EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

The moment Sabine touched the pillar, her whole body was quickly overcome with the glowing magicka surrounding the pillar. Over the course of a few seconds, she started to glow brighter and brighter until her body itself was hidden beneath the glow. Then, just as quickly, the glow dissipated, and she was gone."

Afterwards, Meesei maintained her smile. "See? It worked perfectly."

Kaleeth, quite understandably, was startled. "Worked?! It...she disappeared! What happened to her? She's just gone."

Meesei simply returned a light chuckle. "That she is. I would recommend you follow quickly." She responded just before reaching out, touching the pillar, and disappearing herself, just like Sabine.

On the other side of the propylon, Sabine would find herself standing on a near identical propylon platform, touching the same kind of pillar, with the same kind of energy surrounding her. For the first few moments, she may not have noticed that anything happened. However, she might notice that the air was a bit cooler. Once she looked around, she would see that she was no longer in the basement of an old Imperial watchtower, but rather inside an even older Dwemer building. It was larger than the basement she had been in, though not by too much. She was also surrounded by different people: three lycan guards sitting around a stone table that could possibly have seemed familiar to her, depending on how often she interacted with the Blackreach clan's warriors. They too were startled by Sabine's sudden appearance, though they calmed quickly. Naturally, they had been told what to expect before being assigned to guard the propylon chamber.

Seconds after Sabine arrived, Meesei appeared alongside her. Although, she allowed Sabine a few moments to collect herself before saying anything. While the guards quickly got out of their seats to stand to attention, Meesei calmly took the thick fur coat off of her backpack, put it on, then walked over to the tall Dwemer doors just in front of her. It took some effort to push them open, but once she did, the frigid air outside poured in. It would take a few moments for everyone's eyes to adjust to the blinding whiteness outside, but through the door was a rather spectacular view from near the top of one of Skyrim's many mountains, perhaps in Winterhold or the Pale.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sabine was probably around 19 when they arrived back at the Bruma clan, after everything in Elsweyr. Then, there was the move up to Skyrim. Between traveling and getting a large force from the Riften clan to Ralbthar was probably a few months. After clearing it was a two month skip to get everyone settled. A few weeks after that, they set off for Black Marsh. Traveling across the continent, with a stop in Cheydinhal, probably would have taken some time. They took a quicker route on the way back, so it probably was not an entire year, but would be the better part of one. But, in combination with the months before that, I'd add another year, making Sabine over 20, probably getting close to 21. Then, there was a two year skip to Julan's naming day. Sabine would be 22 at that point. Then three years to present. So, Sabine would be 25, close to 26. Ahnasha is 33, Meesei is 39, Lorag is 43, Fendros is 35, Janius is 32, Kaleeth I think is 29, since she was 19 when Sabine was turning 15. If Rhazii was born at that time, then he is currently 10. With Julan being one or two years younger.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Do you remember how old the children are right now? I'm trying to make sure I'm keeping track of all the timeskips correctly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei gave a slight grin. "Not quite Ayleid, no. In fact, I had to send teams from one of our Morrowind clans into ancient Dunmer ruins retrieve the index. Once I had that, though, I was able to use it to construct more of them, as well as to complete this masterpiece. I learned of the propylons in Apocrypha, of their function and how to construct them. It makes use of some old forms of magic, and some methods of enchanting that may not have been used outside the ancient Dunmer. Luckily, Apocrypha's libraries span all parts of the world, through all times, without restriction. The only limit to what I can learn is what tomes I can find. I have found books written far in the past by ancient civilizations, some from different planes of Oblivion, and some that seem to have been written in the future. Much of it is disjointed, but as you can see, I have managed to put together some useful information, and put it into practice." Even after she gave her explanation, the rest of her pack was unlikely to understand the propylon's function, unless they had specific knowledge of ancient Dunmer creations.

Walking around the spire, Meesei closely inspected every detail she could observe about her creation to ensure that the scholars had assembled it to her specifications. She charged a small amount of magicka into the central pillar, and each of the three crescent pilars around it to check for any damage. All the while, the Breton woman was rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Is, um, everything alright, Champion?" The Breton woman eventually asked.

Meesei nodded. "Yes, you seem to have done a fine job. The propylon should be ready to activate. It contains within it the capacity to sustain itself, it just needs an initial spark." She said before holding out her hand towards the center pillar. Her hand began to glow red, but not with fire, or anything resembling a from of magic that any of her pack would be familiar with. Suddenly, the crystals in the three crescent pillars started to glow with a vibrant violet color. Then, the pillars each started emitting the same kind of bright glowing red magicka from their base. The energy was disorganized for a few seconds, organized itself into three solid spirals of energy twisting around the center pillar. Finally, all of the runes etched into the pillars started to glow bright red."

"Now, just one last step." Meesei commented as she approached the center spire. Reaching into her pouch, she produced a small black object with a similar design and runes as the center pillar. She inserted the object into a slot in the center pillar for a few seconds before removing it, then handing it to the Breton woman, who was understandably amazed at the sight. "There we are; the propylon should be ready for us to use for about a minute or two. Now, this index is vital for the propylon to function, so make sure it is kept safe here."

Turning back to her pack, Meesei motioned to the propylon encouragingly. "Now that I have used the index, you need only step up to the center pillar of the propylon and touch it in order to activate it. Do not worry, I have tested it extensively back in Skyrim."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm, at this point, I do not know that she actually needs many more." Meesei commented. "But, I am sure we will be able to find a way to help her, with enough persistence on our part. Just, regardless of what approach you decide to take, be cautious if you confront her about this. Ahnasha has a silver tongue. She is quite adept at spinning both rationality and emotions to convincing others of whatever suits her goals. It is a skill she was taught at a young age, and that all of her work in recent years has only improved. She will argue against you, and she will do so effectively. She can easily make herself surprisingly sympathetic, and she will say things to you that make sense. You have to be strong in your convictions for her not to convince you too; likely stronger than you think. It might be why Fendros is being so accepting of her."

---

The next to join them in the chamber were Fendros, Ahnasha, and Rhazii, so Meesei and Sabine's conversation died down very quickly. Once the rest of the pack joined them, they set off. Their current destination, where the Evermore clan's scholars had set up Meesei's project, was about half a day's journey from the clanhome on foot. It was a fair distance to travel, but she had specified the location for the clan's overall safety. Indeed, their destination was quite isolated from any sort of civilization.

The pack made their way back into the mountains, far from towns or roads. It was not a convenient trek, but Meesei's pack was more than used to rugged conditions. Eventually, they ended up at the ruins of an old watchtower at the top of a worn path, which now overlooked a strategically unimportant passage through the mountains. The watchtower had not been maintained for hundreds of years and was partially collapsed, particularly at the top, but it had a basement that was large and structurally sound enough for Meesei's purposes. The Evermore clan could work on restoring the watchtower over time.

On approach, the pack was met by two Breton scholars, and about five stronger-looking warriors. One of the scholars, a Breton woman in a full hooded robe, greeted Meesei enthusiastically, then led them quickly down into the basement. The chamber had been a former storage room, so it was reasonably spacious. Though, upon Meesei's request, it had been cleared entirely of anything that was not attached to the stonework. In its place was a peculiar-looking creation, one that was entirely out of place against the old Imperial architecture that surrounded it. It was a three-sided stone pillar slightly taller than the average person with Daedric runes etched into all three sides, from top to bottom. It was sitting atop a round stepped platform, and had three more objects positioned evenly around it. They were crescent shaped with their points facing inwards, carved mostly from stone, and their inside edges consisted of a slightly translucent gem-like material. It was obvious they were enchanted in some way, though no magicka currently flowed through them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei lightly shook her head. "No, she never did. Granted, our situation has changed quite a lot since she first started her research. I doubt she would have expected me to agree back then. Now, we already send out mages with those that go hunting to fill our abundance of soul gems. Our clan has plenty to spare, and there would be little harm in diverting some to you. And I would say you deserve some good treatment, in any case."

After a few moments, Lorag joined them in the chamber, right on time as usual. He gave a slight wave in greeting before taking his own seat to wait for the others. Meesei acknowledged him briefly, then returned her attention to Sabine. "I am not compelling you to accept Marcaille's offer, by any means, but it is a possible idea."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei's attitude was somewhat more tempered than Sabine's, though she could certainly understand the conflict it caused for her. It was unlikely that Sabine had been mentally prepared for the realization that one of her close friends, a member of her family, was capable of such cruelty. "Hmm, that is not strictly true. There is no magic that is inherently good nor evil. Magic is a tool, without thought or emotions of its own. The only thing that can give it purpose is the mind of the one using it. That said, some magic can make it easier for one to justify cruel thoughts, since cruelty can be the easiest, quickest path to power. But..."

Her voice trailed off briefly as a thought came to Meesei's mind. She did not know if it would be an answer to their problem, but it was a possibility. "I have learned something of this life extension process. I do not know the details, and it would take me years to learn the proper magical skills, but I know some of what is required. And I know that there are multiple approaches. About a year ago, Fendros and Ahnasha killed a mammoth for its soul. A mammoth carries a grand soul, the most powerful kind of soul short of a black soul. I know that black souls are not necessarily required to extend one's life. Regular white souls can be used to accomplish the same task, but it takes more of them, and is more difficult. Perhaps it could be advantageous for you to try to learn this life extension magic, but to do it the patient, proper way. And you can ask Ahnasha to help you. If it was her research that brought her down her current path, then this kind of research might, over time, show her that there is a better way. You already have intricate knowledge of the body and soul, so it may not take you as long as it did for Ahnasha. I can dedicate some of the clan's resources to helping you gather souls. If I had done so with Ahnasha from the beginning..." Meesei said, some regret showing in her expression. "...it could be that we would not be in this situation."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei hummed briefly as she considered the wording of her answer. "I would not say precisely that her torture those years ago is the cause of her current behavior. I believe it is a fair bit more complicated than that. That torture was the start. It was horrific, and it made it easier for her to justify cruelty against her enemies. After all, if those we fight are willing to do such things, then why would they deserve any mercy? In her mind, at least. The one who tortured her was not one of Vile's minions, but they are not always any better than he was. At any rate, when she began her research into necromancy, it was not difficult for her to view taking the souls of our enemy for her purpose. I do not know that I can fault her for it, honestly. Every soul that Vile claims gives him strength, so soul trapping his followers does weaken him in a small way. And, I completely understand her desire to live a long life with Fendros."

Lowering her gaze slightly, Meesei sighed. "But, the necromancy likely also plays a hand in this. Necromancers are often thought of as being evil, but that is not strictly true. A necromancer can practice their magic without crossing any real moral boundaries, but crossing those boundaries can be beneficial to them. As well, I think it has changed the way she thinks, in a way. In learning her craft, she has needed to learn a great deal about the body, much like a healer. I would wager that she knows just as much about the body as either of us, but instead of focusing on life, her studies have concentrated on death. I fear it may have shifted her views on pain and suffering, which are not as consequential to necromancers. I do not believe she would ever fall to a state where she would be willing to murder a child, but she may not see pain like we do. It also does not help that her methods have been quite effective. Ahnasha is one of the most self-reliant and efficient people under my command. Of our pack, I would say she is the most effective at working alone. She is quiet, cunning, and has all of the necessary skills to deal with unfavorable odds. Ever since she learned to reanimate multiple bodies at once, every kill she makes turns into an asset for her. If she views the ends as justifying the means, it could be difficult."

Meesei reached over and placed a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "I cannot say I have an answer for how to help her right now, but I am sure we can figure it out together. We can be there for her to help make sure she does not do anything she may regret. But Fendros...I am not sure what to make of him. It is unexpected to me that he would be so accepting. What do you make of him?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was silent for a few moments. In all honesty, she was not surprised at such news about Ahnasha. She had seen how she had been slowly changing over the years. She had been the one handling Ahnasha's reports whenever she was given an individual mission, so she knew that her methods had grown gradually more cruel. The very fact that she was willing to use black souls in her research was telling. And Meesei had done nothing to stop such progression. Meesei could not say that she had any right to denounce Ahnasha's actions when she had made similar ones at times. She had killed those that most would deem innocent, in the name of protecting her pack, or the clans. If someone learned too much about them, she sometimes felt that she had no choice but to make sure they could not be a threat. There were, of course, other times that Meesei had shown mercy, but the fact remained that she was not entirely innocent. Still, if Sabine was right, then Ahnasha might have gone too far, even for Meesei.

What truly surprised Meesei, however, was the fact that Fendros was seemingly accepting of what Ahnasha had done. Meesei would not at all have predicted that he would be complicit in something of that nature. Granted, Meesei did not have all of the information. Sabine herself did not seem to be completely confident in her version of the events. It was possible that Fendros disapproved, but was willing to ignore it since Ahnasha was his wife, or perhaps they had already dealt with the issue in private and did not want to trouble Sabine about it. In any case, it was a development that Meesei would need to keep a close eye on.

Meesei gave a deep sigh before responding to Sabine. "This was something that I have feared for a while. War...can be a frightening thing for many reasons. We have all been through so much pain and suffering ourselves, that it can make it hard for us to see the suffering in others. I cannot say what happened, as I was not there. Not for certain, at any rate. If the wound was relatively minor, Ahnasha might not have seen the pain she inflicted as being significant. As we both know, she had been through a torture more horrible than anything any person should have to bear. That might have been the start of something that caused her views to become...warped. For her, and perhaps Fendros, it may be that we need to be ready to help them down a gentler path."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei seemed relaxed as she sat on the floor, cross-legged while leaning back against the wall of the cave. Her mission had brought her into some combat, though she had received no injuries. Indeed, most of her current soreness came from the excessive walking her task had required. She currently wore simple hides and a loincloth, though oddly enough, her thick, fur coat was tied on the top of her bag, where she would be able to grab it quickly.

Nevertheless, Meesei smiled warmly at Sabine. "Good morning, Sabine." She responded. Though, it certainly did not take long for her to pick up on Sabine's discomfort. Meesei rarely had trouble noticing Sabine's emotions, even when she was not making it as obvious as she was now. "Come, have a seat. Relax a moment; tell me what is wrong."