The Woods at Night

(((This will be a more gothic RP, involving undead and Daedric rituals)))

Night hung over the Arcthan Wood. Black clouds blotted out the stars and moon, causing the forest to be in a permanent darkness. A wolf pack could be heard howling, trees swayed in the wind and strange lights were could be seen. And outside this seemingly endless dark Iogairn galloped, pursued by Imperial horsemen.
"It was just a misunderstanding!" he shouted back at them but naturally they ignored him. As it turned out, complimenting a noble lady on her newly acquired foreign fruits while her extremely obsessive, and ridiculously powerful father, was nearby was not a good idea. Iogairn could see the dark shape of the trees looming in the distance, barely a hundred yards away. The Imperials were close but if he could lose them in the woods. A stream glistened before the wood upon which a bridge crossed over. Iogairn kicked down on the horse, urging it to go faster. The Imperials were closing in. As soon a he crossed the bridge they would have him. Well, he thought, it was worth trying. He'd probably spend a fine or a couple of weeks in jail. But as he crossed the river he heard the horsemen stop. Once on the other side he twisted his horse around, upon which the horse whinnied in indignation. The Imperials just waited there, on the other side, watching him.
"Ha'wey 'en!" he shouted at them. Then, after a few seconds, the Imperials turned around and galloped back. Iogairn laughed in astonishment and made a few indecent hand gestures at them. Then, after he had taken his fill and lit a torch, he trotted merrily through the dark woods.

After several minutes of whistling a jaunty tune, oblivious to his surroundings, Iogairn saw a village along the path. As he entered it, however, not a soul moved.
"Hello?" he called. The houses remained silent. That's odd, he thought. Suddenly he heard a bow string tauten.
"Leave, stranger, if you want to live." Iogairn turned his horse around to face the bowman, then wished he hadn't as an arrow flew past his head. A disgruntled man cursed and began to knock another arrow but Iogairn dismounted and held up his hands.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said as sincerely as a compulsive liar could. He could see the indecision on the man's face. Then,
"Fine. Everyone, its safe!" he called. Slowly, faces appeared at windows and doors. Iogairn looked around at them.
"I don't think tax collector's would be fooled by that you know," he remarked. The man shook his head, not noticing the humour.
"Its not for them we do this. Its dangerous in these woods." Iogairn smiled.
"You don't have to tell me. I've only been here a few minutes and already someone's shot an arrow at me." The man grimaced.
"Aye, well, can't be too careful." He held out a hand. "Celemuns Custodos. I'm the closest thing to a guard any of these poor bastards is going to get." Iogairn took it.
"Iogairn og o Mogrin. Bard and traveler." Celemuns nodded then gestured to what could only be the inn.
"Best get inside. Undead prowl the night."

Something moved out of the woods. No one was able to tell what even if it barged out of the forest and didn´t cared for its steps. Leafs flew through the air and branches were broken. The people turned fearful their heads, but they just couldn´t see what caused the movement in the green.

"Now look at that my friends! Simple people in this forest! Not dead, not hostile, not drunken, not see-through! Just simple. How booooring!"

A voice from out of nowhere. The people from the village would look up to see from where the spoken came.

"Who is there? Show yourself!"

"Me? But I am here? How could I show myself? Can´t you see me?"

"Where is he? Leave the trees! We know you´re out there!"

"Ow! You can´t see me! I´m pretty sorry am I not, my friends?"

Suddenly a slender Imperial in garrish robe stood in the middle of the village. The robe was torn and used and had fabrics of all colours. Around his neck there was a necklace with jaw bones attached to and he continued patting it. A mad smile was framed by a nice Henriquatre. Frency eyes looked curious around.

"Ow? Did we stagger you? Atleast you are not trying to kill me! Is that an Inn? Here´s my money! Whine! Whine for everybody. And no wine. Hahahaha! Well. Atleast a little."

Requies rested in the inn. He had purchased a small room for the time being until he could find out more about what was going on here. The people were startled and the place reeked of death. The nights slowly passed and it seemed that there was something in the air so foul, and he was here to find out what. Requies would stand up from his bed and walk to the bar keeper and put down coin. He had been here a couple of days and the people were nice enough. The bar keep gave him some wine and then continued preparations on some stew for the patrons who wanted any.

A High Elf strode into the small village. He wore Thalmor robes but they werent your standard Thalmor set. He had modified them after exile. Arendrel paused as he saw everyone freeze. "What? Never seen an Elf before? Anyone know where the Inn is?" After being directed to the Inn Arendrel bowed politely and walked in. The Inn was not to crowded. Sitting down next to a Breton, he turned and waved his hand to the owner to bring him some wine. Then he watched the funny little Imperial talk to a few other guests wildly. "Crazy little bastard isn't he?" Arendrel said half to the Breton and half to no one at all. He thought to himself quietly, 'Miasmador was right, he is crazy.'

Amralii stumbled on a branch as she ran, nearly falling but she regained her footing quickly. She glanced behind her, she seemed to have lost them. Their rotting, pale flesh and ragged clothing. She spotted the road and ran towards it, maybe if she could reach it and find a settlement in this damned forest she would be safe. For once she doubted her decision to leave the shrine but she banished the thought, it had been the best decision she had ever made. She ran along the road faster, it was easier, firmer underfoot and easier to run along. She saw a village in the distance and she let relief wash over her. An arrow flew past her shoulder, barely missing her and she realized she was not safe yet. She spun around and notched an arrow to her bow, letting it fly. It hit a drauger through the heart, killing it instantly. She saw the small group that had been pursuing her hesitate then melt him to the shadows in the wood. She slowed down, letting out a laugh of relief. She stumbled towards the village, exhausted after the fear had let her. She entered the village and felt the eyes staring at her. She realized the state of her clothes. The wolf and deer fur armor was covered with mud and blood from a deer she had killed before the drauger had found her. "Don't mind me, just staying here for the night." The eyes disappeared and she walked over to the inn, realized she had no money so she would not be welcome. She didn't care. She pushed open the door then collapsed into the nearest chair that was available.

"Hmm?" Iogairn asked, awoken from his thoughts by a Nord sitting next to himself. Then he saw another newcomer walk in and sink into a chair. "Busy night?" he asked quietly.

Arendrel stood up stumbling, he had a little bit more than he had intended to. He could smell death all around him but he knew none around him were dead. In his inebriated state he made his way to the bar to order a room. when he tried the words slurred together to be ununderstandable. Frustrated he sat back down and belched. Along with a belch a great flame rose from his mouth. Laughing drunkenly he said, "It's an old school trick." Looking around he saw the glares from around the room. 'These people have no sense of humor' he began to feel that urge that caused him to be exiled. He feeling was sobering and brought his senses to high alert.

She had closed her eyes for a second. The hushed voices in the inn had faded away and for a moment blissful sleep until she was jolted awake by the inn keeper yelling at her,
"If you want to sleep buy a room or curl up outside in the mud."
"No thanks, I think I'll pass the opportunity. To cold a night to camp."
She smiled, to tired to argue or threaten. She realized anything could have happened while she was asleep. Someone could have picked her pocket or cut her throat. She had to be more careful in the future. She sees the drunken high elf and shakes her head in disapproval.

"Hahaha! What hunted you through the woods my dear Lad? And you my golden friend? Can I order you another mug of wine? Hahaha! And a man from the reach! I´ve heard you all insane. And the Breton over seems ominous to us aswell. Doesn´t he my friends?"

He patted his jawbone necklace.

"So. Is that a Thalmor robe? Not that I could tell. Don´t even know wether the Thalmor already exist. Hahaha! I just like robes and am curious."

He sat back down on his chair.

"Shall I tell you the story how Sheogorath stole my favorite robe?"

((Thalmor were rivals of the Blades, it's not entirely out of the question that they existed prior to the Dragonguard becoming the Blades. ))
"I will have you i am an agent of the aldmeri dominion ... er... at least inwas until.... you know..." he said waving his hand in a sloppy circle. "What in oblivion is a Thalmor?" He hicupped
"I met a Daedra once! Charming fellow really indeed a bit ugly I must say." The feeling had gone and Arendrel was back to be a drunk. He leaned back in his chair and passed out.

Requies would listen to the people with a bit of interest, but try and only find useful information. He would keep himself detached by actively avoiding eye contact. He made sure he stayed sober enough to get the details on each outsider. He wasn't alone in his interest he thought.

Axel was sitting at a small table in the corner of the inn. He had just planned on passing through when night fell quickly, so he decided to stay the night. He pulled a small map out from his pocket and laid it on the table in front of him. He had already marked off places he had been and he was now trying to figure out where he would go from here. "Maybe if I take this road... no... maybe this one?" He says to himself. He drinks some ale in hopes it will provide him with some clarity in deciding where he should go next.

((The Thalmor was an Altmeri government established in Valenwood to serve as their representative in the Aldmeri Dominion (circa 2E 830), a union of the Bosmer and Altmer provinces. So if this is during TESO time line the thalmor would not have existed till a couple hundred years after.))

((Thank you, I said Thalmor robes cause that's just kinda the style I wanted him to have style of robe not necessarily Thalmor but Thalmor style robes, sorry for the confusion. I know a lot but I have a lot more to learn I realize.))
"Hey, you know, on the here I saw skeletons! Now I know what you're thinking yeah nothing new in this day age but these were..." He pauses with wide eyes in disbelief, "They were walking around!"
His head swam and it was getting harder for him to keep it off the table in front of him. Calling to the bar keep, "Aaaayyyy, can I a get room..." Before he could finish he put his head on the table

"You saw the drauger to? Did they give you any trouble?" She shivered, the first wood she had been in since the hunting wood and she gets chased by the undead. Typical. She rummages in her satchel, feeling for any money to buy a room with. None, maybe it would be camping for her.