Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked away, thinking behind his discomfort. "Well, I might see if his...professionalism extends to his attitudes against Argonians. Hearing that he fought Argonians in a losing war makes me think he is unlikely to underestimate you as harshly as Teroiah did." He half-heartedly nodded upwards. "You might find out if he has more tricks up his sleeve, magically speaking. I don't really know what else there would be."

---

While they headed to Thorantilth's hut, Janius eyed the activity around them. He wondered if it would feel somewhat strange to stay behind for one more night if everyone decided to leave today. He doubted they would set out late in the afternoon, but the tribe was nothing if not full of surprises to him.

Janius decided to keep Julan company for a little while as the finishing touches of the tattoos were applied. He hid his surprise when Zharanthixil walked in, instead smiling. He nodded at Zharanthixil's statement. "Just like Kaleeth-rei is. It has been good to find the tribe again.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros lifted his open hands. "Now, Saras, you must understand I would much prefer that he is watched while he is here." He worried his brow. "His temper is worse than mine. Frankly, I'm surprised he has been as docile as you saw." He lowered his hands and exhaled. "That said, I..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel as though he is completely different from the person I knew. I know mother convinced him into this but it is as if all his little triggers, all his rules and principles are...missing. I don't understand." he lowered his eyes. "I never knew about him and Mournhold before today."

---

Janius smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "If you don't want to spend time with her, Julan, just tell her. There is no need to lead her on if you would prefer not to." He turned and pat Julan on the back. "Either way, we're not leaving until dawn. We need all the daylight we can. You can think about what you want to do while you get your marks finished. Maybe the Hist will lead you out of your girl troubles."

Kingmaker [Pathfinder]

Hahahaha! All these interested folk are a good sign. I think I'll be kind to myself and the more definite folk here and withdraw my interest for now.

Hit me up if you need rules advice or an extra player! I'll just lurk for now ;)

Kingmaker [Pathfinder]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

Can I tentatively express interest? I am experiencing this horrible sensation where I am all at once really excited to play this and feeling as though I maybe shouldn't take on another game. It might take me a day or two to be decisive.

I have played and run a lot of Pathfinder live but seldom done it PbP. Though, I'd be fine for either.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Rossarm was completely still for exactly three seconds after Meesei finishes speaking. He then took a deep, silent breath through his nose, lifting his chin as he did so, and responded. "Understood."

As he quietly released the rest of his breath, Fendros noticed Rossarm's eyes stare into space with a subtle hint of something negative. Whether it could be called, anger, sadness, fear, or any mix of the three was near impossible. Fendros only knew, once again, that he had never seen anything like it from his father before.

"I will perform any drills required of me," he added. "I have no great need to rest at this time."

---

Janius answered Julan before he move back to his tattoos. "We will do everything we can. Everything. I can promise you, Julan."

His eyes followed Julan's to look into the water. He let his hand fall from Julan's shoulder. When Julan starting sounding concerned about spending time with Leeus, Janius looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Try as he might have to stifle a laugh, the contrast from the previous subject caused him to chuckle through a grin. He spoke with much more levity than just moments before. "What? Are you afraid she'll bore you to death out there?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Teroiah called out back to Meesei over the noise of her magic. "This is no test of full capability, Champion. Merely a rapid means of ensuring we are not wasting our time!"

The next level of power Teroiah presented prompted Rossarm to turn his off hand around in a position to cast a different spell. His warding arm was starting to quiver at the strain.

Upon noticing the movement, the corner of Teroiah's mouth quirked into a small smile. She pressed on to yet another level of power.

Rossarm's reaction was immediate. A bright red whorl of magic tore open above his opposite hand. Even as darkly hued as his skin was, the veins in his wrist and hand bulged and flared as if painted with ink. Less conspicuous was his warding hand, which now was comfortably maintaining his defences with not to much as a twitch.

"Very good." Teroiah abruptly cut off the stream of lightning leaping from her hands. Little sparks arced their last between her fingers as she clasped her hands together behind her. She flicked her eyes to the rest of the meeting. "The drills may be performed at any time."

As Teroiah walked back behind her seat, Rossarm lowered his ward and resumed his own place. Though he tried to hide his hand behind his back, the blackened veins were readily apparent to all who saw him. In addition, Meesei, Ri'vashi, Fendros, and anyone else with keen enough hearing could perceive his breathing had grown very slightly laboured.

---

Janius hesitated, looking away for a moment. He gave Julan a small nod. "If they come back, yes. But there will be other friends of ours staying behind that you could gain help from as well. There's...Pieter and Uthri. There's Karl. There's Ri'Kalesh's pride -- there are some who will not be joining the invasion. If you find your way to him, I'm sure even Tzirret will help you. All the same, you and Rhazii will have to be there for one another, as you always have been." Janius swallowed some anxiety of his own. "I pray you will never have to lose any of us. But, if it comes to it, you can do it. I know you can, son."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gro-Tagnud answered first. "I've some advisors with me who are good with assessing mages. I can leave him in their hands for about half an hour to perform some drills and they'll give me an answer."

"I can run you through such drills personally," Teroiah said to Rossarm, virtually interrupting Gro-Tagnud. "In fact, my drills will be more meaningful than any Legion checklist. In the Dominion, battlemagi must be adaptable, for their roles are core in the army." She turned to Meesei. "But for the sake of expediency, we can perform one here that shall be a strong filter. Rossarm? Take three steps back and raise your ward." Teroiah pushed up off the surface of the table and walked to a point a short distance from Rossarm.

Rossarm complied without a word or gesture. He raised his ward swiftly and precisely between himself and Teroiah.

Teroiah, now a safe enough distance from the meeting table, brought a simple lightning spell to her hands and cast it loudly onto the ward. Rossarm held it without a flinch. Without warning, Teroiah switched to a more powerful form of the same spell. Rossarm did not so much as blink, keeping his off-hand behind his back. The pose he had whilst warding almost had a decorum to it.

As greater spells continued to strike Rossarm's ward, the relative level of power also grew between them. Teroiah clearly wanted to make sure her initial spells were not overly harmful, but now they were well into the realms of lethal.

Rossarm's lips pressed together when the strain started to affect him, but he kept his stance.

---

"Yes," Janius said. "We could."

Glancing down and up, Janius lifted Julan's chin with the side of his curled finger until their eyes met again. "...But you didn't answer my question, son."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"I never interacted closely with Ordinators," Rossarm said. "Their duty was always to the temple. I have no recollection of that name."

---

"Oh, Julan," Janius said sympathetically as he took Julan's shoulders and drew him into a hug. He held him for a moment without a response. There was no easy excuse Janius could give without outright lying. He looked up at the sky for any words that could help. "Julan..." He huffed out a breath, hesitating. Finally, he pulled back to hold Julan by the shoulders again and looked him straight in the eyes, no smiles or comforts. "Listen to me and listen well. If we don't come back, you and Rhazii have to take care of each other, okay? Kaleeth and I aren't the only ones who are strong. Can you promise me that?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Is Varalyn Madral a figure in lore or is it a name you made? I'm wondering if Rossarm would know them but searching UESP doesn't come up with anything about them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros' ears twinged at Meesei's comment. Rossarm's response was predictable enough.

"If you see fit to put me in a position of command, Legion or the Dominion subordinates would be best suited. My training and experience is with rigid command."

Teroiah spoke up next with less patience. "Assessing your leadership will take time and preparation. I, for one, am eager to learn the extent of your magical prowess." She leant her elbows on the table and weaved her hands up under her chin. "I trust the intervening time since your flight from Morrowind has not degraded your skills?"

Rossarm lowered and raised his chin firmly. "I will need practice to properly make efficient larger scale destructions and alterations. However, I can assure you, Altmer, that you will require to pick from your best if you wish to find one who would defeat me." A hint of disgust showed in Rossarm's lips as he referred to the commander by her race.

For her part, Teroiah only narrowed her eyes. A much more tempered response than being challenged by Meesei, though whether that was because her prior defeat had been humbling or because of wider biases remained untold.

---

Janius turned with Julan away from the water. "We have that wish too, your mother and I," he said. "All of us being together in peace."

He did not elaborate. Janius knew Julan understood why they had trouble doing so. All the same, he could not blame Julan for his worrying about them.

"It's hard to say," Janius answered regretfully. "We're doing everything we can to tip the scales in our favour, but...It's always possible that something bad could happen. That's the risk we have to take by fighting. We're quite tough, though. Your mother especially."