Shadows of Darkest Soul (An Elder Scrolls RP)

[AurianaValoria1]

Caius Cosades, Ashlands, to Kogoruhn

 

"Something's happened at the Fort," the Spymaster replied frankly, "We don't know what...it's probably bad. But, despite that, Lecuaro wants to move against Kogoruhn - we can't waste time going back. So, after you, Adrynn."

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nenalaamo's Spirit - Atherius

 

 

The raging anger in Sorinyarie had completely taken Nenalaamo aback. He knew she had great power...but she had never shown something like that before. Of course, he had never seen her truly angry before. He was amazed and frightened at the same time; he could only imagine how the fleeing mercenaries felt.

 

Then, while still reflecting on this, Nenalaamo felt slightly strange. For a moment, he felt back in his mortal body, but he wasn't back in Tamriel. Then, he could sense his magical essence reacting to something. Finally, he heard a faint voice in his hears. The voice was Kriak's.

 

"Nenalaamo. Say something to Velanya. Let her know you're still with us." His voice said.

 

Nenalaamo then felt a tiny sliver of his being redirect its energy toward Mundus. He closed his eyes and began to channel power through that link. His voice had resonating spiritual undertones as he spoke.

 

"Velanya? Velanya, can you hear me?" He asked.

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

Battlemage Mercando and Archer Cheriana Mondasten - To Kogoruhn

 

 

Mercando expected as much from Adrynn. Every warrior truly loyal to his house and passionate about his trade would have given that kind of response. They were the few diamonds among the coal that filled the ranks of various organizations. Mercando cast a quick glance at Lecuaro. Now there's a man who fights for people's safety. - not a paycheck.

 

Caius's words worried Mercando. He certainly hoped that nothing terrible had happened at Fort Floodgate...but he knew that they had their task. They couldn't waste time returning. He couldn't shake his concern, though.

 

Cheriana was equally alarmed at the Spymaster's statement. She now desperately wanted to return to see if her brother Hebiert was okay. She willed her worry under control, however. After all, they had their own job to do and their own selves about which to worry.

Edited April 2, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Ashlands, to Kogoruhn

 

Adrynn nodded to Caius's statement. He could feel his brand throbbing now and knew that Velanya was fine, but she was upset. There was no going back to see what happened now. They had to press on. "Alright. Follow me. We're almost there."

 

Adrynn quickly looked around to gain his bearings. Red Mountain was to the southeast. Fort Floodgate and the Foyoda Bani-Dad were to his south. That meant that Kogoruhn was just to the east. He nodded. They were only a few miles from the ancient Dunmeri Stronghold. Adrynn pulled up his hood and started walking, keeping an eye out for any scouts or other people who would be alerted to their presence. The group made good time, working their way through the ash dunes and past the stone cairns to fallen forgotten warriors. Adrynn could see a familiar gap between two ridges and knew what lay beyond.

 

"Hold up," Adrynn said, holding up a fist and dropping low. He ran up a small dune and went prone, crawling the last few feet to the top on his belly. There below him was Kogoruhn. And it was crawling with Ashlanders and mercenaries.

 

Azura help us. He motioned to Lecuaro to join him on the dune.

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Battlements

 

The Knight Errant could hardly believe her ears. Nenalaamo?

 

She saw the Ordinators rise from their respectful positions, and the men were all silently awaiting her orders - after all, she was the next highest-ranking officer at the Fort. She hoped her face didn't reveal any emotion as she coordinated the soldiers.

 

"All right, men! We have work to do - life goes on, and we don't have time to mourn. Sergeants-at-arms! I want you to take your men and scour the battlefield for anything that might be of use to us: armor, weapons, you name it. Take them down to the armory for repair. Mages and archers, you are to examine the fallen. Fold the hands of the dead across their chests. If there are some of our own still living, stay with them until a medic can get to them. Faeryn, you and your friends can help prepare a couple of pyres, one for our dead and the other for our foes. Serrabinashiah! I want you to go and fetch Nibani Maesa...see if she has anything that will help our wounded."

 

She looked around. Some of the men had yet to react.

 

"I said MOVE IT!" she barked, brandishing her weapon high, her eyes flashing with fury.

 

The remaining legionnaires scurried to do her bidding, suddenly very afraid she would use her blade against them.

 

She finally sheathed her sword and moved towards a corner near the drum of the south tower where, hopefully, her men wouldn't hear her.

 

"Nenalaamo? Are you there?" she whispered, disbelief evident in her tone.

 

 

Faeryn Sethandas, Fort Floodgate, Courtyard

 

"Alright, you heard her. Start gathering timber," Faeryn said solemnly.

 

He and his companions mingled with the legionnaires, collecting broken pieces of wood from the fallen gatehouse. They were careful not to step on any bodies, moving with a strange grace.

 

Faeryn suddenly spied movement in the bodies. There, one of the leather clad archers lay, his cuirass crimson with blood from a horrible wound to his abdomen. Faeryn knelt next to him. He couldn't have been more than twenty years old - a Breton, it seemed.

 

"I need a medic!" he called, taking the man's hand in his own.

 

"P-please," the man stuttered, "please...don't leave me."

 

Faeryn leaned close, squeezing his hand gently, "I'm not going anywhere, son."

 

 

Caius Cosades, Ashlands, to Kogoruhn

 

The Spymaster crouched low at Adrynn's raised hand, moving slowly up to the Redoran.

 

"What do you see?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

[SoulofChrysamere]

Nenalaamo's Spirit - Atherius

Nenalaamo sighed with grief as he heard Velanya's voice. He began to weep, albeit without tears.

 

 

"Velanya, I'm...I'm sorry." He said in a sad voice.

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

Lecuaro Sulnair Marczon - Kogoruhn Outskirts

 

 

Lecuaro and company had gone prone with Adrynn and Caius due to instinct. Lecuaro belly-crawled up with Caius at Adrynn's motion. When he reached the Dunmer, he saw Kogoruhn peek over the top of the dune at him.

 

"We're here, Caius. We're at Kogoruhn" He said, answering Adrynn's question for him.

 

Lecuaro then cast a look to the side and, to his surprise, saw a scattered group of humanoid figures crest a distant dune. Their direction pointed toward Kogoruhn.

 

"Not a muscle!" He whispered to everyone as he pointed to the running figures.

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

 

Serrabinashiah Masseribalit - Fort Floodgate Battlements

 

"Commander Nenalaamo, in service to his Gods and Emperor, has fallen."

 

Serra could hardly believe the words. And yet, when the men began to disperse, she saw Nenalaamo's lifeless corpse lying at Velanya's and Kriak's feet, blood oozing out around an arrow in his head. As shock passed into sorrow, she began crying.

 

She obeyed Velanya's order and descended the wall to go find Nibani Maesa. She quickly found her way to the storeroom just inside the large door. As she heaved the door open, the devastation on her face was plain to all therein. She found Nibani seated on one of the crates.

 

"The...the battle is over. We won. We...were wondering...if you could help with...with the injured." She stuttered.

Edited April 2, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Battlements

 

"Sorry?" she asked incredulously, "Sorry for what? There's nothing to be sorry for. I just," she choked up a little, "I just hope you can rest easy, Commander. You may be amongst the lucky ones."

 

 

Faeryn Sethandas, Fort Floodgate Courtyard

 

"I said I need a medic!" he shouted again. He wasn't sure how long this man would last.

 

In an effort to keep the soldier focused, he asked, "What's your name, son?"

 

The Breton's eyes were glazed with pain as he gasped, "Herbiert...Herbiert Mondasten."

 

 

Caius Cosades, Kogoruhn Environs

 

The Spymaster watched with careful eyes as the fringe group approached the stronghold. They appeared to be a scouting party.

 

He glanced back at the stronghold with growing concern. There was a veritable army down there. On top of that, the place seemed to have undergone repairs. Whoever their enemy was, he had planned to stay there for the long haul.

 

 

Nibani Maesa, Fort Floodgate Storeroom

 

"All without children to care for, follow me," the Wise Woman said, "these people have need, and we shall help them."

 

Sul-Matuul silently rose with her, and almost all of the tribesmen followed Serra back into the courtyard.

Edited April 2, 2012 by AurianaValoria1

[SoulofChrysamere]

Trilvan Salothril - Fort Floodgate

 

 

Now that the battle was over, Trilvan had been brought out to help tend to the wounded. He was searching for a patient when he heard Faeryn's call over yonder. Trilvan instantly rushed to Faeryn and the man beside him. He could see the blood gushing from the soldier's stomach.

 

"Damn, that's bad." Trilvan said as he pressed a healing spell against the boy's stomach.

 

Hebiert managed to remain conscious, but the initial pain from the healing spell was piercing. On the verge of blacking out, the pain started receding and the gentle, knitting feeling of a healer's hand replaced it.

 

"Let's give it a second and then pull the arrow out. We do it now, and he'll just bleed more." Trilvan said to Faeryn.

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

 

Nenalaamo's Spirit - Atherius

 

"Yes, there is." Nenalaamo began. "I was so focused on helping the men hold that fort, that I neglected to put on my helmet before I rushed out. Had I remembered it, I might still be down there with you all. Now I've left the fort without a proper commander and most if not everyone there is heartbroken. You'll need to find a way to keep their morale up."

 

Nenalaamo sighed heavily before continuing. "Lecuaro and I decided together who the third-in-command would be should both of us either die or get called away. His name's Meraxtus Messania. He's one of the strategists there at the fort. About five-eight, broad nose, wide chin, bright blue eyes, short blonde hair. Might be wearing his helmet, might not be. You'll need to confirm his position."

Edited April 2, 2012 by SoulofChrysamere

[AurianaValoria1]

Faeryn Sethandas, Fort Floodgate, Courtyard

 

The Ordinator nodded to the healer, "Whenever you're ready."

 

He glanced around. His friends were now assembling the pyres. It wouldn't be long before they started piling bodies.

 

 

Velanya Therys, Fort Floodgate, Battlements

 

The Knight Errant took mental note of Nenalaamo's description, intent on obeying his wishes.

 

She looked over the walls. The Blades were getting closer.

 

Velanya whispered, "I'll find him. We'll take care of the Fort, Commander. I promise."

 

 

Nibani Maesa, Fort Floodgate, Courtyard

 

The Wise Woman was now glad she had taken so many blankets and shawls with her. She handed a few to Serra.

 

"Start tearing some of the thinner ones into strips for bandages. The others we can use for protective covers," she distributed more to her fellow tribesmen.

 

Together, they advanced amongst the bodies to find the wounded.

[Zephyr2011]

Kriak, Fort Floodgate

 

Kriak remained kneeling, he was carefully examining Nenalaamo's body, a glimmer soon appeared in the huntsman's eye. He whispered to Velanya, "Don't let them burn his body, let him lay in state for the men to pay their last respects. It will boost morale, more than you know, and I have an idea." Kriak carefully extracted the arrow from Nenalaamo's corpse, being sure to not cause any tissue damage as he withdrew it. The woodsman used magic to cleanse the mortal wound and shifted Nenalaamo's hair so that the wound remained covered and seemed non-existent. He worked slowly, methodically, he had to make the commander look as dignified as possible for the men. They would need all the courage they could muster for the rest of this ordeal, which, his burning brand told him, was not over.

 

When Kriak had finished making Nenalaamo's corpse as presentable as possible he rose and simply stood watching the soldiers make their way through to the dead and the wounded, looting, healing and preparing for burial as suited the circumstance. So much death, how can there be so much death in such a short time? And how could there still be more to come? Much more...

 

As Kriak reflected on the day, waiting to be summoned if he was needed and keeping an ever watchful eye on the approaching Blades, he made a resolution. The others must know his past, starting with Velanya. He decided that he would speak with her at the next opportunity when they could be alone.

[darkedge42392]

Adrynn Indarys, Outside Kogoruhn

 

Adrynn dropped low in the ash, watching with a keen eye as the running figures moved up the stairs and onto the great table of Kogoruhn. The Ashlanders and mercenaries camped out in Kogoruhn's main courtyard all looked up as the scouts appeared. The scouting party appeared haggard and disorganized, stumbling over themselves and each other. Their armor was torn and broken and their weapons were shattered. Scouts from the last battle? Adrynn thought to himself. He couldn't know for sure.

 

He peeked over the ash dune and watched as a tall figure in golden armor stepped out from the main hall of Kogoruhn, greeting the scouts. Adrynn tensed, his face dropping into a deep scowl as the brand in his palm was set ablaze at the sight of the figure. He could feel something deep within him react at the pain from the brand. A deep, unbridled fury was raging its way through his body, rising till it filled his entire being and he was seeing shades of red. Something within him whispered for him to kill his traitor, murderer, deceiver, liar! NOW. Adrynn gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. He couldn't explode in anger now and risk ruining their hiding spot. But then again, how were they going to get past the veritable army down there? They needed a solution, and they needed one now.

 

He turned to Caius and Lecuaro. "Do any of you have any ideas of how to get past that? Cause I might."