The Situation

It is 3E 427, one year before the events of Morrowind are inflicted on the region. The Great Houses remain in their struggles for power and influence; the Imperial guilds are locked in their subtle battle for survival against a sometimes-xenophobic population. The population of Morrowind is conflicted ? they both desire the great riches that trade with the West brings them, but also wish to keep their independence and traditions.

No where are these conflicts more represented than in the Great House Hlaalu, a faction on the rise since the incorporation of Morrowind into the Empire, relative to its rivals Great House Redoran and Great House Telvanni.

It's well-known for its cooperation with the Empire and much of its success is founded upon its ability to adapt to the new situation. Trade income with the Empire has made Hlaalu rich, and with riches came power and influence, most notably in the selection of Vedam Dren as Duke of Vvanderfell.

Yet, beneath the surface, there is a very different picture of the House. Its leadership is largely under the thumb of Camonna Tong Kingpin Orvas Dren and most decisions must be approved by the xenophobic criminal organization. Its plantations exploit a massive number of slaves, in spite of the Imperial ban on slavery, due to an exemption given to Morrowind. Though most of its lower ranking members and almost all outsiders believe Hlaalu is the Great House of progress and Imperial values, the higher ranking members are well aware of its connection to seedier elements of Morrowind's society.

The internal conflicts of House Hlaalu, however, are pittance compared to the epic struggle for dominance against the other Great Houses. On Vvanderfell, in particular, both Redoran and Telvanni have been standing in the way of Hlaalu's ascent and expansion. Though not in open warfare, the three Great Houses have not been unwilling to use manipulation, subterfuge, and even violence to get what they want.

In this great war, every soldier makes a difference. And House Hlaalu is hiring.

Introduction and Commentary

As you probably guessed already, this rp is going to focus around House Hlaalu. The underlying philosophy of this rp is that every quest is ultimately a "side quest" ? there is no group of "main quests" that move the story along, but rather that every decision of the people going about their lives is what moves the world. As such, instead of having some overarching story I plan to fulfill, I have come up with several broad conflicts that will be represented and the actions of the rpers will determine which direction the story goes.

Since the rp is going to focus on House Hlaalu, I must insist that all characters not be members of other Great Houses nor can they be strictly independent ? the first action that any non-Hlaalu characters is joining Hlaalu. Don't worry, I assure you that there will be plenty of room for PvP conflict (as well as cooperation, obviously); as I alluded to in my description, Hlaalu has opposing factions within itself, and you will ultimately be struggling for favor with your House superiors, leadership positions, promotions, and so on. Sometimes different players may be given conflicting goals ? and only one group can succeed.

This rp will also feature players being assigned missions with a variable amount of their fellow rpers. It might sometimes be a solo mission, while other times it might involve all of the players. However, either extreme will be rare, more often there will be a couple groups assigned different tasks.

I hope this rp will be fun and exciting for everyone involved.

Rules/Guidelines

1. General rping guidelines apply here (no control of other characters, no Godmodding, etc)

2. As mentioned before, your character is going to be a member of House Hlaalu.

3. As implied before, your character is going to start as a fairly low-ranking member of Hlaalu (there'll be chances for advancement later on, be patient )

4. No "uber" characters (I'm willing to be flexible with that definition, but remember #3 ? it would be somewhat silly for a Retainer to have the skills of a House Father).

5. Along the lines of #4, no absurd equipment. It wouldn't make sense to risk your life for a couple hundred gold pieces when the equipment you are wearing is worth tens of thousands (again, though, I'm willing to be somewhat flexible if you have good reasons).

6. Be responsible and realistic. This one is important because I am going to be leaving much of this rp up to individual players ? controlling NPCs you meet, describing interactions with creatures, and so on. I'll be intervening mostly in the role of quest-giver, as important NPCs, and occasionally to do setting things. As such, everyone is counting on you to be fair. Rping is not about winning (hopefully, that goes without saying).

7. Keep your disputes out of your posts as much as possible. That both means don't have a post consisting largely of OOC commentary and also not trying to settle grudges via your character. PM the person who made a post you have some disagreement with and if you can't come to an agreement regarding its validity, PM me.

8. Going back to the dispute-resolution process of #7, please accept my decisions as they pertain to the rp. If you disagree with a decision, you can PM me about it, but please don't bring it into the rp itself.

9. Be active and thorough. I recognize that we all have our own lives outside of this rp, but rps live and die by the activity of their players. Don't think of this rp as some new obligation in your life, but don't think of it as a game of minesweeper either. Try to post enough to keep up with the story and try to avoid really short posts (1-3 lines).

10. In terms of characters, I'm willing to allow players to have multiple characters if and only if they can keep up with it. No more than three, however, simply because it could get confusing. If you are going to do this, be sure to noticeably indicate which of your characters you are playing in each post.

11. Try to use good grammar and spelling, for both presentation and clarity.

12. Don't worry about "winning" ? there will be some plot events where you are going to lose. There are going to be times when groups of players are going for the same goal and only one team can win. Again, don't worry about it. Remember #7 and 8.

Character Sheet

General Information
Name: (Your character's real name, even if he isn't going to use it)
Alias: (Only required if different from the real name)
Gender: (Male or female, even if your character disguises the gender)
Race: (One of the standard Tamriel races (no mixed heritages, please). Remember that if you choose any non-Dunmer you will have problems with the Camonna Tong section of the House)
Age: (Remember the limitations of your race)
Birthsign: (I will accept both Morrowind and Oblivion signs, but indicate which you mean)

Class Information
Class Name and Description: (Custom, if you wish)
Specialization: (Combat, Magic, Stealth. No more than two, if you can help it)
Skills: (I'm a Morrowind kind of guy, so 5 majors, 5 minors from the Morrowind skill set. If you've never played Morrowind or need a refresher, http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Skills)

Appearance
Height: (Remember your race and gender and use both standard and metric units. http://www.onlineconversion.com/)
Weight: (Same thing)
Apparent Age: (Don't be silly)
Apparent Gender: (Be careful if different than real gender)
General Appearance: (Again, consider your race and gender)
Standard Attire: (for when you aren't expecting to be fighting and such. If you must, your character can wear armor for this, but have a good reason for it)

Equipment
Armor: (Remember rule #4)
Weapon(s): (Again, rule #4)
Enchanted items: (Same, remember that "none" is a perfectly legitimate option here)

Disposition
General Disposition: (Give some insight about your character's attitude towards himself and the rest of the world)
Disposition towards the Empire: (Explain your character's attitude towards the Empire)
Disposition towards the law: (Explain how much respect your character has for the law)
Religion: (Any of the standard Tamriel religions will do, but remember your race)
Past Associations: (Factions your character has been in, e.g., Fighter's Guild)

Please send your character sheet to me for approval before posting. And you'll notice that I omitted the "history" section. That's because it is irrelevant. The history of your character should only determine the above things and in turn determine his interaction with the world. You should have a history of your character thought up, but I feel it is pointless to have you write it out for everyone. If their character wants to know, then they are free to ask. The only history I'm asking for is past associations and only because it will help determine what type of interactions your character might have with some NPCs. Also, note that this sheet is entirely OOC, and players should not assume to know any of the information on the sheets besides what can be readily gathered by their character (appearance, race, some of the equipment information, and, with time, some of the disposition section). When I approve your sheet, you can post. Post it as the first thing in your first post, in OOC tags.

Application

Just as the character sheet is required to be in your first post, so is your application to be in the Hlaalu Inter-House Relations (also known as Eides Seras, or "The Respectables"). There are two different ones, depending on whether your character is already a member of Hlaalu or not.

This will be in-character, but only known to the NPCs I play as. Note, however, that you do not have to be completely truthful in your application, as it is IC. Also, since it IC, don't use game-terms, like when it asks for "specialization/skills" I don't want to see, "Combat. Short blade, athletics, and light armor." ? That's fine for the OOC character sheet, but no one would describe their skills that way in reality. Try something like, "I am an able fighter and skilled with a short sword. My body is in excellent shape and I am able to march long distances as well as move quickly, when needed."

You'll notice a question about your character's "sponsor" ? this was mentioned in the game, but not really developed. Basically, it is the Hlaalu House member who sponsored your admission into the Great House. Don't use someone high up for this, you can even make the person up if you want, but include their name and rank.

Finally, if you are playing as an already-Hlaalu character, no ranks above Retainer are allowed. For ranks in other guilds, nothing higher than the third level. And remember that this is IC, so don't go admitting to being part of criminal organizations (Camonna Tong, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, etc).

For Hlaalu


For Non-Hlaalu

Name: Aryon Sarethi
Gender: Male
Race: Dunmer
Age: 156
Birthsign: The Lady (Morrowind)


Class Information

Class Name and Description: Merchant Prince - A man who is skilled in the ways of making money and was usually born into nobility. They can usually talk themselves out of trouble but if this is found impossible then they are very capable fighters who will not go down without a fight.
Specialization: Combat and Stealth
Skills:
Major - Long Blade, Medium armor, Speechcraft, Mercantile, Athletics
Minor - Security, sneak, light armor, acrobatics, block

Appearance

Height: 5"9
Weight: 10 stone - 140ibs
Apparent Age: 100 in Dunmer years, 20 to 30 in human years
Apparent Gender: Male
General Appearance: A tall and proud man with dark red eyes and clear grey skin. He has black shoulder length hair that reaches down to his shoulders and long pointy ears, typical of a Dunmer. He has a small nose and a small rounded goatee that joins on to his moustache that sort of gives of a regal appearance.
Standard Attire: He wears slightly extravagant clothing. He wears Dunmer fashion clothing and not Imperial. His upper body is covered by a regal dunmer suit fit for buisness that is blue in colouring with a gold trim around the edges. His lower body is covered by silk blue trousers that reach down to cover gold trimmed black shoes. He also wears a gold enchanted amulet around his neck that goes down to his chest

Equipment

Armor: Although he doesn't wear armor much unless forced, when he does he wears a full Armun-An bonemold armor suit
Weapon(s): Silver longsword
Enchanted items: The enchanted gold amulet grants a slight boost to speechcraft.


Disposition

General Disposition: Aryon is a selfish and egotistical man who thinks of himself first well before others. Although he acknowledges the Tribunal Gods he does not follow their set example and certainly does not pray. However he is incredibly enchanting and charming and is a great speaker, usually using this skill to further his own goals before others. He sees House Hlaalu as a perfect way to make money and live the good life. He sees the Telvanni as a bunch of demon charmers and the Redoran as a bunch of virtouse and boring knights.
Disposition towards the Empire: He sees the Empire as the perfect way to make money in Morrowind. Although he does not care much about it he does have a slight hatred towards them for taking away much of their independance and tradition and does not like the feeling of being ruled over by a bunch of Imperials.
Disposition towards the law: He only respects the law when they don't get in his way and poke their nose where it does not belong.
Religion: Tribunal
Past Associations: None, just Hlaalu






Name: Aryon Sarethi
Gender: Male
Race: Dunmer
Birthsign: The Lady
Age: 156
Place of birth: Mournhold
Current Residence: Sarethi Manor, Balmora
Current Rank: Retainer
Original Sponsor: Dram Bero

Describe your skills: I am an incredibly skilled duelist which is something I tend to do in my spare time. Money is also something I know the meaning of and certainly know how to make. My speaking and persuasion skills also certainly come in handy and some even say I am "charming"

List all other organizations you belong to (and current rank): I only belong to House Hlaalu and am of the rank Retainer


Are you willing to carry out tasks that could be potentially dangerous?
[/] Yes [ ] No

By signing below, you indicate that all of the above information is accurate.
Aryon Sarethi
______________________________

Name: Beniamus Revas
Alias: none
Gender: Male
Race: Breton
Age: 22
Birthsign: The Warrior

Class Information

Class Name and Description: Witchhunter - Witchhunters are dedicated to rooting out and destroying the perverted practices of dark cults and profane sorcery. They train for martial, magical, and stealthy war against vampires, witches, warlocks, and necromancers.
Specialization: Magic/Stealth
Major Skills: Conjuration, Enchanting, Alchemy, Light Armor, Marksman
Minor Skills: Unarmored, Block, Blunt, Sneak, Mysticism

Appearance

Height: 5'10, 179cm
Weight: 150lb, 68kg
Apparent Age: Mid-twenties
Apparent Gender: Male
General Appearance: Average build and height, a bit on the skinny side. Tends to blend in, although his red hair and beard may draw minor attention and that's typically because his eyebrows are much darker than the rest of his facial hair. He has a sharp jaw and facial features, usually accompanied by a quizzical look on his face, either trying to figure something out or find something funny about what he's looking at.
Standard Attire: A blue long-sleeved cotton shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbow. Faded tan pants and soft leather shoes.

Equipment

Armor: A full set of Chitin armor minus the shield and pauldrons.
Weapon(s): Steel longbow, a quiver of two-dozen arrows ? steel and silver.
Enchanted items: none

Disposition

General Disposition: Generally amicable towards those around himself. However, he is wary of the Telvanni as they are often found consorting with Daedra, the undead, and vampires.
Disposition towards the Empire: Generally very supportive of the Empire and its initiatives.
Disposition towards the law: A strong proponent of the law, whether it be judicial or moral.
Religion: A follower of the teachings of the Nine Divines. His time in Morrowind has also fostered a deep respect for the Tribunal and its treatment of those less fortunate.
Past Associations: Yet to officially join any guild or faction. Has done some work for both the Imperial Cult and the Tribunal Temple.


Application

For Non-Hlaalu

Name: Beniamus Revas
Gender: Male
Race: Breton
Birthsign: The Warrior
Age: 22
Place of birth: Leyawiin, Cyrodiil
Current Residence: Suran
House Hlaalu Sponsor: Serjo Avon Oran

Describe your skills: I am a skilled marksman, proficient with both longbow and the crossbow. I have a solid grasp of spellcasting in the colleges of Conjuration and Mysticism as well as experience in brewing both potions and poisons. I am physically fit and capable of learning quickly.


List any other organization you belong to (and current rank):
I do not currently belong to any organization, but have ? on occasion ? performed services for both the Imperial Cult and Tribunal Temple.

Please list any persons who can speak for your good character and abilities:
Serjo Avon Oran, Kinsman of House Hlaalu
Elynu Saren, Novice of the Tribunal Temple

Are you willing to carry out tasks that could be potentially dangerous?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to abide by all House Hlaalu laws?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to follow all lawful orders of your superiors in House Hlaalu?
[X] Yes [ ] No

By signing below, you indicate that all above information is accurate and swear allegiance to the Great House Hlaalu.

Beniamus Revas

ooc: this is too awesome sounding to pass up. I'm in.

OOC:

OOC: Alright, we'll be starting up. I expect a few more people to join soon, but we can start it up tonight.
BIC:

The Hlaalu Inter-House Relations offices were swamped with applications following their membership drive. Dozens of Hlaalu members looking for opportunities for advancement signed up, along with hundreds of non-Hlaalu recruits looking for an easier path to membership within the Great House. Inevitably, some had to be rejected for various reasons, but still many remained, greatly bolstering the ranks of Hlaalu.

The leadership of the HIHR was especially pleased, their plans for these initiates now taking shape. The hierarchy was established already, from current Hlaalu, and displayed excellent efficiency in the recruitment and cutting process. But there was yet one major test left for the applicants, to be given once they were fully recorded and cataloged. Letters of acceptance were sent out to those who survived the initial screening.

It was a quite Sundas afternoon in Balmora which meant dueling practice for Aryon. He was in his dueling room of sorts in the basemant of his manor wearing nothing but his silk pants and weilding a silver longsword.
" On guard! " he shouted to his dueling partner as he quickly thrust his sword forward but was immediatly parried and was forced to jump backwards to avoid his opponents strike. He once again rushed forward but this timetime sliced his sword sidewards, attempting to knock the opponents sword onto the ground but was rebuffed and once again had to jump backwards to avoid being hit. Just as he was about to launch another attack, the doors burst open as his Bosmer servant Argyle walked in holding up a letter.
" Serjo it's here, the letter from the House! " he shouted as if in triumph
" Good, good hand it over here now then! chop chop " he said and beckoned his servant over. Argyle bowed in obediance and quickly ran over and handed the letter to his master before running back to the door, awaiting further orders. Aryon skimmed through the letter and a small grin spread across his face.
" Excellent, I knew they would accept me before I even sent in my application. Argyle! fetch me my arms and armor, I must leave to the council house within the hour " Aryon shouted to his servant who bowed in return and left the room
" I'm afraid we will have to postpone our little dueling practice tonight, perhaps sometime next week would be okay? " he said with a smile to his partner as he took a swig from his flask.

Sometime later he was stood in the lobby of his mansion. He adjusted his pauldrons and checked his sword was holstered correctly.
" Tell me Argyle...noble knight or battle hardened warrior? " he asked his servant as he held his hands by his side
" Erm...n..noble knight sir? " Argyle replied in a worried manor
" Wrong! A noble knight is nothing! I am of course Aryon Sarethi, the greatest swordsman in the land. That is the correct answer Argyle, I thought you would know by now " he shouted in reply as if greatly insulted by Argyles answer
" Yes of course serjo, im deeply sorry " was the feeble answer he got in reply
" Okay, I trust you will look after the manor while I am gone. How long I will be I don't know but make sure its in pristine condition when I get back. Understand? " Aryon instructed his servant in a serious manner and glared at him for a reply
" Of course serjo " he replied
" Good. Well I am going now, goodbye Argyle " he said as he left through the front door and out onto the busy street, although it was near dark, Balmora never slept.

Aryon finally arrived at the front door to the grand Hlaalu council house and made sure he looked smart and powerful. He opened the main door to the building and entered, wondering exactly what would happen next...

Name: Beslyn Dreloth II
Alias: (Simply Beslyn)
Gender: Male
Race: Dunmer
Age: 27
Birthsign: The Lady (Morrowind)

Class Information
Class Name and Description: Agent ~ Agents are operatives skilled in deception and avoidance, but trained in self-defense and the use of deadly force. Self-reliant and independent, agents devote themselves to personal goals, or to various patrons or causes.

Specialization: Stealth
Skills:
Major ~Speechcraft, Sneak, Acrobatics, Light Armor, Short Blade
Minor~ Mercantile, Conjuration, Block, Unarmored, Illusion

Appearance
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 159 pounds
Apparent Age: Rather young, mid to late twenties
Apparent Gender: Male
General Appearance: Beslyn is a rather young and lithe dunmer, his body is not well built, sinewy or smooth, simply sturdy. His long sleek black hair is kept in a ponytail, that just barely touches the bottom of his shoulder blades. He has a more tinted blue skin, than the typical ash gray. Red eyes sit upon a slightly angular nose, and a wide almost unbelievable grin, he is semi-handsome with an angular jaw fit for most elves.
Standard Attire: Beslyn is usually found in middle class clothing of browns, yellows, dark reds or grays, usually a simple tunic and sash over breeches of the same color. He wears a thin shirt of chain mail over his under shirt, to protect him from wandering daggers.
Equipment
Armor: He usually dons no armor, except the thin and rather well hidden chain mail shirt under his tunic. He sometimes will don leather gauntlets and boots if traveling.
Weapon(s): A fine crafted dunmeri steel shortsword, very similar to those the Hlaalu guards use.
Enchanted items: (None)

Disposition
General Disposition: Beslyn is confident, almost to the point of being accused of arrogance. Though he believes in believing in yourself. He holds no resentment towards any particular race or group, only foreign religions.
Disposition towards the Empire: He is a loyal subject of the empire, however his House and people come first.
Disposition towards the law: As an Agent, Beslyn is willing to break the law to get the job done, and occasionally breaks the law for personal gains, you could say he was a "lawful" thief.
Religion: Tribunal Temple
Past Associations: N/A



~***~

IC:
Eight Plates Inn, Balmora Service District

The Eight Plates was a fitting spot for retainers, the food was cheap, the rooms were nice and plentiful, the proprietor was a local and best of all, it sound only a few blocks from the Manor District. Retainers traversed the short journey from the service district, staying at any inn with a room, down the street and up the grand stairs into the Manor District, or as most locals called it “ The High Town”. The common room was quite smoky, the stench of local marshmerrow and foreign tabac almost ruined the smell of Dulnea Ralaal‘s, the publican, cooking. She was a warm hearted lady, almost certainly Hlaalu but she never spoke of it. As long as his sponsor paid the few gold a week for his room and board, Beslyn didn’t care.

Beslyn was not too worried about the contents of his room from a retainer’s standpoint. Not much could be taken besides the small pouch of gold under his pillow, the remnants of his last job. So he rarely kept the door locked while he was there, but most Hlaalu retainers were skilled thieves, and Beslyn still held a slight concern for his personal belongings. The small round table with matching, and even rounder chairs was Beslyn’s table. A few serving girls had sat with him and shared a drink, if not his bed, but other than that few bothered the young agent. Finishing a small cup of Mazte he took his dishes to the bar, deciding to spare the serving girls a little walking time.

“ Dulnea, do you suppose they’ll offer me a job anytime soon. I go to the Hlaalu Council House everyday, as is my duty as a retainer. I sometimes wonder if they’ve forgotten about me, Aves and Galethri run errands almost everyday. If not then where do they get the money to squander in your inn?” asked Beslyn, almost tormented by the fact that those two null brained retainers had more money than he.

Dulnea responded almost instantly, “it’s none of my business who gets jobs and who doesn’t, I’m sure you’ll find a job within the week, if not today. I wouldn’t worry about those two, they’ll get themselves in trouble enough.”

After finishing a short conversation with Dulnea, Beslyn took his black cloak, it was a Sundas evening and quite cold for Balmora’s standards. Adorned in his yellow outfit, he began the walk from the Inn up into the Manor district to check with the offices to see if he had any inquiries, they wouldn’t spend time to pay a courier when he was right down the street, so Beslyn kept his head up as he pushed the door open, assuming his most businesslike posture….

Earlier in the morning at Soryna's residents

Soryna looked dreadfully out the window seeing an ash storm pick up along with the letter in her hand ordering her to go to the Hlaalu Council Manor. She had been there several times before in her three week stay in Balmora. She didn't much care for Vvardenfell and prefered Narsis much more. Her eyes moved across the floor to her black boots standing like mirrored images of one another side to side. She was considering not going at all but the boots seemed to scold back that she should. She slightly rolled her eyes and gave a soft sigh walking toward the boots. Her socked feet slipped in easily enough but the dreaded brown cloak usually worn outside on Vvardenfell didn't seem as appealing. Around the upper part of her left thigh she had a few leather straps holding her small glass dagger hosltered upside down. It was hidden under her skirt as best as could be and was easily reached by her just in case. The plain cloak would hide her figure completely were it not for the quiver of arrows tied to a belt around her narrow waist. The bow was worn on her back. With the scarf around her mouth and nose and the resin goggles covering her eyes she looked like one of the locals.

Hlaalu Council Manor

Now

A rather tall Dunmer who seemed a bit more confident then most walked through the front door. Soryna sat with her right leg over her left on the bench to the right of the entrance. She had her left hand over her right placed upon her knee. The ugly brown cloak, as she refered to it, had been given to a servant along with the quiver of arrows and the bow which would be mostly useless inside anyway. Instead what was left was the simple but elegant attire Soryna usually wore. Hopefully most or even all of her co-workers would be males. They seemed to trust her rather quickly, while women distrusted her with the most passionate of disdain because they felt threatened by her presence. She allowed the new comer to speak first wanting to see what tone he would take.

Before anything could be said, yet another Dunmer stepped in. This one was much shorter, as short as she was with her boots. All seemed fine so far. Hopefully an official would show up to speak with them. In any case it was entertaining just to watch for now.

Race: Breton
Age: 26
Birthsign: The Lady


Class : dilettante turned healer. Dilletantes are among Tamriel's happy few who don't have to worry about actually earning a living. Which lets them pick just about any training that catches their fancy. which means usually not two of them are the same. Should they lose the means to afford their pampered lifestyle, only a few have skills which turns out to be profitable.

Skills :majors : alchemy, surgery, Illusion, restoration, unarmored
Minors : alteration, enchant, light armor, mysticism, shortblade

Appearance
Height: 5'5" (1m65)
Weight: 120 lbs (55 kg)
Apparent Age: 26

General Appearance: Elissandre is a rather short but good looking redhead,
Standard Attire: Temple's blue and yellow dress (from Morrowind), one dwemer shortsword sheated to her belt.

Equipment
Armor: chitin cuirass, greaves and pauldrons
Weapon(s): dwemer vampire blade (cast on strike absorb health and fatigue, not very powerfull nor many charges)
Enchanted items: signet ring - constant effect restore health and fatigue (at low levels, it makes for quick recovery and comes handy for a long travel, but it's effect will barely be noticed in combat.

Disposition
General Disposition: rather easygoing and with a bit of an hedonistic streak, Elissandre prefers calming issues or finding ways around them than open confrontation
Disposition towards the Empire: She considers the Empire as generally a good thing, bringing peace on Tamriel. She know it has it's darker side suchas the East Empire company's greed and corruption, but the good still outweights the bad.
Disposition towards the law: Though definitively not overly worried about the law, she draws a strong line at what she deems bad. Her usual concern about a questionable action would be 'is that only illegal or is it nasty' - the second options meaning 'wihtout me'.
Religion: (Any of the standard Tamriel religions will do, but remember your race)
Past Associations: Tribunal Temple

Background : Elissandre is the daughter of the now-defunct baron of Cadra, a minor breton domain and therefore the proud heiress to asmoking ruin, since the domain was invaded by a neighboring baron.
She ran as far away as possible,hinding in less than reputable places. She managed to improve her magic with less than reputable teachers. She drifted into Morrowind and endend up on hte recieving end to the Temple's charities, courtesy of a member of the Dissident Priests. Willing to repay the favor and finding the Tribunal cloer than the distant Divines, she managed to enter the Temple, accomplishing the Seven Graces pilgrimage.
With the increasing influence of the Temple hardliners she finds herself rather unwelcome, and decided to try her luck with the hopefully more open-minded House Hlaalu.

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

Name:Elissandre
Gender:Female
Race:Breton
Birthsign:The Lady
Age:26
Place of birth:Wayrest, Highrock province
Current Residence:Balmora (Temple)
House Hlaalu Sponsor:Anarys Hlaalu, Oathman of House Hlallu and Acolyte of the Temple

Describe your skills:
I am a healer, skilled in both mundane and magical healing, as well as a competent alchemist, able to brew most types of potions. I am also trained in the schools of Illusion, alteration and mysticism
I am trained t odefend myself wiht short blades and unarmored combat.


List any other organization you belong to (and current rank): Novice of the Tribunal Temple


Please list any persons who can speak for your good character and abilities:
Feldrelo Sadri, Master in the Temple (head of Balmora's Temple)
Anarys Hlaalu, Oahtman of house Hlaalu


Are you willing to carry out tasks that could be potentially dangerous?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to abide by all House Hlaalu laws?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to follow all lawful orders of your superiors in House Hlaalu?
[X] Yes [ ] No

By signing below, you indicate that all above information is accurate and swear allegiance to the Great House Hlaalu.

Having recieved the message signaling she was accpeted in House Hlaalu's ranks, Elissandre prepared a pack. If we have to be ready to work, then I should get ready. Fortunately I don't have that much eqiupment to carry.. She quickly stashed her gear in her pack - several potions, a mortar and pestle, and a small pile of medical supplies. Some lightwieght food and an empty waterskin completed the package.
Having done her peparation, she left the temple, moving to the Hlaalu council manor, a short walk through mostly empty streets.

As she entered the hall, Elissandre as sual felt a bit tou of place, being the only person present that wasn't dunmer. Well, let's see how open-minded they are. Though being from the Temple should make things easier. Or maybe worse, some seems to believe I'm usurping the robe I'm wearing.

Balmora, Hlaalu Council Manor

"The initiates are gathering near the entrance, Coordinator," Nileno Dorvayn begrudgingly noted to Mervs Uvayn, who had been given the prestigious position of Balmora Coordinator of the HIHR, rather than her.

"Excellent, I shall have them attended to shortly," Mervs replied, pleased by the success of the recruitment campaign. "Danar!" he shouted, getting the attention of a Dunmer man standing across the room. They made eye contact and Mervs pointed down, providing all the information Danar needed. He set off towards the stairs to greet the incoming recruits.

When Danar reached the ground floor, he saw that there were close to two dozen persons roaming about the halls, dressed in all styles and manners. Most had weapons which hung from their waistbands, some even were wearing their armor. Danar suddenly wondered what all this was about, having only been told that Hlaalu's new taskforce was attempting to gather recruits. The question had not before occurred to the lowly Lawman as to what the recruits were needed for.

"Attention, everyone, attention up here please!" Danar shouted, attempting to be heard over the many conversations going on throughout the hall. He didn't get quite the response he'd hoped for, with many of the recruits continuing to go about their conversations and merriment with no regard for him. He yelled again, "Everyone, quiet please!" It elicited a bit more response on the second go, Danar decided that if he just kept shouting, eventually everyone would listen.

"I'd like to welcome you all to the Hlaalu Inter-House Relations taskforce, it is wonderful that so many of you were able to arrive here as quickly as you have," Danar said loudly, just short of screaming. "If I could have all of you sign in on the scroll over near the front entrance when you get a chance, that would be wonderful," he instructed, "In just a few minutes, the Balmora Coordinator, Mervs Uvayn, will come down to address all of you as to your first task. However, I will first be helping to get you cataloged and properly orientated into the HIHR." Danar took a breath, happy that he didn't have to speak as loud anymore, almost all conversations had died down as people made sure to listen to his instructions. "If I could have the aid of those of you who are already acquainted with House business in explaining it to our new members, that would be most appreciated. Anyone who has further questions can ask me and later Sera Uvayn."

General Information

Name: Richard Hoville
Gender: Male
Race: Breton
Age: 19
Birthsign: The Mage (Morrowind)

Class Information

Class Name and Description: Dwemer Researcher- someone who seeks all the possible knowledge on the subject of the lost Dwemer and knows their way around Dwemer engines, including traps.
Specialization: Stealth/Magic
Skills:

Major- Speechcraft, Short Blade, Unarmored, Mysticism, Destruction
Minor- Illusion, Hand to Hand, Restoration, Alteration, Acrobatics

Appearance

Height: 5"8 (1.767 meters)
Weight: 103 lbs (46.72 kilograms)
Apparent Age: 19
Apparent Gender: Male
General Appearance: Richard is pretty much your average Breton ? not too tall, rather pale. His face is gaunt, with thin lips, comparatively large nose and a pair of brown, lively eyes. His black, greasy hair is kept rather short ? the ponytail on the back of his head barely reaches to the middle of his neck. He's also got a barely noticeable beard and moustache of the same color.
Standard Attire: Looking little better than a beggar, Richard wears a worn dirty tan shirt. One of the sleeves reaches his elbow, while the other is slightly shorter, the uneven edges suggesting it was cut or torn off. His black, equally worn and dirty pants are held in place by a brown leather belt. He also wears leather boots that look like they're about to start falling apart.

Equipment

Armor: N/A
Weapon(s): A small Dwemer crossbow, 30 fitting bolts and a Dwemer shortsword
Enchanted items: An enchanted Dwemer gauntlet with a missing middle finger and thumb.

Disposition

General Disposition: Richard is a loud and colorful person. He can be full of himself sometimes, and he certainly won't let people forget if he did them a favor. He enjoys talking a lot, and it might be difficult to shut him up if he doesn't think the situation demands it, and his behavior can attract attention since his pvssyr is usually accompanied by gestures. But even though many will think him an idiot, in truth Richard is quite smart, and a passionate Dwemer researcher.
Disposition towards the Empire: He's not very supportive of the Empire, since the laws about Dwemer artifacts have made it hard for him to make enough coin for a living. Sometimes he can be appreciative of the Legion, especially if the watchmen pull him out of his many troubles. Generally he'll speak mostly bad of it and claim to dislike it, although like most things he says it is not to be taken as completely true.
Disposition towards the law: Depending on his situation, Richard can consider law the best thing ever known to Men and Mer or the bane of all the people of Tamriel.
Religion: Nine Divines, although he is not much of a believer; most of his prayers go to Mara as he has some respect for her as a patron deity of Anticlere.
Past Associations: Various criminal groups and occasional run-ins with the Imperial Legion

Name: Richard Hoville
Gender: Male
Race: Breton
Birthsign: The Mage
Age: 19
Place of birth: High Rock, Anticlere
Current Residence: Balmora
House Hlaalu Sponsor: Dalam Delmnevan

Describe your skills: Asides from being devilishly clever (and handsome, while we're on the subject), I'm more than comfortable around Dwemer ruins and engines, traps included and I'm as good a mage as you can expect a Breton to be.


List any other organization you belong to (and current rank): None have yet been found to be up to my high standards, although there were occasions where I did some work for Darius over at Gnisis. Didn't like him, not a talkative chap.


Please list any persons who can speak for your good character and abilities:
General Darius
Kinsman Dalam Delmnevan


Are you willing to carry out tasks that could be potentially dangerous?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to abide by all House Hlaalu laws?
[X] Yes [ ] No

Do you agree to follow all lawful orders of your superiors in House Hlaalu?
[X] Yes [ ] No

By signing below, you indicate that all above information is accurate and swear allegiance to the Great House Hlaalu.
Richard Hoville

IC: Balmora, outside the Hlaalu Council Manor

Whistling an old Anticlerian tune, Richard slowly made his way up the stairs leading to the Manor District. His left gauntleted hand was hanging at his side freely, although the Breton wasn't entirely relaxed, as his right fist was clenching the handle of his small crossbow that hung from the belt. He had gotten into some nasty business with some criminals again, and even though his last run-in with them was in Ebonheart, there was no telling how far would they go to eliminate someone who didn't stick to his side of the deal.

Richard, Richard, Richard... Your devilishly clever machinations will get you killed some day. But then it'd be a waste of my talent to comply with the demands of those bandits... Psht, like I'm actually going to help them disarm some traps somewhere so they get to smuggle some Dwemer artefacts to the Mainland. Richard Hoville and his brilliant brain only works for those who offer a good pay, not some dirty hundred o' septims. It'd be disgraceful for a professional like me to lower his pay just because they had a lot of pointy sticks that they promised would go to unpleasant places if I didn't go along with the pay offered. His face expression changed from a self-confident smile to an angry frown, then to a painful one as his thoughts flowed. It may have been usual business for him to have brushes with criminals, but that didn't make it any better... Most of them weren't joking when they threatened Richard that he wouldn't live another day, and it was only by some sort of luck that the researcher survived until now, or perhaps he was indeed clever enough to outwit his pursuers.

Now, however, it would change, at least hopefully. House Hlaalu should be able to protect my ass from such ass. I hope they're ready for the coming of my grand persona... And I hope they're not all old men and spies, or at least there are some of those supposedly handsome Dunmer females among their agents. Now THAT would be a score...

With such thoughts in his head, Richard opened the doors to the Hlaalu Council Manor, his fingers still pressing the crossbow in case the Hlaalu's call for mercenaries and agents had attracted one of his past colleagues, not all that unlikely.

Balmora, Hlaalu Council House

Soon after Beslyn had arrived a sea of hirelings entered behind him, the few retainers he knew had the same astonished look on their face as he did. They all knew about the Hlaalu recruitment propaganda but they didn't think that the numbers of new recruits would double the amount of active retainers in working in Balmora. Beslyn shrugged it off, Balmora was a rather large city, buisness on the west side of the Odai was plentiful and the Silt Strider Ports were always active, as well as the city gates.

"If I could have the aid of those of you who are already acquainted with House business in explaining it to our new members, that would be most appreciated. Anyone who has further questions can ask me and later Sera Uvayn"

Those words rebounded in Beslyn's head, he grimaced and in turn along with a majority of the other retainers gathered a small group of hirelings, locals and foriegners alike, the House was not too prejudice. Beslyn gathered himself up, preparing himself and searching his mind with cold aching fingers for the words he was told to memorize only a few monthes ago when he was a hireling.
" Hirelings, here in House Hlaalu, you will be told to memorize and take note of only a few things. Here in House Hlaalu you have to expect competition from EVERY angle, and in the short time of being part of the house I have already realized the importance of the words I am about to tell you."

Beslyn paused, letting his words sink in, around the room other Retainers were beginning to tell the Hlaalu initiatiates the buisness but he thought few retainers would remember the words he was about to spill, he had been reading a book one Baren Alen, his sponsor had told him to read, Grasping Fortune.

" In the great wind of progress, tradition cannot stand. Grasp fortune by the forelocks. When you see your chances, seize them. When you see a chance to turn a profit, take it. But do not follow money blindly. There is value in reputation, more than many young Hlaalu realize. This value must be carefully balanced against the more tangible coins in any deal. Theft and murder are bad for business. You can steal from someone, but will he trade with you after that? You can't bargain with a dead man..."

His group of hirelings stood silent, a few of the scholarly types apparantly taking notes, the few sly types grinned like cats as if they already knew what he was talking about.

(Ugh...pointless socialization.) Soryna thought to herself as she struggled to maintain an even semi interested expression. She didn't care to help any of the new hirelings but kept an eye out for anyone that might find it displeasing at that fact. For the most part she just waited for the conversations to end. She glanced over her nails that tipped the ends of her elegant fingers. They were slightly long, the tips just extending over the finger itself which gripped slightly at her skirt. She felt rather uninvolved but nothing seemed all that interesting to involve ones' self in. Instead she just waited and expected her appearence to keep her safe. Soryna looked down a bit upon the Vvardenfell populace who seemed to be for the most part, back water frontiersmen. Sadly Balmora was one of the most advanced cities in Vvardenfell. Curisoity would set in soon enough and she'd probably want to visit the other cities, and if that didn't happen, her job certainly would take her else where.

OOC: not alot to do so far

Balmora, Hlaalu Council House

Beslyn grinned that wide grin of his, the hirelings had taken it in well. All Beslyn could do was remember what the Oathmen, Retainers and Lawmen of the house had done for him the first week of induction. It was to Beslyn's great interest however to discover a quite elegant woman, dunmer for that matter, inspecting her nails. She looked every bit as dangerous as the more competant people in the room, if not more, and delightfully intelligent.

Beslyn, even if he didn't have the looks for women, he certainly had the charm for them. Beslyn cast a minor charm spell, undetectable, and gradually made his way over to the thin wooden bench near the entrance. Beslyn had no friends and only a few aquaintances besides his sponsor in the house, if he was going to make one, why not it be a woman?

Beslyn confidentally took a seat, only a foot or so away from the woman.

" Good evening Sera." bowing his head, a wisp of hair came un bound from his ponytail, a quite handsome look on Beslyn. " My name is Beslyn Dreloth, House Hlaalu Retainer."

(Here comes one of the backwater locals.) Soryna thought to herself pretending to not see the other Dunmer until he had finally sat down. Her fingers curled hiding her nails and her head turned to face Beslyn. There may have been a slight smile on her face, maybe not but even the way she turned her head seemed to echo elegance.

"Indarys Soryna, serjo..." She spoke her last name first a bit to intimidate Besyn to see his reaction. Her tone was professional until she continued to speak. She tilted her head slightly toward the left. Her braided nine tails slipped down her shoulders infront of her chest. "...a fellow Retainer." And slowly like a flower opening for the sun a soft smile carressed her lips. She would try to get as many angles of mobility as possible. House Hlaalu was almost as dangerous internally as it was externally. Before the smile could fully flourish Soryna spoke again. "This is rather boring. Take me for a drink afterward...?" The first sentence was spoke in a dismal dry tone, while the second seemed almost "vulnerable."

OOC:

I will be gone until tommorow, we can naturally assume Beslyn will take any job offered suited or unsuited to his class. Immortal, I tried to leave it open so you wern't in a conversation bind.

Balmora, Hlaalu Council Manor

The name did not intimidate Beslyn, nothing intimidated Beslyn short of armed guards or the metaphysical. With a shallow smile, Beslyn returned a witty retort," That is of course, Soryna, if the councilors have schemed some sort of job for us. I believe it would be in OUR best interest, in buisness of course, to stick to what we should be doing, instead of what we want to be doing."

God Soryna was beautiful, but buisness required he continued," Perhaps if fate doesn't take us elsewhere I would treat you to a drink. The Lady Dulnea, the patron, owes me a couple. It would do well for me to share them with someone." Beslyn stood and offered a hand to help Soryna up. The councilors were trying to settle in the hirelings and retainers, news would come soon...

Balmora, Hlaalu Council Manor

Danar retreated up the stairs as he observed the few Retainers taking charge and doing as they were told. This was good, obedience was expected by the Coordinator and even more so by the higher ups. If this went well, Danar was looking at advancement for his role in organizing the event.

As he reached the second floor where Mervs was preparing. "Sera Coordinator, they are awaiting your command," Danar said to Mervs, who was dressed in his best attire for the occasion.

"Good, good," the Coordinator replied, nodding approvingly to his adjunct. "We're ready to begin, then."

Three fully armored guards flanked Coordinator Mervs as he descended the stairway, keeping a close watch for possible assassins. It was vital that this meeting go as planned, it would set the tone for the remainder of the operations.

When they reached the bottom, Mervs looked out upon the collected mass of recruits. They would now all be under his direct command, he could feel the power running through him. "Attention, initiates," one of the guards ordered, "the noble Coordinator, Sera Mervs Uvayn."

A spattering of applause. "Yes, welcome, initiates, to the Great House Hlaalu and the Hlaalu Inter-House Relations taskforce. We are responsible for the prosperous interactions with the other Great Houses and non-aligned citizens. It is our solemn duty to work for the betterment of our House, to follow all the laws of Morrowind and the Empire, and to promote the general welfare of Morrowind as a whole. Take these duties to heart and you shall go far."

"I am impressed by the numbers we have here today - strict requirements of good character, ability, and skill were used to scrutinize the applications. However, your test is not over. You are all merely Initiates in this organization, and have not yet proven yourselves. I mean to only accept those who can get results into this august brotherhood, this guild of gentlemen."

"I am glad to see you all heeded the advice of your letter, and have come prepared for your duties. Your first task will be your final test, to see who will be allowed to continue on and receive the title Agent of Hlaalu Inter-House Relations, and who will be relegated back to the... common... duties of Hlaalu business."

Mervs snapped his fingers and held out a hand towards Danar, who hurriedly handed him a piece of paper with the names of those who were present. "I have here a list of assignments. I will read off the name of one of my adjuncts and then the names of those who are to be briefed by said Agent on their assignment."

Mervs read off the names of several adjuncts, followed by the names of recruits. He continued, "Agent Danar will be briefing Breton Richard Hoville, Breton Elissandre, Retainer Beslyn Dreloth the Second, Retainer Soryna Indarys, and Retainer Aryon Sarethi." He continued with the list until all names of those who had arrived were accounted for. When he finished, he said, "Follow your Agents to the briefing rooms and then head out. Good fortune to all of you, and good fortune to Great House Hlaalu!"

At that, the Coordinator turned back towards the stairs and left, his guards following.

Danar and the other Agents were ushering their initiates to the separate briefing rooms where they would be told of their first mission.

OOC: Those of you who weren't called (because you haven't posted your entrance yet or because you haven't joined yet) can PM me and we'll discuss how you want to get your character into the rp from here (many options on this).

"What I want to do is usually much more profitable. I've already made a profit on drinks I'll be having." Yes she was flirting a little, she knew it. The better of a position she had amongst her colleagues the more profitable, in small things and in big things. As Soryna was offered a hand her eyes moved down to it for a moment. Hands were precious things that could harm, that could please, that could show how one works. To her they were very personal things. Instead of accepting his hand Soryna simply stood up smiling.

"We've been called." There wasn't much doubt in her mind she would not be picked. Soon she was lost to Beslyn amongst the crowd, or so she thought as she looked for her 'tester' so to speak. She recieved some looks, but no more than ordinary. She maintained a pleasant professional composure keeping a look of interest on her face, but someone who had been doing this job for a while.

IC:Rennis arrived at the Council Manor late. Slipping in, he could tell by the rapid movement of men and the stressful look on many of his compatriots faces that the events of the day were under way. Understandable, as the Hlallu were not known to waste time when business was at hand, but distressing nonetheless for Ren. He cursed under his breath knowing that asking someone what was going on was out of the question, for obvious reasons. It would not do for him to be labeled as someone who failed to heed instructions so early in his career with the house. Looking around, he saw the coordinator was reading off names of some people who were due to meet with a fellow by the name of Danar for orientation. Ren hesitated slightly, before deciding to follow this group and meet with Danar himself. He figured if worst came to worst he could bluff and say he was reassigned out of one of the other groups at the last moment. He scanned the crowd, and finding Danar, proceeded to him.

Name: Vel Dharedin (Dare-edeen)
Alias: Vassel
Gender: Male
Race: Dunmer
Age: 96
Birthsign: Warior (Morrowind)


Class Information

Class Name and Description: [Custome: Silent Blade] Not much is known of these warriors. The ymake great assassins and agents with excelent Swordsmanship. The yuse Illusion to keep them from being seen, and to make people liek them better for buisness or just information. If a dire situation comes up they use mysticism to transport away or maybe to a place if its too far away.
Specialization: Combat, Stealth
Skills:MAJ: Short blades, Illusion, Alchemy, Security, Sneaking skills Min:Acrobatics, Atheletics, light Armor, Medium Armor, Mysticism



Appearance

Height:5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 145lbs
Apparent Age: 25
Apparent Gender: male
General Appearance: Vel Is a stout Dark elf, With a very good muscle Structure. His hair is Black and is short in the back with two strips running down the front of his face on both sides. His face is slim as is the rest of him, with typical dunmer red eyes.
Standard Attire: Black somewhat baggy pants made of light silk material, Black shirt. Long black coat (if you will allow coats liek trench coats. Could be a robe fitted as a coat.)


Equipment

Armor: Two sets of armor for different types of fights. [Bonemold Redoran armor with insignias of his family on the pouldrons.] [Chitin Armor without helmet.]
Weapon(s): Two Chitin Short swords, Silver daggers.
Enchanted items: Family insigniad Ring enchanted with a chameleon spell.


Disposition

General Disposition: Vel is a quiet Type, He only speaks when spoken too when around his fellow House members or friends, In battle he can put himself out to be really Caucky but he knows what he is doing most of the time. In general He has a short temper but happy attitude.
Disposition towards the Empire: Vel doesn't exactly Hate the empire, He dislikes their presence in his homeland but he has been recruited, not on his own freewill but was asked by the duke because of his skills as an agent and swordsmanship.
Disposition towards the law: The law isn't ne of the top things vel is fond of. Although he dislikes imperial law he does well to obide by it and his house laws aswell.
Religion: None, (He has beleifs of his own he doesn't follow gods. Or worship)
Past Associations: Morag Tong, Fighters Guild, Imperial Legion.


Aplication For Hlaalu

Name:Vel Dharedin
Gender:Male
Race: Dunmer
Birthsign: Warrior
Age: 96
Place of birth: Suran
Current Residence:Council Club
Current Rank: Retainer
Original Sponsor: I forget his name but he lives in Vivec and is really... Strange.

Describe your skills: My skills with a blade are excellent, I can also handel buisness matters with merchants with some magic help. But my real expertise would be acting as an agent or maybe something that would need blood work.


List all other organizations you belong to (and current rank): Morag Tong Associate


Are you willing to carry out tasks that could be potentially dangerous?
[\] Yes [ ] No

By signing below, you indicate that all of the above information is accurate.

Vel Dharedin
______________________________

ooc: Working on an entry.

I've been called... Right. With one of his trademark self-trusting smiles, Richard made his way through the crowd of possible future agents, avoiding people that seemed familiar. Being familiar with maneuvering through large crowds, he had soon found his way to that Danar that was supposed to brief him, another Breton and some Retainers, all of which seemed to be Dunmeri. Annoying snotty ash-holes, those guys... Hopefully I won't need to work with them that much, they never seem to appreciate my genius. Then again I'm too smart not to realize that when I signed up to work for a Dunmer Great House, I'd have to work with Dunmer as well as for them.

Catching glimpse of a Dunmer female heading towards the same direction a he was from the corner of his eye, Richard whistled to himself quietly. Mental note to self - spend a night with that one. Their males might be idiots for the most part, but, hrm, at least their other halves are... acceptable.

Elissandre move toward her leader to be,noting with relief that a Temple attire on an obvious outlander didn't seem to indispose those present. Well, truth to be told, most probably don't care about the Temple, House Hlaalu is more intersted in the material side of things. And both sides of coins..

As she entered the briefing room, she looked at her companions no be - not trying ot hide it, just a normal 'who am I going to end up with' look.

What do we have here... A compatriot - he could have used a bath before coming, he looks like he just dug out a trench looking for something valuable. The rest is all dunmers, hardly a surprise in a dunmer Great House. They seems capable enough. Well, let's see what kind of probation they're going to drop on us.

Stepping off the Silt Strider platform, Beniamus pocketed the letter for what seemed like the hundredth time. He was rather suprised that his application had been accepted. He was neither Hlaalu nor Dunmer, but they must have had some use for his talents. Nodding his thanks to the Silt Strider guide, he made his way for the Hlaalu Council Manor. It had been a few months since he had last been in Balmora, but the layout of the city was still familiar. Shifting his quiver to a more comfortable position on his armored back, he gripped his bow and quickened his pace to the manor.

Traversing the dusty streets past Balmora's residents, he quickly found his desired destination. Clearing his throat and mentally preparing himself, he gave a quick rap on the large doors of the council manor.