[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

Valgar nodded back at Sabine. "Of course. Now I'm, uh, no expert on something like magic, but it's my understanding that these bones are ripe for enchanting. Naturally, you can choose whatever magic you want to put in them. I'll leave that to experts like you."

"In that case, I think I'm of the same mind as Sabine." Ahnasha commented. "While it would be wonderful to be a dragon-armored werewolf, we need to think carefully about how we want to approach the battles we're going to be taking. This armor is going to be incredibly useful, but it does mean that none of us will be free to transform unless we're prepared to lose it. So, we need to decide this now. I think a mixed composition between our normal and lycan forms would work best. We're probably going to be taking on special objectives more than we're on the frontline, so the versatility will help us. We should think about what kind of balance would help us most as a team Myself, I think I bring the most to the table with access to my magic, so I'll take light armor for my normal form."

There had been some hesitation from Kaleeth, but Ahnasha's perspective made her realize that the choice for her was rather obvious. "Then I will probably need heavy armor for a werecrocodile. If it's really as strong as you say, then it could let me be very aggressive. Even more than normal, especially if you can enchant it to help protect me against magic. I could charge into enemy formations and disrupt them without too much risk. I know the rest of you can do a lot to take advantage of that."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros turned Ahnasha's statement to Janius. "Are you sure you want to give up your magic here, Janius?"

"Well..." Janius sighed. "I suppose it makes sense that adaptability would serve us better on our own. And -- I suspect you'll be taking heavy armour, Lorag -- with Lorag, Kaleeth, and Meesei, we'll have no lack of physical punch. I suppose I will take heavy armour for just myself then, rather than the wolf." He was not shy to show a little disappointment on his face.

"I think...It will still look and feel most impressive, Janius," Sabine said in an effort to cheer him up. "Not many in the world get dragon bone armour at all, right?"

Fendros nodded. "That's right. Speaking of which, I feel my ward and my bow will be most useful here. It seems clear to me now. I will take the scales as well, thank you."

Whether Meesei had taken any heed or not, it appeared that Narsi had very quietly paced around to approach her from the side. With captivated eyes, she very nearly dared to reach out and touch the elbow piece of Meesei's suit.

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha hummed to herself for a few moments, looking particularly at Janius. "It's a hard call to make for you, to be honest. Between Meesei, Sabine, and me, we do have the pack's magical needs covered, so it might be that you could contribute differently in your lycan form. But, at the same time, you do have a very well-balanced skillset that might make it better to keep your options open. Honestly, I think you would be just fine either way. We can plan around either."

"Well, if Janius is stickin' to this form, then I'll have to take heavy armor for a werewolf." Lorag commented with a nod towards the forgemaster. At least a few of us should go in lycan form. It gives us more options as a team to have both. I can move faster than Kaleeth, so I can take on enemy flanks with the armor keepin' me protected."

Regardless of whether Narsi would actually go through with touching the armor or not, Julan ended up interrupting her when he nudged her in the side, grinning with just a hint of smugness. "See? I told you we ate a dragon."

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi snapped her attention to Julan. "Psh, shut up," she said in an attempt not to seem flustered. Rather than engage Julan further, she laid her fingers on Meesei's arm and pinched a jutting piece of the armour to size up the material. "This looks really expensive," she mumbled almost blankly.

Fendros' attention was back on Valgar. "I believe that settles it, then. We'll be sure to make the best use we can out of these masterpieces, Blue-Shield." He smiled. "This marshalling has been keeping us busy, but if there is anything you need to help their production, consider us and we may help."

"Hounds," Janius added, "I might just come down later on to watch if you don't mind. I'm fascinated that you crafted this armour out of the bones in the first place, let alone all the secrets you had to unlock with your colleagues."

[EliteCommander]

Meesei soon took notice of Narsi beside her. The armor made her seem potentially even more unapproachable than usual as Champion, as the gaze of her dragon skull helmet could not be much else except intimidating. However, her friendly attitude came in stark contrast to her threatening appearance. "Indeed. Dragon bone is an exceptionally rare and dangerous material to acquire to begin with, and on top of that, requires a master blacksmith to even begin to work with. I do not think your father was exaggerating when he suggested this armor could buy multiple houses. It is easily the...third most valuable item I have ever handled." She remarked, letting out a grunt at least somewhat comparable to a laugh.

The forgemaster, meanwhile, was predictably open towards Janius' request. "Oh, of course. It will be our pleasure to have you. I have already begun training some of the more seasoned smiths here in the techniques required to work with the bone. I have every confidence that we will have everything ready for you in time for the invasion. Unfortunately, I...don't think we will have enough materials left over for dragon bone weapons. Even with two skeletons to work with, bone armor, especially for lycans, is resource intensive, and not all the bones are suitable. We do probably have enough scales to make one or two more sets of the light armor than the three you've asked for, but the scales aren't suitable for weapons. We might be able to make one weapon if we're lucky, but...even if we're not, I can still make my best weapons for you. I know how to forge daedric metal. If you'd like, and if you can get the alchemists to part with a few daedra hearts, I can craft you some of the most deadly weapons you'll ever see."

[Muttonhawk]

Narsi did step back and put on a stern face when Meesei turned to look at her. Her fascination gave way to at least that much fear, even if Meesei was not actively trying to scare anyone.

Janius had to grin and show his hands to Valgar. "Now, there. You'll spoil us doing that." He tilted his head, glancing to the others. "But...the opportunity is there."

"Daedra hearts are rare," Sabine commented. "We should speak with Marcaille before committing, in case they are needed elsewhere."

"Having weapons that could break through the armour of any otherworldly creature would be invaluable," Fendros said. "Even if it were only a few arrows or a dagger."

"Or claws, like Meesei's," Janius mentioned out of the corner of his mouth.

Fendros angled his head forward, staying grounded despite Janius' excitement. "Or an axe for you, if you are going into battle in your current form."

Janius raised his brow. "Just making our options known, brother."

[EliteCommander]

Valgar's expression soon began to take on something of a more anxious or uncomfortable appearance. He hesitated, unconsciously rubbed his hands together, and ended up clearing his throat before finally speaking. "Look, I'm, uh...not really good at this sort of thing. But, um, I just wanted to say that I've always thought it was real honorable the way you treat us. Your pack, all of you. And I don't think it's just us blacksmiths that feel that way, but a lot of people here in the clan. People who make things, especially. You've never demanded any tribute from us, even though you've had every right to do it. You're our leaders, you could have asked for anything you ever wanted from us, but you've always traded fairly. But...it's not the time for that kind of thing anymore. Now that I know what's coming, now that I know that this war could actually, really be over soon, it's time for everyone to do our part. And you're going to be doing the most. You're our leaders, damned heroes, and you're going to be right in the frontlines. You're the best we have, so you deserve to get the best we have. I can't make daedric swords for a whole army, but I figure giving a few to you will do just as much."

Valgar shrugged and let out a long breath. "I mean, if you really think those hearts would be more useful somewhere else, then that's fair, but I'm going to be making you all something, and that's that."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros smiled. "Those are kind words, Blue-Shield," he said. "It doesn't sound like we could stop you if we tried."

Janius agreed. "I'll not be turning down a new weapon from the likes of you, that's for sure."

"What is your opinion, Meesei?" Fendros turned to their leader. "You and Sabine know more than I about what Daedra hearts can be used for. I feel whatever our forgemaster will make will be very fine, but perhaps the Daedric edge will be pivotal?"

Rhazii had his ears pert, containing his own excitement. "I might get to hold a real Daedric weapon," he whispered.

[EliteCommander]

"I would normally be inclined to refuse, but...I do believe our forgemaster has a fair point. With what our pack is going to be facing, we need any advantage we can reasonably obtain." Meesei replied, turning her head to look down at Valgar. "Forgemaster, your first and greatest priority is still to forge high quality weapons, armor, and other equipment for our armies. The majority of your resources, and the resources of any other clan you may confer with, should still be dedicated to that task. But, as long as it does not interfere with that priority, I do permit you to forge weapons and armor for my pack of the highest quality materials available to you."

Ahnasha had an obvious smile on her face. Although she had been taking her time admiring the dragon bone armor, she had still been paying attention to the discussion of weapons. “Well, now that’s some news I can get excited for. I’ve often wondered how a daedric bow would perform, or perhaps the blades would make for a more impressive difference? Either way, I can’t wait to find out. But, uh, if you need to get my measurements or something, it will have to wait. There is something I need to go do right now.”

“Of course, you can all be measured for your armor in your own time. There’s still plenty I can work on before needing that.” Valgar answered.

Evidently, Ahnasha was in something of a hurry, as she moved to take her leave right away. On the way out of the forge, she passed Saras on the way in. While not every encounter they had with the Dunmer spymaster meant that there was some new emergency to deal with, that was his usual reason for seeking them out. On Ahnasha’s part, she simply quickened her pace out the door before she could get dragged into something else.

Even Saras regarded Meesei’s new armor with a rare moment of visible surprise. It was doubtful that the forgemaster had been able to requisition the dragon bones without Saras’ knowledge, but the fact that he had a complete armor set ready was apparently a surprise. “I see your dragon bone project has finally bore fruit.” Saras commented to Valgar, but as usual, he was quick to get to business. “But at any rate, we have a rather…persistent issue that I’m afraid I have to bring to your attention. Normally, I would deal with this myself, but it may involve the vampire, again. I can’t be sure, but one of our-“

Before Saras could finish his explanation, someone else came stomping into the room, a Redguard man. He looked both determined and angry, though he was not someone that most of the pack was likely to know. He was not someone in a leadership position in the clan, but simply one of their mushroom farmers.

“I told you to wait outside…” Saras began to chide the man, but the Redguard simply talked over him as he marched into the room.

“I’m sorry, but it’s not Falmer, it’s not animals. It’s been going on for too long. It’s an insult to our brothers’ and sisters’ that we haven’t done something sooner. Champion, you need to…”

Given Meesei’s current appearance, the Redguard finally laying eyes on her was enough to curb even his apparent anger. Or, at the very least, her armored beast form was enough to make him act more outwardly respectful. He stopped in place, straightened up his posture, and swallowed nervously before continuing. “…Champion, my lady, you need to know what has been happening. I help tend the graves near my farm, and these past few weeks, I’ve found some of the graves dug up. And not just to be looted for valuables; bodies and even bones were taken too. I brought this to the clan leaders as soon as I discovered it, but it’s still happening. Another grave was robbed just yesterday.”

Saras’ expression was stern, and it seemed like he might have been reaching the edge of his own patience with the Redguard. “We did not ignore your concerns. We took appropriate action to protect the graves.”

“You assigned one of the machines, that Dwemer sphere to patrol the place. But, like I said, this wasn’t the Falmer, or some wild chaurus. I heard no fighting yesterday, and that machine is still perfectly fine rolling around outside the graveyard. It can only be that damned vampire. Who else could be so vile as to disrespect our dead, and we’ve all heard the rumors of how she can control the machines. And it’s not like there are any other necromancers in the cavern, except maybe some of those Thalmor. But my septims would still be on that vampire.”

Meesei grunted, though it sounded closer to a low growl. Her helmet allowed for few hints as to how upset she actually was, but she maintained a reasonably calm composure. “I cannot ignore this. Sabine, I want you to join me. We should go speak to Hal-Neesa right away.”

“Meesei…” Saras interrupted. “…you still have your obligations with Teroiah and gro-Tagnud. You already delayed this twice, and the Commander was more than upset last time. I do agree that the graverobbing situation should be dealt with, but it is not as time-sensitive.”

Again, Meesei’s frustration showed briefly through a growl. “Fendros, Sabine, do you think you two could deal with this?”

[Muttonhawk]

Talk of the grave robberies had Fendros slightly nervous. His rational mind reminded him quickly that Ahnasha had her limits, even if it was the first suspect he thought of. Besides, it was unfair to assume it was her by virtue of being one of the only necromancers he knew. He was on enough alert that did not hesitate to respond. "Of course," he said with a firm. "That foreman can wait. This is no time for digging up our dead."

Sabine was less eager but she was not about to complain. "We can hope Hal-Neesa is not in a poor mood."

"We can hope," Fendros said. "Thank you again, Blue-Shield. I apologise for cutting this short, but I expect you'll be hearing from us soon for fittings and the like." He began to walk. "Come, let us see to this. Saras, could you give us the details on the way to the graveyard? And you..." he addressed the farmer. "Tell us your name and lead the way, please."

Sabine followed along pensively with her hands clasped.

[EliteCommander]

The Redguard seemed quite relieved at the answer he had been given. Even if Meesei was not addressing the issue personally, he did not seem disappointed in the slightest that Fendros was taking charge of the situation. "Yes, right away. My name is Ghanir; I'll take you to my farm. The graveyard is not far behind it."

As soon as they were in the hall, Saras started to give his explanation of the situation as requested. "I am afraid there are not too many more details I can give. There have been at least three confirmed instances of missing bodies in the last few months, though it is possible there have been more. I can say that I do agree with Ghanir in that this is likely the work of a graverobber, and not a wild animal. In my observation of the graveyard, I noticed that some of the dirt on one of the other graves was unusually disturbed, suggesting that the grave might have been dug up and filled back in. If that is the case, then the times that our graverobber has been discovered have likely been times in which he or she was in danger of being discovered and had to escape prematurely. Without digging up graves ourselves, we do not have any way of knowing how many bodies have been taken. However, I do feel that I should warn you to approach this delicately. Although Hal-Neesa is a necromancer and a likely candidate, we do not have any solid evidence that she is guilty."

Saras added one last comment, this time speaking softly enough that Ghanir would have trouble hearing from ahead of them. "Personally, I feel that hiding and digging around in the dirt does not feel much like...her to me. Does it?"

The farm, and the graveyard near it, was only a short walk away from the city, and still well-within sight of the walls. Although the Silent City's light did allow for other crops to be grown, many edible mushrooms still grew quite well in the environment of the cavern. As such, many of their farms were mushroom farms. They were able to trade with other clans for other types of food, but those who were not fond of mushrooms did typically have to learn to tolerate them if they wanted to be well-fed. As for the graves, Fendros and Sabine would be free to examine them for as long as they liked. The most obvious detail was, of course, the fact that one of the graves had been entirely dug up. The wooden coffin had been broken open with minimal damage to any part of it, suggesting it had been done slowly, carefully, and likely quietly. Unfortunately, there were no useful footsteps in the dirt. There were a small handfull of prints that had certainly not been made by Saras or Ghanir, but they were only partial and did not show near enough detail to be helpful. The only useful information they might have provided was the fact that whoever made them had to have been skilled at leaving few traces behind.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros listened and looked conflicted. "That may be the case," he said, "but she had already proven that the Dwemer things obey her commands out of nowhere. I hope there is more to go on when we arrive, or else she is still our primary suspect."

"Um..." Sabine was reluctant to speak up at first, but by drawing Fendros' attention, she brought herself to add her piece. "I do not interact with Hal-Neesa for long periods, but I have spoken to her likely...more often than most in the clan. She does not care about us. I mean to say...she would not try to hide if she wanted the bodies. She would probably say it was for her Dwemer project but they do not usually need bodies."

"That's a good point as well," Fendros admitted. A trace of worry cast over his face as they walked the rest of the way to the cemetery.

Fendros and Sabine took their time around the exhumed coffin and the area around it. They searched for any traces or scents they could make use of, but luck was not on their side.

"Well, you were right, Ghanir," Fendros said down at the coffin, scratching his head. "This certainly wasn't the work of a chaurus, and the Falmer haven't been this close to the city for years. Let's see..." He peered around. "It would have to be someone living amongst us, with a need for corpses, discreet, quick to get out of the way and hide...and one that the sphere would not accost. Saras, was the sphere that kept watch told to only allow certain people into the graveyard or is it like the ones in the streets that will not attack any of us?"

Sabine squat down close to the tracks. "It might not be someone in the city. We can see where these tracks lead. We might get lucky."

[EliteCommander]

Saras shook his head towards Fendros. "It was a sphere like any other under our command. The scholars still find it difficult to give such detailed instructions, so it would not attack anyone of lycan blood, or that we have not identified as a threat. It was sent ward off any threats from the cavern. Anyone else, it would ignore."

"As for the tracks, unfortunately, I already tried that." Saras remarked to Sabine. He took a few steps over two the open grave, careful not to tread anywhere close to the tracks themselves. "I could not find any trace of a trail beyond ten paces in that direction. But...it is possible that it might still be an option for us."

Saras knelt down close to one of the partial footprints, again being sure not to actually touch or otherwise disturb it. "Our graverobber knows how to cover their tracks, both literally and figuratively. I tried to identify the perpetrator, or at least some distinct characteristics, by scent, but the only scents here aside from those of dead bones are...indistinct. A scent is there, but it is not like any person nor animal I have ever sensed. But it is familiar to me. Either potions or magic was used to mask the graverobber's scent. I have used such magic before, myself. It did not leave any trail I could follow with my nose, but if magic was involved, then a skilled mage might just be able to detect it. I do not expect it will be easy, but Sabine, you might be able to follow those traces of magic and lead us to its source."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros stared at the footprints as Saras spoke, nodding along with a growing lament pressing his lips together.

When attention turned to her again, Sabine looked up at Saras and Fendros and then stood up straight again. She paused to think, resting a finger on her chin. "Maybe. It will depend how long since the magic was cast. And more powerful magic can make traces noisy."

"Short of interviewing witnesses," Fendros said, "of which I assume there were few if any, it is the best lead we have. If time is of the essence, we should follow it." He tilted his head. "Do you need anything to prepare, Sabine?"

Sabine shook her head softly. "Not unless we want to try and know what the spell was, exactly."

Holding out a hand towards the trail, Sabine closed her eyes and concentrated. A dull, wispy, indigo spell lit up from her palm to better see the charges in the air. With careful footsteps, she turned and followed the trail of residual magic away from the grave. Fendros followed along, keeping an eye out.

Fendros looked to the farmer while they walked. "Ghanir, did anyone see any trace of this act? Do you know anyone who might-"

"Shh!" Sabine interrupted.

Fendros lowered his voice. "...Do you know anyone who might have seen anything?"

[EliteCommander]

Ghanir took the time to carefully think on the question, but still could do nothing more than shake his head. "I...no, I don't think so. The only other person who lives here is my wife, and she didn't see anything. Saras already questioned her."

"Yes, I do believe our best lead at the moment is to follow this trail." Saras replied, though before they had moved beyond the graveyard, Saras stopped in front of Ghanir. "However, it is possible that this trail may lead us directly to a necromancer, which means we could be heading into danger. It would be best if you remain here."

While Ghanir did perhaps look upset at the suggestion, he also could not reasonably argue with it. At this point, there was nothing more he could do to help, and his presence would just be another risk. Reluctantly, he agreed and allowed the other three to set off following Sabine without argument.

Saras waited until they were a short distance away from the graveyard before speaking up. "I do not believe it is likely we will be in much danger unless we instigate it. However, he is a traditional Redguard, and traditional Redguards have very...particular views on necromancy. It would be best for us to deal with this ourselves."

---

Saras has been correct about Sabine being able to detect the traces of magic, but it was by no means an easy task. The magic used to hide the graverobber's scent was, of course, not meant to be obvious, so any hints that the magic left behind were few and far between. It took quite a lot of effort and concentration on Sabine's part just to detect the traces of magic at all, and even then, it was not as if it was one, continuous trail. Several times, they ended up losing the trail and having to search fairly wide areas just to pick it up again. A lesser mage than Sabine likely would have lost the trail entirely, but nevertheless, between her magic and more traditional forms of tracking, the three of them were able to make slow, steady progress.

Eventually, the group came upon what seemed to be the end of the trail. It was far off of any of the proper paths through the cavern, to the northwest of the Silent City. Although they had spent most of the day tracking, it probably would not take more than an hour or two of walking to reach from the city, if one knew where they were going. It was a small Dwemer structure, no larger than a poor family's home, though there was no way to tell from the outside if it had any underground component. From their position hidden in the distance, it looked like one of the Dwemer storage buildings, but it was difficult to guess at the original intention of many of the Dwemer structures. It did appear that the ground itself had somewhat eroded around it in the millennia that it had been abandoned, as the whole building looked like it was tilted just a few degrees off of being level.

Saras stopped where he was and took in a long breath, concentrating on the structure. He held up one hand and charged through it a spell that Sabine would immediately recognize as life detection. "I am not sensing anything alive inside."

[Muttonhawk]

Sabine and Fendros stared at the building uneasily. Fendros at least slightly more relieved that the trail had not lead to Ahnasha's hidden laboratory, but he did not want to relax yet. She could have moved her operations. However, even if she had not, that meant they did not know who they were dealing with.

Fendros drew his sword and prepared a ward. "Be ready for anything," he said calmly. "It could be trapped."

Sabine brought a spell to each hand as well. "There may be undead," she added. "I did not learn the spell to detect them."

"Right." Fendros crept up to the door, pressed an ear against its surface to listen for anything behind it, and then moved to stand behind the doorframe. Once Sabine was positioned on the opposite side, Fendros eased the door open and leaned to look inside.

[EliteCommander]

On the approach to the structure, the whole area seemed silent and still. Nothing moved around them, as it seemed that the only thing that was alive within sight of them were the mushrooms. Around the structure, they would have noticed several Falmer totems driven into the dirt near the corners of the building, but if there was any Falmer scent present, it would have been overwhelmed by the persistent scent of death that covered the area like a blanket.

Peering inside the door revealed no one living or undead, though that did not stop Fendros' senses from being assaulted by a pungent odor of rot strong enough to make the act of stepping inside a battle against nausea. As the interior was still illuminated by its glowing Dwemer lights, the source was easy to see. On a stone table in the center of the main room was a half-rotted corpse of either a Human or Elf, as it was far too decayed for any sort of identification. It might have been the corpse of a female, but even that was uncertain. What would be apparent, once they were able to stomach examining it, was that it had already gone through some amount of preparation. There did not seem to be any maggots, nor anything else to continue decomposing the corpse more than it already was. Sabine might notice that the body had been covered in a small portion of frost salts, likely to aid in preservation, and some of the rotted flesh had been mended together either through magical means, or simple stitches. Some of the more damaged parts of the body had been fastened together with leather straps to strengthen it, though the preparation was obviously incomplete. The body was still surrounded by the tools of the necromancer, and no soul had yet been transferred into it.

As there were only three small rooms, it was easy to confirm that the building was currently unoccupied by anything living or undead, so they were free to investigate at least for the time being. Saras stopped just outside the door, glancing back in the direction from which they had come. "I should keep watch out here. See what you can find inside."

Although it was a relatively small building, there was quite a lot aside from the corpse to sort through. The most obvious details were the Falmer totems in the corners of the rooms and next to the stone table, though they seemed out of place compared to the rest of the building's contents. Naturally, there was an abundance of soul gems on the shelves, tables, and even in the two Dwemer cupboards. There were even a few filled, black soul gems. The back room was smaller, but less cluttered. It contained a hammock, a small crate of necromantic tools, and a small stack of books. Most were rather thick tomes dealing with necromancy, conjuration, and various forms of mysticism, along with what appeared to be a Nordic cookbook. The last room, just to the right of the entrance, appeared to be used as a kitchen, with a small cooking fire fueled by fire salts on top of a stone counter, contained by a few repurposed pieces of Dwemer scrap that had been made into a makeshift spit. In addition to a few waterskins filled with presumably fresh drinking water, another Dwemer cupboard in the room contained a small collection of meat, vegetables, and other foodstuffs on a pile of frost salts that kept everything inside nearly frozen.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros gave Saras a nod and motioned for Sabine to quietly follow him inside. They both had to breathe slowly enough that they would not gag. While there were no immediate threats, there was always the chance of someone or somthing hiding, waiting to leap out.

Thankfully, they treaded each room with nothing accosting them. Sabine and Fendros both eyed various details as they went, before doubling back to the main room.

"Nothing?" Fendros asked.

Sabine nodded.

"Let's take a quick look around."

A closer look at the details of the makeshift home were only held more curiosities in store. Fendros winced at the black soul gems, leaving them in their place. He took out one of the books and brought it back to the main room, opening to a page in the middle to confirm what it was.

"Any idea why there are Falmer totems in here, Sabine?"

Sabine poked her head around the corner from the kitchen. Her eyes went immediately to the book in Fendros' hands. "Left over from before whoever lived here. They would not keep books."

Fendros peered up from the book. "Hm. What's in there?"

"Food. Water. Fire and frost salts."

"Right then," Fendros clapped the book shut. "This can't be Falmer and it would be too much misdirection to be Hal-Neesa's style." He glanced at the unfinished undead creature. "Let's step outside. That thing is wretched."

When they walked outside, they both took a deep breath of the relatively fresher cavern air.

Fendros spoke up to Saras. "It's definitely a necromancer. Someone operating here for long periods of time. There's no other folk in this cavern with books like these except in the clan." He looked over his shoulder. "They are also very well stocked with filled black soul gems. How they were filled, I wish I would not speculate."

"They might know we are here," Sabine added. "We took time to reach this place. Whoever lives here, they might have spotted us on the way if they are good at hiding."

[EliteCommander]

"Hmm, that is possible." Saras replied. Their findings had given him much to think about, though he was still surprisingly quick in coming up with his response. Given his background, this sort of plan was just the kind that he had experience making. He gave a nod, then continued in a slightly hushed voice. "If that is the case, then the necromancer would not want to use this hideout any longer. And if they escape us here, then they will certainly lie low for some time. They will be more cautious, and we will be unlikely to find them again. So, it would be best to catch them here and now. You said there were black soul gems inside? I am no necromancer, but I do know that they are quite valuable and difficult to acquire. If we are working under the assumption that the necromancer saw us and knows we're here, then I would wager they would risk returning here after we leave to retrieve them, and anything else of value they can carry. Probably shortly after we leave."

Saras gave a glance towards the building, then to Sabine. "You have been inside, so that means you can now create a portal into it, yes? I propose we take our leave, back in the direction of the city. Then, once we are out of sight, Sabine can teleport us back into the hideout. Then, we can wait in ambush. Can you cast invisibility on Fendros as well, Sabine? I can only hide myself. Ideally, we can capture the necromancer alive. A paralysis spell from invisibility would likely be effective, no matter how skilled our necromancer is. If that fails, and it is necessary, then I can attack from stealth with my blade. And if the necromancer does not know we have found them, then we will simply be able to wait until they return and carry out the same plan."

[Muttonhawk]

While Fendros held his chin to think about the plan, Sabine pulled out a small waterskin from her shoulder bag. "This will keep you invisible for a few minutes when you drink it," she said, before handing the skin to Fendros. "The necromancer may try to detect our lifeforces as well. I could hide and watch from the outside when we lay the ambush in case of that."

"I was just thinking on that," Fendros responded. "Is there any way we can hide ourselves from such detection?"

Sabine's brow twinged with a little regret. She shook her head. "Only by being far away," she said. "I know how to hide it with alchemy, but it takes too much time to prepare."

Fendros exhaled. "We'll have to rely on our quarrel's complacency then, and a bit of luck. Let's set up and wait for a few hours."