The Evrensel Conflict: Act 1 -- Chapter 1, Mission 1: Jaws of Oblivion

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Scout
Location: The imperial city Docks
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Scout listened to Hei’s suggestion about the bloated float. It would be an issue if another person came up and began to mess with Layyel. Scout didn’t expect him to really be violent if it happened again seeing as how he reacted with the last one, but she certainly didn’t want the giant to get hurt. “I can go in and you can stay outside with him, despite how I look I’ve seen quite a bit of ehm… the unpleasant side of the world…” Scout said. “Anyway, let’s get going,” she said, turning and heading the direction of the inn.
 
Arena:

"The Bloodworks. It's where all the arena combatants train for their matches and organize the fights." The Elf explained. "If you are interested in being a combatant, you're more than welcome to go down. Though fair warning, the fighters don't take kindly to strangers right off the bat, especially Owyn, the Blademaster, the man you'll want to talk to. If he doesn't see you as fighter material, you're always welcome to watch and take bets. That's my job, you see." He even patted the wooden chest between both doorways where the gold for all bets are stored.
- Artis Solum, Twilight Warrior - Arena -

"Ahh, so that's the way to the Arena itself?" Artis's curiosity was peaked, as was his desire to compete, though he reckoned that the standards of another world's arena would be different to the Struggle tournaments he had participated in in the past, namely by its name; The Bloodworks, which implied something rather more brutal awaited him. The Blademaster in particular sounded like a ferocious character and their attitude toward new blood made sense, an unproven warrior has little respect after all.

A smirk then crept across Artis's face as he looked back in the direction of the door to the Bloodworks. "Well, never let it be said that I'm one to balk in the face of danger. I'll prove myself to the Blademaster, one way or another." Artis spoke with an apparent confidence, though he was a tad nervous on the inside as he strode back to the doors he was warned about. Resting his hands upon them, he would face the Wood Elf once more and utter: "Wish me luck." before throwing them open and heading downstairs.

@Wade Von Doom
 
Hei
At the Docks, heading to the Bloated Float Inn with Scout and Layyel


"Sounds like a plan." He said rather plainly. Walking alongside her, keeping an eye out for anymore groups that'd look like they'd be a problem. Hei would lean against the wall of the outside of the inn, taking position near Layyel once the giant picked a spot to settle. Before Scout entered, he'd mention to her. "Just yell Two-Zero-One if things go south, Layyel and I will provide back up if needed."

@Wiggin @BazusoTheGrey
 
Tsunade- Character Sheet

"A pleasure, ma'am. Forgive my tone a moment ago, I wasn't expecting visitors. Especially one as highly regarded as Cadorna."
“Lunch sounds fine. The food on the ship and the TARDIS is fine and all, but a sit down with real cooked food sounds great.” Tsunade agrees to lunch after this business is done. Assuming it could be done in a day. They’d find time anyway. The woman keeps quiet as they keep walking. Looking up at the high tower and wondering how many prisoners it holds before they enter the offices and come to the Captain. Tsunade is a stoic witness to the Captain’s outburst. She was surprised the prison district was as calm as it is. Maybe news was being kept from the prisoners and others.

“You’re forgiven, and in luck. We’re here to help.” Tsunade nods and moves on to the pressing matter. “I think it would be best if we started by questioning those closest to the Emperor. His guards, retainers, advisors.” Tsunade knew too well how nefarious and dangerous people kept themselves close to the highest seat.
 
As Layyel continued to look across the vast plane of water, he found himself drifting off into a deep trance of appreciation and enjoyment, ignoring the entirety of the world around him. Indeed, his trance was only broken several moments after something bonked the side of his helmet. Even then, he only noticed the fact when he rubbed his helmet in thought and felt that there was a slight bump on it. The introduction of something new to think about caused him to sit up, glance around and finally notice the fact that his two tiny friends were walking up to some... floaty building?

Surging to his feet, Layye found himself striding toward the two tinies with purpose.

A building that could float on super big puddles?

That sounded like a heck of a lot of fun to ride on.

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As soon as the tiny Tiny walked into the floaty building, Layyel did his best imitation of a sneaky crouch, and tried to climb on top of the building without getting noticed. He must've been pretty bad it because the taller Tiny almost immediately turned around and looked at him.
 
LAKE:

It's hard to believe what Talon was saying about him, but she knew about Jauffrey, she had fought those strange assassins in the sewers, the evidence showed she wasn't insane. Or at least, completely insane. He quickly swiped the amulet out of her hands, then looked to Corvo as he promised his blade to him. "I don't know you. Any of you." He stubbornly told the both of them.

"I'm leaving this island and running for the border of Skyrim. If you say I'm fated to save this pathetic empire, then you're either delusional or a liar, and this... thing!" He raised the amulet to her face, almost shoving it against her snout. "Is but a pathetic old man's piece of jewelry! It's no more important than a blade of grass in a field. The only reason I'm even still carrying it and didn't throw it into the drainage was because I might catch a good price if anyone thinks it's the best forgery in the world." No one was going to believe this thing was the real deal anyway.

"Then if you truly wish to be rid of this fate, hand it to us." Jin offered, putting his hand up next to Talon's arm for Shakira to place the amulet on.

"For what? You to sell it off for yourselves?" Shakira asked, aggravated.

"If you believe that what she tells you is not your fate, then let us do it for you. We don't know how we arrived here, or how to return to our homes, but perhaps we're here to finish what you intend not to." Jin explained. "You leave this place, we follow Talon's lead, and we stop whoever this 'Mehrunes' is. And hopefully return home once we've finished." It was the only lead they had at this point to figuring out what was going on.

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MARKET:

"Oh, thank you, miss!" Ralsa expressed, with a big smile of relief on her face. "You're to meet him at Seridur's house which is located in the Temple District. He said all would be explained when Ser Cadorna got there. It's all he said to me. I'll be happy to lead you there, since you're new to the city, come, come!" She waved Alistia to follow.

The walk would be a short one, just ten minutes, and Alistia would see more of the city's impressive architecture. Especially once in the Temple district, where she would find a massive round building in the center.

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The house was in one of the back alleys towards the massive wall protecting the city, just besides a small well. "Here we are," Ralsa told her, "just head inside and tell him you're a friend of Ser Cadorna's. He's very friendly, so don't be nervous. Thank you again." She smiled to Alistia, before heading off back to her own home.

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BLOATED FLOAT:

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When Scout went inside, she'd find there was only two guards at the bar, casually talking amongst each other with drinks in hand, and a woman in the back wearing leather armor, reading a journal while feasting on an apple. There were two men behind the bar, one an orc, the other a high elf. The orc was taking stock, checking how many bottles of wine was stacked, while the Elf quickly saw Scout and greeted here warmly.

"Well met!" He said first, "Welcome to the Bloated Float. She's the finest inn on the water in all Cyrodiil. What can I help you with?" He then asked, before loud banging on the roof above them interrupted Scout's reply. "What the--" The Elf muttered, as the ship rock to the side slightly. Both guards nearly fell over each other on their stools, with one quickly getting out of his seat. "I'll go check!" He told everyone, grabbing his helmet off the bar to put on.

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ARENA BLOODWORKS:

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The place was cramped. There were punching bags around the corner, small bays of hay that were used for target practice, wooden planks that were worn and cut from sword strikes, and wood dummies with small smiley faces painted. It was also crowded, as every piece of training equipment was in use by men and women in blue arena armor, except for the grey skinned orc in the back, who's armor was the most striking looking of them all. Shining light grey with blood red. In one of the rooms, there were sleeping bags for fighters to nap on, along with weapons racks for swords, maces, axes, and bows.

The smell as well, a mixture of sweat and dried blood, certainly would overflow Artis' senses. Being underground, this place probably didn't aired out too much. It certainly was a Bloodworks. Before Artis could even talk to anyone, a Redguard suddenly appeared in front of him, wearing iron armor, and an aggravated look on his face. "I don't know who you are, friend, but you've got about.... ten seconds to tell me what you're doing in my Bloodworks before I lop your arms off." He told Artis, ending the sentence with a exuberance in his voice like he looked forward to brutally delimbing him.

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PRISON:

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid." Lex told Tsunade. "They're all dead."

"What?" Callintus interjected with confusion.

"The Emperor's personal guards, his sons, their retainers, they're all dead. We only got the reports minutes ago, but anyone who could have been close enough to conduct these assassinations were also quickly killed along with the entire Septim bloodline!" Lex explained with worry in his voice. "As for his advisors, we've sent guards to their locations to gather them for interrogations, but even if they were all culprits, this runs deeper than that. They knew secret emergency tunnels under the city for when evacuating the emperor, they knew the schedules of guard posts, they knew where his sons hideouts were, they knew everything! The entire Septim security protocol system was compromised!"

"That.... That's impossible! That would take years, decades even to research, and even then, only a select few would know this! Not even I knew about them!" Callintus was in complete shock. The amount of planning that went into this showed this wasn't a fluke.

"And who does is now dead, or may be soon if we don't find them. All I can say about whoever did this is they wore red robes, and used some sort of conjuration to summon a strange type of armor I have never seen before. Their robes also had this symbol." Lex pulled out a piece of paper from his suit pocket, showing it to both Callintus and Tsunade.

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"I don't recognize it." Callintus mentioned, studying it.

"None of us do. We're contacting the Mages Guild and Imperial Palace Library. We'll see if they know anything about it. But for the moment, we're as blind as bats." Callintus was deep in thought, trying to decide what to do next, but Lex spoke up again. "I can't stay I'm afraid, I'll be needed by the waterfront. If anyone could be a culprit in this, it may just be the Grey Fox."

"Oh, come now Lex, you truly believe the Thieves Guild would involve themselves in this?" Callintus questioned, highly doubting such a decision.

"We cannot be sure anymore. I've heard rumors that the Fox has been planning something big for a while now, and this may just be it, or one part of a grander plot! If nothing else, my men will need the moral support to keep the waterfront citizens in order should things turn sour. I can only imagine what the reaction will be as news continues to spread through the country." Lex explained. "If you wish to keep yourself involved in the city, speak with Itius Hayn. He's one of the newer Imperial Watch Captains."

"I don't recognize the name." Callintus admitted.

"He was a lieutenant in the Elven Markets District. Strong sense of loyalty to the empire, but not too bright. He's your type for sure, Callintus." Lex joked, for which Callintus chuckled back.

"I'm sure we'll get along just fine then." Callintus then hugged Lex, who hugged back. "Good to see you again, my friend."

"You as well, Cadorna." Lex said once they broke away. "Stay safe." Was the last thing he said, before parting the two and making his way to the exit.

"Ahhh, Lex. Stubborn as he can be, you'll never find a man more devoted to the law than him. Rubs people the wrong way, but I believe it's misguided passion than true contempt for his peers." He remarked to Tsunade, before looking down to the paper with the symbol. "We could try our hand at researching this symbol. Or we try finding Hayn. Which do you prefer?" He asked her.

 
LAKE:

It's hard to believe what Talon was saying about him, but she knew about Jauffrey, she had fought those strange assassins in the sewers, the evidence showed she wasn't insane. Or at least, completely insane. He quickly swiped the amulet out of her hands, then looked to Corvo as he promised his blade to him. "I don't know you. Any of you." He stubbornly told the both of them.

"I'm leaving this island and running for the border of Skyrim. If you say I'm fated to save this pathetic empire, then you're either delusional or a liar, and this... thing!" He raised the amulet to her face, almost shoving it against her snout. "Is but a pathetic old man's piece of jewelry! It's no more important than a blade of grass in a field. The only reason I'm even still carrying it and didn't throw it into the drainage was because I might catch a good price if anyone thinks it's the best forgery in the world." No one was going to believe this thing was the real deal anyway.

"Then if you truly wish to be rid of this fate, hand it to us." Jin offered, putting his hand up next to Talon's arm for Shakira to place the amulet on.

"For what? You to sell it off for yourselves?" Shakira asked, aggravated.

"If you believe that what she tells you is not your fate, then let us do it for you. We don't know how we arrived here, or how to return to our homes, but perhaps we're here to finish what you intend not to." Jin explained. "You leave this place, we follow Talon's lead, and we stop whoever this 'Mehrunes' is. And hopefully return home once we've finished." It was the only lead they had at this point to figuring out what was going on.
Talon
Imperial City - Lake Rumare


Anger flashed in Talon's eyes, a snarl on her face as she grabbed hold of the Argonian's collar, lifting him high into the air with one hand. Her form started to shift, and soon, a very furious Tsaesci stood where the Blade once was.

"You DARE?!" She shouts, lips dragged back to expose rows of sharp teeth. "You dare question my honor?! You would desecrate the Amulet of Kings for your petty greed?!"

Her hand had returned to the hilt of her sword, clenching it hard enough the leather creaked. She was just shy of cutting off his head before her mind returned.

"Had I known you were a coward, I would have allowed those assassins to kill you," She hissed, grabbing hold of the priceless artifact and wrenching it out of his hands. "Perhaps I should kill you now and take your place, so that history remains unchanged."

Her face shifted into a facsimile of Shakira. It wasn't perfect, but no one would know the difference when he hadn't even made a name for himself.
 
- Artis Solum, Twilight Warrior - Bloodworks Arena -

The Bloodworks was much dingier and musty than Artis anticipated, yet it lined up with that he had seen of the City thus far, he was just hoping it had a bit more space. It was quite occupied, with many prospective fighters and grizzled veterans brushing up on their skills, managing their weapons and armour and mulling around in their own sweat which perforated the room with its stench. Artis would briefly pinch his nose, releasing it quickly after he saw the strikingly armoured Orc in the distance. Perhaps he was the champion? Or just the strongest challenger? He was eager to find out.

Before he could satisfy his curiosity however, a rather perturbed man in armour cut him off and gave an ultimatum: Ten seconds for Artis to explain himself lest he be relieved of his arms by the menacing and surprisingly eager Redguard. Artis could not deny his fear as the man loomed over him, but he would swallow it down and look him dead in the eye as he spoke:

"I-I heard this was the Bloodworks Arena, where warriors are made. I'm here to join, to fight!" He would speak, an initial hesitance born of his initial fear giving way to his prior excitement as his remaining words came out loud and clear for the Redguard to hear.

@Wade Von Doom
 
Hei
Outside the Bloated Inn with Layyel


As Hei waited for anything from Scout, be it a confirmation on important information, or a cry for help so the Contractor and Giant could rush in and rip apart any assailants.

However, when Layyel leaned on the Inn's roof, causing the building to shift from the Giant's weight. Which would no doubt cause the owners of the Inn to come rushing out to see what was the source of the disturbance. 'Layyel get down!' He practically gestured as Hei heard the approaching footsteps of someone coming out of the Inn. Hei's plan was at least convincing the Innkeepers that Layyel had been chasing a bird or something and had accidentally killed by slapping it on the roof.

But part of him got ready for a potential scuffle to break out..

@BazusoTheGrey @Wade Von Doom @Wiggin
 
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Scout
Location: The imperial city Docks
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Upon entering the boat/bar fittingly dubbed the “bloated float,” Scout was met with a small dining room of sorts for guests to drink in. Three tables were set up with plates and silverware to eat if desired, and overall the area had a very cozy feel to it despite it being the main hangout of the undesirables of the city. Scout went about scanning the room, hoping to see any people of interest. The orc was the first to catch her eye, with his green skin and protruding lower jaw. The second was the high elf who walked up to her casually. Scout almost took out her staff to bash the woman across the face out of instinct, but was promptly interrupted by the loud banging on the roof. The two guards, alarmed, headed outside with their helms and tried to calm the few people that were in the room. Scout assumed it was layyel due to him being the largest creature in proximity to the bloated float. “I’m sure it’s fine, those guards will take care of it,” Scout said to the woman. She towered over him with her height, not just because Scout was small, but because the woman was abnormally larger than the average human. Scout would have patted her on the shoulder to calm her if not for the fact she wouldn’t be able to casually reach it. “Anyway, what type of alcohol do you serve here? I’m a little foreign so I’m quite unfamiliar with the drinks here,” Scout said, chuckling softly. She settled into a bar stool and waited for other people to enter the bar who also stood out. “What type of people come around here by the way?” She asked after a few moments.
 


Tsunade only narrows her eyes when it is revealed to her those closest to the sovereign ruler were dead, or presumed dead. She is silent as Lex and Callintus talk, but she still listens and thinks. A conspiracy, possibly years in the making. Knew all relevant intel to have committed this assassination. An ability to summon an unfamiliar kind of armor. A symbol that when she sees it, Tsunade is no closer than Callintus to an answer. For the duration of their interaction, Tsunade is contemplative. Until he poses a question to her.

“It’s the sun. Either the dawn of a new day and age, or the twilight of an old. I don’t think we should spend any time on researching symbols.” She shakes her head slowly.

“No, we should stay involved in what’s going on now. Whoever did this, they are not done fighting under whatever that symbol means.” Tsunade tells Callintus, then adds. “Let’s find Hayn, and maybe in his need for our assistance we can find the killer.”
 
As he got off the boat and squatted down next to the strict tiny, Layyel realized that he probably should have waited to be alone before he tried climbing onto the floating house... he also realized that tinies don't like it when biggies climb on top of houses, for some strange reason.

In hindsight that should probably have been obvious. Tinies didn't like it when he climbed on top of regular houses, why would floaty ones be any different?

A frustrated sigh of air escaped him, which had apparently spooked some new tiny that was standing next to the strict one. As Layyel refocused on reality, he realized that the new tiny argued with Layyel's Tiny about birds being on a thingy called a bote or something. Layyel scratched his helmet at this, before he stopped when he realized that his hands were bloody with some random meat-stuffs. Slowly, Layyel also realized that he actually did slap some birds while trying to climb the house.

After a couple of seconds of contemplation, Layyel shrugged and slotted the meat into his helmet, letting the wormies in his skin eat something new while he continued to watch the two arguing tinies.
 
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Corvo Attano

"I don't believe that's wise," Corvo answered, finally cutting into the conversation. He stepped between Talon and Shakira, gently using his hands to separate them. "If what you're saying is true, and this person is a destined hero whose deeds became a matter of history, then our interference is irrelevant. In time, he would have decided to follow the right path, and it is, also, perhaps our interference that threw that history off-course."

Corvo has dealt with the Outsider's bullshit for a long time, but never in this manner. There were never shapeshifting lizardmen or travel back in time, before. It seemed like he would be forced to be the voice of reason and grounding for once.

He wanted, badly, to reach into his pocket inconspicuously and ask the Heart for advice. But this seemed like the kind of situation he ought to resolve on his own. Even if this wasn't Dunwall, Corvo believed he'd been placed here for a reason that was external to the Outsider's whim.

He addressed Shakira, this time, turning to the Argonian, "If you believe the amulet's unimportant, why are you being chased by assassins? The reason meaningless items have value is that we put a value on them, and from what I understand from this conversation, this amulet has some kind of mystical or religious significance on top of that. Even if we ignored the fact that it's important to, well, saving this land? You'd be chased without end, both by the local authorities and the assassins. You'd be unimportant, relative to the amulet. No one would hesitate to kill you, and we wouldn't be present to aid you."

"So, your options are twofold: Leave this amulet with us, and depart," Corvo started, gesturing at the lands beyond the lake ahead. Corvo moved his hand, placing it on his chest. "Or come with us, as its bearer, and we put history into order. It's your choice. Even if you depart, however, there are no guarantees people won't chase you. There's no one alive to report the amulet changed hands. You'd be safer with us - but, again, your choice."
 
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- Artis Solum, Twilight Warrior - Bloodworks Arena -

The Bloodworks was much dingier and musty than Artis anticipated, yet it lined up with that he had seen of the City thus far, he was just hoping it had a bit more space. It was quite occupied, with many prospective fighters and grizzled veterans brushing up on their skills, managing their weapons and armour and mulling around in their own sweat which perforated the room with its stench. Artis would briefly pinch his nose, releasing it quickly after he saw the strikingly armoured Orc in the distance. Perhaps he was the champion? Or just the strongest challenger? He was eager to find out.

Before he could satisfy his curiosity however, a rather perturbed man in armour cut him off and gave an ultimatum: Ten seconds for Artis to explain himself lest he be relieved of his arms by the menacing and surprisingly eager Redguard. Artis could not deny his fear as the man loomed over him, but he would swallow it down and look him dead in the eye as he spoke:

"I-I heard this was the Bloodworks Arena, where warriors are made. I'm here to join, to fight!" He would speak, an initial hesitance born of his initial fear giving way to his prior excitement as his remaining words came out loud and clear for the Redguard to hear.

@Wade Von Doom

ARENA:

"You what?" Owyn thought he misheard the guy who's voice sounded like he hadn't hit puberty yet. "You want to be a competitor?! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!" The room echoed his laugh so loudly, everyone else stopped momentarily from their training to see what the heck was happening, giving even more attention to the strangely dressed Artis. "Look at you!" He finally said once he stopped laughing, "My granny could beat you, and she's dead!... Wait, you're serious, aren't you?" Artis didn't budge and seemed serious.

"What is it with you people? You walk in, want to be combatants, and your entrails end up decorating my Red Room!" Suddenly his elated expression turned to annoyance by the end of his sentence. "And now you're not even giving me the courtesy to come in here fully dressed? What, are you clothes still drying from washing them and decided your pajamas were good enough?" He mocked.

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As he got off the boat and squatted down next to the strict tiny, Layyel realized that he probably should have waited to be alone before he tried climbing onto the floating house... he also realized that tinies don't like it when biggies climb on top of houses, for some strange reason.

In hindsight that should probably have been obvious. Tinies didn't like it when he climbed on top of regular houses, why would floaty ones be any different?

A frustrated sigh of air escaped him, which had apparently spooked some new tiny that was standing next to the strict one. As Layyel refocused on reality, he realized that the new tiny argued with Layyel's Tiny about birds being on a thingy called a bote or something. Layyel scratched his helmet at this, before he stopped when he realized that his hands were bloody with some random meat-stuffs. Slowly, Layyel also realized that he actually did slap some birds while trying to climb the house.

After a couple of seconds of contemplation, Layyel shrugged and slotted the meat into his helmet, letting the wormies in his skin eat something new while he continued to watch the two arguing tinies.
WATERFRONT:

"Hey!" The guard coming out of the Bloated Float yelled to Hei upon seeing him signaling Layyel to get off the ship. "Is that your... pet?" The guard didn't quite know what exactly Layyel was, because he didn't really fit the mold of a domesticated troll, or... any other animal, for that matter, but he still looked pissed.

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Scout
Location: The imperial city Docks
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Upon entering the boat/bar fittingly dubbed the “bloated float,” Scout was met with a small dining room of sorts for guests to drink in. Three tables were set up with plates and silverware to eat if desired, and overall the area had a very cozy feel to it despite it being the main hangout of the undesirables of the city. Scout went about scanning the room, hoping to see any people of interest. The orc was the first to catch her eye, with his green skin and protruding lower jaw. The second was the high elf who walked up to her casually. Scout almost took out her staff to bash the woman across the face out of instinct, but was promptly interrupted by the loud banging on the roof. The two guards, alarmed, headed outside with their helms and tried to calm the few people that were in the room. Scout assumed it was layyel due to him being the largest creature in proximity to the bloated float. “I’m sure it’s fine, those guards will take care of it,” Scout said to the woman. She towered over him with her height, not just because Scout was small, but because the woman was abnormally larger than the average human. Scout would have patted her on the shoulder to calm her if not for the fact she wouldn’t be able to casually reach it. “Anyway, what type of alcohol do you serve here? I’m a little foreign so I’m quite unfamiliar with the drinks here,” Scout said, chuckling softly. She settled into a bar stool and waited for other people to enter the bar who also stood out. “What type of people come around here by the way?” She asked after a few moments.
THE BLOATED FLOAT:

"Yes, hopefully. Must have been a rogue wave." Although rogue waves don't happen this far inland and only happen in the open ocean. But the high elf put on a smile and pretended that was it, because he didn't want to lose a customer. At least one he didn't realize knew what caused the boat to rock. "Anyway! We serve Surilie Brothers wine, Imperial brewery meads and beers, and a tasty Cyrodilic brandy that just arrived today! We also serve food, like cook meats and vegetable salads with freshly baked bead, and rooms down below, since I can see a weary travel the moment they walk through our doorway." The elf told her.

"We usually get a mix of waterfront guards and recently ported sailors in need of a stiff drink, not too often we get anyone from the main districts or travelers from out of the country. They only come down here in the event a cruise ship docks, but that's ever so rarer these days as the immigration into Cyrodiil has slowed down."



Tsunade only narrows her eyes when it is revealed to her those closest to the sovereign ruler were dead, or presumed dead. She is silent as Lex and Callintus talk, but she still listens and thinks. A conspiracy, possibly years in the making. Knew all relevant intel to have committed this assassination. An ability to summon an unfamiliar kind of armor. A symbol that when she sees it, Tsunade is no closer than Callintus to an answer. For the duration of their interaction, Tsunade is contemplative. Until he poses a question to her.

“It’s the sun. Either the dawn of a new day and age, or the twilight of an old. I don’t think we should spend any time on researching symbols.” She shakes her head slowly.

“No, we should stay involved in what’s going on now. Whoever did this, they are not done fighting under whatever that symbol means.” Tsunade tells Callintus, then adds. “Let’s find Hayn, and maybe in his need for our assistance we can find the killer.”
PRISON:

"Then onward, my friend!" Callintus shouted, pointing to the sky as he declared. With vigor in his heart, he led the way, making their return to the Market District, then to the Elven Gardens District, where hopefully they could find Hayn. The district was one of the wealthiest residential areas in the city, and indeed, it felt like walking into a massive garden. Unlike the other districts, trees grew along side the residencies, and flower bushes and grass grew within the alleyways between each building, with the sent of roses, lilies, and lilacs filling the air. It was this which made the Imperial City a architectural wonder, a sight to behold to any visitor beyond its Ayleid influence and White-Gold Tower that stood tall in the city center.

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Of course, today wasn't a good day for marveling at it. Within a few steps of the two passing through the doorway that separated the district from the Markets, the streets were filled with guards. Nary a sight of civilians, or sounds of looting and rioting from such distressing news. It was eerily quiet beyond the sounds of metal boots marching across the stone walkways. "Citizens!" A guard yelled to both Tsunade and Calltinus. "You are to return to your homes immediately! There is a curfew is all districts over the invest--" Another guard quickly ran up to him, interrupting his order and whispering into his ear something about who he was shouting too.

"Oh... Forgive me, Sir Crusader." The guard didn't sound so genuine about the apology, clearly not caring for Calltinus' status.

"No harm done." Callintus certainly sounded more genuine than he did. "We're looking for Itius Hayn, we wish to speak with him over the investigation into the Emperor's death."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid he won't be talking to visitors. Even ones as acclaimed as you." The guard explained.

"I was told he would be the one to speak to about the issue from Watch Captain Lex." Callintus explained back.

"Then I'm afraid he was mistaken. Our investigation is closed off to only a select few, and even someone like you isn't allowed to speak to him while we all deal with the threat of an empty throne and breaches in capital defense. Unless there's any issues with High Elves, it's best you leave Imperial business to those who are concerned about Imperial's."

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LAKE RUMARE:

Shakira didn't expect the woman to start choking him, much less have the arm strength to lift him up in the air single handedly. She seemed a bit too angry to listen to Jin, as for the few seconds he was choking from her grip, he was expecting her to break his neck and actually take his place. To see another argonian shapeshift like that, he had only heard it was possible, but never saw another of his kind do such a thing. Though, he realized, as the fear of death was settling in, what exactly she was.

A Tsaesci.

A serpent similar looking to Argonians, but a different species of sentient reptile from Akavir. A rumored race that he thought was just a legend by Imperials to scare folks into fearing that most unknown region of the world. What the hell was she doing wearing a blades armor? A question for another time, as Corvo's interruption got him free from her grip; collapsing to the ground and gasping for breath while coughing up a small fit.

And with Corvo speaking to him, he pretty much got the hint he was better off without the amulet anyway. Jin said so, he was saying so, and Talon was willing to kill him if he wouldn't do it. He should be angry. He should just snatch that thing from Talon's hand and throw the damn thing in the water. Who says those people in the sewers would know about him? They don't know his name, they don't know what he looked like in a damp and dark sewer cave, and they certainly wouldn't have any leads to follow if he took the damn boat and just travel down river. This amulet was... many things. Many things that made him angry, but even someone like him, who was enraged and resentful that his fate was to be tied to this, couldn't help but have the emperor's face imprinted in his mind.

He slapped Corvo's hand away and stood up from where he fell, looking to the amulet in Talon's hand. That old man. He believed Shakira had a greater part to play in these upcoming days. That the hands of fate and divine intervention had brought them together. And the true test of faith from him was to grant him this. The greatest relic of the Septim empire, with a promise to deliver it and 'close shut the jaws of Oblivion.'

"Remember me, and remember my words. This burden is now yours alone. You hold our future in your hands."

It scared him. But, as much as Shakira lashed out to the others... He could at least fulfill a dead man's wish for granting him freedom once more. A thief's honor, if such a thing truly exists. ".... I'll deliver this." He told them after a sigh. "If you want to help, you can at least journey with me to Waynon Priory. This must go to a man named Jauffre, as you no doubt know." He said to Talon, with an annoyed look on his face, as he presented the amulet to the group again. "After that, I make no promises of continuing on. Deal?"
 
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Alistia girded herself. It was hardly the first time she had been in a situation like this. After all, fleeing Ul'Dah to arrive in Ishgard and arriving at a nobles house... If she had a gil for every time it had happened it wouldn't be a lot of gil but it would be weird it was any at all. Still... she quickly brushed herself up a bit and confidently entered within.

"My name is Alistia Mit'Leona, White mage, representative of the Scions, Warrior of Light, defeater of Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Ramuh, Leviathan, Shiva, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Phoenix, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Odin, Ravana, Bismark, King Thordan, Nidhogg, Alexander, Sephirot, Sophia, Zurvan, Susano, Lakshimi, Tsukuyomi, Shinryu, Eureka, Titania, Hades, and many more. Warrior of Light. Master Postmoogle. Slayer of Sin Eaters. I am here to speak to Ser Cadorna!"
 
He said to Talon, with an annoyed look on his face, as he presented the amulet to the group again. "After that, I make no promises of continuing on. Deal?"
Corvo Attano

"Very well," Corvo agreed instead of Talon or Jin, once again seizing the conversation. "In that case, I believe Jin and Talon would best act as your bodyguards, and I will scout the way. My particular brand of magic makes me highly mobile."

After some clarifications about which direction Weynon Priory was in, Corvo slipped on his terrifying mask - freckled in red dots of dried blood from their earlier encounter with the strange assassins in red robes and his slaughter of multiple goblins - and promptly swiped his left hand, disappearing in a swish of displaced air. Another quiet sound of passing air revealed him to now be on top of a tree, many feet above the heads of the group. With another casting of the same spell, he gained more distance and started to move ahead of them.
 
ARENA:

"You what?" Owyn thought he misheard the guy who's voice sounded like he hadn't hit puberty yet. "You want to be a competitor?! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!" The room echoed his laugh so loudly, everyone else stopped momentarily from their training to see what the heck was happening, giving even more attention to the strangely dressed Artis. "Look at you!" He finally said once he stopped laughing, "My granny could beat you, and she's dead!... Wait, you're serious, aren't you?" Artis didn't budge and seemed serious.

"What is it with you people? You walk in, want to be combatants, and your entrails end up decorating my Red Room!" Suddenly his elated expression turned to annoyance by the end of his sentence. "And now you're not even giving me the courtesy to come in here fully dressed? What, are you clothes still drying from washing them and decided your pajamas were good enough?" He mocked.
- Artis Solum, Twilight Warrior - Bloodworks Arena -

Artis fully expected those present to erupt in uproarious laughter at his declaration, though it was a touch louder than he expected it to be. Having underestimated the sheer bellow of a warrior's laugh, Artis kept quiet while the Redguard continued, at first still elated but up realizing Artis was serious through his fairly unmoving expression, the Redguard became irritated and elected to make mock of Artis's attire. Fairly uncalled for in Artis's mind, but all thing's considered, being insulted for what he was wearing was the least of his concerns.

Artis eyed his fairly dark attire with an exasperated chuckle before looking back up at the man in question, biting his tongue for a moment before giving a reply:

"So, do I need to repeat myself?" He began with a fairly curt tone, to reiterate his intent. "Otherwise, I'd be very happy if you'd show me where I need to go to make this official." Artis went on, then added, with a smirk; "Then I can set to painting this place with your entrails. Or are you not a warrior?" His tone deadly serious (And somewhat mockling) and his voice clear and loud enough for all to hear, though on the inside, he was just trying to expedite things by acting tougher. Anything to get this annoying blowhard out of his way posthaste.

@Wade Von Doom
 


Collaboration Post with Wade von Doom

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Where does the Watch Captain sit in the ranks here?" Tsunade asks Callintus, looking aside at the guard.

The guard looked at Tsunade with contempt. "He is the highest rank of the Imperial guard in all sections, ma'am." He answered.

Tsunade leers at the guard "I was talking to the hero, Callintus, but if you want to talk with that attitude, I can do that." She clears her throat. "And so, are you, a lower-ranking guard, suggesting not only is a hero such as Callintus mistaken about who he can talk to, but also your highest ranking officer is mistaken?"

The guard somehow looked even less happy with Tsunade's tone. "I... cannot speak for Captain Lex--" "But you can say he was wrong." Callintus interrupted, joining in with Tsunade. "Like I said, he was just mistaken, communication between the districts has been frantic from the news, things can slip between the cracks."

"Uh-huh..hm." Tsunade nods "Understandable. And so, I suggest you either stand aside or take us to him, or we can go bother the Watch Captain for something official to let us pass in this time of crisis." Tsunade shrugs. "I haven't had my sake today, so I am feeling more diplomatic. For now."

"Ma'am, if you're going to bother the watch like this all day, I suggest--"

"I suggest you watch your tone, young man." Callintus once again interrupted. "This woman is a member of the Knights of the Nine. Now, I realize the respect the Knights hold now is but a shadow of what it was when I reformed it, but I know it holds more sway with the Watch Captains than you would believe, and perhaps it would look good on your reports that you cooperated with friends of your superiors, who have given both of us authority to aid in investigating the death of the most powerful man in all of Tamriel. A man who also looked upon the Knights with great respect and esteem for our work in protecting the lives of his people. It is not only in your interest, but in the interest of the Knights to understand what happened, and find the killers responsible for a tragedy unlike anything we have lived through in this age. But, if you truly believe Lex is wrong, we will go bother him again, and hopefully he will not write in his next report for you and your men how you treated us both."

"Or, what else were you going to suggest?" Tsunade leans in and turns her right ear to the guard, smug inside, but outwardly is visibly irritated "Go on, make your suggestion, I'm listening very closely so I can write it into your report myself. Tone and all."

Callintus, on the other hand, couldn't help but smugly smile at Tsunade. The guard, as visibly annoyed as he was, finally relented after a few moments of silence. "Fine... come along. I'll bring you both to Captain Hayn." Turning, he began leading both of them down the street. As they followed, Callintus gave Tsunade a wink.

Tsunade winks back. She has an impulse to rub this into the guards face but refrains. She takes a little time to admire the district. "I heard this was the Elven district but what does that mean? Are these Elven people a class of gardeners? I'd think so with the lovely plants I'm seeing. My village could use their touch."

Callintus chuckled. "While the Elves are good gardeners, they're far more civilized than agricultural workers. The city was first built by the Ayleids, a species of elves that once ruled Tamriel. Their use of magic and skill in combat was unmatched, but they were brutal salvers over man, working thousands to death, or slaughtering them en masse. Eventually their empire would begin to worship Daedra, demonic gods who offered power in exchange for their own service. We met one, actually, if you remember Sheogorath." The one who retrieved them from that icy planet containing the beast Xog. "He is the Daedra god of madness, and there are others even crueler than him, if you can believe it. With their reliance on Daedric power, their empire began to weaken from within, until eventually the races they had enslaved revolted, and civil war between them broke out. It was thanks to the Nords, led by Saint Alessia and Pelinal Whitestrake, that the empire fell, and with it, the first human empire began, while the Ayleids slowly died away. And while the districts were renamed as the centuries went on, this district here was the only one which kept to its Elven origin for its beauty, though much to the chagrin of those who still believe Elves are the reasons behind any issues in the Empire today." Callintus explained. "There's hundreds of history books on the city, the empires that followed after the Ayleids, the creation of the Septim dynasty, so much of which I could hardly know where to start. But, without Pelinal, and without Saint Alessia, there would be no Knights of the Nine, and the Daedra would still rule this world. See, to severe the Ayleid's connection with Daedra, The Dragon God of Time and ruler of the noble Aedra, Akatosh, looking with pity upon the plight of men, drew blood from his own heart, and blessed Alessia with this blood of Dragons. With her, he forged a covenant that so long as Alessia's bloodline remained pure to its dragon blood, Akatosh would seal the veils between Oblivion and the mortal plane. It is that which we call today, The Amulet of Kings. And it is that Amulet which is passed down to those of the Septim bloodline, as they possess the blood of the dragon in their veins. No other mortal can even wear it. As for Pelinal, he was considered the enemy of all Elves in Cyrodiil thanks to his crusade against the Ayleids, as his strength was unmatched by any Elven lord or prince in all of Tamriel except one. Umaril the Unfeathered. Making a deal with a Daedric lord for power, the two battled for the freedom of men in what was a duel for the ages. Umaril was defeated, but his soul escaped to Oblivion, where he could be revived again one day, while Pelinal, weakened from battle, was set upon by Ayleids like vultures, and his body chopped into eight pieces. Yet, because of him, a new era of peace and freedom was ushered for humans. Without these two, the world as you see it would not exist. After his death, Pelinal's body was scattered along with his armor, and the Knights of the Nine were founded to recover his armor, christened by them, 'relics of the crusader.' It is the same armor I now wear." He finally told Tsunade.

"In my youth, a prophet foretold Umaril's return, and believed me to be the next Crusader of the Nine. To sum up this rather long story," Callintus joked, "I committed myself to the Divines, found the armor, and slayed Umaril in both physical and spiritual form upon his return. And why the Emperor himself requested my aid. The Nine are the amulet are more intertwined than people would believe, even after so many centuries from when man first rebelled against its masters..." Callintus again chuckled, shaking his head. "I apologize. You ask about a garden, and I give you a condensed history lesson." As they walked and talked, the guard leading them continued to nod to other guards passing by. Not all of them, but a few who then joined up with them. The lone guard was joined by two, then five. Eventually, they were led down a narrow alleyway

"It's fine Callintus. I learned my own land has its own long and complicated history before all of this." Tsunade smiles at the knight and has been walking with her arms crossed, focused on Callintus but aware of her surroundings through fast and subtle looks. "And these guards sure appreciate your history lesson. They think it's been distracting us this whole time, that I don't see an ambush coming when really they're minutes away from having their limbs broken so they can't run from questioning after." Tsunade says loudly and conversationally.

An invisible blade then tried slashing across Tsunade's right leg mid-sentence.

From the moment she feels a blade contact her body, Tsunade leaps backwards to avoid the slash; her hand grabs and ignites her lightsaber as she makes one sweeping slash around herself but avoiding Callintus and the guards. She is still slashed, but not hobbled as her assailant may have been from her swift retaliation.

Her saber cut the hand off her invisible assailant, causing him to scream in pain as the blade and his hand fell to the ground; unshading to reveal a strangely designed gauntlet and a silver short blade. While still invisible, his screams would give attention to the outlines along his body, like the small distortions of a window when too close to an object. Callintus, acting fast as Tsunade landed, unsheathed his sword and slashed across where her attacker was; hitting the throat. At the same moment, he put up his shield to block the blades of the two guards in front of him, as they turned to try and stab him. The one that had led them to the alley froze in place, not expecting this much of a fight from the two. The body fell to the ground with a small sputter of blood flying in the air. The invisibility wore off, revealing the attacker's full attire, something Callintus had never seen before.
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Callintus then pushed the guards back, shouting as he bulldozed them into the third guard. For such an old man, Callintus had the strength of an ox still, as once he pushed their blades to the side while they stumbled for footing once more, he slashed downward across his right guard's face; cutting across the temple of his nose and striking him down. The guard was still alive, but now had a massive gash across his face, barely conscious from the whiplash of the blade striking against his imperial helmet. The two other guards facing Tsunade didn't waste much time once she landed, immediately trying to cut through her legs and chest from her left side.

Their blades are sliced off easily as if they were wood practice swords by a quick twirl of green. The saber is turned off with a hiss like an angry snake, and the guards are hit with a flurry of strikes to their throats first, leg joints as they reel back in pain, and finally punches to their chest that cave in the iron armor plates, sparing their rib cages the same fate but still knocking them back onto the ground. Tsunade stands over them, glaring and daring them to move with fists up and ready. "Stay down." She warns them.

The other guard tried to cut around Callintus' shield, but the old knight blocked each attack, before pushing his shield so hard against one last oncoming sword strike, he knocked the blade out of the guard's hand and swung the edge of his shield into his face. The guard staggered into the wall of a building behind him, before finally being knocked out by another bash. The last three guards came rushing around the corner at Tsunade, as Callintus rushed in from behind her to charge into the one standing in front of the other two. The strength of bashing his shield into the chest of the guard was so strong, he was flying in the air by about a few feet; smashing into the other guards and falling into the small plunge pool across the walkway.

The other two guards are dealt with swiftly. One gets a flying knee to the chest that sends him into the pool as well. The second is swatted in the side of his head by the back of Tsunade's left hand. His head would ring from first the swat on the one side, then from the other side when he hit the stone wall. Tsunade lands on her feet, hands up and ready. "Any more would-be assassins?"

From the sounds of bugs being the only thing in the air, along with a few groans of pain from those still conscious, no one else came.

"Seems not." Callintus brushed his hands together for a job well done between the both of them. If an Imperial Guard was no match for them, they would be unstoppable. But first, they needed to know why Imperial Guards were attacking them. And the one that led them down this alleyway with his friends was trying to quietly crawl away without them realizing.

“You.” Tsunade grabs the guard by the back of his neck and lifts him up to hold him to a wall. While one hand holds him by the neck, the other pulls off his helmet, forces his mouth open, and checks with her fingers his teeth, under his tongue and cheeks roughly.

“Good. No poison pill. Not that kind of coward.” Tsunade insults him then slaps him across the face hard enough to leave a red handprint. “Now, explain this ambush, and this assaassin in particular; and don’t make this harder for yourself.” Tsunade hopes that whoever he might be working for and fears, he fears her more in this moment after seeing what she can do.
 
Alistia girded herself. It was hardly the first time she had been in a situation like this. After all, fleeing Ul'Dah to arrive in Ishgard and arriving at a nobles house... If she had a gil for every time it had happened it wouldn't be a lot of gil but it would be weird it was any at all. Still... she quickly brushed herself up a bit and confidently entered within.

"My name is Alistia Mit'Leona, White mage, representative of the Scions, Warrior of Light, defeater of Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Ramuh, Leviathan, Shiva, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Phoenix, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Odin, Ravana, Bismark, King Thordan, Nidhogg, Alexander, Sephirot, Sophia, Zurvan, Susano, Lakshimi, Tsukuyomi, Shinryu, Eureka, Titania, Hades, and many more. Warrior of Light. Master Postmoogle. Slayer of Sin Eaters. I am here to speak to Ser Cadorna!"
The door slowly opened before her big speech to reveal a dark elf with fuzzy hair and a small goatee. He had a chain lock on the other side of the door, opening it only as far as the chain would allow, and watched her as she gave her speech. He was left utterly confused when she had finished up. "Uhh..... One moment," he slammed the door shut, and then ran down the stairs to his basement, where two other dark elves were feeding mudcrabs that were trapped inside small cages.

"Okay, it's over, get 'em out of here!" He then grabbed an ax, cut open the cage lock, and pushed the crab over so it would fall into the exposed sewage drain they had dug up beneath the house. The others quickly followed suit, throwing the crabs back into the sewer from where they were found, and quickly then threw the thousands of gold coins they had into the drain as well, along with cutting up piece of the makeshift ring they made for the illegal mudcrab fighting championship. All their work, literally down the drain.

When he returned to the door, the dark elf was covered in sweat, panting slightly. "Sorry, officer, I just, uh, had to use the little dark elf's room, I've not been feeling well all day, but I-I've got nothing to hide from the Imperial guard, nothing at all! J-Just know my associates downstairs, they're trying to fix my plumming you see, and it's terribly stenchful on account of the ghastly diarrhea-- wait, Cadorna?" He just realized what she meant by her ending sentence. "Oh, you must be looking for Gilen! Y-Yes, pardon my confusion, cough, cough, the illness I was just saying." He explained with a nervous laugh. "His house is the next one over, thank you, BYE!" And once again, slammed the door shut on Alistia. When she tried the next literally right next to the dark elves, a high elf would answer. This one much more enthusiastic about seeing her than the other guy.

"Oh, my goodness! It's an honor to finally meet a knight of the divine!" He told her before she could even say a thing, offering his hand to shake hers. Alistia's outfit did resemble a Divines outfit a bit actually. "When I heard Sir Cadorna was in town, I just had to send for your help. The reputation of your group precedes you! Come in, come in!" He offered her inside, where the another dark elf was sitting, dressed in Dwarven armor and smiling just as enthusiastically as the high elf was, and waving to her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Seridur. Sorry to send Gilen's wife to get you in that manner, I'm sure Sir Cadorna has many important tasks he must handle with the news of the emperor going around, but if he sent you in his place, I'm still just as honored he was willing to hear us out. That, and... it seemed safer if we weren't seen on the streets right now. If you'll come with me, I will explain everything."

ARENA:

"You what?" Owyn thought he misheard the guy who's voice sounded like he hadn't hit puberty yet. "You want to be a competitor?! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!" The room echoed his laugh so loudly, everyone else stopped momentarily from their training to see what the heck was happening, giving even more attention to the strangely dressed Artis. "Look at you!" He finally said once he stopped laughing, "My granny could beat you, and she's dead!... Wait, you're serious, aren't you?" Artis didn't budge and seemed serious.

"What is it with you people? You walk in, want to be combatants, and your entrails end up decorating my Red Room!" Suddenly his elated expression turned to annoyance by the end of his sentence. "And now you're not even giving me the courtesy to come in here fully dressed? What, are you clothes still drying from washing them and decided your pajamas were good enough?" He mocked.
- Artis Solum, Twilight Warrior - Bloodworks Arena -

Artis fully expected those present to erupt in uproarious laughter at his declaration, though it was a touch louder than he expected it to be. Having underestimated the sheer bellow of a warrior's laugh, Artis kept quiet while the Redguard continued, at first still elated but up realizing Artis was serious through his fairly unmoving expression, the Redguard became irritated and elected to make mock of Artis's attire. Fairly uncalled for in Artis's mind, but all thing's considered, being insulted for what he was wearing was the least of his concerns.

Artis eyed his fairly dark attire with an exasperated chuckle before looking back up at the man in question, biting his tongue for a moment before giving a reply:

"So, do I need to repeat myself?" He began with a fairly curt tone, to reiterate his intent. "Otherwise, I'd be very happy if you'd show me where I need to go to make this official." Artis went on, then added, with a smirk; "Then I can set to painting this place with your entrails. Or are you not a warrior?" His tone deadly serious (And somewhat mockling) and his voice clear and loud enough for all to hear, though on the inside, he was just trying to expedite things by acting tougher. Anything to get this annoying blowhard out of his way posthaste.

@Wade Von Doom
ARENA:

Owyn didn't seem phased by Artis' retort, like he didn't believe a word the keyblade wielder said. Still, he sighed once Artis finished speaking. "Well... at least you're trying to sound tough." He told him. "All right. It's your funeral. Welcome to the arena, you filthy Pit Dog. You're free to fight, so long as you know the rules of competition. Now," he moved around Artis to the armor cabinets, where some of the spare raiment's were located. At least the clean ones. "Now, let me give you your Battle Raiment. It's the uniform of all Arena combatants. Do you want a light raiment or a heavy raiment?" He opened up the cabinet to show them off. The heavy was a light grey and faded blue ornament, while the light was the same but with black iron.



Collaboration Post with Wade von Doom

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Where does the Watch Captain sit in the ranks here?" Tsunade asks Callintus, looking aside at the guard.

The guard looked at Tsunade with contempt. "He is the highest rank of the Imperial guard in all sections, ma'am." He answered.

Tsunade leers at the guard "I was talking to the hero, Callintus, but if you want to talk with that attitude, I can do that." She clears her throat. "And so, are you, a lower-ranking guard, suggesting not only is a hero such as Callintus mistaken about who he can talk to, but also your highest ranking officer is mistaken?"

The guard somehow looked even less happy with Tsunade's tone. "I... cannot speak for Captain Lex--" "But you can say he was wrong." Callintus interrupted, joining in with Tsunade. "Like I said, he was just mistaken, communication between the districts has been frantic from the news, things can slip between the cracks."

"Uh-huh..hm." Tsunade nods "Understandable. And so, I suggest you either stand aside or take us to him, or we can go bother the Watch Captain for something official to let us pass in this time of crisis." Tsunade shrugs. "I haven't had my sake today, so I am feeling more diplomatic. For now."

"Ma'am, if you're going to bother the watch like this all day, I suggest--"

"I suggest you watch your tone, young man." Callintus once again interrupted. "This woman is a member of the Knights of the Nine. Now, I realize the respect the Knights hold now is but a shadow of what it was when I reformed it, but I know it holds more sway with the Watch Captains than you would believe, and perhaps it would look good on your reports that you cooperated with friends of your superiors, who have given both of us authority to aid in investigating the death of the most powerful man in all of Tamriel. A man who also looked upon the Knights with great respect and esteem for our work in protecting the lives of his people. It is not only in your interest, but in the interest of the Knights to understand what happened, and find the killers responsible for a tragedy unlike anything we have lived through in this age. But, if you truly believe Lex is wrong, we will go bother him again, and hopefully he will not write in his next report for you and your men how you treated us both."

"Or, what else were you going to suggest?" Tsunade leans in and turns her right ear to the guard, smug inside, but outwardly is visibly irritated "Go on, make your suggestion, I'm listening very closely so I can write it into your report myself. Tone and all."

Callintus, on the other hand, couldn't help but smugly smile at Tsunade. The guard, as visibly annoyed as he was, finally relented after a few moments of silence. "Fine... come along. I'll bring you both to Captain Hayn." Turning, he began leading both of them down the street. As they followed, Callintus gave Tsunade a wink.

Tsunade winks back. She has an impulse to rub this into the guards face but refrains. She takes a little time to admire the district. "I heard this was the Elven district but what does that mean? Are these Elven people a class of gardeners? I'd think so with the lovely plants I'm seeing. My village could use their touch."

Callintus chuckled. "While the Elves are good gardeners, they're far more civilized than agricultural workers. The city was first built by the Ayleids, a species of elves that once ruled Tamriel. Their use of magic and skill in combat was unmatched, but they were brutal salvers over man, working thousands to death, or slaughtering them en masse. Eventually their empire would begin to worship Daedra, demonic gods who offered power in exchange for their own service. We met one, actually, if you remember Sheogorath." The one who retrieved them from that icy planet containing the beast Xog. "He is the Daedra god of madness, and there are others even crueler than him, if you can believe it. With their reliance on Daedric power, their empire began to weaken from within, until eventually the races they had enslaved revolted, and civil war between them broke out. It was thanks to the Nords, led by Saint Alessia and Pelinal Whitestrake, that the empire fell, and with it, the first human empire began, while the Ayleids slowly died away. And while the districts were renamed as the centuries went on, this district here was the only one which kept to its Elven origin for its beauty, though much to the chagrin of those who still believe Elves are the reasons behind any issues in the Empire today." Callintus explained. "There's hundreds of history books on the city, the empires that followed after the Ayleids, the creation of the Septim dynasty, so much of which I could hardly know where to start. But, without Pelinal, and without Saint Alessia, there would be no Knights of the Nine, and the Daedra would still rule this world. See, to severe the Ayleid's connection with Daedra, The Dragon God of Time and ruler of the noble Aedra, Akatosh, looking with pity upon the plight of men, drew blood from his own heart, and blessed Alessia with this blood of Dragons. With her, he forged a covenant that so long as Alessia's bloodline remained pure to its dragon blood, Akatosh would seal the veils between Oblivion and the mortal plane. It is that which we call today, The Amulet of Kings. And it is that Amulet which is passed down to those of the Septim bloodline, as they possess the blood of the dragon in their veins. No other mortal can even wear it. As for Pelinal, he was considered the enemy of all Elves in Cyrodiil thanks to his crusade against the Ayleids, as his strength was unmatched by any Elven lord or prince in all of Tamriel except one. Umaril the Unfeathered. Making a deal with a Daedric lord for power, the two battled for the freedom of men in what was a duel for the ages. Umaril was defeated, but his soul escaped to Oblivion, where he could be revived again one day, while Pelinal, weakened from battle, was set upon by Ayleids like vultures, and his body chopped into eight pieces. Yet, because of him, a new era of peace and freedom was ushered for humans. Without these two, the world as you see it would not exist. After his death, Pelinal's body was scattered along with his armor, and the Knights of the Nine were founded to recover his armor, christened by them, 'relics of the crusader.' It is the same armor I now wear." He finally told Tsunade.

"In my youth, a prophet foretold Umaril's return, and believed me to be the next Crusader of the Nine. To sum up this rather long story," Callintus joked, "I committed myself to the Divines, found the armor, and slayed Umaril in both physical and spiritual form upon his return. And why the Emperor himself requested my aid. The Nine are the amulet are more intertwined than people would believe, even after so many centuries from when man first rebelled against its masters..." Callintus again chuckled, shaking his head. "I apologize. You ask about a garden, and I give you a condensed history lesson." As they walked and talked, the guard leading them continued to nod to other guards passing by. Not all of them, but a few who then joined up with them. The lone guard was joined by two, then five. Eventually, they were led down a narrow alleyway

"It's fine Callintus. I learned my own land has its own long and complicated history before all of this." Tsunade smiles at the knight and has been walking with her arms crossed, focused on Callintus but aware of her surroundings through fast and subtle looks. "And these guards sure appreciate your history lesson. They think it's been distracting us this whole time, that I don't see an ambush coming when really they're minutes away from having their limbs broken so they can't run from questioning after." Tsunade says loudly and conversationally.

An invisible blade then tried slashing across Tsunade's right leg mid-sentence.

From the moment she feels a blade contact her body, Tsunade leaps backwards to avoid the slash; her hand grabs and ignites her lightsaber as she makes one sweeping slash around herself but avoiding Callintus and the guards. She is still slashed, but not hobbled as her assailant may have been from her swift retaliation.

Her saber cut the hand off her invisible assailant, causing him to scream in pain as the blade and his hand fell to the ground; unshading to reveal a strangely designed gauntlet and a silver short blade. While still invisible, his screams would give attention to the outlines along his body, like the small distortions of a window when too close to an object. Callintus, acting fast as Tsunade landed, unsheathed his sword and slashed across where her attacker was; hitting the throat. At the same moment, he put up his shield to block the blades of the two guards in front of him, as they turned to try and stab him. The one that had led them to the alley froze in place, not expecting this much of a fight from the two. The body fell to the ground with a small sputter of blood flying in the air. The invisibility wore off, revealing the attacker's full attire, something Callintus had never seen before.
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Callintus then pushed the guards back, shouting as he bulldozed them into the third guard. For such an old man, Callintus had the strength of an ox still, as once he pushed their blades to the side while they stumbled for footing once more, he slashed downward across his right guard's face; cutting across the temple of his nose and striking him down. The guard was still alive, but now had a massive gash across his face, barely conscious from the whiplash of the blade striking against his imperial helmet. The two other guards facing Tsunade didn't waste much time once she landed, immediately trying to cut through her legs and chest from her left side.

Their blades are sliced off easily as if they were wood practice swords by a quick twirl of green. The saber is turned off with a hiss like an angry snake, and the guards are hit with a flurry of strikes to their throats first, leg joints as they reel back in pain, and finally punches to their chest that cave in the iron armor plates, sparing their rib cages the same fate but still knocking them back onto the ground. Tsunade stands over them, glaring and daring them to move with fists up and ready. "Stay down." She warns them.

The other guard tried to cut around Callintus' shield, but the old knight blocked each attack, before pushing his shield so hard against one last oncoming sword strike, he knocked the blade out of the guard's hand and swung the edge of his shield into his face. The guard staggered into the wall of a building behind him, before finally being knocked out by another bash. The last three guards came rushing around the corner at Tsunade, as Callintus rushed in from behind her to charge into the one standing in front of the other two. The strength of bashing his shield into the chest of the guard was so strong, he was flying in the air by about a few feet; smashing into the other guards and falling into the small plunge pool across the walkway.

The other two guards are dealt with swiftly. One gets a flying knee to the chest that sends him into the pool as well. The second is swatted in the side of his head by the back of Tsunade's left hand. His head would ring from first the swat on the one side, then from the other side when he hit the stone wall. Tsunade lands on her feet, hands up and ready. "Any more would-be assassins?"

From the sounds of bugs being the only thing in the air, along with a few groans of pain from those still conscious, no one else came.

"Seems not." Callintus brushed his hands together for a job well done between the both of them. If an Imperial Guard was no match for them, they would be unstoppable. But first, they needed to know why Imperial Guards were attacking them. And the one that led them down this alleyway with his friends was trying to quietly crawl away without them realizing.

“You.” Tsunade grabs the guard by the back of his neck and lifts him up to hold him to a wall. While one hand holds him by the neck, the other pulls off his helmet, forces his mouth open, and checks with her fingers his teeth, under his tongue and cheeks roughly.

“Good. No poison pill. Not that kind of coward.” Tsunade insults him then slaps him across the face hard enough to leave a red handprint. “Now, explain this ambush, and this assaassin in particular; and don’t make this harder for yourself.” Tsunade hopes that whoever he might be working for and fears, he fears her more in this moment after seeing what she can do.
"AH!" The guard yelled as Tsunade threw him against the wall. Then gurgles as she puts her fingers in his mouth to check for any pills in his mouth. Then finally a groan from the pain across his face when she slapped him. "Ahhh-- It's nothing personal! They tagged you all the moment you appeared in the streets. You're the damned Crusader, why wouldn't these people try killing you?!"

"Then you know who they are?" Callintus asked, arms crossed and standing behind Tsunade by a foot.

"No, I don't! They pay us through dead drops, we get gold in exchange for information."

"What kind?"

"Patrol routes, orders from the captains, intel regarding the Blades we hear about, even maps about the tunnels in the sewer systems!"

"Did you give them information on secret routes under the city then?"

"No! Not even the captains have information about that! I don't know how they got it, only that a few weeks ago, the dead drops gave us specific orders to leave gaps in the patrols. One of us got worried we would be found out by the captains if we did that and tried to back out. A day later, he was found butchered on the waterfront, and we each got a finger from both his hands sent to our homes! I didn't even know who these people looked like until today when they threatened to kill us if we didn't lead you into an ambush! Hell, they might still be watching!"

He said to Talon, with an annoyed look on his face, as he presented the amulet to the group again. "After that, I make no promises of continuing on. Deal?"
Corvo Attano

"Very well," Corvo agreed instead of Talon or Jin, once again seizing the conversation. "In that case, I believe Jin and Talon would best act as your bodyguards, and I will scout the way. My particular brand of magic makes me highly mobile."

After some clarifications about which direction Weynon Priory was in, Corvo slipped on his terrifying mask - freckled in red dots of dried blood from their earlier encounter with the strange assassins in red robes and his slaughter of multiple goblins - and promptly swiped his left hand, disappearing in a swish of displaced air. Another quiet sound of passing air revealed him to now be on top of a tree, many feet above the heads of the group. With another casting of the same spell, he gained more distance and started to move ahead of them.

The journey was long after they crossed the water to reach the roads on the other side. Corvo wouldn't find much as he scouted ahead besides some deer scampering along the tree line, the way towards Kvatch was quiet. No signs of bandits or wolves, just the peaceful sounds of Cyrodiil. Shakira stayed at distance from Talon, since the two weren't on good terms, with Jin staying in the middle between them so they wouldn't interact at all. He admired the new world around him. The mountains off towards the south, the Ayleid ruins and divine shrines they passed across along the road, the massive oak trees that towered above them all, and of course, the Imperial City itself.

The White-Gold Tower standing high above the clouds, even as they walked further and further away, was a marvel to behold. Not even Kyoto matched the incredible size and architectural grandiose of whatever this city was, only comparable to Rome himself, though he had never seen it, only what was described to him in his teachings of the world outside Japan. It must have reached out for miles, everything carved from stone like a colony of ants. Should he have the chance, he wished to explore the city. There was so much of this world that was alien to him, as it surely was to Corvo, but his curiosity was too strong not to see what could only be dreamt of.

But for now, the only thing on his mind was a meal and a drink. After several hours, the group would finally come across civilization again. A small town in the middle of the sprawling forest.

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"Ahhh, thank goodness." Jin sighed in relief, as he felt his stomach growl from hunger. The sun was starting to set, and everyone was sure to be weary from travel. "We should try finding some food and rest for the night. How much farther to Kvatch?" He asked both Talon and Shakira.

"A couple hours more at best." Shakira answered first, still distanced from Talon.

"And none of you would happen to have any currency from this world for an inn?" Jin asked next. Shakira only had a few septims in his pouch from before he left the sewers.

"Not enough for even a bed." He answered. As they got into town, it felt off somehow. Half the buildings looked to have burnt down years ago, and what few people they did see looked... angrily at them. They stayed out of the way, going around the corners of the houses, or going back inside to avoid them. It was like a ghost town, except people were still here.

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WATERFRONT (NIGHTTIME)

Once the sun set and night took over, the Waterfront grew calm as the people went inside, and the guards patrolled for troublemakers. Behind the wall that separated the docks from the houses, a Redguard had walked into one of the backyards facing the wall. He lit a torch, and waited for the new recruits to arrive at the stroke of midnight. Two would come and meet him. A dark elf woman with long dark red hair, and an Argonian with bright red scaly skin and small horns around the side of his head. Both wear leather armor, and began talking with the redguard like they knew him.

None of the guards came around the wall to patrol the houses, leaving it be for the meeting to take place without interrupting the recruitment.
 
Tsunade- Character Sheet


"If they are watching, then we are your only option to stay alive." Tsunade brings him down and looks around quickly, thoroughly

"How did you know about these dead drops? I know you don't simply stumble on those. Tell us how or who told you." Tsunade demands further. "And for that matter, all others not here who knew about this." She raises a hand for another slap.