EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Once the portal closed behind them, Meesei stepped up alongside Lunise and put her arm gently around her waist. Silently, she leaned her head against her shoulder and simply observed the sight along with her. Even after Lunise commented, it took a while for Meesei to respond. "This place has an immaculate sort of natural beauty, which the locals have cultivated to the best of their ability. Even in the middle of the harshest of places, there are jewels like this."

When she finally released her grip on Lunise, Meesei took a few steps forward and carefully sat herself down among a bed of flowers, close to the edge of the beach. For a lycan, and particularly an Argonian, the number of scents was almost overwhelming, even if they were pleasant. It was likely a case where Lunise was actually having a somewhat better experience by the virtue of being less sensitive. "There are so many places in the world like this. Perhaps not as beautiful, I would admit, but still just as deserving to be seen."

---

Unlike Oswall, Darahil had a reasonable argument against the use of undead that Ahnasha simply could not ignore. She may have felt that the taboo surrounding undead was unfounded, but that would not matter to the enemy they were trying to convince. This, unfortunately, just made the situation all the more complicated.

"That is...you may not be wrong." Ahnasha conceded. "Strictly speaking, the purpose of the undead only comes into play if we are discovered, but even if we are successful, we might still be detected when moving the corpses away. But...how do we keep safe, then? What can we possibly do to give myself and Sabine some kind of chance if we are discovered? I do not intend to die for this, or worse. There are the automatons, perhaps, but...can we do it, Darahil? Can we make them silent enough to move them in close enough to be useful? Can we do it reliably? or is there any other option at all?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Made an edit to add a comment I forgot.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Oh, I was not really planning on going into the city itself." Meesei answered. They were essentially done eating, though Meesei still intended to bring some wine with them that they could share later in the evening. She was sure that they would be wanting to stop and relax at some of the other destinations. "We could visit her if you really wanted to, but I would not want to do anything to disturb her. Do you remember that flower grove overlooking the ocean, south of the city? I wanted to spend some time there. In fact, could you help me with the portal?" She requested.

Creating a portal with two people was faster than doing so alone, so once Sabine was ready, it was not long after that they had an open portal linking Blackreach to Thorn. If Sabine remembered the area well enough, she would not be surprised by the sight they stepped into, but that would not make it any less impressive. Like anywhere in the marsh, it was quite hot and humid, but the area around them looked like anything but a swamp. All around them was every color of flower that one could imagine, stretching in both directions along the edge of the sand as far as they could see. The trees were not as thick as they were deeper in the swamps, and on their other side facing the water, the sky was completely open. As such, there was plenty of light from the stars and waxing moons above. The trees too were colorful, between their leaves, budding flowers, and even fruit. Some were not native, and had been planted by locals to enhance the location's beauty, which was something that had certainly been accomplished.

---

Regardless of how Fendros took Oswall's outburst, Ahnasha did not have as much patience or self-control as he did. She was not as practiced at being politically-minded as he was, so she was more prone to giving into her anger. And anger she had. "I don't care how it goes, I don't need your threats and ultimatums, Oswall. I just volunteered to walk right into the den of the enemy, in what is likely going to be the single riskiest mission of this war. I did that without hesitation, for the benefit of you, your family, and this entire clan. But if you had your choice, you would have me go in without any sort of effective reinforcements, just because it makes you uncomfortable to reanimate some dead animals. If I did that, if I went in there without reinforcements and died because of it, would you be the one to walk up to my son and tell him his mother was dead? Unless you have an actual alternative that keeps me from taking suicidal risks, then you have no right to criticize anyone."

"Oh, and just to let you know, the Empire does make use of necromancy. The College of Whispers studies necromancy officially and legally. And I'm certain the Thalmor have something to do the same. You know they won't let go of magic like that." Ahnasha added.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

We can probably have the group with Meesei move to Thorn.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei listened carefully to Karl as he spoke, clearly interested. "So, you have found mention of a forge, then? That is more than we had before, by a large margin. If they went through all the trouble of mining out this massive cavern, and fought wars over claiming its contents, then its power would have to be great indeed. Once...well, once my pack has completed its current mission, I think we will have the resources to investigate the claim. At least in some capacity. Finding that forge could be immensely useful to us. And that is not even to mention the scholarly value."

Meesei gave Lunise a curious look. "Have you ever heard of scholars in the Dominion finding something like Aetherium? Though, since the Dwemer had no presence in southern Tamriel, I imagine there would be less Dwemer scholars in the region."

---

Ri'vashi was the first to respond, after a few moments of consideration. "Chaurus hunters can move quickly, but...we would still need to keep them far enough away to avoid setting off the wards. It is doubtful that it would be expected, at least."

"A Chaurus, even one with wings, cannot cover ground all that much faster than a werewolf in full sprint. That would have the same problem as any other idea with something living; they wouldn't get to us in time to help. Myself, Sabine, Meesei, we are capable, but our opponents outnumber us, and have access to powerful Daedric artifacts. Flying chaurus would be useful, certainly, but they would have to be undead to be close enough to help us." Ahnasha argued.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Perhaps, though destiny or no, it is doubtful that the Falmer are redeemable at this point. They are primitive, violent. Almost like goblins. We had some trouble with them for a while after we claimed this place, but they have learned to fear us. While deadly against travelers and adventurers, the Falmer are disorganized, so we have never sustained significant losses from them." Meesei explained.

Meesei observed Sabine and Karl as they conversed. Sabine was the one in charge of their dinner, so Meesei did not actually know what they were making. Regardless, the ingredients the clan tended to have on-hand would likely make it something exotic to Lunise. "So Karl, my duties have kept me away from the clan for several months now. Have there been any recent discoveries that might be interesting? I know Darahil was looking more into the history of this place as an Aetherium source."

---

Ahnasha nodded, quietly and somewhat nervously, before walking back inside with Fendros. The importance of this meeting was really starting to set in for her. How they chose to approach this issue would decide their chance of success, and her own chance of even surviving such a risky mission.

It took another few minutes for everyone to settle back around the table. There were perhaps some cooler heads than before among those attending, but there was still some palpable tension in the air. Ri'vashi had moved from being obviously uncomfortable, to having an entirely blank expression. The pack had not been present for Fendros' conversation with Ahnasha, so none of them were sure how to start. In fact, with the silence that followed from everyone after they were all seated, it seemed that Fendros would need to be the one to begin.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei spoke with the same kind of interest as Karl. "I can only imagine what life here would have been like during the time of the Dwemer. Back when the city was at its peak, working as its creators intended it. We have restored as much of the machinery as we can, but some of it is simply too damaged, or too complex to repair without a true understanding of how it is meant to operate. From the time I had the pleasure of spending assisting with the research, we found that magic is an integral part of many of the Dwemer's creations, but it is not necessarily the key ingredient, so to speak. Some of their most impressive creations work through mundane, physical interactions of steam, gears, and such. But trying to piece together that knowledge just from the pieces we can find, working or no, is a task that no scholar in Tamriel's history has accomplished. I have no doubt that kind of knowledge could do a great deal of good for the world. Or harm, if the fate of the Dwemer is anything to go by."

With the fire going, Sabine would be able to start on their meal. Meesei could admit that Sabine was a better cook than her. The concepts of cooking were not too far removed from those of alchemy. "We have also learned about the Falmer which live here, though there is less to learn than with the Dwemer. Mostly, it just reinforces the generally accepted theory that the Falmer were taken in by the Dwemer as refugees, then betrayed to become slaves. Most of the culture of the Snow Elves, their former civilization, is lost to time. These Falmer are a shell of the legends of what they once were; it is doubtful they even remember their own history."

---

Ahnasha's hesitation, and the long sigh that followed, revealed some of her fear that came along with this plan. "Well, I can't say I'm excited to do it, but I know I'm the most qualified. Not only can I move quietly, but I will be the one in the best position to know when and if the thralls will be needed. If I go, then I will be in full control of our contingency plan. I know this can go very wrong, but it could go badly no matter who does the infiltrating. And, if all goes well, it will be less risky than trying to attack them. I have to do it. We just need to convince the council. Marcaille and Saras will go along with it easy. Ri'vashi clearly does not like it, but I think it will be easy to appeal to her by convincing her it will keep the infiltrators safe. Oswald will likely be the most difficult, but it is not as if we need a unanimous agreement to reach a decision. Still, I would want to try and convince him, if only to avoid more problems down the road. Darahil...I am not sure. That Mer is hard to read, and he did not give much of a reaction back there."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

A sly grin started to creep across Meesei's face. "Well, you thought we were operating near Windhelm, at least. Since we led you there. As I mentioned, secrecy is still a powerful tool for us even if that means keeping the precise location of this place a secret from the other clans. Of course, now that we can teleport to this place without needing to use the physical entrance, it is much safer to bring visitors. Perhaps one day I could show it all to you." She said, though she had little hope of that actually happening anytime soon. Bringing Lunise to the cavern was one thing, but there were enough people in the city itself who might recognize her there would be a real risk to doing so. They would have to be content looking from a distance, for now.

"Myself and my council have agreed to rather strict rules on what we can and cannot tell anyone of this place, but I can say that it is a treasure trove of scholarly knowledge. Being able to safely research the Dwemer, on their own schedules, in complete safety has been wonderful for our scholars' productivity. I only wish we could collaborate more closely with scholars outside the clans. If nothing else, we should record all our findings and, when it is safe to do so, release them to the world. It would be a shame for Tamriel to gain nothing out of it." Meesei commented.

---

"I'm not sure. Maybe she will, but she is an even more experienced necromancer than me. I'm hoping she will be able to help create a focus for me to give my orders more clearly to more thralls. I know such things are possible to make. Who knows, maybe she already has one?" Ahnasha answered hopefully.

Ahnasha released another sigh. "Anyways, you think the council is really going to go for this? A few are fine with it, but this is taboo for most of them. I mean...trying to muffle the automatons could work, but Marcaille was right when she said it could be risky. Even things that should work in theory can have something go wrong, and they haven't tried enchanting an automaton before. Beyond what they get at creation. If something goes wrong at the wrong time, it could give us away, but I'm sure the council would approve of that plan more easily. It would, without a doubt, be risky, but...I just don't know. Do you think the risk would be too much? Which option do you think is better?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Yes, to varying degrees. Marcaille and Saras would know for certain, and the others would have heard rumors about her abilities from the times that she has used them in front of allies. However, there are many true and false rumors that spread through the clans about what the Champion's pack can do, so they might not know for certain what is true.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei started to collect some rocks into a circle, while Sabine stacked the firewood. Trees were one resource which were not readily available in Blackreach, but Sabine and Karl had brought enough with them for them to make their fire. Pausing briefly, Meesei took the time to observe the same view Lunise was enjoying. "Indeed, even if one knew of this place's existence, it would take many years to find the entrance, if not being led by a particular Daedra."

The fact that Hermaeus Mora had given the clan knowledge of Blackreach was still not common knowledge among the clan, so Meesei was reluctant to mention it in the presence of Karl. The phrasing of her answer would naturally lead to the assumption that Hircine had guided them to the cavern, which would be a sufficient enough answer for the moment.

"It was not easy establishing a home here. This cavern already had its own denizens who were not quite fond of being displaced. It took a while to get to the point where we could feel safe ranging from our Dwemer city. But, this sanctuary has served us better than we could have hoped. In a decade, we have not found any indication of our enemy coming close to finding us, and they have certainly been trying. The Dwemer city itself has been our citadel within our stronghold, and I would say it has provided a sense of strength and community among us. Not to mention more Dwemer metal than we can use. We still do not have the same kind of economy as a normal city; clan members to not have to buy food and shelter with gold, but it is still different from other clans. We have a marketplace with merchants, crafters, artisans. Homes with solid walls, and thanks to the craftsmanship of the Dwemer, working pipes that carry clean water to fountains throughout the city. There are even places for entertainment, thanks to some performers and other, artistically-minded people among the clan. I still sometimes find myself impressed by the progress we have made here." Meesei explained with a light grin.

---

"Well..." Ahnasha began, glancing around to make sure they were out of earshot of anyone else before responding quietly. "...I think it would. I already have quite a few thralls prepared and ready in my private hideaway. They are undead, so life detection magic would not find them. Do'rhajul's team are lycan hunters, not vampire hunters, so they will certainly be using their soul gems to search for living threats, not dead ones. Undead also do not need to breath, nor do they feel discomfort, so they can remain perfectly and completely still, and I could give them instructions to get close enough to be useful. We will still likely need more thralls than I have to occupy Do'rhajul, but we can make as many thralls as we want as long as we have soul gems. The difficulty comes in controlling them. One necromancer can only issue commands to so many permanent thralls at once. The more there are, the harder it is to command them simultaneously, and the simpler your commands have to be. I think Marcaille might be able to help with that, though."