THE ELDER SCROLLS: A TOWER OF BRASS
OOC Thread
"The Elves were dividing; some, like the Altmer, did their best to advocate "the will of Anuiel" and so embraced the chrysalis of the Convention; others, like the Chimer, refuted all orderings and aedric measures, following their prophet to "the Stone that is not a Stone that is." The most nefarious Tower, Walk-Brass, refuted even more, refuting unto dis-creation, but we shall come to its role in the present danger to Emperor Actual in a moment. It is but a lesser pawn to the greater evil:
The Tower of White-Gold, whose Stone is Chim-el Adabal, Amulet of Kings, whose masters are returning. I speak of course of the Ayleids, for which "sometimes" was not good enough."
- Nu-Hatta, from te Nu-Mantia Intercept
Temple of the Ancestor Moths
Cyrodiil
"This is pathetic, Master Linerius." Linerius could not look upon the Dunmer that was berating him, for he had lost his eyesight long ago, but he imagined she was as ugly as her attitude was. "When your Elder Council asked me to go on this mission for your Empire, I sent word to your temple to prepare me a Megalomoth. Yet now that I am here, you tell me that not only have you not prepared one, you do not have one in the first place? You disappoint me, and you shame not only yourself, but also your order and your Empire." The Imperial, old and blind as he may have been, still struggled to contain the anger boiling in his Colovian blood. "With all due respects, mistress Andaeril, the Order of the Ancestor Moth has never grown such a mighty -" The mage, as expected, cut him off. "I am well aware. I am also aware that I myself have never seen such a creature, and that the order tasked with breeding them has long since gone. I care little for that. You grow ancestor moths. If you were any more competent, a Megalomoth would not have been out of your reach, especially not when it is vital to the continued existence of the Empire you serve under. I will admit, however, that I made a mistake in trusting that people such as yourself would at least be mildly competent." The Dunmeri woman remained silent for several seconds, and Linerius opened his mouth to speak. Again, he was interrupted. "You may take your leave now."
For a blind man, Linerius definitely was fast with finding his way out, read as his balding head was. A good thing, Satha knew. She could barely tolerate the man as it was, so for her to have to suffer his presence for but a second more... No, good riddance to that s'wit. Scowling, she looked up at the glass in lead windows of the temple's chapel. Even those failed at doing what they were meant to do - one could hardly say they looked good! On the other hand, the Temple's residents were practically all blind, which meant it probably didn't matter. Pathetic. As was to be expected of the Empire's ever-amateurish works. Still, she had work to do. Or well, she would have, were it not for the fact that the people she was supposed to be doing said work with had yet to arrive! Atrocious, is what it was, making a wizard of the Great House Telvanni wait like this! Putting the time she was now being given by having to wait to good use, she took out the parchment with a list of people on it that she'd be working with. Who knew, maybe she'd be able to remind one of their names! She scoffed as she read through it again. Not a single Dunmer would be arriving? Pathetic! Instead she'd be forced to work with an Argonian! A Mananaut that was also an Orc? Mongrel Bretons? A mongrel not-Breton? Satha hoped they were big, at least. The bigger the meatshield the better, after all, and that was a role she was sure they could fulfill just fine.
The same could not be said about the man that barged into the chapel. He was of average height for an Imperial, with a tanned skin, and clad in the dark leathers of the Oculatus. "The others have arrived, my la-" Satha turned around, her head tilted just a little. The others wouldn't be arriving much later, then, apparently. "Hmm? very well, send them in. And next time, do knock or otherwise announce yourself before entering, lest I accidentally incinerate yourself, which would doubtlessly be a most tragic event. Now, get to it!" The man paced off as quick as he had arrived to, indeed, do her bidding, although muttering some insults underneath his breath that he thought the Dunmer couldn't hear. She controlled her temper, instead simply scoffing again, before ensuring her robes were still free of dust in this old, dusty place, waiting for her accomplices to arrive.
Outside, three carts, pulled forward by sturdy horses bred in not-so-distant Skyrim, came to a halt at what could be called the Temple's courtyard. The Temple of Ancestor Moths itself was a surprisingly busy place these days, the grand chapel, more akin to a fine Colovian church, looming above all, with houses big and small all around it, together with storehouses. A path led further up the slopes of the mountain, towards the Temple's expansive catacombs and other assorted underground quarters. Another cart moved past, headed for the Imperial City, loaded with the silk of the ancestor moths. The three carts that had arrived, however, began to unload - one of them being emptied of the crates with assorted goods it held, while the others had their passengers get off of them and onto solid mountain rock. They were a varied bunch, hailing from different parts of Tamriel and all walks of life.
The tanned Imperial in black leathers that had entered - and left - the chapel moments earlier stood waiting for them as they assembled, an unamused look on his face as he eyed every single one of the people that had just arrived. "You are expected inside," he stated bluntly and dryly, a hand gesturing at the chapel's doors. "Make your way there at once. You have work that needs doing." Following his own instructions, evidently, he turned and immediately went for the chapel once again, expecting the new arrivals to follow him as instructed. This time, he knocked on the doors, before swinging them open, standing at attention next to them, allowing the others to step inside first so that they, too, could meet that terrible, terrible Telvanni woman that they would be working with.