The Companionable Adventure of Sir J'Zirlo of New Kvatch Options

[McBadgere]

This story has characters which will eventually appear in the fiction of Knights of The Nine - New Kvatch, and is part of that story's timeline, so to help, here are a couple of links to it's characters and the timeline that it follows...

Please enjoy!...


Dramatis Personnae



KOTN Timeline



11/02/13
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Original post start


Umm...I started doing some journal thing for the Khajiit character I created for Skyrim, called J'Zirlo...It does fit in with the KOTN:NK storyline, but, as with the main story, it's taken on a life of its own and is expanding rapidly into the realm of fan-fic rather than what should be in the "What you're doing" thread...

So I beg your indulgance for the less heavygoing in the Divine/Timejumping-ness journal of Sir J'Zirlo of New Kvatch...

Oh, btw...Cunningly concealed within the journal are spoilers to the entire Companions questline...If you've done it, it's fine...If you don't want to be spoiled...*Shrugs*... ...

The first bit is the original thing I posted after I created J'Zirlo...The rest is the journal as it stands so far, any new bits won't be as long...What do you mean Hooray? ..

Thank you...


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"To where are you bound, friend Shaade?" J'zirlo asked.

"Riften. J'Drell asked me to see if I can muster up anything there. You?"

"Aaah...Khajiit is headed for Winterhold. That is where my scrawny reared kitten of a brother was headed. To that college up on the hill."

"A mage?" asked the Imperial Knight. "I had no idea."

"HAH!...He wishes." The large khajiit laughed. "No, he has grand ideas...But...Ach...Khajiit does his kin a great disservice. J'zargo is a decent warrior in his own right, just...Not as good as I." J'zirlo raised an eyebrow.

"Well, khajiit goes left, you, my friend, go right."

Shaade ran her hand down the length of her ponytail to straighten it, then held her hand out to J'zirlo. They clasped forearms.

"May your bed be free from fleas." She said with a smirk.

"Hah! And may your knees be ever free of arrows!" the khajiit repied with a smile.

"J'zirlo thinks that friend Shaade should smile more often. It is a beautiful sight."

The Imperial blushed, smiled and looked down at the floor. Then she pulled the khajiit close and kissed his cheek.

"Stay safe J'zirlo. Thank you."

And they parted.

J'zirlo watched Shaade walk south-east down the road for a while.

She looked back once and smiled.

The khajiit felt something in his heart stir.

"Until next time mii-kiit..." he said quietly, turned to his road, and walked, humming to himself.


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...From the journals of General Sir J'Zirlo of New Kvatch, brother of Blademaster J'Zargo "The Magnificent".




Khajiit are not ones for journal writing. We find it tiresome. Actions speak louder than words and assorted cliches. And I know of at least one officious clerk that will attest to the pen absolutely failing to be mightier than the sword.

And yet, I find that I must write something. Events lately have been...Strange, to say the least.

Once Helgen was secured and re-settled, we - the Knights - were divided off and sent on our missions. Friends Caerellin, Dinasafon and Shaade...Ah! Shaade...Hah...Sorry, got lost musing. They were sent to do what it is they do best, and Olffson and I were sent to Whiterun to make contact with a group we were told were the "Fighters Guild of Skyrim" by the Commander.

Friend Dinas decided that he would be better off alone and left swiftly and silently. The Commander laughed and said, "Just like his father!" but then suddenly went all sullen and told us to leave. I understand not the ways of Argonians. They are a strange race.

Anyhow, the four of us left Helgen with our packs and walked merrily, joking and laughing our way down towards Riverwood. Well, I say we...Caerellin and Olfsson mostly joked, Shaade and I mostly laughed. She has a particular laugh I noticed. It is...Nice...

We made good time down from Helgen, which was a heartfelt joy, as under the late evening summer sun, Riverwood is beautiful. Fortunately, the wolves that shadowed us all the way down, kept away.

In a way that made both Shaade and I laugh, at exactly the same time, both Olfsson and Caerellin said, "Oooh!" and made for seperate directions. Olfsson to the forge he'd seen and Caerellin to the shop that some "pretty" (as far as I'm any judge!) woman had entered.

Shaade shook her head and said she would go and find friend Ralof's sister. I bade her be careful. She smiled. Aaah!..

I made my way to the forge. Olfsson was already bare chested and beating out some metal! That Nord is unstoppable I tell you! Anyways, between us, we took all of the stunned blacksmith's stock of smithing supplies and produced a small stack of weapons and armour - which would keep him in coin for many months, I say with some pride! - in a matter of small hours.

While all this was going on, friends Caerellin and Shaade appeared and declared they were leaving to do something in a barrow...Well, each to their own. Little did I know, it would be some time before I saw Shaade again, else I would have made more of a thing of her leaving. Ah well, the moons still cross the sky and other assorted cliches!

When Caerellin returned alone, and also bade us farewell, little did I know how things would change.



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As the end of the daylight had been lost to helping the 'smith clear up his forge, Olfsson and I decided to accept the hospitality of friend Ralof's sister. However, we discovered that there was only one bed available. Olfsson looked at me and said, "We're not that close". The whole household erupted in laughter. Khajiit politely offered to stay at the inn, to which Gurdur said, "Only at our expense, with our apologies. But first, you dine with us." You couldn't find better peoples (or cooks, as it happens) anywhere.

Next morning, the Nord and I walked down a winding picturesque part-cobbled road. Suddenly we heard sounds of battle coming from the valley. Looking about us with life detect to check for prying eyes, we cast the speed fortifyer and rushed down to the valley floor.

Several people were fighting - with less than brilliant success - a Giant. Lest we tip our hand, we both slowed to normal speed and ran towards the battle.

Olfsson, as is his wont, charged at the Giant with his shoulder down. Knowing that at the last moment he would augment his speed and strength, I watched as he collided with the towering menace. The Giant toppled over onto a fence, the post of which skewered it through and out the stomach. He roared and tried to arch his back. I ran to the other end of the bearded aggressor, and, as he looked pleading at me, I removed his pain made of this world.

I turned to see Olfsson deep in conversation with a slight, yet obivously well able, red-headed Nord. As the party turned towards the city further into the valley, Olfsson turned back towards I and nodded. It seemed we had found the Companions.

My journey would have been quiet had it not been for the Olfsson-like Nord called Farkas that joined me, and began conversing with me about Heavy-Armour, a topic very close to my heart. A joy to finally meet someone as well able to discuss the intricacies of multi-weave metals and the despair of threading leather straps through Orichalium!!. A true master of Heavy-Armour I had found in Farkas, a Brother-in-Armour!!

And so I spent the hour of my journey to Jorvaskr - or however you spell the damned place - happy. A feeling that, sadly, was not to last.


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This post has been edited by McBadgere: Feb 11 2013, 07:35 AM

[McBadgere]

Many many thanks to you all, I'm so glad you're all reading and enjoying...Always a good thing... ...Thank you...


But most espescially, a huge thank you to Acadian...As I knew there was going to be a magic repair hammer involved, and I've always thought that Buffy's conjoured repair hammer was such a cool idea, I sought - and received - permission for a subtle Buffy (reference) cameo in that last part...So, thank you very much Acadian, much appreciated...



A brief recap...J'Zirlo and Wulff Olfsson had been sent undercover to the Companions (a kind of Skyrim Fighters Guild) to try and get their help for the overarching Knights' mission in Skyrim. Sadly, in just over a couple of hours, at least two of the Compaions elders have found out their secret. Having confessed all to the Blacksmith - Eorlund Grey-Mane, J'Zirlo is now en-route to talking with the not-quite-leader-but-really-is-really of the Companions, Kodlak Whitemane.


Thank you...


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I managed to reach Jorrvaskr without anyone new discovering that Olfsson and I were Knights of The Nine. Which seemed to be a feat worthy of congratulations in itself. Although, we will allow that this may only be because there was no one to be seen between the blackmith’s and the longhouse.

I paused by the doors, breathed deeply a few times to calm myself, and then walked in.

The smell of wood-smoke hit me as I entered the long room beneath the upturned longboat. Someone had obviously rebuilt the fire-pit in the middle of the room with fresh wood and coal. I followed a patch of smoke - as it belched forth - up to the roof and through a cut-away section of the hull, which had then been covered by a small raised roof structure, with large space for the smoke to get out of the sides. Presumably they were thinking they were unlikely to need the ship after so long then? And did it not get cold with a giant hole up there?

“Hey! I know who you are!” shouted a somewhat drunken voice.

Oh, for the sake of The Nine!

“Yeah, you’re my new best drinking buddy.” said an approaching Nord. The one I remembered as being called Torvar; Tall and bearded man, seemingly in a perpetual haze of something. He reached me and grabbed me in a ferocious bear-hug. “Aaahhhh, there it is.” He said. “Where you headed buddy? Come grab a tankard, we’ll talk shop.”

“Shop? You have a shop too?”

“HAAA!” he grinned. “Good lad. Nah, me and Athis,” The Dunmer from earlier, “were discussing your fight with Wolfshead.”

Talking of which. “Ah yes, indeed...Where is Wolfshead, by the way?”

“Er...I think he went off with Aela and Skjor.”

“Skjor?”

“Yeah, you know?...Small chap?...Always looks like he’s thinking of the best way to bite your head off?”

“Oh yes, I remember. That was what Farkas called him.” I said and Torvar nodded with a grin. I then said, “Well, my...Buddy, please will you forgive Khajiit, he has to see the Kodlak.” and I bowed my head.

“Fair enough. Fair enough.” He said, raised his tankard in salute, then turned and walked away. He said over his shoulder. “Come find me and we’ll see who would win in a drink-off, Nord versus Khajiit. Oh yeah.”

“Well, he likes you.” Said a voice at my shoulder. I believe I lost another one of my supposed nine lives at that point.

“Aaaah!...Friend Farkas! Yes...So it seems. Um, we are on our way to see the Kodlak...Though I have to ask...Which way is it?”

Farkas looked at me for a brief while with his head tilted to one side, frowning. “Well, friend, I’ll show you. But at some point soon, we will talk. Come on.”

Friend Farkas walked off to the left and presently, I followed him.

We had just passed the end of the long tables when there was a thundering of feet along said tables and a “Kcheeeyaaaah!”

I spun around, only to find myself landed on by a rather fast travelling Nord woman. I then found myself pinned down on my back, with her astride my chest, her strong arms holding mine down on the floor. We could have gotten up, we suppose, but...Well...We will allow that it wasn’t exactly an unpleasant sensation, put it that way. As it were...

Nadja of the colourful curse bent down and said in my ear, “I don’t normally do this sort of thing, I usually just ignore the new blood...But you and Wolfshead, you’re different, you make me want to...” and then she listed the many and varied things that we had made her want to do...In detail...Not all of which I believed were possible...Then she sat back in a place that perhaps we would not have wanted her to - in public at least - and then finished her taunting by grabbing my hands and placing them around her waist. Then she stood up and walked so she was stood almost directly above my head, she said, “Remember, Whiterun girls like it a bit Plain, but Markath girls like it deeper.” and walked off over my head.

I still have no idea what she meant.

Farkas chuckled and dropped an arm so as to help me up.

“Wow...Smooth moves lover-boy.”

“Um.” I countered expertly.

“Ha-ha.” Farkas smiled and walked off, “Come on. It’s down these stairs.”



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We descended the stairs and went through the doorway at the bottom into a stone built, barrel vault. It travelled for some distance down to a set of large doors, which at this point, were open. Beyond those we could see another, smaller set of doors beyond a small-ish hallway.

It appeared that where we stood was a common room of some sort. There were tables and chairs to each side, along the length of the room. To our immediate left there were a few comfortable cushioned chairs and sofas, along with a few bookcases. On the opposite wall was the door to a bunk room.

“Oh yeah,” Farkas said, following my gaze, “I put your pack in there when I showed Wolfshead around earlier. Come, I’ll show you.”

As I followed him into the bunk room containing a goodly amount of beds, I said to friend Farkas, “Our new...Um...Buddy, Torvar said he went off with Aela and Skjor. Any idea as to where?”

“Not exactly, no. Probably it’s taking on a Bandit Chief somewhere, but if Kodlak sent those three off together, I’m pretty sure it was for a reason.”

“Ah, nevermind, Wolfshead is a big boy now, we are sure he will keep himself in the amount of trouble he has been accustomed to.”

Farkas smiled. “With those two? I wouldn’t worry about his getting bored any time soon.”

I realised there was a presence at my elbow. I looked down into the eyes of an old woman. Eyes which flashed brightly with mischief.

“Hello new boy,” she said merrily. “I’m Tilma. They,” she said pointing to Farkas, “call me Tilma the Haggard...And yet expect me to pick up their cr@p covered armour every time they come back...Hmmm?” she winked at me as Farkas looked away embarrassedly. “Now, they don’t think I listen, but I do, so if you need to know some dirt on anyone, I’ve got it...For a price of course.” She smiled a wicked smile that we suspected had broken many hearts, a few moons ago, granted. “I’m looking forward to finding out your secrets...” Tilma trailed off with a question in her expression.

“J’Zirlo. J’Zirlo of New Kvatch.”

“Oooh, long ways from home aren’t you Kitty? Nevermind, we’ll keep you warm at night.” She said and patted my behind.

What was it with these Nords?

Tilma winked at me and then walked off, back to whatever duties she had.

“Wow, you’re good.” Farkas remarked and chuckled some more for good measure. “Come on, he’s down here.”

We walked towards the opened doors at the end of the room.



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This post has been edited by McBadgere: May 5 2012, 07:08 AM