Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak, Fort Floodgate-Conference Room

 

Kriak listened intently through all of the deliberations. He had heard of the Neraverine when he had journeyed through the northern reaches of Cyrodiil. His great deeds and prowess were the stuff of legend as was his character. This seemed peculiar to him, he made a mental note. Kriak was glad that Adrynn respected him enough to ask him along on his journey to Kogoruhn, weather it be because the Redoran Champion had faith in Kriak's abilities or weather it was because he mistrusted him seemed minute, the Dunmer recognized Kriak as a man of skill and experience which to Kriak was extremely complimentary. Kriak was prepared to accept immediately but decided to hold his tongue until more information had been delivered so that he might not cut it off in its delivery. As Kriak took in all of this and the reactions of his fellows surrounding the table he noticed from the instant that the others had reported that Lecuaro was undergoing immense inner termoil. Kriak casually slid his chair slightly back from the table and cast a small magical shield in front of him, minute but it served excellently against flying wood chips and splinters that flew from where the commander pulverized the table. Kriak wouldn't have ordinarily bothered with such a spell and jut taken the debris but he wanted to watch keenly the commander's expression. Lecuaro didn't dissapoint, the flash of orange in his eyes was interesting. While the others stood to leave and give the commander air Kriak remained seated, albeit farther back and more out of the way. Velanya didn't even notice him there when she spoke to the commander, what she told him he couldn't say, he resected them enough to ignore private conversations when his interests weren't on the line. Once he and the commander sat alone he spoke quietly, his voice slightly different from normal, smoother, deeper, it was a more assertive tone than he had used before, one that commanded attention. "Calm yourself commander. You're not alone in this struggle, you have all of us, and if our accomplishments today are anything to judge by we'll do. The world may seem as though it rests upon your shoulders but you have strong friends to bear the load with you. You must never lose sight of that, for without that there is no hope and without hope we cannot succeed." Kriak paused for a moment to let his words soak in, he moved slightly further forward to give his words slightly more emphasis, his tone changed slightly reflecting his true age more, "I've heard a lot of your Nerevarine, and he doesn't seem like the man who would do this. In my past...past exploits I've learned much of army building, and army crushing, of conquest and defence. One thing I've learned is that a universally invaluable tool to all of these things is deception, make your enemies think you have more than you have and they fear you, make them think you have less and they underestimate you. The Nerevarine is a formiddable man, and anyone who believes their enemey has the Nerevarine on their side or that their enemy is the Nerevarine is easily intimidated by this fact and would think twice about resisting him. No one has in fact seen the leader of these tribals, if I wanted to terrify, shock and subdue a massive population of ashlanders I would boast of having the Nerevarine as one of my comrades as well. These are initial reports from initial, and very limited, intel. The saying goes don't count your kwama before they hatch, don't also assume that none will hatch at all commander." Kriak rose and headed towards the door, he turned and looked back towards the commander with a serious look on his face and his normal tone of voice returned, "Orange eyes, where have I seen that before?" He siad with a strange smirk and closed the door.

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn leaned against the wall to the conference room, adjacent to the door with his arms folded over his chest. He had pointed the way to the dining hall to the others and now waited paitently for one member of their party who had yet to step out. Kriak. Such an interesting figure. So powerful, yet so little is known about him. I guess the same could be said for all of us, yet he intrigues me the most, Adrynn thought quietly to himself.

 

When the door finally opened and Kriak stepped out, Adrynn waited until the door had shut before asking, "Kriak, it seemed you had something you wished to discuss. I think now is as an appropriate time as any. What is it?"

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse Meeting Room

 

 

Lecuaro slowly rose from the table and paced the room. He was angry at himself for his outburst...even if the outburst itself wasn't from anger. It was true what Velanya had said...he wasn't the only one holding a heavy burden...but the sad truth was that this new stress wasn't all that was on him. He waited a few moments before stepping out into the main room of the safehouse.

 

 

He saw Adrynn and Kriak over by a wall speaking, and Caius and Velanya doing the same at a table. Edward and Dar'Krinji were also discussing something at a table of their own...probably Edward thanking him for the rescue - he thought. He shuffled his way over to where Velanya and Caius were sitting and took a seat for himself.

 

 

The pair paused their discussion as they saw the Commander...the same as he'd been since the outburst.

 

 

"Twenty years..........two decades, I've kept it all bottled up. And now the past couple days' events came too quickly and it all spilled out." He said in a low voice. "What you all just witnessed there was something called a Pescrami. It happens when a Breton is subjected to too much tension or stress at once and their inner magical energy expels some of it in a burst of power. The eyes change...the voice deepens...for a split second, the person possesses immense strength and magical abilities........" He trailed off and bowed his head before saying the last part. "I.....I just never expected to experience one myself."

 

 

There was still one nagging thing ebbing Lecuaro though... Why orange? The eyes usually turn bright blue or green...but that haze that filled my vision was goldish-orange. Why that?

Edited September 1, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse Meeting Room

 

Adrynn had pointed the way to the dining hall, but the group had decided to wait on him and Kriak to catch up. They had all split off into smaller groups: Caius with Velanya, Edward with Dar, and finally Adrynn with Kriak, off to the side.

 

Caius had been discussing his plan with Velanya, and it seemed she was of the same mind as he: that the Urshilaku needed to be checked on as soon as possible. She was willing to do the mission alone if needed, but preferred to have Serrabenashiah on hand in case things went awry. She was a smart girl, and he had a feeling she would go far.

 

The two looked up when Lecuaro approached, and the Commander explained what had happened - a so-called "Pescrami" that seemed to be totally exclusive to stressed-out Bretons. Caius had no doubt it had something to do with his heritage, and it seemed he had heard of something like that before. Yet, at the same time, he couldn't help but worry about his old friend. He'd always thought Lecuaro would have been better suited to be a court battlemage, rather than a soldier in the field. There was always a feeling about the Breton, as if he were a font of untapped energy. Still, Lecuaro's discipline made him an excellent legionnaire, and the Imperial Army couldn't afford to lose him.

 

"Don't think on it too much, Marczon," Caius said reassuringly, the creases at the corners of his eyes smiling with his lips, "an explanation will come in time, I'm sure."

 

He gestured to Adrynn and Kriak, "Let's wait on them to finish their business, and we can go to the mess hall together. Although, I'm tempted to tell them to hurry up. My stomach is about to eat itself."

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse Meeting Room

 

Velanya raised an eyebrow at Caius, then cast a sideways wink at Lecuaro, "Now, what was it you said to me when I told you I hadn't had breakfast this morning? Hmm. Let me think. What was it? Oh, right. Yeah. You'll live."

 

Caius simply shook his head, grinning like a possum. Suddenly, a smudge on her gauntlet caught her eye, and Velanya realized she was still a bloody mess. Noticing that Adrynn and Kriak were deep in discussion, she turned to Lecuaro, "Commander, I don't think I'd like to go to dinner in this wreck. Can you point out a place where I may change my attire? I'll only be a few moments."

[Zephyr2011]

Adrynn approached Kriak, Kriak was glad, he respected Adrynn and felt no small amount of guilt for sending him into his gloomy spirits. "Yes, regarding the battle," Kriak began, "I can tell it's troubled you and I feel at least partly responsible for it." Kriak paused, he wasn't much one for words of comfort or apology for that matter. "You did what had to be done, we did what had to be done. I wouldn't have done that if I didn't think it absolutely necessary, the fort held because of that spell and we all owe you for saving our skins. I'm not one for large scale spells, stealth and hand to hand combat are my areas of expertise. Please don't trouble yourself with the events that unfolded today." Kriak overheard 'cassius' grumbling about being hungry and put his hand on Adrynn's shoulder with an awkward and what he hoped to be, encouraging smile. He walked off towards the mess hall. Well they can't say I didn't try to do anything good in my existence. He thought to himself, he felt guilty for putting Adrynn through this even though it was necessary and he felt like an idiot for trying to console him, not his job. But then again saving Velanya wasn't his job, killing the shamen wasn't his job and defending this fort wasn't his job either. What the hell was he doing?

[SoulofChrysamere]

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

 

Lecuaro pointed Velanya to a small side room in a wall where she could change her clothes. He appointed one of the female workers in the room to stand guard for her and then walked off toward the mess hall with Caius.

 

 

"If you need to pick an outfit, Miss Rethalas over there can help you find the clothes." He said to Velanya while motioning to an elderly Dunmer woman over by some crates.

 

 

As the pair walked up to the mess hall, they talked and gawked on various subjects for a time, but as they drew near to their destination, the conversation once again floated to the topics of the earlier attack and Kogoruhn.

 

 

"You know...I think Adrynn's dead right about Kogoruhn. With the Nerevarine as their leader or not, it's the only easily accessible installation around here capable of supporting such a large army. And I think we can both agree that there weren't just Ashlander Dunmer in the enemy's ranks earlier today." He said to Caius as they walked down the hall to the mess hall. "Oh by the way, thanks for sneaking this talking stone for me out of that storeroom those five years ago...can't tell you how handy it's been."

Edited September 3, 2011 by SoulofChrysamere

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Adrynn was stunned. The last thing he had expected Kriak to say was "sorry". Yet the hunter had done so, and tried his best to comfort Adrynn for what had happened today. He gave himself a few moments of reflection on this. Kriak . . . Such an unexpected person. Adrynn smiled softly to himself. The trip to Kogoruhn was going to be dangerous, but at least he had someone he knew he could count on to watch his back.

 

He made his way to the mess hall with the others and grabbed a nice black and red brocade shirt as he walked past a crate. Smiling, he put it on. He was distracting the female workers too much. he could see a couple dissapointed faces out of the corner of his eye, but that made him smile all the more.

 

"Well then, Lecuaro, what's for dinner?" Adrynn asked as he stepped through the door, pulling his hair out of his face.

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Caius nodded, "Indeed, Lecuaro. Kogoruhn, logically, should be our first stop. But something tells me we're just scratching the surface here. And about those Dunmer: you're right. There's no way all of them were Ashlanders. There's not enough Ashlanders on the entire island of Vvardenfell to supply an army that large. But what are they? Mercenaries? Outlaws? Both?"

 

He met the Commander's eyes, "I don't know about you, but something just doesn't seem right. There's something fishy about that Ashlander's story. Maybe it isn't the Ashlander's fault, though. That's why I'm sending Velanya to the Urshilaku as soon as possible. We need to find more pieces to this puzzle, and soon."

 

He then fished his stone out of his pocket and rolled it in his fingers. He chuckled, "Those Tsaesci were something, eh? It's no wonder the Akaviri got so far into Cyrodiil when they did. Little inventions like these make all the difference in warfare."

 

He returned the stone to its resting place, "We may need to pull out some more secrets before this war is over. And make no mistake, Marczon - this is war."

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Blades Safehouse

 

Velanya thanked the Commander and headed into the side room. She told Rethalas that she didn't need any clothes, but asked the lady to take her armor to the smith for cleaning when she was finished changing. She then closed the door behind her.

 

She swiftly removed her armor, her nimble fingers unbuckling straps with ease. As she took off her boots, her sore feet welcomed the cool stone floor. A day's worth of swift walking and fighting had started to make blisters on her heels, and her toes ached from tension. While unencumbered by steel and leather, she took the opportunity to stretch her muscles. She then took her day clothes from her backpack, donning a white, long sleeved blouse with a high, ruffled collar. This, she tucked into a pair of black leather breeches. Then, she pulled on a pair of black doeskin knee boots, and topped her blouse with a tight black vest. She removed her hair from Lecuaro's ribbon, taking a bone brush from her pack.

 

The brush was her mother's. Burned into the handle was the symbol of the Redoran shalk, the house motto surrounding it in Aldmeris. Her mother had given it to her before Velanya's first deployment to Elsweyr. Velanya briefly wondered if she should show it to Adrynn, before running it quickly through her mahogany mane. She debated on putting it back up in a twist, before settling on leaving it loose, spilling about her shoulders and waist in burgundy waves.

 

Finally, she belted Frostfang back on and stepped from the closet, handing her armor to Rethalas. Seeing her companions meandering towards the end of the hall, she jogged to catch up. She reached them just in time to hear what was being served for supper.

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak, Fort Floodgate

 

Kriak thought a moment and then turned his head towards his compatriots, "I'll catch up with all of you in a moment, I have need of a few of my belongings." He said before stepping into a dark corner and disappearing.

 

He stood in the room he had bunked in his first night. I suppose there's no point in trying to keep up this whole hunter lifestyle any longer. What was the phrase again? Just when you think you're out they pull you back in? Kriak thought and opened a chest at the foot of his former bunk and retrieved his large leather bag of belongings. He shouldered it and headed off towards one of the storerooms.

 

When Kriak reached the storeroom he bolted the doors, not that he was body shy but it distrubs most people to see a man with as many scars as he. He removed his tattered armor and clothes, they were too old and overworn for the exploits that they were undertaking. Kriak's body was covered with countless scars, spiderwebs didn't begin to describe the multitudes. Four long gashes ran diagonally across his chest starting at the right side and gradually becoming more superficial towards the left side of his waist. A single large scar crossed his back just below his shoulder blades. Surrounding these prominent scars were many more that laced his entire body, his hands and face were by-in-large untouched, save for crescent across his right cheek and three slashes on his left hand. The scars made his body seem nearly white with the damaged tissue despite his naturally tan appearance. The contour lines of his rippling muscles were almost indistinguishable in the midst of all the old wounds. Perhaps I should fix these scars, at least the lesser ones, surely there is a spell that could accomplish that. He thought to himself.

 

When his armor was completely removed he extracted a small black stone, perfectly spherical, it was similar to a black pearl but with less luster, he placed it in the center of his cuirass and pressed down forcefully with his palm near where it joined to his wrist. The sphere crumbled into dust that enveloped Kriak and his armor. His armor slwoly transformed, deep crimson blossomed into subtle, ornate patterns over the darkening armor. The fibers of leather unraveled and grew into tough bands of sinew. The plates became harder, some grew spines and bristles, they spread apart further until there was left a set of leather with hard metal plates interspersed so as not to restrict movement or create noise but to offer the most protection. On these metal plates were thron-like appendages and intricate vines of crimson detailing that were barely distinguishable from a distance but strikingly detailed up close. Kriak donned his old armor, he left the heavy leather hood down within the building, his new apparel had a more than slightly sinister appearance and it would frighten the others in the fortress to see someone in such garb with their face hidden. Kriak, clad in his old armor then melded into the shadows and walked into the mess hall. Hmph, we'll see what questions this brings up.

[nethgros]

Dar'krinji, Fort Floodgate

 

Dar sat on a barrel as everyone prepared themselves for the journey. Dar had nothing to bring himself, because he owned nothing. He simply sat and waited until everyone was prepared to set off.