Open Trial upon the Mountain

[Khaos the Argonian]

"Be silent cat,", Felain said, S'darkiir rolled his eyes, "If it pleases the noble vampire hunter.", he walked behind them to try and help move the giant doors.

 

[Shouts-At-Dragons]

Hodlin motioned for Valund and Ulfgar to come towards the group. When Valund and Uflgar approached him a bad feeling crept throughout Hodlin. What if Valund and Ulfgar would die? There family would be devastated, losing your children and your farm. That had to be the most miserable thing to experience in your life time.

As much as Hodlin wanted for Valund and Ulfgar to live, if they were to fight here, there death was inevitable. They were totally inexperienced in combat. Hodlin would try to keep them alive as long as possible, however would a quick death be the best for them? Maybe if Hodlin made it out of here alive, he would find out who Valund and Ulfgar's parents were and would give them some of the bounty. Sadly, it would be never enough to replace two sons that would be lost forever.

Now wasn't the time to ponder about someones death though. It was a time for actions, walking over to the Argonian, Hodlin began to help open the large gate. As Hodlin was doing so, one of the members of the Argonian's group suggested that Hodlin was a bandit, and to test himself he should led the group. While assisting with the gate, Hodlin looked over at the cat.

"In all my years, I've learned a few things. One of them is to never trust a Khajiit". Throughout his career as a mercenary so far, Hodlin had quite a few bad encounters with Khajiits. The most notable one was when a Khajiit tried to steal his dead wife's amulet. Something that Hodlin would find almost impossible to forgive.

 

[Star Gazer]

(Wait... where did the screeching and the forsworn go?)
Isnar waited in the shadows, silently. "In all my years, I've learned a few things. One of them is to never trust a Khajiit" The man said. Isnar slowly crept along the mountainside, unseen. He readied his war-axe. If they're after the gold as well, the better option would be to kill us, instead of join us. There are probably more where these came from, and if they decide killing the group is a good idea, I'll be the first one to swing. Thought Isnar, about 10 feet to the side of the three men. Isnar waited until they made nice, or started killing each-other.

 

[Zij'Qua El]

((I typed they were all behind the fort's walls or up on the canyons. They all went quiet. The canyon forsworn were almost impossible to spot and the one behind the walls were... well.. behind walls. Like hell we'd see them. Read the posts.))

((I'mma wait for a bit to let some more peeps catch up. If you have any questions so far just ask and I'll answer so we don't get confused. Again))

 

[Star Gazer]

((I typed they were all behind the fort's walls or up on the canyons. They all went quiet. The canyon forsworn were almost impossible to spot and the one behind the walls were... well.. behind walls. Like hell we'd see them. Read the posts.))

((I'mma wait for a bit to let some more peeps catch up. If you have any questions so far just ask and I'll answer so we don't get confused. Again))

Since when do forsworn screech that loud?

 

[solace84]

((lol Isnar, just be patient and you will have your answer. I'm too tired to post so just assume I'm going along with everything.))

 

[Khaos the Argonian]

S'darkiir stopped trying to awkwardly open the gate, the bonds were becoming a major nuisance, he turned to face the Nord completly his cowl down, his face illuminated by the pale light diving in the snowy canyon revealing his huge canines, "Sound advice friend, something to live by, you wouldn't happen to like vampires would you? This one has been looking for some sympathy, not that it has been unpleasant with my new company, but they are not shy to the idea of killing Khajiit where he stands.". He gave the newest Nord the warmest smile in Skyrim and walked over to Isnar, "Take these stupid things off me, we have a horrible burn under these and the ropes are NOT helping.", he added quietly, "You make a move and Khajiit will support you, I trust him as far as I can throw his horse."

 

[Star Gazer]

Isnar stood, looked at the nord, and nodded. Isnar looked to the group. "Should we let him go? He did just try to feed on Wulf. I don't have a problem with him being a vampire, I have a problem with him trying to put his teeth into one of our necks." Isnar said, still unsure of whether to trust the khajiit, although his intentions seemed good.

 

[Khaos the Argonian]

"By the Twin Moons, we are out side a huge keep, we all heard that blood curdling scream, This one is actually to tired to walk, to tired to even feel my old wounds which are still very severe, do you see my right shoulder? It is utterly mangled! Khajiit has taken a GREATSWORD to it, I need to feed yes, but at this point we are becoming less and useful, I need my wounds at least partly treated and my hands free, that way when the fighting starts I can gorge then. Besides I doubt Wulf would taste good.", he scrunched up his face in mock disgust, then relaxed his face, laughed and silently pleaded.

 

[Ma'PiriThePure]

Ma'Piri steadfastly ignored the leers of the men at the suggestion of stripping, instead unsheathing her axes, giving each one a spin to show off her skill in a not-so-subtle manner, hoping they would get the hint that they would sooner get a blade between their man parts before she even took her boots off. As they exchanged words, she remained quiet, ears perked to the small noises made by her foes. Each step they made was magnified by the adrenaline in her system, her heart thudding so hard against her ribs she thought it might begin a drum beat on the inside of her breastplate.

The sheer cliffs gave way to a wide opening in the earth that housed the camp itself, and just the look of it made her fur bristle, her teeth reflexively bared as she breathed in deeply through her nose. She smelled their rotten odor, a low growl rolling over her tongue. The lack of attack made her all the more wary of the trip; perhaps this was even more dangerous than she had assumed. ''Why do you wait...?'' she said to no one, edging closer to the back of the Argonian after he had dismounted. When the unholy din rocked the very ground they stood on, she cringed, her entire body tensing from the pain of it's pitch. It was times like this when she cursed her impeccable hearing. After it had stopped, she squeezed her axes tighter, her jaw clenched so tightly she could have cracked stone in her mouth. The sudden appearance of three more fortune-seekers made her no happier, and she acknowledged their appearance with a scowl and turn of the head, instead busying herself with getting bearings. She did not even bother with the gate, since her small size wouldn't have done much either way.

It was at this time that she turned and looked to S'Dakiir and Isnar, both bickering over his bonds. She strode over, her steps shockingly silent. ''Will you two silence yourselves?!'' she hissed angrily, grabbing the vampire by the shoulder roughly to pull him closer to her. Without hesitation, she yanked his arms out so that his wrists were before her, and with her other hand, she held them steady, her grip a bit tighter than it had to be. She sliced the bindings off with her axe blade before glaring at them both. ''Now if you two will kindly stop menstruating and get to the matter at hand, I would greatly appreciate it.'' The cat turned smartly on her heel and walked back to Zij'Qua El and the rest, muttering under her breath. ''Arguing like a couple of young girls over the hand of the village blacksmith...''

''Zij'Qua El, this feels even more wrong than I feared,'' she pleaded quietly to the Argonian, her tone now frightened and soft. ''I am beginning to see why the bounty is so high; no one is coming out of there in less than three pieces. They will cleave us like cattle for the spit!'' For a rare moment, she was concerned for the life of a man, and it showed in her face more evidently than the very gate before them.

 

[Ma'PiriThePure]

[[And a special thank you for taking a pause so I could catch up D:]]

 

[Zij'Qua El]

((You are very welcome.. And to isnar's question: I don't think I said who made the screeching noise.))

Zij'Qua El looked at the khajiit who stuck so close to him and listened to her words. "They will cleave us like cattle for the spit!"
He could only offer her a frown as he spoke. "Then stay behind my shield and I will make sure that does not happen."

The argonian pushed against the giant doors that was the fortress gates. He was ready for a barrage of arrows or a swarm of lunatics to overwhelm him as soon as the door was even cracked, but nothing happened. Fully opened the courtyard was absolutely abandoned. There were signs of life everywhere but as to the actual life none could be seen.

It was quite the impressive courtyard. There were many, many tents that housed the forsworn between the group and the doors to the innards of this building. The whole encampment looked as if the population of a small city like Dawnstar could reside there and still have plenty of room.

"What in the Oblivion is this?"

((Okay! Red letter time! Here's the situation: Split up, stay together, yadda yadda, it's all good. Here are some rules while we're in the fort.
You can make up what you wish in the fort as long as it does not break the following:

1. It is an old, old fort. Nothing else. No dwemer ruins. No secret gate to oblivion. Just a fort.
2. There might be some ritualistic markings and inside the fort will be a lot of bloody rooms.
3. There will be signs of prisoners and torture and what maybe sacrifice in the deeper rooms of the fort ONLY.
4. This is occupied by the Forsworn ONLY. No falmer. No trolls. No vampires. No werewolves. Just Forsworn. This includes witches as well. No hagravens though. Yet. Hehehe.
5. The Forsworn will attack us in large numbers inside the fortress. Do with that as you wish.
6. Note: They will try to capture you alive. Maybe paralyzing arrows? Maybe traps? Make it up!
7. IF you RP that you were caught you will be locked in a dark room with absolutely no light. That's it.

Okay that's all. We should be good from here on out!))

 

[Khaos the Argonian]

((OOC I'm going to be out most of the day, and moble posting SUCKSS so I may be out for a while, just imagine S'darkiir saying something smart are grinning like a jackass :]))

S'darkiir rubbed his burn, it was actually getting slightly better, he trotted over to Zij'Qua El's horse and retrieved his satchel. He took out a potent healing potion and downed it and watched as it miraculously but slowly brought fur back to his burnt arm, and mended his shoulder. He shrugged, only a slight soreness, Good, S'darkiir might actually make it through the day!, the pleasant thought brought a smile to his, face. Then the gates opened. He snatched out his Dragonbone Dagger and flipped it in his right hand then spun it in his palm. His left hand was empty, ready to grapple, claw, or punch with the spikes on his Stormcloak bracer. "What in Oblivion...", he said in unison with the Argonian, the courtyard was enormous, the place was at least twice the size Morthal. The strange thing was that there was sings of recent occupation, dishes were scattered here and there, food was strangely in abundance, there were even a few going fires, but of the forsworn who resided there were gone. "S'darkiir smells a trap.", he winced at the accidental use of his name, By Azurah! What is happening to me!, we hoped it went unnoticed, kept his head down and pulled up his hood. He sauntered in and picked up a bloody piece of meet and suckled it, drawing what sanguine sustenance he could, it would do him little good, only the blood of sentient creature could feed him.

 

[Star Gazer]

"The khajiit may be right, we may be walking into something we can't get out of. Our best bet is to split up. The halls are narrow, and will only fit one person at a time, and seeing that this place is so huge, the only way we will be able to clear it all, is if we explore separately." Isnar said. "Meet up here in about an hour, so we can tell if anyone's been captured. I think it would be a good idea to tell everyone where we are going, so they can find us if we get lost or taken by those savages. I'll be going into that door, there." The old man said, pointing to a door over to the east.

 

[Khaos the Argonian]

The khajiit shook his head vehemently, "That is a bad idea. We should stay together, splitting up is asking for trouble, if there are forsworn that is one thing, but if not, we should stay together to face whatever may lurk inside, besides we are all going on assumptions, we have no idea what will happen till we step inside, and then it will be too late. This one believes we should act as unit yes?"

 

[Ma'PiriThePure]

"What in the Oblivion is this?"
''...the only way we will be able to clear it all, is if we explore separately."
''This one believes we should act as unit yes?"

Ma'Piri slid up close behind Zij'Qua El, her nerves slightly calmed by the closeness of his body. ''Perhaps in teams?'' she said quietly, ''That way we can cover more ground without going on a suicide mission.'' The smell of excrement, charred meat, and burnt hair made her nose sting. ''I will fight by your side old man, but not throw myself on a Forsworn's blade to die alone.'' The eerie silence and emptiness of the place made her all the more wary of entering, but she edged to the side of the Argonian and stuck her neck out a bit in an effort to see more inside. Her ears strained to pick up the faintest noise, but were met only with the sound of smoldering fires and the wind playing with the leather of the tents. ''Khajiit, what do your ears hear?'' she asked S'Dakiir, ''Mine have fallen onto silence. A most... disarming silence.'' A log collapsing and crackling into it's flames made her dart behind Zij'Qua's shield, expecting for a hail of arrows to stick her any moment.

 

[Star Gazer]

''I will fight by your side old man." Said Ma'Piri. The old man knew this wouldn't work. "Go with someone else. Once I pick up some of the forsworn garb, I will blend right in. I am a breton, you know. Posing as a forsworn shaman will be easy if I go alone. I promise I'll come back in one piece." Said Isnar.

 

[Zij'Qua El]

The argonian listened to all of their opinions but settled on the team idea. With the khajiit so close to him he couldn't help but raise his shield in an odd sense to protect her more than him. However no arrows met his shield and the tenseness of the situation was a little dampened for him.

"Ma'Piri, will you come with me? The rest of you gather in teams of two. And be very careful. Meet back at the courtyard within the hour." The argonian moved forward, straight towards the main fortress doors. He passed three other doors; One adjacent to the left wall, one on a building in the corner of the fortress, and one that went down beneath the fort against the wall. That one seemed the most likely to be a dungeon.


((WOOOO! Early b-day present from my family cross-country! YAY :3))

 

[Khaos the Argonian]

((I'm back))

S'darkiir's eyes were closed in concentration. He shooshed them and focused his hearing, "Stop! Khajiit can hear...Shuffling? Yes, movement, much in fact, I might have been wrong earlier, there might actually be many Forsworn, be ready to be attacked en masse. If you truly think going in teams is best so be it, I will go with whoever wish this one's presence. But I am warning you the moment you open that door all Oblivion will break out. If Isnar is going to go incognito this one should follow him, but stay to the shadows lest anything happen."

 

[Star Gazer]

Isnar nodded at S'darkiir. The khajiit had finally said something that made sense to the old man. "Alright. Keep invisible, and make sure you don't get caught." Isnar said. The old man waved a hand to the khajiit, motioning for him to follow into the door.