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 6, Buffy obtained her third recommendation endorsing admission to the Arcane University. In the process, she discovered both new friends and treachery within the Cheydinhal branch of her guild. It is here also, that Buffy met her precious black mare.

Rider- Thank you! Buffy is young and impetuous of course. She is wowed by the speed factor. Although not yet well equipped to deal with the responsibilities of traveling with a horse, I suspect that from love and necessity will spring the tools and skills they will need to survive.

Zalphon- Aww, thank you Z!

SubRosa- As always, you seem to zoom in on everything I hope to accomplish in each chapter. Falcar and Deetsan 'make' this quest of course. I'm so glad you liked Superian's intro. Your forecasting ability for what's next is as sharp as ever. Thank you for the keen editorial eye that helped me corral several variations of Cheydinhal.

Wolf- Buffy did manage to retrieve the ring in the first version, so blame me for your surprise. Given that the ring drowned a strong Nord, Buffy's low strength, and her anger at Falcar, it seemed to flow better leaving the ring in the well this time.

Oh, you found out about Buffy borrowing Carandial's Bay and parking it on the bridge . . . . Now Aradroth, have you ever criticized a woman about how she parks and come out on the winning side of the argument?

Superian is so precious to Buffy. I'm glad her introduction left an impression.

Alchemist- Thank you for joining us and your kind words! I am delighted that you like the character of Buffy. I so hope we can earn your continued readership.

Olen- I'm glad that you liked introducing Superian here. Yes, Acadian's bread crumbs do seem to indicate a dungeon ahead. I do hope, at some point, he stops trying to tell her where to go all the time and the two learn to work together as a team.

* * *

7.1 Vilverin

The unfamiliar sound ahead stopped me dead in my tracks. I remained hidden, listening to an ominous mechanical whirring that had suddenly begun. There was also a rhythmic, whooshing noise.

The sound a heavy blade makes as it cuts the air.

I lifted my right fist and unclenched it, releasing a swirl of pink energy into the dim corridor. No evidence of life ahead - at least not for the short range of my spell. I had come to love being able to see life signs ahead, but really needed to learn how to get more range. I was getting pretty good at keeping that pink glow spell going while I was in dangerous places. Vilverin had so far, proven dangerous for sure.

The noise got louder as I approached, until the deadly challenge came into view. Several giant cleaver-shaped blades suspended from the ceiling were swinging across my path. I had heard that Ayleid ruins contained traps that, despite their antiquity, remained as lethal as their builders intended. It looked like there was room to stand between the blades though. Perhaps run past one and wait to time the next? Mesmerized I watched.

After a time, I could see a pattern. There was a recurring point when all the blades were briefly clear of the tunnel. I decided to shoulder my bow, get ready to run, and wait for one of those short windows.

When I was pretty sure my timing was right, I raced forward and cleared the blades. I was now in a small square chamber with four ways in or out. Each of the entrances was protected by the same type of swinging blade trap I had just survived. The sound of all four sets of blades and whatever machinery caused them to work was deafening, and made concentration difficult. Soft lighting was provided by pale blue crystals embedded into the very walls and ceiling, similar to what I had seen on the upper three levels of this ruin. In the center of the room was a pedestal upon which was perched a delicate statue.

The figure was undoubtedly of Ayleid origin and looked valuable. It was small enough to carry, so I placed it in my pack to join several large beautiful stones I had found that were clearly magical. I knew the blue ones were called welkynd stones, for I had seen one in the Leyawiin guild and asked. One of them was white however, and unfamiliar to me. I was still broke after buying Superian, but figured I'd be rich if I ever made it out of here. I couldn't carry much more weight though.

Which of the blade traps to brave next? Each one could kill me with a single misstep or error in timing. I decided to take the next path to my left. My bow was still on my back so I could run faster. I stood before the deadly dance of those blades, waiting for the right moment, then raced safely through them, down a short tunnel and into the next room. Finally the blade noises stopped. Ha! I figured I was smarter than those old Ayleids. Then, the silence yielded to a quiet, ominous sound from one of the dark corners of this small dead end chamber.

The rattle of bones.

I jumped to my left, but the skeleton's axe jarred my right shoulder with a glancing blow. Had I been a little slower, it likely would have severed my arm. There was no time to bring my bow to bear, and nowhere to run with those blades ready to start swinging again. As I rolled back to my right, I yelped when his axe grazed my left thigh. I managed to cast a spell as I recovered my footing and quickly sidestepped further to the right. The skeleton slashed wildly at the air where I had last been visible.

My spell had bought me a few seconds, and I reached for my bow. After nocking an arrow I quietly circled to a position behind the skeleton. Despite backing up as far as I could, he was still awfully close.

I loosed the arrow into his back and could see my hands and bow reappear as the invisibility dissipated. He threw up his arms at the impact, then spun around to face me. Raising his axe, he issued a taunting screech and charged. With only a few feet between us, I didn't have time for a second arrow, and turned my weapon to block his. Fire flew from my fingertips. His axe struck the bow, but only with the force of his weight as he fell, bones bouncing and skittering across the stone floor. Several more fire spells slammed harmlessly into the wall across the small room before it registered that I could stop casting.

My right shoulder was throbbing. The glancing blow had done more bruising than cutting, but a trickle of blood ran down my arm and was dripping from my elbow. Although my left leg didn't hurt too badly, it was bleeding quite bit from a shallow gash on the outside of my thigh. Both my legs were wet all over, but not with blood. I felt the hot flush of embarrassment spring to my neck and face.

It was only now, in the aftermath of the fight, I realized that I had peed myself.

"Acadian!" I cried out in pain, shame and anger. "Why did you urge me to come here?" Tears were streaming down my face now. "Are you trying to get me killed? Does it give you pleasure to see me bleed?" I knew I was yelling and that it might attract more skeletons. At that moment however, I welcomed the prospect of them finishing the job the pile of bones surrounding me had started. "I hate you, Acadian!"

Sobbing uncontrollably, I sank to the cold stone floor into a pool of my own blood, tears, and pee. I was a pathetic elf. If I could have mustered the energy, I would have gotten up and walked slowly back into those blades.

I felt Acadian's presence and closed my eyes tightly trying to make him go away. Images began to flash rapidly in my head. I tried, but couldn't stop them. Fire, smoke, explosions, blood, death. Warriors clashing on fields that were foreign to me. Battle streamers and graveyards I did not recognize. More images that I could not understand, then blackness again.

I couldn't begin to process all that I had seen or felt, but I did now have a better understanding of the presence that traveled with me. Acadian was a paladin, from a time and place that was older than Nirn itself. He had traversed valleys of death, and knew first hand, the pain of my wounds and depth of my fears.

After what seemed like hours, I finally ran out of tears and began to think a bit more clearly. How did this happen? With the distraction of those blades, I forgot to keep my pink glow spell active. I should have detected the skeleton before I ran into this chamber that almost became my tomb. It was no one's fault but my own.

I slowly and stiffly got up. Everything worked and was still attached. I was a mess though, covered in blood, tears and worse. The right leather shoulder covering on my Arena raiment was hanging uselessly. I almost started to smile as I imagined what I must look like.

Wincing from the shoulder wound, I lifted my right hand towards the ceiling. Magicka traveled up my arm until I released a globe of white energy above my head. It gently encircled me and slowly cascaded down to my toes carrying away most of the pain. I found an apple in my pack which I ate, then chased it with a soothing potion. Not perfect, but good enough to continue.

The damage to my bow was minimal and I was able to repair it. Fixing the blue raiment however, was still beyond my ability so I took it off. After cleaning myself up as best I could using a spare blouse, I donned a leather cuirass, boots and some laced leather pants from my pack. I walked around the small room, getting used to the armor, and stretching to ease my stiffness.

As I started to leave the chamber, I paused and sheepishly said, "Acadian, I-I don't really hate you." I fiddled with the buckles on my cuirass, and continued even more hesitantly, "Ever since I was a little girl, sometimes when I get really frightened and surprised at the same time I, well, you know." Then I added, "That really needs to stay just between us."

I retraced my steps until the blades started swinging again. At the right moment, I sprang through them back into the statue room. I picked another tunnel, but this time I cast my detect life spell and was quite sure that I would keep it active for the rest of my time in Vilverin.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 10 2010, 04:51 PM