Kothet's Story, A dremora in Skyrim, and his housecarl. Options

[ghastley]

Kothet was a (dead) character in the Gweden Brothel mod. He was the Dremora Valkynaz who owned Prizna, before she killed him and escaped. I resurrected him to be the test character for the Dremora Hearthfires mod for Skyrim, and he hung around a bit longer than expected.

Since a Dremora in Skyrim normally only wears a special version of Daedric armour (with reduced stats) he can't use most regular armour, so his story reflects that limitation, and the gear he does use is the same as the houscarl can use in my mod, which was of course added to the game as wearable by a Dremora.

The housecarl's combat style and equipment are set by the mod to complement the abilities of the player character, so a mage, defined as a player who has higher magicka than health or stamina, wil get an archer housecarl. An archer ( a non-mage with Marksman skill above one- or two-handed) gets a melee housecarl, and others get a mage. Kothet's preference is two-handed, although he starts off using a one-handed weapon with a spell in the other. The spell-book offers three choices of housecarl - male, regular female, and sexy female. The last of those wears skimpier outfits, and has the sultry voice rather than the commander voice.

Kothet's story is already well under way, and I'll start to post more episodes here once I finish posting Clark's. There's a link at the top for those who've forgotten about Prizna's interview with Clark. I linked to the copy here, not the one on my site with the nude picture of her.

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1 - Helgen

I can understand the Stormcloaks deciding to hide in my cave. The entrance is well-concealed, which is why I chose it. And it stays that way, if I'm careful how I enter, and don't leave obvious footprints outside.

I can understand how the pursuing Imperials found them, too. What I can't understand is why the Imperials think I'm one of them. Seriously, how many Stormcloaks have horns?

I'm not talking about helmets here. My horns are on my head, just like any of the Kyn. But we are few in Tamriel, so maybe they've never seen a Dremora before.

Whatever they were thinking, we all ended up on the same cart headed for Helgen. I presume I was vocal about the Imperials' incompetence in including me, because I don't remember much about the journey, just waking with a sore head as we approached the town. By that time, I'd given up trying to make our captors actually think. They were military, which would generally mean that thinking was for officers only.

---

I know this because once, I was an officer. In Mehrunes Dagon's forces, I led the attack that took Ganonah, the city the locals call Kvatch. Which is why I got the blame when it was taken back, even though I wasn't there at the time. I was the officer, so I should have forseen the possibility, and not left the place under the command of a subordinate . Even though Dagon himself had sent me elsewhere, on an assignment beneath my station.

To make matters worse, the woman I'd been given as a reward for my success at Ganonah had turned on me. Admittedly, I'd probably been unfair in the way I treated her. Anger at Dagon can't be directed towards him, and she probably got the worst of my frustration. I was on guard duty - me, a Valkynaz, on guard duty! - inside the gate we'd opened near Bravil. That's where she killed me. A mere woman struck me down, with shock spells to weaken me, and a final blow from a mace! I was so proud of the way she did it, but of course, unable to tell her until I was restored.

And then, equally, I was in no position to do so, because I was somewhere else in Tamriel. I have no idea how long I was in the heatless flames of Oblivion waiting for restoration, but I expected to be restored in the Deadlands, in familiar territory. Clearly I'd lost even more of Dagon's regard by being slain by my own woman, and he'd sent me to guard another gate, this time from the outside.

I'd only been there a few hours, when the fire in the gate suddenly ceased, meaning the gate was closed, and I was stuck in the mortal world until Dagon decided to recall me. Given his recent actions, I did not imagine that happening soon.

---

Two centuries later, I'm still here. Each time I die, I'm restored to Tamriel, not the Deadlands. So stripping off my armour and wrestling a bear wasn't as much use as I thought it would be. It just lost me some useful equipment, and I had to replace it with lesser things that mortals had made. Since then, I've learned to make my own.

When these Imperial clowns have finished with me, I'll need to make some more, as they took everything when they put us on the carts. Since I'd just crawled out of my bedroll when the Stormcloaks arrived, I wasn't even wearing my armour, and they gave me some crude sack-cloth things to cover myself.

I can see Helgen gates now, so it looks like we'll be there in a few minutes. Hopefully there will be a competent officer in charge, and I'll be released.

---

The horse-thief the soldiers had rounded up with us didn't have any confidence in officers, and tried to run as soon as we got off the carts. He died in a volley of arrows.

There was a legionary calling the roll of prisoners, and lining us up for the General. I'd heard of this Tullius, and he seemed like a man who could think. I was confident that their mistake would soon be rectified.

Obviously, my name wasn't on their list. They didn't even know it yet, because I hadn't told them. The unthinking grunts hadn't asked; it wasn't their job. The legionary asked his commander, a woman, what he should do. This was as it should be, pass the decision-making up the chain, and do not take responsibility on yourself. I expected her in turn to ask Tullius, but she decided that she didn't need to bother him with this level of decision, and arbitrarily condemned me to join the others in line for the block.

Part of me admired her confidence in her own decisions, but most of me just wanted to kill her. I stared at the Captain, learning her features so I would know her if we met again. No, when we met again. Even if I had to return from the dead to kill her, and of course I would do so.

I was the second to the block. It had me thinking that I might even be returned before all the executions were complete, and how beautiful would be the justice if I could place her head on this very block in my next life. But then the dragon came, and everything was confusion.

---

I found myself running into a tower with one of the Stormcloaks. My hands were still bound, and he had nothing to cut the ropes. How he'd got his own free, I wasn't sure. We went looking for weapons, and eventually found some. With my hands loose, and an axe in one of them, I could determine my own fate.

And fate led my nemesis to me. The same Captain led a small group of Imperials into the chamber, and my Stormcloak allies helped me deliver justice. I took her armour, adjusted the straps to suit my very different shape, and put it on. Her ample chest meant that she wore a size large enough to protect a male, but it wasn't quite the right shape. I discarded the top half, even though it was plate that might have melted down. There was no smelter or forge here.

Ralof laughed when I tried it on. "We'll no doubt find you some more as we go further in," he predicted. "Probably not plate, but the regular Imperial armour isn't too bad. Of course, I can understand you not wanting to be mistaken for one of them. Especially not for a woman!"

I felt the thought he hadn't expressed. The hope that I wouldn't get the chance to take any Stormcloak amour. He didn't want to find any fallen comrades on our way out.

---

Some did fall, but they were crushed by the collapse of part of the buildings just after we passed, and out of our reach. I managed to add a basic long bow and some iron arrows, from an Imperial archer, but didn't bother to trade any armour. His covered more, but was thinner. We both picked up some potions, lockpicks and minor items as we passed through the cave beyond the dungeons. Some of those arrows went into fighting spiders and a bear.

Ralof and I parted company at the exit to the cave. He was going to head for another small town called Riverwood, where his sister lived. I was more inclined to try and head back towards my cave. I'd survived well enough in Tamriel by keeping away from the people, so going into town wasn't my first choice.

But I wasn't familiar with this part of Skyrim, so I ended up finding myself in the same town I was trying to avoid. It seemed that all the trails on this side of Helgen lead to the same place.

---

I went into the general store, hoping to trade some of the Imperial military junk I'd picked up for something a bit less tied to one side of the Civil War. I walked into the middle of an argument betwen the shopkeeper and his sister about something that had been stolen. Since he didn't seem to want to discuss trade until that subject was dealt with, I found myself agreeing to look for the missing item. I really had no intention of going to look for it, but his description intrigued me. It seemed to resemble a Clannfear Claw, something I hadn't seen for decades. I wondered if it actually was one that had been gilded as a trophy.

I got a decent trade for my goods, so apparently my agreement had put him in a good mood. His sister pointed out Bleak Falls Barrow on the hills at the other side of the valley as the likely place it had been taken. The map I'd bought put it on one of the trails that crossed the hills towards Whiterun, and I had to pass near that city to get back to the Rift and my cave. It was a bit longer that way, but why not take a look?

I suppose I was also looking forward to the prospect of some combat. There would be bandits this way, the ones that had stolen the claw at least, and the other route was a well-used road that would be relatively boring. I headed for the hills.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jul 18 2016, 06:07 PM

[ghastley]

Acadian: It ain't over 'til the big guy shouts! Tsun sends them back in this one, and it still ain't over.

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Previously: Kothet and company defeated Alduin in Sovngarde.

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31 - Return

Tsun came over to congratulate the team on their defeat of Alduin. And the three Nords, and everyone else who had come out of the mists were thanking me and Zahra. It wasn't clear to me what it was, but something about this realm restricted their capabilities. Alduin had been exploiting that, and it didn't apply to me or Zahra, so we had been able to break his hold. Another thing to discuss when we got back.

That was the next thing on our agenda. Tsun told us he could send us back as soon as we were ready, but first he had a gift from Shor, a Shout that would summon one of the three heroes that had helped me defeat Alduin. I expected the usual swirl, but again nothing. The words just appeared in my mind, and I knew how they worked. I didn't even get to see them in writing, as I had on the word walls, or when the Greybeards showed them to me. Even Parrthurnax had lit up the word he taught me in the ruined wall at the summit.

Things clearly followed different rules in this different realm.

Tsun shouted at us, and we found ourselves back on the Throat of the World, at the Time Wound. Paarthurnax was apparently expecting us, and had invited a large number of his friends ...

---

"You know, that was a lot like when the Greybeards proclaimed you Dragonborn. All that shouting, and the ground shaking, and you in the middle trying not to become deaf."

I laughed. "I suspect the idea is that everyone else knows what happened, even if they're miles away. Why send a courier when you can shout that loud?"

Zahra considered that for a moment, as we walked back down the path towards Ivarstead. "Talking of shouts, are you going to try that new one, that Tsun taught you?"

"No, because I can only have one summoned companion, and I prefer you to any of them."

"Not even that Gormlaith Golden-Hilt? If she fills that armour of hers, ..."

I changed the subject. "I didn't get to discuss shouts with Paarthurnax, like I'd hoped. He flew off as soon as the ceremony was over. And Odahviing only stayed long enough to tell me I could call him again. It seems like the dragons have a new order to establish among themselves, before I'll get to spend any time having a conversation with them."

"So what do we do now?"

"I want to go to Windhelm, and have a few words with Ulfric Stormcloak. Now I've heard Torygg's side of that story, I'm getting more curious about Ulfric."

---

"I'm here to report on the progress of my campaign against Alduin, which of course determines the extent of the current truce. I can report that Alduin himself has been defeated, although I had to follow him to Sovngarde when he fled there. The other dragons he raised remain a threat, however, so I don't consider this over."

"You went to Sovngarde?" Galmar Stone-Fist interrupted. "No-one returns from there!"

"No mortal returns," I replied, "which defines what it means to be mortal. I, however, am Dremora, which means that I can, and do, return. Perhaps this eventuality was foreseen when I was selected by the gods for this task."

That appeared to make sense to the Nords. Ulfric paused for the briefest of moments before asking when I thought the dragon menace would be ended, and he could get back to attacking the Legion.

"I do not know how many other dragons he restored, nor whether they still feel themselves bound to his cause. I need to consult with those who might have that information, some of whom may themselves be dragons, and thus hard to track down."

Galmar was still intrigued that I'd seen Sovngarde, and wanted to know more. "Is it full of heroes, and mead, like they tell us?"

"Or heroes full of mead, like you'd want to imagine yourself? Yes, it is. I saw Ysgramor there, and Jurgen Windcaller, and Gormlaith Golden-Hilt - you'd like her - among others. And I even met with High King Torygg, newly arrived from Solitude. He told me a lot about Ulfric, and the way he died."

"Why did you do it that way?" I asked the Jarl. "Did you suspect he knew something about you and Elenwen?"

Galmar's eyes widened, and he looked at his Jarl, as if he suddenly didn't know the man. Ulfric, however, looked like he was about to explode.

It takes time to utter all the words of a Shout, and Unrelenting Force is built up and released on the final word. That gave me time to raise a ward. (Thank you for that lesson, Tolfdir.) The ward and the shout cancelled each other out, leaving Ulfric rushing at me with his sword drawn.

Ice Form is a different Shout. With the first word, Iiz, Ulfric slowed considerably, and the second, Slen, stopped him completely. Nus froze him solid where he stood.

"The fourth word is 'Shatter'", I announced, pulling my Daedric War-hammer from my back, and Ulfric duly did so.

Galmar's eyes were still as wide as they could be, and I saw him reach for his axe, before a glance at Zahra, who was showing just a hint of her flame cloak, made him decide not to.

We turned and left without a further word, knowing nobody dared to try and stop us.

---

"So, does General Tullius get to win the war, or do you have something similar in mind for him?" Zahra asked.

"Neither. I don't believe it was ever the Emperor's intention to let Tullius defeat the Stormcloaks. That would leave the Nords feeling they'd been conquered, and what the situation needs now is for the uprising to subside naturally, without its head."

"However," I continued, "I'd like to be sure of that, so I want to take the opportunity of his visit to Solitude for his cousin's wedding to talk to him."

"And let him handle Tullius?" Zahra presumed.

"Who better? Tullius won't like it - all Generals want victories, even if they aren't the best outcomes, but he'll obey orders, like a good soldier."

"I have another reason for visiting Solitude," I added. "I'll tell you more about that when we get there."

---

"So Vittoria Vici is the Emperor's cousin, and her bridegroom-to-be is a Stormcloak?" Zahra sounded confused.

"When you're rich, those differences aren't the life-and-death ones everyone else has. It's more a question of where you deem it more profitable to invest than anything else. They'd prosper whatever the outcome of the conflict, and will probably regret the loss of business supplying the two sides when it ends."

Word had got out about my and Zahra's roles in the defeat of Alduin, and the wedding had become a bit of a celebration of that as well. So we found ourselves sharing the balcony as guests of honour when she addressed the crowd. The Emperor was conspicuously absent, as there were rumours of an attempt on his life, sponsored by someone yet unidentified on the High Council. We'd all be going to his ship, the Katariah, for the reception after this.

It struck me that if he'd been here, this was the perfect set-up for an archer to get a good shot at him. Even with the bride and groom standing in front of him, a patient assassin would find their mark. I stood up, and moved to the front of the balcony to look, ... and got in the way of an arrow headed for the bride.

In my Daedric Armour, which I was wearing to impress the crowd, I was well-protected from a broad-head arrow meant for a soft target. It clattered down to the flagstones below, and I hastily ushered the bride and groom to safety, as Zahra hurled a fireball towards the battlements where the arrow appeared to originate.

"Did you see the archer?" I asked, when we were all inside.

"No, but there weren't any guards up there either, so I used a wide-area spell that didn't need to be accurate. I still have no idea if it hit anyone. Our would-be assassin probably got away."

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 3 2017, 09:42 PM