Fandom A Returned Threat to Skyrim (1x1 w/ PaleAbyss)

[PaleAbyss]

She glanced over to the spot. They'd be sheltered from the wind at least partially, and some of the dry bushes and dead trees around would provide sufficient firewood to keep them warm until it was time to strike. "Suppose so. It's our best option."

Anafira approached the location, feet sinking into the growing snow the closer she got. With night having arrived fully, the temperature had dropped considerably, and even with her armor's inner padding she started to shiver from the cold. "Alright, set up whatever you brought for the journey. I'll go around, collect some firewood for us, maybe look out for any threats."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"Right. Thank goodness I actually thought of bringing stuff this time."

Magnus walked to the furthest point inward in order to establish the basis of the campfire; setting up the stones in order to keep any firewood stable. Then he emptied the bag to reveal the extra arrows for his bow, a piece of flint as well as some rations.

"Oh crap. I forgot to bring some sleeping bags. You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?"​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira was on her way out to collect the firewood when he mentioned the sleeping bags. "Not to worry, I packed two, just in case." She reached into her armor, pulling out two deceptively small packs of padded wool and leather, tossing them to the snow next to him. "Set them up. Just watch the strings, they're easy to undo. I'll be back in a few."

Out she went, taking long, heavy steps as her boots sunk into the snow below. Snowfall had thickened, and thus, the temperature had dropped considerably, telling by her shivers and the flushed aspect of her cheeks and nose. She visited each spot with a tree or a bush, snapping twigs into smaller pieces and slicing branches off with her dagger, taking care not to blunt its edge too much with the act. It had been but a few moments and she, with a good load of firewood held up in her arms, spotted... something moving in the snowy mist. She couldn't make it out, with the snowflakes dancing and concealing its shape, but there was definitely someone out there, trudging along slowly.

She cupped her hand close to her eyes, leaning in to get a better look. The mysterious figure paused, and without thinking, Anafira crouched as low as her legs allowed, managing to hide enough of herself behind a small crest. From the edge she could see them, apparently glancing about, then retreating into the darkness of the night.

She spent a good moment like that, as small as she could make herself, and then stood back up with a deep breath. Before long she allowed her legs to carry her back to her and Magnus' camp, arriving with heavy breaths and a flushed face of exertion. "...They're on high alert..." She voiced, words punctuated by her panting. "Saw someone walking around. They didn't see me, but they could feel someone was around."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

While Anafira was out scouting, Magnus was setting up the camp. He took note of what she said about the easy to undo strings, and laid them out nice and easy. The chill of the snowy landscape started to affect him, the shuddering and the chill down his spine starting to take hold. It was quite difficult to not get distracted by the immense cold. He knew for certain that this was what Skyrim felt like, but didn't experience it much due to living in Rorikstead. When Anafira came back, he was happy to see the firewood in her hands, but was worried about her posture. Before he could ask, however, she inadvertently answered his question.

"Someone's around? That's not good. You don't think we were..."

Magnus stopped for a moment before putting a hand onto her shoulder, passing her the flint he brought.

"Start up the campfire, I'll keep watch. Get some rest."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira balanced the added flint onto the pile and then dropped the firewood onto the circle of stones, using her hands to scoop up any stray branches and twigs. "No, they didn't see me. But they're growing suspicious. It won't be easy." Her words were shaky from the cold, and she immediately produced a tinder pug from her pack, setting it close to the heard of the flames. The flint was struck, and little by little, the flying sparks lit the tinder, allowing the meager flame to swell into a comfortable fire. Good thing the wind blew from where the overhead was; otherwise, they'd likely have to fight to keep this fire going. "Just keep a close watch, I'll just warm up for a while."

She watched the dancing flames spread as she made herself as small as possible, hands and legs outstretched to receive the radiating warmth of the fire. This would likely attract some attention, but she figured they wouldn't come as far as to investigate any signs of a campfire. Or, well, at least she hoped they wouldn't.

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"You do that."

Standing guard near the edge of the 'cove' as it were, Magnus watched the outside as time went on. it was true that he was beginning to feel the cold settling in, but his resolve to keep the camp secure was more than enough to keep him going. Just who did she see out there? Were they being followed? That was one thing he wanted to disprove, so that their journey to Dimhollow Crypt was safe.

An hour later and things began to calm down. The intense snow and chilly winds had slowed down, granting them an open window to proceed onward. That was the plan, but Magnus instead opted to check on Anafira to see if she's okay.

"How are you doing over there? The weather outside has calmed down, it's already feeling a bit warmer. We should get back on track."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira allowed herself to get lost in the slow dance of the flames licking the firewood, lulled to a drowsy state by the gentle cackling of the fire and the whispers of the wind blowing behind them. It wasn't long before she was properly warmed up, and when she least expected it, she was fast asleep, resting her head against her arms crossed arms over her knees. Not a comfortable position, but she wasn't about to go for her bedroll; that would likely make her pass out way past their scheduled assault.

She jerked awake when Magnus returned, blinking and rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. Once she was fully conscious, she stood up slowly, nodding. "Doing alright, got some shut-eye." She glanced around, his statement ringing true. The snowfall had lessened, and the wind was reduced to a minor breeze. "Then we should move out as soon as possible."

The Breton kicked some excess snow onto the fire, snuffing it out yet leaving their packs there. "We'll just light it again if we need to come back. The less we carry, the better."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"Agreed. Now come on, the crypt isn't that far away now."

Magnus started walking towards the direction of the Crypt with Anafira following. A few moments later and they had successfully reached the entrance of Dimhollow Crypt, staring down the entrance. However something was odd, there were dead Stormcloaks around the site.

"Hmm... Just as I suspected. The Stormcloaks were betrayed, but why?"

He bent down near one of the bodies and investigated the incident.

"Looks like they were definitely betrayed, and this was recent. Whatever's going on in there, these 'conjurers' are clearly not working for the Cloaks, but for themselves. Come on, let's head inside but stay alert. They probably laid all sorts of traps."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira kept her eyes peeled on the approach, mostly thanks to the decrease in snowfall. The Crypt's entrance was unassuming, lacking the Forsworn's bony, gnarled effigies or the sprawling webs of a spider den. But upon closing in, she noticed the bodies littering the vicinity, painting crimson against the pale snow. From the looks of it, most of them died in battle, telling by the drawn weapons some of the corpses still clung to. She frowned, crouching next to a body an examining its wounds.

"This doesn't make sense..." Her hands lifted the cloak of the late Stormcloak, revealing a slash that certainly led to the warrior's demise. "The wounds are fresh. Hell, this body's still warm. And look," She paused, using her free hand to point to the wound. "I've never seen a blade cut a man this... cleanly. Whoever's in there has got some powerful weaponry."

She covered the wound with the cloak once more and, before standing back up, closed the warrior's eyes out of respect. "Think I'll go in first? You can keep your bow drawn, just in case anything comes up at us."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"Sounds like a good idea but I'll be right behind you with Sword drawn rather than bow. I can swap to it when the time comes."

Magnus stated as he examined the wound Anafira pointed out. A perfectly clean cut, powerful weaponry? Or something else? Either way, it did not look good at all.

"Alright, ladies first. Got to keep some degree of professionalism. Hopefully this won't be too tough to handle."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira rolled her eyes at his 'professionalism', but marched onward regardless. The entrance was nothing more of a cave opening doused in pitch-black darkness, prompting the Breton to tread carefully and keep her arms stretched outwards, feeling for any walls or turns. From what she could tell, the initial section was a tight, rocky corridor covered in freezing moss and some sturdy roots, twisting and turning before stretching into a larger chamber. There, a yellowish, warm light could be seen reflecting against the ceiling, likely coming from somewhere deep.

She moved forward to find a dangerous drop off, made 'safe' only by makeshift railings and a set of wooden ramps leading down to the bottom level. The light itself came from a held torch, and she immediately made out two figures standing opposite to one another, seemingly caught in a debate. They were hooded, but their back and forth was enough to get an idea of the situation.

"...I just came from up there! What do you need from the outside that badly?!" The first voice was more outraged and younger in tone, gesticulating wildly towards the other.

"The weapons! And the corpses. You should've known that by now, we need those for the rituals! And, we've been attracting unwanted attention to the Crypt as you said yourself earlier today. Now go! No more whining." This other voice was more grizzled, commanding, likely to be someone of importance to this cult.

"But--"

"I said, no more whining! Off with you!"

With that, the younger one sighed, shoulders dropping, and started making their way up the ramps. Anafira suddenly clung to the darkness, waiting to see if Magnus had followed suit. "They'll miss him if we wait too long after taking him out; let's be quick about this."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

When words hit Magnus's ear, he followed suit with Anafira and clung to the darkness as best as he could. Stealth was not his strong suite but it worked out in the end; the younger of the two voices walked past them with ease without noticing. Once the coast was clear, he spoke up.

"Best to just leave him. He seemed pre-occupied with what's going on, and like you said; they'll miss him if he's not coming back after a while. Now come on, let's keep going."

Magnus took the lead this time and proceeded downward into the Crypt. Eventually, a large opening was revealed and what was inside was... Unsettling.

"There's... There's loads of them... And Draugr too? I have a bad feeling about this..."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira watched as the cloaked figure approached, too aggravated and frustrated to notice the two lurking in the shadows. He disappeared out the entrance and the coast was clear, at least for the moment. She followed Magnus suit as he moved down the makeshift ramp, reaching the lower level and travelling through the tight tunnels, similar to those they encountered at the entrance, until the passage blossomed into a larger room.

"By the Eight..." She commented, crouching beside Magnus. The passage led to a small vantage point, flanked by two sets of stairs leading into what was likely an old Nord burial tomb. Atop the mossy stone floor walked the Draugr, weapons in hand and their withered forms at attention, moving back and forth almost at a controlled pace. Among them were some scattered cloaked figures, carrying scrolls and alchemy supplies back and forth through the tunnels leading into this room.

But something stood out to her. The Draugr would normally assault them, as they don't discriminate when their slumber is interrupted, but here they seem subservient to these cultists. One shuffled closer to the stairs, and peered aimlessly around, allowing her to take a good look at its face. Or rather, its eyes. "Look," She poked his arm, then pointed at the Draugr in question. "I've seen plenty of Draugr, and they always have blueish, pale eyes... this one is purple." Her statement rung true as the walking undead glowing blue eyes were replaced by pulsating purple lights, almost strong enough to pierce the darker corners of the room. "Someone's controlling them."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"You're right... This isn't normal for Draugr..."

Magnus held himself back as he observed the one who shuffled to the stairs. He had hoped to not be seen by it and he was lucky enough that it turned around and walked off. In the distance however, was some faint voices.

"Is everything coming to plan?"
"Almost, my dear. Soon, we shall bring him back to life, and our goals shall be reached!"
"For him, I'll lay down my life."

"That's strange... 'Bring him back to life'? Something doesn't quite add up. Who are they referring to? Ulfric?"​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira tensed up as the Draugr closed in, pressing herself harder against the wall in an effort to not be seen. Luckily for them, the Draugr wandered off after a turn, and they were given some breathing room to stare down onto the scene, catching some fragments of the conversation between some indistinct voices. She did her best to focus on understanding their muffled words, but the message came through clearly. They were planning to bring someone back to life.

Magnus' suggestion had her shaking her head. "Definitely not. They don't look aligned with the Stormcloak, unless they've wildly changed their stance on Conjuration. Plus," She paused, dragging a finger across her neck. "His head's been sent to Cyrodill, and only the Eight know what they did to the rest of his body."

Peeking around, the Breton warrior noticed that there was a small retreat still overlooking the lower section of the room, albeit it lacked cover save for the shadows cast by the torches. "If we sneak through the right, we can get a bit closer. Maybe listen in some more. If we find whoever's controlling this Draugr, we can take them out and they'll go along with him."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"That's a fair point. Hmm..."

Magnus stood for a moment to contemplate when he spotted Anafira looking around, then heard her suggest getting closer. He shook his head and spoke silently with concern.

"Are you sure you want to just engage like this? There's a fair amount of them..."

He pointed towards one of the nearby passages. Standing guard there was a Draugr Deathlord with an Ancient Nord Greatsword equipped, standing like a statue.

"They have a Deathlord under their spell too. Even if we take out the one controlling them, he'll go rampant. Let's think about this for a moment before we sneak around and get caught. I'm confident, but not that confident."​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira shook her head once more, glancing at the ornamented Deathlord watching over the room as though it were a lifeless statue. She'd take it for one, if it weren't for its ragged breaths and the glow in its sunken eyes. "No, not taking them on immediately. We have to somehow get closer to wherever this conjurer is, then get rid of him so the Draugr turn on the other cultists."

Her eyes scanned the room carefully, trying to find any useful items that could help them. Somewhere at the end of the room, through the darkness, she made out a possibility: a jar of lit oil, hanging just above a pool of the same substance, likely created from a leak in the same jar. Huh. If Magnus could hit it, it would burn anything standing on it... and Draugr weren't particularly smart to avoid these. Furthermore, the voices discussing the return of this mysterious figure emanated from a smaller room, likely a family tomb where they had settled in.

"Look." She pointed to the jar. "If you can hit that jar, it'll fall and light that entire pool of oil on fire. Probably will take out one or two Draugr, maybe a cultist if we time it right." Her hand moved to the room, where she could still listen to the two cultists talking. "Then, the second the conjurer comes out, you'll get a clear shot at him. I can then hop down and take down some key targets while they fall to infighting."

 

[Dovahkiin3033]

PaleAbyss

"You certainly have quite the strategic mindset, I hadn't even considered the jar. Alright, get into position and await my signal then."

Finding a position where he had a clear line of sight between the jar and the nearby opening that she pointed out, Magnus readied his bow. Assuming that Anafira was still within his line of sight, he performed three hand-signs to indicate a countdown.

'3
'2
'1

Then he took his shot. Firing an arrow at the jar, it fell over onto the liquid below and set it ablaze; causing the Draugr to burn, and creating a loud sound of flame to echo throughout the area. A few of the cultists came out from the opening to witness this.

"What in the...!"
"Who is responsible for this mess?!"​

 

[PaleAbyss]

Anafira moved away on his word, positioning herself just by the small drop off leading to the chamber's floor level. Once Magnus' arrow flew and struck the pot, she hopped down, using the roar of the spreading fire and the ensuing chaos to muffle her sounds. The scene before them played almost too perfectly: two lesser Draugr were caught in the flames, shrieking infernally until they collapsed, and some of the cultists rushed out to check on the chaos. The remaining Draugr glanced around aimlessly, while the Deathlord finally moved from its rigid state, blade readied.

"It just fell off!" A cultist cried out, pointing to the shattered jar burning in the pool of oil.

"Weren't you the one who put it there? Why was it leaking?!" Another piped up, pointing an accusatory finger instead. "Do you realize that could've destroyed something important?"

"Then why didn't you check?!" The accused one retorted, voice swelling with anger. "You are the one doing the rounds around here! It's not that hard to--"

"Silence!" Someone shouted in a commanding tone, followed by heavy footsteps. Anafira peeked out of her cover, glancing over, just in time to see who was likely the grand conjurer controlling the Draugr. Her eyes sought Magnus', and she gave a discreet wave of her hand. That was their target. She already pulled her mace out, ready to jump into the fight as soon as the arrow struck the hooded man.