Elder Scrolls: Interregnum Chapter 4 (Started, Open)

[Josh123914]

Endya tried to get a better grip of the staff and fired again. This time it hitting the ground, sending a few thralls flying. ''Damned contraption'' she mumbled.
Urgal kept running towards the necromancers, and as the green blast flew over his head he was unlucky, one of the imperials turned around and saw him. She shot an ice spike at him, which he tried blocking but only ended up with his mace taking the hit and falling out of his hand. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he threw it at the necromancer, lodging it into her skull. He kept running, yanking it out while doing so and jumping past the other imperials and into the battle below.

Joncis held up a ward that was holding off most spells. Enthir joined him and was finishing off some of the thralls. Suddenly another blast of energy hit, knocking Joncis to the ground. When he got to his feet he shot some lightning as Urgal landed from on top of the ridge next to him ''No time, just shoot'' he said, picking up a few swords and running off ''Enthir! Urgal's alive.'' Enthir was getting to his feet as well ''what?'' he stammered ''Urgal just ran past me.''

 

[Josh123914]

Endya holstered the staff on her back and scaled down the rubble. As she reached the bottom, she pulled out two daggers and began sprinting towards the others. The first she threw, killing a necromancer and the other she used to deflect an arrow from a nearby thrall.

Joncis ran up the hillside from the right to help Endya, 3 of the 4 necromancers that remained were throwing all they had between them at the two of them, while the fourth seemed to be trying to call the other thralls back. Joncis dodged a few of the spells and then settled on holding up a ward. Endya was confronted by a necromancer with a shield and an ice spell and was suddenly cornered. Without so much as a second thought Endya slashed at the Imperial's throat but he dodged it, knocking her back with his shield and knocking her to the ground.

''Endya!'' Enthir shouted. Running up the slope and pulling out his sword, he knocked the shield out of the Imperial's hand and conjured his atronach to hold him off. Enthir picked up Endya and got her out of immediate danger '' -So glad that you're alive'' he told her, she smiled for a moment, then took the staff from her back and handed it to him. ''I found this underground. Very powerful, probably some use to you'' Enthir gripped the large wooden staff. He ran his hand down its smooth centre before reaching the emerald bottom ''It also works as a spear'' she added.

The necromancers seemed to have regrouped by now, Enthir's atronach was finished and their other forces- supposedly done with the Dominion army, were arriving back from the other side of the mountain.

''Shit'' Joncis mumbled, dropping his ward and getting to Endya and Enthir. ''More on the way,'' he blurted out, giving an approving nod to Endya. The three of them burst from cover and used whatever they had in their arsenal. Endya threw a dagger at record speeds, jamming it in the Imperial's chest, causing him and his thralls to slump to the floor.
Joncis went to rejoin Anruin, the Dominion soldiers, Dro'Araaj, Urgal and Iloden in holding off the new thralls while Enthir tested his new staff. He concentrated for a moment to line up a shot while running as a green burst of energy shot from the front of the weapon. It made contact with a necromancer's torso, knocking him back several metres while on fire.

 

[Josh123914]

Joncis kicked a thrall back and got Urgal to his feet ''We're almost through this'' he told him, handing Urgal back his mace. The thralls dropped like flies with their masters and as more fell the fight began to turn ''Let's help those two over there''

Enthir threw his staff like a javelin into the torso of one of the necromancers and pulled out his sword to engage with one of the thralls that came to aid the remaining duo of necromancers. Endya ran up and yanked the staff from the belly of the corpse and smacked an incoming thrall with it. For a moment Endya felt some satisfaction of using a hand-to-hand weapon, before it was yanked out of her hands.
''Duck!'' Joncis shouted. Enthir did as instructed as the blast of light hit the remaining necromancers, sending them hurdling into the mountains. As their bodies smacked against the rockface the remaining thralls dropped to the ground.

The battle was over and the group all converged some distance away from the bodies ''Now what?'' Urgal asked impatiently. ''We need to head south, we'll never be able to reach the desert at this rate'' Enthir told them, getting to his feet. Joncis checked the supplies, food shouldn't be an issue, neither should strength of the group. ''But we have enough manpower, assuming Anruin's new friends are willing to accompany us t-'' ''Manpower? Tell me again how many of the original team from the Imperial City are still here'' Endya responded humorously. ''...five.'' he muttered ''yep, there would be a few more but two of your friends are buried under mountain rubble'' She told him bluntly.

''So where to? Shi'Gara?'' Enthir asked them. ''No. Have you seen the size of that backwater'' Endya said back knowingly. ''To the south-east is Corinthe. Dominion presence is low there and there should be more than enough sellswords to recruit from that city.''
''Then it's settled, let's get to Corinthe.'' Joncis mumbled, taking some of the bags and leading the group off.

Urgal however, didn't follow them. ''I'm not going'' he shouted over. ''This is getting too..... big for me. I now have leads on where my brother could be, also I now own a mace of Malacath's to try out. More important to me than sorting your crap out'' Enthir rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a hefty bag of gold and tossed it towards him ''Your pay.'' Enthir called over. Urgal gave a bit of a smirk before shoving it into his satchel ''Fine doing business with you''

He said, setting off to the west and towards the forests. ''At least someone here has self-preservation tendencies'' Joncis said quietly to himself, as the group headed south-east, towards the dry scrublands.

 

[Ruedyn]

Meldora and Anruin stood still, the group left without them. Aredlur sat with his knees tucked underneath his chin, slowly rocking back and forth. The two elves simply watched, silent. Nobody noticed the two collapse, Meldora saving Araaj from a sword thrust, Anruin turned into a pincushion by a necromancer and his pet archers. They acted as they normally would during the brutal final moments of combat, making sure the group survived. When it was over, they found a nice tree, lightly charred from an errant fireball. There they sat, for what seemed like hours.

Anruin broke the silence with a prayer he remembered the old Nord say, the old Attack Dog of Akatosh.
"Lord Akatosh lends you his might. When your own strength fails you, trust in the Nine."

And with this, the two products of last minute necromancy turned to ash. Areldurs' head drooped, and he began to cry in the field of his fallen brothers. He didn't feel mighty. After a long while, he got up, and moved to a small village he knew about. He wanted to go to the city of Arenthia, make sure his family was well. He lied about their position, but he had hope. They had to be alive, HAD to be.

 

[SamtheDeathclaw]

Lloden looked at the small, broken group with sad eyes. He saw Anruin crumble gently into ash, and the others make plans to head south. He strode over to the tree, and drew his silver sword. He lay the blade against his lips, and said a quiet prayer to no god in particular.
He unbuckled the sheath, place the sword back in it, and leaned it gently against the tree. His road ahead would be difficult and dark, and it make it out the other side he would need to surrender to the darkness within him. To keep such a token would be the end of him and his plots.
He blinked angrily. He had grown too attached to this group, its laughing disregard for rules, its constant flux as the group splintered smaller and smaller. The great brute, Vargmir. The vampire, Luna. The potionmaster, Dro'Araaj. Their brave leaders. And Anruin. The first he met, and the only one to stay with him the whole trip.
He turned to go, a funeral marching about his heart. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye. He hoped to meet them all again, in this life or the next.
"The gods keep you all." he whispered, slipping away from them. "The gods and the demons. I don't think even that will be enough."

And here the story of Lloden Vedas ends, for us. He slips away from his erstwhile companions to seek his own vengeance, too long in the making. Whether he ever finds his daughter or not, whether he murders his father or not, these things we do not and can not know. He makes no further marks on the history of Tamriel, this much is for certain.

 

[Josh123914]

The team followed a beaten down path through the dry scrubland. Joncis did a small head count of the group around noon. ''Iloden and Anruin aren't with us. Have they headed off with the soldiers?'' he asked. ''Anruin's dead, I thought you would have noticed he was less agile and quieter when I joined up with you'' Endya said, not even turning her head to respond. ''That's a shame, he didn't even get his pay'' Enthir told them somberly as they continued down their path,

''Well, I'll miss him at least.'' Joncis mumbled, looking back towards the mountain. So many dead.

 

[Josh123914]

2 weeks had passed before the four of them arrived at the gates of Corinthe, Joncis wiped the sweat off of his forehead and took in his surroundings before continuing with the rest of the group. ''We'll need to get some more food, I'll go get it, you three should find an inn or something.'' Enthir said, checking the now empty bag and heading for the markets.
Joncis, Dro'Araaj and Endya continued down a crowded street and reached a small inn: The Scorched Pahmer.
Joncis entered and hauled himself onto the nearest spare chair, looking up at Endya. ''Sort everything out here. Y'know, food and beds. I'm heading out to the city centre, there's bound to be some sort of system here for recruitment.'' she told him, leaving him in the inn.

 

[IFS]

Dro'Araaj wasn't in a mood to talk to others, he got himself a room and went to it. He lay on the bed, considering the losses the group had suffered, he hadn't always agreed with Anruin but he'd stuck with the group and that made him close to a friend, Lloden had been close to a friend as well, even more so given that he'd known him before all this, however briefly. He sighed and downed the last of his skooma, collapsing back on the bed, which creaked loudly, just another job, no one lives forever.

He lay on the bed, enjoying the effects of the skooma until they wore off, mourning them in is own way, he would not feel loss, they hadn't been family after all. He rested for a while longer then stood, and went to see if Joncis was back yet, it would be interesting to see who else would join them.

 

[Josh123914]

The next day, the group assembled in the downstairs of the inn. Endya brought over a few mugs of mead and then took a chair in the dimmest lit area of the inn.
''I put up the recruitment ad at the local guilds and marketplace, hopefully that should get someone's attention.'' Enthir said, sipping at his drink quietly.
''So what kind of people do you expect will join up for this 'delivery' exactly?'' Joncis asked
''With luck, anyone. The four of us can't do this alone'' Enthir responded hopefully.

 

[TheIronRuler]

They called it the Scorched Pahmer. Aremir wasn't sure he wanted to know where that name came from. Then again, it didn't bother him more than a third of a second. He tossed that thought away after reading the sign at the top of the pub's entrance. It had been a long month, and he was having trouble finding good employment. It was all enough to keep him fed and under a roof, but it wasn't enough to continue his journey eastward. That was the sad status-quo he was in, until he noticed a call to arms plastered on the town's central board. Aremir wasn't an errand-boy, but a caravan hadn't stopped through this city for more than three weeks and his impatience was getting the better of him. Against his sound judgement he decided to join said journey to Elsewhere. He was running low on good pelts, and a full set of Khajit clothing sounded interesting to try. After all, those cat people were hard to come by outside of their homeland.

He entered the inn casually in a brisk pace. the first thing he had to do was find the one offering employment and land the job before anyone else could. Y'ffre knows he could use the change of scenery.

"Bartender, I'm looking for the ones that put up a recruitment sign in the town square. I was told to be here", Aremir asked the rather bored middle aged Imperial shining glass cups. He nodded and moved his head to the side. "The group next to the corner table, four of them", he answered.

Aremir grinned in response and made his presence known to his apparent future employers.

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

 

[Josh123914]

They called it the Scorched Pahmer. Aremir wasn't sure he wanted to know where that name came from. Then again, it didn't bother him more than a third of a second. He tossed that thought away after reading the sign at the top of the pub's entrance. It had been a long month, and he was having trouble finding good employment. It was all enough to keep him fed and under a roof, but it wasn't enough to continue his journey eastward. That was the sad status-quo he was in, until he noticed a call to arms plastered on the town's central board. Aremir wasn't an errand-boy, but a caravan hadn't stopped through this city for more than three weeks and his impatience was getting the better of him. Against his sound judgement he decided to join said journey to Elsewhere. He was running low on good pelts, and a full set of Khajit clothing sounded interesting to try. After all, those cat people were hard to come by outside of their homeland.

He entered the inn casually in a brisk pace. the first thing he had to do was find the one offering employment and land the job before anyone else could. Y'ffre knows he could use the change of scenery.

"Bartender, I'm looking for the ones that put up a recruitment sign in the town square. I was told to be here", Aremir asked the rather bored middle aged Imperial shining glass cups. He nodded and moved his head to the side. "The group next to the corner table, four of them", he answered.

Aremir grinned in response and made his presence known to his apparent future employers.

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

Enthir got up from his seat slowly. ''We're in Elsweyr.... anyway, we're headed north of here to an undisclosed location in the desert. I'm Enthir'' he said, reaching out his hand. ''you interested?'' Endya asked him. Her tone seemed unfitting for an Altmer of her age and stature.

 

[TheIronRuler]

They called it the Scorched Pahmer. Aremir wasn't sure he wanted to know where that name came from. Then again, it didn't bother him more than a third of a second. He tossed that thought away after reading the sign at the top of the pub's entrance. It had been a long month, and he was having trouble finding good employment. It was all enough to keep him fed and under a roof, but it wasn't enough to continue his journey eastward. That was the sad status-quo he was in, until he noticed a call to arms plastered on the town's central board. Aremir wasn't an errand-boy, but a caravan hadn't stopped through this city for more than three weeks and his impatience was getting the better of him. Against his sound judgement he decided to join said journey to Elsewhere. He was running low on good pelts, and a full set of Khajit clothing sounded interesting to try. After all, those cat people were hard to come by outside of their homeland.

He entered the inn casually in a brisk pace. the first thing he had to do was find the one offering employment and land the job before anyone else could. Y'ffre knows he could use the change of scenery.

"Bartender, I'm looking for the ones that put up a recruitment sign in the town square. I was told to be here", Aremir asked the rather bored middle aged Imperial shining glass cups. He nodded and moved his head to the side. "The group next to the corner table, four of them", he answered.

Aremir grinned in response and made his presence known to his apparent future employers.

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

Enthir got up from his seat slowly. ''We're in Elsweyr.... anyway, we're headed north of here to an undisclosed location in the desert. I'm Enthir'' he said, reaching out his hand. ''you interested?'' Endya asked him. Her tone seemed unfitting for an Altmer of her age and stature.

Aremir raised an eyebrow at the couple. An undisclosed locations sounds like more trouble that he could handle. Who knows, could be a bunch of cannibals looking for a meal. Oh, the irony.

"I'll do anything to get me out of this town.", Aremir commented. He met Enthir's hand with a weak handshake.

 

[IFS]

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

"Its pronounced Elsweyr," Dro'Araaj said, not bothering to look up, he yawned and took another drink.

he looked up, sizing up the potential recruit, "Hmm, you should ask him the questions," he said, nodding towards Joncis, "He's the employer, this one is just an old alchemist."

 

[Josh123914]

They called it the Scorched Pahmer. Aremir wasn't sure he wanted to know where that name came from. Then again, it didn't bother him more than a third of a second. He tossed that thought away after reading the sign at the top of the pub's entrance. It had been a long month, and he was having trouble finding good employment. It was all enough to keep him fed and under a roof, but it wasn't enough to continue his journey eastward. That was the sad status-quo he was in, until he noticed a call to arms plastered on the town's central board. Aremir wasn't an errand-boy, but a caravan hadn't stopped through this city for more than three weeks and his impatience was getting the better of him. Against his sound judgement he decided to join said journey to Elsewhere. He was running low on good pelts, and a full set of Khajit clothing sounded interesting to try. After all, those cat people were hard to come by outside of their homeland.

He entered the inn casually in a brisk pace. the first thing he had to do was find the one offering employment and land the job before anyone else could. Y'ffre knows he could use the change of scenery.

"Bartender, I'm looking for the ones that put up a recruitment sign in the town square. I was told to be here", Aremir asked the rather bored middle aged Imperial shining glass cups. He nodded and moved his head to the side. "The group next to the corner table, four of them", he answered.

Aremir grinned in response and made his presence known to his apparent future employers.

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

Enthir got up from his seat slowly. ''We're in Elsweyr.... anyway, we're headed north of here to an undisclosed location in the desert. I'm Enthir'' he said, reaching out his hand. ''you interested?'' Endya asked him. Her tone seemed unfitting for an Altmer of her age and stature.

Aremir raised an eyebrow at the couple. An undisclosed locations sounds like more trouble that he could handle. Who knows, could be a bunch of cannibals looking for a meal. Oh, the irony.

"I'll do anything to get me out of this town.", Aremir commented. He met Enthir's hand with a weak handshake.

Enthir sat down and pulled over a chair ''here, have a seat'' he motioned towards it for him to sit. Joncis spoke over to the Bosmer ''There was another Wood Elf with us when we first left off. Nice fellow, a bit arrogant...... he's dead....''

 

[TheIronRuler]

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

"Its pronounced Elsweyr," Dro'Araaj said, not bothering to look up, he yawned and took another drink.

he looked up, sizing up the potential recruit, "Hmm, you should ask him the questions," he said, nodding towards Joncis, "He's the employer, this one is just an old alchemist."

Aremir laughed at the short reply from the other member of the party.

"No, I asked if the caravan is going to else where... I haven't found a ride out of this town in weeks."

"...and the fourth one yet to speak is the boss?".

 

[TheIronRuler]

They called it the Scorched Pahmer. Aremir wasn't sure he wanted to know where that name came from. Then again, it didn't bother him more than a third of a second. He tossed that thought away after reading the sign at the top of the pub's entrance. It had been a long month, and he was having trouble finding good employment. It was all enough to keep him fed and under a roof, but it wasn't enough to continue his journey eastward. That was the sad status-quo he was in, until he noticed a call to arms plastered on the town's central board. Aremir wasn't an errand-boy, but a caravan hadn't stopped through this city for more than three weeks and his impatience was getting the better of him. Against his sound judgement he decided to join said journey to Elsewhere. He was running low on good pelts, and a full set of Khajit clothing sounded interesting to try. After all, those cat people were hard to come by outside of their homeland.

He entered the inn casually in a brisk pace. the first thing he had to do was find the one offering employment and land the job before anyone else could. Y'ffre knows he could use the change of scenery.

"Bartender, I'm looking for the ones that put up a recruitment sign in the town square. I was told to be here", Aremir asked the rather bored middle aged Imperial shining glass cups. He nodded and moved his head to the side. "The group next to the corner table, four of them", he answered.

Aremir grinned in response and made his presence known to his apparent future employers.

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

Enthir got up from his seat slowly. ''We're in Elsweyr.... anyway, we're headed north of here to an undisclosed location in the desert. I'm Enthir'' he said, reaching out his hand. ''you interested?'' Endya asked him. Her tone seemed unfitting for an Altmer of her age and stature.

Aremir raised an eyebrow at the couple. An undisclosed locations sounds like more trouble that he could handle. Who knows, could be a bunch of cannibals looking for a meal. Oh, the irony.

"I'll do anything to get me out of this town.", Aremir commented. He met Enthir's hand with a weak handshake.

Enthir sat down and pulled over a chair ''here, have a seat'' he motioned towards it for him to sit. Joncis spoke over to the Bosmer ''There was another Wood Elf with us when we first left off. Nice fellow, a bit arrogant...... he's dead....''

Aremir nodded in agreement when he was shown a chair to sit in. He might have found his ticket out, and a good paycheck. But all is not certain... they could also cheat him later down the road. The Bosmer was surprised when the fourth one spoke up.

"Best Eulogy I heard of a fellow Bosmer in years", Aremir said sarcastically, "at least he returned to the earth."

 

[Josh123914]

"I came here looking for work. Are you the caravan headed to Elsewhere?".

"Its pronounced Elsweyr," Dro'Araaj said, not bothering to look up, he yawned and took another drink.

he looked up, sizing up the potential recruit, "Hmm, you should ask him the questions," he said, nodding towards Joncis, "He's the employer, this one is just an old alchemist."

Aremir laughed at the short reply from the other member of the party.

"No, I asked if the caravan is going to else where... I haven't found a ride out of this town in weeks."

"...and the fourth one yet to speak is the boss?".

The young Breton scrawled something in his diary before closing it and looking up ''Well, Co-boss. Enthir's running it and Endya sort of tagged along around the time we reached Valenwood but that was a long time ago, I threw in a bit of coin and hold the group together, which I haven't been doing very well evidently'' he said, looking around the table at the complete lack of members.

 

[IFS]

Enthir sat down and pulled over a chair ''here, have a seat'' he motioned towards it for him to sit. Joncis spoke over to the Bosmer ''There was another Wood Elf with us when we first left off. Nice fellow, a bit arrogant...... he's dead....''

"This one thinks you are doing an excellent job of building confidence, you know that?" Dro'Araaj remarked sarcastically.

Aremir laughed at the short reply from the other member of the party.

"No, I asked if the caravan is going to else where... I haven't found a ride out of this town in weeks."

"...and the fourth one yet to speak is the boss?".

"In theory at least, Dro'Araaj is never sure of the reality," he said, smiling.

 

[Josh123914]

Enthir sat down and pulled over a chair ''here, have a seat'' he motioned towards it for him to sit. Joncis spoke over to the Bosmer ''There was another Wood Elf with us when we first left off. Nice fellow, a bit arrogant...... he's dead....''

"This one thinks you are doing an excellent job of building confidence, you know that?" Dro'Araaj remarked sarcastically.

Aremir laughed at the short reply from the other member of the party.

"No, I asked if the caravan is going to else where... I haven't found a ride out of this town in weeks."

"...and the fourth one yet to speak is the boss?".

"In theory at least, Dro'Araaj is never sure of the reality," he said, smiling.

''Better than your solution at least: Stark reality with some Skooma thrown in, that stuff works different on us than it does to you!'' he retorted jokingly.

''So one extra member, this recruitment has gone well hasn't it?'' Endya mumbled in her usual sarcastic attitude. ''Honestly it will be weird if more weren't interested, Look around. Corinthe is a mecca at this point. The surrounding countryside is all but deserted at this point for safety, while for refugees from up north this is their first destination away from the warfront.'' Enthir told her

 

[TheDoctor455]

Croaker heard some voices echoing softly from the floor directly above the hidey-hole he'd set up in the inn's basement. The town had needed a physician, and he'd needed donations for his private 'blood-drive,' which he'd claimed he was collecting for an experimental potion that would cure a number of diseases. At first, the townsfolk had afforded Croaker a great deal of respect, but as time went on and he seemed no closer to managing this vunder-cure of his, the more suspicious they got. Croaker figured he had... maybe two weeks at the most before they turned on him.

Naturally, hearing voices in the inn wasn't anything new, but even at this distance, he could just make out the worry in some of the voices he'd heard. Something important was going on upstairs. Possibly a chance for a job, or at least an excuse to get out of this town before it decided to stimulate its pitchforks-and-torches industry. So Croaker slipped out of his hiding place, covered it up (making sure to pack the last stores of blood into his satchel), and climbed the stairs to see what was going on.

Once he was on the same level as the new voices, he definitely heard mention of some work that needed doing.

Even better... the newcomers were hiring.
Croaker coughed gently to get their attention.

"I understand you're in the market for hirelings?" Croaker asked, scanning the crowd for who was offering the job, "I'd like to sign on. I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm a decent archer, and I have about... fifty years of experience with the practice of battlefield medicine."