Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[Zephyr2011]

OOT>I'm not sure I understand the whole loud crack thing and falling backwards bit so I'll ignore that unless there's clarification, then I'll retrace mysteps and change things accordingly.

 

Kriak, To Kogoruhn

 

Kriak's expression went blank again as the Ahslander began to babble about things. Internally Kriak was furious with himself, h had actually had to use mind probing on this captive and it looked like he might have broken the prisoner completely. The incoherent ramblings of the prisoner slowly increased in volume and speed, to the point of insanity. The woodsman was becoming increasingly agitated, though his face didn't show it. Finally he lashed out with his mind, his facial expression remaining blank. A whip cracked in the prisoner's mind. Silence! Thankfully the incesent babbling ceased and the prisoner looked dumbfounded at Kriak.

 

Kriak began to slowly prod different sectors of the captive's mind, rebuilding the fragile ecosystem again. Kriak had overestimated the will and stability of his prisoner once already, he would not do so again. Once the pieces of the puzzle were back in place Kriak slowly exerted his own will on the prisoner, forcing him to begin talking again, slower this time, as thoughts and memories surfaced in the ashlander's mind Kriak supressed the irrelevant ones. Slowly Kriak's influence became irresistable and the prisoner's face went slack, his eyes stared off in the distance as he talked slowly and clearly.

 

"They burned our villages. Killed our people." He began.

 

Who? Kriak asked mentally.

 

"The Nerevarine, his army threatened us. He is Nerevar, but not Nerevar."

 

Kriak allowed a slight smile as his suspicions that this wasn't actually the Nerevarine were becoming all the more realistic.

 

"They came in glittering steel and attacked. They said they would spare the rest if we helped..." The prisoner continued on for many minutes...

 

OOC>If someone else would like to take over as the prisoner I think that would be best. I don't know exactly where we want this tale to head so I'll leave that to someone who does. I'll introduce my own plot twists when it's more appropriate.

[SoulofChrysamere]

OOC: I tossed in the loud crack and Kriak staggering back as the false Nerevarine sort of cutting off your link to the prisoner before he said anything extremely important. This is obviously a person of great power and dangerous magic. Anyway, if we want to edit the relevant posts and scratch it, I'll go redo mine. I was just thinking that everything shouldn't be THAT easy for the protagonists.

[AurianaValoria1]

Faeryn Sethandas, Circon's Chamber

 

The Ordinator held up his hands and dipped his head quickly, "Apologies for startling you, but we have great need of you and your device. The Fort is under attack."

 

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

Great, she thought as the commander vanished, feeling a little abandoned. But then she stood to obey him.

 

"All right archers! Form up along the walls! Double up on that weak end! Crossbowmen cover the longbowmen!" She marched along the battlements, barking her orders with a newfound courage. This is where she shone...in the midst of combat as a legionnaire commandant. Her fury had been replaced with sudden excitement.

 

"Fire at will and keep firing! I don't want a single second without someone shooting from the walls! If they manage to reach the gates, set the pitch alight and dump it on top of them!"

 

She ducked as something large suddenly flew overhead. It hit one of the Fort's towers with a ground-shaking force, and her eyes grew wide...

 

Velanya looked out over the battlements and saw, far in the distance, two catapults. And the sea of warriors approaching them was only the first wave. There were at least two more behind them.

 

"Mages! Get down here now!"

 

 

Ravos Terilu, Maar Gan

 

The foursome walked together down the silt strider ramp in silence. It was here that they would wait for Faeryn's call.

 

It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when, and they all knew it.

 

A sigh came from behind. Ivela. Out of the four veterans, she was the most impatient. Ravos turned to face her, "What is it?"

 

She shook her head, her expression unreadable for the Indoril helm, "We shouldn't be here. We should be at Floodgate. I've got this...feeling...that Faeryn is in trouble."

 

Kareth nodded, "I do as well. Listen. There is nothing but silence out there. It's like a pall. The Ashlands should be rife with the sound of life, but they aren't."

 

The burly knight, Elam, pushed ahead, "We go to the Shrine. That's where we told Faeryn we'd be. I trust him to know what he is doing, and so should you. I'm certain we'll see our fair share of action soon enough."

 

 

Caius Cosades, To Kogoruhn

 

"...they wanted warriors...soldiers," the prisoner rambled, "they had heard of the ferocity of the Erabenimsun, and they wanted us join them. They killed the weak and left the strong ones to decide. Either they could die with their mothers or join the forces of Nerevar in retaking Vvardenfell for the Velothi."

 

The prisoner continued on, but Caius had tuned him out. He was thinking about the elf's tribe...the Erabenimsun. He was also thinking about what that Urshilaku prisoner had said back at the Fort. It unnerved him.

 

Their foe was wily. He - or maybe even she - was using a wide variety of tactics against these people, exploiting their weaknesses. For the Urshilaku, it was their desire to perpetuate and be at peace. The enemy had, thus, taken away their means of independence and prosperity: their guar herds. For the Erabenimsun, their weakness was their eagerness to fight, and their respect for anyone stronger than they. So, the enemy had taken their camp by force and subjugated them, luring them to their side with the promise of more blood and battle. Both tribes were faced with extinction for refusal, that was the one thing in common.

 

Their foe was clever. And if they weren't careful, he or she would succeed in outsmarting them.

[Zephyr2011]

OOC>Ah I see. My thoughts on making it difficult was maybe more along the lines that the prisoner is just a grunt, he wouldn't really know much beyond what we already know, in that way itq wouldn't be all to easy. Anyway we can move on or we can stop the interrogation NOW so we don't have to redo so many posts.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nenalaamo - Maar Gan

 

Nenalaamo suddenly appeared in front of the Maar Gan temple, much to the surprise of those nearby. As the magical aura around him dissipated, Nenalaamo could see their astonished looks. After all, how many legionnaires knew Almsivi Intervention?

 

After staring back at the townspeople for a few moments, Nenalaamo saw a small troop of Ordinators a short ways down the walk. Hmm...perhaps these are the ones with Faeryn. - he thought as he walked forward.

 

"Excuse me, Ordinators, are you the companions of Faeryn Sethandas?" he asked.

==========================================================================================================================================

Circon - Fort Floodgate Artillery Workshop

 

 

Circon's face went ashen and pale at Faeryn's words. He quickly fastened the drawstring and swept aside his tools.

 

"Well, c'mon. Let's get this up there then." he said.

Edited February 28, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[SoulofChrysamere]

Sorinyarie - Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

 

"Mages! Get down here now!" came Velanya's frantic cry.

 

Sorinyarie and a troop of mages levitated up from the courtyard following the Dunmer's shriek. Sorinyarie immediately noticed the pair of catapults off in the distance.

 

"I assume those are our targets?" She asked, pointing to the siege weapons.

[AurianaValoria1]

Ivela Helothren, Maar Gan

 

Ivela heard the voice behind her and turned slowly, one hand on her hip. She whistled sharply and her trio of companions turned with her, facing a tall Altmer legionnaire.

 

"We are Faeryn's companions, yes. You speak as though you know him. Are you from Fort Floodgate?"

 

 

Faeryn Sethandas, Fort Floodgate Artillery Workshop

 

The Ordinator moved to help the engineer lift the ballistae. He nodded to Serra, "Keep the hallways clear ahead of us. We don't need any delays."

 

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

"You assume correctly, mage," Velanya affirmed, "Take them out with whatever you have, however you can. I don't care if you risk engaging those next waves. We cannot allow those-"

 

She was cut off as the pair of catapults launched again, throwing two flaming boulders straight at the gatehouse.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nenalaamo - Maar Gan

 

Nenalaamo's face was marble as he spoke. "Well, now's the time to lend that aid. The fort is under attack. Heavy attack. If you all will please join hands with me and each other, I can recall us all back to the fort."

==========================================================================================================================================

 

Serrabinashiah Masseribalit - Fort Floodgate Artillery Workshop

 

 

Serra led Faeryn and Circon back through the fort, clearing the halls with words and shoves alike. It took some tricky maneuvering, but eventually the trio figured out how to quickly round corners with the device. Within a couple of minutes, they were back in the courtyard.

 

Unfortunately, they arrived just in time to see the gatehouse get blown apart by a pair of flaming boulders. Legion soldiers went flying from the structure as a gaping hole was formed in the fort's wall. Officers coordinated extra men around the new breach to reinforce it. Serra looked worriedly at Faeryn.

 

"I hope you know how to levitate, because they need this thing up there. Now." She said.

==========================================================================================================================================

Sorinyarie - Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

 

The destruction of the gatehouse sent shockwaves across the battlements, knocking Sorinyarie and her fellow mages to the ground. When they rose, they saw the catapults already being reloaded. The lady Altmer looked directly at Velanya.

 

"Have a contingent of archers cover us. We're going straight for them." She said simply.

 

With that, Sorinyarie turned to her underlings and barked the order. "Over the wall! Assault wedge, tactical style!" She yelled.

 

A moment later, the mages were at the outside base of the fort's wall, cleaving a swath straight through the mercenary ranks.

Edited March 6, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Ivela Helothren, Maar Gan

 

The Temple archer heard Elam's gruff voice behind her, "Faeryn said he would call, not send some Imperial - "

 

"Oh, shut it!" she snapped, "they're in trouble, and Faeryn's likely helping with the defense. Come here, all of you!"

 

The Ordinators took each other's wrists, Elam a little reluctantly. Ivela then grasped the Altmer's outstretched hand, "We're ready."

 

 

Faeryn Sethandas, Fort Floodgate Courtyard

 

The Ordinator grinned, thought the scout could not see it for his helm. Better positioning himself with the device, so that he could lift it properly, he concentrated on a levitation spell. In truth, he hardly ever used it. He had to learn it while working with the Nerevarine, several years prior...the outlander had a certain fondness for getting himself into every hard-to-reach spot on the island, and Faeryn had to be able to go with him.

 

A small violet force field appeared under him and - because of his hold on the device - the ballista, too. With a grunt, he directed the magic to propel himself and the machine up to the battlements, near the new breach.

 

He hovered precariously over the walls with the thing. It was more difficult to maneuver than first anticipated. But, after a few seconds of creaking and groaning, the ballista finally settled into place.

 

He didn't even notice that a steel arrow that had lodged itself into his chest.

 

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

The Knight Errant, who had been thrown to her knees from the force of the boulders, scrambled to get back up.

 

She pointed to the group of crossbowmen nearest her, among them a sharp-looking Bosmer, "Archers! Cover those mages! Let nothing get near them!

 

Suddenly, a roar came from the troops in the courtyard. The first wave of mercenaries were forcing their way through the breach in the walls, beating the troops back.

 

With a snarl, she jumped down from the battlements and landed in a crouch on the courtyard ground, ready to cleave her enemies in half.

 

Come on, Nenalaamo...

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nenalaamo - Maar Gan

 

 

With haste, Nenalaamo spoke the recall incantation and instantly, the sextet was standing on the battlements of Fort Floodgate, right where Nenalaamo had vanished only moments earlier. The Altmer quickly looked around for Velanya, first up there on the wall where Faeryn and Serra now stood with Circon's ballista and then down in the courtyard. When his eyes drifted downward, however, he was immediately attracted to the new gaping hole where the western gatehouse used to be. Among the breach's dwindling defenders, he spied Velanya dueling a large fellow swinging a menacing battleaxe.

 

Nenalaamo quickly turned back to Serra and Faeryn. "Here's your friends, Faeryn. Guess them and I are gonna be down there cleaving mercs." He said, motioning to the battle for the breach below.

==========================================================================================================================================

 

Sorinyarie - Fort Floodgate Battlefield

 

 

Under the cover of the archers, the wedge of mages powered through column after column of humanoid steel. Sorinyarie stood at the front, searing the mercenaries ahead with a large gout of fire. Relbren Edmontere, Ra'Nazrah, Tolsus Carpum, and Borgak gro-Durog kept the flanks intact while Baroonemo, the most powerful mage at the fort after Sorinyarie, held the rear. All around the magical strike team, arrows struck down soldiers in unison with spells. Rondolas with his crossbow downed the mercenaries that were mounting the catapults, desperately trying to prepare another pair of shots. After a couple of minutes of advancing, the mages came upon the siege engines.

 

The cluster of guards around the onagers had thickened as the Imperial wizards had drawn closer, but it made little difference to Sorinyarie's rampant fire beam. Using the last bit of combat magicka she had left, Sorin first exploded a fiery plume around the mages, sending their attackers reeling back. Then, she extended one arm toward each catapult and let loose two last jets of fire that almost completely engulfed their targets.

 

"Join hands!" Sorrin cried.

 

The magical troop all locked hands and Sorinyarie teleported the group back to Fort Floodgate's western wall.

Edited March 8, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere