Congrats on the new card, and HD graphics!

I have always wondered what Skyirm's lawmen have against lollygaggin'?

I think you can just shout at the symbol on the ground, instead of using the spell Faralda tells you to. Most of my characters cannot shout though, so to me it is kind of moot.

So Aravi is going to school. I wonder if that means toga parties! Taking apart the Arch-Mage's wagon and putting it back together again on the roof?

Oh look, its the resident Thalmor spy! Talk about a slimy fellow.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 23 2012, 07:56 PM

@Grits: Remember me telling you about them? This was why. Thanks Grits!

@mALX: All the rude guards needed some kind of reaction from Aravi. Glad you approve. I was wondering about the desk too! Is it invisible? Thanks mALX!

@Acadian: I enjoyed your steam response! Aravi being Aravi, they just get a head shake. Thanks Acadian!

@liliandra: J’Zargo vs Kharjo? That’d be hilarious! Thanks liliandra!

@DE: You’ve been sneaky!

Aravi’s been battling vampires and vampirism for a long time, she started back in Cyrodiil. She got infected with the disease so many times that she really couldn’t be rid of it, giving her vivid, disturbing dreams and occasionally made her burn in sunlight like a vampire. When she learned she could be totally rid of the disease, she took the opportunity, not really thinking what it meant exactly for her. Thanks DE!

@SubRosa: I never tried shouting at the symbol, perhaps it will work. Aravi’s going to be a typical college student and attend the first class and not show up for any others! That Thalmor just screams ‘bad guy!’ doesn’t he? Thanks SubRosa!

####################################

Aravi attends her first obligatory lecture before meeting some of the other students.

8:54

####################################

A lone screen shot to share as well

The wolf

Holy Cow, I def was not expecting the dragons at the end !! It seems like they are attacking in twos a lot lately, but only one dies each time after all that fighting - she only gets one soul and one looting !!! Urk !!

Awesome screen, I am assuming that is Aravi in her wolf form? Loved todays episode !!!!

Have you noticed that in spite of not being the Mages Guild, the College still uses the same basic eye symbol?

Good old stick in the mud Tolfdir. Dangerous this, volatile that, disaster is inevitable. Let's get started already!

J'zargo is certainly a practical man. Small, valuable things, that easily fit in pockets and will not be missed. Not furthering the racial stereotype that Khajiit are thieves! Not one bit.

Two dragons attacking Winterhold at once? You must be using that same mod liliandra is. It is a good thing that wood and thatch do not burn, otherwise the whole place would have been destroyed!

Here come the dual swords! This will not take much longer. Nope, just about two seconds. Then, there can be only one!

I wanted to laugh when I saw the screen say "You feel comfortable" as Aravi is standing beside the dragon skeleton!

SPEW !!! Someone owes me a monitor!

This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 23 2012, 09:46 PM

That screenshot! Wow. How did you even think of that one? Really neat.

Dragons!! Two dragons in Winterhold, that was awesome. Mages shooting fire and ice, plus the guards finally doing something other than harass the town’s only visitor. That Thalmor guy was even in on the fight! I loved the peek-a-boo around and through that ruined house. That was way more exciting than a lecture! All of the college kids are going to want to hang out with Aravi now.

I like that angle with the three Khajiit during the lecture.

Yes! I noticed that in the last vid when she joined the College and again in this one.

I loved sitting in on the magic lesson with the impatient college kids.

J’Zargo: “May you walk on warm sands.”
Next scene: Aravi trudging through a freaking blizzard! Brrrr!

Oh, how funny for that dude in the dark robes to calmly stroll by Aravi and the dead fire dragon as she is absorbing its soul! I bet most of those arrows she recovered from its body were hers!

Yikes, the werewolf is one scary looking cat! Aravi, what big teeth you have.

Awesome! I love Aravi in wolf form! She did well to choose Lycanthropy to combat her vampirism. It was interesting that her body had built an immunity to mundane manners of a cure.

I loved the video and the dragon battle was epic! They always pop out at the most unescessary times, hehe.

@mALX: She got the other dragon too, I just didn’t record that one. It was in the middle of the road and she got some loot from it. Be sure that I would show the loot if it was something very interesting.

Yep, that’s Aravi as a wolf. Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: That first lecture by Tolfdir makes me think of the Harry Potter books every time.

Whew! Just imagine if those buildings were built out of combustible materials! The whole town would be gone!

Just a dead dragon. No biggie. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Thanks on the screenie! How’d I think of it? I’m not even sure. I was looking at the wolf in 3rd person and decided to get a close shot of the face.

Aravi went around the corner of that ruined house and though Sh--! I thought it was funny the Thalmor was pitching in even. Aravi naturally went to stand with the other Khajiit when she saw him. Thanks Grits!

@Acadian: I think that eye is kind of a universal symbol of magic. It is kind of neat that it showed up here as well though.

On J’Zargo: That seems to be the way most Khajiit in Skyrim bid farewell. It’s the thought that counts, right? Thanks Acadain!

@LL: It was very effective at getting rid of her vampirism, but she’s just traded one set of problems for another! At least she only has to deal with this one once in a while. Her vampirism problems were truly bad in Cyrodiil. Thanks LL!

##############################

Aravi’s arrived in Markarth for the first time, and I’ve taken a few screen shots.

Resting

In front of the palace (my favorite)

Research

And I don’t know why I’m posting this one; I really don’t like how it turned out. I’m going to retry this one later.

I can't pick a fave in this bunch, I love them all !! (including the one you didn't like) !! That posing mod is awesome, this is like a glimpse of Aravi and Kharjo in their private moments! What city/player house is that? All Awesome Shots !!!

This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 25 2012, 04:57 AM

Aravi: Khajiit could have sworn that nightshade is not supposed to be part of bread mixture....
Kharjo: *nomnomnom* ! ... ?

Kharjo: This is thinking Khajiit is being too stubborn again.

Love the screenies. Aravi looks rather happy to pose in from to the Palace.

I also recently found an amusing Khajiit song that made me think of Aravi. here

I love them all! That elven(?) armor looks stunning on Aravi. So nice to see her relaxing with K-Kat.

Curse you liliandra! Now that wonderful sneaky song will be stuck in my head all day!

I think my favorite of those is that last one. It looks like A&K just had an argument.

Here’s another like for the last one. I love how they look somewhat peeved with each other. Their friendship is strong enough to withstand some disagreements!

My favorite is Research, though. It’s like catching a glimpse of them just going about their lives.

LOL, liliandra!

@mALX: It’s Markarth, and it’s the Silver-Blood Inn. Glad you like them, and none of them was an obvious favorite to you. That means they all rocked! Thanks mALX!

@liliandra: I love your captions! I saw that song a few months ago, but thanks for bringing it back! Thanks liliandra!

@Acadian: The elven armor was going to be temporary, but I think it has earned its spot as Aravi’s new armor set. Thanks Acadian!

@SubRosa: I retook that screen shot with that in mind, and I think the shots turned out much better. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Research was a close second for me, but I love those outdoor pics. Since everyone said they looked like they were arguing, I retook that one with that in mind. Thanks Grits!

###################################

Argument (retake)

Why are you sitting on the table?

###################################

Aravi wandered the corridors within the upper level of the Hall of Attainment. The College’s newest members, like herself, are given rooms in the lower level. Many of the rooms up here were not in use she could see. Furniture was shoved aside and boxes and crates were stacked in their place. Who knew what they contained? A thick layer of dust showed that they have not been disturbed for some time.

As she walked the halls, began to get a feeling of being observed. Turning, she saw a ghostly wolf behind her, standing in the middle of the passage. Surprise brought her hands up and her body into a defensive stance. Shouldn’t have left my dagger in my room. She felt peculiar walking the grounds of the college armed and armored, so she had changed into the simple dress she kept and left her weapons behind. She was regretting those choices now. Those mages aren’t really unarmed anyways. The wolf just looked at her. When it became clear it did not intend to harm her, she tried something else. She smoothed her dress and kneeled, offering a hand like one would to a dog. It wagged its tail and came to her. She patted its head when it came into arm’s reach. The spectral wolf was substantial, and she ran her fingers through its thick fur coat while it sniffed her over. As she petted the canine, there was a vague sense of familiarity.

An unseen signal caught its attention and it bound down the corridor, disappearing down the stairwell, Aravi completely forgotten. Her curiosity peaked; she followed as quickly as she could in the dress, grabbing bunches of material in either hand. Why did I wear this stupid thing? she asked herself as she descended the winding staircase. Because it is pretty, she allowed. And Kharjo likes it too.

As she reached the last step, she couldn’t tell where it had gone from there. I wonder if…? She drew upon her power as a mortal with the soul of a dragon and spoke: “Laas.”

As the word left her mouth, she felt her soul give it true meaning. It was a strange feeling, but not necessarily unpleasant. Each word in the dragon tongue felt a little different, and as her familiarity with each word grew, the strange feeling diminished. The words she used the most no longer had a peculiar feeling.

Her vision faded momentarily and came back, with silvery-red tongues of flame dancing within every living being. Her eyes were drawn to her own living quarters. The shape of a large Khajiit that she recognized as Kharjo was inside along with what must be the ethereal wolf.

The flames dispersed and she walked to the threshold of her room, her bare feet noiseless upon the cool stone floor. Inside, Kharjo was sitting on her bed, hunched over the wolf and ruffling its fur with his hands. A translucent tongue lolled happily at the attention. Aravi stood in the open doorway and watched them, a small smile on her face.

After a few moments, Kharjo and the wolf noticed her simultaneously. “Aravi!” Kharjo said in surprise. “Look at what this one has learned!” With a yip, the ghostly wolf disappeared in a crackle of energy. After a second of startled silence, Kharjo continued, “This one can summon the spirit of a wolf!”

Aravi’s smile widened at his enthusiasm. “How did you learn that? You told me you didn’t have any skill in magic.”

“This one doesn’t, but his soul is familiar to this one and he is able to call him to Khajiit. The Dunmer Brelyna Maryon showed this one how.”

“That was a specific wolf?”

“Yes, when this one first came to Skyrim to work for Ahkari as a guard, it was a bitter winter. A wolf was following our caravan at a distance and at night this one set out the remains of our hunt for him. This became routine, our caravan would set out bones or some meat for the wolf every night and he became more comfortable with us. After nearly a year and a half, he stopped showing up to get his food. We never knew what happened to him.”

“Did you ever name him?”

“We called him many things, but his most common name in our camp was J’Renrij.”

“What does that mean?”

“You don’t know?” Kharjo had a look of mild surprise on his face, ears perked forward. “It means ‘clumsy bandit.’ We made fun of him, and whenever something disappeared from the camp, we jokingly blamed it on him.”

He sat and looked at her for a moment. Aravi didn’t say anything, preferring to allow him to form his thoughts. He moved over on the bed and patted the spot beside him. “Come, sit with this one. He would like to hear why you haven’t learned the Khajiit tongue.”

Aravi’s ears flattened to the side, revealing her emotions to Kharjo. He was quick to apologize, “This one didn’t mean offense; he only wished to know why you weren’t taught Ta'agra.”

Aravi replied, “No it’s alright, you didn’t offend me.” She made her ears raise, but it was no more genuine than a forced smile. She sat next to him on the bed, her tail twitching nervously. Should I tell him? She felt ashamed. I should tell him. Otherwise he might think I am hiding something dangerous from him. Again. She really didn’t want to share this story though. He doesn’t really need to know though. I could just lie.

He’d know that I’m lying.

Does it matter?

Yes. Yes, it does.

“I’ll tell you.” She stood and closed the door, then returned to her spot next to him on the bed. I will tell him the truth.

But how much? Not all of it surely.

Most of it.

Kharjo waited patiently, teal eyes never leaving her as she debated with herself.

Trust him. With that thought she decided.

“I don’t remember my parents very well anymore and I didn’t have any siblings. I have no memories of Elsweyr, if I was ever there. We were traveling with a caravan, and I remember that it was cold. My parents and I shared a bed to keep warm; I slept in between the two of them. I remember the smell of straw. The camp was attacked in the night. They must have been killing the sentries, because I remember a scream waking everybody up. I was told to stay where I was and my parents left the tent.”

Aravi looked at Kharjo. He was listening intently, ears perked in interest, and eyes focused upon her.

Aravi swallowed, bracing herself to relive the memory. “Many of the camp were killed. I remember watching strange men piling bodies of familiar people in the middle of the camp. I hid in my tent but my parents didn’t come for me. Instead a man cut it open. I tried to scratch his face, but he just picked me up and hit me.”

She felt Kharjo put a hand on her back. The touch gave her some strength and she continued.

“I don’t remember anything of the raid after that. I don’t know if my mother was killed, taken, or somehow escaped, I never saw her again. They chained up the survivors and took us to Morrowind. At some point, they stopped at a tower and waited for nightfall. A tall, pale man came out when the sun set and bought some of the humans and elves. I later figured out he was a vampire.

“When we reached a slave market in Morrowind, I saw my father sold on the same day. I took longer to sell because I was a child and not as useful. A Dunmer man bought me and took me to a plantation. I was worked in the fields for a few years, doing simple things a child is capable of, until I started my cycle.”

Aravi’s face burned at this part, but she didn’t hold it back. She didn’t look at Khajo either; it was somehow easier to tell him that way, despite his hand lightly touching her back. “Then I was selected for transfer to the house staff. I was taught to clean and cook among other things. I was overjoyed to not be in the fields anymore. However, I learned from the other women that there were other expectations of the household slaves in addition to keeping everything clean. I wasn’t selected to attend the master as often as the other girls; he only wanted me when he had something… strange in mind.”

Aravi got up and went to the small table and picked up a pitcher of water, still not looking at Kharjo. She didn’t want to see his face. She poured some water into a goblet and gulped it down. She drank too fast and started coughing, further embarrassing herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she pulled away from the touch. Still not looking at him, she poured another cupful and drank more slowly. Kharjo gave her space. “If you don’t want to talk anymore, that is fine, this one had no idea you were a slave.”

Aravi nodded. She felt tears running into her fur. Don’t cry.

“For what it is worth, thank you for trusting this one. It was very brave of you, and means much to this one.”

“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone I was a whøre.” Her voice was thick with anger, grief, and shame.

“This one promises.” He sounded like he had something else he wanted to say but he didn’t give it voice.

She heard his footsteps and the door open. He left and gently closed the door. Then she was alone. She went to her bed and laid on it. Normally it is a comforting thing for her, the silence of an empty room. As the minutes passed by, the feeling never came, instead she felt more ill at ease. Kharjo now knows more about her than anyone else ever has in her new life. She never told her best friend in Cyrodiil, Vilja, that she was a slave in Morrowind. Her thoughts lingered on the Nord in the blue gown for a while, always voicing her thoughts without considering them. Aravi missed her.

Then Aravi thought about Kharjo, and realized that his presence was comforting to her. He had become a symbol of stability and strength to her. When she thought of him, the image of a great tree standing strong while a storm blows around it came to mind. She almost laughed at the idea, but she couldn’t find fault with the image. She felt like she could rely on him through anything. When they fought together, even if it was dragon they faced, he never abandoned her. Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t lied, or told him anything but the truth.

She stood up and went to the door. She opened it and looked around for Kharjo. He was just outside her door, seated on the floor with his back against the wall, waiting. She stepped out and took a seat on the floor next to him. She lightly touched the back of his hand and whispered, “thank you.”

He flipped his hand over and took hers.

This post has been edited by King Coin: Jul 28 2012, 06:50 AM

An interesting encounter with a familiar. I wonder who summoned it? Kharjo! So he has gone beyond just using staves now. Very cool. Although there is a certain wry whimsy to a feline summoning a canine.

J’Renrij's history is very neat. Clumsy Bandit is a great name, and I love how they blamed him for everything.

So Aravi does not speak Khajiit? Now she is going to have to spill the uncomfortable beans. Again, I loved her internal monologue as she decided whether or not to tell Kharjo, and what to tell them.



nits:
I saw few minor thing, but only one jumped out:
“Just promise me you won’t tell anyone I was a mother of mine.”
I don't think that is what you meant to write.

Why does Aravi hang with Spectral hounds when she can call upon her ancestors in the Hunting Grounds? Oh yeah, because she's not in wolf form, haha. Anyways, a relief it didn't turn out to be hostile.

For some reason, Kharjo made me chuckle. "This one can summon a Spirit Wolf!"
I love the light-hearted dialogue in this chapter.

And we're given a bit of her history in this part, with the revelation of her father being a slave from Morrowind and her as well. I must say, this is very interesting. Her history in slavery and Lycanthropic nature is sort of . . . eerily familiar . Good chapter!

Hehe, @ Subrosa. Stupid censors, I hate them.

Those are gorgeous screens!

Kharjo has a spirit wolf! How neat! I loved Aravi’s internal debate about revealing the reason for her unfamiliarity with Khajiit ways.

I must say, it was a wonderfully wise decision on your part to have Aravi not speak ‘Khajiit’. Such a distinctive manner of speaking is delightful from Kharjo, but would be challenging for both you and readers if both our cats talked that way. It also gives a wonderful bonus in identifying who is speaking when the two are talking. Again, great choice!

You handled the nature of some of Aravi’s ‘household duties’ as a slave with a perfect mixture of clarity and delicacy, choosing just the right words.

Yay, a mention of dear Vilja!

‘Then Aravi thought about Kharjo, and realized that his presence was comforting to her. He had become a symbol of stability and strength to her. When she thought of him, the image of a great tree standing strong while a storm blows around it came to mind. She almost laughed at the idea, but she couldn’t find fault with the image. She felt like she could rely on him through anything. When they fought together, even if it was dragon they faced, he never abandoned her. Suddenly, she was glad she hadn’t lied, or told him anything but the truth.’
This is beautiful and flows so naturally from what we know of both Aravi and Kharjo.

What a great piece of Aravi fiction!

What a fun way for Aravi to discover Kharjo’s new summoning spell! J’Renrij has a lot of charm, and that was a neat story from Kharjo. A glimpse of caravan life. I love your description of Aravi using her Voice.

You presented Aravi’s emotional tale of loss and enslavement with just the right touch. I thought of her modesty, kindness, and personal dignity that come through so well in her videos as she struggled with what to tell Kharjo. I wonder if that early memory of a vampire nudged her toward her career in Cyrodiil.

Kharjo behaved exactly the way Aravi thinks of him. That was also beautifully done. The little hand clasp at the end!

A wonderful addition to Aravi’s story, KC!

GAAAAH !!! I love "Argument" !!!!!!!

Both Aravi's and Kharjo's background stories were powerfully written - Loved this segment !!! This must have been very hard to write, you did an Awesome job on this !!!