EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"For the Thalmor, they are a threat, but not the most immediate one." Areldril answered. "Indeed, the presence of Vile's cult has delayed them, despite sharing the same goal. You see, the Thalmor does not trust Vile or his followers. Rightfully so, from my research. If my theories are correct and Vile intends to claim Mundus for his own by some means, then allowing him to carry out his plans to destroy the Towers would run counter to the Thalmor's goals. They cannot become Divine if their souls are absorbed by a Daedra, yes? So, they want the Towers to be destroyed, but not on Vile's terms. That is why they are willing to make deals with the Empire and a group of Daedra-worshipping mutts to deal with them. Even once Vile is defeated, the world will not be safe, but that is not your concern, worshipers of Hircine. It will not be your task to defeat the Thalmor, at least not alone. You need to be concerned with defeating your enemy, Clavicus Vile. The reason I have selected now, of all times, to leave the Thalmor is because my...allies needed to make sure that you do not cease your fight against Vile."

Lorag grunted. "Hmph, like he'd give us a choice."

Areldril raised his brow towards Lorag, though did not look as if he was uncertain of anything. More than anything, his expression made him look even more smug. "Oh, you may be surprised. You may not be aware, but Vile does not care about you in the slightest. You were always just a resource to him, a tool. Your souls are powerful, and I believe that Vile intended to harvest them and use their power to carry out a final, definitive strike against the remaining Towers. But, his followers did not prove competent enough to kill you all, so Vile has all but ended his efforts to harvest you. Certainly you have noticed that attacks against you have dwindled? Those who still fight against you have essentially gone rogue. Just as with the Thalmor, only the inner circles of Vile's cult know of his true intentions. The rest have been recruited through promises of wealth, power, or revenge. It was easy for him to recruit lycan hunters, and those with some personal vendetta against lycans. But, now that he is focusing on other means of carrying out his plan, they have grown unruly. Based on his actions, even the General of his forces was operating in ignorance of Vile's true intentions. I would wager that Vile's zealots may even offer you a formal peace, but you cannot accept. Not if you wish to continue having a world to live in. A few years ago, I would have told you the best way to stop Vile would have been to slit your own throats to deny him your souls, but I am afraid that would not be sufficient now. Vile is making other plans that do not require you. No, to stop him now, you simply must kill Clavicus Vile."

Even Meesei gave a somewhat startled reaction to Areldril's bold statement. Certainly, it was a ludicrous suggestion in every sense of the word. Even ignoring the fact that Vile had access to the power of a literal god, Daedra were also physically impossible to kill. A Daedric Prince even moreso. It was highly likely that there was some other meaning that went along with Areldril's words.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril largely ignored Lunise's outburst. Her anger and denial were probably what he was actually expecting from her. After all, drastically challenging someone's entire view of the world was rarely met with acceptance. For Meesei, she was concerned, to the point that she was almost unable to maintain her stoic visage. Regardless, Lorag's skepticism had rubbed off on her somewhat. "I will concede that your claims thusfar have come without proof, Areldril. Do you have evidence that you are not just twisting theories on these Towers to your own ends? Perhaps to sabotage my alliances?"

"A fair question, and a much fairer tone, I might add." Areldril answered. "I can of course explain everything about the intentions of Vile, and even more about the Thalmor. But I believe it is Justicar Lunise who can confirm it. You see, she holds the documents I claimed from our archives. I procured those specific documents for very specific reasons. Now that I think about it, I am glad you are here, Lunise. You know how to identify all of the small details on those papers. All the little seals and decorations that verify them as being genuine. The magical wards weaved by our lorekeepers to preserve and maintain them. You know how to identify everything about them to confirm, beyond any doubt, that they are the documents you were sent to recover. Indeed, I imagine you have already done so. I also imagine you were sent here with the orders not to read them. They contain information forbidden for someone of your station, but that information confirms everything I have said. If you want the truth about how you, how all of us, were misled, read those documents. I would start with the scroll with the blue seal."

Shifting his attention to the others, Meesei in particular, Areldril continued his explanation regardless of Lunise's response. "The Thalmor, at their core, are built around a certain...religious belief. We Altmer are the closest decedents of the Aldmer, the first and greatest Elven race. The Aldmer were once Et'Ada, gods, themselves. Granted, they were lesser spirits to the Aedra, but still Divine, before they became mortal. We Altmer share their likeness, and it is the source of our superiority. I do not dispute this, but it is what the Thalmor intend to do about this that I find, well, insane. They wish to reclaim divinity, and do not see the Towers as the path to Aetherius that they once were. Rather, they see the Towers as binding the Altmer to mortality in this world. They believe that Mundus was a mistake, that your kind, Marod, mankind, was a mistake. They want to erase the very concept of man from existence, dismantle this world, and return to the divine. I can certainly appreciate their intentions, but through my years of study, I have not seen evidence that destroying the Towers would have the effects they expect it to. If I did, I would support them without question, but it is far more likely that we will merely be erased from existence. They are too blinded by their zeal and idealism to see that. I am not willing to wager the fate of Mundus on the mere chance of becoming divine. The documents I stole detail all I have said, and more."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I am a fan of Tower lore.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh, only the highest, most faithful in their ranks are informed of Vile's true motives. I would surmise that they are promised power and standing within Vile's realm, once he does whatever he intends with Mundus." Areldril answered, again without hesitation. "And I would not be so quick to dismiss their plan as impossible. Certainly, it is not an easy task to deactivate a Tower, but Towers have been destroyed before, and it is not at all far-fetched."

Kaleeth was looking nervous. She had her sword in hand in case something happened, but her mind was focused on what Areldril was saying. It seemed insane to think that there were, evidently, buildings with the power to hold reality together. She supposed it could make sense with some sort of divine magic from the gods, but it seemed insane that their secret war with another Daedric cult could actually somehow be for the fate of the world, instead of just their own lives. "So these divine towers have been destroyed before? How?" She asked.

Areldril paused a moment, standing up straight with his hands behind his back as he collected his thoughts on the matter. "Each Tower has a stone, metaphorically speaking, which is bound to its Tower. If either the stone or Tower is destroyed, or the connection between them severed, the Tower will deactivate. Orichalc was located on the continent of Yokuda. When Yokuda was destroyed, Orichalc was destroyed with it. Green-Sap consisted of a network of Graht-Oaks in Valenwood. At one time, it was the subject of a plot to turn Green-Sap into another White-Gold, which may or may not have been related to its eventual deactivation. The exact reason for its downfall is a mystery, but though the Graht-Oaks still stand, Green-Sap is no more. Walk-Brass was the Tower forged by the Dwemer, their Brass god: the Anumidium. When Dagoth Ur interrupted the creation of their golem at the Battle of Red Mountain, the Dwemer disappeared, and Walk-Brass, their Tower, was left behind. It's pieces were eventually reformed into the golem you know as the Numidium, with its stone being the Mantella, which Tiber Septim used to conquer Tamriel and form the First Empire. The Numidium was later used in the Miracle of Peace in the Iliac bay, destroying it and bringing an end to Walk-Brass. The Red Tower, Red Mountain in Vvardenfell, was deactivated when its stone, the Heart of Lorkhan, was destroyed by the Nerevarine."

Increasingly, the expressions of several of the pack became more worried as Areldril listed one by one the Towers, which supposedly held together existence itself, that had been destroyed or deactivated. And he was not yet finished. He continued on, his tone neutral, but his expression severe. "Crystal-Like-Law, erected by Elves in the Summerset Isles in emulation of Ada-Mantia, was destroyed by the invading Daedra during the Oblivion Crisis. Also at that time, the stone of the White-Gold Tower, the Chim-el Adabal, the stone at the center of the Amulet of Kings, was shattered by Martin Septim. Snow-Throat is one of the more...uncertain Towers. It is believed to be the mountain known as the Throat of the World, and its stone is known only as the Cave. I call it uncertain because it is unknown if it is still active. As stated in the prophesy of the Dragonborn: When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world / When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped / When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles / When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls / When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding / The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn. Everyone knows this prophesy has already come to pass, and it does imply that the Snow Tower has fallen, but none can say for certain. Ada-Mantia, of course, still stands. Its stone is both physical and metaphysical, the Zero stone, Convention."

Lorag was managing to keep up with what Areldril was saying, though much of it was references to history or religions that went over his head. Of all the pack, he was the most skeptical. With his arms crossed, he stared down Areldril. "Okay, so assuming you're not lyin' through your teeth about all this, this seems like something you'd just tell your own people. Seems like it'd be important to them. Why not just tell the rest of your Thalmor and have them pass it on to us? Why make yourself a traitor for this?"

Areldril turned his head slightly and slowly towards Lunise. It was hard to tell, but there might have been a slight grin on his lips. "Because of the ninth and final Tower: Talos. Well, not a Tower in the literal sense, but the man who ascended to the Divine serves a similar purpose. For he is, or has become, Convention, the very stone of Ada-Mantia. Or at the very least, he strengthens the Wheel of Convention. The details are not entirely known, but what is sure to any true scholar of the Towers is that Talos serves an integral role in the continued existence of Mundus. If Snow-Throat has fallen, then Talos may very well be only thing keeping Mundus stable, aside from Ada-Mantia. Why did I turn traitor to deliver this message? To that I give a question, for our venerable Justicar Lunise. What is the true, final goal of the Thalmor? Why have they devoted themselves to the eradication of the worship of Talos? And I do not mean the notion of heresy that a Human could become a Divine. No, I mean the real, tangible reason for devoting so many of our resources to hunting the believers of Talos. The reason that is shared only among the upper echelon of the Thalmor, such as myself. Have you managed to piece it together yet, Justicar Lunise?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril gave a brief hum as he glanced down at Marod. "I see that there are some educated within the Empire. Regardless, since the majority here are uninformed, I shall give the best explanation I can in...limited time. To truly understand the divine nature of the Towers would take far more time than you have."

Despite Lunise's continued anger and the magic that continued to flow through her, Areldril maintained an unmistakable calm. He was either certain that she would not act on her threats, or he did not consider her to be a danger to him. "A very brief, very rough description of the Towers are that they are what bind Mundus into the rigid, organized form we know today. The first tower, Ada-Mantia, what you would call the Adamantine Tower on the Isle of Balfiera, was the first structure in all of Nirn. It was created by the Et'Ada, along with the Red Tower to keep Mundus stable, allowing it to exist without the presence of the gods. The others came afterwards, created by the Aldmer and other mortals in the Merethic Era. They keep the laws of reality stable, maintain the barriers between Mundus and Oblivion, and prevent even the linear time itself from breaking down. They are some of the least known, but most important structures in Tamriel. For without them, Mundus will revert to its primordial state and cease to exist by any definition of existence that we are familiar with. There is some disagreement among scholars about how many are required. Some say that as long as one remains, Mundus will remain stable, while others, like myself, find it more likely that at least two are required. The ultimate goal of Vile's followers in Tamriel is to deactivate these towers to bring an end to Mundus. I suspect he may seek to gain some advantage through it, perhaps even use the instability to pull Mundus into his realm somehow, though I am less certain on that aspect of his plan. Regardless, the stakes of this war you have been fighting, as you can plainly see, are far, far higher than you could have imagined."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Across Tamriel, Thalmor tended to be reputable for their egos, and no amount of threats from Lunise seemed like it would change that for Areldril. He stubbornly maintained his dignified posture, as well as his tone. "Hmm, well we shall see what happens. Rest assured that I shall not try to go anywhere against your will. Evidently, this lizard had obtained an unusual degree of power. I shall not attempt to escape her."

At this point, Meesei decided to speak firmly. "Then you should hurry and say what you have to say; no more delays. What message do you have for me that it was worth all of this risk?"

Areldril gave a brief nod. "In short, I have determined the motivations and methods for Clavicus Vile's plans in Nirn."

"If that is true, then I am eager to hear it. Speak." Meesei answered. After so many years of wondering why they were fighting the war to begin with, it was understandable that Meesei would be skeptical of someone suddenly handing the answer to her. She motioned for the rest of her pack to cross the river and join her. She wanted them to be able to hear him themselves, and to be close enough to act if he tried to surprise them.

"Of course, but it does require some background knowledge to make sense. First, what do you know about the Towers?" Areldril asked.

Meesei gave a curious look to Areldril. "The Towers? It sounds familiar, but I am afraid you will have to be more specific."

Areldril answered immediately, barely giving Meesei time to finish her sentence. "The Red Tower, Crystal-Like-Law, White-Gold, Snow-Throat, Green-Sap, Orichale, Walk-Brass, and of course, Ada-Mantia: the original tower from which all others echo. The Towers. I shall admit they are not well-known or understood among even the most educated scholars. Is anyone here educated on their purpose, or do I need to give the explanation?"

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak was aware that their time to speak with the Baron was not limitless, so it would be wise to make the most of it. He wanted to be careful to ensure they kept up the friendly tone of this meeting. Their ultimate goal in attending this event was to ensure the Baron would remain an ally to the College. He was being friendly enough, though in political matters, friendly words meant little. Still, he had not thusfar had any reason to believe there were any problems between him and the College.

”Indeed, Lucilia does everything that she can for the College, and Ovak still fills his role effectively. I do not think I have ever been as impressed with another as I have been with the Arch Mage. His appearance is certainly deceiving.” Ssarak responded to the Baron, actually quite genuinely. He still remembered well how the Archmage had managed to single handedly end the single strongest demon attack that Ssarak was aware had ever happened in Tiien. “Regardless, you can rest assured that the College remains, and will remain a sanctuary for any of your subjects who have the desire to learn what we have to teach, living or undead. Personally, I believe that Tiien should be a place where any being who seeks to live in peace should be able to do just that.”

Feeling that he had spoken enough about the College itself, Ssarak decided to shift the conversation at least somewhat more towards the Baron on his people. ”With the demon presence in Tiien, have your lands fared well?”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril mostly ignored Lunise's tone. He simply stared at her unemotionally as she approached with Marod and Meesei. He looked at her closely, seeming to inspect her expressions and facial features until his "captors" had reached him. "Hmm, a Thalmor Justiciar in the company of Hircine's Champion. I suppose the only person you could be is Justicar Lunise. A pleasure, I suppose. I had indeed hoped you would not be present for this meeting, but I suppose that was merely wishful thinking. Regardless, what I have to say is far too important to be bothered by you. Merely saying what I know may be enough to shift the course of coming events. Though, I will admit that I am curious what delusions you have in your mind about me. As a man in the inner circle of the Thalmor, a scholar with access to more knowledge and resources than any mage could ever hope, and a noble with more wealth than most people will ever see, I had everything to lose and little to gain by leaving. I am most curious about what is going through your mind on why I would possibly wish to do such a thing. Or have you put any more thought into the situation than what was written on the orders your superiors gave you?"

Turning his attention away from Lunise, Areldril refocused on Meesei. "At any rate, I should get to the matter at hand. They would be most disappointed if I managed to come this far without delivering my message."

"And who is they? Are you referring to those people you slew? Were they followers of Vile?" Meesei asked.

Areldril shook his head. "Those corpses were Vile's cultists, but no, they were not important, and not who sent me to deliver this message. Just means to an end. I have learned about you over the years, about your war with Vile and his cultists. I could justify it as a part of my research into the Daedra, but I did not need to learn about you, I needed to meet you. It was one thing to be able to acquire copies of reports about you, but to actually set up a meeting? Well, that was...outside my role. I could not do so without suspicion, so, I simply needed to attract your attention instead. There is nothing that would do so quicker than to make a 'deal' with the fools who follow Vile. And now we are here. If you think this is some kind of ambush or some other nonsense, then you can take me anywhere you like, so as long as you allow me to explain to you all everything I know."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei answered Marod without a hint of doubt in her tone. "We can follow them. They will only escape if we allow them to escape."

While Lunise was giving her threats, Meesei motioned for her nearest pack member, Lorag, to approach, then quietly instructed him to order Ahnasha to follow Areldril's men when they departed. By the time she had given her order, it was time for her to step forward along with Marod and Lunise to confront their new captive. Stepping up beside them, she shouted across to the Altmer authoritatively. "Ensure that you have the documents you stole with you. If they are not all accounted for, then we will pursue your men, and they will not be able to escape us."

Across the river, Areldril took a leisurely pace at readying himself to part from his men. He slowly stepped down from his horse, then untied one of the bags attached to the saddle. One of the Altmer on a horse beside Areldril, most likely his second-in-command, climbed down off of his horse as well purely so he could bow respectfully below Areldril's eye level during their farewells.

Just as Lunise requested, Areldril waited in place while his men left, heading along the edge of the river in the direction of Bravil. They would likely cross over at some point and continue on into the forest, but it was Ahnasha's job to track them from that point. In the meantime, Meesei started to walk across the river while the rest of the pack waited just at the riverbank. Both Fendros and Sabine could quickly attack from a distance if he tried anything threatening, so Meesei was ready to cast protective spells if the encounter turned violent. By this point, the river was red with blood from those that had been slaughtered while crossing it, but Meesei was not wearing anything on her feet that could be stained while crossing the water.

As Meesei, Marod, and Lunise approached, Areldril offered the bag he had taken from his horse to them. "Here you are: the documents you requested."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Areldril peered intently across the river. He glanced first at Kaleeth, though seemed quickly disinterested in her before he turned his attention to Meesei. "Yes, you match the description of the lizard I needed to speak to. Hmm, what luck. Well, I should specify the full conditions for my surrender are that you allow my men to go on their way, and you...interrogate me forthwith so that I can tell you what I know." The Altmer shouted across the river.

After Areldril gave his conditions, Meesei quickly answered Lunise. "It seems as though he has a particular interest in me. Based on the situation, I would reason he either intends to get close to me so that he can attack, or he wanted to speak to me from the beginning. I will admit this is most unusual, but there seems to be more to this than we expected. I should speak to him, but you both may want to join. Would you find the terms he gave for his surrender acceptable? From your report, he is the only one of importance among them, and he may not be as cooperative if we attack. We will just need to require that he hand over the books and scrolls he stole."