Xinimator

“Hi...looks like everything's here,†Red said happily as her eyes laid upon the glimmering weapons resting innocently on the straws of hay, “Stroke of luck, eh?†“Luck?†Nina asked Red grimly before shaking her head and wandering away from the group to explore the rest of the cavernous room. Ignoring the curious stares she was receiving from the others, she turned her head towards the alcoves and caved-in doorways, searching for any Forsworn that might be hiding and waiting for the opportunity to ambush them. Shaking off the straw, Red looked at the engravings on the head of the axe in curiosity and ran her fingers along the ridges, saying with a small chuckle, “Heh, you know...if Manan didn't have his heart set in having these back, I wouldn't mind 'borrowing' one for, say...an extended period of time.†“Share, dearie,†Grond smiled as he worked on pulling the rest of the equipment from the boxes, “You're not the only one who can be smitten by dwarven work.†Red winked at the Nord as she held the axe and gave it a few soft swings. But it wasn't long until she frowned in concern and stared at the weapon. “Wow....this feels, I dunno....awkward, I guess? Something doesn't feel right about this...†“Okay...awkward is not a good word,†Nina commented and withdrew her gaze from one of the caved-in doorway to look at the red-headed bard, “What do you mean 'awkward'? What's wrong?†Red shook her head and wordlessly handed the axe to Grond, who immediately began scrutinizing it carefully with his fingers. “Mm...The weight is all wrong. This thing should be balanced, but instead...†he said and held up the axe with two fingers at the base of the head. Almost immediately, the axe slipped from Grond's hand and crashed onto the floor, “...all the weight is on the head.†he concluded. Nina, done with her search, finally wandered back towards the group and lifted the axe up from the ground to hold it herself, “Maybe....a mistake on the blacksmith's part?†she asked the Nord, “I know dwarven weaponry's quality is hard to duplicate, much less even forge for an average Imperial.†But Grond shook his head, “You can't mess up dwarven metal that badly. At least not without it looking like a big blob of mess instead of an axe. It's the material that was used to create it.†Nina nodded thoughtfully and held up the axe in front of her face, looking at it carefully, before she slammed the side of the head against one of the stone columns still standing within the room. Sparks from where metal met stone flew across the room and Nina held up the axe close to the small ball of light in Haunt's hands. There, bold as the sun, was gray matter sticking out against the bright orange of the axe. “Shaped and painted to look like dwarven,†Nina said with a small chuckle, “Too bad they couldn't have had the decency to at least use steel. This thing can't even gut a pig.†“Damn....looks like you get your wish, Grond. We're going bandit-hunting,†Red said and laughed before running towards the only doorway that wasn't caved in by century-old rocks, instead featuring a solid iron door, “Come on! It's a tomb! There's bound to be treasure in here, right?†“And draugr,†Nina said as she caught up with Red, “Never been in a tomb where there wasn't anything dead sitting upright and walking around.†Nina shivered at the thought of reanimated corpses and shook her head before gently pushing the bard along. “Alright, come on...the sooner we get past the corpses and spiders and stuff, the happier I'll be.†Red raised an eyebrow at her before grabbing Nina's sleeve and pulling her up into the front, “That's it. You get scout duty just for that little comment about the spiders.†“Oh come on now,†the female Nord said with a sheepish grin, “spiders can't be any bigger than your foot...†But under the increasingly-annoyed glare from Red, Nina chuckled and rolled her eyes, “Alright alright, I'll shut up about the spiders and stuff. Happy?†“I will be as soon as you do shut up,†she said and pushed Nina along with a small smirk as they ventured into the bowels of the tomb. --------------------- The group met little resistance as they made their way further down the tomb. Though the hallways were coated with cobwebs and occasional skeever nests, there was barely any lifeform that posed as a challenge for the group. Though Nina kept a close eye on the skeletons that littered the floor, none of them ever came back to life. After running into several caved portions of the hallways and rooms that led to nowhere, they finally reached a large room at the end of the hallway. “Another dead end...†Grond muttered. Coffins were lined up on the walls of the room along with tables filled with embalming tools and tattered linen cloths. But by the looks of things, it seemed as if this room was indeed another dead end. Except now he didn't know where they could turn next. “I wouldn't be so quick to judge...†Haunt said quietly. Being their silent companion throughout most of their trip, his voice suddenly popping up was enough to startle Nina. With a yelp, she tripped over a few bones that were scattered on the ground and slammed into the wall before sliding down onto the ground, “Ow....Haunt!†she complained and glared at the Breton, who only shrugged. “Man, dude...give us some sort of warning that you're here or something, 'kay? You scared the heck out of me.†“Afraid something's going to pop out of these coffins, Nina?†Red said with a snicker. “Actually, yes,†Nina muttered and rubbed the back of her hand before pulling herself back up to her feet. But as she tended to her bruises, her eye caught something unusual on the wall. Blinking a little, she tilted her head up to stare at the wall before her and realized quickly what it was. “A puzzle!†“Exactly,†Haunt said and joined up with Nina to examine the wall. The light from his hand illuminated the wall brightly enough to show everyone in the room what it was: a series of rings that spanned across almost the entire wall, all the pieces aligned in a random order. There were faint outlines of an image etched across each piece, but the nature of the image was impossible to discern at the moment. Nina brushed her hand along the faint lines in the stone and rested her finger on the center piece, “Here's the origin. All we need to do is line up all the pieces to match up the center and we'll be able to get through in no time.†Without waiting for anyone to comment, Nina pushed down on one of the rings and spun it to the right just a little bit. Suddenly, there was a creak of joints and gears clicking together faintly as two other rings followed the ring Nina was pushing, causing her to cuss loudly; one of the rings that happened to move was the origin piece itself. “Aw come on...Even the origin piece? Really? Gods, why couldn't they just stick with gas traps or something...?†she growled angrily. “I dunno, I think the walking dead is enough of a trap, don't you think?†Red said. This caused Nina to turn around and look at Red confused. Red shrugged and silently pointed behind her, where Nina could hear the faint rattling of bones as skeletons rearranged themselves to dutifully protect their tomb. The puzzle had been rigged to reanimate the dead should anyone dare tamper with the doorway. “Oh. Great. Just what we need: Pressure,†Nina muttered, “Haunt, help me out with this damn thing,†she said to Haunt before she turned back to the puzzle. Biting her lip, she began spinning pieces at random, causing all others to move along with them. She was only faintly aware of the sounds of fighting behind her as she concentrated on how to reverse the trap.

“Shame....I kinda like reindeer,†Nina piped up with a small chuckle and gracefully hopped back down onto the ground to meet with the others. But as she strolled up to Grond, she noticed his foul mood and followed his gaze onto the two corpses. “Forsworn....†she muttered, her cheerful disposition replaced with a grim expression as she knelt down at one of the bodies. “Oh, don't tell me that old badger sent us this far south...†“The Forsworn?†Red asked, frowning, “If Manan was attacked by the Forsworn, I don't think he would've survived such an encounter. Nord or not.†“You haven't heard him,†Grond grunted, “I reckon I could throw him into a pack of giants and he'll just lecture them to death. Bandits aren't any smarter.†“But that still leaves the question,†Nina said and glanced at the rest of the group, “how in Mephala's name did we get this far south without knowing? The Forsworn usually mark their boundaries. Skulls, signs....heck, there wasn't even a skeleton hanging off a tree when we came through. Just a bunch of bandits and one of them was an Argonian.†Nina shook her head and stood up, staring at Grond and Red, “This just doesn't sit well with me.†“Maybe they're expander their territory,†Grond muttered, still staring at the two Bretons with deep hate, something that was all too familiar to Nina, “Everybody knows how much they want to take over our homeland, bloody mongrels...†But she shook her head at Grond and explained, “I doubt that. They're having a heck of a time trying to take over towns that are already in their territory. There would be no strategic advantage from trying to expand northward.†“But what if they are?†Grond interjected and stared at her, his hand clenched around the handle of his warhammer. “Grond....†Nina said quietly, “I know you're looking for an excuse to smash every single of the Breton's skulls into dust. I can see it in your eyes. But trust me when I say they're not advancing north. Doing so would open themselves for an attack from Ulfric. As much as I would like them to be dumber than common rats, they're not.†Grond, rapidly running out of excuses to rush after his most hated enemy in a fiery rage, grumbled and tried to content himself to kicking one of the corpses roughly. Red couldn't help but chuckle a little at the Nord's temper and walked up to her friend to comfort him, “Come on Grond....where there's two, there's probably twenty more of those guys running around this place. The first ten's yours to smash to your heart's content, okay?†Grond glanced at her before shrugging sarcastically, “Bah...alright, I suppose I can live with that. But you two keep yer arrows to yourselves,†he said with a grin, “I'd rather have my Witchmen kicking and screaming. It's more fun that way.†“No guarantee, Grond,†Nina smirked a little, “If they end up dog-piling you, I'm just gonna ignore what you say. And I'll be sitting on a nice, fragile beam so you can't reach me.†“Oh?†Grond said and laughed, “There's more than one way to coax a monkey off of its perch.†“Good luck,†Nina said and winked teasingly, “I'm very hard to persuade, mate.†There was a cough behind her and Nina turned around to see Haunt looking at them, a slight hint of impatience etched across his face, “Are we going to rid this patch of land of the bandits or are you two going to sit here trading blows?†“That depends,†Nina muttered and gestured towards the large hallway leading deeper into the fort, “You supposedly can see the future. What do you think we're going to do, hm?†Haunt only stared at her and shook his head before walking down the corridor, Nina following right behind him to mainly keep an eye on him. As the group continued their journey into the belly of the cavern, the walls of the hallway seemed to grow wider each step. When Nina thought Grond could have laid down upon the floor comfortably, the hallway suddenly gave way to a small, rather comfortable pit. Hastily-fastened beams spanned across the dome that formed the ceiling in hopes to prevent the room from collapsing upon itself and decorative columns encircled the center of the room, though they were nearly crumbled to dust save for the bases. Nina thought that before the centuries of decay and dust, the room could've served as a sort of antechamber. “Wow....pretty fancy for a fort in the middle of nowhere...†she heard Red say quietly and Nina nodded in agreement. As everybody else stared at the architecture of the room, Nina cautiously leaned far enough over the edge of the balcony to scan the floor of the room. Though the Nord spied several fresh campfires scattered around, she didn't see anyone occupying the camps, making her wonder out loud, “Three campfires and not a soul in sight...What the heck? Haunt, you trying to scare away our prey?†she joked with him. “I see some crates down there,†Red said and pointed to the stack of boxes at the other side of the room, “Think maybe some of Manan's shipments are in there?†“It's worth a shot. If not, I suppose our hungry Nord back there wouldn't mind the food,†Nina said with a chuckle and shrugged, “I'll go first. Being a Nord, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to jump all over me. And I don't think I need to mention my 'frailness' again, do I?†Not waiting for an answer, Nina decided to skip the staircase and hopped over the railing, landing on the ground with a surprised yelp. “Oi! Plan on having me carry you all the way back, are we?†Grond said with a laugh. “Hush, you,†Nina muttered and staggered a little to her feet, “....was a little farther than I thought, that's all...†she said and dusted herself off a bit before looking around the room. “Alright....where in Oblivion are you guys...?†she said to herself and carefully walked across the room, trying to keep an eye on a few of the doors that could pose as perfect hiding places for the Breton. But no one attacked her as she made it to the other side and turned back towards the group, “Alright, come on....maybe an extra Nord will entice them. And I don't want to search through all this by myself, ya know.â€

Nina couldn't help but chuckle a little at Grond's unique tracking technique, but her chuckle was of a strained one. Bouncing the scarab key in her hand, she glanced repeatedly at the haunting newcomer, wary of how much he knew so much about the group. It was enough to put her on edge and didn't quite agree with Red and Grond's decision to let him come on. But nevertheless, she didn't say anything as they made their way through the maze-like forest. While she didn't trust him as readily as the others, she was still willing to give him a chance. So long as he doesn't tip her off as a person with hostile intentions. “This way!†Grond yelled and waved his hand at the rest of the group, “Aye, don't tell me carrying all that weight of gold and keys is slowing you down...†“You want to help, Dragon-Breath?†Red said and laughed before gently punching his shoulder, “Then be quiet and find that door for us. You can carry all the loot back to the tavern.†“And yer helping,†Grond remarked back, earning him yet another punch from the red-haired bard. Seeing the two preoccupied, Nina glanced over at Haunt and decided it was a good time to learn more about their mysterious hitchhiker. “'Tis a dangerous game you play, Haunt...†she said quietly so as to keep the conversation between them, “Posing as a 'Messenger of Fate'. That'll get you killed in some places.†Haunt chuckled gently and smirked, “So you do not believe me then, do you?†“Oh, how did you possibly know?†she said sarcastically and glared at him, “Look....I'll be blunt, 'Haunt'. I don't like you. The fact that you can just walk up and know someone just by looking at them already has me on edge. But that's not all...†she said, glaring at him, “I don't even think half of what you say is true.†Haunt's smirk was gone now, replaced by an unreadable, grim expression, “It may be. It may not be. But surely that can't be the thing that upsets you. After all, everybody lies at one point in their life,†he looked at her curiously, his eyes boring into her as if he was trying to read her mind, “No, what upsets you about me is not me lying to protect myself, but rather what I work for.†“What you 'work' for?†Nina laughed and shook her head, “You can be the High Priest of the Nine Divine for all I care. No, what upsets me is that you just pop out of nowhere, know each one of us as if you lived with us, and expect us to trust you right off the bat. That's what I don't like about you.†Nina glanced at the Imperial and the Nord starting to walk away again and sighed, “....You can come. Apparently you made a better impression with those two than you did to me. But,†she warned and pointed a finger at him, “That doesn't mean I have to like you. Or even trust you. If you do anything to us....I won't hesitate to kill you.†“I assure you,†Haunt replied, “you have nothing to fear from me.†“We'll see about that,†Nina muttered and walked back quickly over to the rest of the group. She ignored the petty argument that was ensuing between the two, instead glancing at Haunt out of the corner of her eye. --------------------- “Here,†Grond said as they entered a small clearing, “their scent's strong here.†“You know if you keep talking like that, I'm going to have to give you a nickname,†Nina said with a smile, “You may not like the choice, either.†Grond laughed, “Haha....and what can be worst than 'Dragon-Breath', little one?†Nina smirked and leaned in to whisper a few words in his ear. Grond listened and chuckled before nodding, “Aye....alright, I suppose that could be worse. But nothing can beat this...†he said and whispered something back at her. Nina gawked and drew her head back to stare at him, “People call you that?! Really?†“Yep!†Grond said proudly and thumped his chest, “And I wear the name proudly, too.†“I wouldn't have. I'd probably put the guy who called me that in a coma,†Nina said and rolled her eyes. “Ha, good luck,†Grond said with a laugh and thumped her in the back, “He's like a ghost. You never know where he is until he sneaks up behind ya and sticks a slimy frog down yer pants.†“Yep, as I said....coma,†Nina laughed before saying quietly, “But uh....I would prefer if you didn't call me 'little one'. In case you haven't noticed, I have a few more wrinkles than you do.†“Ah, but you're still a little one, little one,†the Nord said with a grin, “In case you haven't noticed, I'm a good foot taller than you.†“Bah....alright, I'll give you that one,†she grumbled and crossed her arms, “Sorry, I can't help it if I'm as short as an elf!†“Hey, that's a good thing!†Red piped up, “Means you can get into places this big boy can't get into. You have no idea how many times I had to get him unstuck.†“Oi....I'll get you later for that one, ye little bard. But we have other things to deal with,†Grond said and walked up to the stone wall that stood in their path. Where the wall led to, no one could see as the vegetation grew thick around them. Once again, Grond bent down and sniffed the air, taking a few small steps towards one particular spot until he placed his hand on the stone, “Here. This is the entrance.†“Alright, you greyhound,†Red said and gently pushed the Nord to get him to move out of the way before clearing the moss and vines off of it, “My turn to be useful,†she said and winked at the Nord before feeling her way among the stone. To Nina and Haunt, the section of the wall she was searching looked like any other part of the wall. Just as Nina was going to comment on Grond's tracking abilities, the section of the wall sudden sunk into the rest of the infrastructure and slid open, revealing a large cavernous corridor. Judging by the lack of spider webs and footprints in the dirt, the entrance was used quite often. “Wow....mind if I steal Grond every now and then, Red?†Nina said and laughed, “I think I have some use for the big boy.†“You can get your own Nord, Nina,†Red said with a chuckle as she lit a torch, “Ol' Dragon-Breath here's my Nord. Lead the way, hon,†she said and handed Grond the torch.

Throughout the whole battle, Nina took charge of ranged artillery from the safety of the tavern roof. She kept her eyes upon all three trolls and every time she saw either one of the groups struggling with the monsters, she redirected her arrows towards the troll and helped distract them long enough for the others to take them down. Nina smiled gently to herself. She always felt more comfortable behind a bow than from any other weapon. Though most of her race preferred to wield a claymore and hammer to smash their foes with, she opted more for the wood elf style of fighting: lightweight weaponry and the ability to move quickly out of harm's way while delivering her own blows. It wasn't a surprise to her when people gave her odd looks towards her along the streets. But her biggest flaw in that plan was blades. While she could wield a dagger with the skill of an average bandit, that was it as far as her knowledge went. She never took the time to really master some of the one-handed blades and it has cost her many times in the past. While she did try to devote some bit of time to learning how to use a dagger at the very least, she always found herself reverting back to her fists. Or her bow. With people, it was not much of a problem. Trolls, on the other hand, she couldn't take down with her bare hands. She always tried to avoid a direct confrontation with trolls for fear such a confrontation would be the end of her. As Nina kept watch over the dead trolls to make sure they stayed dead, she glanced at the troll, surrounded by a ring of fire, rushing around frantically in its prison. She would have been more than happy to focus on the troll that was giving a couple of men some trouble when something caught her eye: it was the behavior of the troll within the mage's prison. “What in Dagon's name are you doing...?†Nina muttered and frowned in confusion. Watching the creature, she saw it rush closer and closer to the fire, though hesitant about crossing the object it feared the most. Out of caution for the safety of the mage, she nocked an arrow into the string and drew it back, aiming for the troll but not firing just yet. She waited to see what the troll was going to do. The troll pranced around in the circle in a frantic rage, trying to find a way out of its inescapable prison. Locking its eyes upon the mage, the monster made multiple attempts to charge at him; but on every single attempt, it drew back and roared in displeasure as the immense heat from the flames burned the troll, forcing it back into the center. But as each of the other trolls fell, Nina saw with dread, the monster's behavior became more and more organized. The monster was starting to purposely run closer and closer to the flames; it looked as if it was prepared to risk burning alive if it meant it could avenge its fallen brethren. Nina finally saw what she was waiting for: the troll drew as close as it dared to the flames and turn around to face the young mage, it's body bowed in a charging stance. “Oh, that's a stupid mistake, you stinkin' ape...†she muttered when she realized what was going to happen. Tightening her grip upon on the string, she prepared to fire at the troll and end its miserable life. But a shadow caught the corner of her eye and she quickly turned her eyes to see a figure rush towards the ring of fire. Just as the beast made a dash towards the mage, the Nord rushed through the flames and crashed into the troll, his battle roar mingling with the troll's cries as they were locked in a fierce wrestling match. “Oh, you son of a...†Nina muttered and growled loudly. She could not find a clear shot anymore. Within the chaos of the fighting, there was a very high chance that the arrow would find its mark within the wrong target. She was torn between risking the shot or letting the Nord and the mage handle the troll. Nina, deciding upon the later, prepared to withdraw her shot when she heard something over the howling wind; a series of loud, patternless thunks upon the wooden sides of the tavern. Alarmed, she turned her head to search for the source of the noise when a large monstrous hand shot out and grabbed one of her legs, its hand tightening into a deathlike-grip. Nina screamed as the troll violently dragged her off of the roof onto the frozen ground. Amidst the chaos, the arrow she had intended for the troll was loosed, aimed directly at the two still fighting in the circle. As she landed on the ground with a soft thud, her bow flew out of her hands and landed several feet away from her. But as she tried to search for it, her view was blocked by the hairy mass of a fourth troll hovering over her. Its free arm was raised above its head to crush her. Swearing loudly, the Nord rolled her body as best as she could away from the large fist as it slammed into the ground. The hand missed her by mere inches and enraged the troll at the prospect of an uncooperative meal. Nina pulled a dagger out from underneath her bracer and held it in her hand as she saw the troll prepare to attack again. “Oh come on, don't let me die like this...†Nina muttered as she gritted her teeth and launched herself at the troll, aiming for the monster's soft neck....

Aw man...does that mean the patches are mandatory now? Forget that, I'll just mod the heck out of Oblivion. At least until the price comes down to a reasonable level, maybe... *sighs* Well, I guess my PlayStation's going to be playing a lot more games from now on...

“Hush, Rain....†the woman said as she leaned over her horse and stroked its face, “We'll find someplace warm and safe, okay?†She sighed a little and tilted her hood up a little to watch the clouds pile into each other, darkening the landscape with the threat of heavier snow. After the few days, she was eager for something other than the frozen ground to sleep on. Just as the visibility within the storm started dropping, she spied the warm light of a house in the distance and smiled, “See? We're nearly there. Now come on, Rain. I may be a Nord, but I don't like sleeping in the snow all the time, 'kay?†Nudging her foot gently against the stallion's flanks, she managed to coax him into a trot towards the tavern and cautiously looked around their surroundings. Other than a few travelers heading towards the building, the landscape was barren of any creatures. Many had taken refuge within the snow and it wasn't long until the two were taking refuge under the roof of a stable. “Ho' there,†she called out to a small boy who was raking the muck from the ground as they rode up, “is this a tavern?†“Yes ma'am,†the stable boy said with a grin and nodded his head, “you stayin' for the night?†“You bet. This poor guy can't take any more sleeping in rocky caves,†she said with a chuckle and hopped down from her horse before asking, “Uh....there is room, right? Or can I just sleep in the stables? I can pay.†“Oh no no, there's room available,†the stable boy nodded quickly and nodded towards the tavern, “Ask Barlow for a room; he'll accommodate you. And don't worry, I'll take good care of your horse.†She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this, “You better. The last time a stable guy tried to mess with my horse, the guy's head ended up on the wrong end of his body. Don't ask me if he still looks like that, I didn't stick around to admire my handiwork.†She watched the boy's eyes grow wide with fright before she busted out laughing, “Haha, I'm just kidding. The guy only ended up with a broken jaw and that was on accident. But I'm not kidding about Rain,†she said grimly, “Take good care of him, okay?†“Y-Yes ma'am,†the stable boy stuttered out and rushed over to Rain's side to tend to his needs. With a chuckle, the woman placed a couple of coins on a crate nearby for him and quickly dashed across the yard towards the building. The cold wind bit into her skin and she winced as she tugged her hood over her face and walked as fast as she could towards the door. As she opened the door into the tavern, the warm air brushed against her face and providing a rather soothing effect compared to the bitter cold. Shaking the snow off of her, she tilted her head up and looked around the building with green eyes, a unique color of greenish-emerald. She spotted several men huddled in a group around the fire with the talk of hunting bandits and spied the bartender behind the counter, “Any room left?†she asked, sitting down on one of the chairs at the bar. “There is,†Balow nodded, “only for a few coin.†“Sounds good,†the woman nodded and passed a few coins in his direction, “Now how about the strongest drink you have over here?†she said with a small smile. “Plan on besting Grond in a drinking match?†the barkeep asked with a laugh, “I will give you a fair warning, he can drink a lot more than it looks like he can handle.†“Oh trust me, I'm not here to drink anyone under the table,†the woman laughed and pushed back her hood. Her face was covered with faint bruises and lacerations still oozing small bits of blood, but she still managed to smile widely, “I just need something to disinfect these wounds. I swear, the robbers are getting more pathetic by the year...†“Er...are you sure you don't wish to have those wounds checked out?†Balow asked and gestured to the group, “I'm sure one of the gentlemen over there would be more than happy to help you.†“It's just a cut,†she said and waved her hand dismissively, “It's not like I got shot in the heart or anything. I'll be fine. I just need something with some alcohol in it, 'kay?†The barkeep nodded and walked over to the back to fetch the drink and she leaned against the counter, listening in to the conversation the four men were having near the fireplace. From what she could pick up, it seems they were looking for some help in dealing with bandits. “Ah screw it...I got nothing better to do...†she muttered and, taking the drink handed to her by the barkeep, she walked over to the group of men and asked, “I heard you're looking for help. I don't suppose there's room for one more? And what got your undergarments in a knot?†she suddenly asked when she received a rather glaring look from the old man that was smoking a pipe in the corner. She rolled her eyes and chuckled, “Look, I may look frail, but I can handle myself in a fight. Give me a weapon and you can start makin' prayers for the guy on the other side of the blade. Or don't, doesn't matter. Ends up just the same really. My name's Nina, if it makes you feel any better,†she said with a sympathetic smile.

Nina Type: Main Player Character Character Name: Nina Alamain A.K.A.: Nina Age: 35 Race: Nord Occupation: "Mercenary" Guardian Stone: The Warrior Mount: Rain, a grey stallion with faint “freckles†along its face Physical Attributes: Nina tops at around 5'9†and weighs 136 lbs. Though she has a small frame, but her slight muscular build makes up for her looking “frailâ€. Her eyes are a unique color of greenish-emerald and her long, black hair is kept in a bun. Her arms and torso are decorated with aged scars, as if she had been in battle a long time ago. Clothing: Nina wears a black cloth cloak, underneath it a leather vest covered by a white tunic and black leggings. The only visible armor she has is light-plated armguards (hidden underneath the tunic and a great hiding place for a dagger) and boots. Weapons: In close-quarter combat, Nina prefers to knock out her targets rather than kill them, so she tends to use her hands as her weapons. Her technique seems chaotic to some hand-to-hand combat masters, but to her it's more comfortable than the other “restricting†styles she's tried. And she'll be more than happy to voice her opinion when confronted. But when worst comes to worst and if she can get away with it, she will usually snipe her opponents from a distance with her ebony bow, tuned just for her style. But due to its impractical use within close-combat, Nina keeps a steel dagger tucked away in a safe place for such occassions. Her greatest friend in these situations will be her environment, using whatever she can find laying around and/or unused to her advantage to corner her enemy. Her greatest weakness is magic, or at least any magic being used against her (except for cold spells). With no defense against such attacks, she's often left pinned down with no possible chance of retaliation unless they run out of magicka or someone helps distract the mage. Backstory: (Under works) Personality: To most strangers, Nina's found to be quite the basket-case. Reckless, often pessimistic, and very crude in her methods are some of their first impressions of her. But what they don't know is this is Nina's method of staying one step ahead of her enemies. Or at the very least trying. She is very quick to judge a person's character and, like all other native Nords, it can be very hard to persuade otherwise, especially when the person happens to be hiding a secret. Not very patient, she'll be more than happy to “rush†things along to conclusion through brute force, often to the point of spilling blood if not held back. But when Nina eventually views them as a friend, she seems like a completely different person in front of them. True, her stubbornness and reckless ways still persist, but her approach seems more precise and calculated, not unlike one of a seasoned military officer. Her “pessimism†dissolves and what's left is someone who cracks crude-humored jokes and brawl with anyone who challenges her just for the fun of it. True, her drinking days are behind her, but that won't stop her from partaking in just a little bit of fun with a light drink. But if there's several things she hates the most, it's the Aldmeri Dominion, undead, and offensively-used magic, though even then she may stray away from any type of magicka from lack of or no desire to understand it. Special Abilities: Immune to the cold Additional Images:

“Ow....†Nina muttered quietly, “Damn you, Alistair. When I find you, I am going to kill you.†“I'm right here, you know.†Nina opened her eyes and turned her head in surprise to find her brother sprawled out on the forest floor beside her. Alistair lifted his head a little and gave Nina a small shrug, “Do we have to fight right now, though?†“Oh, yes we do!†Nina yelled angrily and jumped to her feet, pulling out one of her daggers, “Dammit, Alistair! Where in Oblivion did you run off to?†Her face was splattered with a mixture of reptilian blood and her own, making her look rather frightening, “You had better have a damn good excuse or else this dagger is going into both of your legs so you can't walk anymore!†“Nina, wait....what happened to you?†Alistair said in alarm as he took a good look at her. Her clothes were ripped in several places, only to be replaced by fresh wounds that continued to drip blood onto the ground. Her right arm was supporting several bite wounds, but she seemed to ignore it as she glared malevolently at her brother. “What happened? What happened?!†she yelled and shook her head, “Gods' blood, Alistair, did you hit your head or something? You left us to fight against this giant lizard-thing just to go chase some pretty firefly. That's what happened! I almost turned into lizard-meat because of you! Gods, Alistair, what possessed you to go wandering off like some three-year-old, huh?†“I...I thought I....†Alistair started as he sat up, only to suddenly pause and stare at the ground below him. The leaves struck him as something odd, but he couldn't quite place what... “You thought? What? You thought that back there was the perfect time to ditch us? Sheesh, sometimes it feels like I'm the older one of the family...†Nina couldn't help but mutter and threw her hands in the air exasperatedly, “Wonderful....I'm stuck in a god-forsaken realm with a half-wit brother, oh this is just wonderful. You couldn't have waited until we were out of there, at least?†“Nina...†Alistair stared as he picked up one of the green leaves. “But of course, you didn't want to, did you? “ she said, interrupting him, “You just wanted to go off by yourself to do whatever it is you wanted and leave us to clean up. Did you not learn from the last time you did that...?†Alistair stood up all of the sudden and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little, “Nina, I know! I know what I did was stupid. I'm sorry, alright?†“Sorry? Alistair, 'sorry' doesn't heal this freakin' bite mark I have on my shoulder now,†Nina said, shrugging her right shoulder as if to demonstrate, “You wanna apologize for that stunt you pulled back there? Don't. Do it. Again,†she said with a finality in her voice and pulled away from Alistair's grip, “I didn't rescue your sorry bum from that prison for you to be doing this again. I thought we already talked about this...†she said quietly. “We did,†Alistair muttered and shook his head, “Nina, I'm sorry. I'm really am. I just....I thought I saw something...†“What? A shiny firefly?†Nina said incredulously, though she couldn't help but grin just a little. “Merissa.†Nina blinked a little at the sudden answer and looked at him confused, “Um....not Merissa, right? Not that dead one...?†Alistair nodded quietly and stared at the golden-green leaves by his feet. He was just as confused as his sister was. He didn't even get to have a closer look at the woman before he was suddenly thrown back into the darkness. Nina winced a little at this and was quiet for several long moments before saying cautiously, “Um...o-okay....Alistair, why would she be...?†“I know,†Alistair said darkly and looked up at Nina with pained eyes, “Don't you think I thought about that when I started chasing her?†Nina sighed and shrugged, “....You could have said something at least? That way Jheuloh and I weren't running around like frantic chickens trying to find you?†she said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Alistair shrugged and didn't say anything else as he stared at their surroundings blankly. Nina shook her head gently before she began looking around as well, then noticed the rather healthy-looking trees around her, “Um...are we back? We're back, right? I mean, this isn't another one of those screwed-up realms with the screwed-up women and whatnot, right?†“Well, one way to find out,†Alistair said and smiled a little, “Go find a deer and make sure all of its body parts are where it's supposed to be.†“Oh, haha. Stop trying to make me work so much, Alistair,†Nina muttered, but grinned at her brother, “I deserve a little break after that stunt you pulled back there.†“So now you're going to make me go chase after those things? I'm still trying to recover from that troll-fiasco, Nina,†Alistair said with a laugh and pulled his sister into a tight hug. “Ow ow ow! Alistair! I'm still trying to recover from that lizard-fiasco!†she yelled and squirmed painfully until she managed to slip out of his grip again, “Ow....could you at least wait until after I had a bath?†“I don't see why. You look cute with all that blood on you,†Alistair snickered at her. Nina rolled her eyes, "I'll be more than willing to share some of it with you, you know. You may not like the paint job, however," she warned him with a smile before she noticed the absence of someone in their group, “Hey...where'd Jheuloh go, anyways?†Alistair looked around their surroundings, and in the treetops just to make sure, and shrugged helplessly, “I don't know. I'm pretty sure he came with us, though...†“Aw damn, I find one friend and he goes and disappears on me,†Nina rolled her eyes and chuckled, “Alright, let's go see if we can't find our sneaky little friend. And maybe a bath.â€

Nina gave him a small frown before shrugging and tossing the two black eyeballs in his direction, “Be my guest, then. If you're that much interested in gross and disgusting things that you wanna carry them, you won't be getting any complaints from me. Unless you're clumsy,†she said quietly with a small snicker. “Not that much. It'll make me look pretty bad if I was able to walk across a single line of rope with such grace only to drop these sticky, slimy eyeballs on the ground and step on them,†Jheuloh said sarcasticallyat he caught the objects in his hand, keeping a tight enough grip on them so they wouldn't fall but at the same time not squeeze them too hard to make them burst. With a small chuckle, he lifted up one of the eyeballs and held it up in curiosity, examining them critically, “Hm, this is interesting...†“Eh?†she glanced at him over her shoulder and laughed, “Careful, hon. You might give someone the wrong impression if you keep looking at those eyeballs like that. And they're slimy disgusting eyeballs, did I mention that?†Nina smirked, though not unkindly, and turned back to the half-submerged corpse and crossed her arms across her chest in thought, “Huh....I didn't think this lake was even big enough to house a huge squid,†she said quietly. She tilted her head a little and stuck her hand experimentally into the blood-diluted water, “Damn thing's cold too, and on a warm night....â€â€ Alistair, who was standing some distance away from the group, merely gave her a small glance at her comment before turning back to the woods surrounding the lake, keeping an eye on the creatures that darted from tree to tree through the night. Sighing heavily, he paced around a little in circles waiting impatiently for the two to be done with their investigation. Something suddenly glinted out of the corner of his eye and his spun around in alarm to face this new threat....only to see nothing but the complete darkness in the shade of the trees, “What the...?†he muttered, frowning as he tried to look past the trees to see who or what had shimmered in the distance. But instead, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary and the only sounds that filled the air were the idle conversations between the two people behind him and the shrill cries of the local wildlife. Just as he was about to turn his back to the forest, something in the distance blinked again. Alistair glared at the spot where the light originated from and he saw something move through the forest. What it was, though, was anyone's guess. And Alistair hated it when he didn't know what was happening. He sighed gently and glanced over his shoulder at the group before he stepped into the maze of trees, unsheathing his swords in case this “creature†proved to be aggressive. As he tried to avoid the overhanging branches and vines that threatened to entangle him in their trap, he tried to keep an eye on the beast in front of them that seemed to steadily lead him deeper into the forest.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Hey.....where did Alistair go?†Jheuloh took his eyes away from the eyes to look around the clearing quickly, looking slightly alarmed, “I......he was here a second ago, wasn't he?†“Exactly,†Nina said simply and muttered some choice obscenities before climbing back onto her feet and took a couple of steps from the corpse, “You have any idea where he might have run off to?†“You're looking at me?†Jheuloh chuckled a little and shook his head, “You know him better than I do and I didn't see which direction he ran off to,†“Dammit...I am going to kill him someday and the hell Hermaeus Mora is going to stop me,†Nina shook her head and sighed a little before walking towards a random patch of trees, “Alistair, if you don't get that bum of yours back here right now, I swear I will riddle your legs full of arrows and carry your sorry hide back home! Remember the last time I had to do that? That was not fun!†she yelled angrily. When there was no answer, she growled low in annoyance, “Gah....idiot. He's more unpredictable than drunk... Come on Jheuloh, we have what we came for. Now we just have to get something back,†she muttered darkly and unsheathed her bow from her back as she began her approach towards the forest. “Wait, what happened last time you had to carry him?†Jheuloh laughed a little, a little curious about the story behind that particular incident. “Er.....let's just say you don't wanna know. Maybe when we're not stuck in a forest full of talking spiders and gods know what else, I'll share that story with ya,†Nina gave a small chuckle. “Fair enough,†Jheuloh smiled, “But I'm holding you to that,†he added with a small snicker. But he was cut short when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye and spun around quickly in alert, “Alistair?†he asked, though when he was what had come out of the trees his eyes widened a little and he took a couple of steps backward. “Alistair, damn you...†Nina growled and spun around towards the direction Jheuloh was looking at, only to blink in surprise and curse a little, “Figures he leaves us in a time like this,†she muttered as she slowly pulled an arrow from her quiver and knocked it onto the bowstring, watching the creature with amber-colored, slit eyes edged closer to the two adventures with a small hiss.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ “Ow!†Alistair yelled suddenly and clutched at his nose; the branch decided it didn't like being pushed like so and sprung back to hit him in the face as he hand slipped from the branch. It wasn't that the trees were slippery, but more like he was completely distracted by what he saw that he forgot what he had been doing for a brief moment. He gave the branch a glare of annoyance before he turned his vision back to the “creature†in front of him. Only the creature wasn't a beast, but a female Imperial, her back turned against Alistair's and seeming to stare off into the distance towards some unknown object. Long, wavy brown hair hung down her back in a loose, carefree manner and the skirts of her red-gold embellished robes waved breezily as if being pushed by a light breeze. Only there wasn't one with the thickness of the trees. Alistair stared at the person in front of him and cautiously took a step towards her with a nagging feeling of recognition about her. No....it couldn't be... he thought, which only made him feel even more confused and alert at the same time, “.....Hello?†he asked quietly. The woman turned her head slightly in response to his question and gave him a brief, friendly smile. But before Alistair could see the woman's face, she turned back and began walking away from him quickly. “H-Hey! Wait!†Alistair said quickly and began rushing after her, glancing the surroundings quickly to see if anything was sneaking up upon them. He was feeling surprisingly very protective of her all of the sudden, but any suspicious thoughts towards her were quickly banished before he could have time to reflect upon them. He muttered a little as she had quickened her pace and sped up himself while trying to duck under low-hanging branches. He noticed that she seemed to do this effortlessly, as if she had done this a million times before, but Alistair ignored this and kept following her, wondering who she was and why she looked unnervingly familiar....