EliteCommander

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Given that they likely needed to stay together, if possible, Ssarak decided to reach out and probe around for the minds of some of the other students that had walked away. Fortunately, a few of them had not gotten far, so they were quick to find. Unfortunately, what he heard was not exactly encouraging. He had heard the argument between Henri and Althalus before, and it seemed like the matter was only getting worse. Now, there were arguments between him and a few others. Now with a shapeshifter in the city, they could not afford any divisiveness within their own ranks, so that was something that would need to be dealt with right away. Ssarak was perhaps the most qualified to address it, for a few reasons, so he decided to act quickly. Though, he first sent out another telepathic message to the others. I am not completely certain what to expect from the shapeshifter, but I do agree that we should try to stick together as best as we can. Fortunately, while a shapeshifter can mimic our bodies, they cannot copy our minds. Myself and Annabeth should be able to positively identify anyone we meet. At least among each other. We can try to see if we can find Lyn and any of the others who may have left, but there is one issue I need to deal with first. I will try to be quick.

Fortunately, the crowds of children around them were dispersing to some degree, so it did not take more than a moment for Ssarak to approach Henri, Leith, and Helena. To say that Henri was upset would be an understatement, but he hoped to fix whatever issued had cropped up. Ssarak approached from beside Henri and gave him a gentle tap on the shoulder to grab his attention. He was interjecting in whatever conversation had been going on, but at this point, that would probably be for the best. ”Excuse me, Henri. If you do not mind, I would like to pull you away for a moment and speak in private. There is something important I would like to discuss.” He asked politely.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Neesa's expression held some degree of amusement towards Lunise's reply. "Hmph, you Thalmor never change. Trust me when I say that you would have fit in with every iteration of the Dominion from first to last. I'd wager your stubbornness would give you an advantage if you were to try to claim Royalty. If your leaders' goals were not so moronic, they might have succeeded ages ago. But yes, I have what I need for now. Though, I strongly suspect that the same cannot be said for all of you. No, this will not be the last we speak."

"I just have one more question." Meesei quickly interjected before Neesa could leave. "Lunise does raise one question in my mind. Why is it exactly that you have told us all of this? We questioned you, certainly, but you did not have to answer at all, much less in detail. Forgive me if I am assuming, but you do not seem the type to share your hard-earned knowledge freely."

"You do assume, and you certainly do not know me." Neesa replied in a quick, harsh voice. "Make no mistake, you should feel blessed to have even the broad details of the knowledge I deigned to share. For children like yourselves, it is dangerous, but powerful knowledge. The kind that could reshape your destiny." There was a pause as Neesa stared each of them down, her eyes lingering particularly on Meesei. "I normally would not have bothered to share even a hint of knowledge, but...I suppose it is rare to meet someone who might have some slight possibility of proving worthy of it. Perhaps you will do something productive with the knowledge, or perhaps you will just kill yourself with it. In either case, I am unbothered. Now, goodbye...for now."

Neesa gave no more time to converse as she and her spider were both enveloped in a bright violet cloud of what seemed to be alteration energy. It obscured the both of them for a moment, and when it faded, they were both gone. It was quite obviously a teleportation spell, but one that worked entirely differently from Meesei's. It was far quicker, and used much less magicka, by the way it felt.

From the entire conversation, there was, without a doubt, a great deal to digest. Meesei herself was not completely sure of what to believe. It was easy to dismiss most of what Neesa said as lies, but there was still the fact that she had the kind of knowledge on Dwemer machines that lifelong Dwemer scholars did not possess, which in itself was a cause for concern. After a few more moments of silence between them, Meesei finally calmed her thoughts enough to speak. "Did she...complement me?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Without much of a word or warning, Neesa started to walk back in the direction they came with her new automaton in tow, though she did give a quick smirk towards Sabine. "Oh, if only you knew how much of a ridiculous question that was, girl. You would be laughing at yourself. That answer cannot be known, for all that is left of them is traces of their song. From all of the writings and research I have scraped together through the millennia, CHIM requires three things: Will, understanding the Godhead, and understanding Love. No, not that kind. Love, as Vivec wrote it, is the knowledge that individuality is a lie. I am a part of everything, and everything is a part of me. Will is the just that: willpower. The strength and stubbornness of mind to declare that you do exist, despite all evidence to the contrary. It is the ability to retain individuality when you discover why it does not exist. Essentially, you have to have a massive ego in order to view the Tower and attain CHIM. Obviously, that is contradictory, which is why most fail. When you come to the realization that individuality is a lie, and know why it is a lie, then if you accept that truth, then Aurbis will do exactly as you believe and write you out of existence, retroactively. To do so is to 'zero-sum'. You would be erased from the present, past, and future, as if you never existed. There are only traces of writings from people who may have zero-summed, and that is debatable. It is the most permanent, and frankly terrifying, form of death. Given the existence of our eternal souls, I view it as the only form of death."

Neesa looked straight ahead and shrugged. "As for the Godhead, I have no clue what that is. I've seen the word in some writings from some authors; Vivec, Mankar Camoran, others. But, I do not know about it, quite intentionally, I might add. I assume it gives understanding for why I supposedly do not exist, but I do not know. Therefore, my Will has never been...tested."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

---

“Then I’m going with him.” Sirka remarked as she approached. Koren had been occupied since the moment they had returned to Paradise, so Sirka had been waiting to talk with him further for a while. However, she stopped her patient waiting the moment she received the message from Delni. She was still holding her datapad, her hand slightly shaking as she glanced down at its message. She had took it upon herself to find Koren, and regardless of whether she was going to have his help or not, she knew where she was going.

“My sister is trapped there; I just got a message from her. Something about an attack, bombings on the planet. Now the Cartel’s locking down the place, and she has no way out. She’s hiding out with some others that got caught up in it, but the Cartel’s on a hunt for someone to blame. I’m going there to save her.” Sirka said sternly.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It is a machine. It exists to serve, and so it will serve me. They are more intelligent than undead thralls, somewhat more useful." Neesa answered.

Meesei was understandably alarmed at the fact that Neesa was able to command one of their automatons with only a few words, even moreso than she was curious about how exactly the commands functioned. She had never heard the Dwemer language pronounced aloud before, given how long it had been since most of its speakers had disappeared. At the very least, that meant that only Neesa could potentially threaten them with that knowledge, should she so choose. Regardless, she tried to maintain her calm. "Well, as I said, we can spare a spider. If you do not need it for your...research, then is there anything else you will be wanting for it? I am afraid we may not be able to provide everything you might desire. Our resources are not limitless."

Neesa gave a quick, condescending laugh. "Oh there is nothing you could do to help me, even if you wanted to. I assure you. My research has spanned eras, and I am quite content being patient with enlightenment. Especially considering that failure means the most permanent form of death possible. The mortals who have sought CHIM and failed...those are the only ones I do truly mourn." She explained, her voice taking on an uncharacteristically and frankly surprisingly genuine tone.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak chuckled at Althalus’ suggestions. He was not diplomatic, but Ssarak certainly understood his feelings. He did not need to read his mind to know the reason for them. Lyn was his first child, so any potential threat to her, even nonviolent ones, would be at the forefront of his mind. Even if it did make him somewhat overzealous, it was certainly better than not caring enough. “Well, that is certainly one option. Though, I think there are still options that lie somewhere between doing nothing and bleeding the young man out. He did save Lyn’s life, after all, so I reason that should award him some leniency.”

Annabeth approached them enthusiastically about the local tournament, as Ssarak might have expected. The city was her home, after all, so she would want to show them the merits of the city just as much as Ssarak would want to show his homeland were he in her position. It was unfortunate that they were already starting off their day on such a sour note, as he was sure that the festival could be something enjoyable for all of them if they would just allow it to be. ”I think I will hold off on any tournaments as well for now. I do enjoy things other than fighting, you know?” He added with a laugh. ”And just looking around, I doubt there is any shortage of entertainment in this place.”

Unfortunately, it seemed like the group was not going to be so lucky as to be able to fully focus on recreation. Ssarak had not been close enough to Keri to hear what she had been saying to Henri, but he did notice when he signaled to him to read her mind, which he did promptly. There was a shapeshifter in the city, and he reasoned from the way Keri had phrased it that this one was associated with one that had caused them problems in the past. A look into her more recent memories confirmed it. He let out an audible sigh, hoping that Leith was mistaken, but not counting on it. Ssarak closed his eyes and concentrated, singling out the minds of all of his allies within his range to send a telepathic message. ”Be alert. There may be a shapeshifter in the city; one with designs against the College. If Leith is correct, it could be associated with the one that disrupted Lyn’s hunt.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It does not surprise me that you heard the word before; the 36 Lessons of Vivec was a prolific book series, particularly in Morrowind. But, few ever understood it. It is cryptic, like everything concerning the warrior-poet. Makes sense, considering that it wasn't meant for the people. It was meant for Nerevar, but that does not mean there is not wisdom within. Vivec was an authority on the Walking Ways. I doubt you could begin to imagine how many years I have spent studying his writings alone. You seem like at least a somewhat bright girl, perhaps you remember the sermon where Vivec first learned of the secret syllable? His meeting with Molag Bal." Neesa replied, though Lunise's comment gained only a quick, passing glance from her. "Hmm? Oh, it doesn't at all. You kept asking questions and I was bored enough to answer them. You should be honored to receive some fraction of my knowledge. Though I imagine my knowledge is more likely than not to just get you killed. The path to CHIM is the most dangerous undertaking in all of existence."

Finally, Neesa stood up from kneeling next to the spider and looked to Meesei. "As I thought, this machine is newly made, but according to the default Dwemer templates. My guess is that you just managed to reactivate an Animonculory and learned just enough to make its creations obey you. Understandable, since it would take a tonal architect for you to do any more with them. I shall be taking this automaton with me for my own purposes."

Meesei crossed her arms. "I am sure we can spare a single spider, but it may be difficult for you to take that one. The automatons we create only obey those with lycan blood. But, if you give some of your blood, I am sure we could..."

Neesa cut Meesei off mid-sentence. "Is that so?" She said, looking down at the spider. "Bcharn chal, fahlbthar."

Suddenly, the spider straightened up and let out an odd, bell-like tone, then returned to its resting position and stopped moving entirely. Meanwhile, a grin crept across Neesa's face when the machine seemed to respond to her. She pointed to herself as she spoke once more. "Bcharn chal, bthar."

Again, the spider let out a tone, then walked up next to Neesa's feet once she beckoned it over to her. Her expression was as smug as they had come to expect from the vampire. "As I thought, you have little real understanding of the machines you children are playing with. You don't understand how the animonculory functions, so you certainly don't understand how to remove the factory commands. The Dwemer would not have left them active."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Neesa grunted, not so much as glancing away from the spider. "Well, even I can admit that Septim was exceptional. Anyone with the eyes to see could tell. His supporters saw it, Vivec saw it, and even your leaders, Thalmor, know it to be true. No matter how much they deny it to the world. Indeed, it is why they deny it to the world. Even in life, his power reached beyond the gods. You see, girl, he did not just reshape the jungles into forest with his voice. No, that would not be nearly as impressive. He rid Cyrodiil of its jungles retroactively. With his voice, he spoke the jungles out of history entirely, so that they were never there."

Meesei stood with her arms crossed, transparently skeptical of Neesa's claim. She could think of several holes in the story with hardly a few moments of thought. "Forgive me, but assuming that was even possible, how would we even know about it if it happened? If the jungle was never there, then history would not claim that it ever existed."

Nessa grinned and hardly skipped a beat before responding. She had obviously anticipated the question. "Oh yes, it does not make sense, does it? Removing it from history would surely remove it from the records, yes? And yet, with but his voice, he removed the jungles from history so that only their song remained. The ability to reshape not only the world, but the rules it abides by. The ability to change the world in ways that defy all rationality, even the Earth Bones themselves. Sound familiar? It is the power the Dwemer sought, with the wisdom to use it. And that, children, is what I seek: CHIM. The Ehlnofex syllable of royalty. A state of being that transcends divinity; one that only mortals can obtain. And that, Thalmor, is why your masters are such idiots. The Aedra, by their nature, are imperfect, and becoming Aedric spirits once more would render us incapable of attaining it. Our potential, yes even yours, is greater than the gods."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei commanded the Dwemer spider to stop in place so that Neesa could examine it more thoroughly, though Meesei still could not tell what she was looking for. If Neesa was being truthful about her past experiences, then she would likely be more familiar with automatons than anyone in the clan, so Meesei could only guess that it had something to do with the clan's usage of the machines. However, she could not think of anything that Neesa would be able to determine just by looking at a spider.

Meanwhile, Neesa stopped examining the machine only for a moment to give a seemingly genuine look of curiosity towards Sabine. She gave her the same analytical look as before, without expanding upon the reason. Though, she did certainly have a reply for Lunise. "I would think that question would answer itself, even for a Thalmor. Your group does seek to restore Mer to their 'divine' nature as Aedric spirits, yes? Rejoin the gods and waste our potential? But if you really need it spelled out for you, I just want to claim the destiny of all mortals. Lorkhan created Mundus so that the created could surpass their creators; to do what the divine cannot. Only two mortals I know of have ever attained true royalty, and I would think you would be intimately familiar with one of them, Thalmor. Oh, what was that quote the priests like to put in their sermons?" She said to herself, clearing her throat before delivering a monotone quote. "'You have suffered for me to win this throne, and I see how you hate jungle. Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you.'"

"It was the most...obvious display of the power in history. It amazes me that more have not managed to see the truth of what happened. Perhaps you just would had to have been there to see the impact of it." Neesa added.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmph, you want to know if I have long lost, ancient secrets at my fingertips?" Neesa replied, now giving Lunise her judgmental gaze. "Well I do, to be fair, but not those secrets. At least not in the way you are thinking. The tonal manipulation of the Dwemer requires tools, resonators, attenuators, their great machines and inventions. It is not like casting a simple spell, though I suppose it is possible for a being to manipulate Aurbis' song under one's own power. The Nords of old did it. Unknowingly, of course. Their Thu'um, their 'gift' from Kyne, is a form of tonal manipulation. A primitive, inelegant form, but a form nonetheless. A bit like trying to chisel a sculpture with a warhammer. Unlike the Nords, the Dwemer actually understood the forces they were meddling with. Regardless, I meant what I said about the power of the Dwemer: it is something that should remain buried. It is foolish for the limited mind of an unenlightened mortal to try and claim power surpassing the divine. The fact that Dwemer cities are now filled with nothing but ghosts, metaphorically, should drive that point into your skulls. It would be less worrying if they were literal ghosts."

Neesa paused when they finally spotted one of the Dwemer automatons. It was a simple worker spider, moving between two of the pump stations, but it was enough for her, though she did continue as she now lead the way in front of them. "Of course, that isn't to say the power shouldn't be claimed at all. No, I believe it is the right and destiny of mortals to surpass our original creators. But I am not enough of an idiot to follow the example of the Dwemer. I do not follow history's failures; I seek to emulate the two beings who have actually transcended the gods. I seek Royalty."

As they reached the spider, Neesa simply walked alongside it, observing it with a detail-focused eye. Although, it was impossible to tell exactly what details she was looking for.