Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5583506-20161225200655/@comment-5583506-20170125054704

"That's... that's mental!" exclaimed Reman. "Why... why would they do such a thing? How could mankind possibly survive by wiping out whatever future there is left to build from?!"

"Take a seat and I will get to work immediately", said the Nord healer as he started to bring out a set of instruments and a couple of potions.

Evelyne remained by Ja'Keil's side, ready to provide some comfort in case the process would be painful.

"How could anyone promise anything?" she said as she started to breathe heavier. "Think of the people back in the days of the uprising of the Beasts. I am sure they said something similar: 'Things will soon return to normal' or 'The army will take care of the situation'. They had no idea back then that the Beasts would come to dominate their future and the future of their children and their grand-children and their descendants."

She sheathed her blade. "I am just saying... should the worst come to happen I have no intention of living on in the doomed world the Imperial Legion has created."

Trymir brushed his thick moustache, his eyebrows lowered with concern. It wasn't everyday one got to see the High Commander so... worried. And when it showed in his expression the uncertain outcome of their current situation, they could tell that it didn't bode well for anyone on the mainland.

"The Imperial Legion was behind it all, huh?" The Nord lowered his head and took a deep breath. "Such treachery shall not go unpunished. Albeit they created the Beasts out of a mistake, to learn that they made a conscious effort to turn these monsters against us won't be forgiven."

The Nord rose up on his prosthetic legs and walked over to the window, hands behind his back as he stared out on the snow-covered landscapes below with a bitter outlook on his face. "Beast Slayers are only to kill other people in self-defense, but from hereon I am making an exception." He looked over at Ran. "Every Beast Slayer are hereby permitted to use lethal force on any Imperial Legion members they come across."

Ran nodded. Though he didn't like the sudden change of rules, he was completely fine with punishing the people who were to be held responsible for countless of lives.

"So what you are telling me is that they are on their way? The Beasts are to target all remaining cities?"

"That's correct. The Underkeep, Saarthal, Dragontail, Dive Rock... Fort Slayer..."

"Figures", sighed Trymir. "That they would target the last defense mankind has left."

"I've got two good news however", said Ran.

"And what is that?"

"They developed a cure which has already been distributed to the surrounding bodies of water. The Beasts will return to their normal state and size within a matter of generations."

"I could imagine", shrugged Trymir. "They want everything to be perfect once we have been annihilated. Cleaning up any trace of their misshap. All mainlanders will be destroyed, they will move in and the Beasts will be reduced to their normal animal forms within a matter of decades. A perfect plan on their behalf, but they don't take into account the millions of people who will die for the sake of their dream."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Nord spat out through the window. "I can tell you this much, Ran. I have no intention of dying to fulfill someone else's selfish dream. Nor could I imagine anyone else to just accept to lie down and die so that someone else can come and claim what's not rightfully theirs."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"I know. If we can outride the threat of the Beast we still have to face the threat of the Imperial Legion."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"How strong would you say their forces are?"

<p style="font-weight:normal;">The Khajiit shook his head. "Impossible to say. We never really got a glimpse of their true size. But from the way their commander was speaking I could imagine thousands of them. Legions..."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"This isn't good", grunted Trymir in lamentation. "If we could manage to fend off the Beasts, I don't think we would have enough strength to take out the Imperial Legion. Not in our current state. Mankind is too divided. Outsiders... City-Dwellers... Beast Slayers..."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">"Yet they all hold a candle to denominator", filled Ran'Jinro in.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Trymir shrugged. "The First and the Last King, huh?" he said as if he had read the Khajiit's mind. "You are a good man, Ran, but I fear that you have too high hopes of co-operation between these peoples. If it was so simple to bond them together over a belief in someone who sought to bring peace and prosperity to mankind, they would have accepted each other centuries ago."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Ran'Jinro smiled faintly. "I am not talking about some obscure person aching to a deity here", he said. "I am not talking about some abstract character. No one is going to ally themselves with another for the simply sake of 'honor the memory of the First and the Last King'." The Khajiit smacked with his lips. "However... they might be willing to set aside their quarrels temporarily... hopefully everlasting... for the flame of hope that will be lit when we declare for the First Queen."

<p style="font-weight:normal;">Trymir nodded slowly, then shot open his eyes as if he had heard it correctly.

<p style="font-weight:normal;">First Queen?

<p style="font-weight:normal;">He glared at the Khajiit suspiciously, but not menacingly. "What is it that you haven't been telling me, Ran?"