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: Kothet's more accustomed to working with Daedric Princes than most.

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Previously: Kothet paid a visit to Sheogorath (and Pelagius III) on his way home to his tower.

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34 - Return to the Tower

"Is it true that Tullius is going back to Cyrodiil?" Elisif asked. "I'd heard that the Emperor left orders for his recall just before that unfortunate incident on the ship."

"We can't say for sure," I replied, "The assassin waited until we'd left, but we had discussed that idea with him, so I know that was his intention. Perhaps the murder was an attempt to prevent it?"

"I hadn't thought of it that way. But I doubt it. Tullius isn't that kind of man."

"Elenwen, however," I suggested.

"Good point. She had her plans disrupted enough when Ulfric went mad and attacked you. I wouldn't put anything past her. And the way the assassin is supposed to have killed him makes me think that even more."

"Oh, how was that?"

"I can't say that in public. We should discuss this in my chambers."

---

It appeared that the story was making its rounds among the nobles, and was probably leaking down to their servants, too. It was just too good not to be told, and of course, it would always be a question of "don't tell anyone else, but ..." which ensured that it would spread like wildfire.

"So we know the assassin was a woman, at least," I mused. "Did your informants have any other details?"

"Well, the general conjecture is that she might be either a Nord or an Imperial. That's just going by the late Emperor's apparent preferences. And the bigger, the more poison, the theory goes, which supports it being a Nord." Elisif glanced down at herself and added "I hope nobody thinks it was me."

"If they do, we'll blame everything on Sheogorath," I told her. "The problems in the Pelagius Wing were all his doing. It's a wonder you didn't come under his influence yourself."

Elisif got the point immediately. "So things can get back to normal around the Blue Palace on all fronts? No more Tullius hovering around, no more Madgod in the Pelagius Wing."

"And Torygg avenged, if you care to look at it that way," Zahra reminded her. "A bit of closure settles the mind, doesn't it?"

"I can attest to the departure of Sheogorath, if anyone questions it. They should believe the Dragonborn, especially as I'm daedra myself. If you need me to add anything about yourself, we can work that out."

"I'm sure Sybille will ask you about that. Falk and Bryling are part of the charade already, so I'll fill them in on the latest developments. We'll need to figure out whether I make an sudden or gradual recovery. We have both options, and it will depend on what we think the people expect.

"I think they've got to like the crazy woman running the show, so perhaps I'll have an excuse for an occasional relapse whenever I want to let my hair down a bit. That could be fun."

---

As expected, we arrived back at our tower long before we anticipated G'wen arriving. We had time to sit on the platform on the top of the tower, and watch dragons fly past on their way to ... whatever they were doing.

"Do they hunt? And if they do, what do they hunt?" Zahra asked.

"I'm not sure. I think they enjoy chasing the goats on the mountains, but whether that's just for the sport, or because they're hungry, I don't know. Mostly, at least I believe so, they're looking for their place in this world. They were all raised by Alduin just recently, with a few exceptions, and it all must have changed a lot since they were here last."

"A few exceptions? Who, other than Paarthurnax?"

"We only know that he waited for Alduin's return at the Throat of the World. Some of those we encountered at Skuldhavn may have been waiting there. Most, of course, were buried here in Skyrim."

We sat and just watched the landscape for a bit longer. And then, "When do you think G'wen will show up?"

"When she's ready," I replied. "And I think she will. After all, she did report back as we'd planned, or we wouldn't have heard all the stories about the Emperor's demise."

"So when she's ready to deal with us, you mean?"

I must have looked puzzled, because Zahra continued. "Well, we did last see her in rather intimate circumstances, and she's probably wondering if we do that all the time."

"We do, but I see what you mean. We haven't involved anyone else before."

"Right, and she hardly knows us. And even if she knows anything about Dremora, we aren't exactly typical."

"So she has no idea what to expect. Not that she did last time, either, but you know what I mean." I was beginning to understand what Zahra meant, too.

"Yes, last time she knew she'd run into something she hadn't anticipated, and had to make the best of the circumstances. The sort of thing an assassin expects, especially with a contract like that. She'd prepared for it as well as she could, and I think she handled it all rather well. So she's going to be as prepared as she can be for this time, too. Which is why I'm wondering what she expects. She knows that Titus won't be here, to turn to for guidance."

"If she thinks it all out logically, she'll probably suddenly appear stark naked again, and hope it all goes the same as last time," I suggested. "G'wen, if you're listening ..."

"Listening to what?" asked the voice coming up the stairs behind us. "The door wasn't locked, so I came looking for you. Oh wow! What a great view you have from up here! I'm surprised you didn't see me coming."

I told G'wen about watching the dragons, and as I said that, another soared along the valley, roaring his challenge to any other that might be near.

"I imagine you were travelling a bit more quietly than they do, too," Zahra remarked. "We didn't hear you on the stairs, either, until you spoke."

"Walking silently is a habit now," she admitted, "and I do tend to walk in the shadows, without thinking about it. Maybe I shouldn't be too surprised you didn't see me."

"Certainly not as surprised as you were last time, when we could see you," Zahra reminded her.

"Yes, I'd meaning to ask. How did you know to cast that spell of yours? Did I do something to tip you off? After Kothet blocking my arrow earlier, I was being extra-careful not to give myself away. It's uncanny."

"No, it was just dumb luck," we admitted. "Nothing you did."

"And just as uncanny was the way Titus took to me. I've used sex to get out of awkward situations before, but that was something different."

"Well that probably was something you did. And it's likely just to be the way you do things, like walking quietly in the shadows. Whatever, it was, he liked it."

I had to add. "And if the Emperor and a couple of dremora wasn't 'different', I'd want to hear what else you've been up to!"

G'wen giggled. "We're all just people when we're doing that." Then she thought a bit and added "But it did make it a bit harder to know how and when to do anything. I was really glad when you started it all off for me."

Since the sun was setting, and we only had one bed, Zahra invited G'wen to join us. She knew where this was leading, and I think she wanted that as much as I did.