Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5824038-20160606113513/@comment-26103034-20160606175200

(I'm copying and pasting the post onto here - I feel it will require many looks back in the coming time and it will be a nusciance to have to keep flicking between threads. If you don't want me to, for any reason, let me know and I'll remove it) The group moved away from the city of Windhelm, went back to Alynia's airship, while Levitha and the girl Elara stayed behind. When they got inside they all went to the flight rock control room, as it was the most spacious part of the ship, and with shaking hand Talyaras tore open the collection of documents and letters. __________ Frostfall 24th, 6E 184 Dearest Roost, We're finished. Done for. That damn Wraith stopped our attack on Brightwall, tore us apart, and left us open and exposed for the Senate to finish off. Just yesterday Sofia herself led an attack on our guild hall in Bruma, and wiped out everyone there. Nobody is admitting to being a part of our organization anymore, they all just hide and cower. I am writing to you in order to warn you, for you must deny any involvement with us. -Q.V __________ Sun's Dusk 17th, 6E 189 We are risen. Come to the ruins of Leyawiin, where our guild hall once stood, on the 20th of this month. -Q.V __________ Rain's Hand 14th, 6E 191 Karkus my friend, watch your back at all times. Ghost-Wolf is getting suspicious. She was poking around the grounds last night after I hospitably let her stay at my manor house. We are related distantly, after all, so it seemed that I had to accept out of a sense of duty. I think she knows about both of our involvements witht he Council, and is chasing up every old lead she can think of. Perhaps she will not openly come to your estate, she might try investigating in a more clandestine manner. __________ Mid Year 1st, 6E 194 From now on you are to come to Lilmoth every third sundas of every month, including this one. We shall meet at that time to discuss what we must do next. Go to the Psijic Scientific Order's outpost in the city, and ask to see the manager. Say it is urgent: a Code 1 emergency. She will arrive and take you to us. Do not fail me, Roost. -Q.V __________ There were no more papers. Talyaras sorted them in order and passed them to the others. Her face was a mixture of excitement, shock, and confusion. __________ 'We need to call a meeting!' Xarxes said, his voice angry and impatient. 'I do not care how difficult it is to arrange one at this time, we are in a serious situation, and I need the Senate to convene!' His assistants scurried off to alert all of the senators staying within the city. Within an hour more than a dozen senators were sitting around the table, anxious looked on their faces. Among them was somebody wearing a black wolf mask, a few locks of blong hair just poking out from underneath. Wraith had come in person to this meeting. Xarxes rose and cleared his throat. 'It is good to see so many of you came on such short notice. I cannot stand on ceremony here, there is not enough time, so I shall have to get straight to the point.' A few hushed whispering interrupted the Redguard. He looked furious at them, and they quickly stopped. 'As you will no doubt know, I only just now returned from Mounrhold, after going as a guest to the First Planting festival. While I was there, an attempt was made on my life by an ashlander claiming to be doing it for the Foyada Tong, and the mystical being known as Phoenix appeared to us. Many rumours have been going about for years now about this being, but I can confirm them now.' Sofia spoke up. 'If you will excuse my interruption, Xarxes, do we know if the Phoenix appeared for any particular reason? Is she on our side?' The Redguard shook his head. 'I do not know exactly, but I doubt it. She said that she had come to warn us. She said that many would die in the coming months.' 'That much seems obvious,' came the voice of Fardwen, the head of the Psijic Scientific Order. 'There's no way we can let this event slide. An assassin tried to kill you, Xarxes. Morrowind gained its autonomy, and now Samarkand can't keep them in check! Either that or they refuse to.' Shouts from all sides folled this. Everyone wished to express their feelings towards the event, with a worrying number insisting that they fight back against this hostility. Xarxes covered his face in annoyance. Wraith stood up. With a calm voice, the rebel spoke, and everybody was silenced immediately. The voice coming from behind the mask was smooth and silky, but it was not clear if it was masculine or feminine. 'Have we not considered that there is more at work here than some misguided attempt to overthrow the Empire by killing one senator? The Foyada Tong do not have much to fight for, they recoived autonomy years ago, and Samarkand have no reason to want war. If the Phoenix appeared and warned us, then we can assume for the moment she was not behind the attack.' Xarxes nodded in appreciation. 'Thank you, Wraith. When I was still in Mournhold I found a possible lead on who orchestrated the assassination attempt, and there was evidence to suggest it was Count Karkus Roost.' Wraith cocked their head. 'What would Roost gain by this? His family have been enjoying free trade between us and Samarkand for generations, it's how he got so much power over Windhelm. Did your lead gain you any insight?' 'I was unable to follow it myself,' Xarxes explained while shaking his head. 'There were three people who helped me survive the attempt on my life, they went to investigate. I haven't heard since, and really do not know how to contact them. One of them was a grandaughter of the Lord of Arenthia.' Some murmurings filled the council chambers before being silenced. 'How do we proceed from here?' came the voice of General Fabian. 'We have no real leads, a nation that wanted to kill us, and a possible goddess appearing. If Samarkand want war with us, how are we to respond?' 'Who said they want war?' asked Wraith. 'They tried to kill our senator!' exclaimed the general. 'As you have said, the Tong had no reason to kill him, so we can only assume that Samarkand put them up to it and hoped we would focus on Morrowind.' 'That seems like a bold assumption,' pointed out Sofia. 'Perhaps,' Fabian admitted, 'But what other explanation is there?' Roost... He was once in the Counicl of Nobles. A few years ago Valkyrie said she investigated him, along with some others, but couldn't find any real evidence against them. But she also thought they were acting very suspiciously. Wraith shook his head and spoke once more. 'We cannot make such rash decisions based on theory alone!' 'Why not?' asked somebody else. 'If we spend our time and resources confirming our well-founded suspicions, we may be too late to stop Samarkand from coming over and wiping us out.' Voices raised and cried out among them. Everyone thought they should do something different, but most people were in favour of action rather than confirmation. Xarxes sighed. There was no way he could persuade these people that they might have been played by someone else. He looked over to Sofia and Wraith in turn, the only senators not joining the debate, and they both looked back with sadness in their eyes. Or in Wraith's case, the expression was blank, but he knew that the rebel shared his feelings. War would start. __________ 'Right now, they must be plotting against us!' cried out an old khajiit, his mane long and grey. 'We cannot sit here idly while the Empire mistakenly prepares for war.' 'I am not a fool,' hissed a female khajiit, a circlet of gold upon her head, as she paced up and down the throne room. 'Have we sent letters to the Senate, trying to explain our innocence?' she asked. 'Yes, of course, but they will take no notice of them,' pointed out the older cat. 'Do we have any idea why the Tong tried to kill Xarxes?' 'They are still denying any involvement,' said a make argonian wearing an identical circlet. He sat on his throne, examining his claws with disinterest. 'They don't even think the ashlander who did it was one of theirs. The Tong have lied to us before, though; anything to save themselves from our rule.' The queen spat on the marble floor. 'By the Moons, why! Why did they have to do this! Now the Empire thinks we tried to kill them, no doubt, and are ready to return the favour.' 'You know what this means, don't you,' said the argonian, looking up. 'Yes,' the older khajiit replied, sadness filling his tone. 'This means war.'