EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"As much as I wish we could keep Hal-Neesa away from...everyone, I doubt she would listen to such a request, and it is not as if we have the means to contain her. There is no point in trying to hide her from anyone; we just have to try and contain the consequences as best as we can." Meesei responded.

Meesei doubted that she would be able to get much sleep that night, with as much as Neesa had given her to thing about. But, for, the moment at least, she was able to form at least a slight grin. "Who knows, perhaps there shall be a silver lining to all of this? If we are fortunate enough, Neesa's presence may make everyone forget about Do'rhajul."

Even with as uncertain as the days ahead would be, they had little choice but to push on as best as they could. For Meesei, she did not return with Lunise immediately, but she did teleport to her room later than night. Although, she was looking more for comfort and advice than anything else, given the stress now sitting upon her shoulders. Her meeting with her council had been short, so she knew that there would be many more discussions ahead regarding Neesa. At the very least, she could take some comfort in the fact that they had indeed accomplished their goals that day.

---

It was early the next morning when Meesei teleported Lunise directly back to Alinor. They both wanted to have the Thalmor's answer as soon as possible, so neither had much of a reason to delay. As expected, Meesei had trouble sleeping that night, but she was at least able to distract her mind from thoughts of tonal manipulation and godhood by focusing on her short-term goals. The Thalmor were the next worry for her, so it is where she devoted her energy. Lunise's superiors could not know about the rings they used to communicate over distance, so Meesei agreed to meet her in the same location the next morning.

During the wait, Meesei remained worried about Neesa, but they were at least having no real trouble from her on their first day together. Neesa had a tendency to go wherever she pleased in her explorations of the city and respected no orders from anyone that might try to give them, but she showed no indication of doing anything malicious. To Meesei's knowledge, there were no extended conversations between Neesa and any of the council, or other clan leadership, on the first day, so Meesei retained hope that she could introduce them to her in a controlled manner. There were certain personalities on her council that she did not expect to agree with Neesa.

---

As planned, Meesei returned to Alinor precisely at the time and location she specified before. She had teleported to a government building in the capital city itself, into a room they had designated specifically for that purpose. Naturally, the Thalmor were just as concerned with security as the Empire, and were even more magically attuned. They knew enough about her usage of teleportation to know that they could prevent her from having more locations to return to if she was not allowed to visit them in person. As such, she had not strayed far from this room during her previous visit. There were, of course, already two armed guards in the room, and since she had arrived on schedule, Meesei suspected that she need only wait for someone to arrive.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Even with Lunise's encouragement, the look of uncertainty did not leave Meesei's face. "Perhaps that is true, but it is difficult to judge. I highly doubt she revealed anything accidentally, which means she meant for us to know all of it. I feel like she told us just enough about a few topics to pique my interest, but not enough to really learn anything meaningful. I feel we just learned a collection of surface details about her favorite topics.

Meesei closed her eyes and let out a breath. "But you are probably right. Perhaps we should just focus on what is tangible. She gave us a potentially accurate version of her history, dating back to the days of Alessia. It could be a lie, but her knowledge of the Dwemer gives it credibility. Gaining knowledge of CHIM from Molag Bal, her massive ego...it does all fit together. As for what we can do with this knowledge...that I am not sure. Little of what she said is actually practical in the moment. I suppose becoming a god would make it much easier to deal with Vile, but I doubt that is a possibility. I suppose I can instruct any curious blacksmiths to stop any efforts to reproduce Dwemer metal. If it was created with tonal manipulation, then there is not much point in bothering to experiment with alloys. Beyond that, we can just press on and try to deal with all of the other problems bearing down on us. I will need to fight the Thalmor's champions...when is it? Tomorrow? The day after? There is still much to worry about in addition to that vampire. Hopefully it will not take too long to defeat them all."

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Ssarak gave a thankful nod towards Leith for his vote of confidence, and retained his friendly demeanor towards Henri. “You will have to trust me when I say that it is best if we speak in confidence. My words could end up being vital to you, for the sake of your own safety with the shapeshifter about.”

For a moment, Ssarak gave a glance towards Helena. “Do not worry, I shall endeavor not to occupy your companion for too long, if I can avoid it.” He said reassuringly, though his attention was soon back on Henri. This time, he made sure to maintain their privacy by exclusively speaking to him telepathically. ”I know you have encountered trouble with some of the others. It is hard not to know at this point, even without mind-reading. But, I feel some of this stems from…unfamiliarity with one another. You are new here, having only arrived within the last few months. There are many people here that you do not really know, nor are you truly familiar with the College itself and why we are doing the things we are doing. Why it is all important. Myself, on the other hand, I have known most of my fellow students for years. For a few, I know them better than I they know themselves. It is unfair for you to be thrown into the middle of all of this without the depth of knowledge that you would require to make proper judgments. I can give you…context, about the others, and about the College itself. I can help you understand why people like Althalus, Alaira, and Tyrael act the way they act, and why they make their choices. Firstly, I would like to ask if you are aware of the demon attack that took place at the College a few years ago. News of it has spread all over Tiien by this point, but everyone might not still be aware of it.”

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

For a moment, Meesei stared at the spot where Neesa had been standing and shook her head. "I think the notion of Hal-Neesa, of all people, attaining godhood is one of the most frightening thoughts that has ever crossed through my mind. That woman is far beyond insufferable. So...ageless and superior. And yet, there is something beyond that. It is hard for me to say if she even believes her own bravado. With her, it feels like anything she does could be an act. I wish I could believe that everything she said was a lie, but..."

Meesei released a sigh and took another moment to glance around at their surroundings to make sure there was no one around to overhear them. "You both saw what she did. We used lycan blood with the Animonculories to ensure that every automaton they produce will obey lycans, and yet she took control of it with just a few words. My council is not going to be happy to hear of that. And that is not even addressing the fact that she was speaking Dwemeris. Aloud. Most educated scholars only have an incomplete understanding of the written form of the language, and only guesses on what it could have sounded like. How could she know that unless she was there to hear it? If she was not lying about her age, then that leaves open the possibility that anything she was saying could be true. This was the first I ever heard about this 'CHIM'. Well, I saw the word before in Apocrypha, but evidently I did not grasp its importance enough to study it. Attaining godhood by simply being in a particular state of mind sounds too easy to be true, but I suppose not impossible. If it is true, then her motives may not be too complex. What ancient, power-hungry mage would not want to become a god? There may not be any sort of deeper motive. Were she to succeed, we would only be able to hope that her intentions were not malicious. Did anything she said match up with what you learned of CHIM before, Lunise?"

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.”