settings. "This one is Ri'vashi, the, um, former leader of the Orcrest clan." She answered. It was a name Vera would recognize since, as the Alpha of the Bruma clan, she and the rest of the council had reasonably frequent written correspondence with all of Tamriel's clans over the last few years."

"To allay any fears you may be having, the Orcrest clan is perfectly fine. We can go over all of the details of our mission's report in private." Meesei added.

Pierrette, another lieutenant in the council, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I am sure there is much we will need to discuss in our meeting. Of course, we do not have to convene it immediately. You no doubt want to take a moment to rest after your journey, and reconnect with everyone. But, if you want to hold it soon, I can go find some officers to handle our more immediate duties." She offered.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Pierrette. It is best that we discuss my report sooner, rather than later." Meesei responded. Turning her attention back to Vera and the others, she gave a warm smile. "But, regardless, it is good to see you all, and good to be home.

Since she had not yet given her introduction, Marcaille also stepped forward. "My name is Marcaille. I would not say I'm anyone particularly special, just an alchemist."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Alright. Full names are Pierrette Mousara and Tola Corvus.