[Finn arrives at the safe house later that day, even going so far as to make himself invisible during parts of the trip, including the last few legs.
In one hand is a large bag containing takeout Chinese, and he's got a makeshift sling across his body, where Nirnroot is tucked in. Sticking out of his back pocket is a plastic rod connected to a string with feathers on the end. He also has her catnip ball in another pocket. He's brought things to make sure she doesn't wander off.
[Even after a few months, Finn still gets startled when Lucien sneaks up on him like that. He looks over his shoulder, smiling at the other man.]
I'll keep that in mind next time.
[Finn steps inside the house, setting the food down on the table once he finds the dining room. He also takes Nirnroot out of her sling and sets her down, giving her her catnip toy and using a bit of string to tie the cat teaser to his chair.]
[He leans down to stroke her. She's still only a few months old, but she's certainly getting bigger. He leave her with her toy while he opens the food boxes, showing that he got a variety of items.]
[Lovely. He strokes her little cheek with a thumb, smiling.]
I always thought so. They're very visual creatures, so they can be approached and interacted with invisibly, but not for long. [He once managed to bait one towards a target of his by that technique.] Whoever managed that feat has my respect.
[Oh yes, the food. He'd almost forgotten. He brings Nirnroot's attention back to her toy mouse, then sits at the table, taking a portion of everything.] They are not merely a folktale, then?
I can only wish they were. I've seen them close up.
[He brings out his sketchbook and flips it open to a page he drew a while back before Lucien got here. Finn holds it up for Lucien to see, showing a typical falmer.]
The things you learn from the far-off future. [He leans over to look, taking in the details with an absolutely unconcerned air. He's looked at more gruesome things over dinner before.]
What an eerie creature. [It looks pitiful and deadly, like a starving vampire.]Where have they been hiding all these years, then?
Perhaps they lived in deeper places in my time. They were simply legends to frighten children with.
[He takes a moment to take a mouthful of food before continuing. He's got a terrible habit of not eating enough if he has a conversation partner at a meal.] Other people's children, obviously. Any children growing up in the Brotherhood were given stories of marauding guardsmen or Morag Tong instead.
[Normally he might not talk about these sorts of things and just let a brother learn from experience, but as isolated as they are and as disadvantaged as Finn had been in the Fourth Era, he felt some responsibility to tell his brother more about what their life had been like.]
My parents used to frighten me with stories of bonewalkers.
[He's never seen one, but he's heard they were terrifying. Maybe that's why he finds draugr creepy.]
I've heard of the Morag Tong. Obviously my little village never hired them, but they are still a thing in my time.
[One of his Grandpa's friends claimed the Neravarine was one of them, while Grandmother claimed this wasn't the case. Every Dunmer in his village claimed to have met the hero, but their stories are all conflicting which leads Finn to believe none of them actually met them.]
Our history with their guild is long and complex, and near-invariably bloody. But in brief, they turned away from Sithis to seek the Tribunal's favor. Our Mother disagreed, and earned the Dread Father's favor. Our conflicts are therefore not only over territory, but our splintered faith.
[And he'd thought the Brotherhood had been lucky when the Oblivion gates started opening: Yes, the world had become more dangerous for everyone. But Morrowind had been hit particularly hard, and the Morag Tong with it. The legion was likewise distracted.]
They think us too secular and debauched, but they rejected their faith to seek official sanction and accept the boundaries of mortal law.
Argonians inherited their worship from the Hist, who have venerated Sithis longer than any living beings. They may not follow the same traditions that we do, but with a god so old and complex, our ways of worship can both be valid and acknowledge each other with respect.
A beautiful land, but it has its dangers, especially for those without scales. Even more so for dunmer, if old anger towards the slavers has remained. I would recommend going with a native sibling, if possible. You would miss so many opportunities without them.
Luckily I'm pretty good at making friends. I once threatened to kick some nord's ass because he wasn't paying his argonian workers a living wage. I could probably talk one of my argonian friends into coming with me when I get the chance to travel that way.
If they are Blackmarsh natives, yes. Some have lived their entire lives in other lands, and know little of Argonia. However, they may have relatives who still live in their ancestral homeland, who may be more amenable to helping you.
[It was unlikely any of this advice would be remembered once Finn returned, but it was worth warning him of life's complications regardless.]
However, do not assume that they will be open to the Brotherhood after so long without contact. Though they may yet venerate Sithis, they may be slow to trust others. [Especially after the depredations Finn had told him of. How could one expect their Argonian cousins to find them reliable if they could not keep to their own Tenets?]
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applewatcher) wrote2018-02-05 07:53 am
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In one hand is a large bag containing takeout Chinese, and he's got a makeshift sling across his body, where Nirnroot is tucked in. Sticking out of his back pocket is a plastic rod connected to a string with feathers on the end. He also has her catnip ball in another pocket. He's brought things to make sure she doesn't wander off.
The Dunmer knocks on the door.]
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[Despite the scolding, he's smiling.] Welcome, brother.
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I'll keep that in mind next time.
[Finn steps inside the house, setting the food down on the table once he finds the dining room. He also takes Nirnroot out of her sling and sets her down, giving her her catnip toy and using a bit of string to tie the cat teaser to his chair.]
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So, this is our youngest sibling. [He knows much less about cats than he does rats, but he can certainly understand the appeal.]
I see she's well-cared for. [And quite intent on savaging that little felted mouse.]
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[He leans down to stroke her. She's still only a few months old, but she's certainly getting bigger. He leave her with her toy while he opens the food boxes, showing that he got a variety of items.]
She's no giant spider, but I love her anyway.
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Does that mean your siblings in Skyrim tamed one of those creatures?
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[Nirnroot lets go of her catnip mouse and approaches Lucien, sniffing his hand. Apparently he's on the level, because she starts nuzzling his hand.]
I didn't think you could tame giant spiders, but one of them managed it. They're pretty cute when they aren't trying to poison you.
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[Lovely. He strokes her little cheek with a thumb, smiling.]
I always thought so. They're very visual creatures, so they can be approached and interacted with invisibly, but not for long. [He once managed to bait one towards a target of his by that technique.] Whoever managed that feat has my respect.
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[Finn samples a bit of the orange chicken, followed by a pot-sticker.]
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[He brings out his sketchbook and flips it open to a page he drew a while back before Lucien got here. Finn holds it up for Lucien to see, showing a typical falmer.]
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What an eerie creature. [It looks pitiful and deadly, like a starving vampire.]Where have they been hiding all these years, then?
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I mostly see them in Dwemer ruins, though they can also be found in caves deep within Skyrim.
[He puts the sketchbook down and nibbles on a mushroom.]
They don't talk, or walk upright. They're completely feral.
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[He takes a moment to take a mouthful of food before continuing. He's got a terrible habit of not eating enough if he has a conversation partner at a meal.] Other people's children, obviously. Any children growing up in the Brotherhood were given stories of marauding guardsmen or Morag Tong instead.
[Normally he might not talk about these sorts of things and just let a brother learn from experience, but as isolated as they are and as disadvantaged as Finn had been in the Fourth Era, he felt some responsibility to tell his brother more about what their life had been like.]
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[He's never seen one, but he's heard they were terrifying. Maybe that's why he finds draugr creepy.]
I've heard of the Morag Tong. Obviously my little village never hired them, but they are still a thing in my time.
[One of his Grandpa's friends claimed the Neravarine was one of them, while Grandmother claimed this wasn't the case. Every Dunmer in his village claimed to have met the hero, but their stories are all conflicting which leads Finn to believe none of them actually met them.]
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[And he'd thought the Brotherhood had been lucky when the Oblivion gates started opening: Yes, the world had become more dangerous for everyone. But Morrowind had been hit particularly hard, and the Morag Tong with it. The legion was likewise distracted.]
They think us too secular and debauched, but they rejected their faith to seek official sanction and accept the boundaries of mortal law.
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I grew up in a little fishing town, so nobody really had any need to hire an assassin. But I did have some Argonian neighbors who worshiped Sithis.
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Argonians inherited their worship from the Hist, who have venerated Sithis longer than any living beings. They may not follow the same traditions that we do, but with a god so old and complex, our ways of worship can both be valid and acknowledge each other with respect.
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[He still worships Azura and the others. He's met them, after all.]
I've always wanted to see Black Marsh. After the biting cold of Skyrim, what's a little swamp land?
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[It was unlikely any of this advice would be remembered once Finn returned, but it was worth warning him of life's complications regardless.]
However, do not assume that they will be open to the Brotherhood after so long without contact. Though they may yet venerate Sithis, they may be slow to trust others. [Especially after the depredations Finn had told him of. How could one expect their Argonian cousins to find them reliable if they could not keep to their own Tenets?]
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I'll just have to earn their trust as the new Listener. I'm Dragonborn, I get shit done.