Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-5583506-20160907220147/@comment-5583506-20161014034541

"I would want to say that we should split up to cover more ground", said Ran. "But knowing just how fragile we are as of now, I can't afford to lose anyone or have anyone get lost."

Evelyne peered out over the wasteland. Some of the strange rock formations made out of petrified ash had small trees growing up around them. Yet strangely there were no Beasts in sight.

"Maybe there isn't enough to live on here?" she said. "Could be that all the Beasts have migrated from here, seeing as this area is altogether rather inhospitable."

"From where would they have come though?" asked Swift. "I mean... all the reports mentioned how the Beasts came from east of the Valus Mountains. And we are as far east as any of the known maps of today. No Beasts in sight though. So where the hell is the source?"

Ran could feel his frustration building up. What if there actually was no source? What if the Beasts were simply evolving on their own and all the reports had blinded them to see the real cause behind their rapid gain in intelligence? No. He refused to believe that. If that was the case, then the Gods had clearly abandoned mankind. For such a cruel jest was not even the most hateful of deities capable of.

Then it came to him slowly but surely. "Unless..." he mumbled and gazed out to the Inner Sea. "How much further to the closest shore, Falana? You have a good pair of eyes."

"I would guess about half-a-day's march in the same direction we are walking in now", she said. "So not that far. Why are you wondering?"

"I was just thinking if the root of all evil could somehow stem from Vvardenfell."

Swift turned pale. "You... you want us to head for Vvardenfell? Are you feeling well? Did you lose more than half of the blood in your body? Ran, we will be Slaughterfish fodder before we even take a dip in the Inner Sea. Not to mention that none of us have the stamina to swim over to the cursed island."

"We will find a way", insisted Ran. "Look around. It's a wasteland wherever we go. We can either continue to walk around in circles here until the source decides to make itself known to us, or we can investigate on our own. And my instinct tells me that if I was the creator of the cause behind this centuries long slaughter, I would put it where no one could reach it."

The Khajiit nodded with his head in the direction of the smoking island.

"As I've said before. I am not asking anyone to follow, though it is appreciated. I intend to go there, no matter the cost." The Khajiit's expression turned into a grimace of inner fury. "Though mark my words, I have no intentions to die for this. I intend to eradicate this source from the face of the world. Then I am gonna walk straight back to Fort Slayer with Raini, I will throw my blades to the sides, I will marry her, we will make love and lots and lots of lovely cubs. That's as far as I have planned, and fuck everything and everyone that tries to get between me and that plan."

Swift didn't really know how to reply to the Khajiit's dream. "No need for details, Ran", he shrugged. "But fuck it. We have gone too far to go back now anyhow. We either carry on or we remain here and starve ourselves to death in despair. I think the choice should be pretty clear."