Running a widow off her her land sure does not sound like an auspicious beginning to one's career.

Your plight shall come to redemption.”
Blood Raven could not have said it better.

Things sure are getting exciting in the mine. Methinks that combative orc was up to some no good, and linked to the death of Mr. Vabdas.

I thought it was a appropriate that Joan Marie was centering herself by thinking of Akray, right before the ghost of Vabdas spoke to her. Yikes, now she has to learn to swim?

Definitely learn that water breathing spell Joanie!

Hopefully Joan's ideals will indeed improve things in the Legion. So far at least, she has saved the widow from an unscrupulous land grab.

If you don't mind a shy little girl who can do a little of this and a little of that (code words for thief) then I would suggest Emma's Constance for a companion. One of the best Morrowind companion mod available, IMO. You can RP that she picks all the locks.

Nothing quite like bounding into a new job, filled with joy and optimism, only to find that your first assignment is on the shady side.

But, fortunately, Joan's willing to go the extra mile. Morrowind isn't a place where you can take things at face value, so her determination means she can get to the truth of things. As such, she's made Gnisis a slightly better place and removed an element of corruption within the legion.

Though I still have a vague hunch that Darius is annoyed that the whole thing was exposed, since he'd much rather just take the land. Hard to trust the head of an organization that uses the death's head as a symbol.

I really must say, it's been great to have several of us writing during these days here at Chorrol. I love it. In Bethesda's old forums, for a while there were a bunch of writers there too, in the Oblivion > Spoilers section. Every week, there'd be new material to read. It got to the point during fall and winter of 2013 that there were so many ppl writing in that section, I'd often fall behind!

@Acadian-- Yes indeed, I like the idea of Joan making changes within this new organization she has joined. Trying to make some differences, at least. This is one of the great things about the open-ended nature of Bethesda games; we can take what we get out of them in different ways, all according to whichever character is doing the quests.

Like I said a couple weeks ago, my previous guy who did the same exact quest was more of a noble knight who was in it more for the money. Sir Galarad felt little for the widow's plight. Yes, he did help her, but he was also wondering what sort of compensation he'd receive.


@Lena Wolf -- Wow, Hauk sure got lucky then! Yes, those kwama warriors are horrible. I wonder why they'd attack Lugrub at all; wouldn't they all be in the same faction, or at least factions which are compatible? Weird.

So if the queen gets killed, this affects the quest as well, and Darius is not happy about this. Such a different experience Hauk had, compared to Joan.



Hey, if you know of any mods which can affect cup size, that's what I'm looking for! Edit: Okay, I see what you mean.


@SubRosa-- Yes, Raven and Joan do have this olde-world manner of speaking, this is true. Funny thing is, I've been relying less on Thesaurus.com to "enhance" Joan's manner of speaking. It's just become a habit to reach into her head, and she comes up with these quips which sound out-of-place for modern English.

I also use ancient table-gaming books for Skills. So Joan not knowing how to swim is actually "real" in a way, because Swimming (as well as Literacy, Charisma, Horsemanship, etc.) are skills which I assign to all my characters when they are first rolled. Long ago I had a character who couldn't read for instance. She'd only know what potions did by drinking them, and then remembering the shapes of letters on the potion's labels.


@macole-- Nice! Thank you. I'll definitely add Constance to my game. She might already be in there, because I did add several NPC follower mods a while back. Not saying Joan would choose Constance, but maybe one of my others would.

Truthfully, anything from Emma, you know there's some quality there.


@Well-Tempered Clavier -- Hey, I love your profile pic. How did you get the artwork, though? That looks like Balmora, but not with the standard Morrowind graphics.

Again, you are very right about Morrowind being a place where you cannot take things at face value. There is a Fighters Guild quest in which Joan is actually stalled, because she refuses to take part in it (I believe she's supposed to kill somebody who seems like an upstanding citizen, something like that).

This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 17 2022, 12:36 PM

Chapter XXVI -- Advancements and Accomplishments

24 Frost Fall to 30 Frost Fall (Days 70 to 76)


Joan is fully prepared to travel back to Ebonheart so she can deliver the five examples of muck she had collected for Synnolian Tunifus. But she can't just leave Gnisis. There's too much here for her to do.

It's not just that there's much to do; each new task she is given demands action, immediate action. After avenging the death of Mansilimar Vabdas, she is sent back into the same eggmine, so she can cure its queen of blight disease. She accomplishes this easily. Next quest, she and her guard travel to a small ashlander camp to the west, where they rescue a hostage. The hostage's name is Madura Seran. After Madura is found in the camp's main yurt, Joan and her guard must defeat the three rogues who'd captured her. And once this is done, they must then escort Madura back to Ald Velothi.

As she accomplishes each task, her rank also rises. She goes from Recruit to Spearman to Trooper. She also attains a breastplate set made of Imperial-quality steel, which she wears most proudly.

"So, you got Medura Seran out of the camp, and in one piece," says General Darius. "Good work, Joan of Cheydinhal."

"Most dutifully, sir."

It seems nobody else in the Legion is capable of the things Joan, a virtual newcomer into Gnisis society, is able to accomplish. Why might this be? she asks herself. Could it be they are all too fearful of results gone awry?

As Joan Marie moves from one task to the next, completing each one with success, her reputation in the town of Gnisis quickly spreads. Pretty soon half the people she speaks to want to thank her for one or more of the recent things she has done.

And it is perhaps due to this frequent praise that Joan takes up a rather odd habit: she begins walking about Gnisis barefoot. She does this first to give her feet a rest; most of the time they are encased within boots, you see. Pretty soon though, her habit of un-shoeing herself takes on a more altruistic meaning. The people of town begin to assume she's going shoeless as a sign of humility. And Joan does not disagree with this.

It's this habit which forges her story into the books of time, and it's this habit which others, other crusader-types that is, shall follow in the years, decades, and eras to come.

Her next order is to learn what happened to an orc by the name of Ragash gra-Shuzgob, a tax collector who'd gone missing. Ragash was last seen heading off to a tower here in town called Arvs-Drelen, and it's Joan's task to try finding what occurred to the orc, if anything.

But this time, the task is not easy. She is able to locate Ragash the tax-collector simply enough; the orc is found locked (but otherwise unguarded) in the basement of Arvs-Drelen tower! ... Joan is able to free Ragash from captivity. From here, things don't go as well, as her next idea was to head back into the tower, so she can have a few words with Baladas Demnevanni, the tower's supposed owner.

And it is back inside that Joan and her new guard encounter a foe which they cannot defeat. In the tower's second floor they do not meet Baladas, instead they come across what seems to be his minion: a daedroth! -- This beast is a formidable one indeed. They tried to fight the damned thing, only to find themselves quickly losing the skirmish. Sadly, Joan's new guard fell to his death as he blindly tried to defeat it. But Joan herself was not so exuberant in doing so.

During her younger days back in Cheydinhal, as she received pre-military training, one of the facets she'd learned was to make sure to pick your battles wisely. Do not continue those fights which cannot be won. It's more important to step aside from melee on Day One, one of her instructors had told her a year or two earlier, so you can come back later to defeat your enemy on Day Two, Day Three, or even Day Eight-Five.

It's something she steadfastedly realizes is true, now that she's out 'in the field'.

Over the past few weeks and then months, from her first day arriving poor and wretched to Seyda Neen, she'd been questioning her plight. Why had she been boarded onto that ship (apparently the wrong ship), why had she gotten separated from her friends, and why had she been assumed as some sort of prisoner once she'd made it to Morrowind? Most of all, why had one of the first people she'd met in Seyda Neen sent her to a strange man in Balmora, who'd then assigned her to one of the most coveted factions in all Tamriel?

And over the past few weeks and then months, she'd begun to believe and sense she indeed has some sort of calling here in Vvardenfell. It'd been more of a feeling at first, this idea that she'd been chosen, for whatever sort of reason. But over time, this feeling was seeming to become more of a reality. More of an everyday assumption for her. Because of this, Joan is now not so keen on wasting her own life, just to gain knowledge about why the tax-collector had been imprisoned. Her guard? It had been his own choice, to take on the demon itself while she fled. Pick your battles, her instructors had warned her. At times like these, she can definitely see why.

Still, she finds the lack of action from other legionnaires here in town to be daunting. She mentions everything which occurred to General Darius. The tax-collector she'd found in lockup, the highly-dangerous 'pet' being kept apparently by Baladas Demnevanni, and she mentions these things expecting Darius to send his entire platoon into the Velothi tower.

"If we all mount an affront within Arvs-Drelen as one, we can possibly defeat the abomination, as one. Then we shall face Baladas ourselves, and bring the evildoer to truer justice."

But Darius does nothing, and this is despite losing one of his own. Since Joan hasn't got the rank to order his troops around, she is forced to heed, forced to move on.

Her next assignment is even more compelling. Apparently, somebody within the Gnisis Barracks, one of General Darius's own troops, is involved with the Cult of Talos. The general, for whatever reason, is not happy about this. Not so much because he does not believe in Talos as a god; it seems he's upset because there have been rumors of some sort of conspiracy, associated with.

Over a day or two, the Legion's newest recruit is able to speak to many Barracks' members, eventually getting some good information from Oritius Maro, one of its residents. Eventually she narrows down a suspected name: Arius Rulician. After more prodding, she finds Arius hiding in the Gnisis Barracks cellar, where a small shrine to Talos had been erected. Tries to speak to the man, but he refuses to acknowledge her words. She then discovers a note in a small chest, also inside the cellar. The note was signed by Oritius, and in this note was one very outrageous threat.

-- ...When Uriel Septim VII comes to visit Vvardenfell, he should be killed to put a strong man back on the throne of Tamriel... --

Finding this note caused immediate complications, Joan was attacked by Arius on the spot! For the first time in a long time, she was forced into a fight without the assistance of a guard. She also could not just leave the cellar -- Arius managed to block her way out -- she was trapped! Despite this, she was able to defeat her assailant by (1) striking the man repeatedly with her Daggar of Judgement, causing his strength and life force to fail. As he succumbed to the weight of his own gear (moving slower and slower about the cellar) she then (2) switched to her simple iron mace, bashing the man until his life fell further. Finally, she was able to blast and sizzle him with her spell of Holy Light.

The entire time, she called to Arius, begging him to give up. Chances are he'd merely be imprisoned for the threats levied by the cult. Could he not see the wrongdoings of his own ways?

... But some men of his sort of stature, they sometimes do not heed, even as they wear the sworn colors of the Empire. As Joan stabbed, slashed, and then bashed Arius Rulician to oblivion, all she could otherwise do was ask for mercy. And since he refused this, it was ultimately his loss.

...Joan of Cyrodiil, often known as Joan of Cheydinhal to those who knew her more specifically, prayed once again to Arkay as her attacker bled out before her. Things, they could have turned out differently, if just a little bit of common sense had prevailed. "May Arkay direct thy path towards whichever further judgements," she said to Arius.

Back in front of Darius, Joan worried she'd possibly be charged with a crime. She had just killed a fellow member of the Legion, after all. But the general was unbothered by this. He immediately ordered her to confront and kill Oritius as well, since it was he who had penned the assassination note. This time, Joan did not wish to fight the man by herself. This time, she'd try to convince Oritius to "give up thy wicked ways." Turn himself in. At best, he would at least rot away in a cell for some length of time. But it was he who had chosen his own unruly path.

But again, the situation quickly turned dire, as the Oritius Maro immediately attacked as she entered Gnisis Barracks. And again, it was his loss. Joan quickly gained the sympathy of several Legion troopers, who knew what was happening by now, and helped take down Uriel's assassination-plotter right away.

"Now the traitors are dead," says Darius after all is done, and Joan had returned to the general. "It saddens me that this could happen to men under my command. We all swore to serve the Emperor, no matter what happens. You've earned my gratitude, Joan of Cyrodiil. Long live Uriel Septim!"

Joan (once again) wished it had not come to this, but what can she do? Some folks, their stubbornness, their pride, their own misgiven decisions, are also their ultimate dooms.

A lot had happened, and all within a quick matter of days. "I've got something else for you, if you're interested," General Darius said, dangling yet another carrot in front of his newest guar.

But after a week in Gnisis, and a chance to rise in rank from Agent to Champion, Joan decides she's had enough. There's been a slew of accomplishments here in town: one redemption, two rescues, two overturned traitors, and one of her own compatriots, fallen in the line of duty. Joan finds she longs to get back to the southwestern areas of Vvardenfell, turf she's more familiar with. She decides not to speak to Darius for any more work. Not only has she grown tiresome of the town, but she's also not being paid for all these Good Works. She needs to get back south, and her supply of drakes is dwindling.

She takes the silt strider, first to Seyda Neen, and then to Vivec. From Vivec, she walks to the town of Ebonheart, so she can earn some money from the yucky muck she'd collected, and from the bowl made of limeware she'd retrieved. By the time she gets to Ebonheart, she's got just 17 gold to her name.

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


Notes:

1). Most of my latter 'crusader' type characters: Dyan phor a'Cauz, Lord Haaf-Mersey and so on, also tend to go about town barefoot. In my head-canon, all of this starts with Joanie.

2). Getting the guards to make that final attack on Oritius meant quickly running up to a couple guards, and then using the follower mod I've got to make them Follow her. Otherwise, they all stand around going "durr"... while she does all the work.

Wow, the things they give newbies to do. This quest dealing with the triators Arius Rulician and Oritius Maro was interesting. I admit I only ever did the first few Legion quests and I didn't remember dealing with traitors to the empire, at all. Thanks.

The Barefoot Crusader!

That Joan’s speechcraft is leveling up slowly is perhaps good. After all, she is getting plenty of opportunities to bash sense into or life out of her opponents – hence leveling up her combat skill. She has risen to Champion based on her deeds in Gnisis but clearly the Legion has not paced her pay accordingly as she still must rely on rummaging for missing kitchenware and muck to earn coin.

It looks like Joan is getting things done in the Legion.

The Barefoot Contessa Paladin. That reminds me of the old TV show Kung Fu, whose monk protagonist also usually went barefoot everywhere.

Uh oh. Just when it looked like Joan was on a roll, fate intervened with a giant crocodile monster. RIP to her faithful guard. That is one of the reasons I do not use companions. You cannot control them, especially when you want to make a tactical retreat.

A traitorous plot uncovered, and dealt with. Joan is making quite a reputation. But not making bank! She just needs to explore some of those smuggler hideouts. They have boxes and boxes filled with expensive potions.

My profile picture is actually a piece of art I commissioned for Daria in Morrowind.

There's already a thread with it (and another artwork) here: http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8299

It's funny how Joan's journey in some ways reflects the TES concept of mantling. She didn't really belong in Vvardenfell, but through grit and talent she makes it belong to her. "Walk like them until they must walk like you", as Nu-Hatta said.

Which is particularly illustrative in the case of the Legion, since she's very much doing what the Legion should be doing, but isn't.

I seemed to remember that Dyan also used to walk around bare foot, so now we know, who served as her inspiration.

That name Demnevanni (that sounds like some Albanian surname to me ) brings up some memories, but since none of mine have done the Imperial Legion questline, he must also be involved in some other quest(s).

Clever to retreat from the battle and (perhaps) come back later at some point.

Joan of Cheydinhal did a lot of good things at Gnisis. I'd say that it's now time to rest her feet, but knowing her, she's not someone that can rest for long.

Hey I love you all. It's really hot outside everywhere right now. That's why I'm indoors about to edit the next Joan story. How's everybody doing?



That's the great thing about writing a story along with the game, I find that when I'm just gaming, not so much thinking goes on sometimes. I get the feeling what my character wants to do, and we do it, and we move on. I enjoy considering things with my Holy Knight gal.




That part was crazy, the lack of payment bit! ⏰ We got so caught up in all these events. At some point I realized Joan was running out of money! No money for potions, no money for weapon/armor upkeep, and so on. Whoa... she's about to run out of money. You mean she's not getting paid for this??? ... I totally didn't notice. And if the money's gone, this means she'll need to WALK back south instead of taking the strider. No resources, armor half-falling apart...

It'd be really dangerous for her to do this. She's level 5 or 6 by now, and still pretty fragile, especially if more than one baddie shows up.




Hey, very good!



And this is why I use generic respawning NPCs! They can be as stupid as they want. Go ahead and pwn yourself, eventually another will show up.



Now there's an idea. 💡 Just wait until she gets further in levels too--then she'll be able to pwn some smugglers, vampires! Evildoers!!! All in the name of the Nine!




Precisely! She really walked into a mess.

Damn, I forgot what I was about to say. Maybe it'll come to me later. Oh yeah. In regards to not belonging in Vvardenfell, and especially regarding her time in Gnisis. She's almost like Viracocha to the Incas. This persona who comes into town and does a bunch of acts which nobody else seems thoughtful enough to even try. For the Incas, Viracocha created civilization. He showed the Incas how to rise from their barbaric past.

For Gnisis, it's like they were all just *stuck* with a list of problems, and Joan is able to solve them all, one by one. Then she leaves. She's like this small, mythical being whom they praised and praised, and what are they gonna do now that she's gone?

Thanks for the artwork link!



Yes very good, Dyan was my 'first' character to do the barefoot-in-town thing, but really, Joan preceded Dyan.

And you are right. A Holy Knight's work is never done.

-ta!

This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 23 2022, 01:44 PM

Chapter XXVII -- Return to Ebonheart

Date not recorded

Joan returns to Ebonheart on a typical warm Morrowind day and quickly recruits a new guard. First trooper she sees, she speaks to. “Would you like to leave the safety of Ebonheart, abandon the comfort of your easy command post, and truly see the world beyond, all for sake and vigilance of the Nine?” “For the Nine? Yes!” is his answer.

They have a meal of bread and mudcrab-cakes, they spend the night in Six Fishes. The next morning they rush right over to Ebonheart's chapter of the Imperial Cult, where Joan finally makes a bit of coin. 500 gold of it, in fact.

"Thank you for retrieving that Chapel Limeware Bowl." Kaye (the Cult's Shrine Sergeant) pays her well, for her help in retrieving an item of kitchenware which is neither rare, nor magical.

"Graces to the Nine," Joan says to Kaye.

She also receives a very special gift from Kaye, a rather rare piece of jewelry called the Maran Amulet. Now here is one mightily-powerful instrument she can use as she travels. The amulet is a four-effect item, which boosts the wearer's abilities to speak and persuade, as well as her talents with healing, Mysticism, and turning undead. It's nice to be recognized, but spectacular to receive some compensation. For all the wonderful and challenging things she'd accomplished up in Gnisis, she hadn't earned a drake. Not that Joan bothers or complains, of course.

The next person she speaks to isn't so gracious, or kind.

"Have you reached your goal of 100 gold in donations from the Skyrim mission?" asks Iulus Truptor, the Cult's savant.

Joan reports that she has not made their goal. Heidir, the mission's man-in-charge, refused to donate.

"You're not trying hard enough, Joan of Cyrodiil," Iulus scolds. "We are disappointed in you.”

Joan makes no reply. She can see the man's got more to say.

"But it's your decision. Perhaps you should take some time off and decide whether your talents and temperaments are suited for fund-raising."

"I shall try harder," she tells him.

Despite these mixed results, her rank within the chapel rises from Novice to Initiate. It is Kaye the Redguard who bestows this title upon her. Kaye also gives Joan her next quest.

"A Bosmer named Nedhelas in Caldera says his house is haunted by a ghost," he tells her. Kaye explains that she'll need to head to Caldera, and suggests fighting it with either a silver weapon, or a magical one (information she’s known since childhood). The sergeant then gives her an additional 200 drakes, so she can go buy a suitable weapon.

As if the Initiate he speaks to has never sparred with ghosts before. "It shall be done," she tells him.

She's then off to Caldera. As she leaves Ebonheart the next day, she looks forward to using her special new amulet, if and when needed.

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

The chapter above is a shortie, not all that interesting like the last few. Don't feel like you need to comment, folks; it's merely an old-fashioned update like we used to write in the Today threads. Next chapter should be more involved.

I might be wrong in remembering this but I think that Haryon never bothered to perform any tasks for this savant, simply because of his arrogance.

Joan of Cheydinhal the Ghost Buster!

Testimony to Joan's improving speechcraft is how readily she recruits a new guard-companion. Wow, that'll be boosted even more with her new amulet. Who knew recovering kitchenware could be so profitable?

A ghost pestering a Bosmer? Can't have that. Joan gonna get a silver sword for her guard?

Joan has recruited another Red Shirt for the cause.

I guess Joan has work to do in the prosperity gospel field. Good for her. I don't think Talos is hurting for septims.

When there's something strange, in Caldera? Who you gonna call?

Joan of Arkay!

Heh, I remember trying to get alms from the Skyrim Mission. As I recall, one of the guards was randomly generous. At least the IC seems to appreciate Joan's work.

Yeah I remember being able to collect 100 drakes from the Skyrim Mission when I played the game on Xbox, no problem at all. That was with a knight character. He had about the same Speech skill Joan has now. But ... Maybe it's because he was Imperial he was able to get this done! (Joan is Breton).



Ha! Kitchenware....and samples of muck. 🎃

You folks keep commenting on the Ghost quest given by Kaye. 🥶 Would you like me to write that up? I skipped writing that part, but maybe I'll write that up too. Yes? No?

There should be a poll.



Wow. Guess we're not the only ones then.

Chapter XXVIII -- Vivec Informants

5 Sun's Dusk (Day 82)

Level: 7
Reputation: 3


Back in Balmora. As usual, there is plenty to do. Gear to repair, food and potions to stock upon, spells to get made, and most of all, there's a strange man to speak to, a man who lives across town. Last time Joan'd seen him, this man advised her to do some traveling. See more of the world of Vvardenfell, find a few pursuits to follow, and gain as much experience as she could before returning again. She had taken his advice. Now that she'd done so, she feels a bit torn about whatever could come next.

As a supposed up-and-coming member of Uriel Septim's Blades, what role was she was to play within the strange man's supposed organization?

Sun's Dusk, 3E427

My name is Caius Cosades, and I am a skooma addict.

For several years I've served my Emperor as a spy, and eventually have risen to the level of Grand Spymaster of the Blades. The espionage branch of the Emperor's personal guard is intentionally not well-known, and so far I've worked in relative obscurity, with a small but effective force of operatives, in the outlying provinces.

While working in Vvardenfell, I've taken up skooma use as a cover. At first, it was entirely effective; the small doses I actually used were not debilitating in any way. I had not anticipated, however, that the drug would be so very persuasive. I didn't realize that skooma has a mind of its own, and it slowly insinuates itself into your very being, until your life is no longer separable from that next

Caius Cosades put his quill down, suddenly deep in thought. Began reflecting upon what exactly he was trying to say. What should be added into his new journal? The words he'd just written, especially revelations about his use of illegal substances, were they appropriate? Were they necessary? -- Did it matter if they were put forth so blatantly? -- No, of course not. He'd be the only one reading his own words, in his own new journal of parchment. So why was he suddenly bothered?

He realized he was writing from the perspective of a man whose business might not remain as his own; that perhaps he might be discovered some day, and by exactly the wrong imposter. -- The wrong assassin. -- If so, things might not go so well. He was mostly on his own out here, after all. Starting with banter about skooma might set the wrong sort of tone, for what might some day be viewed as part of his legacy.

... Perhaps he should tear out the page, and start another one ...

... Then again, a skooma-addict-laying-low is exactly what he had become...

Laying low. Caius Cosades lived a quiet life in Balmora, and had been doing so for a while now. To be successful at hiding in plain sight meant camouflaging with the locals. A down-on-his-luck Imperial who'd seen better days, living amongst the Dunmer. That was who he had literally become. Blend in. Lay low. And enjoy life in Balmora, best he could. That was the trick, for a man in his position.

"The apprentice. She is back..."

It had been weeks since he'd heard from the young lady, the one who'd been assigned to the Blades by the emperor himself several months ago. Barely aged over a lass, that one. Yet she had already proven quite proficient at accomplishing those tasks passed on to her.

And now, it was once again time. The chosen damsel, she had returned to the Fighters Guild across town. Word of this spread quickly and quietly from there, to Caius's withdrawn ears.

"She has returned."

The time had come. So let's get this house in order. Caius Cosades started by setting aside his brand-new journal of parchment, and stashing his trusty skooma pipe behind the bed.


6 Sun's Dusk, 3 a.m.
Late in the night it was, but this didn't matter much to a man of his position. His door was always open for the right person.

There was a quiet knock. And in she walked. The lady assigned by Uriel himself had returned to town indeed. She was dressed as a commoner, which was good. Caius'd heard she had joined the Legion up in Ebonheart recently. He feared she'd show up at his doorway wearing full legionnaire regalia, drawing any late-at-night eyes toward his door. Which would not be good. But it seemed she had more sense than this. Common sense, and common clothes.





"I see I stand in good company, friend. What can I do for you?"

"Caius. .... Has my name slipped your recollection?"

"Ehm, Jewel?"

She shook her head. "Jewel, my name is not."

"I was just kidding. I know your name well, and it is Josephine."

"Have you not obtained yourself a tunic yet?" the lady fussed with crossed arms. "Such immodesty."

Caius stared, and made no reply.

"Well, upon the nave of this morning, I shall head across town to make purchase of one selected upper garment for you, which I shall then donate to our cause. Have no worries. I sha'nt involve Dibella, nor any other of the Aedra as I amble along this quest. For this is exactly that, a quest to improve the tawdry living habits of Caius Cosades."

The Grand Spymaster only smiled. "Are you here to discuss your orders, Joan of Cheydinhal? Or is there something else you want?"

The apprentice put her bag down. "I did take your advice, I have spent from Heartfire 'til now in travel and in adventure. I do believe I am ready. What have you in mind, sir?"

"I've thought it over," Caius began. "And I want you to interview three informants in Vivec City, concerning the Nerevarine and the Sixth House."

His charge grabbed a quill from her sidepurse, inked it with Caius's open inkwell, and began scribbing notes. Caius wanted her to speak to three of Vivec's residents, two of them members of nefarious organizations, and a third who seemed more neutral.

1). Addhiranirr, a Khajiit Thieves Guild agent.
2). Huleeya, a Morag Tong Argonian and assassin.
3). Mehra Milo, a priestess at Vivec's Tribunal temple.

St. Olmes Canton followed by the Foreign Quarter followed by Vivec's Hall of Justice, respectively. She was to speak to those three residents, and learn anything she could about the Nerevarine Cult, or the Sixth House. Mysterious stuff to ponder, which only intrigued the likes of the young, appointed Blade.

"Here are two-hundred drakes," Caius handed her a bag. "For bribes and other expenses... Joan from Cheydinhal."

She bowed slightly and closed her eyes. "Graces and many thanks. Though I try to remain humble and vigilant, I also approve of any compensation toward the cause. Traveling about, it does incur quite a bit of expense, after all."

Caius smiled again, perhaps a bit impatiently.

"And my words contain truth. I shall go forthwith and on the morrow, to purchase for thee one or two layers of reticent upper-garments, Caius. Nothing too fancy. Perhaps I might gather another set as I head to market within Vivec, as well."

"Heh. We'll see about that."

She grabbed her bag and off she went, to follow the sentient path set before her. Caius Cosades reached behind his bed, unsure whether he was grabbing for his new journal, or his trusty old pipe.

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

The Caius Cosades text which starts in italics up above was originally written by glargg, which I amended a bit to fit the story above. I found the text while reading an old forum post of his on this page, and it just fit perfectly with what I had in mind for this chapter. Hope you don't mind if I borrow that glargg, wherever you are!

This post has been edited by Renee: Aug 1 2022, 02:44 PM

Nice to see a scene from the POV of Caius. I could have sworn I have read that letter before. Maybe it was from the same glargg post you linked to? Wow, that was a blast from the past.

Caius has gotten so "in character' that he has become the character he was intending to use as a cover. For good and bad.

I love how perterbed Joanie is by Caius' unashamed half-nakedness! Why my stars and garters, how shocking!

To be honest, all three of those organizations seem rather nefarious.

Wow, a story from Caius' perspectivie.

Nice touch to include a reference to glargg.

I wonder if she'll really bring him some shirt.

Time to find more about the 6th House...