Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[XanAlderon]

Edward Wildeve, Fort Floodgate

 

Edward fell in and out of consciousness, he dimly realized the Khajiit had given him to someone else as this person carried him gently through the fort. He struggled to raise his head, his vision blurring. It was Adrynn, and damn Edward was glad to see him. He smiled, before falling unconscious again.

 

He awoke to a healer working determinedly at his injuries. He looked around, spying Adrynn sitting nearby. "Hey" he croaked, "We meet again".

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate

 

The sound of a tired and pain filled voice close to him snapped him out of his musings. Glancing over, he saw that Edward was awake. Smiling, Adrynn moved the chair closer to Edward and sat down, running his eyes over the other man's face, seeing pain and weary but also relief at seeing a familiar face on this whirlwind of a day.

 

"Indeed Edward, we meet again, and not for the last time, I think," Adrynn said, smiling slightly, his eyes showing both is relief at his friend's safety but also worry for his injuries.

 

"Dunmer, I need your help with something," the healer said, directing Adrynn's attention to Edward's broken arm. "It needs to be set before I give him the potion, otherwise he won't be able to use it properly again."

 

Adrynn nodded, knowing what had to be done. He had had training under the Redoran Red Party in the Temple many years ago and learned most of his Restoration skills from them. He stood and moved closer to Edward, tearing away the torn and shredded clothing on his left arm before running his fingers gently but firmly between the muscles to the bone. He noticed that the bone wasn't shattered, but only broken. He could easily set this, but it wasn't going to be pleasant for his newest retainer.

 

Grabbing some spare scraps of netch leather, he rolled them into a small dense tube. Crouching next to Edward, he gently handed it to him. "Edward, I need you to bite down on this, because what's going to happen next isn't going to feel good at all," Adrynn said, his eyes serious, but also gentle.

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades, Fort Floodgate, Lecuaro's Office

 

Caius sensed the worry in Lecuaro's voice. He smiled gently at his old friend.

 

"Listen to me, Lecuaro. The Emperor doesn't need you as a Blade right now...he needs you as a Legion Commander, and you have plenty of experience with that. Without you and Imsin, this ragtag army will fall apart. The Emperor may need the Blades for more - sensitive - operations, and I am here to help you with those. But without the Legion, the Empire crumbles. The soldiers here on Vvardenfell are the only backbone this land has left, and even it is close to breaking. If the Legion falls, not even the Blades can prevent what might happen..." he trailed off, imagining the state of things if the Legion did crumble. It would be ugly, for sure.

 

"Besides," he added with a chuckle, "I'm rather glad you're handling Legion operations. Gods know I don't have the discipline for it."

 

"Now, on to the good stuff," he continued, pulling two amulets from his pack and gesturing for Velanya to produce her own. She did so, and they laid the amulets on Lecuaro's desk.

 

"We've been finding these totems on members of rogue bands of Ashlanders all over the island. One of these bands jumped Velanya in the Foyada Mamaea. The other two were encountered on the road from Ald'ruhn to Gnaar Mok. I'm guessing these amulets are of some significance, and they may be used to trace back to their leader. If you'll look, you'll notice some strange carvings on them. It looks a bit like Daedric, but there's also something a tad Aldmeris about them. Unfortunately, it's such a jumbled mess that they can't be translated...not now, at least. They all look a little different, too, so they probably say different things.

 

"First things first: we need to find the source of these amulets. We also need to assess their significance, both in the materials they are made of and the runes that are marked upon them. If you have an Ashlander correspondence here at the Fort, I'd suggest running these by them. Also, I think a trip to the Urshilaku is in order. These Ashlanders that have been going wacky on us don't associate with any tribe in particular. My guess is that they are a collection of renegades."

 

He stopped to watch Lecuaro examine the amulets. Velanya was still silent, but she now focused on Lecuaro. She seemed to be studying him as intensely as he was the totems. Perhaps she was assessing his capabilities as a Commander...whatever she was thinking was impossible to know for certain, as her face was as expressionless as a statue.

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak's thoughts were interrupted by an echoeing voice that bounced and ricocheted off the walls of the empty sanctum, "Get out of there. Now." Kriak frowned slightly.

 

"Oh very well." Kriak conceded. He stepped into a corner and melted into the shadows to appear in the corner of Lecuaro's office he had been in before. He walked out of the corner slightly and then leaned his back against a support beam to the side, and slightly behind the commander's desk with one leg behind him and his arms crossed. "So I don't get to meet the troops yet then?" Kriak said with a slight grin. "Do you at least have task for me that I can use to occupy my time?" Kriak said jokingly, then he noticed the amulets and raised one of his eyebrows. Well now things are getting truelly interesting aren't they. He examined 'Cassius' and Velanya, they seemed resolved about something. Something involving the amulets, not there meaning-no. Otherwise they would still be conversing, Lecuaro was too busy examining the amulets for them to know their origins without discussing it. No, they are looking to travel somewhere they think they can find the information. "An escort mission perhaps? Or...infiltration." Kriak said.

[nethgros]

Dar'krinji, Fort Floodgate

 

Learning spells from a daedric lord had been a very painful business, and Dar was extremely sore. But as he was walking past Lecuaro's office, he noticed several people in there.

 

"Must be a gathering, why wasn't I invited?" he thought to himself. So Dar put himself into the gathering, poking his head in the door and saying, "Hey, anything interesting?"

Edited August 25, 2011 by nethgros

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Lecuaro's Office

 

Velanya nearly jumped out of her skin when Kriak suddenly materialized from the shadows. She gave the woodsman a stern glare, but remained silent.

 

Great. Now what?

 

At that moment, Lecuaro's office door opened, and the khajiit's head poked in.

 

Velanya sighed, "So much for speaking in private, eh, Commander?"

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Lecuaro's Office

 

 

"Indeed, Miss." Lecuaro said. He glanced at Dar'Krinji and Kriak. "As a matter of fact, I do have a small matter you can help with to pass the time, woodsman. You too, Dar'Krinji."

 

 

Lecuaro took up two of the amulets and handed one each to the Khajiit and hunter. "These are Ashlander amulets. I've been looking at them for a bit now and I have a hunch as to what the inscriptions on them mean, but I'm no native Ashlander or scholar on them. I do, however, have two former Ashlander tribespeople serving as spies here at the fort. Dar'Krinji, the amulet I gave you appears to have some kind of Urshilaku tribe symbol on it. Take it and go find "Serrabinashiah" here at the fort. She might be able to offer some insight. Kriak, your amulet has what looks like Erabenimsun markings on it. Go find "Dushauriran" here at the fort...he should be able to help. As for this third one...it'll have to wait."

 

 

Lecuaro then turned to Caius and Velanya. "Okay, while they do that, you two follow me down to the Blades safehouse. Velanya, you might as well get a look at your new quarters. Also, Kriak, when you and Dar'Krinji are finished, come down there...Dar'Krinji may need to be shown the way. No sense in pretending it doesn't exist."

 

 

The commander looked out his window for a moment. "There's still a few hours worth of daylight yet...maybe we can make some use of it when we're all together in the safehouse."

 

 

Lecuaro then started out the door. He was still weathered by the past couple days' events...but he knew that sulking in his private quarters wouldn't provide answers. "Velanya and Cassius, we're going to stop by my healer Trilvan Sarothril and see how Adrynn and Edward are doing on the way."

 

 

As the Blades trio exited the office, Lecuaro glanced back at Kriak and Dar'Krinji with one last tidbit. "The equipment you will see in the safehouse is quite...unique. As you will soon see for yourself." The Breton allowed himself a slight grin before starting down the hallway in a brisk walk.

Edited August 25, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate

 

So the Khajiit's name was Dar'Krinji.

 

Dar'Krinji...Dar'Krinji....

 

She was certain she had heard the name while stationed in Elsweyr, but she couldn't be sure. And he certainly looked a bit familiar.

 

Velanya shrugged and followed Lecuaro, Caius close behind. She was eager to see if Edward was alright - feeling more than a little guilty for having left him behind on the battlefield - and hoped he wasn't hurt too badly.

 

They separated from Kriak and Dar'Krinji, following a narrow passage lined with native tapestries. As they walked, a sudden thought popped into her head....a worrisome one...

 

Caius seemed to be reading her mind, as he bent close to her ear and whispered, "We should check in with the tribes as soon as possible, especially the Urshilaku. I've got a sneaking suspicion that this is not a tribal matter at all. They could be in grave danger...if they aren't already dead. We'll see what Serrabinashiah and Dushauriran have to say first, though."

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Healer's Office

 

Adrynn didn't know if Edward was unconscious or not. His sharp crimson eyes ran over Edward's face, taking in the sheen of sweat, the lines of pain, and a sense of worry broke over the Redoran. He needed to set this arm. Now. Sliding the small roll of netch leather between Edward's teeth, he placed it firmly where Edward wouldn't break his teeth or jaw when he bit down from the sudden pain.

 

"Ok, Edward, I'm going to have to set this arm so the healer can give you this potion. It's going to hurt, so brace yourself my friend," Adrynn said, crouching next to Edward's broken arm and holding it gently at the shoulder and just above the elbow, between the break.

 

"Ready? One . . . Two . . . Three," he counted, pulling down at the elbow, seperating the broken halves of the arm before guiding the bone into its natural place. A faint "click" of bone against bone told him that it was now set. Edward had barely moved. Adrynn's eyes ran over his friend's face once again, noticing just a slight relief in the muscles of the brow and cheeks. Allowing himself a small smile, Adrynn took some cloth and made it into a simple sling, resting Edward's broken arm in it so it didn't cause him any more pain.

 

"Thank you Dunmer, I don't think I have the strength to do that," the healer said, busying himself with the healing potion.

 

"It's fine, healer. I've had to set more than a few broken limbs in my day," Adrynn said, pulling the loose strands of hair out of his face and tucking them behind his ears.

 

The sound of footsteps snapped Adrynn's head to the door, his hand resting on his Daedric Katana's pommel loosely. Seeing it was just Lecuaro, Velanya, and that Imperial fellow, Cassius, he released his grip on his sword.

 

Blast . . . I should have put a shirt on, he thought, realizing he was just in his bonemold greaves and boots, barechested in front of a lady. He tried not to blush at his indecency.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Healer's Office

 

 

As he came through the doorway, Lecuaro's eyes immediately drifted over to Edward. It judging by the position of his left arm, it was apparent that it had been broken or damaged in some way. He scowled for a moment - didn't like people getting hurt on his watch. He then looked at Adrynn, who apparently had neglected to put a shirt on.

 

 

"Looks like you get to see even more of Adrynn now." He said to Velanya with a smirk.

 

 

He then walked over to Trilvan, who was finishing up the healing potion.

 

 

"How is he?" He asked Trilvan, glancing at Edward.

 

 

"He's fine now that the bone's set. After this potion, it should be all fixed up within a few hours." The healer replied.

 

 

"Good. Adrynn, are you ready to go meet our Ashlander "guests" in the holding cells?"