Ye Old Tavern, Innsmouth Options

[Namaste]

-----A bit of background. Back before Morrowind released I created a topic in another forum with the same name. The idea behind this is to toss your character in with minimal info given and develop him along the way. For instance in the the first post of this story i will introduce several characters and will control only one. If you wish you may control one of them our introduce your own. I will end the first chapter with a lead in, such as "he turned as the door opened" allowing for a new character to enter, just ignore those lines if you wish to use one of the characters already present or simply a character that I hadn't noticed.

Our Tale Begins:

If you travel just south of Balmora these days you will find an old tavern, and inside that tavern is an old man. His mind is weak these days and he remembers little of the outside world. He lives instead vicariously through the stories, whether they be false or true, of his customers. He has many tales, one for each guest, tonight i will pass on one of these.

The bar was busy one night, guests of many races bustling amongst each other yet sitting for the most part segregated. A large Orc sat in the corner drinking in solidarity, a group of young wood elves drank themselves stupid and danced gaily, and a young Breton bleeds to death on the tavern floor. Moments ago he had chatted with the most beautiful Nord you ever saw, but with little warning a voluminous figure rushed from behind and stabbed him in the back. A most cowardly blow for sure. Now the young man twitched and pulled away from the wound, but the murderer had hit deep. As the lifeblood of this young noble spilled onto the floor the tavern grew quiet (aside from the Wood Elves who were to drunken to notice a thing) A silence falls over the crowd as they turn to see who has felled the young man, off to the side the bathroom door swings open.


{Please Read and Respond, and tell me if i suck}

[Namaste]

"Ok, the legend is that this Nord by the name of Gunji is on his way to becoming a God. That he has powerful magics at his beck and call, that he will bring about the Apocalypse."

The Golden Helmed Figure showed no expression of fear, surprise, or humor.

"Yeah....the reality of it is somewhat less impressive although still unpleasent. See Gunji is real, very much so in fact i knew him once....god that was a long time ago," the barkeeps eyes sink to the floor, he takes a deep breath and goes on, "He was a bright young lad, full of potential, but he thought very highly of himself. He took to fighting, lifting weights, taking drugs, and looking for ways to make himself stronger and stronger. He started reading forbidden books and isolating himself"

The barkeep grabs a perfectly clean mug and starts polishing it, staring at his hands, "His...uh....his mind got twisted. He had all these bizzare opinions that he was getting more and more vocal about. Survival of the fittest kind of things but taken to another level. One day he decided he was going to recreate himself."

The barkeep puts the mug down and looks into the visor again, "He murdered and mutilated his own family, he decapitated his childhood friend, and burned down his village. All to start over. He figured that by turning against all he had known he could gain some kind of power, you know?"

The Golden Helmed Figure gave no sign of in fact, knowing.

The barkeep shrugs, "He figured that if he could get himself into a mindset where he could kill those he loved...well, he'd be able to do anything."

The Golden Helmed Figure leans his head to the side and leans forward as if to say something.

"No, no....dont break your little spell of silence now big fella. I'll tell you how i know this. You see his childhood friend, well that was my son. Yeah, see i was working in a nearby town and on my way home when i saw the pillars of smoke........."

The barkeep turns his head for a long moment, when he turns back his cheeks are wet and his eyes red.

"He was burning the bodies...i watched him throw my son on a ****ing fire. The sick **** held me down and gave me this," the barkeep pulls up his sleeve to show a massive scar in the middle of his forearm, "he pinned me through the ground while he stacked bodies on my son. He told me why he killed my son. Talked about the strength he had found, all this egotistical crap as my flesh and blood burned....He tried to make me understand....he has found powers. Those men you killed...they were good men, the orc was a drunken fool. But he was a good man. I think Gunji has gained the ability to control the minds of the weak, albeit for a short time..."

The Golden Helmed Figure sits still, the barkeep's shoulders rise and fall.

"I don't know exactly what that ring is....but i know that he's coming for it. Don't let him get it, i fear there may be some truth to the local legends of Gunji, i pray i'm wrong but.....i think he seeks godhood."

The Orc sits up, his innards spill out upon the floor and he makes no attempt to hold them back.

"I see you traveler. You hide behind a visor, why? Are you ashamed of something? Let it be not so. You have great power, show your strength and kill this old fool. You have intelligence as well, show it as well and bring the ring to me. We will rule together and bend the world to our will. I offer you a seat at my right hand, you will be revered above all others. What is your choice Golden One?"

The Orc's jaw drops and it's head turns, it waits for an answer.