EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

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Once Meirin opened the door, Ssarak gave her a quick hug and smiled at her kiss. ”Good morning, love.” He said, raising his brow once she mentioned her mission. ”Ah, so you have already found a mission to take on? That is actually why I was coming to speak with you; aside from the usual reasons, of course. Though, I have not actually looked at the notice board yet, I was just going to ask you to join me.”

Ssarak stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He took a seat at the foot of the nearest bed, since the chairs were a few sizes too small to support him. Even the bed creaked under his weight. ”I believe it goes without saying that I would like to join your mission. Tell me about it; which teacher assigned it, and what will we be doing?” Even without having the faintest idea of the requirements of the mission, Ssarak was certain he would be joining her. There was no kind of danger, or even tedious boredom, which could convince him not to accompany her. The only thing which might cause him to take on another mission was if it were for some reason forbidden for him to join. Even then, he would do whatever he could to convince the appropriate authority to reconsider. There were, of course, the obvious reasons for his desire to remain with Meirin, but there were more serious concerns that kept him from being willing to part with her for an extended time. A few weeks prior, he had begun using his psychomancy to explore the deepest reaches of her mind, searching for whatever it was that had caused her mental issues. Being apart for too long would mean that he would be making no progress on helping her.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei will, at the very least, be taking Sabine. I was also thinking about Kaleeth perhaps trying to visit her parents. Though, that's not as important.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

At this point, I think we have started what I am loosely calling a timeskip. Skips between scenes will probably be more abrupt than usual, so we can actually get through all of these scenes in a reasonable time. Next would probably be the warriors heading to the ruin to scout and clear it out.

Afterwards, I'm thinking we can do two of the planned events at the same time. Meesei will be wanting to recruit a certain master alchemist and will be making the trip to Black Marsh personally. That would be time for Gallus to make the same trip, I think. They're going to different parts of the marsh, but it would be convenient for them to take the same ship there.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ri'vashi shook her head lightly at Oswall. His concern would normally be merited, but she had a feeling that, since he had not witnessed the soul-tearing gas for himself, its power had not truly set in for him. "You have to remember, at this point, numbers no longer grant us much advantage like they used to. Even a small group of Vile's servants, equipped with the gas, could decimate any organized formation. Moveing everyone together would, well...it would be placing all of our kwama eggs in one basket. As impersonal as it may seem, moving our people separately reduces the potential harm an enemy patrol can cause."

Meesei, meanwhile, could not answer with the kind of confidence that Vera likely wanted. For a few moments, she looked ahead silently in thought. "I do not think it is possible to say anything with certainty. Anything could happen from one day to the next. But, we do not have many options. Every day we spend deciding is a day that Vile's forces draw closer to attacking this place. We have to act, quickly, and I can say that this is the best option we have available to us right now. We should send out a messenger to the Riften clan as soon as possible. Today, preferably. It is tempting to be slow and patient with a decision like this, but we cannot afford the time."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With Vera's response, the Altmer showed actual emotion for the first time in the form of annoyance, even anger. He crossed his arms, sneering at her. Regardless, after a few seconds, he closed his eyes and let out a lengthy breath. "I can...accept waiting a single day. But, I will warn you that we will not wait any longer than that."

Despite the Altmer's frustrations, neither he nor his companions gave any resistance to the guards taking them away. After their guards left the chamber, the council quickly began its discussion on the many, many questions and concerns this meeting had created. Meesei likely shared most of their concerns, though she at least had a few answers. "Under normal circumstances, I would not trust Mora's motivations. He is not a malicious Daedra exactly, but he is selfish, above all. If he does anything for us, then it is for his own benefit." She said, eyeing the Black Book suspiciously. "But, I cannot deny the vision I received. Hircine knew that Mora would be coming here, and he told me to treat them as allies. I trust our lord above anything else, so we have to trust that Mora is being genuine. And, that also tells us that, whatever Vile is intending to do with the power of our souls, it is enough to concern the Prince of fate. We will have to find some way to evacuate our people to this place. There is no direct water route from here to Whiterun or Windhelm. We wound have to travel to the Imperial City, all the way to the south of Tamriel, then around Black Marsh and Morrowind. In this case, it would be much quicker to take a direct route. But, we do not have to do so alone. We can send word ahead to one of the clans of Skyrim for assistance. I believe the Riften clan is closest."

"If this one may." Ri'vashi began, looking closely at the map. "We do need to move everyone, but not necessarily at the same time. It is hard to say exactly how much time we have before Vile's forces attack us here, but we do have some time. If we start soon, we can move everyone in smaller groups to the Riften clan, to get everyone across the border. They could pose as merchant caravans, which would also let us move our valuables. We would have to deal with some taxes, but they would be able to move across normal trade routes, so it would be safe."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Seems there will be a lot of company for the diplomacy mission.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The Altmer did not give any visible reaction to Vera's question, though he did answer plainly and directly. "It was not our role to deliver this knowledge to you, so our lord did not share it with us. We know no more of this safe haven than you do. At least, nothing that he has told us. Based on my own, personal knowledge, I believe that 'Fal'Zhardum Din' translates roughly to 'Blackest Kingdom Reaches'. I do not know of this place, but it is certainly not Raldbthar."

Meesei nodded, looking over the map herself. "I am no follower of Mora, but I do know that he does not make guesses. If he is being truthful with us, then this Dwemer ruin is the right place to go to find these 'Blackest Reaches'. Perhaps it can be accessed through Raldbthar, with this sphere?"

"An adequate guess." The Altmer responded before focusing his attention on the council as a whole. "Regardless, we have fulfilled our purpose here. You are free to keep our lord's black book. With it, you can transport yourself to Apocrypha at any time you choose. Through it, you may access innumerable secrets of any aspect of reality. It goes without saying that this is a tremendous privilege, the likes of which is rarely granted to those not among his followers. You should feel honored by this gift. As for us, our lord has commanded that we abide any fate you choose for us. Release us, execute us, it is no concern of ours. It is just my...personal request that you not waste our time with imprisonment. In life or in death, I have better things to do."

Ahnasha gave an audible huff of both surprise and amusement, giving a quick glance to Fendros beside her. Not only were these zealots willing to die on a whim for Hermeus Mora, but they did not seem concerned at all by it. She was just glad that most of Vile's followers did not obey him with such fervor.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Mora's primary eye, along with a few of the smaller ones, focused on Oswall as he gave another gurgling hum. "Your mortal souls offer...power. More than he needs to have." As knowledgeable as Hermeus Mora was, it seemed that he was just as cryptic as most of the other Princes, and he did not seem to have the patience to hold a conversation with a group of mortals either. "You have the knowledge you need. Any more you want from me must be...earned."

Without any further warning, the mass of tentacles before them retreated back into the black book, which promptly closed on its own. Mora had left them with many questions, but if he was being honest, then they apparently had all of the answers they needed. Most of Meesei's pack had at least somewhat calmed by the time Mora left, but there was still a silence in the room after he was gone until Meesei started to give her answer to Vera.

"The Deep Elves were the Dwemer. Mora referred to this sphere as a key, so I would guess that it gives access to a Dwemer ruin. One which would serve as a good stronghold for us." Meesei explained.

While Meesei spoke, the Altmer silently grabbed a rolled up paper from another of his companions, then unraveled it on the table next to the black book. "Here is your map." He said simply. It was a fairly basic map of Skyrim, but there was one point of interest clearly labeled "Raldbthar" in the mountains between Whiterun and Windhelm.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was quite familiar with the stories and legends of Hermeus Mora, so she knew how dangerous he could be. He tended to attract seekers of knowledge, much like herself. But, while he often did provide said knowledge, those who followed him could become trapped in his realm by their own obsessions. He was not truly a good nor evil Daedra, but Meesei had no doubt that he was only making this offer for his own benefit. At the very least, Meesei did trust that any information the Prince of Knowledge provided stood a good chance of being accurate.

"I am sure you understand that, under other circumstances, I would have a difficult time trusting you, Hermeus Mora. Daedric Princes do not give charity to mortals. But, lord Hircine told me of your coming, and I trust my lord's judgment. If you are willing to share the location of a stronghold we can make our home, then we will be grateful for the knowledge. However, if there is a price for it, if you are expecting some kind of sacrifice, then I may have to politely decline." Meesei answered.

Mora gave another, gurgling hum. "Your...motivations are irrelevant to me. You will accept this knowledge. I...know it." Mora's largest eye disappeared, then reappeared on the other side, looking to his Altmer servant. "Give them the...key." He commanded.

The Altmer stood up from the ground, then walked over to one of his Imperial companions and pulled an object from her bag. Still as calmly as ever, he walked up to Meesei and handed her a strange engraved sphere made from Dwarven metal. Mora had referred to it as a key, though that function would not have been obvious by looking at it.

"This...attunement sphere will grant you access to the place known as Fal'Zhardum Din, in the land you call...Skyrim." Mora continued. "A place long for-gotten, like the Deep Elves who built it. It is the solution to the...problems you do not know you will have. My followers have a map that will lead you to its entrance. The only...price for this knowledge that I have given you is that you end Clavicus Vile's ambitions. You will defeat him before he becomes more than an...annoyance to me."

A few more of Mora's eyes focused on Meesei, and thought it was hard to tell for sure, it seemed like more of his tentacles were moving closer to her. "I have no more gifts for you, but...there is always more knowledge in my li-brary. You will keep this black book. If you wish to earn this knowledge I possess, then you need only to read it. Apocrypha is a place of great power and secrets, any of which could be yours. But...this is already known to you, Champion of Hircine."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even Meesei had not expected their visitor to be the prince of knowledge and fate. If anything, she had suspected that they might be representatives of Molag Bal, with whom they had a tenuous alliance. This was a surprise, but Meesei did not panic. She recognized the black book as soon as she saw it, so she was prepared for what had come next. She kept her seat, staring into the grotesque eyes of Hermeus Mora. Pierrette and Tola jumped up from their seats, and Ri'vashi had her hand on her blade. Kaleeth was startled into jumping in front of Janius to protect him, and Ahnasha had started charging conjuration energy through her body. Lorag had not even bothered drawing a weapon and looked like he was ready to fight a Daedric Prince with his bare hands.

Between all of the fear and surprise in the room, Meesei tried to maintain a sense of calm. "And I am Hircine's Champion, and representative on Nirn. Though, I know that you, of all beings, would know that. Your visit was not what I expected today. In my studies of history, the Prince of Knowledge has not been known to form alliances or wage war with other Princes. I...suspect that your intentions here are somewhat different." She said. Meesei took care not to appear rude, but she also did not want to showMora any kind of subservience. She was a representative of Hircine, not some worshipper looking for a boon.

Hermeus Mora made a strange, bubbling sound, like humming. One could also interpret it as a growl, though Mora was an unusual enough entity that it was improssible to read any emotions from him, if "emotion" was even a concept that could apply to a Daedric Prince. "Hmm...a bold mor-tal. You are...correct. I have no interest in the petty affairs of mortal beasts. Your...secrets are known to me, and your lives...in-consequential. But, your souls are...inconvenient to me. I am not inter-ested in warfare, but...Clavicus Vile seeks to upset the...balance. It is in my...interest, to give you a...gift. To help you contain Vile's ambitions. You need a new home, so I will give you the location of a place of...safety."