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Through the Shadows




A Collab by @POOHEAD189 and I

Midnight, 5th of Second Seed Inside Skingrad

Severus could have passed as an Altmer were it not for his light grey skin, his features were severe and stern in the glow of the magelight. He swept his free hand over Rhea, Alim, and himself before nodding, satisfied. Were it not for the orb in his hand, Severus’ lithe figure would have blended into the shadows.

“Your footsteps are muffled, keep your voices down. The last thing I need is us being found out and thrown in the dungeons.” He hissed, voice low and harsh. Rhea shifted with uncertainty, glancing at Alim. Her own stomach worked itself in knots, Alim had put his life in her hands, and she wouldn’t forgive herself if anything happened to him.

“What kind of supplies can you get us?” Rhea asked, following behind Severus as he turned to lead them on again.

“What do you need?”

“Food. Flour and meat mainly. Medicine. There are sick people in the camps-”

“So we are clear, I will not help you carry anything. You will have to carry what you can manage.” Severus cut her off, he still had yet to tell her what the price of sneaking in would cost.

“Fair enough.”

The time to reach the end of the tunnel only took half an hour before they came to a stop at an iron gate. Severus extinguished the magelight, and waited several tense minutes, their eyes adjusting to the darkness. Just when she thought of asking him what he was waiting for, Severus procured a key, slipped his arm through the iron bars, and inserted the key into the lock. With great care, he turned the key, a soft clicking from the inner mechanism, and then the lock popped open. Severus claimed the lock before it clattered to the ground, then pulled the gate open, a squeaky grating noise indicated that the tunnel, had indeed, not been used for quite some time. Severus turned to look at Rhea and Alim in the darkness, eyeing the two of them before settling on Alim.

“I presume… that you are the one with a deft skill set?”

The Redguard mutt nodded, a dagger twirling within his dexterous fingers before finding its way back into his sheath as if by the wind. Though despite the small boast, he had to admit he admired Rhea’s skills himself. “That’s why I’m here.” He said, and the spellsword looked to Rhea to get an indication that he should move forward. Back in Highrock, hell, back in Hammerfell, women were often seen as dainty and subordinate. Many of them actually preferred it from what he’d seen, wanting to have themselves being waited on hand and foot or not wanting the responsibility on their shoulders. But it was actually nice to see a woman leader, Alim thought. He respected everyone with the will and skill to operate a team like theirs.

Once she gave him the go ahead, and he crept forward with silent footfalls, his sword out just in case there was a large rat or a weevil looking to take a bite out of his leg or hand. He had cast the enchantment of the storm upon it, to aid in its effectiveness and to give off a very faint glow they could be guided by. So far, the tunnel seemed empty. Bare rock mingled with old ruins, and more than once the spellsword had to step over rocks jutting out of the ground.

But after a short while, they made it to the very end of the tunnel, and a basement doorway above them that Severus had designated to be the entryway. Alim turned to them and placed a finger to his lips, before opening the door slowly, dust falling in billowing waves as he lifted the block of wood to its zenith, before catching it so it wouldn’t fall and hit the ground with a clack. Once he hopped up, he held out a hand to help Rhea up, whereas Severus simply looked at his hand with disdain and clambered up his own way. Rhea took his hand and entered the basement, Severus just feet away from her.

“No one has set foot in this house in twenty years,” he whispered, “The last occupant was a Thalmor supporter. The people here didn’t take to kindly to his indignant ways, and the Count locked him away in the dungeons below the castle. It has fallen into much disrepair since then. The guards must not have examined the house too closely or else this tunnel would have been sealed off.” With a ball of candlelight in his hand, he surveyed the basement, a simple layout where a stone staircase led into the inside.

They made it through the house without any hindrances, dust covered the floorboards, while thick cobwebs hung in the entryways like ethereal curtains. Severus brushed them away without a care, and made his way to the front door.

“Unfortunately, the key I have does not work on the doors of this house, just the gate.” Severus turned to Alim again, the Redguard proved useful in these situations.

Alim took his cue, and reached within his pocket to fetch a lockpick, one of the many useful items he had procured from the Imperial City as it fell into ruin. He lamented such a beautiful city being ransacked, and its citizens butchered. But what rogue would he be if he didn’t capitalize on it just a bit? With moderation, of course.

Alim undid the latch after a few moments of careful maneuvering with the pick, and a small ‘click’ announced his success. He then opened the door slowly, poking his head out slightly to see if the coast was clear.

They followed Alim out onto the streets of Skingrad, Severus guiding them into the shadows as he explained, “By Count Hassildor’s orders, a registry of citizens have been compiled to ensure that no one has gone missing or rather, anyone has slipped inside. They’ve drawn up identification papers with the Count’s seal. We could all be jailed, or worse, if we are caught.”

“Then what of you? Are you a citizen?” Rhea asked, wondering how severe the situation could become were they caught.

“Of course I am.” Severus snapped, as if insulted by her question. “The warehouse I’m taking you to is heavily guarded, but there is an old entrance that they’ve overlooked. Redguard, we’re going to need your skills again. This entrance might not be heavily used, but it is still under heavy lock and key.”

As they slipped through the shadows, Rhea trailing close behind Severus, he suddenly held out his arm, forcing her to a stop as he pushed her down. He dropped behind a crate, and waved Alim down. The sound of footsteps carried through the empty streets as torchfire illuminated the darkness. Steel helms glinted under the orange light as two guards rounded the corner patrolling the streets.

“...it’s hard to say. Do you think it really is the Dwemer like the refugees say?”

“I dunno… they spoke of floating ships in the sky, maybe the water was tainted with skooma?”

“You idiot, then everyone would have had a different hallucination. Don’t you know how skooma works?” The two guards passed without so much as a glance at the shadows. The three of them waited several tense minutes before Severus gestured for them to rise.

“There is an enforced curfew here as well. Everyone must be in their homes at sunset. If not you can face a tax, and in these times, a tax of any sort is the last thing you’d want.” Severus explained.

“It would seem that the Count is profiting from the situation.” Rhea commented.

“The people don’t see it as so, most still believe that he operates within their interest.”

Alim smiled to himself, slightly amused that despite the different cultures of the world, many things still seemed to stay the same wherever he went. Even his father would sometimes take advantage of the common man, though Alim had seen he was a bit more lenient on his leadership and wealth than most nobles.

They passed through the streets without a sound, the trio keeping their ears peeled for any sign that could threaten their livelihood, if they were caught now, all would be lost. Before long, a squat gray building came into view. Rhea picked up on the distinct noise of chatter coming from the opposite end of the building, most likely the entrance to the warehouse. Severus guided them into a darkened alley where a tower of wooden crates and barrels barricaded a weathered wooden door.

Severus turned to Alim, his crimson eyes seemingly black in the shadows, foreign and alien, “Pick the lock if you can, but wait for me to return. Do not enter until I return.” He said, his words frigid with a degree of severity. With that, he disappeared around the corner, leaving Rhea and Alim alone in the dark. She sighed, and began to pick her way around the crates until she reached the door.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

Alim still beside her after vaulting over a crate or two, he grabbed his unbroken lockpick once more. He gave her a sympathetic look, nodding. “Stealing is an acquired taste,” he said quietly. “At least for most. I started very young, and sometimes it even leaves a sour taste in my mouth...depending.”

He began to pick the lock as he continued, feeling the small pins within the mechanism giving way. “I try to put my talents another way. Stealing from a tomb is far more lucrative and less harmful to the conscience than stealing from a middle class merchant.” The lock suddenly clicked, indicating the door was now open. “Though don’t fret over this. We’re in need of supplies. It goes to a good cause.”

“A good cause…” she mumbled under her breath. Just then, the sound of light padded footsteps approached, Severus had returned. He climbed down beside Rhea and nodded.

“The coast is clear. There are just two guards watching the front, and one inside asleep on duty.” He settled in beside Alim, and pushed opened the door with a soft hand. Nocturnal seemed to be guiding them on this night.

“Take only what you can carry.” Severus slipped inside, not wishing to open the door more than necessary.

They entered the back of the warehouse as Severus had said, this half was darkly lit, there were crates, barrels and sacks of food. Fearing that a noise would give them away, Rhea took to looking inside the sacks, opening them with shaking hands. She settled on taking what flour she could, filling a sackcloth she had brought with her, her hands covered in the white substance.

The sound of a guard snoring echoed softly throughout the warehouse, and by the sound alone, he was in deep sleep, and so long as they didn’t break anything, they could get away with pilfering the supplies they needed. When she had filled the sack, Rhea crept to another crate, checking each one as she went, lifting the lids, and taking a handful of fruits and vegetables, stuffing them in her rucksack.

“I can carry quite a bit.” Alim quipped, grabbing a dozen apples and slipping them into his rucksack, biting into an extra one. With it stuck to his teeth, he grabbed about seven potatoes, and four pounds of dried meat. However, when he saw the ale he nearly unloaded some of it. “I can make it fit…” he said to himself, and grabbed three bottles of fine ale. “That is what she said.” He declared aloud, and shoved two bottles into his rucksack, with one under his arm.

He made his way around the crates silently and expertly, almost comically stepping over near impossible obstacles with his arms and sack full, showing rather impressive upper and lower body strength traversing through the room. Once grabbed a few more items, he found Rhea again, giving her a wink. “I think we are good.”

Her eyes widened at the sight of Alim stacked full with supplies and then she grinned, she just pointed over her shoulder at the exit, and lead him back to the doorway. When they emerged on the other side, and Severus had shut the door behind them, Rhea turned to him, brows furrowed.

“We still need medicine, and there wasn’t any in there.” She said, frustration painting her words.

“What do you expect me to do?” Severus huffed.

“We need supplies. Healing potions, bandages, and plenty of them.” Severus regarded her silently before shaking his head.

“You ask too much. If you’re thief can get into the place, you’ll have free pickings. But if you’re caught… I’ll have to oust you as intruders. Understand?” He looked from Rhea to Alim.

“Do you want to take that risk?”

Alim nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Luckily, the apothecary was not far off. Down another alleyway and into the next street, Severus pointed Alim out to a modest shop made of timber, with a nondescript door under what had to be a gaudy and massive green sign that read Roots and Stems with the symbol of a brewing concoction underneath it. Alim placed a hand on Rhea’s shoulder and said. “If anything happens, just get the hell out. I can take care of myself.”

She sighed, what he asked was hard, but she nodded, “Healing potions and bandages.” She patted his shoulder, and crouched down in the darkness.

The spellsword gave her a grin that showed all was well, and then ducked out of the alleyway and across the moonlit street, appearance as if but a passing shadow from a bird flying overhead. His footsteps were as silent as death under the porch, and in the shadows of the structure, he seemingly vanished. Rhea would only see the door suddenly open after a moment, and remain open for a few very tense minutes. It almost seemed as if someone had perhaps discovered him or he had been captured, before the door closed again. Alim then appeared within the street, as bag of items in tow and a twinkle in his dark eyes..

“And you doubted me,” he said, shaking his head. A potion of healing appeared in his hand, as if he plucked it out of thin air. She smiled at him, relieved and he had made out unscathed.

“Let’s get back to camp.”

Severus led them quickly through the streets of Skingrad and back to the vacant house they had used to slip through. Rhea and Alim were ladened with their pilfered items, making the return trip slow and filled with extra caution. It took them another hour to slip through the house and out the tunnel before the reached the outside.

Rhona turned to Severus then, “And what of the payment?”

He held a finger to his lips, a devilish smile crossing his lips as he stood in the entrance of the tunnel, and said, “I will collect that when it is due.” And he let the vines fall into place, leaving Rhea and Alim to make their rest of the way back to camp with nothing but the graying skies of dawn to light their way. They reached camp not even half an hour later, as the excitement carried them quickly, when they reached the camp, Rhea unpacked the items, careful not to rouse anyone from their. The campfire had dwindled low by then, and she added but a log to keep warm, her thoughts keeping her from sleep.

Alim aided her in the endeavour, keeping silent as she and making sure that everything they had requisitioned from the city was still here. He might be a thief, but he wanted to make sure everyone got their due.
@Rtron



Welcome aboard compadre! Slap that CS on over into the Character Tab, and get working on an intro post.
3rd of Second Seed, 4E 208

The sun shone through the drifting clouds, she could smell rain on the wind, the Gods surrounded her. Kynareth would bring life anew with each droplet of rain, and it was through Azura’s love of mortalkind that the sun rose, and the moon set each day. She took her time picking her way east across the land. Rhona Amoretto was in no rush, and she certainly wouldn’t be rushed for anyone or any cause. Not even the rain. She had arrived in Anvil only three weeks ago, and had stayed long enough to earn back the coin she spent coming from Rihad. Too long had she been gone from the green hills of Cyrodiil, and while the warm sun in Hammerfell provided her with an easy winter, she yearned to see familiar land once again. Being back on Cyrodiilic land brought her enough peace, even the air smelled sweet. She stopped for midday lunch, pulling out a hunk of hard bread, and settled down on an embankment, the grass serving as a natural cushion for her tired legs. Rhona offered her thanks for the sustenance, and ate quietly, humming to herself as she tore apart each piece.

“Baaa.”, the sound came to her left, and when she turned, she saw a brown and white goat plodding its way over to her, picking its way through a meadow of flowers.

“Hello friend.” She smiled as the goat pushed its nose into her bag, sniffing for food, “Here. You won’t find much in there.” Tearing the rest of the bread in half, she offered it to the goat as a gesture of kindness. Surely an animal like this would be hungry. It lifted its head up, and bleated once more before taking the bread from her. Together they ate in silence, each chewing thoughtfully on the morsel in their mouths. She finished her lunch, dusted her hands off on her dress, and set off down the path, her leather boots in one hand as her bare feet slapped against the dirt path. When she glanced behind her, she could see the brindled goat plodding along behind her, its ears flopping with each trod of its feet.

“Kynareth, are you blessing me with a companion today?” She asked aloud, smiling to herself.

She continued on down the path, humming as she gazed on in wonderment at the surrounding nature, “Can you believe it? We walk this world, and we are surrounded by great beauty. Just look at the trees, do you see how Kynareth’s graces them? Do you see how they bend with her caress? Ah, and what a breeze it is, such a cooling wind. And Azura, of course we must thank her for causing the sun to rise. For I can see miles in the daylight, but when Azura sets the sun, and raises the moon, it is Nocturnal that gives us light in the darkness. For the stars shine bright on a cloudless night. What do you-” She turned to address the goat, but it had long since disappeared.

“Farewell to thee my friend.” Just like friends and lovers, even temporary companions came and went.

Skingrad, Night

Rhona arrived late in the evening, just as the moons had begun to rise over the eastern horizon, spilling silvery light across the land. As she came into view of the city, she could see the glittering of campfires outside of the city, and white tents shining like beacons in the darkness. A festival perhaps? What merriment that would be! It had been quite some time since she had attended a festival, yet for the life of her, she couldn't remember what the celebration could be for. When she reached the outer edge of the tents, Rhona realized that something was wrong, and as she stopped to speak with the harried souls that wept, they spoke of tragedy. Airships had arrived over the Imperial City, people were slaughtered mercilessly, those that could escaped with their lives and made it to the city. Her heart pained for them, she could barely imagine the tragedy they endured. The cries of terrified children filled the night. There were several injured people, and while she wished to comfort them, to heal them, she knew that her experience in healing was not enough for the wounds they suffered. However, as she wandered through the throng of people she received more troubling news, Count Hassildor closed the gates to these people. While she knew he meant well for his people, she couldn’t help but feel that he had made the wrong decision. These people needed him, even if he couldn’t provide for them. They needed comfort, to know that they would be safe should those that bombarded the Imperial City arrive here. There was nothing she could do, and so she settled on the outskirts of the camp. She gathered what wood she could find, pitched her tent, and added tinder to the wood pile. With a careful flick of her fingers, she set the pile ablaze.

“Blessed are you Kynareth, and blessed are you Meridia.” She pulled her cloak around her, and settled down for the night. She had a small dinner before sleep took her entirely.

She didn’t remember the fire dying down, or even falling asleep for that matter, but morning came nonetheless. Rising with the first rays of light, Rhona set about her morning ritual. She grabbed her rucksack and headed off for the woods. She found the stream she sought, and set about bathing her body. The water felt cold against her hot skin, and soon the water swirling around her legs had become dirtied from the excess build up of dirt. When Rhona had finished, she rummaged in her rucksack, and removed her tinctures, and from each bottle, placed three drops under tongue. Then she rubbed lavender oil on her neck, under her armpits, and on the back of her knees. Rhona pulled out her pipe, and packed it full of her dried herbs, where she lit it with a flame from her fingertips. There she inhaled slowly, letting the smoke fill her mouth, and exhaled through her nose. She felt the first wave of relaxation hit her, and inhaled again. Her shoulders drooped as she continued puffing. Her mind wandered, what of her mother and sister? Or Cezare for that matter?

A sudden wave of dread filled her as she realized that Cezare could have done well to return to the Imperial City after her run in with him months ago in Chorrol, and if he had survived the attack, and made it out of the city, he could have well headed here for safety. Her limbs began to tremble at the thought. After all this time, there was a chance she would find him here. She tried to chase the fear from her mind, and decided that she would set out through the camp and see if her mother and sister were here.

“Meridia, gave me the energy to make it through this day. Mara, I ask, give me kindness and love.” And so she set off back to the camp, curious to see if she recognized any familiar faces among the desperate.

When she returned to her tent to leave her rucksack, Rhona discovered a curious sight. The goat from the day before sat beside the fire pit, his head resting upon his legs. She grinned, “Kynareth, it seems you have returned to me a friend lost.” Rhona stooped to stroke the goat’s head, it opened its eyes and blew a poof of air out of its nose.

“I think I shall call you Tobias, little one.” When she turned to leave, staff in hand, puff of herbal smoke curling around her head, Tobias rose to his feet and trotted after her. She passed many weary faces, but none were among those that she recognized, at least not yet.
Welcome aboard!



@Dervish and I hereby give Jaraleet our official seal of approval! Go ahead and post this in the Character Tab
Movealong is up!

For those of you in the Rangers, @Dervish and I were planning on a battle collab.

Those of you back in Skingrad, only two of you can join Rhea on sneaking inside the city, we’ll also do a collab for that.

Feel free to get posts up with your characters reacting to these new events.

If you’re not in either group, solo posts and collabs are encouraged. There are a lot of things going on in the refugee camp, strained tensions, fighting, people trying to acquire food, stealing, people playing games or entering themselves to pass the time, sick people in need of healing, services being sold for exorbitant prices, etc.
A Scouting Adventure




By @Dervish and I

5th of Second Seed, 4E 208

The Colovian Rangers, were not entirely rangers, so to say. The volunteers came from all walks of life, there were, however, a good percentage of the group that consisted of scouts or archers. Daro’Vasora and Brynja were amongst them, along with Solandil, and a peculiar woman by the name of Raelynn. They assembled outside of the large canvas tent in the grey hours of dawn, the chill from yesterday’s morning rain and overcast skies, left Brynja longing for a fire to chase the chill from her bones. Within an hour the group set out, heading north north-east.

The head scout, whom they first met back in Skingrad, trekked leagues ahead of the group with three other Rangers. His name was Kylian, a young Breton man with dashing good looks. He had sandy blond locks that fell to his jaw, though he kept his hair pulled back from his face with a leather tie. He sported a set of earth colored leathers, an olive green jerkin, tan trousers, and brown leather boots, along with a matching set of gloves and cloak. While most women would find him highly attractive with his angled ears, and delicate features befitting a bard, were he one, Kylian possessed a shy disposition. He avoided any unnecessary conversation, preferring to let an awkward silence fill the air. It didn’t seem to bother him much, though his habit of speaking softly made his cheeks turn red when someone inquired him to repeat himself. However, Brutus was the polar opposite of their head scout.

Brutus had a boisterous nature, and reminded Brynja much of a donkey. Not that he was daft, but that he brayed loudly, and for no apparent reason. Or a pig that refused to stay out of the cabbage patch. Despite that, he seemed to have a clear head about the matters at hand. He placed the slowest of the Rangers at the front of the group so as not to overwhelm and exhaust them. From what she could glean, quite a few Imperial soldiers joined the Rangers.

“Alright, listen up; first off, I want to welcome the newcomers to the ranks. It takes real courage to experience what we have and immediately sign up to take the fight back to them, and I know many of you are probably scared and apprehensive about what’s to come, but to push forward in spite of that is what it means to be a hero. And that’s what each and every one of you are; all of those people who escaped the Imperial City need to see ordinary citizens rising up to show that even bastards who come from the sky can be beaten. Heed my words, Rangers; they can be beaten. And we will show the rest of Tamriel how.”

From a crate, Brutus pulled out a Dwemer spider that had been stripped of its weapons and its legs cropped down to half their normal length to reduce the risk. The soul gem on top was removed and kept in a separate pouch. “Pollux, if you would do the honours. Explain your findings to our team.” he said, gesturing an Imperial mage with an immaculately trimmed beard and a healthy glow to his olive skin, unblemished saved for crows feet around his eyes while a pair of heavily calloused hands protruded from his Imperial Arcane University robes. He looked to be in his mid-40s, and only a smidge of grey peppered the long black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.

“I captured this specimen from the Imperial City, and I had managed to disable it with a generous application of a shock spell. I was able to extract myself across the Western bridge using an invisibility and a feather spell that had allowed me to carry the disabled spider without much difficulty. Given the chaos, it would seem our guests didn’t pay much notice to one of their contraptions levitating.” he allowed himself a self-amused smile.

“So, to cut out the mundane details of how I acquired this specimen, I’ve done a bit of testing with the assistance of those whom would form the Colovian Rangers under Brutus. Drinks-Many-Rivers, if you would lend your strength for a moment.” Pollux called to a heavily built Argonian carrying a kanabo, a one and a half meter long wooden club that was carved into a hexagon with iron studs lining the upper third of its length and a leather wrap around the rest of its long grip. Drinks-Many-Rivers looked to be the kind of individual that could lift Daro’Vasora with a singular hand and have little issue besting an Orcish warchief in a wrestling match, his green and black scales, along with the rows of horns protruding from his chin, gave him a suitably intimidating appearance. His heavy armour came with a reptilian scale covered plates that were layered over each other in a scale pattern to disperse the blows, reinforced by chainmail and steel weave to give the large shirt he wore extra protection and flexibility, and upon his right shoulder was mounted a troll skull, along with a few smaller ones worn as a waist belt. He evidently was extremely confident and proud of his martial prowess.

Drinks-Many-Rivers pulled the spider out of the box and set it on the ground. He took the offered soul gem from Brutus and pulling open the top cage, inserted it into the gem slot and the automata sprang to life… as much as its handicapped form was capable of moving. Without the long legs or pincers, it was incapable of jumping or pinching its prey. The beefy Argonian drew back his kanabo and with a heavy overhead swing smashed it into the spider’s frame, battering it around, but doing little more than breaking a few of the more fragile joints and cracking the soul gem; the body was still functional, despite a few hefty dents.

Pollux took the opportunity to continue his explanation, “As you can see, the Dwemer alloy is remarkably robust, and the large suits of powered armour you’ve likely seen them deploy are made of the same materials, only scaled up considerably. If Drinks cannot appreciably damage the main body of the spiders, you can be sure that trying conventional means to destroy the larger Dwemer constructs will be a fool’s errand. You will need to pierce joints or crush pivoting apparatus with blunt weaponry, however, there’s an easier method.”

Drinks stood back as Pollux approached the spider that was limping towards him pitifully. Frost formed at his fingers and soon, the legs became enshrouded in ice, immobilized. “Frost magic seems to do wonders at freezing the oils and other lubricants used in the automata. If any among you are mages, I’ve managed to acquire a few cheap spell tomes for Frost and Shock spells from our Thalmor ‘friends’, who still have access to Skingrad.” the way he said friends was evidently so drenched in sarcasm, Pollux could have choked upon his words.

The Spider still struggled to move in spite of this, and a bolt of lighting shot from the mage’s fingertips, causing the free parts of the spider to shake violently before stopping dead. The soul gem shattered, having already suffered a major fracture from the Argonian’s efforts.

“I have discovered that this Dwemer alloy seems to be especially susceptible to Shock, and I have reason to believe that if one were to apply enough electricity to any of the Dwemer contraptions, you could in theory disable them entirely, or at least isolated components. Therefore, what I propose is we… liberate a few of these armoured suits the Dwemer have possession of. Use Frost to immobilize the limbs and weapons, and shock to disable the wearer and possibly the soul gem. The only problem is getting close enough to do this. This is why I’ve enlisted the help of any enchanter I’ve been able to press into service to craft as many staffs as they could the past two nights; they aren’t anyone’s finest work, but enough of them should do the job.” Pollux concluded as Drinks put the spider back into its box.

Brynja scoffed at the display, not that she didn’t appreciate the new information on how to effectively handle the spiders, but at how she lacked such skills to aid further in this conquest.

“I guess now would’ve been the time to have taken my lessons seriously as a girl.” She grumbled. Daro’Vasora stood beside her, the two women had formed a silent partnership throughout the first half of the day trekking, both remained stoic, each lost in their thoughts, yet their pace alongside one another did not break.

“What do you make of all this?” She asked.

A bone from the past meal jutted out from Daro’Vasora’s lips like a pipe, keeping her oral fixation satisfied so her mind could work. She could understand Brynja’s reservation, but the Khajiit was never one to decide something was impossible until all approaches had been exhausted. “We’re further along than we were even a few minutes ago. I’m not a mage, but I can tell a number of these folk are, and now we have some tangible proof that the Dwemer armour has a few chinks. Remember, not everything they have is impenetrable, so it’s not like spitting into a lake and hoping to raise the shoreline. I’ve killed spiders and spheres like this, albeit a lot less refined. The key is the soul gem, if you can get that dislodged, the whole show stops. I remember there being some sort of bucket shape on the chest of those large suits; I’m willing to bet that’s where a soul gem is housed, and they can’t run indefinitely. From my studies and expeditions, I’ve not come across much evidence the Dwemer really valued mages. It would be interesting to see if that changed.” she remarked levelly, her mind mulling over what she knew with what she had recently experienced. The grief she had suffered had largely passed, and now she had a mission to focus on. It was therapy of sorts.

She nodded at the clarity of Vasora’s words, “When you put it like that, that makes a lot more sense than fancy pants over here.”

The Khajiit raised an eyebrow to her companion. “Which part of that explanation was complicated? Shocky bits fry contraptions, freezy bits stop them. I thought it was adequate so we aren’t fumbling around like idiots who will die by the dozen until we figure out the secret to success.”

Brynja said, shaking her head, “When I was a girl, the lessons my mother taught me didn’t stick as well, but when my brother or father helped, it made better sense. I’m not saying that it was complicated. I’m saying that your explanation helped make the situation clearer. People over-complicate explanations, too much jargon, and look at those around us. There aren’t but a small handful here who use magic. To them, what Pollux said makes sense. Clear as water. To me, it’s murky as a puddle. I know the water is cloudy because of the mud, but I know not why or how, or even why it matters. I’m not stupid, y’know, people learn differently is all. Take it as a compliment. You just helped me better understand our enemy.” She shrugged her shoulders at the end.

“How metaphorical.” Daro’Vasora let the corners of her lips upturn into a slight smile, feeling pleased by the compliment. Her relationship with Brynja was certainly becoming less strained, and for whatever reason, the Nord seemed to be loyal to her and without judgement. A sensation of guilt had crept into her consciousness the past several days, especially since Zegol’s passing, that made Daro’Vasora regret some of her snide remarks from the earlier parts of their acquaintance. “Thank you, I suppose. It’s strange, isn’t it? I’m outside of my element doing this sort of assignment, I’ve never been much of a fighter, and here I am being some use to you thanks to some technical knowledge I’ve buried away in my head.

“I’ve never really known many warriors or soldiers for that matter, just a few sellswords, but most of the people I’ve associated with have been those cut from a similar cloth as myself. There’s a certain amount of knowledge and a specific set of skills for those of us who plunder history for profit, and a healthy amount of distrust and competition. I’ve rarely encountered someone who is quite as straightforward and honest as you are, I never gleaned a hint of ulterior motive or greed from you. You genuinely seem to care about my well-being, and you’ve stubbornly endured my caustic tongue to still stand alongside me.” the Khajiit paused, turning to look towards Brynja. “I should apologize for all of that. Trust is a hard thing for me to come by, and because of my way of life, I’ve learned to distrust everyone to the point I expect betrayals like it’s a part of the game. Usually being snarky and getting under people’s skin is a way for me to turn someone over in my mind, like inspecting a trinket or gemstone to see their true colours. It doesn’t make me an easy person to like. So… thank you, Brynja Whitehand. It’s nice to know that there’s someone who isn’t a morally bankrupt sload out there.”

Daro’Vasora’s words sank into her mind, like dry soil soaking up a fresh summer rain. She shifted uneasily on her feet as a million responses to the Khajiit’s words rushed through her head at a frenzied pace, before she tucked her hands under her elbows.

“All I’ve done since the war is protect and serve. I think that’s the first time I’ve been thanked for just being myself.” Her eyes studied the Khajiit, almost uncertain if what she heard was a farce.

“And you’ve no need to apologize, that distrust, it’s what keeps us alive in the end.” The crowd around Pollux had thinned out, she overheard Drinks saying that they were to make camp for the night here.

“Let’s get a tent up. Kylian has yet to return with the other scouts, we’re going to need all the rest we can get.”

For the remainder of the evening, Brynja and Daro’Vasora entertained one another with tales of their adventure, Brynja with her quests with Rorik, and Daro’Vasora with the esteemed treasures she had found over the past several years.




6th of Second Seed, 4E208, Early Morning

Brynja roused herself from sleep at what she thought to be the chill in her body, the campfire must’ve gone out throughout the late hours of the night. As she pushed back the flap on the canvas tent, she could see that the grey light of dawn broke through the darkness. She could hear murmuring at one end of camp, and much commotion. Others were roused from their sleep, and soon enough, word had spread that the scouts had returned with news. They had located a Dwemer outpost.

“Half day’s march to the North, a small detachment.” Kylian reported to Brutus, something Daro’Vasora picked up on over a bowl of baked beans. The commander nodded and began issuing out orders to his lieutenants. Within 20 minutes, Brutus announced to the camp, “Gather your gear and break camp; we set out in an hour.”

True to the young scout’s words, the Rangers had come across the Dwemer outpost, the two large cylindrical balloons of docked airships visible through the treeline. Brutus had everyone leave their non-combat equipment behind, concealed in the brush, and soon were moving stealthily through the forest. It didn’t take Daro’Vasora long to realize where they were.

“This is Elenglynn,” the Khajiit explained to Brynja in a hushed tone. Sure enough, the two airships were docked above the white stone of an Ayleid ruin that was little more than a series of rubble these days; only a few distinct pillars and the general foundation of the subterranean ruin remained intact. “I came here my second or third year tomb raiding, didn’t find much; centuries of looters more or less picked the place dry.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it if we survive. Never studied the Ayleids.” She muttered to Vasora.

Brutus was nearby, making his own observations. “I’d wager they’re using it to store supplies and to use as a barracks. If we could take down those airships, they’d be stranded…” he trailed off, moving to confer with Drinks-Many-Rivers on the feasibility of such an act. In the meantime, it was all anyone could do but watch and wait.

Scattered around the ruins was a detachment of 17 visible Dwemer, including 3 in the power armour that had seemed ubiquitous in Imperial City. While automata like spiders and spheres weren’t present, it was also impossible to know how many enemy soldiers were present down in the Alyeid ruins themselves. While no mages were visibly present, there were scones with soul gems in them that some of the Rangers would have known were something like perimeter defences that let out nasty electrical shocks. The Dwemer themselves were in a mix of medium and heavy armour, most opted for decent protection without being fatigued or slowed down, and outside of conventional weaponry, four of the Dwemer were using the staff-like firearms. It was hard to say how well they’d penetrate armour, since they’d only really been witnessed engaging civilians, but suffice to say, it would be ill-advised to test one’s luck.

Brutus gathered a group, instructing them to pass the word along. “We need to lure those mechanical suits into the forest to draw them away from the camp if they don’t leave on patrol. They’ll tear us apart on their terms, especially if they have infantry support. If we get them on their own without alerting the rest of them, we can use our mage and staff squad to immobilize them so we can remove the soul gem powering them. I want to capture at least one of them for intelligence purposes, maybe even find a way to use them. Nobody acts until Pollux’s team does, understood? While that’s going on, we need most of our manpower to prepare to storm the camp, overwhelm the defenders before they can get reinforcements from within or take to the airships. They take off with those and our mission is a failure. Let’s make it worthwhile, Rangers. Akatosh is watching over us.”

After a few hours, the sun began to dip lower into the horizon and cast upon the decrepit ruins an inviting orange glow, casting long shadows from the trees and the old crumbled pillars that remained of Elenglynn. To everyone’s surprise, two Dwemer mounted up in the suits and were flanked by 8 soldiers from the ruins who had emerged specifically for the patrol duty. With curious blue lanterns in hand that emitted a fairly strong glow, the patrol set off to the Southwest, leaving the camp behind. It was the best opportunity they were getting.

“Let’s get this done.”

vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/elderscro…




5th of Second Seed, Back in Skingrad…

Rhea had spent the better half of the morning, and the latter half of the afternoon circling the exterior of the city. At each gate, guards patrolled the area with a degree of severity. She admired their dedication to the Count and his orders, but she struggled to overcome her inner anger at the same decision. Hundreds if not thousands of refugees now had arrived at Skingrad seeking safety from the Dwemer, and Count Hassildor simply barred the gates against them.

She rose early that morning, long before Daro’Vasora and the other members of the group left with the Rangers on their scouting expedition, and set her own mind to finding an unguarded way into the city. Her search proved fruitless. Those that remained from the original company needed supplies. They needed food, water, and even medicine. Yet the impenetrable walls loomed over her, casting dark shadows in the morning light. She grounded her teeth in frustration. Convinced that the morning patrols were heavy, Rhea decided to try her luck at nightfall.

As she made her way back around the far end of the city walls, she wondered what would motivate the Count to keep the refugees out. Surely, an influx of refugees coming from anyplace would put a strain on food and other supplies, but there was also coin to be found in benefitting from the people’s needs. Prices on food and essentials would skyrocket and the locals would profit monetarily.

So lost in her own thoughts that she paid little attention to her return to the refugee camp, her feet guiding her back to the area where the group had made camp. Just then, a voice broke her train of thoughts.

“You’re looking for a way inside, aren’t you?” A whispery, snake like voice caused her to turn and face the owner. A tall Dunmer with dark red eyes watched her, his thin brows pushed together. He had shoulder length hair, black as night, with a beak like nose. His lips were thin, as if he had eaten too many lemons. His entire ensemble was black, from cape and gloves to belt and boots. But it was the way that he held himself that drew her closer.

“Why do you ask?” Rhea took a step towards him, her own eyes narrowing at this Dunmer before her. He held his hands clasped behind his back, with a rather rigid stature.

“Many people have looked for a way inside. But I… I know a way inside. I don’t assume… but the way that you carry yourself, and those that arrived in your company… know a way around a blade, yes?” His words reminded her of a snake slipping through the shadows without a sound, ready to pounce on its next unexpecting victim.

“We do. Why does that matter? I need to get inside, we need-” He cut her off before she could finish.

“Supplies. Yes. We all do.” He paused in his speech, his dark eyes sweeping over her. “I can get you inside the city, as I won’t take any fools stupid enough to get caught, and I can get you the supplies you need… for a price.” The corners of his mouth lifted in a ghost of a grin before it vanished.

She considered his offer, and swallowed hard, “What price do I pay?”

“That isn’t an immediate necessity, as I will get my payment when it is time… You may bring one or two others to help, but that is all.” He kept his voice low so as to avoid others around them from over hearing.

“When? When can you get us inside?”

“Tonight. When the moon is highest in the sky, come, and you will find me along the south wall.” He turned to leave when she grabbed his wrist.

“Tell me your name, at least.”

“Severus Favarani, but you can call me Severus.” He pulled away from her and slipped into the crowds, leaving her standing alone.

Once at camp, Rhea took a seat on an old wooden stump. She chewed on her lower lip, and if she chewed any harder, she wouldn’t have a lower lip at all. Did she really want to use Severus as a way to get inside the city? Could the group make it without the needed supplies? The more she debated, the more her mind decided that she had to do this. Even if he didn’t name a price, which certainly put her on edge, she would have to do it. The question is, would anyone want to take that chance?

She lifted her head, taking in who was still present and rose to her feet. Clearing her throat, she called out to them.

“I can get us the supplies we need, I have sat and debated, and we cannot forgo those necessities. There is a man willing to help us get inside, but I can only bring two of you. You do not have to come with me and take this risk, as his intentions are unclear. This could be a trap, and that last thing I want is to put any of your lives in danger after all that I have put you through. I will try speaking with Petronius, Captain of the Guard here, and see if he will grant me an audience with Count Hassildor. I can offer the Count information about the Dwemer, and in exchange I will get us lodging. But in the meantime, I cannot sit around and let you all starve despite your hunting efforts. There are other refugees out hunting, and game will soon be scarce if we stay here any longer. If you want to come with me, I leave when the moon is high.” Rhea said after a sigh. She had to speak with Petronius again, he had yet to send anyone for her.

Night, Skingrad

Rhea made ready, remembering Severus’ words that he would be along the south wall. She turned to those gathered around the campfire, and approached the flames.

“If any of you are to come with me, I leave now.” She waited, nodded her head and turned to leave, beginning the trek to the southern wall.

The moon shone bright, though clouds drifted across the silvery disk on occasion. Stars twinkled like diamonds embedded in a swath of black velvet. A quiet breeze made the grass bend and shift, carrying its sweet scent.

It took no less than half an hour to reach the southern wall at the pace Rhea set. However, she did not see Severus immediately. She stood firm, eyes scanning the wall for any figure before venturing closer. She heard his voice then, that same snake like whisper again, and he stepped out from a hidden alcove in the towering wall.

“I’m glad to see you made it… come… before the guards see.” He beckoned them to enter, and once inside, he pulled back the layer of vines that had grown over a metal gate, where he procured a ball of magelight in his hand.

“This tunnel has long been without use, but tonight, it will lead us into the city, and I can get you the supplies as promised. Keep your voices low, as the tunnel will carry your words.”
Hey people, I know IRL stuff happens, but Dervish and I need you to finish up those collabs/posts. Your collabs are due by Friday, 5pm MTN Time to get your post in. Dervs and I are finishing up the next movealong post, and will post this Monday. Your posts for this upcoming movealong are due by the following Monday. If you do not post for the movealong your characters will be moved to the inactive roster, and your characters will be treated like NPCs.

For clarification, any current posts/collabs in progress are due 06/15/18 by 5pm Mtn Time. Movealong post will go up 06/18/18. Posts for this upcoming Movealong must be in by 06/25/18.

@Dervish@DearTrickster@POOHEAD189@Greenie@Lemons@Stormflyx@LadyTabris@MiddleEarthRoze@BurningCold
Posted! :D I'm kinda surprised with Meg's choice :'D


I know I am! And just to clear the record, Brynja and Daro'Vasora are still part of the company, they've just decided to help with the Colovian Rangers for the time being since they were looking for volunteers, so anyone is more than welcome to come join up. The next day, 5th of Second Seed, there will be a scouting mission that will set out which they will be apart of.
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