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]

In Chapter 4, Buffy returned home to Bravil, caught up with friends, joined the Guild of Mages and even found a wonderful new bow during a brief excursion into the Shivering Isles. She seems quite interested in studying magic, and her guild head has suggested she pursue admission to the Arcane University.

SubRosa- I'm so pleased you agree with our choice to switch to a ship for this trip. I don't really intend to develop coach travel, but ships clearly fit right in. As you pointed out, I noticed that both our elves endured the old 'be careful' speech nearly simultaneously. Thank you for your wonderful support.

Rider- I'm delighted that the ship trip worked well! Thank you. Yes, Buffy, just ignore the warning of old Gaius Prentus standing guard at the portal to Shivering Isles. Foolhardy? Methinks you're right!

Zalphon- Thank you. I really appreciate you staying with us!

Wolf- Young, naïve and adaptable - yes. As you know, she will grow and become more sophisticated, but she'll always have some glaringly naïve moments.

Olen- I'm so glad you like Buffy! My hope is that she will continue to worm her way into your heart. I do hope she listens to Daenlin and learns a touch of caution though.

Destri- Yes, she is certainly good at rationalizing - sometimes in the most head-spinning of ways. That she could influence the Empire is beyond her comprehension. Buffy is that 'simple girl from Bravil', motivated by personal friendships, survival and curiosity. I'm pleased that I could edit in the ship travel and Copious Coinpurse aspects and still keep this chapter to one post. Daenlin's concern for Buffy's risk taking was a result of your counsel and comments way back in another chapter in the original version. Thank you.

* * *

5 You Hear Voices Too?

"You'll not stop me Kalthar! This amulet rightfully belongs to Dagail!" The boldness and authority in my voice surprised me.

The mage's fist spiked upwards towards the low ceiling with an ominous glow. My hand was quicker though. A green trail of magic leapt from my fingertips towards Kalthar's chest and struck like a serpent. Paralyzed and poisoned by my new power, Cobra's Dance, his body went limp and started to fall. My right hand then shot into my quiver as I stepped back. A moment later, he jerked from the impact of my first arrow. I reached for a second, but found it was not needed.

Kalthar was dead. I quivered the arrow and sat down to think. How did this happen and what to do now?

My main concern was that I had just killed a member of my own guild. When I found the Seers Stone amulet deep inside Fort Blueblood and turned to leave, Kalthar had suddenly appeared. I was delighted to see him, and at the prospect of a fellow guild mate to travel back to Leyawiin with. It quickly became clear however, that Kalthar was a traitor to the guild and that only one of us would leave the fort alive.

Staring at Kalthar's corpse, I reviewed the events of the last few days that had led to this.

Back in Bravil, Acadian had urged that I travel to Leyawiin for my next guild recommendation. I decided to listen. The trek south had been pretty uneventful. I gathered lots of plants with useful properties growing between the shore of the Lower Niben and the Green Road. My new bow proved several times to be as light and lethal as Daenlin had surmised.

At one point I heard hoofbeats rapidly approaching, and stepped to the side of the road. The rider abruptly drew up her mount in a cloud of dust beside me. Her black horse was breathing hard and I could feel the heat emanating from the majestic animal. The dusty rider was a young Breton who, as the horse pranced and snorted, handed me a newspaper and said she had no time to chat. They were then gone with an amazing display of speed.

I stared at the trail of dust as the hoofbeats were quickly swallowed by the Green Road leading back towards Bravil. The paper was the Black Horse Courier and this one was all about the assassination. It confirmed that the Elder Council had everything under control. That made me feel better about holding onto the Emperor's amulet until my guild recommendations brought me north to Chorrol.

Putting the newspaper in my pack, I decided to check my map and noticed a blue mark southeast of Leyawiin that wasn't there earlier. That could only mean one thing. "Acadian, why do you think we should go into the Black Marsh?" No answer. I found it annoying to get told where to go, but on the other hand, I was scared not to go. Acadian didn't pester me often, and usually it was for good reason.

Although we were getting close to Leyawiin, the sun was now dipping below the trees and it would soon be dark.

I stepped to the river's edge to fill my water bag and was quickly able to find and kill a mudcrab. Moving well across the road and up into a small, secluded clearing, I set up camp. Soon I was surrounded by the beautiful starlit sky, warm crackle of a fire, and the herb-enhanced smell of roasted crab. After dinner, I counted and inspected my arrows. Then I stowed my equipment, shucked off my clothes and went to crawl into my bedroll. I could sense Acadian's irritation. I knew exactly what this was about and my temper flared.

Men! "Acadian, if you had your way, I would sleep with full battle gear including a bow and quiver jammed into my back! Or more likely, would you have me never sleep at all? I know you worry, but that’s why I had Ita Rienus teach me how to disappear before we left Bravil. You know that every time I camp or bathe in the wilderness, I make sure I have that spell ready. That will allow the time I need to grab my bow if suddenly attacked. Now, mind your own business about what I do or do not wear!"

Early the next morning, I chose to bypass Leyawiin and set off for that blue mark on my map. The ground softened and the vegetation thickened, becoming more marsh like as I continued south. By midday, I found it. The towering gray stone appeared to be some sort of shrine. Although I suspected it was magical, the stone was dormant to my touch.

After dark. There was no sound, but Acadian's words were clear.

I set up my campsite and spent the latter part of the day turning some of the ingredients I had gathered into potions, chatting to Acadian and wondering what a University recommendation from the Leyawiin guild might entail.

I needed to improve my ability to repair things if I was ever going to effectively use magic weapons and armor. My nice blue Arena uniform was getting pretty beat up between the times I could find someone to repair it. I had taken to carrying extra hammers and practiced repairing everything I could, even if I just dropped and left it. I mean, some dead bandit's greaves weren't worth much. Besides, I couldn't carry a lot of weight.

I also needed to save gold. I wondered how much a beautiful black horse like the one I saw the day before cost?

Finally, the stone was shrouded in darkness, save for the gentle flicker of my campfire. I touched it again, and was rewarded by a green mist that quickly engulfed me, then dissipated. In that moment, the nature of the shrine was revealed to me. It was called the Serpent Stone, and I had just learned the Dance of the Cobra.

It was a special power I could only use once a day, but by Mara, what it could do! Being confronted or cornered might be a little less scary now. "Oh thank you Acadian! I could just hug you. Well, um, I mean if I could see you that is."

The next morning, I left the Serpent Stone, retraced my steps somewhat and arrived at Leyawiin. There were lots of Argonians and Khajiit. I didn't understand why they seemed to dislike each other here. I didn't really know any Khajiit very well, but Argonians were a different matter. I adored City Swimmer and Kud-Ei. Some of the Argonians here though were saying terrible things about Khajiit.

I found a general store called Best Goods and Guarantees, run by a Bosmer named Gundalas. After selling off everything from my recent travels that I didn't need, I was pleasantly surprised how full my coin purse was becoming.

Once I arrived at the guild hall I met the leader of this chapter, an older Bosmer named Dagail. She seemed confused, and complained of voices in her head. I tried to talk to her about it, seeing as I could kind of identify with having a voice in my head. We really just couldn't communicate though.

A pleasant, but businesslike Nordic woman named Agata was the assistant guild head and seemed to be running things. She filled me in and suggested I talk to the other mages. It seemed Dagail's voices were controlled and focused by an amulet that had been lost or stolen. I noticed Kalthar's resentful attitude when he spoke of Dagail, but didn't think anything of it at the time.

I learned that Dagail's father, Manduin, had required and used a similar amulet. Perhaps, if I could recover Manduin's amulet from his tomb in Fort Blueblood, it could quiet Dagail's voices. I recalled passing Fort Blueblood in the Black Marsh during my recent visit to the Serpent Stone.

Clearing the fort had not been that hard. I had a strong bow, deadly poisons and could now sneak like a shadow. The marauders infesting the fort were also pretty spread out, so I could snipe them off one at a time. I was thankful that Daenlin had given me some bodkin tip arrows, as they were much more effective at penetrating heavier armor. Most of the marauders' equipment was too heavy to lug with me. I did pick up a few lightweight items that looked like they would sell for -

Buffy! Stop daydreaming. Shaking my head vigorously to clear it, I returned to my present plight.

So there I still was, in the bowels of Fort Blueblood staring at a dead guild mate - a whining, traitorous one, but a guild mate nevertheless. I knew just sitting there was not going to help, so I packed up and headed back to the guild, not sure what my reception might be.

Once I explained what had happened, it became clear my worries were not necessary. Agata and I agreed that Kalthar had probably stolen and disposed of Dagail's amulet, then tried to prevent me from recovering Manduin's amulet. She also assured me the guild would not hold Kalthar's death against me.

As Dagail donned her father's amulet, the change was dramatic. Confusion left the old Bosmer's face as a piercing wisdom filled her brown eyes. She calmly smiled and said, "Thank you my child. The voices have cleared. For that, you shall have my recommendation."

She then stared deeply into my eyes as if looking into my very soul. A flash of what looked like recognition turned into a smile and she spoke again, "Greetings Acadian, how long has it been? One hundred years or more? I would have expected to see you traipsing around with some young steel-clad paladin, or perhaps a strapping ranger. For you to be guiding such a fragile young elf is quite the surprise. You may find, in her company, that you learn as much as you teach."

Shocked, I managed to breathe the words, "y-you know Acadian?"

After gently pressing two fingers under my chin to close my mouth, she smiled and responded, "Older than Nirn he is, walking with adventurous spirits. Gently guiding paths, if you possess the wisdom to listen. Your mind is your own, child, and there will be hard choices ahead. Know this however - you do not travel alone. I grow tired now."

There was much to think about as I finished practicing my spell casting later that night. Despite the clean sheets, I felt rather creepy as I crawled into Kalthar's old bed in the basement. On one hand I felt badly that he had to die. On the other hand, I admitted to myself the thrilling exhilaration that I felt sinking my killing arrow into his chest. He had been mean to Dagail and to me. Is that what vengeance is? I enjoyed it - I think. Was that bad?

Before drifting off to sleep, my thoughts turned to Acadian and I smiled. After listening to Dagail that day, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted from me. I still didn't understand it all, but at least I was convinced now that I wasn't crazy. Further, it seemed Acadian and I belonged together. I helped Dagail see more clearly, and she had returned the favor. I knew now why Acadian had urged this trip.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 1 2010, 05:19 PM