Cyric & Morgana - The Lusty Lady

"You travel to where?"

Cyric and Morgana both, nearly at the same moment, whipped their heads around towards the Khajiit who spoke, showing a presumably friendly smile. Morgana noted that he didn't look like any of the pirates on the ship.

Another passenger. I wonder what his reason is for travelling on a pirate's ship. It can't be getting trendy to be travelling with supposed lawbreakers.

Morgana considered the Khajiit for a moment more, then smiled slightly in reply and said with a hint of a grin,

"Where the wind takes us, friend. Sadly for us, I'm not the one choosing the destination."

Yeah. Maybe your idea of tagging along with them wasn't such a good idea, Morgana. They hardly said a thing between us leaving the house and getting on this ship...

Shifting slightly so she was leaning on the balustrade while also facing the Khajiit, she continued,

"The name's Morgana, the cheery one over there" She gave Cyric a playful poke, "Is Cyric." Cyric gave the Khajiit a slight smile. He said not a thing.

Honestly, Morgana had to resist the urge to roll her eyes, Why does he always like to give people that damned smile without saying a thing...

"So, to where do you travel? A pirate's ship isn't the most conventional kind of transport, after all."

Rihad Keep

Stanet Terentius sat quietly as the Paralictor Lysandra entered the meeting chamber.

"Knight Commander, Lictor. I believe you've already been informed, Commander Terentius, that I have a bit of a matter to discuss. Though I wasn't informed you were otherwise preoccupied with guests." she said, performing a small bow. As always, there was some odd tone in her voice, although the Knight Commander could never quite tell what it was.

"Well it just so happens that our business has been concluded. Good day Knight Commander, Lictor, Paralictor." responded Athanden before exiting the room with his guards. It's good that he excused himself before I dismissed him. That would have been embarrassing for both of us.

Stanet waited for a good twenty seconds after the doors shut behind the mercenaries to make sure they were out of earshot. It would be a poor decision to trust mercenaries with anything but non vital tasks, and they could certainly never be given any information beyond what they strictly needed to perform their tasks, as they could turn around and sell it to the enemy for a little cash on the side.

"Now, Paralictor, what business do you have with me?" he stirred in his seat to adjust his armor as he asked his question.

"Pardon my interruption, Knight Commander, but should the other mercenary band be waiting outside the gates for you right now?" asked Aventurnus.

Terentius shot the Lictor a quick look, realizing he had made an oversight by speaking with Lysandra immediately.

"That is true, Lictor Aventurnus. I suppose we shouldn't keep Belisarius and his men waiting any longer than we have to. Go out to the city's main gates and invite their leader to come here. Make sure to lead him on a convoluted and inefficient route through the city, though. I want time for this meeting with the Paralictor, and we can't can't have him hearing any of our business, now, can we?"

"Yes, Sir Terentius." said Aventurnus, standing and bowing before leaving the meeting room. As soon as the doors shut behind him, he grumbled in annoyance. What the hell is wrong with him, sending a Lictor on messenger duty? This is ridiculous!

"Anyway," said the Knight Commander, looking back at Lysandra, "what did you want to discuss?"

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The Lusty Lady

Swims-in-Shadows carefully studied the Imperial with the long black hair and the well-armed Khajiit as they took a while to respond to his inquiry. Are they slow? By the Hist, it was a simple question.

"The name is Kraven," replied the Imperial, pausing after his first name. "Desselius."

The Khajiit frowned at his companion before answering Swims. "Shavaash Opress." he finally said before hastily walking away. What's his problem? I thought only the Dunmer were that rude.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir. Are you also here for a ride to Taneth?" said Swims. He was accustomed to using such pleasantries around Imperials, although something about Kraven suggested he wasn't as focused on superficial politeness as most Imperials. He had the look of a fighter about him, and not the knightly kind that was swarming Rihad lately.

Gilane
Marius Lepidus

The ex-centurion chuckled. "Hah, that's a good one. Paying the bandits for information..." The glance he shot at Jo'Khart after he spoke was filled with an amused sort of bemusemant, as if uncertain whether this was actually a joke or if the Khajiit was awfully new to all this. "Seriously, there's no point in paying someone whose innards we can legally set on fire. If you've been around, you'll know that parting with a bit of information seems very easy when you're on the sharp end of a sword and there's a determined man on the other." He took another swig of ale, then nodded at Raspert. "And I stress the word 'legally', since this is a government investigation, so there's some secret quota of inefficiency that must be met."

"Now, I'm not going to argue about the pleasures of trudging about the desert for five eras because I like that idea no more than anyone here, but we're kind of here to do a job. If we don't find anything at Hawk's Eye - the chances of which are pretty damn high - then we'll have to do something other than standing around in an empty village twiddling our thumbs, wishing we had a backup plan that involved some wenches and an uninhabbited island in the Abecean." The shrug that followed, as well as Marius' tone of voice - entirely matter-of-fact - made it quite clear that he wasn't trying to make enemies here. Whether anyone would take offense was a whole different matter, but it wasn't his problem if his companions for the job were easily offended.

Finishing off his drink with a last gulp, the Colovian stood up, wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. "We don't really need to decide that part now, I guess, since we all agree on going to the village and there'll be plenty of time on the way. All I'm saying is, Hawk's Eye is barely a primary plan, while it doesn't hurt to look and if we find anything there, more power to us, but it won't be much of a surprise if the place is as empty as a Nibenese temple to virginity. I suggest we move out without wasting time and get to the bloody place as soon as possible. And afterwards, if the mountain doesn't come to Alessia - which would be pretty damn spectacular if it does happen - then Alessia will just have to svck it up and find a way to the mountain herself." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at the door, seeing little reason to linger here.

A pair of brown eyes briefly glanced at the odd band from all walks of life as Marius stood up, before journeying on. These people were not his concern... At least, not directly. There was another one, present here as well. The Breton did not yet know his part in this, and it was his duty to put this man on his road. No one yet knew their part in this strange web of fates; not even he could tell where they would go. But I can, at least, set them on their path. The mysterious figure's eyes stopped shooting about the tavern, stopping at an unusual sight - the fully armoured Breton that had recently entered, his look best described as that of a knight. That one.

The Samedi tribe had no duties to anyone, they wished only to be left in solitude to practice their arts. That one of them was so far west, alone, in a tavern of the city-dwellers, was very odd indeed, though no one truly knew his exact heritage - the city-dwellers could merely tell that he was of the wanderers from his strange clothes, flowing robes torn in several places and covered in dust from his long travels. The style was clearly not western Raga; the sharp, crude way they were made immediately suggested otherwise, as did the strange rough leaves sewn on the left shoulder, much tougher to the touch than any normal leaf. Perhaps most notably of all, however, the wrinkled old Ra'Gada wore a necklace of small bones - fangs of animals and what seemed disturbingly like teeth of men at a closer look. Maybe it was because of apparel such as this that some superstitious Raga said that if you looked at a Samedi too closely, they would steal your eyes.

He is the one, no doubt. The aged Samedi exhaled some smoke before inserting his pipe back in his mouth, his eyes piercing through both the smoke and the shadows of the corner in which he sat, avoiding unneccessary attention from the locals. Samuel Ross.


Rihad Keep
Lysandra

"Lictor." The battlemage bowed as Quintus exited the room. Ever the untactful one, no? Sending Lictors on trivial tasks like this. I'm sure Aventurnus would've loved to listen in on this. How unlucky. Her eyes lingered on the doors for a moment, amusemant evident in them. She didn't waste much time, however, quickly reaching beneath her cloak and pulling out the map of Hammerfell that Crixus had made use of just recently, unfurling it on the table and pinning one side of it with her dagger, holding the other down herself.

"As I've already informed the Commander myself and as I'm sure you've also been told by the command, I'm not merely here to attend diplomatic cover-ups like the meeting with the Yokudans." Lysandra looked up from the map at Stanet. If this information proves unreliable, beheading will be the least of the old man's worries before death. I'll make sure of that personally. "It just so happens that I've already had the luck to receive a bit of information that you might find interesting, given its military nature. What is more, this comes down from the top of the heathens' government, the High King's own circle, though it isn't completely exact, nor infallible."

"At this point the Commander might wonder about the use of such information, as the order is more than capable of making its own presumptions. However, I very much doubt our chaptermasters have a firm basis for their speculation asides from past experiences of some of our newer recruits, whereas my information is based on personal knowledge of the High King and his generals, as well as a decent familiarity with the inner workings of the Empire. While we certainly have our spies within the heathens’ government, none of them are as high up as my informant, therefore this... intelligence, I suppose I should call it? It is more valuable than mere guesses. Now, if the Commander would be willing to take a look..."

Lysandra looked down at the map, her free hand pointing at the mountains that lay north-east of the coast. "An attack through the Corten Mont is out of the question; not because of the risk associated with such a move, but because Haroun intends to use this war as a show of force, he wants the neutral states to see that the superstitions that they hold for gods have blessed his country and that it can defeat us however it wants. You know as well as I do that the heathens consider this war as much about the hearts and minds of the independent cities as it is about defeating the enemy up-front, apparently that is so to the point that Haroun will not consider a very risky but unexpected move such as an attack through the mountains merely because it would offend the rulers of the lands he'd have to march through to accomplish this."

"The admiral of the Yokudan fleets is a man named Prothro'ra Donovan." The battlemage's hand moved to the sea, tracing the shoreline that fell under the Confederation and by extension - the order. "The same man who broke through the blockade of Sentinel, we can expect from him unrelenting attempts to strangle the sealanes that make Rihad as rich as it is; dangerous attempts at that. Movement through the sea will be difficult if at all possible, considering the heathens' advantage in naval might and the fact they are highly unlikely to hold back - either Donovan or Haroun - in their attempts to defeat us utterly."

"Haroun won't sit around and wait for us to come, much as we aren't intending to wait for them. When they muster their forces, they will strike at Taneth and meeting them in the field then would be inadvisable." She tapped the dot on the map that symbolised the city of Taneth. "We've long been aware that they have many advantages. As an aside, I can tell you that, as a battlemage, I'm not greatly impressed by the skill of our recruits from the Mages' Guild and wouldn't count on them to outweight what the heathens have to throw at us." Disdain became quite evident in Lysandra's voice - she didn't hold the Mages' Guild in high regard. "If their offensive reaches Taneth, my informant's recommendation would be to sit tight and wait for their wave to break on its walls instead of attempting to outmuscle the 'Empire's' forces."

"However, I'm not recommending we stick to defense, or at least that is not my - and my informant's - only recommendation. The nature of the Yokudan state means that their mobilization will take some time as each individual warlord gathers his forces. If the order were to strike fast, the lands that border the Confederation's are those of Khan Barca - the very same you had the pleasure of meeting during the council - and they appear to be the Yokudans' breadbasket. Deprive the heathens of this farmland and do so quickly, and they will lose some of their staying power. They lose their food and Haroun is on his back foot, and he's forced to either divert funds to purchase food and have it delivered from elsewhere instead of having granaries right on our doorstep, or to requisition food from the locals to feed his troops - which isn't a message that will go over well with anyone in his lands, too much of a throwback to another empire that at least kept peace until a certain High King came along."

Samuel Ross -Gilane in Meduza's Gaze

"Here ya go, fair-skin. Enjoy." The waitress gave the knight his meal, a plate of something with a side of something and another side of something that looked familiar but probably wasn't. Months of traveling from the Iliac Bay down to Gilane, and he still didn't remember what the stuff most Redguard's ate was. She added a mug of some sort of alcohol on the side that smelled about as good as any other alcoholic beverage, and Sam thanked her, not bothering to ask what it was he would be eating. He didn't care at this moment; too hungry to care.

There was something corn-like involved in the side dish, as well as herbs he couldn't identify and tasted strange to him. Now he was into the more desert cities of the Yokudan Empire (or was it all still called Hammerfall?), he was likely to be unfamiliar with a lot of grains and meats. The meat in question on this plate tasted salted though, and tangy with spices. Not bad.

He took a swig of his drink, finding the taste subpar to the breweries of Cyrodiil and High Rock, but bearable. One doesn't usually drink for the flavor anyways, besides Nords; flavor was all they got out of such drinks, he reckoned, since they hold liquor so well. He continued to enjoy his meal, not seeing any dark clouds of foreboding around anyone nearby. There was a dark, smokey area in the corner in which a man sat, however. Sam glanced only briefly in that direction, as if part of one's normal scanning of places and people. But he was honestly worried, just a hair.

Cloud Sky became a complicated issue at times like this; was it actual smoke that everyone could see, or was it Cloud Sky forewarning dangerous intent? In the darkness of the corner he couldn't see a source of the smoke, or the man even. Sam carried on with his meal, devouring it with only some of the propriety of a knight. He's in a corner, on the other side of the bloody place. I'd react in time. Sam thought, instead paying more attention to the legionnaire talking about a village, Hawk's Eye, that was empty, and plans, and government investigations.

Now what's that all about? Hawk's Eye? Sounds familiar... Sam looked back to his plate, mulling it over between bites. And during.

Taneth, Knight of the Nine Barracks

Nothing in his training could prepare him for this. His childhood swordsmanship lessons, his rigorous guard training, not even his studies of mounted combat, magic, and tactics as a Knight of the Nine could prepare him for this. It was a foe that for one of his standing was unavoidable, and whenever it reared its ugly head, it had to be dealt with promptly.

Tarsius' focus on his paperwork was interrupted by a knock at the door. The commander spoke. "Come in." A Breton man wearing the robes of a mage entered his office. "Knight Commander, I believe you wished to discuss the progress on the teleporter?"

"Yes, Warlock. How is it coming along"

The mage replied, "The structure for the teleporter, and we are ready to enchant it. Until we build a corresponding teleporter in Rihad, however, it won't be of any use, even for one-way teleportation."

Tarsius thought for a few second and then spoke. "You've done good. When you're done enchanting them, I want you to head to Rihad and build the corresponding teleporter at their Mages Guild. I will provide you with the needed money for resources and enchanting costs. When you have completed and successfully tested the teleporters, return to me and I will pay you for your services."

The mage exited. Creating teleporters between Taneth and Rihad wasn't a simple or inexpensive task, but the benefits greatly outweighed the cost. It would benefit the cities because if one city was besieged, not only would the other city know of it immediately, but would be able to send reinforcements and supplies. And it would benefit the Mages Guild and hopefully breathe some life into the remnants of the Hammerfell branch, as they could charge traders and travelers for instant passage and hopefully make the locals more trusting and open to magic.

Of course, it had its disadvantages. If one city fell into the hands of the Yokudans, it would allow them to invade the other city from within. As such it would be imperative that battlemages be stationed to destroy the teleporter if need be. Another issue was that they didn't have the time or resources to build and link a teleporter in Roseguard; they would have to get there and back the old-fashioned way. And finally, it would take some time before even a two-way teleporter system between two points could be constructed. Hopefully the guild will be able to finish it before we need it.

Tarsius picked up his quill and resumed his work.

Kraven Desselius, Lusty Lady.

He studied the argonian closely. Not sure what to make of the reptilian individual. He only listened to is question after some careful consideration. He saw Shavaash leave away and was a bit worried for his friend. Not because he was going to get hurt, but because he usually got into trouble when left unchecked. Kraven cracked his neck due to annoyance of straining and he locked eyes with the argonian. "The feeling is well shared. I was simply in departure from Rihad. I go wherever breeze takes me. Taneth seems appropriate." Kraven Desselius said to Swims-In-Shadows. He stopped and briefly looked at Jacob before looking back at the argonian. He wasn't sure that making friends here would be a good idea. Allies yes, but friends were a different matter altogether. Curious, Kraven stared at the argonian. "What awaits you in your journey?"

****

Shavaash Opress, Lusty Lady.

Shavaash shrugged as he listened to the man and the woman. The lady was named Morgana while the male was named Cyric. And by the looks of him, Shavaash imagined that he only could tolerate so much from the friendly Morgana. His silence was also noticeable. Shavaash presumed that he didn't trust him at all, or perhaps he was being pestered to even bother to speak. It could of been both, maybe. Shavaash leaned back and watched a few pirates work around the ship, some carrying crates to other rooms while others looked over the management of the vessel. He didn't trust most of them, but they were giving him a free ride. He looked over at Morgana once she asked his destination. Shavaash did not smile, but kept looking onto the horizon.

"Shavaash pay no coin. Ship free. I go where I don't pay." He said in poor, but passable Cyrodilic.

Rayden, Just north of Taneth

The blazing heat of Magnus pounded down upon the lone figure walking along the dusty road, sharp winds kicking dust into his face. He had been walking for days now, and the signs of travel were worn deep upon his rugged clothing. The figure stopped and reached under his travel cloak, he took out an almost empty water skin. He pulled the scarf that was wrapped around his face down to his neck revealing the heavily scared yet young face of a Dunmer. After pulling the cork from the spout he drank a few small sips of what was left of his water. As he was replacing the cork he caught an unusual sound through the heavy wind, he placed the water skin back onto his belt as he turned around.

There standing in the road were roughly six men, all dressed in light leather and cloth with scarfs around their faces. Five of them had their weapons drawn, the other one approached him and began speaking rather bad Cyrodiilic

"You there, hand us your coin and we'll let you walk away from this unscathed."

Ha this fetcher will wish he never said that. Thought Rayden as he started to reply,

"You bastards can have it." Rayden reached under his cloak with one hand as the other slipped under the edge of the other side. He threw a small bag of coin into the air. Then as the bandit put his outstretched hand into the air to catch it Rayden, in one swift motion, pull the dagger from his belt and hurled it at the highwayman. With a resonating thud it contacted with it's targets forehead. Rayden waisted no time leaping into the group of marauders, he pulled the Akavirian katana from his waste as his cloak flew from his shoulders. Rayden spun in a quick flurry, his katana slicing open the torsos of the first two marauders. Then as he ended his attack on the first two one of the other marauders swung their scimitar at Rayden's head, he quickly ducked down to evade the attack while simultaneously pulling the tanto from his boot and lodging it in the neck of his attacker who fell to the ground as he tried to scream, but only gurgling sounds came from his mouth as blood began to soak the scarf around his face.

The remaining two highwaymen began to franticly back away as Rayden approached them. He pulled two of the small silver throwing knives from his belt as he causally walked towards his targets as they began to run off into the plains. He threw the first knife, it embedded itself in the back of his targets neck. He threw the second at the leg of the other fleeing marauder, as it struck he fell to the ground. The poison began to take effect immediately, the marauder began to lose feeling in his leg as Rayden approached him. He started to try and crawl away, begging for his life in what Rayden identified as a dialect of Yoku, the native language in Hammerfell. Rayden placed his foot on the marauders back, pinning him to the ground. He spoke in dune Yoku, not very good dune Yoku might I add,

"You picked the wrong person to rob my friend."

Rayden took the Dunmeri dagger from the back of his belt, he knelt down beside the last of the marauders. Rayden took the blade and ran it across the paralyzed man's cheek, blood began to trickle down his face as he continued to scream and yell for his life.

"You can go ahead and shut up now, it's not like i'm going to let you live.....well on second thought, I think I just might." Rayden stood up and flipped the man over with his foot.

"Oh wait, I forgot. You're paralyzed, looks like you wont be going anywhere after all." Said Rayden with an extremely sadistic smile upon his face.

He dropped back down on top of the marauder, sticking the dagger into the man's stomach. The marauder screamed with pain as Rayden repeatedly stabbed him, until his blood choked his voice and he screamed no more. Rayden wiped the dagger off on the man's shirt before replacing it in it's sheath. He rolled the corpse over and pulled out the throwing knife that was lodged in the thigh of the marauder, once again cleaning it and replacing it in it's sheath. Rayden walked over to where the other man lay and pulled the knife from the back of his neck, cleaned it, and replaced it on his belt. He walked back through the tall grass of the plain and unto the dusty road where the other highwaymen lay bleeding into the sand. He walked over to one of the corpses and pulled the tanto from the man's neck, cleaning it and then placing it in his boot. Rayden then walked back up to where the leader of the group lay.

"I'll be taking that back." he said as he picked up the bag of coins that lay next to the man. "Oh and I'll be needing that as well." he said as he placed his foot on the man's neck and yanked the knife from his skull. Rayden placed the knife back on his belt as he picked up his cloak and refastened it around his shoulders. After wrapping his face in his scarf he once again set off down the dusty road to Taneth as if the entire little skirmish had never happened.

OOC: Would finish this post and have him come into Taneth, however it's getting late and I need to go to bed. So I'll just make another post tomorrow.

Jo'Khart and Arnand, Medusa's Gaze

Any sort of condescending tone that the man may have spoken with towards Jo'Khart was lost of the Dagi, who simply shook his head. "I guess these so-called bandits are no more then common thieves. I hardly think any bandit who we can so easily intimidate without paying for our information will have anything worth hearing."

"However, you all seem like this business is how you make your living so you will find no argument from me or my friend here." he finished, nodding to Arnand who had remained quiet as he tried his best to understand the conversation.

He was done his drink as well as was anxious to leave as soon as possible. Alcohol, inns and bar-maids never led him anywhere good the next morning and he had been trying his hardest to keep his eyes off a few of the serving wenches. The man speaking of wenches in his plan brightened his mood until he deciphered the context after a moment and saw he was being sarcastic.

"Hawk's Eye sounds as good a place as any to begin our search then. To the road!" proclaimed Jo'Khart, hoisting his mug and draining a considerable gulp for his size. Arnand was quick to down the rest, as a good friend should, before standing up next to Marius to get going.

Cyric & Morgana - The Lusty Lady

Cyric's eyes drifted from Morgana to the Khajiit as they conversed, with, admittedly, Morgana doing most of the talking. Cyric felt a twinge of annoyance as Morgana introduced him for the Khajiit,

I can talk too, do you know, Morgana...

"So, to where do you travel? A pirate's ship isn't the most conventional kind of transport, after all." said Morgana, Cyric felt the gaze of the Khajiit sweep over him before returning to Morgana as he replied in a husky voice not quite used to the Cyrod tongue,

"Shavaash pay no coin. Ship free. I go where I don't pay." Cyric took in the Khajiit, Shavaash as he called himself. It seemed that Shavaash was a vagrant of some sort, though some gut-feeling told him that there was surely more to him than just that. There always was. That familiar feeling of curiosity was beginning to bubble again, it was perhaps one of Cyric's weaknesses. He just couldn't resist learning and discovering things, even if he didn't understand or have a particular use for what he found. It could, he reflected, have been a factor in how they ended up on this adventure to gods-know-where.

"Do you enjoy the seas?" Cyric asked nonchalantly, following Shavaash's gaze towards the horizon. It was a pretty sight, the ocean. Ruined only by random bouts of sickness that somehow always managed to strike Morgana at the most inconvenient of times.

Rayden, Taneth

It was late afternoon when Rayden finally made his way into the crowded streets of Taneth. The harsh gaze of Magnus had dimmed slightly as it started its downward journey towards the horizon. Rayden pushed his way through the masses of people that hovered around the various booths and tables of the market district. Vendors shouted and yelled their offers and prices to the crowd as they competed for business. The market was like a feeding frenzy, a pond packed full of too many hungry fish looking for the cheapest way to fill their stomachs.

After making his way out of the market district Rayden walked through the streets until he came across a shabby inn near the ports. It was just the place he was looking for, somewhere where people left you to your business and never asked questions. He walked over and pushed the old wooden door open, it's rusty hinges creaking loudly as it rotated open. Rayden was met with a distinctive mixture of smells consisting of pipe smoke, body odor, and lots and lots of alcohol.

Hmm this must be where all the sailors go when they come to Taneth... Thought Rayden as he walked through the hazy air towards the bar. Hell sat down next to an rather scrawny looking Imperial. Rayden looked over towards the man and noticed that he was steadily puffing away on a skooma pipe.

By Azura, I haven't seen one of those damned things since I was on Vvardenfell. He thought as he turned his attention to the barkeep who had walked over to him.

"What'll it be ash-skin?" spoke the rather large and obese Imperial from the other side of the bar.

Rayden looked up at him from the brim of his hood, his crimson eyes glaring at the man behind the bar. Rayden quickly reached out grabbing the Imperial by the collar of his ruddy and tattered shirt. The other patrons in the bar quickly looked over to where he stood as they noticed what was going on. The room suddenly fell silent,

"I suggest you watch your tongue before I cut it out with a rusty spoon." commanded Rayden in a very aggressive tone. The Imperial still slightly in shock merely nodded in agreement. Rayden pushed him back slightly as he let go and returned to his seat. The rest of the room began mumbling and then returned to their previous activities as if nothing had happened.

"Brandy, Greef if you have it." The barkeep nodded once again and hastily hurried over to a shelf behind the bar and grabbed what looked to be the only decent container of liquor in the entire establishment, he poured the contents into a wooden glass and handed it to Rayden. The barkeep began to speak,

"That's three cop--" Rayden glared up at the man, cutting him off mid sentence. "Right, sorry." replied the man as he backed off and walked down to the opposite end of the bar. Rayden took a sip from the glass and then put it back down.

This tastes like guar piss. He thought as he swallowed the foul tasting liquid. What I would give to get my hands on a nice bottle of vintage Greef or Mazte. He thought to himself as he got up from the bar and walked out of the run down inn. Don't think I could stand to stay in that place, there's got to be something a little better around here. Rayden continued to walked down the line of buildings that bordered the harbor until he found a nicer inn. He entered, greeted by the same smell as before yet less pungent and lacking the smell of body odor. He approached the bar as was greeted by a young Dunmer girl, well young for a mer she was probably in her early 40's.

Ooh, now this is more like it. He thought as he took a seat at the bar and pulled the hood off of his head.

"Haven't seen another Dunmer in here in a while. What brings you this far from Morrowind?" she asked

Rayden smiled, "I should be asking you the same question. How did a pretty young girl like yourself end up all the way out here?"

The young Dunmeri girl smiled back this time speaking in Dunmeri, "My father was a trader out of Seyda Neen, brought be over when I was a little girl. He ended up staying here and starting this Inn."

"Ahh so you run this fine establishment?" replied Rayden, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. The young girl let out a short laugh,

"Ah yes, this fine establishment is under my management now. By the way you never answered my question?"

"I suppose I didn't." said Rayden as he smiled once again. "Do you want the exciting and adventurous version or the innocent tale of a lone traveler?" he said jokingly.

"I'll take the exciting adventurous one." She said as she leaned over the bar towards Rayden.

"I'm an exiled Morag-Tong assassin searching for my former master by tracking his killings across all of Tamriel in hope that I will one day find him."

The young girl laughed "And I'm supposed to believe that? By the way what's your name handsome?" she said as she pulled over a stool and sat down on the opposite side of the bar from Rayden. Rayden replied with a serious look on his face,

"Yes you are supposed to believe that, and I go by Rayden." The girl's smile drooped slightly into a more serious face.

"You were being serious about the assassin thing?"

Rayden smiled again, "Completely." The young girl's face looked surprised for a moment before returning to it's former state of flirtatiousness.

"Well that makes you even more interesting."

Rayden chuckled and replied with a flirtatious smile "Now what might your name be?"

"Aria." she said as she leaned a bit closer.

"Such a pretty name, it suits you well. Now how about we get some drinks?"

Aria smiled, "Sounds like a plan to me." She then motioned for one of the barkeeps and spoke in Cyrodiilic. "Victor, go get a bottle of Shein from the cellar. One of the ones my father brought over." The man nodded and then walked over to a hatch in the floor and climbed down into the cellar. Moments later he emerged with a rust colored ceramic bottle which he set down next to Aria along with two of the inn's finner glasses. She poured the reddish liquid into both of the glasses, sliding one over to Rayden.

Man, this must be my lucky break. A good looking young Dunmer girl, and now Shein, go on keep running Rithe. I'll stay right here haha.

Rayden took a large sip from the glass, letting the refreshing liquid course through his body.

"Mhmm, it's been a while since I've had Shein of this quality. Last time I remember was back on Vvardenfell in a Redoran bar in Ald-Ruhn about four years ago."

"Well I'm glad it suits your tastes. My father brought it over from Morrowind when we came here."

"Well your father certainly had good taste." he replied with a smile.

"Now tell me about this assassin business. You've peaked my curiosity." Aria took a sip of her drink and then leaned in placing her chin in her hands and gazed at Rayden.

"Well that is a....complicated story, I'll start from the beginning. I was born into the Tong, both of my parents were members of the guildhall in Sadrith Mora. I was trained by one of the Masters of our order. After being accepted into the Tong as a full member I started going out on writs. After a while I got too good at my job, or too sloppy as my Master would put it."

"What do you mean too good and too sloppy?" Aria said with a puzzled look on her face.

"Well lets just say I tended to get a little....out of hand and 'dispose' of anything that got in the way of me and my target."

"Thats....not exactly a good thing." she said as her face grew even more perplexed.

"Well you have to understand that most of the people I killed where bad people in the first place. You perform the lesser of two evils for the good of all." replied Rayden as he drank from his cup again. Aria's face relaxed and returned to a state of curiosity.

"I guess you're right about that. Now go on, what happened next?"

"Well the Grandmaster of our order became angry with me, and exiled me from the Tong. Exile from the Tong is a nicer way of saying that he sent five of his best assassin's to murder me whilst I was asleep."

"What a coward! He should have confronted you about it, not sent his little lackeys to murder you." said Aria.

"That's exactly what I was thinking at the time." replied Rayden

"So what happened when they tried to kill you?" asked Aria in her mellow and soft voice.

"Well they met the pointy end of my blade." said Rayden with a slight chuckle. "After that I went rogue. I evaded the Tongs assassin's for a few years until the Oblivion gates began to open and Vvardenfell was surrounded by the ring of fire. My old Master disappeared during the first week of the invasion, he made some kind of deal with one of the Daedric princes and was transported away from the island. He offered to take me with him, but I turned him down."

"Why did you turn him down?" Aria said as she took a sip of the wine.

"It just felt wrong to abandon my home." Rayden said as he emptied his glass. "But look where I am now, on the opposite end of Tamriel." He said as he and Aria laughed. She poured both of them another glass of the vintage comberry wine.

"So after you turned him down what did you do?"

"I joined up with an underground group fighting for Redoran supremacy on Vvardenfell........" Rayden continued to tell the story of the past 6 years of his life all the way up to the point where he walked into the horrid bar just moments earlier. By that time the bar was almost empty and they had finished the entire bottle of Shein and were feeling quite nice.

"....And then I made my way down the street until I came upon this fine establishment and met a wonderful, gorgeous, young Dunmer girl." Finished Rayden as he smiled.

"Well you're story intrigues me. You're definitely not the kind of person I expected to meet in at a bar." replied Aria with a laugh. "How about we finish our conversation back in my room, it's a much nicer setting than the counter of a shabby old bar." she said with a flirtatious smile.

Rayden smiled in return, "I think I would like that."

Aria and Rayden stood from their seats at the bar and clumsily made their way back through a door behind the bar into a rather nice bedroom considering the place it was in. Aria unlatched the buckled of Rayden's cloak, it fell crumpled up on the floor. Not long after the rest of their clothing also lay bunched up on the floor as they 'wrestled' beneath the fur cover of the bed.

Thana, Ayleid Ruin of Garlas Agea

Darkness reigned in Garlas Agea, the only light coming from blue flamed candles that illuminated the path up to the high altar at the far end of the chamber. Atop this altar was a gagged and bound woman, her eyes opened wide with terror. Above her stood a cruel, blonde beauty. The gagged woman recognized her tormentor, for both were citizens of Anvil. But while she was a seamstress with three children, her captor was a princess.

Thana Umbranox looked down at her prisoner, eyes wild with fear, and a wicked smile cross her face as she reached down to retrieve a box that was laying on the floor next to the altar. The box was made of an glossy, ebon wood, and it's interior was coated in purple velvet. In this box was a fiendish curved dagger, glowing with fell enchantments. Taking this dagger from the box, Thana ran the blade gently down her victim's naked torso.

"Oh, you will make a pretty pet," the young girl cooed, "I've been studying, you see, on how to make my pets stay around for more than a few hours. Conjuring is just too temporary, and I want you to stay around forever and ever." The bound woman screamed through her gag when Thana's dagger drew blood from her stomach, eliciting a girlish giggle from the princess. "Don't cry, it will all be over soon."

With a final stroke of her victim's soft cheek, Thana raised the dagger suddenly and plunged it into the woman's chest. She writhed in pain for a short time, blood spilling from the gaping wound. The dagger glowed red, and seemed to svck the blood into it. The woman eventually stopped struggling, and her eyes no longer moved, and foul stench filled the chamber.

Thana smiled.

Pulling the dagger from the corpse, the necromancer inspected it and was pleased to see that not even a drop of blood remained on the blade. After she put the dagger back into the box, she raised her hand and focused her magicka, and the room temporarily flooded with a sickly yellow light before three Scamps materialized.

"The mistress", began the first Scamp.

"Calls us", continued the second.

"Once again," finished the last.

"Hello, children!" Thana said as she leaped down from the altar to hug the trio of Scamps. "I have a very special chore for you. Will you take my newest pet to the preparation chamber?"

"We live".

"To".

"Serve!"

The diminutive daedra scurried to the altar and hoisted the bound corpse onto their shoulders and Thana looked on lovingly. Sighing as her loved ones went away, she removed her heavy black robe and carefully folded it under her arm before returning to the Great Hall of Garlas Agea, where her personal retainers were camped.

Thespides, Castle Anvil

Count Thespides watched lustfully as his companion of last night dressed herself. He had seen her the day before, enjoying one of Anvil's public parks with her husband and children. She was a half-breed, one of the many citizens of the principality who had both Colovian and Redguard blood in their veins, and the two mixed well. She was dark skinned, like her western brethren, but her hair was much lighter than the normal black of the Ra'Gada. Thespides has waited till they went to the market, and then it was easy enough to catch her alone. She came along willingly enough when she saw who it was who had accosted her.

Their time together had been most sweet for the young Count of Crowhaven. Having been on a two-week hunting trip with the court of Chorrol, he had had little time indulge his sixual appetite.

Getting up the bed, Thespides moved behind his companion and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. She laughed, and playfully tried to pull away. But the Count's strong grasp kept her close.

"Oh, my lord," she sighed as she leaned back against him, "I truly must be going. My husband will already be suspicious enough, and the children are probably hungry and wanting breakfast."

Thespides laughed. "Well, we can't have that. Go down to the kitchen on your way out, tell the cooks I sent you. They should have cooked up a batch of cheese wafers by now. Take as many as you want for you children."

"Your lordship is most kind...."

Releasing her, Thespides moved to the side table next to the bed, and opened up a small box that sat atop it. From it, he pulled a heavy pouch of silver coins, and dropped it into the woman's hand. "And that is for you. Tell your husband it was for 'services rendered unto the Crown of Anvil'." Both laughed, and Thespides saw her out the door.

The Lusty Lady
Jacob

Jacob shook hands with Swims-In-Shadows, as the Argonian called himself, and listened as the Kraven and Shavaash introduced themselves. Shavaash walked away after he said his name and Javib stood quietly for a moment before saying to the Argonian, "Well, it was nice to
meet ya, Swims-In-Shadows. I hope you like our ship!" He sighed as he heard the sounds of pirates on the deck, preparing the ship. "I'd like to stick around and chat, but it sounds like my crewmates need me to help get ready.

He nodded at both the Argonian and Kraven before walking up onto the deck.

------------------------------------------

Camille Leon

Behleez walked into Camille's cabin and said, "Captain. The ship's ready to head out any time."

Camille nodded and replied, "Right. Tell the crew I'll be taking us out to sea shortly." Behleez nodded and walked back out of the room. Camille followed him out and took her place behind the helm, and steered The Lady out to sea, feeling the wind already blowing at her face, already smelling the salty sea spray. Camille smiled as she brought the ship out of port and into the open waves, setting a course for Taneth. She felt at home rising on the crests of waves, staring off into the horizon, with her ship - her baby - underneath her.

OOC: Sorry for the bad post. I'm doing this on my iPod. And anybody feel free to bring the ship into Taneth whenever your ready.

Arethan Andas, The Lusty Lady

"The Yokudans obviously had something that he wanted, that is the only explanation that I can think of. But his reasons for betraying the Telvanni are not of our concern. It looks as though we will have to track him down, and the first place that comes to mind is Sentinel. However Serosi is in Taneth...."

Rithe's words were quickly imprinted into Arethan's mind, as Servyn took a soft glance at him. He knew by the young Dunmer's face that he wanted him to say something, and at this thought, Arethan acknowledged his companion with a nod, turning to Rithe.

"Indeed. We go and take care of Serosi first. Help us deal with him, and then we'll head to Sentinel."

A smirk lit up Arethan's face at the thought of taking care of Serosi. If he was successful, he would finally have the artifact to grant him entrance into his homeland once more. Still, Servyn's eyes looked hazy, as he was entrenched in his own heap of thoughts.

If he receives the skull, let's hope the power doesn't get the better of him, nor fall into the wrong hands. Perhaps returning to his homeland may not be what he really wants after all. Perhaps it is something more than just that.

Revenge...

Rithe, The Lusty Lady

Rithe watched as Arethan and Servyn exchanged gestures before Arethan spoke,

"Indeed. We go and take care of Serosi first. Help us deal with him, and then we'll head to Sentinel."

Maybe this will work out after all. Thought Rithe as he replied.

"Very well, we will find Serosi first. However what is it you plan on doing once you find him?" Asked Rithe. He was very curious as to why Vaermina had such an interest in Serosi, and also why Mephala was aiding her. Rithe had speculated for a long time that they had an alliance, mostly because of his nightmares, only Vaermina could form such horrors. This quest to find Serosi would be the key to understanding everything, as well as the gateway to his freedom.

Arethan Andas, The Lusty Lady

"Very well, we will find Serosi first. However what is it you plan on doing once you find him?" Rithe asked in a curious tone. Arethan returned a devilish smirk to the assassin, and for the first time, Servyn could now see a slight hint of evil in his friends face.

But it isn't pure evil. It's vengeance.

"We're going to make him suffer."

Arethan delivered a quiet faded chuckle as his smirk faded into the room's candlelight. His face turned to a more serious tone, eying Rithe. Servyn cut the older Dunmer off, speaking his own words to the former member of the Morag Tong.

"But we can't kill him. We're to make his life a nightmare in exchange for the Skull of Corruption. Vaermina told us herself that Serosi is the last assassin hunting Arethan, but that doesn't mean she didn't have to tell us the truth."

Servyn frowned as a slight look of worry crossed his face. He look towards the door, still listening if Swims was going to return soon. He looked back, glaring over at the assassin.

"We will have to fight him in the city, but we can't attract too much attention from the knights there. I don't want to be chased by a bunch of knights. We beat him until he's almost dead, and then we get the [censored] out of there."

Servyn's eyes widened, as different thoughts traveled through his head.

[censored]. We got the bad end of the deal. We can't kill him, but he won't hesitate to kill us...

He then spoke up again, eying his master.

"I recall something, Arethan, of when Vaermina spoke to us that night in the forest. Serosi turned Azura's star into a black soul gem. Vaermina owes Azura a debt, and this is how she is paying it- using us to make Serosi pay for his actions."

Rithe, The Lusty Lady

Rithe listened as Arethan and Servyn explained their plans for Serosi.

Rayden would be good at making his life a nightmare... Then Rithe got hit with nostalgia, visions of Rayden as a young mer clumsily trying to swing a dagger at a cloth doll. Then they flashed forward to the final writ the two carried out as a team, Rithe watched as Rayden butchered a servant in the dinning hall of a manor. He ran over and pulled him off of the battered khajiit. Rithe feared what he saw in his eyes...blood lust. If only the idiot would have listened to me.. Rithe's mind then snapped back to the present.

"Do you know anything of an alliance between Mephala and Vaermina?" asked Rithe.

Shavaash Opress & Kraven Desselius, Lusty Lady.

Kraven Desselius excused himself from the the argonian before Jacob had exited the conversation. He past and bumped against the crowded pirate ship looking for his friend, Shavaash. Perhaps he speaks to someone for time to fly, Kraven imagined. He also would of imagined Shavaash sleeping as well. The Imperial reached the room to see that Shavaash was not there. Hmm, maybe he is on the deck above, thought Kraven as he followed the wooden hall to toward the stairs that led to the ascension. He couldn't help but explore the ship's interior craftsmanship. He hadn't been on many ships before, perhaps two in his lifetime when he took a ship to Valenwood and another to Solshteim many years ago. The ship was undoubtedly large, but rumored to be the fastest at sea. That remains to be seen, however. After minutes of exploration, Kraven reached the top and saw a few pirates speaking to Shavaash who was accompanied by two other individuals which he saw earlier. Kraven approached from behind and listened in the conversation.

****
Shavaash frowned at Cyric's question. Has there ever been a khajiit who enjoyed the seas? Cats and water do not mix. Not at all. While Shavaash was not a talkative one, he sure as hell knew how to avoid being entirely bored. He chose to speak to the two humans to pass the time. He finally shook his head 'no' to the man's query. He sighed loudly. "Shavaash don't like to stay in sea for long. It remind me of past. I was shipped to Morrowind to be slave."

As he said that, a few pirates walked past the muscular khajiit. They stopped, glancing back at his shoulder. They noticed a slave mark burnt into his skin that left a large scar of his master's symbol. One elbowed the other and scoffed harshly. "A slave pest this one."

The other pirate, a bedraggled older redguard laughed at the other's comment and spat a joke of his own. "Me thinks he got kicked from em slave master fer lickin it's butt instead of the floor".

Shavaash did not laughed at the insult simply because it wasn't funny and because it was directed toward him. Shavaash did not know whether these men were racist against khajiit's or not. But one thing was sure; They didn't like slaves and an inevitable confrontation was destined to happen. The muscular cat-man growled a bit, despite the presence of the other two nearby. He stared darkly at the two pirates. The redguard pirate stared back and bobbed his head.

"The cat thinks he can git a free passage to Taneth without paying. Jacob can convince Camilla to make ye walk the planks ye damn rat. He is her right hand!"

Suddenly a deep voice came from behind. The pirates whirled around to see a muscular long-haired Imperial who looked much more angrier than the khajiit did. He provided them with an equally bright remark on their latest excuse of Jacob removing Shavaash from the Lady. "The one she wipes her ass with."

The pirates, without much words, left the scene with conscious thought as to not start a battle there. But their intentions remained clear; They wanted something to happen. They did not enjoy Shavaash nor Kraven because they had free passage instead of offering to pay like the Dunmer and his ilk. Shavaash leaned over the balcony again only to have Kraven touch him on the shoulder. The Imperial looked briefly at the woman and the man, but said nothing. He only nodded at them and spoke a sentence in poor khajiiti dialect. Shavaash excused himself and followed Kraven to another part of the ship which was outside. He stood there, making sure no one pirate was nearby to hear them.

"The buccaneers frown upon our presence. We did not pay and it causes discord among them."

The khajiit nodded "We not pay like Ash elf and friends."

"We were not required to." Kraven sighed as he crossed his arms tight. The Dunmer wasn't trustworthy at all. Most of his kind were leechy and duplicitous. All of them seemed that they were hiding something or even plotting a certain action. But wasn't everyone else in Rihad? He looked over at the clear water and smelled the salty scent of the ocean breeze.

"I don't trust the Dark Elf. Nor his allies. They are up to something."

"Maybe they feel to honor by paying?"

"Dunmers have no honor. They were belched from the pits of Oblivion..." Kraven replied sharply with much hate. He understood that not all Dark elves were the same. But most of the representatives of the accursed race were well known for many atrocious acts and reputation. The mere fact that he was forced to bow and scraqe was enough for him to look upon them with strife in mind. Shavaash glanced over his shoulder and saw a few pirates looking in his direction. Their faces were that of someone who wanted to act upon aggressive thoughts and feelings. He braced himself if something was ever to happen.

Morgana & Cyric - The Lusty Lady

Shavaash had taken a moment to respond to Cyric's idle question, understandably, the Khajiit didn't quite like the sea very much. Morgana could see why. The very idea of slavery seemed utterly abhorrent. Almost on cue, two rather surly pirates ambled past and, seeing Shavaash, they began to unload a handful of petty insults. A slight disapproving frown worked it's way onto both Morgana and Cyric's faces, neither of them liked the way the two thugs spoke, nor the possibilities that could arise if the encounter continued. Amazingly, Morgana thought, the Khajiit did not return the insults, or even show much emotion, save for a low growl and glare. It was when the pirates began talk of forcibly removing Shavaash from the ship when an Imperial appeared behind the two pirates, who left, not without shooting some dark looks at the Khajiit and Imperial.

That Imperial, wasn't he the one with the Khajiit when we first boarded the ship? Morgana wondered, but she doubt she could ask the pair any questions, walking away as they did to a relatively secluded part of the ship. Turning to Cyric, she said

"A bit like home isn't it?"

"A little, though on the other hand Sentinel was a bit more friendlier... Well, at least no one went about insulting you in the middle of the street." Cyric's eyes swept the ship and he lowered his voice, turning to look at Morgana with a noticeably more serious expression, "It's not too late to back out. We hardly know anything worth knowing, if we leave the first stop we get, we can get away from all this and it'll be like it never happened." But Morgana was already shaking her head,

"No, I'm going to see this through to the end. Don't you see it? It's almost like the stories, a mysterious figure who's... doing something I suppose, but that's not important. This could be an adventure."

"Well, I hardly expected you to change your mind. You always are as stubborn as a mule" Morgana bristled at being compared to a mule, but Cyric just shot her a playful grin and continued in a slightly more somber tone, "Still, we're alone here, Morgana. We can't just trust any of these people. We'll need to be careful around anyone we meet, including those on this ship"

Morgana nodded. It was true what Cyric said, here on the Lusty Lady, on the seas, they were very much alone. Anything could happen.

Sentinel, War Room

Haroun watched his men debate amongst each other, listening to their retorts, and argument. He sighed, unlike Amaru and Bomlikar he did not see the Generals voicing their opinion as a sign of dissent, but as a father would watch his children offer the best solution to a problem. Catching Bomlikar's look he grinned, although it was a grin without any youthful humor.

"Ruhk has agreed to pay with personal coin, something which shall not be forgotten. As such these mercenaries will not be held to say the Yokudan Empire was required their devilry."

He felt himself being pulled away, not from the room but from control of himself. Such was the feeling of the HoonDing wishing to be freed. Whatever strategy or words it would give would lead to victory...but Haroun had hated the price he paid for this God being a part of him.

For a moment the Elden Yokeda composed himself, grin gone, a look of uneasiness on his face. "War will be declared in the morning...prepare your armies.."he was out of breath, "we will meet again in two weeks, in this very room."


For a moment the scent of blood would fill the air, and the room would grow a bit darker...not enough to cause concern.

"All others make-way." he waved the men out of the room, signaling Bomlikar to stay for a moment. The Yokeda and Generals, as well as the Ministers of War left without error, filing out orderly. The next few nights would be filled with lengthy discussions, plans upon plans, logistical madness, and intense drilling and preparation for war.

Taneth, Knight of the Nine Barracks.

It had been a long day. With war imminent, everyone had to work harder than usual to prepare the city. The armorer had spent all day making and repairing armor, and was exhausted from the long day. Slumping into a chair and finally having some peace, he closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest.

"I presume my armor is fit to wear again?"

Caught off-guard, the armorer bolted to his feet. "My apologies, commander, I've just been so overworked today. I've gotten all the glass out of your armor and the wife mended your surcoat, but I've yet to get the dent out of your helmet. I'm afraid I've had more pressing matters, what with the war coming."

"It is no problem, I do not wish to get in the way of more pressing concerns and I don't want to work anyone to death." He hesitated for a moment. "But I've been thinking, perhaps I would be better off with a different helmet. Do you have any close helmets like the ones the Diamond Guard wear?"

"Yes, I do, commander. I'll show you, just let me know if you like any of them." The armorer led Tarsius to a shelf of helmets of various sizes. The commander looked at them closely, trying each on, before choosing one.

"This one will do. But not yet. If you can get the chance, I'd like to have this helmet adorned with brass trim to better match the rest of my armor."

The armorer looked at the helmet, then at the table where the commander's helmet sat. "I could do this, but I'll need some extra compensation. You understand I'm overworked as it is."

Tarsius thought for a moment. "Yes, that will suffice. Inform me when it is completed, and we will talk price." With that, he walked up to his armor, sitting on one of the tables. "I don't suppose you'll mind if I put this on in here."

The armorer sat back in his chair. "Not a problem, commander, do whatever you need." He put his feet up on his workbench and closed his eyes.

War Room, Sentinel
Bomilkar

"As-Salāmu `Alaykum my brother." Bomilkar spoke after the lords and generals left the room, moving in close to his brother-in-law to embrace him. As he moved he realized just how worn and tired he was from the journey, his bones aching and muscles tense, in truth, the past three years had been an endless journey that he grew tired of making that showed clearly around his eyes and the many wrinkles on his aging face. Releasing his brother, Bomilkar's mood quickly fell and as he moved over to the map. "Tell me brother, what would happen if we died three weeks from now..or even tomorrow?" the question was bleak and sordid, but it was something that had been on his mind for quite awhile now. Everything they had built together was forged through their hands and their blades; the men who were drawn to Haroun especially lived to serve the man, but what about his ideas? the idea's and principles that made the Elden Yokeda who he was molded the world around them but the same could not be said for all those around him. His death would shatter that world, and if Bomilkar were to fall as well then all they had fought, bled and killed for would disenegrate around them and this dream of Empire would vanish, swallowed by the greed of people who would seek to claim the vacant throne of the Elden Yokeda.

"Do you think Roxanna would survive the night? or Andromeda? could you count on your generals and Yokeda to uphold the world you molded with your hands and my sword?" he continued, his falcata now appearing in his hands. With clean cut he opened a small wound in his hand, smearing it over the map just over the realm they now ruled. "If something happens, a blood letting like none other will wash upon this land, you know this my brother..so why do you allow them to question your command? Why allow them to argue amongst themselves and divide into camps before they've even seen the foe that awaits just across the desert?"

A heavy sigh escaped from his lips as he dug up memories from the past, some painful, some not so much, but it was necessary. "You are the father of this nation, and these men are your children." he began, both his hands now lay on the table before him, his head hung in a solemn manner. "When I was a boy, I followed my fathers order without question, with unyielding faith...as a son, it was my duty, these men lack that dedication to your Haroun, and like children, they must be made to obey!" his fist was now clenched, blood dripped through his finger, staining the floor below.

Rihad, Temple
Crixus Nakute

Square Crixus smirked as he left the cramped apartment of Lysandra Mara, battlemage, witch, and accomplish? the thought sent shivers down his aching spine. In life, nothing was ever square, he could account for that personally, no matter what one put into life there was no guarantee you receive something equal in kind, or even something good. For anything to be square it would imply that there was a beginning and an end, but life was a just a vicious repeating cycle...there was no end, just another beginning that repeated itself, consuming lives, dreams and ideas. The exchange just a few moments ago was proof enough as he found himself wondering how many lives that piece of information would cost? how many hundreds or thousands even would be lost in exchange for one man and his insignificant family, where was the justice or fairness in that? there was none, and Crixus had made that peace long ago when his mother went insane from the beatings and brutal [censored] by that pig who fancied himself a 'lord' in Anvil. He had ended that life in retribution, and now, all that was left was to complete the circle, and see where life took him from there. Suddenly he realized that he was no longer in the temple proper, but at the edge of its grounds near the bustling streets that led to the expansive docks and harbors of the Southern half of the city.

The sight still amazed him, how despite the looming threat of war and death the city continued to bustle with life and prosperity. He would spend the rest of the day wandering about the city, taking in the sights and smells of Rihad before finally coming to the place hew as looking for. The building before him was rather shabby looking and run down, not supposing given the weakened state of the Mages Guild nowadays, especially in this part of the world. Opening the door a small beg rang and an elderly gentleman sprang to life, his eyes gleaming. "A customer! oh my I havn't had one of you in ages it seems!" he carried on, rushing to Crixus' side.

"What can I get for you sir? a new scroll? some rejuvinating potions to help fortify your latest spell? some tonics made from the rare Omari Spinefish found only right here in Rihad's harbor or..."

"A memory stone." the old author smiled as the aged shop owner's jaw dropped. "mmm, a Memory Stone aye..." he seemed to mull over the thought. "Their very rare, very expensive..."

"I'm certain I have sufficient funds good sir, let me see your wares.."

Cyrus, Sentinel

Cyrus followed the other generals and Yokeda as Haroun ushered them out of the War Room. The coming months would be a final test of the empire's strength, the deciding factor of it's survival. This worried Cyrus, especially after the display of division between the Yokeda and Generals he just witnessed. If the empire were to break into factions then it could very well lead to it's fall. Cyrus scanned the crowd until he found who he was looking for, he then quickly made his way towards them.

"Ruhk my brother, it has been a while." he said as removed his mask and embraced his old friend.

Ruhk Ahkbar, Sentinel

"Ruhk my brother, it has been a while."

The young Redguard eyed the man who was his officer and friend, reaching out to greet him. Amaru turned as well, sending Cyrus an acknowledging nod of his head. He watched carefully, waiting for the rest of the crowd to clear out of the area until the three were alone, in front of the gates to the door which Bomilkar and the Elden Yokeda discussed their private matters.

"Indeed, brother, it has."

A small silence followed their opening greetings. Before long, the ansei among them spoke up, his eyes shifting in a keen manner towards Ruhk, and then to Cyrus.

"Haroun's grip does not hold fast. I sense division in the advisers."

Ruhk turned back to his mentor and friend, Amaru. His hands still lay by his side, motionless as he spoke.

"They seem more concerned with their own personal power than those of the Empire. A house divided cannot stand among itself."

"But Bomilkar is a good man. The King does have those that stand with him, out of all the men that hunger for personal gain."

"But he is the Elden Yokeda, Amaru. These men should be made to submit to Haroun."

Amaru shot a fierce glance towards the young Ruhk, one which he did not show in hostility, but instead of mere concern.

"Greed and division destroyed the Empire of the foreigners. If something is not done, our own Empire will crumble before us. Greed leads to destruction."

Ruhk gave a nod to his mentor. The ansei continued to speak.

"But that does not mean something must not be done. However, making them to obey will be much harder that it appears. Still, their minds should not be set on that of their own power, but the power of the Empire."

Another period of silence fell upon the trio. After it was clear Ruhk had no response, the Ansei delivered his final message.

"No doubt, whether it be right or wrong, Haroun will dispose of those who oppose him, foreigner and native alike. Rebellious lies will not go unnoticed. The man will not give up until his last breath is taken. The HoonDing possesses him."

Cyrus, Sentinel

Cyrus listened intently as the two spoke.

"I agree, Haroun is strong and will not let anyone stand in his way." Cyrus leaned against a wall and crossed his arms.

"However I fear that should something happen to him that the empire would be in grave danger." Cyrus new as well as any man who had been in that room that Haroun was the glue that kept this nation together.

OOC: crappy post, sorry.

Stanet Terentius, Rihad

The Knight Commander listened intently to his subordinate discuss her informant's strategic information; he could be abrasive, grating, and downright foolish at times, but Terentius knew when it was time to put aside his pride and listen to advice. The Paralictor seemed extremely sure that her source was reliable, and Terentius figured that as an inquisitor of some sort, she was probably an excellent judge of character.

The idea of striking a decisive blow against the Yokudans early on had occurred to Stanet before, although he had shelved it in favor of a defensive approach, hoping that it would make Haroun and his Yokedas look like the aggressors and thus alienate them from the independent cities. But the likelihood of the independent cities joining the Rihad Confederation had always been low, and Lysandra's strategic advice seemed like a prudent plan. And the Knight Commander couldn't help but grin when he learned the Yokudan farmlands the order would strike first belonged to Bomilkar Barca. Oh, how I would love to give that brazen heathen what he deserves for those insults...

"Excellent information, Paralictor Lysandra." said Terentius with a smile. "This certainly changes how I view the war. If what you've said is correct, I can assure you that I'll put in a good word with the Chaptermasters and Divine Crusader for you. Speaking of the accuracy, though, who is this informant of yours, and what did you have to give him for all of this?"

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Swims-in-Shadows watched in dismay as Kraven and Jacob quickly deserted him to head up to the top deck, leaving him to stand alone in the hallway. Ah, well. They probably aren't worth my time anyway. The Argonian grumbled and headed back towards his group's quarters, brooding all the way. Why he had agreed to help Arethan and Servyn with this ridiculous task of hunting Serosi was beyond him. I could be back in Colovia, making my mark on the world. Imagine how many I could have killed in the last few weeks! How much property I could destroy! Lives I could ruin! But instead, I'm here on some absurd pirate ship with a bunch of ash scum with an overinflated sense of self worth. Then again, all Dunmer think too highly of themselves; I suppose these three aren't much worse than the average.

Swims arrived at the sturdy wooden door to the large chamber, and reached his glass-encased right hand towards the knob. But the brass doorknob wouldn't turn in response to his quick jerk. The door shuddered as the Argonian tried to jerk it open, but it held fast. Right, they locked it. He hissed in annoyance and pounded his armored hand on the door repeatedly.

"Really? Is this some kind of joke? Who are you trying to keep out? If the pirates really wanted to get in, they have the key!" Jackasses.