Zephyr2011

As the group left the city Ra'Qassar mentioned his thoughts on tracking the Thalmor, "We should stop at Vaultheim Towers, they guard the pass into Eastmarch, the only other route is North through Labyrinthian and then East or South through Helgen and around the Throat of the World. The towers are usually infested with bandits, we will know what direction the Thalmor are headed based on what the scene is like there. The elves are sure to leave plenty of traces as well. It was a hasty retreat and they are likely to crash through the brush as soon as they leave the roadside." After this general remark, Ra'Qassar moved closer to the knight. "I apologize for my hasty judgement earlier, knight. I have had many bad experiences with imperials in shining armor, but that does not justify my prejudice at Dragonsreach."

Markarth would suck to live in for the average citizen. Assuming you knew about all the problems, otherwise you would think things are peachy other than toxic fumes billowing from the smelters and someone getting stabbed at the meat market. Oh and don't leave the city...ever...unless you're under heavily armed guard. Riften would also suck to live in provided the Thieves Guild actually did all the crap they're supposed to do like extorting people every other minute and shaking you down, but as it stands where they are all bark and no bite without the Dovahkiin, it's pretty chill, not a bad view and I like the fishery guy and the smith. Mjoll too but she seems more temporary for some reason or another. To be in as a player, Falkreath is the epitome of blegh, I talked to every NPC there to try and find some entertaining qualities. Nothing. No one has any interesting side stories except the dang werewolf in jail. Jarl's lazy, everyone's depressed. End of story. Winterhold was just disappointing though, there weren't even any ruins (maybe one house, I don't remember right now) and most of the city was supposed to have been destroyed, really? The one person who is just a resident though was fun to talk to. I wonder how the jarl must feel, jarl over a grand population of 8 people, not counting the guards? Sad stuff right there. I can't even think of any hamlets or towns in the hold. So sad. Dawnstar was also disappointing. I went there once when I first started playing and forgot it existed until 300+ hours in when I made another new character and went there for the DB quest(s). So forgettable and 'important port' my buttocks. Place is like a speck of dirt on a pile of snow. It would be more noteworthy if something pissed on it... It does have excellent views though so that makes it less ridiculous. It and Winterhold are the two towns/cities with the combination of need/worth of a renovation via a mod or two. Morthal gets some love with expanded villages (excellent stuff, I liked the flavor of the town to begin with, but it gets miles better with this mod)

Ra'Qassar had initially thought that Labyrinthian should be their destination, but Rilgumskar used sound logic which Ra'Qassar found more in tune with his whole mindset, rather than his knee-jerk reaction. "I believe that the battlemage is correct. Eastmarch is vulnerable. The elves will not prey on cities, but small towns, villages and farmsteads. People who do not have much contact with the outside world and who will not be discovered until too late, when the trail has run cold. There are many hiding places in Eastmarch. If we act now, we can catch them before they can disappear, as my fellow Khajiit pointed out. Labyrinthian on the other hand, is a large complex that will take many days for anyone to traverse, even a large number of Thalmor. I have been to this place and I have seen its depths. It is a dangerous place for anyone. The Thalmor will not be able to leave it for at least a fortnight, and when they do, we will find them with ease. No one like them leaves Labyrinthian after plunging its depths without leaving a trail. I believe that though the threat within Labyrinthian is dire, it is less imminent than that towards Eastmarch. That is where I would set my trail first. It is up to you though, Knight." Ra'Qassar felt bad about judging the lady knight too quickly, but his years of fighting, betrayal and service had made him a quick judge of character. He was usually on the mark, but whenever someone resembled legion, his vision got clouded, and quickly. He didn't mention that her race and appearance were nothing compared to her arrogance: the chief reason he thought she was a legion officer. He had seen similar disrespect from legate after legate and captain after captain, but he just chewed on those words rather than speak them. Best to leave things lie and not rub salt into any wounds.

@ Mythic:Ra'Qassar will get to like yall better, he likes Sienna better now that he knows she's not legion, but still doesn't care for her too much. I imagine she'll grow on him

I put the towards riverwood thing in there partially because it seemed like that was where yall came from, and hence where Mythic's character slaughtered a lot of Thalmor. The rest I just figured scatter so... yeah haha

Ra'Qassar lead the group to the jarl, he turned his head slightly to speak to the argonian, "That is exactly what I meant, argonian. The greatest flaw of the Companions is that they do not always give hopefuls a chance to prove themselves, that is what I meant. Nothing more." While the legion is happy to let you go kill yourself for a speck of dust or a nobles breadcrust. He thought vehemently. This knight made him agitated and she had barely spoke in his presence. Her gleaming armor seemed a reminder of the arrogance of the Empire and all of its pomp.

Sad to see you go mate, but it's totally understandable. On my last post: I left the whole Balgruuf thing extremely ambiguous so that whoever wants to take the lead on our quest can do so there. I have no idea on specifics so I just left it pretty general.

Balgruuf and Ra'Qassar concluded their conversation when the jarl noticed the group of newcomers in his great hall. He bid Ra'Qassar to bring them, should they deign to talk. The jarl felt that they wanted to help. Ra'Qassar would wait patiently, as always, and perhaps this entire group would need to have the same conversation that the khajiit and the jarl had just had. Ra'Qassar pondered over the jarl's words while he approached the group. This was no easy task. Indeed, it was the most difficult the jarl had ever asked of him, which was saying much. Ra'Qassar had managed to swallow his hatred for the legion enough to return to Balgruuf's service, but still felt a coldness between the two old friends. Erileth felt it to and took Ra'Qassar aside often to try and cheer him. She was bound only to Balgruuf, not his ideals. She sometimes felt similar about Ra'Qassar's distrust of the legion, but held her tongue in the jarl's presence. They needed to do what was best for the hold, not the legion, not the empire and not themselves. As Ra'Qassar approached the group of adventurers he heard a quip from the noble looking imperial woman about the companions. His ears involuntarily flared back a bit at this, part out of his dislike of the legion and part out of his respect for the Companions. The Companions had offered him a place to stay, should he ever need it. He had taken them up on the offer once or twice, and it was implied that should he choose to do so, he may join the Companions. He never entertained this as people were his least interesting quarry. "Companions also prefer ones with honor to their names already. Perhaps you were not yet proven, though I am sure you are capable." Ra'Qassar said to the argonian. He turned to the knight, "While your Empire and its gentry likes to parade around with honor while it tramples its people where necessary and convenient... With utmost respect." Ra'Qassar gave a crooked smile. Most folk didn't expect such bold disrespect from a Khajiit in Skyrim unless they were in a theives den. Ra'Qassar, though a rather solitary creature, had made a name for himself in Whiterun and enjoyed the run of the hold. As a thane he enacted vigilante justice where needed and garnered much respect from the hold's people. Outsiders who disrespected the rules or the culture always got a heavy dose of humility in his presence. He now addressed the group as a whole, "I am Ra'Qassar, thane of Whiterun, jarl Balgruuf wishes for you to speak with him. I imagine you have some business here about the war effort, otherwise, why would you be here? Should you be interested in aiding the hold, the jarl has an opportunity for you all." Ra'Qassar had the thick accent of most khajiit, but lacked the peculiar habit of referring to himself in the third person. Ra'Qassar didn't know any other Khajiit until he was nearly a man, and by that time his vocabulary and speech pattern was well developed, but the common tongue fit in his mouth oddly resulting in his Khajiiti accent.

Two days earlier Ra'Qassar had been shooting fish in the Whiterun River, quite peacefully with some wealthy dolts that payed him to show them a good spot for fishing. He didn't take advantage of them and gave them a fair price, but, all the same, he wished he had. It had been a peaceful and profitable day. The merchants couldn't understand that standing there quietly and remaining still was how Ra'Qassar caught scores of fish. They also couldn't fathom why he was going after tiny, petty little river betties and other small fish instead of the larger salmon or trophy fish. They did not understand that the small fish had many more uses, particularly in his alchemy and that they often had excellent meat or eggs that, in bulk, made good, hearty meals. The whole of the day had passed wonderfully except for the constant stream of questions the travelers posed to him, but that was the nature of being a guide. The next day was far worse. Ra'Qassar had stayed at the Bannered Mare that night, he had always enjoyed Ysolda's company and saw no reason to make the trek up the mountains to his home when he would probably have more work in the morning. He had much work to do. The city was in an awful state and then in the wee hours of the morning the Thalmor attacked. There was about six score of them, a formidable force to be sure. The Thalmor didn't send massive armies towards the city any more, they kept gambling with outfits of mages and officers trying to defeat the guards of the city. There were only about a hundred and fifty able bodied fighters in the city by that point. Though they outnumbered the Thalmor, it was only just, and the Thalmor had much greater skill. Thankfully the companions assisted, as did Ra'Qassar. The day was long and bloody. Ra'Qassar leapt along the crumbled walls, pelting the Thalmor with arrows dipped in poison while the fierce warriors cut them apart. Blood bathed the road that lead to the main gate and along the plains district. Thankfully, that was as far as the Thalmor got. Ra'Qassar managed to kill most of the mages with well placed arrows and not even the fine Thalmor officers could outmaneuver the Companions and the torrent of arrows rained down by the town guards. Ra'Qassar fought almost unconsciously, he barely thought about it any more, acting on instinct so much, his sight picture was all mental now and he didn't even need to look down the shafts of his arrows as he brought death from his lofty perches. He pondered how ironic it was that a great hunter like himself found the least challenge in hunting 'the most dangerous game' of them all: men and mer. They threw themselves willy-nilly against one another, trying to be victorious through their lust for battle and conquest. It was sad really. The locals fought for home and hearth, and so they were formidable and inspiring, not like the disgusting Thalmor. when the battle finally came to a close most of the Thalmor were dead, about a score of them managed to flee, some heading up into the wooded area near the falls, others north or east to Eastmarch. The rest lay in piles, either blazing or waiting to be burned. All the nord dead were already cared for, sadly about three score of the warriors had fallen and another two score were wounded following the battle. On this day, Ra'Qassar was tending to the forty some odd wounded from the previous day's battle when he was summoned to the jarl's presence. Balgruuf was growing anxious about the Thalmor, he had called all the citizens to Dragonsreach before the fighting reached the gate yesterday. Now he longed for a way to end this bloody conflict, at least in his hold. Ra'Qassar was a renowned hunter and warrior and one whom the jarl looked to quite often in these troubled times now.

Yay for more RP's. Also, what was the outcome of the civil war? I don't think I saw that anywhere... Name: Ra'Qassar Race: Khajiit Gender: Male Age: 38 Appearance: Ra'Qassar resembles a snow leopard in many respects, he has soft white/grey fur with numerous spots that stands out a few inches from his body and his tail is extremely heavily furred. About his face he has numerous dark markings in his coloration giving him almost a tiger aspect. Also on his face are long wisps of hair about his jaw. He has no 'hair' per-se rather, just his natural coat. He stands at around six feet tall and is quite lean. About his body are a few different scars resembling claws and such, mostly sabre cats and bears from his earlier days. Beneath his armor and clothing, just above his heart, lies a jagged star-like scar from an arrow that narrowly missed killing him. The shaft missed his heart, sparing his life but the amount of scar tissue makes his upper body movements difficult at times. Skills: Archery, Tracking, Stealth/agility, light armor, fletching, alchemy-specifically poisons, (Bladework), (Blocking) (denotes skill with less proficiency), I know this seems extensive but a lot of it goes together so much that it's quite plausible and a lot of this is support skills. Equipment: Ra'Qassar wears a heavily modified set of leather armor. The armor has been painted, died and adorned with furs to more closely resemble Ra'Qassar's coat. Being a more 'arctic' bread of khajiit, his armor is not very heavily insulated and the furs that are incorporated into it serve primarily for camouflage and noise muffling. The armor also has a few plates between the layers of leather, it still provides as much mobility as a standard set of leather armor though on account of the reduced amount of fur and other insulative components. Ra'Qassar also wears a padded an reinforced hood that matches a fur wrap around his shoulders and over his back. He bears a shield that he spent many days laboring over, it was originally a gift from the jarl of Whiterun, a shield bearing the city's crest, but Ra'Qassar made it his own. The edge of the shield was trimmed with mammoth ivory that Ra'Qassar harvested, the board reinforced with dwarven metals and the straps refitted with local leather. For his weapons, Ra'Qassar favors a bow made of yew that lies somewhere between the traditional standards for a shortbow and a longbow, erring more on the length of a longbow. He fletches arrows of the best hardwoods he can find and crafts varying heads from broadheads to mechanized monstrosities, most commonly out of dwarven metals that he recovers from numerous dwarven ruins. His sword is a longsword given to him by jarl Baalgruuf the Greater and consists of an interesting blend of corundum and steel resulting in an incredibly durable and bronze-looking blade. The hilt is silver with a golden topaz set in the pomel to further represent the yellow and white colors of Whiterun. Upon, request, the blade was left un-enchanted. Homeland: Ra'Qassar does not know exactly where he was born, his parents were part of a caravan, and were killed in an ambush in Skyrim when Ra'Qassar was very young. He has taken Skyrim for his home now, regardless of his birth and for as long as he has had a permanent residence, he has dwelled in Whiterun, although he travels throughout many of the holds. Personality: Ra'Qassar is a very philosophical person, he cares deeply about the world around him and practices this faithfully in his work. As a hunter, he never wastes any part of the animal and if he fells a tree, he uses every bit of timber and leaves for something or another, as well as replacing the tree with a new sapling. He treats nature with a reverence that is reflected in his style of combat, stalking his prey like many of the big cats and taking lessons from other animals. He has gradually become less of a loner but he is severely distrustful of the Imperial Legion and its sympathizers. Background: [This depends slightly on how the war went] Ra'Qassar was a hunter and guide in Whiterun hold when the Civil War was coming to a head. Jarl Balgruuf saw him as a powerful ally and named him a thane of Whiterun and asked that should the need arise, Ra'Qassar would help defend the city. The need did indeed arise when the Stormcloaks attacked. Ra'Qassar fought viciously and valiantly, slaying numerous Stormcloaks, but it was not enough. Ulfric's men overwhelmed the other guards and took the city. When the gates fell Ra'Qassar took to the keep to try and escort the jarl out of the city to safety, but Balgruuf refused. Instead, the Jarl told Ra'Qassar to avenge the city by joining the legion and helping to defeat the Stormcloaks. Ra'Qassar did so, vowing vengeance for his hold. Over the next year or so, Ra'Qassar conducted numerous ambushes and raids on Stormcloak camps and supply lines, usually alone. The Khajiit wreaked havoc for quite sometime and provided valuable intelligence to the Empire. But one day it all changed. Ra'Qassar returned early from a raid to deliver his report in Solitude, and noticed a destroyed and disheveled caravan camp near the city gates. Ra'Qassar's stomach churned when he found a dead body, beaten and bloodied, jaw broken and tail shooting off at awful angles. He hastened to castle dour to make his report and didn't find Tullius in his office. He then went to the dungeons and found his eyes clouded with rage. The caravan wasn't some bandit ambush, the legion attacked them and was torturing the survivors even now. One had already been killed in the torture chambers and Tullius was there giving orders and demanding answers. Ra'Qassar flew into a rage and killed the torturers and their assistants. Tullius escaped before Ra'Qassar could kill him to. Ra'Qassar freed the khajiit but it was too late, they had all succumbed during the fight or shortly after their freedom. Ra'Qassar spent the remainder of the war alone, ambushing and killing any Imperial soldiers he could find. Since the conclusion of the war, Ra'Qassar has returned to Whiterun and returned to his usual occupation of hunting, trapping and guiding. He has mellowed out a great deal but still distrusts anyone connected with the legion and it is rare to be able to find him if he is not in one of the towns. Let me know if I need to change anything. The only part that's really important to his background is the outcome of the battle of Whiterun, although that doesn't need to really control the outcome of the whole war since it is completely possible and probable that the city could have been lost and retaken multiple times based on the ebb and flow of the war.

Tenibrus set the plan in motion. Over the following days, he kept in constant contact with the imperials, giving the location and paths of 'supply carts,' carts sent on his orders and consisting mainly of his own property or leftovers from the previous tenants of the city. It was quite convenient for him, he simply moved around his own furniture, supplies and goods and got rid of things that the Brethren didn't really want anymore. The legion was almost his own personal moving company, getting a large portion of his possessions to Solitude where his connections saw to it that the finest goods were transferred to Selene at the embassy. Tenibrus also helped the legion make several raids on different ruins, towers and caves in the region. These vampire lairs belonged to enemies of the Brethren rather than the Brethren themselves. The vampire was carefully orchestrating the run around for the legion, as the Brethren relocated and re-organized. It was all going according to plan...

If this gets rolling, and a character sheet rubric is provided, I will join in.

Tenibrus met with the council, it was a shadowy thing. He had only been to a meeting twice before, once to formulate the taking of Markarth and the second to establish his position within it. The strange vampire had never been the primary speaker however. It was symbolic of their faith and trust in him that they convened at his request and allowed him to speak. He discussed the impending Imperial invasion of Markarth, this brought much scoffing and no small amount of arrogant bravado. Much of the council laughed at the idea of the legion trying to take back the most heavily fortified city in Skyrim, perhaps Tamriel. A few however, namely the oldest, the wisest and the most powerful, sat in silence, pondering Tenibrus's words. "The legion will not succeed. Not at first at least. They will throw centuries against the walls only to have them ripped to shreds, but that will not be the end of it. They will want Markarth back. It may not be today, or tomorrow, next season or next year, but they will be free to do so. They can barely spare men because of the civil war, but the second that it is over, they will come. The Stormcloaks will also come, should they prove victorious. Whichever side is the victor will be able to muster enough strength to eventually overwhelm us. Their numbers grow faster than ours and they train faster. Even if each of us is worth a score of them in combat, they will bring numbers a hundred fold our own. But let us think, what if they win? What if they win easily in fact. What if their egos are so engorged by their victory that they do not see the reality of their conquest?" The silver lord began to reach his provocative point. "And why would this happen?" General grumbling arose, questioning why he would bring this up. "Simple. Because we let them win." Tenibrus flashed a toothy smile. "Let the legion think that they have found an Achille's heel in Markarth and her supply routes, let them think that we have been bested, crushed utterly through cunning and deception outside our walls. Let us vacate the city." An eruption of outrage and criticism broke out. Several questioned why Tenibrus was allowed to speak, or why the meeting was called in the first place, but the center-most member of the council raised a hand and the arguing ceased. "What benefit would this bring us?" Tenibrus grinned nearly from ear to ear. "If the Imperials think that we have been defeated completely, they won't bother with looking for us or trying to destroy us because, according to them, we are all gone. Fractured. Splintered. Weak. They will want to believe this. It is the disgusting over-optimism that corrupts the human and mer races. Meanwhile, we maintain control over the city. Not from direct seats of power but through proxies. Create a new coven away from Markarth but maintain control here. Use Markarth's resources to defend the coven, spread its influence and remain undetected. We are, after all, a clandestine people and thrive best in the shadows. Let us step out of the light of rule, and into the shadow of influence and corruption." Silence penetrated the chamber as the council thought about this. The member who had silenced the rest spoke, "How should we maintain this influence, although I believe I know your aim." "I imagine you do. As the imperials trust me, and expect me to be sabotaging all of our lines of supply, defenses and gathering intelligence on where to strike, I am well in their confidence. As this is the case, allow me to pose as the chief orchestrator of our 'downfall' here in Markarth. The imperials will then be quite grateful to me and will leave the city in my capable hands, a term they readily agreed to already. From the jarl's throne I can command the city and funnel resources wherever the Brethren will them to be. Additionally, without the stigma of being a city under vampire rule, our economic and cultural influences can expand, making us far more powerful. The ranks will bolster and the coffers will overflow. I will put in place several other agents loyal to us to manage the city as well and we shall retain all control over Markarth without the unfortunate side affects of prejudice and envy." "Let us take a vote then." A mysterious voice echoed from the edges of the chamber. Some of the council members stirred, but the more experienced ones simply straightened themselves to seem more dignified. Slowly the Master stepped out of the shadows, his dark finery and glinting teeth accentuating his fearsome form. "All in favor?" It was quiet for a time until he said affirmative himself, then a chorus of "aye"s followed. "Opposed?" the room was silent and Tenibrus smirked confidently. The Master approached Tenibrus now and placed a hand upon his shoulder. "You may not be of our blood, but your are of our spirit, Tenibrus. It is long time that you be named one of us, at least in title if not in blood-bond." The Master turned to face the rest of the council, "Hail Jarl of Markarth!" The bass phrase rang through the chamber, echoing on its own before the rest of the council echoed it again. "Now, let the wheels turn." The Master strode out laughing with pleasure and anticipation.

I've thought of a few new spells, several in fact. The premise behind them is extremely powerful destruction spells. Probably acquire through some dungeon or something rather instead of purchasing them. The gist of them is for them to scale a lot with not only the player's corresponding skill (Destruction) but also their magicka. I want all of them to also have a kind of unique charging situation. They can be cast with any amount of magicka, they begin by costing 1m/s and dealing 1dmg/s then it costs 2m/s and deal 3dmg/s then 3m/s and deal 6dmg/s, then 4m/s and 10dmg/s etc. After each second it deals the sum of the magicka used so far (I'll probably nerf that a little bit) until the user depletes all their magicka. If the user used more than X magicka (I'll throw out 100 for now) then there is one powerful, final blast that deals the sum of magicka expended times 1/10 the user's destruction skill. The exact scaling might vary a little bit but I was wondering if some kind of "active charge" with dynamic scaling was possible with the creation kit. I'm not familiar with magic effects really so this is new territory for me, I'm also not well versed in SKSE but am willing to learn. Brief descriptions of spells below: FIRE SPELL (idk names yet) Begins what look like normal flames, slowly intensify into a larger blast radius with brighter flames until it resembles almost a white dragon breath (also in same respect to size) and culminates in a massive fireball. FROST SPELL Begins with a large sphere around the caster that slowly tightens in radius until it freezes all enemies within melee distance of the caster, dealing massive frost damage, slowing enemies and increasing the armor rating of the user for a period of time proportional to the time spent casting the spell. LIGHTNING SPELL Wide spray of sparks that slowly converges into fewer, larger, more powerful bolts until one final thunderbolt is unleashed, arcing through several opponents.(proportional to destruction skill?) GENERAL MAGIC SPELL While casting, user absorbs 100% of spells, all this energy is used to charge the spell (user loses all magicka to hold the spell up, but has an obscenely long cast time unless hit with spells) until enough energy has been absorbed then a magic "implosion" occurs, knocking back all enemies in the vicinity and doing large, pure magic damage.

Since you're knew to modding, the hardest thing is finishing out the project after you actually start. I would suggest starting with the tedious bits that are harder to see such as quest infrastructure etc. That stuff is a little tough to get into but once you get it down it flies pretty quick. After that work on the more visible things, that will keep up your morale. It's easier to do the tedious stuff at the beginning because you're excited about your ideas. Later on you need to see progress to stay enthused and working. Beyond that I don't have a whole lot of advice on where to start, but stay with it and make sure to take regular breaks to play the game. It's all about having fun after all. I'm not the best resource for in depth technical things (except perks apparently, people say I understand them well after my dabblings I guess) but there are a lot of great resources here on the nexus. Scroll through the articles or rep out some Google-Fu to find tutorials and useful documentation.

I've been so busy in real life that I haven't had time to post, and now that I do, I don't feel like writing either. If things pickup again I'll jump in and write but right now the energy for me is gone.

Mispost, my bad. If a mod sees this and could take it down that'd be cool...

Tenibrus remained at the respectful distance that Sophos had established. "I am Tenibrus Mortuus, I have connections in Markarth and I think we can reach a mutually beneficial arrangement. You want Markarth ruled by the Empire and I can give that to you. I only ask for some time give me one week and I will have the means to deliver it to you on a silver platter. One battle, one negotiation and the city is yours. If you attack it head on you will never win. The rulers of that city are far too powerful for a direct assault and the city is nigh impregnable as it is without their power. Stay your legions for now and let me set the political wheels in motion. Then, when I have finished my work you can attack a target they would hate to lose but is less strongly defended and you will draw them out for parlay." Tenibrus smiled broadly. He kept his voice at such a level that only Sophos could hear him and not the countless men behind him. "Call of the assault and you will have the city in a fortnight with far less blood shed, I guarantee it. As you noted I was with the lady Strident, so you know I have power and friends in high places. I can get the job done. have no fear."

It had been several days since Selene and Tenibrus had retaken the embassy, it was now looking quite splendid and preparations were under way for the first gathering they would hold. The two vampires had been quick to remodel the decrepit facility, Tenibrus used his considerable resources to furnish the building and have it in pristine condition for the reception of Skyrim's nobility. It was coming along nicely, now he left the details to Selene and her devices. Now he needed to make some of his own power plays, beyond a simple alliance. It was time. Tenibrus had kept up a regular correspondence with his contacts in Markarth and the plan was going excellently. Now all he needed to do was get a hold of the legion to cement his course of action. He learned of the young commander Sophos and his march at Morthal. When he had gained news of this he informed Selene that he would have to ride for a time, anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. He set out and intercepted Sophos and his centuri. As the vampire road up he raised his hand and hollered from a distance. The sun was up but it was rather overcast so he did not struggle, plus he was flush with blood from a few farm folk that he found the other night. They were still quite among the living and he had the courtesy to cure them of the disease that would transform into his affliction before they even noticed it. Such was his way. He despised having to prey on them while they slept. There was no sport or challenge in it. Normally he used his charisma and force of personality to make his 'donors' willing before drinking from them. His power was ample enough to allow for the masking of his teeth and other vampiric features with reasonable ease. Tenibrus approached and called out, "Hail Sophos! I wish to parlay with you! I have business which pertains to Markarth and I believe we could both benefit from this council. What say you?" Tenibrus used all of his usual charisma but tried to suppress his vampiric powers, lest they lead to premature discovery. He imagined that Sophos would learn soon enough but no need to catch him off guard and put him in a fluster.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, real life has been absolutely nuts. To give you an idea of how nuts: I checked my email for the first time in nearly 2 weeks today, and I check my email every time I get on the internet... I'll hop back in right quick.

Tenibrus smirked slightly when Selene gave the word. The two Thalmor were struggling in his icy grip. One attempted to cast a spell at him and was rewarded with immense pressure on his vulnerable throat. Slowly the Altmer's face paled, his eyes crossed and he struggled for breath, then Tenibrus released him into Aetherius. The vampire cleneched even harder and ripped upwards, pinning the body to the ground with his knee and yanking the Altmer's windpipe, esophagus and several major blood vessels. The other Altmer squirmed in fear before Tenibrus ripped his throat out as well, this time with his jagged fangs. Blood was everywhere from the unfortunate duo, but Tenibrus was just getting started. He rose from the two corpses, engorged with blood, and strode to the main doors of the embassy. He flung them wide, knocking back two more agents and startling a third further back in the embassy. He raised both hands and loosed jagged blasts of lightning at the Altmer, before they could react their chest cavities exploded in electricity and blood. The third quivered for a moment before readying his own fire spell loosing a large orb of flames at Tenibrus. The vampire raised his left hand casually and deflected the spell with a minor ward, sending it off course to incinerate a table. They would need new furniture anyway. Tenibrus then drew his silver blade and strode towards the Altmer menacingly, even though the High Elf was a full foot taller than Tenibrus, he was mortified and looked puny by comparison. Tenibrus grabbed the Thalmor by the neck with lightning speed then crushed one of his knees with a swift kick. The Thalmor fell slightly and Tenibrus held him at eye level, smiling sadistically before plunging his sword into the Thalmor. Tenibrus was enjoying himself and continued sweeping through the embassy, confident that Selene was doing the same and getting rid of the pathetic squaters. Since the Thalmor no longer had sway with the Empire, the post had lost most of its value to the Dominion and was staffed quite poorly. They were easy prey and excellent feeding.

Tenibrus insisted that they stop at the stables briefly first so that he could retrieve his horse. On his way he was stopped by a courier bearing a letter for him, it had been written earlier that day judging by the date. It was sealed with a peculiar wax, crimson with little streaks of silver in it. It came from his offices and the crest was a goat head, Markarth. He didn't open the letter yet, instead he tucked it inside of his coat. He hitched his steed to the back of the carriage so that he would follow it and be nearby should Tenibrus be in need. The carriage ride was uneventful. When they arrived at the embassy two Thalmor guards approached the carriage doors, as they moved to open them Tenibrus shot forth slamming them to the ground with his vampiric strength. The sun was setting quickly and his full power was returning to him. He held them both by the throat, waiting for Selene to speak. He wasn't entirely sure of the plan, if it was to 'forcibly remove' them all or talk them out so he let her make the first real move.

Batlis Llervu, the Farewell Balits stood in the shrine, a trio of Winged Twilights staring him down. The rushed him from three directions, clearly their mistress was not pleased with his presence. The mage unleashed a massive storm of energy around himself, the Decimator as his spiritual predecessor had called it. Baltis had spent the last three years learning to cast that spell and now it was something of a signature of his. The Twilights were blasted away, one died outright, another crashed into a wall and the third fluttered to the ground with a broken wing and damaged ankle. He finished the one by the wall of with a blast of lightning and summoned a small horde of clannfear to pick apart the final daedra. Baltis approached the shrine to speak with the Daedric Princess but received no reply. In frustration he sent a fireball at the statue, scorching it badly but not destroying it. He strode to the door in a rage and saw a boat on the horizon. His lip curled with agitation, they were headed straight to the shrine. He did not know what the ship or the future would hold but he knew that he would have his power one way or the other and no one would stop him. Kriak, the Farewell Kriak stood silently as their ship cut through the waters of the Inner Sea. He was quite pensive. Over just a few short weeks they had all been through so much and grown together immensely. He reminisced about the ones that they had lost along the way as well as the new companions they had made. He glanced over all of the familiar faces aboard the ship. Adrynn, whom he respected immensely and would gladly take an arrow, bolt, spell or blade for; Caius, the cantankerous old spy he rarely saw eye to eye with but still cared for all the same; Velanya, the toughest woman he had ever met; Lecuaro, a strong commander and a great leader, a man who Kriak only had the utmost respect for; and Arya, the interesting newcomer that Kriak had scarcely met. Kriak was extremely protective of all of them and he hoped that they would all survive the coming storm. For he knew that change was coming, great change and it would be violent change. For better or for worse he was yet to know.

What armor (or armor mod) is in the top picture? It looks real nice. And did you make a plugin to add the fire effect to the sword or is it a mod? I haven't bothered tinkering with the ck much, too busy modding morrowind for personal use. @MythicDawn Is it alright if we skip the ride to the embassy and just get straight down to it? I'll post accordingly until you respond to this.