Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Sorry for my activity slowing down. Uni has been busy.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros nodded. There was a degree of concern whether alcohol would exacerbate the lycanthropy, but knowing that he probably wouldn't transform again today was a comfort. There wasn't much else that Fendros was curious about on the way back to camp, so he remained fairly quiet. He would have to keep note of the detail of the moons, he wasn't sure whether that was true until then.

Returning to camp, they were greeted by Sabine staring at them from a tree branch. He heavily suspected that Lorag was no more than a fraction of a second from ambushing them.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It sounds like it," Fendros agreed, his grin wide as he visualised the recounts. He tried to think of the kinds of things his brother and he would get up to when drinking, but bringing up those memories renewed pangs of grief, and he discontinued the thought. Tonight was as much about becoming more familiar with the pack as it was about letting go of his previous life. This was what it meant to survive now, he may as well make the most of it.

As his thought processes went back to the direction of lycanthropy, Fendros walked quietly for a while before a question came into his mind that he put to Ahnasha. "Ahnasha, has anyone in the pack transformed after drinks? The beast doesn't seem to me to have any inhibitions to make ineffective with wine, but... I'm just curious."

The Gods are Crazy

Schylerwalker said
The introduction of the Azu to my region, in addition to the Uraka Federation, raises a lot of really interesting questions.

In general, how do the Azu feel about their neighbors? They've probably had some pretty serious conflicts in the past with the bear-folk, and I imagine that while the Old Way is as disdained as any other religion by the jaguars, it's perhaps not as hated as some. How do they feel about the Path of Enlightenment, a religion that espouses the existence and power of deities? I'm certain that they despise the government of the Dominion more than most.

With the addition of the crazy martial artists on the peninsula, Region 5 is starting to get pretty intense.

The Uraka Federation has only gotten over a serious isolationist xenophobia in the last few generations, so bad blood is likely to exist with most immediate neighbors who don't follow the Old Way. However, they haven't had many dealings outside of their area as they haven't explored much. There might have been other impressions made by fringe tribes of Kharis either in the mountains or outside of the federation in general, but those societies are much smaller and disconnected.

The reaction of the Azu to the Uraka could be at either two ends of extremes: One being burning hate as their societies and philosophy are structured with completely opposite ideas. The other end being some kind of cordial wariness between one another, as the Uraka would not likely come forward to indoctrinate or proselytise them, which seems to be their main gripe.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

As they walked, Fendros looked behind himself through the trees and silently bade farewell to his home one last time. It was as if this whole affair had been a long dream. Maybe he was just in a coma somewhere. He would eventually wake up in bed. It was a nice fantasy to have, for as long as it lasted.

"Hah! Perish the thought," Fendros replied to Ahnasha, secretly wondering just whether Lorag would have a tale about an intoxicated Ahnasha to outdo that example. "So, what is a good drunken Lorag story, anyway? I've been told what to anticipate, but what has he done before?" Fendros asked with a half-smile, "I expect no less than exaggeration and lies, mind."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros chuckled again through his nose, he was really starting to look forward to a celebration now, even if this life wasn't something he had fully come to terms with yet. They both strode through the woods until they reached a break in the treeline. A short distance from the end of the forest, which they didn't cross, was a wooden fence and a large paddock containing rows and rows of wooden frames, suspending grape vines over regular intervals. "There, one of the Avarul vineyards," Fendros spoke, stopping to try and get his bearings. They proceeded along the edge of the treeline until a small cliff emerged from the edge of the corner of the paddock. Underneath the cliff was a space large enough to crawl in. Fendros checked that the coast was clear, then darted under the cliff, keeping his head low. His arms emerged holding a wooden crate that tonked with the sound of packed bottles, he poked his head out and gestured for Ahnasha to take one of the crates. He then ducked his head under once more and emerged with another crate, and again with a small chest. Before leaving with his haul, Fendros pulled the arrow with his letter rolled around it from his quiver and placed it in the hiding place. It would only take his brother one trip out to deposit extra drinks, which he did roughly once a week, to spot the letter. Without a word, Fendros placed the small chest on the crate and lifted it up to carry behind the treeline again.

Once they were hidden, Fendros put down his loot and spoke, "One moment. This chest... I had completely forgotten that I had put this in here, I can't exactly remember what it-" Fendros carefully lifted the list from the chest and fell silent, "...oh." The chest contained a single bottle of red-brown transparent liquor, which Fendros lifted out to get a better look at. "Now I remember... this is... you know what? You smell this and tell me if you think it would affect Meesei." Fendros removed the cork from the bottle and passed it to Ahnasha. The liquid was a particularly strong alcoholic Cyrodiilic brandy that Fendros had bought off a shady khajiit caravaneer after being dared by said dealer to 'see if he had a real liver'. Indeed, Fendros wouldn't have been surprised if merely smelling the drink would cause Ahnasha to become tipsy. It almost didn't seem like any brandy that Cyrodiil would produce. Fendros had intended to test out his liver with his brother, but it might just be the last piece of the puzzle for tonight's celebration.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Night!

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

When Fendros looked behind him, seeing Ahnasha gaining ground fast gave him one last burst of speed. Or, at least that's how he felt before he was suddenly grabbed by the waist and pulled to the ground before he expected it, at which point he nearly yelped. She must have held back, Fendros thought, chuckling along with Ahnasha. "And I thought I had more room there..." Fendros said, a wide grin across his face as he caught his breath.

The run was invigorating, that was for sure. It made him feel far better than feeling sorry for himself and grieving. "I think I'll take you up on that offer, Ahnasha." Fendros said as he sat up and dusted himself off, "Funny... I think I understand what you meant about judgement. I never would have done that in public." Fendros offered a hand to Ahnasha, another thing he probably wouldn't have done in public unless it was to steady some overdressed noble lady out of a litter. "I didn't mean to at first, but I think we've run into a spot I recognise. The winery should be just over this ridge."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Fendros was poised to change his movements if Ahnasha had moved and poised himself to dodge any immediate retaliation, so it came as a surprise to him that Ahnasha didn't seem to react to either his approach or being tagged. Was it the end of the game already? The countdown brought Fendros' eyes wide apart and he immediately bolted away through twig and leaf. It was oddly exhilarating to be playing such a game that he hadn't in years.

Breathing heavily, Fendros dared to look over his shoulder to see if there was any trace of Ahnasha behind him. He didn't really consider whether he had a chance of outrunning Ahansha, let alone any khajiit. He just kept running, his shield bouncing against his back.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"What? Hey!" Fendros took a second to process what was going on. That's all it took for him to nearly lose sight of Ahnasha altogether. He had to sprint to keep up at first, trying his best to imitate the ways that she navigated various obstacles and receiving a few splinters for his efforts. When Ahnasha disappeared up a forked tree, Fendros slowed down and stopped at its base by pushing against the trunk and trying to look up at Ahnasha's feet, just in time to have dirt drop onto his face.

Fendros turned around and tried to wipe the dirt from his eyes, and raised his head to see Ahnasha's smiling face upside down no more than five centimetres away from his face. Startled, Fendros shot back and got his heel caught in a root, causing him to stumble onto his back. "Ow..." Fendros sat up, Ahnasha was still hanging from her branch by her knees. Remembering the game, Fendros paired a smile with a glared and decided to play along. He quickly raised himself up on his feet and tried to reach out to tag Ahnasha where she was.