Buffy the Bowgirl, Book 1, Thread 1, Do You Know the Way to Kvatch? Options

[Acadian]

Welcome to the adventures of Buffy the Bowgirl!

My name is Acadian. Buffy is an elven mystic archer that I have the pleasure to travel Tamriel with.

This is Book 1 of her journal. It begins with Buffy being briefly incarcerated in the Imperial Prison, and ends as she attempts to bring freedom to the city of Kvatch. It is a sprawling story that will require 176 episodes, spread over five threads. Appropriately, I have nicknamed Book 1, 'Do You Know the Way to Kvatch?'

Buffy's personal journey is more important than her destination. Our writing style is character-driven. I help Buffy write her journal because I have a truckload of passion for her, not because I am a writer. We take plenty of liberties with quests and NPCs, but only few liberties with game mechanics because there is an aspect of 'how to / mystic archer guide' woven into her stories. Therefore, we tend to eschew earthly things and stick rather closely to Nirnian physics. In Buffy's world for example, a skilled archer can 'zoom in' on her target and cause her enemies to 'turn green' with poison. Buffy has never been to medieval Europe or ancient Rome, and her world does not resemble those places.

I thank you so much, should you find our humble effort earns and maintains your readership. My hope is that Buffy will worm her way into your heart, as she has mine.

Edit: Buffy has completed this book as of August 2012, and I would like to think that the reading of it is a satisfying experience - both complete as well as suggestive of sequels. For those newer readers who would like to catch up to us in one short sitting, you might find this helpful: Buffy – The Executive Summary Thread.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Oct 28 2012, 12:33 PM

[Acadian]

1 Buffy Goes to Prison

City Swimmer grabbed my shoulder and winked an orange eye at me. "Okay, Buffy, you practice your sweet talking to distract the merchant, and I'll nip us some lunch. Ready?"

I nodded, and the two of us entered the small shop. My Argonian friend began innocently looking at merchandise, while I walked up to the Imperial behind the counter.

"Well, what brings you two ladies to the Imperial City?" The merchant seemed pleasant enough.

I looked up at him and batted my eyelashes like City Swimmer had taught me. "I'm from Bravil and I've never been to the big city before."

The Imperial frowned. "And just where are your parents, young lady?"

This wasn't exactly working like my dear reptilian friend told me it would. Maybe I needed bigger eyelashes, or more work on how to flutter them. "My father's been gone since before I can remember. He never returned from one of his expeditions. Mother said he was a vampire hunter."

The Imperial looked down at me, appraisingly. I knew what he was staring at, and felt a flush of warmth rise to my face. I hated my big pointed ears. That's why I usually kept my hair pulled back into a ponytail to try and cover them up some.

"A Bosmer vampire hunter?" the merchant scoffed.

"He was a Breton. It's my mother who was Bosmer."

"Was?" His voice softened somewhat. "She's gone too?"

I nodded sadly, looking at my shoes. "Yes, she died five years ago when I was twelve. Since then, the people of Bravil have helped me get by." I shrugged. "The only thing I really know how to do is hunt with my bow, thanks to a kindly archery master named Daenlin. I survive by hunting, to sell the meat and furs."

He frowned again. "Well, I'm sorry, blondie." He looked over my shoulders at the quiver of arrows and towering longbow on my back. "This is a store - you know, paying customers? This city is full of poor street urchins. The last thing I need in here is some Septimless underfed little forest nymph. If you don't have any gold then-" The Imperial's eyes suddenly snapped towards the far end of his shop. "HEY! Put those back!"

I spun around to see City Swimmer drop the two apples she was trying to steal and run for the exit. Grabbing a club from under his counter, the merchant jumped towards the door with surprising speed. He managed to grasp the fleeing Argonian's tail and spun her around, such that he now blocked her escape. "Thieving lizard. I'll show you!" he angrily spat. The Argonian raised her hands to soften repeated blows from the falling club, while trying desperately to get to the door.

"Stop!" I yelled, "She already dropped the apples!" The merchant ignored my pleas and kept hitting my friend. I thought he was going to kill her. Without thinking, my bow jumped into my hand and I loosed an arrow into the side of the merchant's chest. Just like a deer in the forest, he fell. City Swimmer ran out the door.

The shopkeeper wasn't moving. Blood was seeping from where the deeply imbedded arrow protruded, and trickled into a slowly growing pool on the wooden floor. I had never shot a man or mer before, and just stared at him, my feet frozen in place.

Before I could decide what to do, a mountain of gray armor charged into the shop, booming, "Stop right there, criminal scum!"

My sputtering attempts at sweet talking only resulted in the soldier sternly adding, "You're under arrest." He then drew his long silver sword to emphasize the point.

Having heard horrible stories about the Imperial Prison, I swallowed hard, and made a choice.

I tried to bolt past the soldier's left side and out the door. As soon as I took my first step however, he extended his shield arm in a vicious bash.

The blow knocked the wind from me and sent me flying. An explosion of light and pain erupted as I hit the nearby wall. The wooden planks of the floor were rising up to meet me as if in slow motion, but I was powerless to stop myself from falling. My world collapsed into a field of silent blackness.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Dec 9 2012, 04:47 AM