Mephala's Maiden: Black Rose Clan Options

[Black Hand]

Hey guys, this isnt a divergence from the main story I have, but rather, I have been trying out a new type of character on my X-Box, a custom class 'Geisha' after seeing the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha' Recently, and I gotta tell ya, its a lot of fun. Something different to be sure. It inspired this. Enjoy. (I hope.)


“Who was that lady, Sera?” asked Sayuri, looking at Edryno Arethi, her current matron in House Hlaalu.

“No one, get back too your duties, Retainer.” Edrnyo replied, twirling the Black Rose in her hand, a deathly pale in her face, she had been delivered the death message and was in no mood to speak.

Sayuri, the young Bosmer girl had been adopted by House Hlaalu after her parents had been murdered by a Telvanni Mage whilst in Sadrith Mora, and one of the Merchants traveling in his own ship to trade, took pity on the little crying girl, dropping her off in Balmora, and told Nileno Dorvayn of her plight.

She remembered the tsking of Nileno, and the warmth of her palm as she rubbed her cheek affectionately. She was given clothes and a bed, and place to sleep, and she was put to work, alternately being trained in House Hlaalu’s favored skills, for three years she served mostly as a serving girls, performing menial tasks, and occasionally as a thief, or a decoy. She loved it, as it seemed to coincide naturally with her gods-given talents.

Bratheru Oran, Edryno’s lover took the rose from her hand, and threw it on the ground, smashing it underneath his leather boots. His expression showed that of rage and helplessness. Sayuri would not bring it up again for three weeks, but one day, when Edryno gave her a key to her house, and told her that she would be gone for several weeks, she finally explained, as she had never held anything back from her adopted daughter for long.

“Do you remember that Rose, Sayuri? The black one?” she asked, as Sayuri nodded her head, remembering the vivacious Altmer that had delivered it, dressed in exquisite clothing and wearing Telvanni Bug Musk.

“You’ve been chosen, and are being taken from me, under the pain of death, I cannot refuse. The Black Rose Clan is taking you, and you will serve them. I…I am leaving to speak to them, and perhaps negotiate an alternative. But seldom will they refute a selection.”

“Black Rose Clan? Matron, I don’t understand!” Sayuri said nearly on the brink of tears.

“You know of the Morag Tong? They worship the Great Daedra Mephala, the Dark Matron of Murder, Sex, and Secrets. They are a small faction within the Tong, dedicated to the second part of that. Whereas most assassins are dark, aloof, and grim in nature, a Black Rose, or a Dark Petal, also Thorns or Mephala’s Maidens, rely more on Personality and Agility. As every rose have five petals, so does the Clan. When one ‘wilts’ away as they call it, either killed, or grows to old too become pleasing to men, another must be chosen to take their place. You, because you are born under the Sign of ‘The Lover’ which gives you more agility, and the power to freeze people, will become the newest petal in the Black Rose.”

Sayuri’s eyes tried to no avail to hold back the tears of confusion and frustration. For the second time in her life, she was to lose her family. Edyrno ran her hand through the childs raven dark hair, and embraced her, attempting to comfort the shaking Bosmer.

“I know, I promise everything will be all right…”

[Black Hand]

The foursome entered into the House of Earthly Delights, giggling. The three senior members of the Black Rose took the lead to an empty table, amid the stares of the patrons at the unusual patronage. Sayuri however was left standing and staring, until her wrist was grabbed and she was sat down.

“Are they?..Can they?...They’re naked!” Sayuri exclaimed.

The three girls looked at her with mischievious grins, drinking in her reaction to the infamous Desele’s. On three dais’, danced an equal number of naked girls. Redguard, Breton, and Nord, the three shades of skin each glistened with a layer of sweat, moving and gyrating to the upbeat rhythms of the drunken Hlaalu Dunmer Band, wearing nothing but their smiles. Smiling even more with the addition with the familiar three, and the unfamiliar little Bosmer with the shocked expression on her face.

“Now, now little one, it wasn’t too long ago that you were in a same position as these girls, no?” Errisa said making fun of her former pupil.

“That was different, I didn’t show my body for the whole world to see!” she retorted.

“I see. You feel some moral outrage? Who are they hurting, sweetheart?” Dralsie said with a slightly challenging tone.

Sayuri looked around the bar. Topless waitresses serving frothing mugs of greef to the regulars, patrons with eyes locked onto the dancers. There was, contrary to popular belief, no riots breaking out, no massive rapes, and Akatosh had not stopped times flow, and torn Nirn asunder. It was just a bunch of men drinking, watching girls dance, and tossing drakes at the stage.

“No one. It’s just…” Sayuri started.

“It just goes against how you were raised, even House Hlaalu with their own set of dubious morals, are still composed of Dunmer, Anssi and I know. We’re from here. Just have some greef. And enjoy yourself.” Dralsie replied.

Sayuri did just that, and eventually fell into a relaxed state of mind. Feeling the beat of the guarskin drums, and notes of the fiddle and lute.

Sometime during the few hours they were there, Anssi leaned over to Sayuri, and put a folded up paper in her hand. “I swore that I wouldn’t do it. You didn’t.”

It was moon sugar all right. Rumored to be an open source at the House of Earthly Delights, patrons were generally allowed to do it by the local guard, provided they stayed on their best behavior, and inside the tavern. It was taboo. It was wrong on many levels. Sayuri decided to try it.

What happened next was a blur, she sifted it into her mug when the others were not looking, and drank it slowly, letting its powerful effects slowly reach into her mind, her body like a few tendrils of vapor that lit up dormant areas of her brain.

It was equal parts stimulant and sensory enhancer, she soon discovered. The music, while strong in her mind before, largely due to her background with her lute, was more intense then she had ever felt. The dancers, before, simply dancing fleshpots became shamanistic dancers, their motions blurred, and their shadows on the wall were as dark spirits intent on summoning their dark liege. Suddenly, her eyes were drawn to the flame of the torch stand opposite to the stage. Its dancing flame was a center of a universe, a Magnus to Nirn. The flame began to speak in a strange language, it wasn’t words, it was ideas, pure thought in a spirit form.

Wait a minute, she thought. Flame doesn’t speak, it’s just the sugar. The flame disagreed, though not with words. Get a grip, she thought. The flame said she did, though not with words. I’ m ignoring you now, she thought. Go ahead, everyone else does, the flame said, though not with words. Fine then, what do you have to say? She thought.

The flame began to talk of the beginning time. The Mythic Dawn. The convention of the divines, and the creation of nirn, the ehlnofey, the earthbones, Lorkhan and Akatosh, space and time as one. The mundex arena, creation of separates, so that the fragments may see their way to wholeness, achieve heaven by violence!

“Sayuri, you okay?” said Dralsie with a sip of her greef. “You’re staring at something, what? Is it that guy over there?” Dralsie said looking at some Imperial man sitting at a table, seeming to look at Sayuri staring at the flame.

Sayuri began to come too, whatever the sugar was, it had reached its zenith, and she was beginning to come back down to a drunken stupor. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just usually don’t drink this much. Can we go?” she said rubbing her face.

“We just got here! Anssi, take her upstairs, let her wash her face or something, get some fresh air, if you’d like.”


Sayuri stumbled out of her chair, and took the stairs to the lavatory upstairs. She looked at the wellwater in the basin, and was thankful that it was clean, as she splashed water on her face.

“Well, what are you girls doing here?” came the Imperial mans voice from nowhere.

Sayuri spun around in surprise. The leering imperial had a drunken look on his face, and wicked sneer that spoke volumes about what was going through his mind. “Helviane’s doing good branching out to the merfolk like you lovely ladies.”

“Oh no, were not…I mean, we’re just here for the drink,…”

“Now, now, don’t be shy; I saw how you was looking at me. Must be yer first time, relax, relax, look, see I got the gold. I know how this goes, I’ve negotiated before.” He said softly, the smell of brandy thick on his breath.

“I’m not a dancer, I’m not for sale. Get out of here.” Sayuri said firmly, taking a hidden scrib stance.

“Relax, relax, just give it a chance…” he said reaching in for a kiss.

Her fists went up to his chest, followed by an elbow across his chin, ending in a reversal stance that had her flipping him over her body, and having him land headfirst in the rain barrel.

“I will take that gold that you mentioned though, in exchange for sparing your life.” She said as the sobering-up, wet, Imperial stood up, spitting water out of his mouth.

“Anything, just leave me alone you crazy witch!” he said tossing a small leather sack, with the clink of septims into her hands.

Errisa noticed with comical delight as the Imperial man who went up soon after Sayuri, left with a red face, and wet clothes. She smiled back at Sayuri, as the Dark Petal sat at the table tossing the Imperials money on the table commenting that the drinks were on her.

Dralsie and Anssi knew what the man had gone upstairs for, as did Errisa, but she insisted that they let her handle this one alone. They wouldn’t always be there to help.