That's awesome! I woulda kept writing yesterday but my energy just started going south. That's what happens when you try to game after staying up late the day before. Haaf-Mersey did make it to Markath, but I wanna be more awake as he goes in there, cuz I anticipate it'll be another typing fest; all those new NPCs. It's really cool being on this part of Skyrim. LIke I said, it's been over a year since I've been to Markath, I forgot what the terrain is like. I remember Markath has a LOT of steps, and lots of stone.

I have another character whom I created a few weeks ago named Sharonne the Ice Witch. I've nicknamed her the Ice umbrella seller. That word rhymes with witch, if ya know what I mean. Anyways, I started to game with her yesterday, but after about a half hour I realized I didn't even know what she wants to do. I kinda wandered around with her on the plains, got attacked by some skeletons and bandits, and then turned my Xbox off.

Later on, it hit me. Murder! Dark Brotherhood! *smacks forehead* And she already has a target in mind. That guy Nazeem, the one who says "Have you been to the cloud district very often? Oh what am I saying, of course you don't" He is a MARKED MAN in her game! HA HAAH AHAAHAAAA!!!

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 2 2013, 02:55 PM

I love this guy!



Mikke of Green River is still in Solstheim. I've left out the names so as not to spoil any quests.

These weeks among the Skaal with Torvar have been the sweetest I have ever known. They have found harmony even in a world without peace. But a wolf does not make its home in a goat shed. A lifetime with these good folk would not give me a gentle heart.

Torvar and I met a tribe who had been driven from their hall. We helped them reclaim it. I traveled with their leader as she sought a ghost’s blessing. To her shame, she did not receive it.

As her second I was called upon to do what’s right. My heart knew what to do. But first I looked to Torvar.

Of course he would not advise me. Torvar fights without fear and loves without guilt, for he lives with a voice that ever whispers, you’re not worthy. No honor given in this life can silence it. He only hopes he will find a new voice in the next.

The ghost was clear in his judgment. None stood worthy to lead his ancient hall.

I looked again within my heart. Who am I to judge? I am a beast in warrior’s armor. The peaceful Skaal would drive me out if they truly knew me. Every night I lie in the arms of a man who is not my husband. And even as I break my enemy’s hold on Solstheim, I search for a way to steal his power.

I will not bear false witness for this woman, but I will allow her secret. She bought this lesson with blood and shame. I would not waste it.

Seconded; reading about LHM's exploits is always an absolute joy!

Having not played any of Dragonborn, I'm also rather intrigued as to what happened there with Mikke and this ghost. Ah well, I'll get it when it comes for PC and can find out for myself then, so it's probably for the best that you were very vague.


When I clicked that link the house resounded to a shriek of "There is no hope! God is dead and the spiders have killed him!"

I mean seriously, look at that thing. Eeeew...


And now (finally!) for an update on the Kid!




You ever had one of them times when your life goes somewhere you never expected all of a sudden? One week where everything changes, and when you look back at things once the dust has settled and you realise that nothing is ever gonna be the same? Yeah, for the Kid, this was one of them weeks.

By the time he gets back to Jorrvaskr, there's anger in the air. Aela's grateful for the documents, but even though nobody says it aloud there's some of the Companions who can't help but thinking that it's their fault for taking on the Silver Hand in any case. Aela says she'll work on figuring out what she can make of the document, but what she doesn't say is that it might be a good idea for the Kid to steer clear of Jorrvaskr for a little while until all the hurt over losing Skjor simmers down a little. Then again, the Kid's a perceptive enough person to figure it out for himself.

A few days away from the Companions is alright by him, though; he's got some business of his own that he wants to sort out. A whole bunch of troubling rumours have been filtering into town from the towns south in the foothills of the Jerrall Mountains, some kind of trouble going down in Helgen. Once upon a time, the Kid wouldn't have cared much, but lately he's grown real fond of Whiterun so he takes it upon himself to go have a look.

Well, the journey ain't a long one, and while he's there, he finds himself some footprints. Real big, strange ones, like those of a big bird or lizard. That'd just be a curiosity, but he finds them in the burned down ruins of an entire village, one with a whole garrison of Imperial Legionnaires to protect it, and there are folks down in Riverwood who said that there was something real big flying around a few nights ago, something big enough to blot out the stars. The Kid's smart enough to put the pieces together, and decides that old man Balgruff in Whiterun needs warning; with nobody else to do it, he heads back home.

The Jarl has the sense to take the Kid's warnings seriously, and sends a whole bunch of soldiers to Riverwood immediately. Farengar, the Court Wizard, has a job for the Kid to do, as well; get to an old tomb called Bleak Falls Barrow and get something called the Dragonstone. The Kid gets to it; in there, he has himself a welcoming party from a whole bunch of bandits, spiders and Draugr. The Kid finds himself two odd things in there; another one of those funny old walls, this one with the word 'force' on it, and a strange old crystal. He takes the Crystal, and he gets a call from someone up high; Meridia, the grand old angry lady, telling him to get to her shrine and do something for her. The Kid decides he'll get to it when he has the time.

He gets the Dragonstone and lays all the draugr he finds to rest, and heads back. The Dragonstone's returned to Farengar, but his work isn't over yet. There's trouble out by the West Tower, and the worst kind, too; the kind that comes with a dragon.

It doesn't take long the Kid and Balgruff's Housecarl, a Dark Elf by the name of Irileth, to head down there with a few guards. There's a dragon about alright; the fight's a tough one, but it ends with the Kid smashing its skull in with his hammer. A real funny things at that point; the dragon decays down to the bone in an instant, and there's a whole load of rushing and strange light. After that, as he's making his way to Whiterun, he hears a call; "Dovahkiin."

He gives a report to the Jarl, and the guy's so overwhelmed with gratitude that he makes the Kid a thane and gives him a Housecarl of his very own, a young lady going by the name of Lydia. The Kid's not sure about travelling with somebody in the long term, but she looks like she can handle herself in a fight so he figures he'll let her prove herself. They don't stay in Whiterun too long, though; they get some supplies, and set off on their way for a pilgrimage up the Seven Thousand Steps.

The Kid's going to go and see the Greybeards.

Yes, good to see The Kid is back. back in action. The way you tell the story (that's the MQ, right?) makes it sound fresh for some reason. Like it's a different perspective than I've read before from other writers. It's hard to explain.

And Grits. Another morsel from your fingers. Your writing is almost poetic. It stirs me, man. I wanna put an emoticon up to show you how I feel, but they don't make one with that sort of depth. I have no idea what you're talking about, since I haven't been to Soltheim yet, but that's okay. It stirred me all the same.

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 3 2013, 04:34 AM

I'm having a Lord Haaf-Mersay withdrawal XD

Aww honey it's okay. So am I.

I spent several hours writing about my other characters (my Oblivion ones) and now I'm too pooped for Skyrim. But have a visit over at forums.bethsoft.com I wrote about Kahreem of Weet in the Oblivion > Spoilers > Character Updates #3, and then I wrote some Lady Saga in the Oblivion > General Discussion > Character Updates #8 thread!

http://forums.bethsoft.com/topic/1425643-c...st__p__22042242

It's a double-header of character stories! Hopefully I will be able to do soem LHM tomorrow. Right now I need some sleep.

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 6 2013, 06:13 AM

I am a little upset today, me and a friend have been fighting, to the point that I'm ready to give her stuff back to her and walk away. Long story.

As I fired up my game today, though, I got teary-eyed. LHM happens to be kinda near Markath. I am a strange person, for some reason I've always loved gloomy weather. I like gloomy weather more than I like sunny weather, matter of fact. So as the game starts today, I looked at this wide, gloomy, greyish-blue scene,

Anyways. I'm gonna immerse myself in some Skyrim to get that great compassion off my mind.

Loredas, 4:19 PM, 24th of Morning Star, 4E 202

Days Passed: 160

Locations Discovered: 83
Dungeons Cleared: 39

Hours Slept : 1,237
Hours Waited: 955


Gold Found: 70,262
Skill Increases: 326

DG Quests Completed: 3
Quests Completed: 14
Misc Objectives Completed: 63

Favorite Weapon: Steel Sword
Favorite Spell: Detect Life


The air is slightly rainy. Fog is in the distance. Lord Haaf-Mersey is stunned at the beauty of the mountain before him. There's also a waterfall to his left and a windmill on his right.

"By...the...Gods".

He walks slowly across a stone bridge, Marcurio in tow. Even though he is not near Markath yet, he can feel that the township is near. There's a fisherman's camp off to his right. As he approaches, Lord Haaf-Mersey looks up the hill, and thinks he sees a castle's turret in the distance. It all seems so grand.

He looks then to his right, and notices the "fisherman's camp" happens to have a very distinctive looking set of tents, laid haphazardly with a variety of furs.

"Look, Marcurio, is it they? The Khajiit?"

It is! The Khajiit travellers! Good. It's always good to do business with them. They often have a wide variety of things to sell, and since the Crusader from Cyrodiil hasn't been to Markath yet, and does not know the place at all, this means he won't have to spend any time searching for the general goods store.

Then again, does Markath have a general goods store? Haaf-Mersey assumes it does, but he assumed such about Dawnstar too, which turned out to be untrue.

"The roads of Skyrim lead to many dangers!" the cat-person who sits indian-style greets.

"What is new with thee, cat-person? I have cometh to trade mine wares".

"Take a look".

It doesn't take long for the Crusader to sell several jewelry items, as well as a couple of potions and a sword Marcurio was carrying. And he buys a potion of cure disease, some baked potatoes and a few other miscellaneous things in return. Although he disapproves of the sale of soul gems (the Khajiit sell soul gems, and lots of them), Haaf-Mersey bites his tongue. They have a right (by law) to sell these wretched items. There is nothing he can do about it. Any reprimands would be ignored, anyways.

"May your road leed yoo to waaarm sandsss".

"And many moons to fill thine twilight".

With that done, Lord Haaf-Mersey and Marcurio start their grand walk into Markath.



8:42 PM
The pair walk by the windmill, and Lord Haaf-Mersey is already distracted! He sees a building in the distance, and this building seems to be made of stone. It almost looks like the entracne of a lair, matter of fact.

There are two folks standing before the building. As the Lord approaches them, he see is dazzled by the ornate stone work and bronze door of this small building.

"How fares't thee, me-lord" he says to the man standing outside. There is a man and a woman present.

The man answers in an accent so thick, Haaf-Mersey cannot understand what has been said. Something about a "damn drunk", though.

"What? What sayeth thee?"

"What kinda question is that? Look at me! Is this a young man's face", the man with the thick accent says. He seems slightly enraged... "I've been here 50 years! Nothing's gonna move me off my land!"

"Well no. That was not as I seemed to have made of implication, me lord. My apologies. But 'tis okay. I need to see meself off, anyways. Towards to Markath. 'Tis nearby, eh?"

"Be seein' ya, stranger", the man answers, too drunk (or whatever) to deal with Haaf-Mersey's queries.





"Look at the stone work, Marcurio! 'Tis a thing of beauty".

This place certainly has its own architecture, he notices, different from the rest of Skyrim. It seems very ancient. Could the dwemer have once lived here? Could they have been the ones who carved all this? He will have to read up on the history of this place.

"Egads, Marcurio!" He is completely mesmerized by what he sees. Even though it is dark and the air still foggy, he can tell that this is an impressive town. It also has a horse & buggy which could be rented outside. So this place is certainly not another Dawnstar.

11:45 PM
It is dark and the air still foggy and drizzly. Despite this, Lord Haaf-Mersey studies the massive ediface of stone before him. There is a grand entrance, too; a door made out of so much bronze, it must weigh as much as Haaf-Mersey's entire manor house!

"This is Markath, traveller. Safest ci-tee in Skyrim", a guard greets as the pair walk up.

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, crusader from Cyrodiil, and I have cometh here with mine partner, Marcurio: the Destruction wizard of Riften. Might we beg upon ye to grant us entrance, in-to this grand city of Markath?"

Twice before (Whiterun and Riften) Haaf-Mersey had to pay a little "fee" before entrance. Would these guards require such a fee as well?

"First time in Makath, traveller?" asks the guard. "Take my advice: you see anything? donn get involled. The city guard will take care of it".

Now he's got the Crusader's attention. "See anything? Such as?..."

"See there you go, getting involled! Don't assk too many questions in Markath, keep to yerself...." the guard rambles on. Haaf-Mersey does not hear the man though, he is lost in thought. What could the trouble be? Were the guards not able to handle it?

The guard lets them in, though, without asking for a fee.



This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 7 2013, 12:08 AM

I sorry :[ I hope things work out. Because of my sun-aversion(I can't call it an allergy because it doesn't make me break out in hives or die -eyeroll- just makes me physically ill) I like gloomy weather too.

Yeah! Very good! I am already in a better mood, btw.

Sundas, 12:02 AM, 25th of Morning Star

"We're outed, fall back!"

As Haaf-Mersey and Marcurio enter Markath, the square is active with a fight! It happens too quick! The crusader draws his exquisite-strength steel sword, but can do nothing as one of the guards cuts down what looks to be an ordinary townsperson.

"Was he a vampire?" Haaf-Mersey blurts.

Lord Haaf-Mersey casts a Candlelight 0, and starts to investigate the scene. "Evewybody stay back!" a guard runs up, brandishing a torch. "Mawkawth gaawd has it all undah contwolll!

Before the crusader can respond, a man sneaks up from behind, and speaks in a low tone. He sounds like an Imperial, by his accent. Kinda like Marcurio's accent.

"By the Gods.... a woman attacked right in the street!" he says. "Are you alright? Did you see what happened?"

"I have just made entrance into this fine city when all of this has occured", answers Haaf-Mersey.

"You don't have to say sorry to me," the man says back, subtly changing the subject. "Oh. I think you dropped this....some kind of note. Looks important".

"A note? Are'st thee to be of surety?"

"My note? No that's yours!" the man says. "Must have fallen out of your pocket", the Imperial suggests.

"Well, what has happened here? Answer me!"

"Hmmm?....no", the Imperial now becomes evasive, changing the subject again. Haaf-Mersey gets why, now. "I was just getting some fresh air. I had one too many pints of mead at the Silver Inn".

"Pleez, moove along", suggests a guard to those at the scene. "We haff things undah ahh contwoll".

Lord Haaf-Mersy starts to walk away, but can't resist a closer look at the dead man in the square. He is not a vampire.

"We'll handall things fwom heer. Moof along".

Haaf-Mersey does this. He finds the Silver Blood Inn, and makes his way inside.




Sundas, 12:42 AM
Because of all the commotion, he completely forgets it is Sundas. He must get some rest, if he is to seek the temple here while it is still Sundas.

"Come on in", the innkeeper says. "The Silver Blood Inn has plenty of drink, and plenty of strong rooms".

As Lord Lord Haaf-Mersey rents a room and buys something to eat, he eventually learns he is speaking to the very man he had been sent here to speak to: Kleppr.

"I have some-thing for thee", he says, giving Kleppr the note the Riften fisherman had wanted delivered. "I have travelled by far to approach ye with this".

"Ah Bolli! Finally he got someone out here. Well it's about time ... I've been waiting for weeks! Well, thank you for bringing it I suppose. Have a good day".

"I have travelled by far to bring ye such", Haaf-Mersey reminds Kleppr.

"What? oh! Oh how could I have possibly forgotten your reward. Of course! Here you are! So sorry about that!"

Lol after all that I have no idea what the man just gave LHM! Guess I'll have to go on UESP to find out.



4:44 Am
The Lord is about to get to bed (a very grand bedroom made of stone and accentuated with more bronze!) when he remembers the note the man gave to him. He reads it, and finds he is to meet the man by the Shrine of Talos.

"Shrine of Talos, eh? Marcurio, stay here to guard. I shall be of returning within a few".

"I'll be right here, then".

5:14 Am
Haaf-Mersy walks along, casting his Clairvoyance spell occasionally. ooooooooooooooooo. He's never been here, after all, and this city happens to be a confusing one. He approaches his first set of stairs, one of multiple such staircases in Markath.

"Someone was attacked in the square, do you know who it was?" asks a man now below the crusader.

"Yah, I knew her. She was a Nord, but a Noble. Perfect Forsworn target".

"Forsworn?" says Haaf-Mersey to the nearest wall. "The peoples of Markath still reside in present activities against those fearsome savages?"

But why was the man in the square killed by a guard? He did not look like a Forsworn bandit. He certainly did not wear antlers and deer fur!

Haaf-Mersey casts his spell again, and finds that the temple is just behind him. He would have never found the place without his magic. Inside is one of the grandest schemes he has ever seen, even comparing against Cyrodiil. He walks slowly down a set of stairs, and sees a statue of Talos straight ahead. As he walks towards Talos in awe, he does not see the man who gave him the note, standing nearby.

"I'm sorry to drag you into Markath problems".

"Oh, 'tis no trouble at-tall. How might I be of assistance, lad?"

"You're an outsider!" the man answers. "You're dangerous looking! You'll do!"

"I shalt do? What sayeth thee, stranger? Speak thine mind"

"You want answers? So do I. So does everyone in the city. A man goes crazy into the market, the guards cut him down. Everybody knows he's a Forsworn agent".

"Ahh, now it 'tis making of some sense", Haaf-Mersy realizes. "He was of the Forsworn, 'tis the concern of the peoples." This could be an assumption, of course. "And what shalt ye want of me, so far as these concerns?"

"This has been going on for years and all I have been able to find is blood...." the man rambles on. Lord Haaf-Mersey learns he is to investigate how (If?) the Forsworn are involved.

Although the man does not offer any other answers, Haaf-Mersy has already found his first lead: a key in the pocket of the dead woman. He will try to find what this key unlocks. Perhaps the answer lies within.

"Take care".



This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 7 2013, 12:22 AM

Aravi and Kharjo exited Riften’s western gates. The sun was already setting and Aravi did not like traveling at night, especially now that vampire attacks have become more common. However, she was eager to make progress. The Dawnguard learned of a large group of vampires near Solitude, and Aravi was going to kill every last one of them. They would rest at the inn in Ivarstead, and in the morning they would continue through the ruins of Helgen before another rest at Aravi’s home. Then, they would take the road to Rorikstead and from there make west and north.

“Come! See what goods I have to offer!” she heard a familiar voice call. Aravi looked at Kharjo. The voice belonged to Ahkari, the leader of the Khajiit caravan he guarded before he met her. Kharjo hid it well, but she could see he wanted to stop and see his old friends. We’ll just have to set out in the morning. Aravi regretted the lost time, but she couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see other Khajiit in a land where they were a rare sight. Their camp was made near the road within sight of Riften’s gate.

“We’ll stay here a while I think,” Aravi said to Kharjo as they approached the Khajiit’s campsite. They had a warm fire burning with logs arranged around it for comfortable seating. Fresh fish hung over the fire, their scent telling everyone that they would soon be done. Kharjo lengthened his stride and pulled well ahead of Aravi. Aravi watched as he gave everyone crushing bear hugs. When Aravi got there, he was already talking animatedly with the other Khajiit, switching back and forth from human tongue to Khajiiti and even mixing the two in the same sentence. Aravi wished that she knew Ta'agra, but she never had the chance to learn it when she was young.

Aravi’s arrival went unnoticed except by Ahkari who remained by the road despite Kharjo’s visit, should a customer appear. Aravi felt a little uneasy around her, even though the other woman displayed no ill will to her. Kharjo’s departure surely made the roads more dangerous for her and her caravan.

“Come to buy or sell?” Ahkari asked.

“Kharjo would like to stay at your camp for the night if that is fine with you. I have a few items that may be of interest,” Aravi replied.

“Of course you are both welcome to share our fire tonight. Now, what do you have for this one?”

~~~

The Khajiit sat around the fire. Magnus had set a few hours ago and the stars and moons were bright in the night sky, interrupted by only a few thin streaks of clouds. Even in the Rift, the nights got cool, and Aravi sat close to Kharjo for his warmth. She had a rough blanket draped over her shoulders and she sipped on a mug of hot mead. The Khajiit served it sweet and strong; Aravi drank hers slowly so that it would not get her drunk. She was small and it did not take much for her to become shaky. Aravi listened as the Khajiit talked of trade, war, dragon sightings near the roads, and most of all, home. They were all from Elsweyr, except Aravi. She listened with interest to those parts of the talk; she had never been there herself. She leaned against Kharjo started to doze as the night matured.

She awoke all of a sudden. She looked around, the night revealing its secrets to her Khajiit eyes. Nothing seemed out of place. Kharjo and one other Khajiit stared into the fire, clearly weary and near sleep themselves. She could see lumps in some of the bedrolls where the other Khajiit now rested.

She stood up and walked away from the fire, ears straining and eyes searching. Something woke her up, and she was not ready to give up on the source just yet. Riften’s gate and stable was within easy sight. The stable hand was just leaving for the night; Aravi briefly wondered why he was still there. She had helped the man get out of debt with a member of the Thieves’ Guild.

Three hooded travelers were on the road, walking calmly toward the city gate. Something about them made her skin crawl. Her ears went back and returned to the fire where she left her sword belt. With her swords at her side, she watched the trio as they approached the gate. The guards did not like their look either and blocked entrance to the city. Aravi started running.

~~~

Blood dripped from Aravi’s swords. The three were vampires and they killed the guards in front of the gate. Then they raised the corpses to fight for them. What followed had been one of the most confusing fights Aravi had been in. Even with her night vision it was hard to tell if she should strike or stay her blades.

“Aravi! Come quickly!” It was Kharjo, just outside the city gates. Aravi saw a Khajiit on the ground with Kharjo kneeling over the prostrate form. She ran to them and saw it was Zaynabi. She was breathing weakly and held her abdomen with both of her hands. “She’s bleeding to death, she took an axe,” Kharjo explained calmly. “Dro'marash went for potions.”

“Move her hands; I need to be able to touch the injury,” Aravi said. I hope I can keep her alive. Kharjo gently moved the woman’s hands despite the weak protests, shushing her quietly like one would a small child. Aravi tore Zaynabi’s dress open and laid both her hands on the gaping laceration. The axe had bit deeply into her belly and Aravi could see the poor Khajiit’s guts within. She felt hot, sticky blood flowing past her fingers as she started pouring what healing magic she knew into the Khajiit’s body. She felt the flow ebb, and then lessen to a trickle before Aravi’s magic was spent. Then she pressed with her own hands to keep Zaynabi from losing more blood before Dro'marash returned. Zaynabi’s bloody hands joined Aravi’s on the injury. Aravi didn’t try to move hers. Kharjo stroked her hair and spoke reassurances. Aravi felt she should say something as well, but didn’t know what. She put a smile on her face for the other woman though, and they stayed with her.

Dro'marash came to them after a few minutes with several powerful potions and they gave her one to drink immediately. Aravi all but closed the wound with her magic, but she had no idea what kind of internal damage there was. “Have her drink another, I can handle the outside.” Aravi felt her magic returning and she used her spell again, closing the injury.

Zaynabi started to breathe normally. “I-I think I can walk,” she said in her raspy voice. “I’m cold.”

“That was close,” Dro'marash said. “Khajiit thanks you for your healing magic. It surely saved Zaynabi’s life.”

“This one thanks you for her life,” Zaynabi said as she covered herself. Aravi cast more healing magic on her in reply.

“To help your blood,” Aravi said in explanation. “I’m sure you feel light headed and weak.” Aravi cast it over her entire body now that she did not need to focus it on a specific injury. Kharjo and Dro’marash helped Zaynabi to her feet.

They returned to their camp after Aravi checked the bodies. The stable hand was dead, along with the two guards she saw them kill. The rest of the bodies belonged to the vampires. I need to learn more healing magic. That was too close, Aravi thought. Aravi cared much for the caravans and it shook her to see one of the Khajiit dying before her.

At camp, Dro'marash took watch to allow the others to sleep.

This post has been edited by King Coin: Jan 6 2013, 11:30 PM

Whoa, Mr. Coin, I didn't expect this! Cool, now I have something else to read!

You're killing me, Lady Saga, with the impression of the guard's accents!!! I couldn't stop laughing!

The one guard-actor that sounds like Arnold (Ahhnold) showed up, too, so it was hilarious hearing him speak. Ijust couldn't resist.

Things got hectic in LHM's game. It would take ages to write it all in story form, so I will give a quick synopsis. Synopsis, is that the right word? *shrugs*

LHM and Marcurio entered Markath. Witnessed a couple ordinary-looking towsfolk getting killed. Somebody gave a note to LHM and it said to meet him in the Shrine of Talos. This made LHM happy, of course, to learn there's a shrine to Talos here.

LHM rented a room, put some things away, and left Marc. standing guard. Then LHM went outside, to investigate further He expected they would be vampires, turns out they weren't. LHM found a key on the lady (Marget I think her name is) and then went to meet the dude at the Shrine of Talos.

He used Clairvoyance for the rest of this, which I feel is a little cheaty, but he really just wanted to get to the bottom of things, without having to explore this confusing town. I had planned to enjoy my time exploring Markath at a slower pace, but LHM wanted to rush it. *shrugs*

The dude in the Talos Shrine told LHM a bunch of words, and I couldn't figure out what the hell LHM was supposed to do first, but LHM cast his Clairvoyance again....anyways, now it starts to get interesting.

He went back and investigated Marget's room, found a journal. Then he decided to get some sleep. Woke up the next morning, crafted himself some leather armor & boots because that's what he does sometimes if he's in a town.

He eventually went down into some sort of beggar's den, where all the lame and sick live. Found a note in the guy's room. When he left the beggar's den place, a man challenged LHM to a fistfight! Because he was snooping around so much! LHM fought the guy for like 5 minutes (seriously). He would punch with his right hand, and heal himself with his left. I was SOOOO glad we had left Marcurio behind...this would have turned out to be a mess if the man was with us.

LHM beat the man up, and got him to tell who sent him to LHM for a fight. LHM used Clairvoyance again, and wound up in a Forsworn hideout place. Talked to the big nose guy (or whatever) who told LHM willl NOT be allowed to leave. Uh oh....

LHM happened to be carrying a glass dagger (phew!), and (again) he healed himself as he fought. He ran outside, and FOUR of them came after my crusader! He was running all over the city man!!! It was hilarious. He killed all four of them.

And the thing is, every so often while all of this is going on, LHM will get a guard in his face (or a townie NPC) and this NPC or guard will tell him to "stop snooping around" in so many words "or else".

LHM did not listen to them. He would save the city! He was uncovering a vast underground network of Forsworn, and aren't the Forsworn enemies of Markath? In his mind, he's doing something good. The guards will understand once LHM figures it out!

He used clairvoyance again, and was on his way to wherever his next destination would be, when he decided to take a little detour. He noticed he was standing in front of the Talos Shrine door again. Why not stop in and say hi? BAD idea.

There were like 3 guards in there, and they confronted LHM with jail time. Jail, or fight. Those were his options. No option to pay a fine. Wow. He got a bit THICK-HEADED and decided to try to be noble. There is no way he's going to jail, not if he's in the middle of an important investigation.

so now guess where he is? He's like running outside, back near the windmill! With a guard-archer chasing him! OMG, I didn't see this compassion coming!

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 7 2013, 11:53 PM

Haha I had a character take the same route LHM did. That was a mess.

Tirdas, 7:27 PM, 27th of Morning Star

"Stop right there!"

Lourd Haaf-Mersey has been standing behind a rock for the last 10 minutes or so, and the bounty hunter who had been after him had not given up his hunt. Over the past few hours Haaf-Mersey had also been evading a guard with a long bow. He finally managed to get away from the guard when this guy, the bounty hunter, showed up.

"What sayeth thee? I have done no wrongs, and have only tried to save the peoples of Markath from the possibilities of disaster".

"You haff quite a bounty on your head in the Reach" the bounty hunter says calmly. A minute ago he was enraged, now he is calm, "....you pay me, and I will see that your head is cleared".

Lord Haaf-Mersy is tempted to pay the man some gold. Whatever it takes! As long as he gets back to Markath. He will try to continue his investigation once he is there, only perhaps he should be more discreeet about it.

The prolem ? Lord Haaf-Mersy hasn't got any gold on him. He left it all behind in Marcurio's room.

"I have not the coin to make amends, sir".

8:09 PM
That was not the right answer. The bounty hunter DRAWS his sword grandly, and comes after the fugitive! Lord Haaf-Mersey now goes running! He is in his leather armor, while the bounty hunter wears full steel. With lots of stamina at his potential, the Lord quickly outruns the man, and winds up on the road back to Whiterun.

"'Twas not of expectation, all of that". Lord Haaf-Mersey muses. Then he looks to the sky, and notices it's a deep blue and purple up ahead. The lights of Kynareth! For Kynareth rules the sky and the air. "I pray to thee, Kynareth. That perhaps thine winds shalt provide me answer to choices on the morrow".

He is not sure what to do. Hopefully Marcurio would just stay in the Silver Blood. Did people know he and the wizard are together? Yes. Yes they did. It was the first things the Lord did as he approached the entrance-way guards. He introduced himself and Marcurio.

"I shalt wait for thine answer".



9:24 PM
The crusader from Cyrodiil is now a hunted man. Literally. He casts Detect Life every so often, but the bounty hunter does not follow him this far. He can still see the windmill in the distance, though.

Eventually he finds a place to be, a place to just wait out the night. He can stay out here all night if he needs to; he has food. He will clear all of this up (somehow) tomorrow. The guards and court just needed time to 'catch up' to him. Perhaps they would figure out what they had done in the wrong.

PISSSEWWW!

"ARRGH!" A lightning bolt? He does not expect this!

He casts Detect Life again, and sees four red figures below! 00 0 0

"You are my dog, I am your master!!!!" says a female below him.

"I'll see you burn!" it's an elf male.

Lord Haaf-Mersy crouches down, hiding like a rat. He had run up a hill as the attackers threw spells his way, none of which hit him. He managed to find a ledge he can hide behind. He is a noble man, but he knows when he is outnumbered.

"You can't hide from me!" says mean-sounding woman.

"Must have scared him off", an elf says a moment later.

A few moments later Lord Haaf-Mersey sees them walking off down the road towards Markath. He had expected his stay here would be a pleasant one! Since the lights of Kynareth shine far above, the Lord is able to see who the attackers are: a group of Thalmor agents.

"By the strength of the Nine, I pray to all of ye".



4:14 Am
After hours of prayer and contemplation, Lord Haaf-Mersy is finally feeling tired, and is starting to get cold. His partially-Nordic blood had kept him from suffering from exposure, but he is mostly Breton. And he is getting cold. He decides to walk back to the farm. See if he can grab something from the garden. And maybe he can work for them in the morning.

He is cautious as he walks, casting Detect Life every so often. Eventually he sees a figure in red! ][. Haaf-Mersey feels incredibly cowardly doing this, but he crouches down in the scrub grass, anyways. He creeps forward, thinking it's the bounty hunter

"Oh! 'Tis just a goat!"

The 4-legged animal trots right by the Lord as he hides. And the crusader continues towards Markath. He finds a rock warbler egg in a nest, and eats it raw.

7:14 Am

"Hollt! Yooor undah arrest foh suspicion of theevery und pettee lahceny. What say yoo in yooor defence?"

A guard has spied Lord Haaf-Meresy as he gallantly returns into Markath. The morning is sunny, and the valley warms up within minutes.

"Listen to me, guard. I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, Cruader from Cyrodiil. I beg of thee to let me pass. I have shineth light upon the darknesses of thine city. And with the waves of evil un-tarnished, thine city might better reconcile upon thine devices".

"Yoo arhn't foooling me!" the guard answers. "...trusting witnesses haff seen yoo commit sevewal muhdahs. And yoo ahh snooping awound. Now come quietly".

With nowhere else to go, Lord Haaf-Mersey submits.

"I shalt take upon thine chance ... for redemption", he says.

"Yo'll nevah see da sun again!" the guard promises. "Nobody escapes the mine. No-one!"

Alright this is a first. I have never had a character go to jail in Skyrim



Middas, 7:29 AM
"Alright prisoner you're in Cindha Mine, now...." an orc lady greets in a gruff voice. Lord Haaf-Mersey is now in some sort of tunnel.

This is gonna sound weird, but I am actually psyched to go to jail!

He is tempted to light the room he walks into with a candlelight, but resists the urge. He must stay humble, and not make waves. But it is really dark in here. He walks down a set of stairs, and sees an orc standing nearby with a pickaxe.

"The new meat, huh? What was it like, killing your first one?"

It takes a moment for the Lord to understand what the orc is talking about. Then realizes the orc is talking about the Forsworn killings. He says "I have been mis-treated, orc. Those above are not of understanding upon what has made of commenment".

"Ahh the gods have a place for killers!" the orc comments. "You can't carry the burden of a murderer ... you're weak".

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey. I am from Cyrodiil" stay humbled, he thinks as he speaks. "And thee? What has made of evolution in thine past, to bring ye here?"

"Murder. Banditry! Assault. Theft. ...and lollygagging".

"Take ear, orc. I shalt be made to rights, by the power of the Nine. " Haaf-Mersey brags now, without meaning to. "'Twas long ago, when I was upon mine death-bed. Ready for execution, as it were, when the Gods made answer, and recuperation, as well. I was saved by a dragon, such a beast of yor. 'Twas quite possible it was for the best of reasonings."

"Guards brought me in about 12 years ago" the orc now shares his sotry. "Was running a good group of bandits back then. ...But these Forsworn, they are nothing like the bandits of the past. They're real killers"!

"Yes, and 'twas mine intention to make amends! And do right by the city of Markath!"

"Fight well", the orc has apparently had enough of the Lord's loquaciousness. Eventually the Lord learns from this orc that he is to start digging to earn his keep, and he finds a pickaxe nearby. A nearby man sitting before a fire claims to be a Forsworn bandit, and gives the crusader a "shiv" (which did not appear in his inventory).

It took me several minutes to figure out what the hell to do. Kept trying to activate different areas, finally LHM found one to start working at. I got a snack while he did so!

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 8 2013, 04:12 AM

This is no ordinary jail. Cidnha Mine is a quest. I don't want to spoil anything so wont say more. Just do not expect the other jails to be the same.

ha ha I know! I keep hearing the little drum snaps every time LHM does something to advance the quest!

Edit: this is really bizarre. He's been digging up ore, but it's hard to find, it's like he's dug it all up already! I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, otherwise, so I keep waiting and seeing if more ore shows up. And talking to NPCs. One of them wanted LHM to steal some skooma, but he's not gonna do that.

This feels alien to what I know of Elder Scrolls, and I'm not gonna cheat and look on the quest log. Is this kinda like something out of Morrowind? It's really vague!

This post has been edited by Lady Saga: Jan 8 2013, 02:08 AM

DovahKid!!

Renee, I know exactly what LHM is facing. I am very interested to see how he resolves his situation. I'll give vague hints if you want, since the wiki is a minefield of spoilers.

KC, what a fantastic surprise to find an Aravi update!! I love the image of petite Aravi sipping strong drink no doubt sweetened with enough moon sugar to take her off her feet. What a confusing fight that must have been.

Mikke of Green River has to wait to continue her Solstheim adventures, but in the meantime she got a letter from home. It’s based mostly on Roggi’s and some Whiterun residents’ game dialog.

19 of Second Seed, 4E202
Whiterun


Mikke, My Wife,


You were right to move us here. Whiterun has clean water and fine weather, strong walls and good company. I would say that our local meadery crafts the finest brew in Skyrim, but first I would wish to visit Riften to sample Black-Briar’s wares again. Just to be certain. I am glad that I tried my hand at brewing, but I am even happier that I decided to focus my efforts on appreciating the fine work of the masters.

The children thrive. Sofie spends much time underfoot at Jorrvaskr. Vignar tells me that she is welcome there and no trouble. I expect that the Companions define trouble rather differently than I do, but she is welcome just the same. She practices tirelessly with the dagger that you made for her. If a dragon comes you will find her on the roof of Breezehome raising her blade in challenge. Some days I am certain that you and she will next meet in Sovngarde. I know that it would please you, but that is no comfort to me. She grows in pride but also in honor. Some day she will be worthy of bearing your shield, I know it.

Alesan has taken an interest in our trading business. Even at play he keeps one eye on the city gate and another over the wall for travelers and adventurers. Most stop at Warmaiden’s first, at least when the Khajiit caravan is elsewhere. The lad has a reputation among our fellow merchants for fair dealing. It helps that he is careful to only take business away from that Breton. Soon I expect Sigurd to be under our employ. You will recall Sigurd. He works for Belethor at the general goods store.

The war drags on. Fighting has been fierce along the river. Both Whiterun forges burn night and day, one for the Stormcloaks and the other in support of the Legion. A priest of Talos preaches openly in the park while they say the tunnels beneath Dragonsreach fill with Imperial gold. It is a strange time to consider, but a good one for songs.

So you see my days are full, and I rest as well as any man who is pleased with his occupation. But here I will use what you might judge to be too many words. The nights are empty, Mikke. You are my heart’s fire. But I know you are not mine alone. Every tavern rings with songs of the Dragonborn. Songs of you. Do what you must, and know that I am living a good life with our children. Always in the hope of seeing you again.


From Your Husband,

Roggi Knot-Beard

I'm guessing much guilt from Mikke followed the arrival of this letter.

I took Onmund into a dwemer ruin last night and he is actually NOT useless like I thought he'd be. I've never taken a mage as a follower but one hit from his lightening bolt and KSSHHH they're dead. The Centurions only need like a couple of smacks from me and a few good bots from him and they're dead. Color me impressed!