Renee, I'm glad Nassqa survived the rainy night in Maryland without getting replaced. Loved how Shout-man and his sidekick Talos cured Nassqa! Mighty Talos indeed.

I like it how simple yet exact Nassqa mentions people: guard-man, stall-lady, shop-lady, and most of all shout-man.

No find cure, in shop. Nassqa sad.

Lol, yeah my favorite part is when the guard says "No one can enter Whiterun, there's dragons about," and Nassqa simply looks at the sky. Where? I don't see no dragon!"

Here comes first Irenei's story. It's definitely very different from Lucius' stories / Lydia's entries. Most of the dialogue spoken by NPCs is from the actual game but some lines and actions here and there are part of fiction. Hope you like it.



“If you’ve come to Solitude to join the Legion, speak to Rikke. If not, just keep your nose clean while you’re here… or you’ll end up like Roggvir,” a guard said to some High Elf in black robes. Only when he had a second look at him, he noticed that the black robes in question were in fact Thalmor robes. And the grimace on the Elf’s face was only an introduction to the storm that followed.

“HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A TONE, you filthy Nord? Do you even know who I AM? Don’t you see my fine handmade enchanted silk robes that bear insignia of the most prominent Aldmeri Dominion? Are you sure that you can actually SEE anything through this kettle on your bonce? I am Irenei the Magnificent and you shall address me as Your Highness. I AM the eminent investigator and royal justiciar for the one and only Dominion! Aldmeri Dominion! Better keep that in mind unless you revel in cleaning horse dung!”

“Excuse me. Until next time.”

The pompous Altmer said nothing but continued his march towards Solitude.
--
“Want something?” said a guard at the doors of the capital city of Skyrim when the Thalmor Elf just didn’t stop staring at him already.

“OBVIOUSLY! That’s why I’m looking at YOU! I thought that the war will end sooner than you'd perform your duties! These doors won’t open by themselves, YOU KNOW?” snarled Irenei the Magnificent at an unsuspecting guard.

‘Thalmor these days’, thought the guard by himself and obediently opened the door for His Highness.

“Now stand aside! I don’t want to be seen entering Servitude in your company! Shoo shoo!”

The guard said nothing but returned to his post. ‘Servitude? This Altmer’s insane.’
--
“Step aside, peasants!" Irenei the Magnificent nervously walked among the crowd that gathered at Solitude’s market to witness Roggvir’s execution. “Step aside! You who smell of putrid fish, go stand somewhere else. This is my place.” Irenei almost pushed Addvar the fishmonger aside and stopped directly in front of the chopping block.

After the execution…

‘So this is Servitude, the capital of Skyrim. Hmpfh! I expected… worse. But from what I read and heard, Servitude is supposedly the best what Skyrim has to offer. So one can only imagine how the rest of this wretched land of hairy people looks! Hmmm…this roof looks like it could be leaking. Which means that it probably does. Not that it bothers these Nords. They’re happy as long as they’re hairy and have mead in their belly! Animals!’

.....

‘CAN IT BE??? WINKING SKEEVER??? WINKING??? SKEEVER??? By Magnus! Ptuah, that’s disgusting! Who would call an inn Winking Skeever? Nords of course, who else! Insolence and pestilence! I will have to ask for a raise back at the Embassy! I am not sure that my pure heart is able to tolerate all atrocities that await me in Skyrim. Urrgghh, I get goose bumps merely by thinking of skeever winking at me! But I bet that Nords don’t! It’s hard to tell apart one from another!’

....

“You know you can afford a septim or two.”

“I sincerely hope that this particular line was NOT directed at me!”

“A coin for an old war veteran? It’s not much to ask.”

“So YOU are actually talking to ME?”

“Spare some coin for…?”

“NOO!”

“It’s best if you leave me be.”

“It’s best that you talk to me NEVER AGAIN!”

After some more accusing observations of Solitude, Irenei approached the market.

‘So this is what counts as a market in Servitude. Hmpfh! Three stalls, three peasants, smell of putrid fish AGAIN, rotten vegetables and sour wine. But just because it looks so unkempt, it could be a perfect place for Talos worshippers. Thus a perfect place to begin my investigation, my inquiry, my hunt! I will be the most successful justiciar in the history of the Dominion!'

“You there!” Irenei shouted at Evette San, the beverage merchant of Solitude.

"You wouldn't have a few minutes to run down to the docks would you?" humbly asked Evette and smiled.

“WHAT??? Do I look like some courier to you? A homing pigeon mayhaps? A Kha-JITT? A LIZARD? For I am NONE of these! I am Irenei the Magnificent and I have just arrived from Skywatch of the Summerset Isles to this land of yours where skeevers wink and “war veterans” beg for MY septims instead of fighting! I am sure you have never heard of where I come from because your entire world consists of this stall! BUT… you will address me as Your Highness for I am royal inquisitor and eminent interrogator, come to exterminate every skeever that dares to worship Talos! And you’re under investigation NOW!”

Irenei snapped his fingers and a bound quill appeared in his right hand. He pulled a small book from his satchel and began writing:

“FIRST QUESTION: Your name? That is, if you have one.”

“E-Evette San, Sir…I mean, your Highness.” Evette has seen many arrogant Thalmor agents passing through Solitude but this one was the nuttiest of them all. She was scared that he will arrest her without any apparent reason if she'd only look at him the wrong way.

“Evesan. Good. SECOND QUESTION: Do you worship Talos?”

“Absolutely no, your Highness.”

“Hmpfh! Look me in the eyezzz! Come closer! Not sure if I believe you on this one but let it be…for now. THIRD QUESTION: do you actually manage to sell anything?”

“My sales are... adequate. Honestly, I rely on the business brought in by the Burning of King Olaf, and that's not likely to happen this year.”

“Do my ears deceive me or is true? Have I just heard that there is some burning of kings going on in this…this…this whatever it is?”

"It's a great big festival put on by the bards, every year. They burn an effigy of old King Olaf. It's quite a bit of fun. The bards give out spiced wine during the festival, so they put in a big order.”

“Oh I’m sure it’s great! Superb, definitely! Drunk bards, burning effigy, cheap spiced wine, what’s there not to love? BY MAGNUS, you Nords are at an all-time low! I do hope for the sake of my stomach that I NEVER witness this festival with my sensible eyes."

"But with the death of High King Torygg, the Festival has been declared "in poor taste." So it looks like it won't happen this year."

"Oh, so your King had to croak to declare this burning "in poor taste"? It took you a long time because it was tasteless from the very start! At last it won't happen this year then! FINAL QUESTION: What do you actually have for sale?”

“E-e-verything I’ve got on display, really.”

“I will be the judge of THAT!”

After browsing through Evette’s inventory…

“A lot of wine you have here! Too much, by all means! Consider yourself lucky that I don’t have time to report you for selling alcohol. And I do hope that this swill you call spiced wine, isn’t spiced with Talos’ essence! For if I hear only one drunk Nord worshipping Talos with a bottle of your brew in his hand, I WILL know the source of his madness!”

Having said that, Irenei the Magnificent turned on his heels and marched off.

The intent was to pay a visit to Castle Dour and the Blue Palace but after witnessing atrocities of “Servitude”, Irenei the Magnificent could barely breathe. He wondered whether he will remain sane in Skyrim if Servitude is the best what Skyrim has on display. As he was leaving the town, he shut his eyes when walking under the Winking Skeever sign.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Jan 20 2015, 10:37 PM

Goodness. heh heh those poor NPCs. They simply don't know what's coming. That poor Evette!

So I assume you used an alternate start with him, eh?

Lol 'Servitude'. Clever. If he's complaining about Solitude, he's in for quite a treat with the other villlages of Skyrim.

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Jan 19 2015, 04:26 PM

Welcome to the land of hairy people, Your Highness! Oh my, what a hoot! I'm with Renee in looking forward to Irenei's observations as he visits some of Skyrim's more. . . pastoral settings.

In another universe of Skyrim, where many things are alike yet many differ, where dragons and Dragonborns are only heroes from tales of the old…

Nights in Skyrim were cold but the night on the 31st of Morning Star was colder than usually. Ashad, Dritta and Borik were sitting around a campfire, having just finished their late meal. “Their” camp north of Helgen was a good point for robbing unwary travelers – it was close to the main road between Falkreath and Riverwood and hidden among trees yet they could spot any travelers from afar. If it was a lone adventurer, they were courageous enough to attack him, but if it were a patrol of soldiers, they left it alone and pretended to be simple hunters, if approached. Such was the bravery of the bandit trio.

“It’s getting even colder,” said Dritta and stood up,” I’m going to chop some more wood.”

“Ye do that, sis” nodded Ashad,” and I’ll get me some mead we took from that bard. Just can’t warm myself tonight. Sumthing’s in the air.” He stood up and wanted to take the mead out of the dead bard’s satchel but then…

… he saw it.

A few steps away from the camp, down the hill, a dark figure was standing still, like made of stone.

“Dritta, Borik! Over there! We got company!” Ashad pulled out his dagger and threateningly waved with it, warning the dark one to stay away.

“Just leave it,” said Dritta and continued chopping the wood without looking at the stranger. “There was enough action for today.”

But as Ashad was looking at the figure, he felt that something wasn’t right. It was just standing there, not reacting to his threats. He could see that it was hooded but he couldn’t tell whether it was men or mer, male or female.

“Sumthing’s odd here. Look, Borik, it just stands there!”

“Hmm…” grunted Borik and came closer. “Are you blind? I don't see anyone.”

“Look, it’s right…what? It’s gone!”

“You blind as Moth Priest, Ashad, he he he,” said Borik and patted his friend on the back.

“I tell ye it was there. I saw it! Ye saw it too, sis, right?”

“Nah, nah, I was chopping wood. You starting to imagine things, Ashad?”

“Oblivion take ye fools! It was there, I tell ye…LOOK! Over there. To the left!”

Both Dritta and Borik turned around and this time they saw it, standing just a few steps away from the camp, under a tree.

“I see it now,” slowly said Borik.

“Who’s blind now, ye idiot, eh? Take care of it while I warm myself, he he. Ye didn’t believe me, now go on and kill it. Don’t like it looking at me. Imagining things, eh?”

“Nah, leave it alone,” said Dritta, shaking her head. “It wears a hood, must be a mage. Let’s leave mages alone. They bring bad luck”

“Afraid of mages, you rabbit?” Borik asked scornfully. “But you’re good at slaying bards, eh?”

“Nah, it’s just that…where is it now?”

The trio turned in the direction of where the dark one was standing but there was no one under the tree.

“By Oblivion…”

“What the…”

“Is it playing with us?”

“We better be ready,” said Ashad, nervously looking around. ”It’s stalking us. Whoever sees it the next time it appears, attack and kill it! Don’t give it time to hide again!”

“Behind us!” shouted Dritta and both Ashad and Borik quickly turned around. This time it was above them, standing on a rock, watching them without a single motion. Ashad felt that he’s shaking and he hasn’t been shaking from fear for years.

“What do we do?” slowly asked Borik with his deep and not too intelligent voice.

“Killing a mage brings bad luck,” said Dritta, feeling uneasiness in her chest.

“We kill it…” started Ashad but he didn’t need to continue his sentence for the dark figure struck first. It made a sudden move with its left hand and a bound curved weapon appeared in its left hand. It took a run and made a swift jump, landing in the middle of the bandits.

“You picked a bad time to get lost, friend!” shouted Ashad and attacked the dark figure with his dagger.

“Gonna rip you…open!” Dritta joined him, her mace ready to crush a new skull.

Before Borik could even join his friends, the dark one made two swings with the dagger, each of them precise enough to cut throats of Ashad and his sister Dritta, living Borik the only survivor of the raiding party.

“Wh-what? AARGH! Time to die, hero!” Borik knew that he might be lost but he didn’t intend to die without a fight. Much to his surprise, the dark one jumped back and began running down the hill, trying to escape.

“Hah! Afraid of Uncle Borik, right? Go ahead, try and fight back!” Fat Borik ran down the hill and almost caught up with his attacker when it turned around and casted some spell on him that blinded him for a second. Borik expected that he will feel anything but nothing happened, there was just some odd blue-violet light glowing around him.

“Hah! Can’t even cast spells properly!” He swung his big battleaxe and managed to hit the dark one but it didn’t let a sound. He tried to look at its face but noticed there wasn’t just a hood over its head but a black cover as well, giving him a feeling that he’s fighting a man without a face.

"Gonna split your belly like an old woman's purse!" But in that second the dark one waved with its left hand, the magical dagger appeared again and one agile and elegant move directed at Borik's neck was enough to end his life. But there was more to it than merely cutting his throat. As he was falling to the ground, holding his bloody neck, knowing that it’s over, he felt his very soul fading away, leaving his strong body. Borik’s essence was sucked out and the last thing he saw, was the dark one holding a gem above his body, to where his soul was now being absorbed.

Silence fell on the camp of the dead. There was a woodcutter’s axe lying next to a chopping block, never to be lifted by Dritta again, there was an unopened bottle of mead, never to be drunk by Ashad, there was a huge battleaxe lying in the grass, never to be wielded by Borik again. The crackling fire was the only sound in this cold night on the 31st of Morning Star.

He heee hee I lvoe this! Love, I mean. The end is very epic, when you focus on the objects formerly used by those Forsworn. It's like a camera moving around the camp or something.

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Jan 27 2015, 03:58 PM

Renee nailed it - epic ending as you bring us full circle by reviewing the trappings (axe, mead, battleaxe) of the dark stranger's three victims. Nicely done, Lopov!

I know exactly where that camp is and figure those three got what they deserved.

Thank you both! I figured that adding some pics might be appropriate in such a story.

Renee, it was regular bandits, not Forsworn.

“May your soul rest in peace, Captain,” said Hexus Falvi, the first soldier of Ilinalta Patrol III, and closed eyelids of his superior, just killed by a feral wolf. “We’ll make sure your remains are returned to Cyrodiil. Right?”

“We’ll make sure,” sluggishly said Baunus, the second soldier of Ilinalta Patrol III.

“We’ll make sure indeed,” dully repeated Taunus, the third soldier of Ilinalta Patrol III.

“As the oldest and most experienced soldier, I’m taking over Ilinalta Patrol III. Understood?” asked Hexus and looked at his new subordinates, expecting immediate confirmation.

The first bored voice said: “Understood.”

The second bored voice echoed: “Understood indeed.”

Hexus Falvi was satisfied. He has served in the Legion for a long time and for the first time he had his own group of soldiers under his command. Though not really a group but two young recruits whose main reason for joining the Legion was to have fun with tavern wenches in Skyrim which should according to rumors be quite “generous”, especially in Falkreath, but still, he was in charge and they should obey him. Maybe he’ll advance to Captain if he successfully returns the fallen superior’s body to the border from where it will be transported back to Cyrodiil. And maybe in a few years’ time he’ll control his own regiment, motivated by the motto “another day, another hundred septims.”

Each of them was deep in their thoughts, Hexus about his fruitful career that has just began, and Baunus and Taunus about how difficult and tedious will be carrying the corpse back to the border. All of them were oblivious of a threat rising behind them, a threat far more serious than a common wolf. They were so “occupied” that they didn’t hear a sound, after which a bound weapon appeared in the hand of the one watching them. Only when they heard a sound of someone landing behind them, Baunus turned his dull face around.

The bound dagger struck once, cutting through a first layer of Baunus’ studded armor, thus finally waking up Ilinalta Patrol III from their deep thoughts. As they unsheathed their dragon-engraved swords, the dark one ran up the hill to the forest. “For the Empire!” shouted Hexus Falvi, trying to encourage Baunus and Taunus. “Just a common wizard, nothing else! Let’s show him what does it mean to cross Ilinalta Patrol III!” The trio ran up the hill, their heavy armor slowing them down and Hexus thought that they lost the black-robed assailant but he was wrong, for the dark one was waiting for them a distance away, obviously not thinking about hiding. If Hexus could read its thoughts, he’d know that it intends to play a twisted game with them.

They rushed to it but the dark one jumped back, swung once, hit whoever soldier was the closest, then jumped back again and ran farther up the hill. At some point it’d turn around again, struck once and ran away and it didn’t take long for the soldiers to realize that the dark one was toying with them, leading them in circles around and up the hill. After a few swings Baunus’ studded armor was almost completely torn and when he was closest to the dark one, it cut through with ease, straight to Baunus’ heart. A few seconds later it made an unexpected and powerful swing directed at Taunus’ throat and he joined his former friend in death.

Hexus Falvi was all that remained of Ilinalta Patrol III and his career that seemed promising a few minutes ago, now seemed close to a premature end. However he was far more skilled than recruits and many times he successfully hit the black-robed attacker and although it didn’t let a sound out, Hexus saw its blood on his sword which filled him with courage and power. But he couldn’t foresee what the dark one had in plan. Running to Taunus’ body, it unleashed blue magic from its hands directly to the corpse and within seconds Hexus saw the former recruit standing up on his legs again, taking his sword from the mud, his head slowly turning around to his superior.

“Uhhhh….” The voice of the dead soldier echoed through the forest as Taunus woke up and walked again, this time with a new master. His eyes were as black as Void and his mind was no longer interested in wenches, no longer worried because of carrying the dead Captain to the border, for now his mind obeyed the new master, directly passing him orders of his new superior.

attack him… attack him… attack him…

Hexus Falvi felt sorry for the young recruit and it made him feel horrible when he had to raise his sword against him but there was no other option if he wanted to save his own life and fight for the Empire against the dark menace. Weak in life and weak in death, Taunus fell after a few strikes, his body turned to ashes. At the same time the dark one attacked from behind and dealt Hexus a powerful blow to his back. The pain was anguish but it was not enough to stop Hexus Falvi. He turned around, made a fast yet imprecise swing with his sword and hit the dark one with the blunt part – it staggered and for the first time Hexus seemed to hear some “Aah” from behind its black face cover. Hexus Falvi wanted to deal another, this time well-placed swing to his attacker but the dark one was quicker, it avoided the blow and swung at Hexus’ face, cutting his right cheek.

He staggered back, almost fell down the hill and when he finally managed to get control over his legs, he saw another gruesome scene – Baunus, awakened from dead, was running to him, his sword ready to spill blood of his former superior.

“Uhhhh…”

Hexus was exhausted and the pain in his back was barely tolerable. He blocked first Baunus’ strike, managed to avoid the second but the third one brought him to his knees. But Baunus, more powerful in death than in life, knew no remorse and mercy anymore. No longer he cared about his former friend or wenches from Falkreath.

stop… stop... stop…

Strike after strike,…

stop …stop …curse you!

Baunus finished off Hexus Falvi.

“Uhhhh…”

The dark one approached the corpse, looking at the mess. Dead could only be controlled to some extent and it shouldn’t end like this. It was supposed to end with capturing Falvi’s soul and grant him a new residence in a black gem, but the dark one overestimated Falvi, thinking that he will endure the battle with dead Baunus.

A lone rabbit was the only witness of what followed yet naturally it understood nothing. The dark one was walking by Lake Ilinalta, Hexus Falvi staggering behind it, and it seemed like the dark menace took Hexus on a final walk by the lake until his body crumbled to a pile of ashes, facing the same fate as Baunus, Taunus and the dead Captain. Wind was mild on that night but even a breath of air was enough to blow away ashes of Imperial soldiers to the lake, forever erasing what was once Ilinalta Patrol III.

And the Dark One strikes again! This time toying with a patrol of Legion soldiers and sharply abbreviating Hexus' short time in command. We see also that the darkly robed figure who favors bound blades is also quite the necromancer. How frightening to have one's former comrades raised against you! Once again, you create a dark and mysterious mood with this that tantalizes with questions.

I read this thinking "uh oh, something's about to happen!" Anticipation. All those soldiers are so preoccupied and bored! Raising dead is addictive.





This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Jan 31 2015, 02:50 AM

Today, J'Zirlo the Tank-Cat walked between the three Hearthfire houses...

What?...You don't expect me to actually remember the names of them, do you?... ...It's been months since I played any Skyrim!... ...

Aaaamywho, ticked all the boxes - Explored a dungeon; killed some Ghosts(!!!); sold some chizz and even took the opportunity to Kiw-De-Dwaaagon!!! for old time's sake... ...

All this while walking in a mostly straight line from Falkreath to near-as-damn-it Whiterun and then from there to Morthal-ish...

Much fun!!...It's nice to have missed a game when you get back into it, no?...

Ha ha ha at least you have all 3 HF houses. I know of Proudspire Manor because my crusader guy bought it long ago, but I have no idea what the names of the other two places are, or where they are.

------------

Claire Voyance is currently in Halted Stream Camp, taking care of some bandits with Aela the Huntress. Farkas stayed behind in Jorrvaskr; attempting to conquer Halted Stream with him around would make things way too easy. After HSC, Claire is going to head to Windhelm to deliver an axe to Ulfric.

She keeps wondering why people keep calling her 'Dragonborn', they obviously are confusing her with someone else. There's gotta be a mod for this....

This post has been edited by Renee Gade IV: Feb 1 2015, 09:06 PM

McB, I hope J’Zirlo the Tank-Cat doesn’t get any troll goo stuck in his treads as he travels Skyrim. So glad you’re back and enjoying Tamriel!

Renee – Yay for Claire! I hope she and her Companions really slaughter those disgusting mammoth poachers at Halted Stream Camp. Terminate them with righteous fury!

Ba-Bum-TISH!!!... ...



Well, we've been walking the wilds, and so far, despite thinking I'd found and done everything - at least, everything I was going to do that wasn't *flipping Daedric quests - I've since managed to find three or four new locations, out in the wilds where I'd never walked...See!...Fast travel is bad for you!!!... ...

Also, I managed to find an upturned cart of books!!!...I suspect there was more skill books in there, but ones I didn't need...A couple of them worked though...So yeah, that was a nice surprise...

I am very much enjoying this return...Considering J'Zirlo is 220 hours+ now, I'm glad that the game still has something to offer...

...

Thanks!

Even more than skooma.

It'll be interesting to read about the Civil War from the viewpoint of a cleric.

Never came upon this cart yet but I agree that there are many things in Skyrim to be discovered even after many hours.

--

Ihjizz was never particularly clever. Even for bandit’s standards, he was quite dumb. Together with some drunk Imperial whose name Ihjizz couldn’t remember because it was too complicated, they were thinking of making a fortune by ambushing travelers passing under the Pinewatch Bridge. The idea as such wasn’t that bad, even the location was appropriate for ambushes because travelers could be spotted from afar. But a mead-addict and a skooma-addict together didn’t make a really good team, not to mention that the road was frequently patrolled by soldiers, and not to mention that even greenhorn adventurers could easily defeat two ordinary bandits.

To make things worse, the drunk Imperial fell from the bridge the other day and broke his neck, so Ihjizz was now entirely on his own. He only checked whether the Imperial’s neck was truly broken, then took his septims and some arrows but didn’t bother to drag his corpse away or even bury it, he left it lying in the middle of the road, hoping that it would attract looters which he could attack from his outpost above the bridge. But roads have been unusually empty for the past few days. Even a patrol of Imperial soldiers, that was a common sight in these parts, obviously changed its route.

The night of the 7th of Sun’s Dawn was cold and misty, and Ihjizz was grateful for having fur instead of skin for it kept him warm. As usually during nights, he was awake, standing next to a brazier, waiting for possible targets to arrive. He didn’t think that standing next to the well-lit brazier made him more visible and that anyone approaching would see him sooner than Ihjizz’d see them.

“...might pay off my bounty this time... walk into the city a free man...” he thought but then remembered that Khajiits aren’t allowed inside cities in Skyrim. “But we’re allowed in jails! Damned Nords!”

“...need me some Skooma... the imported stuff... just one last time…” he thought but then remembered that sucking skooma on such heights might not be wise else he could fall down and break his neck just as the Imperial.

“...hmph, wizards... Now that's power... Bet they got that "secret" magic... can turn wood to gold... yeah... Wish I could turn wood to gold...” he thought but then remembered that Khajiits generally don’t make good wizards. “Too bad, I could be the richest Khajiit if I turned every single tree I see here to gold and…Huh? Is someone there?”

Ihjizz heard footsteps below him and quickly leaned over the wooden fence of his outpost.
“WHAT? How can this be?”

Ihjizz thought that his eyes were deceiving him when he saw the supposedly dead Imperial walking under the bridge. His moves were insecure and slow but then he stopped and slowly turned his head in Ihjizz’s direction, greeting him with the echoing “Uhhh…” sound.

“So you were just pretending to be dead, eh? He he he, you’re even more stupid than I thought! How could you lie so still for so lon…AUCH!” He didn’t finish the sentence because the Imperial with a broken neck aimed his bow at Ihjizz and fired an arrow, hitting him directly in his hairy right shoulder.

“Now you pay, drunkard!” Ihjizz avoided the second arrow and quickly pulled out his own bow, hardly waiting to return a favor. "Time to die, hero!" His shots were well placed and after being hit for the second time, the Imperial crumbled to ashes.

“Huh? I had no idea that my arrows are magical?” Ihjizz examined them but they were just common iron arrows. “Then how is this possible? But of course! He he he, I know! Ihjizz is such a superb archer that his shots turn people to ashes! Nothing can stand in my way, nothing! Ha! But still…how come that this hasn’t happened before? Hmmm…eh, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Ihjizz can turn people to ashes with a single strike! Huh? Is someone there?”

Ihjizz felt a spell casted at him and blue strips began circling around him and though he felt no pain, it seemed like the blue magic was tightening his body. He turned around, pulling his dagger out at the same time, and that was when he saw someone in black robes crouched right behind his back, a dagger in its hands, one that Ihjizz has never seen. For half a second he wondered how it was possible that he didn’t hear or see the dark one sneaking behind him. In the next half of the same second, he remembered that it’d be wise to watch both sides of the Pinewatch Road in the future, not just one. But there was no future for Ihjizz.

“You picked a bad time to get l…UURGH!” Another sentence never finished but after this one Ihjizz never talked again. The bound dagger swung twice and when it struck for the second time, unnatural blue light shined around Ihjizz, so intense that even bandits at Helgen and guards at Falkreath saw it. As Ihjizz fell over the fence and bounced on a rock below, his essence, his very soul, was being absorbed to a magical gem in his assassin’s hand. As he fell on the ground, breaking his neck, the soul was no longer in his body. The dark one admired the gem for a few seconds, almost hearing cries of Ihjizz’s soul inside, begging for release, and then put it in a satchel beneath its black robe. It smiled silently behind its face cover, but this smile wasn’t kind or warm, yet evil and triumphant. Taking a jump from the bridge, the dark one landed firmly on the road below like a skilled acrobat and sprinted up the road, disappearing in the night.

Fires were burning in braziers, brightening an ash pile and the dead Khajiit next to it. Sooner or later some adventurer would pass under the Pinewatch Bridge and lighten the Ihjizz of his belongings. Sooner or later another group of bandits would come to this area, toss Ihjizz’s corpse in the woods and take over the bridge. Sooner or later Ihjizz would rot and become a skeleton. But even then his soul would not be free.

Lopov, this was dark, mysterious and actually hilarious all at the same time! I loved how much you did with the witless Khajiit and how he perceived things around him. Using the in-game bandit lines as he talked to himself was a nice touch. Despite the dark theme, I imagine you had great fun writing this! Soul trapping in Skyrim has some very cool effects.

I'm sure I'll think about this little story every time Buffy snipes those Pinewatch Bridge bandits.

I just went past there on my way to construct Lakeview with my latest character. She's built like Gilda (except that she's a Redguard), so she doesn't use a bow, but she had Rayya with her, and she does. Both bandits were lying beneath the bridge before they'd even registered on the compass! It would appear that the housecarl default bow outclasses their firepower quite a bit at low levels.

So we continued to the site, put up the entryway and main hall, and I left Rayya on-site as steward, while I took the new girl off to destroy the Dark Brotherhood. She's a sneak/backstab specialist, so she wanted the Blade of Woe, and took it from Astrid at the first opportunity. That meant the path through that quest-line was the short one.

We'll probably have to put Soul Trap (or its Fiery cousin) on another dagger for her other hand, as the Blade of Woe doesn't hold many charges, and she's not finding enough pre-filled gems. She hasn't found anything with the right enchantment yet.

This character wasn't really intended to get a life of her own, but I'd made a "vanilla as possible" save at the Helgen exit to help make test characters for the Orc Stronghold mod, which I need to re-start from the beginning a lot. But this one, and another pure mage one (minimum weight, reduced height, Nord), have gone off doing their own thing, and have ignored me trying to steer them to the Orc quests.

The latter is now Arch-mage, and hasn't met any Orcs but Urag. I intended her to use Illusion more, but find the spells available make it hard to level up the skill. Most won't work on the opponents she meets because of their level limits, or are only useful when there's multiple opponents, and she can Fury/Frenzy without being spotted, which isn't often, as she doesn't sneak very well. I suspect that school of magic may better suit a thief than a mage. So she's back as the "Destruction for offence, Alteration for Defence" build I've done before. Her game may not get continued much.