(M) Voyage of the Storm Breaker (P)

[Imperial1917]

Tabitha watched as Isus nodded to the Lord-Captain's words. What the Templar thought though, was harder to tell. He gave away nothing aside from his wariness of involving the ice witch in any endeavor. Clearly, that one had touched a nerve. This would have to be resolved eventually and she wondered what the Lord-Captain intended to do about that.

Still, there was no reason to stick around here. "By your leave, Captain," she said, "I will go to the city to begin the inquiries immediately. After he indicated his assent, the Breton woman nodded to Isus and shot the witch a delighted look before disappearing out the door into the night after Aizak's retreating back. It would be a long night. Longer for the Argonian if he kept drawing attention to himself.

[SikstaSlathalin]

*GM Mover*


Allester watched as the groups divided up amongst themselves. He and Isus would be alone for their part Tabithia made it clear she wanted to go off on her own so he would let her go for now, but nodded for Graesin to follow her, no one should go out into this mess alone.
The other groups were divided up as well as they could. Volare would be joined by Stark and Khinada. Urzul would be joined by Hithnu and Swims-Swifter. Everyone else was on guard duty and the Captain made sure it was burned into their minds how important this mission was before departing with Isus and leaving Miri in charge of the ship.

Allester and Isus

The two men walked from the ship in silence. They were past the docks before Allester spoke.
"I will follow your lead this this meeting Isus, you know these people better than I do."


Volare, Stark, and Khinada

The three Mercs kept their eyes and ears open as they followed the directions the Resistance's Leader gave Volare. They had just entered that dark eerie part of time when the Snow Elf spoke quietly to his two companions.
"Ok we should be getting close, keep alert but don't draw until we know we're under attack. I'll do the talking if we come across anyone."


Urzul, Hithnu, and Swims

Following Urzul and his fellow Argonian Swims was dressed in black leather armor with black painted daggers across his lower back. It was an unidentified bit of armor from his days in the Brotherhood, but only the Captain knew of his past so hopefully the others would just see it as it is.
"So Mistress Urzul, where are your contacts?" He asked looking all around him.

[Imperial1917]

Tabitha's path to the city took some time. The mighty bulwarks of the Knight Order's fortress were closed to most during the day and certainly even less welcoming during the wee hours. Even with the royal processions and the nobles having passed, the air still retained its air of tension, that same feel of a man watching shadows dance. The fact that a vessel carrying one Templar, one Lord-Captain of Skyrim, and a whole lot of what seemed to be little more than well-dressed mercenaries still buoyed the lapping moonlit waves in their very own harbor could not have helped matters.

None of it bothered Tabitha as she made her way to the city of Daggerfall, a cluster of torchlight radiating from behind high walls. Whether it was because the sentries had been ordered to let the crew come and go as they please or simply that the sentries couldn't be bothered to raise an alarm for someone leaving, she had no difficulty in her departure. Having traded in the feast dress for her black Netch armor, she moved much faster than the armored sentries. A soft tread, a run, a jump, and she was beyond the walls. Of course, the way down into the deep moat would have ended such an escape rather quickly where one was not careful. But Tabitha was very, very careful.

Sliding from one invisible handhold to the next in the darkness, she only thought to wonder whether the trailing Bosmer the Lord-Captain had set to tail her could do the same when she reached the empty plateau before the high fortress walls.

The walls of Daggerfall, seemingly an eternity away from the fortress, were likewise closed during the night. Of course, they were likewise no obstacle, even less so in fact. The guards here were fat and lazy and drowsy at this hour; no Knights stood behind them barking orders. It may have taken an army pounding at the city gates to rouse them, which she figured is what the great bells and horns at each tower were for. For now though, the sleepy-eyed guards saw nothing, not even once she had slipped onto the streets and into the dark underbelly of the city.

Now to see about assassins in the night.

[StormWolf]

Games of shadow and deceit never settled well with Starkad. He never had the patience for such things, and his stature made elements of stealth problematic. It was difficult for him to blend into a crowd, not to mention become one with the dark corners of a city. The Dark Brotherhood had used such a play against the crew of the Storm Breaker and now a brother and sister in arms had gone missing. Starkad treated it just like he would have in back in his Stormcloak days; he took up arms and prepared for a fight.

Now standing some dingy Daggerfall street without any considerable armor besides his gauntlets, Starkad cursed his brash nature. He had yet to replace the breastplate that the undead werewolf had sundered, leaving Starkad rather exposed in a simple tunic and leather vest with a heavy cloak of coarse wool pulled around him for the sake of anonymity.

"This is a hovel of ill-contents, elf." Starkad said in a low tone, his voice like the growling of some beast. "If someone does not alter path from you within five paces, they mean to take your purse, your virtues, or your life. Do not give them the chance or opportunity." he said, hands resting on the pommel of his greatsword, which hung sheathed on his left hip. It was a casual, but aggressive display that Starkad often employed in such places. Skyrim was not without her slums and bandit hideouts. Puffing up to look like the meanest bear in the woods could diffuse many hostile situations, and even prevent potential fights from ever starting.

[Rayne7]

Graesin followed from a distance, thankful for the dark colors of his armor and cloak as he slipped from one shadow to the next. The woman did the same ahead of him, and when she slipped past the guards he waited a moment before pursuing. Once going down the other side of the wall, he found the usefulness of the ring that allowed him to see in the dark when he was able to see the female imperial as she once again slipped into the streets. Her path was an interesting one, if lengthy. Where are you leading me? he wondered.

As he turned, a man in clothes as dark as his bumped into him, then started to move past before Graesin's hand caught his wrist, the money pouch the thief had attempted to take brought to sight. A strike to the temple knocked the would-be thief out cold, and the Bosmer turned to see the woman as she turned again.

A running start had him scale the side of the building she'd passed, and once on the roof he decided that would be the best way to follow.

[MarchingThunder]

The initial confrontation with the assassins had been entertaining, fun even. The opportunity to let blood after a fine dinner was something that brought her back to her first days with the Companions. As Magazzo dispatched their fellow revelers to go and fetch the Captain, Micaiah had drawn her blade and slashed open the gut of one of the assassins, only for another that had slipped behind her to yank and heavy canvas bag over her head. She pivoted, coming around to slash her blade through the attacker when a heavy blow crashed into the back of her head, sending her mind spinning with a grunt of pain on her part as she toppled to the floor. As the darkness claimed her, she vaguely felt something break the skin of her neck before something that burned entered her veins.

~~||~~

Consciousness came slowly after some unknown amount of time, something that caused a wild, animalistic growl to rumble in Micaiah's throat as she tried to right herself from her position on the ground, a bag still over her head as she opened her eyes. Her thoughts were sluggish, probably from something their abductors had injected her with as she groaned, pulling at the rope that secured her hands and feet.

"Magazzo...You there?" she asked roughly, her tongue feeling thick as she spoke.

[Imperial1917]

In the darkness of an alleyway far removed from the main streets, Tabitha came to a halt. Straightening, she raised her eyes up towards the heavens. The moon was full tonight and, to her mind, showed a hue of red to it, though it may have just been her imagination. She breathed in deeply, tasting of the air and savoring it.

Getting involved with Isus was beginning to prove complicated. Then again, things always were with the man. Templars varied, but the Knightly Orders emphasized an asceticism that she suspected they filled with plotting. Isus was little different in that perspective. Raising her hand, she toyed with the ring on her finger, the weight of the one suspended on its chain between her breasts like a ship’s anchor. Yes, he had always been a difficult man.

In a moment, she was off again. The alleyways here were not as familiar as back home, wherever that was, but they shared an important quality; they provided the shadows she needed. Most people knew that dangerous things went bump in the dark. Others were more assured, knowing that ninety-nine percent of the time, there was nothing to worry about. The other one percent was the difference between life and a very messy death.

To a casual passerby in the daylight, these backways were so fraught with danger that they hurried through without paying much attention. Even the more assured went cautiously and scanned for movement so diligently that they missed the more obvious markers. The old stories always made them so easy for the adventurers to find. One time, they might have been, but networks learn things as much as their counterparts. Tabitha knew the signs, of course. She had taught a great many of them, after all.

Slipping down deserted corridor after deserted corridor, she finally found what she was looking for. It was a drain, of course, because what better place to put the entrance. Dropping to one knee, she lifted the lid and slipped into the darkness below.

Now about that elf…

[SikstaSlathalin]

The first thing that returned was the Khajiit's hearing. He heard the sounds of water dripping somewhere, and the breathing of his cellmate who he hoped was Micaiah other than that is was silence though. Next to return was the sensation of feeling, the room was cold and damp, and he was chained to the wall, there was also a blindfold around his eyes. It was then the Nord woman awoke in a burst of rage, judging by the muffled sound of her voice, she had a bag over her head. Curious how they did that to her, but not him.

Groaning softly the big warrior responded testing the chains holding him.
"Yes Magazo is here, are you hurt?"

[StormyNyte]

Khinada’s tail twitched with unease as the trio made their way through the street with a slow and careful deliberation. It was not the first time that the Khajiit female had found herself in such a place and the all too familiar knowledge of what dangers likely lurked here was enough to keep her large, golden eyes keen as a hawks. Keeping stride with the others, her dark lips pulled back in a smile as she stifled a quiet laugh in spite of herself as Starkad growled his displeasured warning. “If one does not alter their path from either of you, then they have a wish to meet their gods this night.”

The Khajiit was in a strange mood over the whole situation. It was pleasant enough to go on serious mission with her ferociously loyal Ice Wolf, but this was also the first time she had any real need to work closely with one of the Falmer, and though they had spent many days and nights aboard the Storm Breaker together they remained a mysterious novelty to her. She had her own dealings with their cursed kin back in Skyrim, but it was still a shock of amazement to actually witness what they truly were before their fall.

Before she could speak again, her feline ears twisted back, perked to movement by the faintest scuff of a leather boot on stone. Frowning, her slender hands fell gracefully idle by her dagger hilts. Her voice was barely audible as she did this. “Do not show alarm, but Khinada senses that we are being followed…”

[SikstaSlathalin]

*GM COMPLETION POST*

As the stalwart crew of the Storm Breaker were sent out into the dark and dangerous streets of Daggerfall, shadowy daggers and deadly intents were moving against them. All was not as nice and pure amongst the Knights of the Dragon as the crew was lead to believe. It seems not all great and noble knights were immune to the sins of mortal life. But with their intent laid out before them and trust being placed in the wisdom of their Captain they moved forth to the end of their mission freeing their captured crew, getting to the bottom of the trouble plaguing the royals, and eventually returning their original mission of mapping out Tamriel.

But failure will always follow in the wake of greatness, looking for some poor soul to pull from the path of discovery and drown them in the waters their own ignorance had created. Will they succeed in their endeavors? Will the prisoners be freed and the Monarchs be allowed to live their lives without fear of an untimely death? Will the same crew reach Hammerfall that docked in Daggerfall? Will any of them? even been seen again?

Stay tuned and find out! Maybe even join our charter and live a life of thrill, adventure, and great fortune!