EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"That may be the case. It depends on if Gallus intends to bring the rest of his pack with him." Meesei pointed out. "If so, you will only be separated after our groups split from one another. In any case, it is inevitable that you will have to separate from him for an extended time eventually. Our pack will be taking on missions against Vile as soon as we have re-established ourselves fully, and with Peiter being unable to fight, he will not always be able to join us. Your relationship will need to be able to handle separation. If not...he may not be the perfect partner for you. I do not doubt that you both love one another, but it is rare for someone to find their best match on the first try, so to speak. You may have, and Peiter may be that person, but do not think you have done anything wrong if it does not work out." Meesei explained, trying to be as encouraging as possible.

---

Saras nodded briefly. "On that, we can agree. The more time a Daedra as cunning as Vile has to plan, the lower our chances become. If only we had god-killers among our clans. I would like nothing more than to be rid of him permanently, but we will likely have to settle for diminishing the power of his followers. On that note, there is more I should do today. I am sure I am going to be speaking with your Champion again soon."

---

It took some time for Meesei and the rest of the clan's leadership to collect reports on their overall finances, but the reports were reasonably encouraging. The Blackreach clan was, of course, stretched thin in terms of their finances, but other clans were having an easier time. In the wake of their attack on Vile's stronghold in Elsweyr, other clans, especially those in southern Tamriel, experienced less disruption by the enemy. That was sure to change once the enemy was able to fully re-establish themselves and increase production of their soul-tearing gas, but for the moment, Meesei had some coin to work with. Before her pack, Gallus, and everyone he had decided to bring along left for Black Marsh, she made sure to send word ahead to the Stormhold clan to set aside some coin for when they arrived. Combined with what Meesei's pack would be bringing with them, it would almost entirely pay off Ariel's immediate debts. The Stormhold clan would certainly have time to prepare, as, after some persuasion from Ahnasha and Fendros, they convinced her to take a detour through Cheydinhal.

It had been weeks since Meesei's pack had departed from Blackreach. Being a small group, they were able to move relatively quickly south through Skyrim, and the Jerrals separating them from Cyrodiil. They had taken the most direct route possible, and were now camped out in the forests south of Lake Arrius, not terribly far from Cheydinhal. In fact, they were not far from the area where they had first found Fendros, years ago. It was around midday, so Ahnasha and Fendros would have plenty of time to do what they needed, while some of the others probably went into town for supplies.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

We can probably do a skip to the next big scene sometime soon. That would probably be in Cheydinhal, right?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"If that is the case, we may even be able to help her." Meesei remarked. "With the number of clans we have, and the efforts we have been making to pool more resources, the kind of coin we can spare for compensation is the kind of coin that can be a great boon for an individual person."

Standing up from her seat, Meesei grabbed her belongings and motioned for Sabine to follow her out of the room. "Floods are very common in the swamps, even in the cities. The people of Black Marsh are more than used to dealing with them, and I am sure Rukeewei will be able to help her recover, and perhaps improve her storage methods for the future. Buildings are made to resist, or at least survive floods, and the one she purchased would be no different. She may not have been understating anything to you. Once we are there, we can discuss all of the specifics with her and work out an arrangement. I am not sure what she would want to do to maintain her business in the meantime, or about Rukeewei, but I am not sure if we should try to make plans about such things without her in the conversation."

---

Sara gave a brief nod. "Only my concerns for who would lead the Riften clan in my absence. I have arranged my clan in such a way as to keep them out of sight, while still close enough to society to not be separated from it. We have greater awareness of events occurring in the hold than most clans do for their regions, and we are capable of effective information gathering. However, to maintain that requires a certain amount of adaptability and knowledge. It would not be enough for them to simply follow instructions that I leave behind. There are strong leaders in my clan, but I do not know if they could maintain the same kinds of operations."

Leaning forward and finally taking another drink, Saras let out a sigh. "But, perhaps that sacrifice would be worthwhile. My experience could be to the benefit of our efforts against Vile, even if my clan faces troubles as a result."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded to Sabine. "I agree. But, if she knew what kind of a situation we are in...what kind of danger you are in, I have no doubt she would already be trying to help us. Indeed, I honestly doubt we would have to give her anything for her to help, but I do not want her to lose what she has. There is much we will need to discuss with her, much we will need to plan, but hopefully we will be able to reach an agreement that does not cause her too much harm."

"I know we have not been able to exchange letters in a while, with the clan moving, but what was her life like the last time she wrote to you?" Meesei asked. "Have there been any major developments in her life?"

---

Saras shook his head. "No, I have noticed these heroes have a tendency to disappear, or fade away into time. The Nerevarine became immortal as a part of the prophesy, but he went on an expedition to Akavir shortly before the Oblivion crisis, and did not return. The Hero that closed half of the Oblivion gates in Cyrodiil disappeared after stepping into a strange portal that opened up in the Niben bay, Talos either died, or became a god, depending on whose religion you believe. The only great hero who is known in Tamriel today is the current holder of the title Ysmir, the one who slayed the dragon Alduin. But, I would have no desire to meet any of these people; there would be nothing I would gain from doing so. Being a werewolf, it would just be a risk. I study them only out of...curiosity, and because I have the capability to do so. I have learned quite a lot about information gathering through the years. It was an important skill while I was with the Dark Brotherhood, and I have only gained experience since then. It is why I suspect that our Champion will ask me to become the spymaster for her new council. I have been debating on whether or not I should accept." Saras explained, mostly ignoring his drink by this point.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei had no remark between Oswall and Gallus. Any issues that Gallus' decisions created between them were private, family matters, and she had no desire to become involved. The reason she intended to allow Gallus to join him was simply because she recognized that it would be a cheaper, more convenient traveling arrangement.

Once Gallus was finished, Meesei took another look around the room. "If there are no other announcements, I believe that is all we have to discuss for now. Once we have reports on the clan's financial situation, we will meet again to discuss compensation for Ariel."

As the meeting was adjourned, Meesei packed up her belongings, but remained seated in case someone wanted to speak to her. In particular, she imagined that Sabine might want to talk.

---

"Oh, they were quite sinister. In all likelihood, they deserved their fate." Saras remarked, again with no particular regret or other negative emotions in his tone. "The Dark Brotherhood takes in many kinds of people, from heartless, sadistic murderers, to desperate people with no other choices in life. For the shadowscales, they were simply taken at...hatching, for training. But, all of us were killers with no reservations. Except, I had a desire for survival. I did not become a werewolf until about fifty years after the Oblivion Crisis, but that physical prowess would have meant nothing, even if I had possessed it at the time. For the Nerevarine, he cleared our sanctuary just like it was another bandit lair. It was an experience that...changed me, certainly. I did not understand how one person could be so powerful. I took a certain, almost scholarly interest in his achievements, and those of other heroes in history. By all accounts, he went on to kill the goddess Almalexia, which would be the second god he had killed, and third he had defeated. Prior to coming to Mournhold, he was involved in the Bloodmoon Prophesy. If you are as devout as your Champion, you know that is a hunt that Hircine himself holds every era, involving whatever beings on Tamriel he deems powerful enough to be sporting. For the Nerevarine to have survived, he would had to have defeated an aspect of Hircine in single combat. There are few people in history who have held that kind of power. Thousands of years ago, they were often known as Shezarrines: incarnations of Shezarr, or Lorhkan as he is known outside the old Cyrodilic tradition. They were heroes with almost supernatural fighting prowess, like Pelinal Whitestrake or Talos. Some say that modern heroes, like the Nerevarine, may also be Shezarrines, but that is purely speculation."

As Saras spoke, it was clear that he had at least some degree of respect for the Nerevarine, despite what he had done to his "family." Though, while some of what he said was common knowledge, there were quite a few details which showed that he was educated at a level well-beyond the average person. He would had to have spent a great deal of time performing dedicated research on such subjects.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei, of course, knew what it was that Gallus was referring to. She disagreed with his dedication to finding this boy. It would provide no benefit to the clan, if Gallus would even be able to find him at all. Gideon was, after all, a fairly large city, and there was no guarantee the boy was even still alive, or ever existed at all. Even so, Meesei found no reason to deny him. He could be of some use on the journey, and as helpful as he had become in the clan, there were others who could perform his duties. "I will not deny you the ability to join us, Gallus, but understand that we will not be diverting to Gideon, so you will need to make that trip alone, or with your pack if they choose to join. As well, you will likely need to make the return trip to Skyrim alone. I will not stop you, but I do encourage you to reconsider. Do you believe the potential benefits of your decision truly outweigh the time and risk required to carry it out? Black Marsh is not a safe place, particularly for non-Argonians. If you are not going to be dissuaded, I would recommend you find a volunteer among your Argonian friends to help guide you. If you do not have any Argonian friends...you may wish to try to find one before we depart. Normal survival skills may not be sufficient for some of the challenges of the swamp's roads."

---

Saras took a drink as he looked ahead at the children playing in front of them, slightly amused. "Oh, there is no turn of phrase. The Nerevarine walked into our sanctuary, killed all, or nearly all, of my brothers, and nearly killed me with a blade that cut from my shoulder down to my hip." He explained. Reaching up to his collar, he pulled down his shirt just enough to show the very top of a frighteningly deep scar beginning on his left shoulder.

"You see, the Dark Brotherhood was my family. I had been an assassin among them for over a century. Even so, had I known they had accepted a contract on the Nerevarine's life, I would have fled and never looked back. There would have been no one left to chase me. After the Nerevarine arrived in Vvardenfell, the Brotherhood made several attempts on his life, each of which ended in the death of the assassin. After he killed his first god, Dagoth Ur, he finally decided to go to Mournhold to deal with what I can only assume to have been a nuisance to him. Our sanctuary was beneath the city, in the ruins of OLd Mournhold. After he found it, he walked straight in, alone, and proceeded to systematically kill every one of the trained assassins who inhabited it. I did not recognize his face at the time, as his fame was fairly recent, so I clashed blades with him for a few seconds before he cut me open. I was not killed immediately by my wounds, so I played dead until he left. Perhaps there were others in my sanctuary who did the same, but I did not bother to remain long enough to check. My life with the Dark Brotherhood ended that day." Saras explained, fairly unemotionally.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The Nerevarine is pretty famous for killing Dagoth Ur and destroying the Heart of Lorkhan, so Janius would certainly know of him/her. He left on an expedition to Akavir just before the Oblivion crisis over 200 years prior. Regardless of the Nerevarine's race, he is immortal, so he could be alive, but no one's heard from him.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

No, though the Bloodmoon expansion is an interesting one. It added werewolves. Hircine was the antagonist of that one. Saras' backstory relates more to Tribunal, where the Nerevarine casually kills more gods.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Atronach would be terrible for me. I think my mods nerf the intensity of spell absorption enchantments found in the world, and it removes it from spellmaking. I'd still get the 50% from the birthsign, but I'd have a much harder time maxing it out.

Did you ever play Morrowind? If so, you probably know where I'm going with Saras.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Yeah. The threat was literal fire, so I couldn't fight it. You were meant to run to a pool of water, but on my slow character, that wasn't happening. Had to toggle collision, and luckily, all of the area underneath the floor was water. Having a good time with it overall, though. I downloaded mods to rebalance magic to make it actually viable to be a pure mage. In vanilla, magic is pretty much just supplementary to your primary weapon, since you can't get enough magicka, and the spells aren't effective enough, to rely on it alone. The mods nerf and buff different aspects of it to make it better.