EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

By the time the centurion started advancing, enough of the warband had filed into the chamber to give well over a dozen archers and mages clear view to fire upon the machine. It was struck repeatedly, all across its body with both magic and spells. Everyone aimed for weak points, though most arrows deflecting harmlessly off of its armor plates. Due to its sheer size, the ability of a single arrow to stagger the automaton was negligible, but with the entire volley combined, it was certainly slowed down. As well, some of the arrows did manage to find their way to its weaker points. It's knees were well-protected by armor, but the equivalent of its elbows were quite exposed, in addition to the point at which its torso could rotate over its lower body. It was durable enough that the arrows striking there did not destroy the joints, but their range of motion was damaged. As for the spellfire, it took a more immediate toll on the machine's components. Lightning, flames, and explosive fireballs assaulted the centurion from all angles in front of it. The automaton started to give off a high-pitched whistle from the steam expanding beyond its pipes within it, while damage to the gears within its legs caused its pace to slow to a crawl as it finally made it across the bridge in front of it. Even the metal it was made from was beginning to become misshapen from the intense heat being focused upon it.

The centurion's gears were grinding loudly and it was bellowing steam, but it was holding on to a spark of "life." Stopping in front of their lines, it emitted a stream of superheated steam straight towards them. Fortunately, Meesei had just enough reaction time to realize what was happening and project a sizable ward in front of them. However, she did not have the opportunity to charge it completely, so it was not at full strength, and she was struggling to maintain it against the sustained attack.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Just before Fendros could walk away fully, Ahnasha gave one last soft, but stern comment. "You don't get to make mistakes like that, just say 'I'm sorry', then pretend it's all alright. Those mistakes can get people killed. After this is all over, we're going to have some new training."

Since, physically speaking, her pack seemed to be in good enough condition, Meesei was getting ready to form up and continue their advance into the ruin. Her answer to Fendros was quick and to the point. "We encountered a large number of Falmer and their tamed insects. It was more than we expected, but we held long enough for reinforcements. Ideally, we should move quickly before the Falmer have time to regroup, if they even have the capacity for such strategy. We are going to continue just as before and lead from the front. As soon as the entirety of the warband is down the lift, we advance. Now, let us get into our positions.

Meesei's pack headed to the upper part of the chamber and rejoined with Ri'vashi's group, which was followed shortly by Hjergir. Their lines had shifted somewhat, as they now had some of their number in lycan form. When used properly, werebeasts could be of benefit to an organized formation, but they also required special consideration in terms of protection, particularly against enemies that used poison. Other than Kaleeth, most of the lycans did not have any special protections against poisons, apart from the fact that their greater size required greater doses. As such, mages and shield bearers still took the lead to protect against ranged threats. Transformed lycans tended to stay in the second line back so they could quickly move forward, deal damage, then retreat back behind the shields.

It took some time for the rest of the warband to make their way to the upper part of the chamber, even after they were all down the lift, but as soon as they were in formation, their advance through the ruin was all but unstoppable. The Falmer, while certainly deadly to small groups, were barely more effective against an organized force than the automatons had been. Stray arrows and spells from their shamans caused a few wounds, but for the most part, the Falmer had no way of breaking their lines or outmaneuvering them, particularly in the relatively tight corridors of the Dwarven ruin. Meesei, Ri'vashi, and Hjergir all agreed to move cautiously, but they were certainly moving steadily.

Eventually, the warband found their way into another open chamber, to which the Falmer had been retreating the entire way. The warband had cut down most of those they had fought thusfar, so just over a dozen remained in the last chamber. A large portion of the chamber was a body of water, with a sort of Dwemer drawbridge raised up on the far side. Curiously, there were a series of gears built into the walls and columns spread around the chamber, from which Falmer were removing bones that had been wedged inside to stop them from turning properly. On the near side of the water, there was a button on a pedestal, which a Falmer shaman pressed as soon as the warband stepped through the gate.

The button activated the mechanism that lowered the drawbridge over the water, which revealed one of the most fearsome of Dwemer machines: a centurion. It was two to three times the height of an average person, and much more massive, moreso than any lycan. Steam bellowed from the automaton as it sparked to life, and it did not take long at all for it to take in its surroundings. Meanwhile, the Falmer fled to the far corners of the room to hide, perhaps hoping that the machine would place its focus on their lycan attackers before turning its attention on them. The centurion was certainly the most dangerous foe they had faced so far, but Meesei did not show any signs of being nervous. The centurion would have to cross the entire chamber to reach them, and the warband had a small army's worth of archers and mages that could all focus their efforts onto such a large target at once.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

After eating their breakfast, Ssarak and Meirin headed fairly quickly to Lucilia’s office to receive their briefing on the mission. As expected, it followed from what they had learned on their previous mission, and they would have quite a few responsibilities this time. Attending both a gala and a coronation; potentially preventing an assassination, and solving some other undescribed problem. Then, after all of that, they would need to prepare for a small war against demons. Certainly, it was all drastically different from the guard duty they had last time. This type of political mission was, at the very least, well-suited for a skilled psychomancer, so he would still be in his element for these tasks.

Ssarak’s more immediate concerns turned to his preparations for the mission. His own wardrobe was distinctly lacking in any real variety, much less anything that would be appropriate for either a gala or coronation, so he had to make use of Lucilia’s voucher. He needed to tailor his appearance to what would most impress the Baron and his court, which ended up being a stranger outfit than he had imagined. Evidently, among Djarkel’s ruling class, there was resistance to any sort of fashion that seemed too “safe.” They respected an appearance that was bold, visually interesting, and even outlandish. The average suits and dresses would not be enough to impress Djarkel nobility, so he and the other diplomats would need to be creative in their attire. After receiving advice from both Lucilia and Meirin, Ssarak settled on something completely divergent from his normal style. It had a bright violet shirt with a tight silver waistband, open at the chest and back, along with a pair of tight-fitting silk pants. It also had a belt, though its only real functionality was to hide his dagger.

In addition to new clothes, Ssarak also purchased a simple tabard bearing the symbol of the College to wear over his armor at other points during the mission. He did not want to give off the appearance of being a simple mercenary, so wearing something bearing the insignia of the College would make him seem more ‘official.” Though he was a warrior, he was also meant to be a diplomat in this case, and in diplomacy, appearances were half the battle. Otherwise, Ssarak stocked up on as many of the usual basic supplies as he could carry. He wasted no space, as he would prefer to have a surplus of supplies than a shortage in the event of an emergency.

It was shortly before nightfall that Ssarak made his way to the carriages, fully armed and armored. He had his new clothing packed tightly away in the center of his bags for their protection due to their value. He was not wearing his tabard either, since he would not need it until they were in Djarkel. This time, he and the other students would be the primary cargo instead of trade goods, so there was plenty of room for them in the carriages.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Ahnasha did not yell. Indeed, her voice became softer, but much more stern. She crossed her arms, glaring at Fendros as if she were disappointed in him. "Fendros, a mage like Meesei or Sabine can pull a lever with telekinesis. Or I could summon a scamp and get it to pull it. None of us had to be on that elevator. You could have stayed and helped us, but you left so quickly I didn't even have time to try and stop you."

Kaleeth was fully aware and in control of her beast by this point, so she was in the right mind to know that she needed to keep Janius calm. Regardless of whether or not Meesei and Sabine were finished with their healing, she helped Janius up to his feet, then guided him over to the Falmer corpses outside the fountain. There was no escaping the smell of blood, but he could satisfy his hunger.

More groups were coming down the lift, and they were nearing the point where the entire warband would be ready to move once more. Ri'vashi had secured the upper part of the chamber uncontested and was guarding the one exit she had found. The narrow bridges above them would be rather perilous for a large group to attempt to cross while under attack, but as long as there were no secret entrances to the chamber, they would be able to get everyone across unopposed.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As Sabine went about dealing with the acid burn, Meesei took the time to examine the rest of Kaleeth's body. Kaleeth, in her lycan form, was an easy target to hit, but was also exceptionally durable. In addition to thick scales, she had enough muscle on her body that normally serious wounds became flesh wounds. It did not diminish the pain those wounds would cause, but she had evidently found a way to cope with pain.

When Ri'vashi passed by Meesei, she took a moment to catch her attention. Since the lift could only hold so many warriors at once, it would take some time to regroup with all of their number, and Meesei did not like the fact that they were currently trapped with the low ground. It was doubtful that the Falmer could overwhelm their current numbers in any case, but Meesei still wanted to protect her warriors. "Ri'vashi, take a group or two up to the upper ring of this chamber and make sure it is clear, then find and guard the exits. Hjergir can get the rest of the warriors in formation down here once they arrive." Meesei requested, to which Ri'vashi quickly agreed.

For a few moments, Ahnasha debated on whether or not she wanted to answer Fendros at all. However, they would not be going anywhere until everyone from above could get down the lift, and Fendros probably was not going to give up in that time. "Why did you go up with the lift? Why didn't you stay here to help us? We could have died down here!"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

By the time Janius was ready to move again, Hjergir had taken care of ensuring that the ground floor of the chamber they were in was secure. No one had yet gone up the ramp leading up above, but Hjergir had his archers training their bows on the ledges. The next wave of reinforcements included Ri'vashi, though they had far less to do than the previous wave. For the most part, she focused on getting the warband into formation again. The ramp leading up was much narrower than the halls they had been using, so she started to adjust their formation appropriately.

Since Janius had managed to get through the worst of the poison, Meesei now had to focus on allowing him to move again. She had trained his energy through magic, so she was now restoring it the same way. She was careful not to give him too much energy at once, so as to avoid startling his beast spirit, so it would take a minute or two for him to return to normal.

Kaleeth had feasted enough to regain the majority of her faculties, so she naturally rushed over to Janius as soon as she recognized that he was on the ground. She had not seen exactly what happened, but from the calm demeanors of everyone around him, she gathered that he was not in any real danger. Nevertheless, she dropped down beside him and nuzzled her large, crocodilian head against his, even as her own was bleeding from the chaurus' acidic poison.

Meanwhile, Ahnasha and Fendros had reunited, but she appeared distinctly frustrated, and specifically with him. She did not speak a word to him, and looked as if it was taking considerable effort not to scowl at him.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak observed the exchange between Meirin and Tyrael and, from his perspective, the truth about Lyn probably lay somewhere in the middle. Admittedly, Meirin was probably treating Lyn as a child, though Ssarak certainly could not blame her. She was young, far younger than any adult of any thinking race or species he had ever heard of. When his children were her age, they were still infants. Even Ssarak had a hard time seeing Lyn as being as mature as she actually was. For the majority of people, it would be difficult to reconcile the concept of a person going from birth to adulthood in less than the span of a year. For that reason, if she was going to be joining in their mission, it would perhaps simplify matters if they created a background for Lyn that was more “believable” than reality.

However, while Lyn was mature, Ssarak did not know if it would be wise to have the exact same expectations for her as any other adult. Because of her unique physiology, there were unique challenges that she was going to face. ”Personally, I do not believe it is useful to compare you to anyone else, Naga or Human, Lyn. As fortunate or unfortunate as you may find it, we cannot escape the reality that you are fundamentally unique. Since your birth, you have matured at an unbelievable pace. Your mind absorbs, understands, and retains far more information, far more quickly and efficiently than any other person could hope to match. It is exceptional, almost supernatural; I personally wish it was something I could study, but that is beside the point. The point being that you are capable, mentally and physically, of doing this. The mission, I mean. ”

Leaning forward onto the table, Ssarak took on a more serious tone. ”However, there is a detail on which I do not agree with you entirely, Tyrael. No matter how exceptional your learning abilities, Lyn, there is something that cannot be taught: experience. Most people have well over a decade, usually almost two, of mistakes and successes to build their judgment before they are considered an adult. You simply have not had time to gather those experiences. Granted, you will learn from your experiences far more quickly, and of course, the only way to gain experience is to go out into the world and have experiences. I do not wish to persuade you in any particular direction, I just want to lay out the full situation as it is. Djarkel will be dangerous, and you will certainly be exposed to things you have never experienced before, not all positive. It is up to you if it is the environment in which you want to gain your real-world experience.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave Janius some space as soon as she noticed he was starting to transform, though he was still rather delirious. Being in werewolf form would cause the current dosage of poison to be less severe, but depending on his state of mind, it could be difficult to keep him still as Sabine wanted once he was in that state. Of course, if he was going to transform, there was nothing Meesei could do to stop it. Even she could do nothing to manipulate lycanthropy magically. However, that did not mean she was powerless to mitigate the risks.

"That could be difficult, but...I may be able to do something for him. It will require maintaining a delicate balance, but...I can do it." Meesei answered. Leaning forward, she placed her hands gently onto his shoulders and concentrated intensely. She was attempting to drain his stamina so that, when he completed his transformation, he would not have the energy to move around and disrupt Sabine's treatment. But, at the same time, she had to keep his mind energized enough to keep him conscious. The two goals were in opposition to one another, but she had to fulfill both through the precise and targeted application of her magic.

Meanwhile, Kaleeth was feasting on the corpses of some of the Falmer she had slain. She had been under a measure of duress when she transformed, so while she was not out of control, her mind was also not entirely her own. It was easy for her to focus on her basic, immediate needs, so she was distracted from what was happening with Janius. At the moment, there was no one hurrying to inform her either, as the last thing the pack needed was a distressed werecrocodile unable to control her emotions.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

In the face of larger, and now more numerous foes, the Falmer were starting to be given pause. Unlike the automatons, they were living beings with some sense of self-preservation. The creatures were obviously no strangers to fighting, but they likely had little experience against lycans. Massive beings like Kaleeth and Hjergir gave them fear enough to retreat, at least for the moment. The Falmer that remained at the fountain began to turn and run for the ramp leading up above them, and many of the archers and shamans above them had already backed away. And the chaurus, without their Falmer masters to keep them in the fight, did much the same. For creatures with as fearsome of a reputation as the Falmer, it was unlikely that they would retreat permanently, but every moment they spend regrouping was more time the warband had to get reinforcements down the lift.

Kaleeth was far too focused on the fighting to notice Janius collapse. When the Falmer began to retreat, she chased after them, crushing, clawing, and biting at any she could get a hold of. Indeed, Lorag did the same, managing to crush the head of another chaurus, and at least break the arm of a Falmer that managed to slip away. However, once they reached the ramp leading up, Lorag reigned in Kaleeth to keep her from chasing too far. They would be in a better position to fight the Falmer once they could bring more of their number down the lift.

Once the Falmer were less of an immediate threat, the pack was able to turn their attention fully to their own. Kaleeth was wounded, but not under any threat from them. Janius, however, was suffering from a poison. While Janius was still conscious, Saras did what he could to get his attention. "Poison...the concoctions of the Falmer are not always lethal, but regardless, try to transform if you can. Your beast form is larger, so it takes a larger dose to give the same effect."

As Ahnasha lowered Janius down onto his back, Meesei quickly made her way back to help. Naturally, she was going to help heal her packmate, but she first approached Sabine. Despite her own fears for Janius' health, she showed no sign of panic. "I will keep him conscious, but I believe you are more qualified to deal with a poison than myself."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

With the chaos that Kaleeth's transformation, and their reinforcements' arrival created, Meesei was not going to let the opportunity go unexploited. She had expended a considerable amount of magic providing cover for her pack to reach the fountain, but now that she had a moment of rest, she was ready to go on the attack again. Charging herself with lightning, she bolted across the ice Sabine had created to bring herself to the side of the Falmer, safely out of the way of her own pack. Then, she charged through herself enough lightning to make the hair of anyone around her stand on its end and unleashed it into the crowd of Falmer and chaurus in front of her friends. Their shamans were not ready to absorb the magic with wards, so it arced through about half their number. Some would certainly die, particularly those closest to her, but since her lightning lost energy the more bodies it arced through, most would only be injured. Just as before, however, it was the disruption of the enemy that she sought more than their deaths. Ahnasha and Saras were already taking the opportunity to pick out any ranged threats, like shamans or archers, with their arrows.

Meesei's attack meant that there were less mages and archers focusing on Kaleeth, but since she was on the opposite side of the fountain from Meesei, many of those near her were unaffected. She took another swipe at the chaurus hunter attacking her, but she was too slow to hit it effectively. While she was distracted, a Falmer managed to chop its axe into the side of Kaleeth's neck, but with her size and durability, the axe only found its way into muscle tissue. Kaleeth retaliated immediately with a crushing blow straight to the Falmer's head, which was accompanied by a menacing roar. However, the chaurus hunter also managed to jab its arm into her back at the same time. Fortunately for Kaleeth, Hjergir arrived to remove that threat shortly afterwards. The far-quicker white werewolf sprinted to the fountain and snatched the chaurus straight out of the air, ripping off its wings and crushing its head under his weight.