The Undaunted, Wayrest

## The Undaunted, Wayrest Enclave

There are those who choose to fight for honor and justice, some who bloody their swords for coin, and then there are…others.

### Current head(s)

Turuk Redclaws, Maj al-Ragath, Glirion the Redbeard, Urgarlag Chief-bane.

### Social rank

Adventurers, Explorers, Delvers

> *"We, the undersigned, declare our intention to take the Pledge of the Undaunted. Be we longstanding members of the guild, or newly blooded blades, we will dare to do what others will not. We will delve beneath Nirn, we will seek out knowledge and treasure where it lies unseen. We will stand against the darkness.*
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> *And we will return Undaunted."*
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**The Undaunted** are a loose faction of adventurers contemporary with the Alliance War, with a history that supposedly spans as far back as the Merethic Era. Neutral in the ongoing war, the Undaunted have members all across Tamriel and work together to raid the greatest dungeons in the land for wealth and glory. They have so-called enclaves in some major cities, but often chose to meet at inns or taverns.

This specific page is focused on the Enclave based in Wayrest and the various activities, members and pledges that operate from it.

## Pledges

### Hazards and Hagravens

For what would be the first time in many months, Keevah Gwynara, a minor Pledge Master for the Wayrest Enclave, strapped on her armour and personally took ownership of a pledge regarding the rumours of a Hagraven circulating around. Two groups had already been dispatched with the intention of locating and raiding the caves from which these rumours had spawned; locals around the old Portdun Watch area of Rivenspire had spoke of people going missing and strange screeching and shrieking coming from an old, abandoned mine complex.

With no sight nor sound from the two previously dispatched groups, this prompted Keevah to take it upon herself to pull a team together to further investigate and snuff out this nuisance - plus, claiming the talons of a Hagraven was no easy feat.

A team was assembled consisting of Adjanah Valari, Astrid Windmere, Al-Sayf Sarahin, Sevyala and Amraes - some experienced members and some new pledges with experiences elsewhere - and they ventured forth towards the area that had been previously scouted and confirmed as the location.

The group were initially met by an eerily silent series of tunnels, long overgrown with varying flora and debris. Silence and calm did not last long, however, as a shriek echoed in the distance and grasping vines burst forth from the ground and from the walls; reaching for the group and aiming to constrict them with their thick bodies and rend their flesh with razor-sharp thorns. Fast and reactive combat followed, with a quick-thinking Adjanah all but melting the vines with a alchemical mixture once the group had managed to create some space. Once the acidic concoction took effect, the vines were easily dealt with and passed.

Slowly the group squeezed themselves through a short series of tight tunnels and passages before being met with the source of the previous shrieking. A silhouetted figure stood alongside a large stone cauldron that pulsed with corrupted and foul magic, feathers were jutting from various areas of the shape but curiously it did not look much like a Hagraven. The figure raised an arm and a thick, black sleeve slid back - revealing a frail and emaciated human arm, upon which a knife was raked down. Blood flowed forth into the stone cauldron and the ground once more began to shake, as more vines burst from all around.

The robed and feathered figure scurried back into the darkness as green, horrid energy poured from the bowl as more vines crashed through the walls –but they did not move for the group – they surged towards the energy, almost melding with it. Slowly but surely a shape began to form, some sort of half-flesh/half-plant abomination – standing easily 10 ft tall. This horrific bastardisation of nature would be aptly named a 'Plantbomination' by Adjanah.

The group engaged with the monstrosity to varying degrees of success. Swords, arrows, magic; all used relatively successfully, but the creation would merely repair and regrow the damaged areas. It became apparent that the cauldron, and subsequent addition of the blood, was keeping this thing 'alive' and gambling on who's energy would run out first did not seem like a sensible plan. Swift feet and agile movement from Al-Sayf and Adjanah saw the pair behind the preoccupied abomination, with the duo eventually able to topple the cauldron and sever the connection between the creation and its source of energy. With nothing left to keep the abomination alive, the group were ultimately able to bring it down; an ice-lance from Sevyala and arrows from Amraes were the last things to thud into the creation before the energy finally flickered and faded.

The next cavern brought the group face to face with their supposed Hagraven, which was now visibly a man in thick robes, adorned with feathers and other grim tokens. The same knife that was used to bleed his arm was then used to carve a symbol upon his chest - with Sevyala recognising this symbol of that of the 'Corrupted Heart' fringe-clan of Reachmen. The emaciated and drained man spewed fireballs from his hands, but it was evident nearly all of his energy had been expelled in the creation of his corrupted growth. As fast as the combat began it was soon over, as lightning slammed into his chest and arrows slotted into his head and body. A lifeless and twitching corpse decorated the floor of the old mine.

A room was found at the far ends of the mine. Full of stolen loot and gathered items, all discarded into a pile and evidently of little to no interest for this loner. Evidence of cannibalistic rituals dotted the area, with human remains and rotting viscera littering every inch - not to mention plenty of small animal carcasses.

The cave was looted by the group over the span of a couple of days, with some small sapphire seams excavated and all bodies and remains given burials. A combination of Sevyala and Amraes worked to cleanse the area as best as they could, snuffing out the stench of corruption and hopefully allowing nature to reclaim this old mine.

## Challenges

### Remembering Hjara White-Hair

#### Challenge 1: The Giant

Upon hearing some unfortunate news about a fallen comrade, Hjara White-Hair, the Undaunted Enclave in Wayrest have published a series of small challenges designed to recognise and recreate some of Hjara's most well known feats and accomplishments; a fitting memorial for the fearless Nord fighter who eventually stood toe to toe against a Giant in true Undaunted fashion - and what would ultimately be her ticket to the feasting halls of Sovngarde.

In light of her end, the first challenge was posted looking for a group to locate and bring down one of these enormous humanoids!

Due to a personal relationship spanning back nearly 6 years, Keevah Gwynara was deemed responsible for managing these challenges once the targets have been set; with interested parties signposted to speak to her by Bolgrul at the Enclave.

Information was pulled together from local rumours, merchants tales and stories from hunters and trappers from in and around High Rock; with 3 potential targets being identified. Splittooth, Wooly Whomper and Longshanks. These three supposed Giants were recorded to have been seen by farmers and hunters in the forests and rugged terrain skirting along the Wrothgarian mountain ranges.

A small team was assembled consisting of experienced Undaunted delvers and newly pledged members, striking a strong balance of skillsets and experiences. The full team consisted of new pledges Hjorvun, Flavyere and Alexis Ashwing with the trio of Breica Bloodstone, Oswel Davenport and Julian Arreria bringing in the direct Undaunted experience.

The group set off in search for one of their targets, eventually ending up in relatively deep forests which did not seem the most likely location for a Giant - who would typically favour wider plains - to be residing; but a faint smell of smoke caught the nostrils of some of the group and they slowly and cautiously made their way further towards it. As the group moved the smell got stronger and more specific notes were picked up: Definitely burning wood, possibly some meat and curiously a small of cheese.

Eventually, after fighting through some more dense woods, they came upon a small clearing with a not-so-small campsite. Within it sat a shelter made from a humongous rib cage, covered with thick, woolly furs. Accompanying the rib cage was an equally gigantic skull with tusks that seemed to never end and a monumental fire burning high into the air. A silhouetted figure caught the attention of the group as it moved to throw more wood into the fire, their eyes slowly adjusted to the light from the fire and this silhouette was unmistakably the form of an enormous humanoid: standing easily 16ft tall and wearing some sort of armour; visibly furred and quite ragged, adorned with an assortment of bones, pelts and trinkets.

The Giant had elaborate marks all over its skin. Patterns, mainly swirls and circles, that appeared to be deep white scarring. An enormous club sat leaning against the skull, although describing it as a mere club seems to be quite the understatement to what was essentially a small tree with a boulder fastened to the end.

Prior knowledge from some of the Nord group members and those familiar with tales and stories were able to identify the markings upon the Giant as one that was a lone wanderer, rarely found with others of his kin and typically lived a solitary life; just them and possibly their Mammoth (or herd of them.)

A quick plan was established that would see Oswel run in to grab the Giant's attention and lead it where the group could launch a quick attack, hopefully dragging the Giant away from where it could easily reach for weapons or other familiar objects that could be used to obliterate the group. Fairly frantic combat ensued as the plan was deployed, with the Giant instantly grabbing his club and beginning a series of taunts and likely intimidation-based displays. Hjorvun took up his claymore and charged the Giant head on, followed swiftly by Breica, Julian and Alexis. Flavyere and Keevah provided support from slightly further back as the group engaged with the Giant.

As the combat continued, the Giant managed to pivot and smash his club into a curious set of bellows that were connected to a large horn. The horn erupted with noise before the bellows just exploded under the sudden burst of pressure – sending strips of leather and pieces of wood flying around. The ground trembled slightly followed by a distant noise that sounded remarkably like a trumpet.

Ever a master of plans, Oswel took it upon himself to create a series of small fires - blocking out the direction that the trumpet player seemed to be coming from. It was quickly assessed that the trumpet player was most likely a Mammoth, and not some awkward, forest-dwelling musician.

Weapons were also set ablaze, although not by Oswel, but by magical enhancement from Flavyere. The group continued the melee with the Giant - weapons thunking into its flesh as the Giant clobbered people, sending them careering across the forest like a child would throw away unwanted toys. At this stage though, it did seem as if the group were getting the better of the gargantuan humanoid. Slowly but surely it was being cut down by steel and magic, although in an unexpected act the weakened Giant hurtled his club towards the duo of Flavyere and Keevah, striking the pair and rendering them both useless as they struggled to regain their composure and deal with injuries.

The plan to contain the Mammoth behind a curtain of controlled fire had paid off and allowed the Giant to be substantially weakened before the other creature eventually just burst through the blazing brush and rampaged towards Oswel and Breica who went head-on with the beast. A colossal sword met a pair of colossal tusks, as Breica and the Mammoth clashed into each other. The impressive form of Breica, bolstered by a previously deployed empowerment spell from the now-injured Keevah, was enough to go blow-for-blow with the animal whilst Oswel positioned himself underneath, on purpose of course, in an attempt to disembowel it. As Breica's blows essentially skewered the Mammoth and Oswel's sword cut deep into its belly, the creature's legs rapidly gave way under its enormous bulk. This resulted in not only the Mammoths slow decline towards death, but also in a sickening crunch emitting from Oswel's leg as the man lay trapped underneath.

Meanwhile, a vial of flammable Oil had been used in conjunction with the flame-enhanced weapons and the Giant's own life force was rapidly dwindling. Julian scaled it like a building and rammed his sword up into its armpit, releasing a torrent of blood and a small burst of some strange spores. The flame-damaged flesh on the Giant's torso ended up being no match for the relentless pressure from the claymore wielded by the Nord warrior Hjorvun - who was showered in an explosion of viscera and a whole digestive system as the skin and muscle burst under a final swipe of the great blade.

Slowly but surely, the Giant fell to the ground like a tree and the members of the group were able to fully dispatch both of their foes. Battered and bruised, bleeding and broken, the Undaunted had prevailed and were able to complete this first challenge to honour their fallen comrade.

#### Challenge 2: Giant Snakes

Following a few weeks after the initial Challenge to fell a Giant, the Undaunted Enclave in Wayrest released the next task as part of the ‘Remembering Hjara White-Hair' series of commemorative Challenges; that of the Giant Snake!

Although not incredibly rare beasts, tracking down and engaging a Giant Snake in combat typically isn’t as easy as stumbling across a wolf in the forests. However, some rumours floating from the areas around Cumberland Falls and Wind Keep gave a promising start; Benny Loumont, a local fisherman, had been seen and heard lately at the Wayside Inn – drinking heavily and telling anybody who would listen about his brother Albert, or Bertie as he was known, being eaten whole by a humungous snake that appeared from the waters at Cumberland Falls.

Upon hearing this, some investigations were had to try and ascertain whether this was merely drunken ramblings of a madman, or drunken ramblings of a reliable source! Digging out some old documents from the archives in Wayrest Library, it was discovered that in and around the Cumberland Falls area there had been a series of mining test channels dug, but these proved quite fruitless and one even excavated into a body of underground water which in turn flooded much of the passageways – rendering them useless for anybody who wasn’t a fish.

With a combination of these old archives and some knowledge of nearby caverns and ruins, it was surmised that these abandoned, and underwater, tunnels could quite likely be used by these giant serpents as an easy and safe method of movement – with them appearing sporadically around the Wind Keep area to snatch a dozing fisherman or small child tormenting the mudcrabs.

A team was assembled by Keevah Gwynara consisting of Astrid Windmere, Muttrick, Yinth and the Hound of High Rock! The group of 5 formed a lucrative mix of talents and abilities, combining the front-end armour-clad bulk and tenacity of Astrid and the Hound, with the slick swordsmanship of Muttrick – backed up by the keen eyes and deadly arrows of Yinth.

A vial of horrific smelling liquid was procured from a not-so-salubrious Alchemist in the City; the vial contained a thick liquid that was purportedly concentrated female snake pheromones – aiming to lure out males who would appear seeking a mate, or lure out females who would appear to...murder the other female.

On a rainy and overcast Tirdas afternoon, the group departed from the North Gate of Wayrest and rode to Cumberland Falls. Rain lashed down as lightning streaked through the sky, although it would take more than this to dampen the spirits of the small team of Undaunted as they rode on – making a jest that if lightning did strike, Astrid being the tallest would be the main target!

As the group arrived and settled their mounts with a local hand, they geared up and established themselves around the falls – it was time to hatch the plan! The group decided on Keevah and Yinth proceeding to the next level of the falls, to pour the pheromones into the rushing water and
allowing it to cascade over the edge and down into the water below – giving it a wide spread and thoroughly mixing it with all of the water they could. The liquid was poured and quickly descended down the waterfall, creating a patch of froth at the bottom as it foamed up – causing slight speculation that it may have been bubble bath all along, although the smell did not point to this being accurate.

Yinth and Keevah returned to the lower section and to the others, who had spread out slightly and were observing the Falls. Initially, nothing was really happening, the water continued to crash down in this idyllic
little location. Keevah took the initiative to toss the remaining snake pheromones towards Astrid with the intention of the big Nord to then throw it into the waterfall, however with Keevah’s pathetic throw, the vial shattered across the Hound and doused the Orc in the remnants of the serpent scent!

Eventually a large air bubble erupted from behind the waterfall as a thick cloud of dirt and sediment emerged forth, casting an ominous shadow across the water. A long, thick shape slowly emerged from behind the waterfall and made its way towards the Hound – semi-submerged in the water and still slightly shrouded by the dirt and much from the bottom of the water. A pair of yellow eyes appeared and fixed onto the armour-clad Orc moments before the form of the Snake rose from the water. Yellow eyes set within a crimson-scaled head, adorned with a series of small horns and ridges that ran from the centre of the creatures eyes down to where one would assume its neck ended. The Snake easily stood 10ft in height, with at least the same length currently hidden under the water.

The eye’s fixated on the Hound, as the Giant Snake’s head moved from side to side; the long tongue flickering out. Slowly the reptile’s mouth opened, giving a full view to the two fangs that were easily the length of an adult's full arm. They had a sinister curve to them and seemed wickedly sharp.

In almost perfect unison, Yinth and Astrid attacked the Serpent; with the Bosmer releasing a volley of two arrows and the Nord’s crossbow launching forth a serrated bolt. The crimson Serpent was engaged! With ill-intent, the serpent whipped its tail at the Hound and Astrid as it commenced a charge towards the back-stepping Yinth; only to be met by Muttrick’s sword which slid cleanly into the beasts flesh, causing it to rear up and hoist the Redguard along with it, spewing forth a stream of venom towards the nimble Yinth.

Astrid, with her zweihander Freki drawn, weaved into combat and sent the blade in a beautiful upwards arc – slicing through the crimson scales and opening a deep gash from which blood began to pour forth. The Hound pounced onto the serpent, hunkering down with his tremendous bulk to pin its tail to the ground in an attempt to limit its ability to move and lash out with a deadly tail-whip. The Serpent swung round to deal with its new Orcish Anchor, and received an arrow, soaked in its own damn venom, shot forth from the bow of Yinth.

Giant jaws slammed down and sunk into the Hound, and the noise of a snapping fang sent a chilling CRACK around the combat area. A volley of crackling energy erupted forth from Keevah’s hands, slamming into Astrid and fuelling the indominable Nord with an extreme burst of energy and strength – which was put to good use – as her faithful companion Freki was smashed into the Snake’s head and the Nord began to wrench it around in a horrific motion, slicing chunks of flesh from the serpent and essentially tearing its lower jaw into several pieces.

A fierce shake of its head dislodged Astrid as the serpent began to wilt, blood streaming forth an assortment of wounds and from its mangled face. Yinth loosed another arrow, which slammed into the serpent’s yellow eye – sending out a small explosion of intraocular fluid. The snake was haemorrhaging blood, and secreting venom, into the water. Victory was at hand...until another burst of air and sediment was spotted by Muttrick, coming from the waterfall where the crimson snake had appeared from.

A darker, charcoal coloured serpent erupted from the water and beelined straight for Astrid – only to be met with the Nord’s weapon pointed forth like a spear. The blade gouged a chunk of flesh from the snake’s head, as a rapid Ice Lance crashed into it from the hands of Keevah.

The Hound’s leapt from the dying crimson beast and his axe swung around, with a tremendous amount of force being generated by the enraged Orcish warrior – the weapon appeared as nothing more than a green flash as it sunk itself deep into the side of the serpent. Adrenaline and fury were running high, as Yinth continued to unleash a relentless stream of arrows and Astrid thrust her sword down the gullet of the beast. The clamping jaws of the serpent done little to hinder her onslaught, as the Nord merely reached for a serrated dagger and began excavating the underside of the snake’s jaw until her arm, and sword, were able to slide clear.

Keevah discarded her staff and gathered another collection of crackling energy within her hands. A shimmering combination of red and gold energy swirled around the Enchantress’ hands and arms, before being launched forth towards Muttrick! Muttrick’s body was flushed with energy, empowering the man to a whole new level of speed and strength. The Redguard allowed this feeling to rise in him, muscles rippling and flexing; then he picked up a stone and threw it at the snake. The look on Keevah’s face at this moment was quite priceless; all of that energy, all of that intention – now used to throw stones. Nevertheless, the stone hurtled through the air like a bird of prey and turned the second snake’s right eye into more of a soup – to be fair to Muttrick, that Redguard could throw a stone pretty damned well!

More stones continued to flow forth from Muttrick at a rapid pace, as Yinth abandoned her bow and leapt upon the embattled serpent – drawing her exes in mid-leap and slamming them down into the beast’s head. In another glimmering flash of green axe, the Hound unleashed a devastating cleaving arc that sliced right through the snake – cutting the reptile completely in half and bringing an end to the combat.

Keevah raised an arm up, pointing at the sky. “That was for you, Hjara!” she exclaimed.