Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[Zephyr2011]

OT> jeeeeeez this thread moves fast

 

Kriak smiled beside Lecuaro in the observation room, "He's not bad, not bad at all." Kriak said. One of his rare compliments delivered with sincerity. "My turn then is it?"

 

Kriak waited for the rooms to be reset and at the signal began within the first room, the same two guards talking, this time slightly more alert as they knew they had proffesionals running the course now. They stood on either side of the door, easy prey. A dull thud echoed as an arrow shaft quivered through the door, the guards scratched their heads and wondered what the game was, as one of them moved to extract the arrow he inhaled...deeply. The guards' eyes rolled into the backs of their heads as they passed out. How predictable. Kriak thought and walked through the room to the door as casually as could be...and kept walking...through the door. One of his favorite tricks. "Did someone really come through here? The door's still locked, did I dream that?" All the wonderful thoughts that fill a guard's head when he wakes up from a gas-induced stupor and finds a still-locked door in the room.

 

The second room had the same setup as it had with Dar except the doorman was patrolling as well although quite near the door. Kriak crouched beside the barrel that Dar had used and waited for one of the patrolling guards to pass then with lightning quick precision lunged from the shadows and struck the guard at the base of his neck with a blackjack, catching his unconsciencious(I can never spell that word right) form as it fell and hid him in the corner. One down, two to go. Kriak then pulled another arrow from his quiver shot it to the otherside of the small room. As it's crystal shattered softly a black pool oozed out onto the floor. A resounding bang echoed in the corner farthest from the door and along the wall where Kriak's grease arrow had shattered. The two guards dashed, rather stupidly towards the corner and slipped and fell in the grease, one hit his head well enough to black out while the other pulled a muscle in his leg and had extreme difficulty getting up. By the time he did, Kriak was in the third room.

 

Kriak hid behind a cluster of crates as several of the patrolling guards passed. One finally strayed too close and was struck with the blackjack, this time he snagged a small dagger from the guard's belt. One less was all Kriak needed. He mounted the crates he had hid on and now the guard he had incapacitated wasn't there to see past the shorter side of the stack and catch him readying himself. In a blur he spun through the air in a backflip directly at the door which he once again passed through with ease as the remaining guards barely had time to blink and realize what had transpired.

 

The last room had a plethera of guards swarming within. But there were only a few torches. Kriak quickly loosed two water-filled arrows at the torches on the walls to the left and right of the wall with the door. The torches went dim with a faint hiss. The guards were quite bewildered, as a few went to investigate, Kriak kept a close eye on the two by the door from behind some barrels and chests, when one looked away from the torch to his side another light dissipated as a spray of water fell upon it from an arrow. The guards quickly snapped their heads towards the third dim torch and when they did so Kriak extinguished the last. The guards were now completely bewildered and fumbling in the dark which made Kriak smirk. He then drew a small knife and threw it into a chest near the wall with the door but towards one side. The dull thud was exactly the effect that Kriak had wanted. The guards rushed towards the chest where they believed him to have bumped against a chest while Kriak dashed silently down the opposite wall and to the door where he stepped out with a bow.

 

"Was that sufficient commander?" Kriak said.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Training Basement

 

 

"Both of you performed admirably. I counted only one questionable action by you, Dar'Krinji. Your Eye of Fear trick may have gotten you through room four, but the other guards would certainly have heard the screams. It's a good tactic if you're on your way out, but not as much on your way in. That said, you both used your perks to get past. Dar'Krinji displayed good agility and speed, and Kriak, I can tell that you have invented many tricks over the years to compensate for your large, somewhat heavy frame. You both pass...but now there is your second challenge. You will compete against each other in this." Lecuaro said.

 

 

Lecuaro cracked a smile before giving the challenge. "You two must try and locate me within this fort. This will be a test of your abilities for locating specific people and this fort is a good place to practice. The ruined parts from the earlier attack and the parts still being constructed offer unique opportunities for both the hunter and the quarry, along with the plethora of hallways inside. Only four rules. Do not seriously injure or kill any guards or other personnel, do not harm or kill each other, do not damage anything in the fort, and do not leave the fort."

 

 

With the challenge and rules laid out, he now gave one last line. "Close your eyes, count to five, reopen them, and the challenge will be on." He said.

Edited August 16, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[nethgros]

Dar'krinji. Fort Floodgate

 

On the count of five, Dar opened his eyes, turning to Kriak, then sprinting up the stairs. Dar entered Lecuaro's room, and searched around. After finding a small trinket of the Breton, he breathed deeply of its scent. Now, it was only a matter of time before Lecuaro was in his grasp...

 

"Try to win this time, woodsman," He chuckled

[XanAlderon]

Edward Wildeve, Indarys Manor, Bal Isra

 

Edward finished his breakfast, it sounded like these new visitors were leaving soon. He turned in his seat to look at them, wondering if they were to see Adrynn sooner than he would.

 

He turned his gaze to Garlia, "yes, yes... I'm awake" he replied. Edward smiled slightly "I'm sorry, inaction breeds laziness".

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, The Second Challenge

 

 

Lecuaro crawled his way through the small tunnel in the wall behind the observation post first forwards and upwards via a ladder. "Surely this will be a good test for them." He thought to himself. As a special precaution, he had taken care to carry a generous amount of stoneflower petals in a small pouch to help neutralize his natural odor and thus mostly negate Dar'Krinji's superior sense of smell. Eventually, he popped up into the northern watch tower behind some crates. He then crouched among some of the boxes, made sure he had a good view of the rest of the fort through the windows, and watched for his pursuers.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Bal Isra, Indarys Manor

 

Velanya smiled warmly at Garila, "From what I've heard my men say about your husband, I'm sure he's fine. Regardless, I shall relay your message should I see him, Lady Indarys."

 

It was true. The up-and-coming Redoran noble had been on her subordinates' lips for several years. They'd even come up with a few nicknames for him: Adrynn, Slayer of Nix-Hounds; Adrynn Kagouti-Killer. They were ridiculous, of course, but obvious evidence of the legionnaires' respect for him. She guessed he had rescued more than a few patrols from the beasts of Vvardenfell.

 

All the while, Caius was studying the black-haired man...this Edward. He seemed to be a strong man and a capable fighter. He was youthful, but appeared weathered with experience. He was not needed in the Blades - not yet, at least - but perhaps he could provide some valuable assistance to Commander Lecuaro.

 

Inaction breeds laziness. Indeed.

 

"Edward," he said, "how would you like to come with us, if you are so restless? We would welcome your company. An extra swordarm, too, would not be amiss. That is, of course, if Lady Indarys grants her approval."

[darkedge42392]

Garila Indarys, Bal Isra, Indarys Manor

 

Garila glanced back at the Imperial called Cassuis and Edward's stern face. She knew that Adrynn would probably need the help, and not to mention that knot of worry deep in the pit of her stomach. She nodded slowly.

 

"I'm perfectly fine with it. I'm sure Adrynn would appreciate whatever help he could get, especially since Edward here is one of his handpicked recruits." She turned to Edward. "What do you say?"

[nethgros]

Dar'krinji. Fort Floodgate

 

As Dar ran back to where the challenge began, and Kriak was no where in sight.

 

He began to attempt to follow Lecuaro's smell, but he could not find it, "Damn, he must've neutralized his scent. Sneaky breton."

 

Dar then noticed a pile of dust behind the observation post. When he walked over to it, he saw that there was a tunnel, leading to parts unknown. This tunnel also smelled faintly of stoneflower, a great scent neutralizer. So Dar went into the tunnel.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, The Second Challenge

 

 

The sound of the tunnel's hatch coming open sprang Lecuaro into action. He quickly went down the stairs to the bottom of the watch tower ran out onto the battlement. As he went prone among some assorted barrels and crates, he saw Dar'Krinji through the tower's window. It had taken him about as long as he had expected to find the tunnel...good thing he had done this challenge before. It was also fortunate how his second-in-command, Nenalaamo, acted as commander in his stead during these things.

 

 

Although Lecuaro was wary of both, he was more wary of Kriak. As he lay there among the containers, the feeling of being watched...or sought after...came over him. "Kriak's eye......" He said inwardly. Lecuaro muttered a small incantation he'd learned many years ago that was designed to stave off magical methods of tracking a person. As he finished the spell, the feeling had lessened but had not vanished. "Well, it may not be gone, but at least now his eye's vision will be blurred for a while." He thought.

Edited August 17, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[Zephyr2011]

While Dar had searched for the commander by smell, Kriak had done just as the commander had thought: used his eye. However, unlike what the commander thought, his eye wasn't just some ethereal attachment. His careful observations of the stronghold the previous night had payed off in spades though. While most of his body remained stationary in the basement, one eye followed Dar while the other followed the commander until he saw the commander head through the tunnel. From there it was simple, the commander would be easy to catch now. He melded into the shadows of the basement as his right eye rejoined him and emerged on the battlements headed towards the watch tower when his other eye caught a glimpse of Dar heading down the tunnel. He quickly took cover behind crates. The commander would be there soon. Sure enough, Lecuaro dashed onto the battlements and hid behind some barrels and etc. to evade Dar a little longer. Of course it didn't matter, Kriak tapped the commander's shoulder after he had stolel up silently behind him. "Enjoying the clutter of your station Commander?" He said and looked up to Dar on the tower, "Well played comrade, I'll admit if the commander hadn't masked his scent you may very well have been the one standing here rather than me." Kriak turned back to the commander, "I've had a lot of practice with concealing myself Lecuaro from all matter of prey. And these 'tricks' are common place in my homeland, I've just mastered them and this realm is far more predictable." Something in the way Kriak said prey may have made a more astute observer wonder what all of the word's implications were...