The Goblin Lady Options

[Renee]

Hey. So in this thread I will writing up stories pertaining to TES IV: Oblivion. Because I keep thinking of more an more ideas that occur within this game. All of these stories will be rather short, two or three months apiece, I think, rather than years and years. And the very first one shall begin in the post below.

So far there are three story ideas I've come up with: a former scholar, a monk, and a guard. All of this isn't just to write stories, it's to (as usual) enhance my gaming. Make it more interesting.



This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 14 2019, 02:53 AM

[Renee]

Lopov: funny you just mentioned Kahreem.

Acadian: I have no idea where that painted feet idea came from. Silly Renee roleplays in action. I was at work and I think I began thinking of pedicures. Like, Jayne gets her toenails painted. But then, why would they stop there? Human feet are much broader than goblin feet, I think. They make for better canvases.

SubRosa: Again, another Kahreem mention. Well, my Redguard does get a rather subtle cameo in this next chapter.

treydog: Dang, no treydog this week!

This one's rather long, it'll probably be the longest chapter (not including the final one). I was thinking of breaking it up, but it makes the most sense to just get it all out of the way at once. I appreciate everyone's attention.

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Chapter VII: The Guard

Too afraid to cry out
The world listens no more
For my heart there is no door
Help me if I sleep, a little more




She spotted him from a distance. The Imperial guard she'd turn herself in to was horseback, and roughly twenty yards away. A young fellow, barely old enough to shave. Not that beards were fashionable in those days. The guard's assigned route had probably covered the entire eastern side of Red Ring Road, but not the massive bridge which spanned the Niben. As he and his horse approached this bridge, they pivoted a half-circle, and were now abruptly headed Jayne's way.

Jayne Goodfall stood rigid, took a deep breath, then forced herself to relax. Now was the moment. How long had she been dreading this moment? ... She approached the man, and when he looked her way, she froze. The arrest process would begin.

First the guard would rush toward her, and she'd be referred to as "SCUM!" Next, her writ would be read. Like it or not, she was a criminal, after all. Finally, she'd have two options: Face arrest, or resist it. The usual third option (payment of gold) would surely not apply. She barely had any, after all.

But as Jayne neared the young man, there were no drastic reactions from him. "Six o'clock in the evening and all's well." He said cheerfully. "How can I help you ma'am?"

Jayne did not know what to say at first. Though she had never been arrested herself, it had been several years since she'd witnessed the process. Back in the latter Third Era there was one Redguard fellow, rumored to be a thief living on the Marie Elena, whose arrest she'd personally witnessed at least twice.

"Uh ... sir?"

"Please make it quick, citizen. My patrol awaits, and a legion steed can't keep still for very long."

"I..." Jayne blinked. "Are you not going to arrest me?"

The guard's face became quizzical. "Arrest you?" He cocked his head to the right.

Jayne stood stunned, unsure of what to make of this. Maybe policy for the unlawful had changed? Weren't Imperial soldiers in the province of Cyrodiil simply supposed to recognize outlaws? "I ... uh," she cleared her throat, trying to form the question. "My name is Jayne Goodfall. And aren't I a wanted woman? For as you can see, I have returned to Cyrodiil."

"Wanted? For return to Cyrodiil?" the guard said in his booming voice. "I cannot say I recognize you from our Most Hunted list, ma'am, and within the right mind of this personage of Imperial Law, you are therefore free to go."

"I am..." she shook her head as she realized the implication of his words. "I am ... free to go?"

"Well yes, you are," he chuckled. "Who exactly are you? Are you someone I should know? Have you stolen a few sweetrolls from the Roxey?"

Jayne shook her head again, this time in amazement. For he truly did not know who she was.

"Seriously, woman, who exactly are you? Are you someone I should know? You've got my ear for the moment, so let's hear it."

Jayne considered the man's question, then decided to answer it.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

It was the month of Sun's Dusk, during the Third Era, year four-hundred and thirty-three. The rumors were proven to be true: Uriel Septim VII had been assassinated by a mysterious red-robed cult, and talk of some sort of Daedric attack upon the town of Kvatch was just beginning. At the time, Jayne Goodfall was in a rather peculiar and strategic position. For once, it was looking as though all her years of scholarly research might just prove beneficial, in one very massive way.

Jayne’s advanced schooling began in the year 409 when she was 25 years old. Her field of choice would translate to what is called ‘entomology’ in some worlds, basically, the study of bugs. In the land of Tamriel however, ‘bugs’ included all sorts of diabolical creatures, including some very dangerous predators, such as blood wasps, and shalk beetles! ... Fortunately for Jayne, she mostly studied smaller insects: ants, bees, torch bugs, and so on.

Jayne worked with teams of other scholars. The year 414 was her first of notable progress. She was in Skyrim, studying the hierarchy of honey bees, quietly taking notes, endlessly assessing them. When she returned to Bruma several months later, it was her theories which managed to increase the production of honey within that county. Unfortunately, since she’d been working with a group of others, her efforts did not receive specific acclaim.

Ten years later at the age of 35, she was living in the province of Morrowind. Jayne had graduated with full scholarly benefits a month before, and had taken a grant to do studies in the egg mines of West Gash. Again, she was working with a group of others.

Though traditional egg miners had been at their trade for centuries, certain lairs were having problems. Queens could get ornery, even in the presence of long-established miners. Kwama foragers were always a general nuisance, and so on. The miners were also having trouble breaking into new territories.

After painstaking study, it was Jayne’s contributions which made the greatest differences. The miners had known for ages that kwama communicated through small clicks and squeaks, but it was Jayne Goodfall who was first able to prove that they also relied upon their sense of smell to ‘speak’ to one another. After this discovery, miners began using specially-derived kwama scents to fool the more-hostile members into docility. The result? New egg mines in The Ashlands and Molag Amur were opened up. Locally, Jayne was hailed for her brilliance.

Despite these advances, once again her input got lost in the paperwork. All accolades eventually went to the overall leader of her field research team, as they often did.

It wasn’t until latter years back in Cyrodiil that she was finally recognized. By now, she had become head of the Imperial City’s Field Research Exposition Team. She even had her own office in White Gold Tower itself! This office was small, a virtual broom closet, yes, but it was her virtual broom closet. She was garnering plenty of respect from various important people, including Elder Council members.

But she wasn’t just living in the city with her name on a door. Jayne had spent several years in wilderness, studying the various goblin tribes in Cyrodiil, then living amongst them. Though the concept of a human living with goblins was not unheard of, Jayne was the first to academically prove it was possible to also learn their language, and even befriend their leaders. She was the first to be able to travel from tribe to tribe (something which the infamous cave-dweller known as Goblin Jim was unable to do), garnering respect as she went from the Dust Eaters to the White Skins, and so on.

Early in the Year 433, she was also the first to be able to peacefully bring an actual goblin into the city itself. This creature was merely a docile chef, true, but a breakthrough was still a breakthrough. Miss Goodfall earned the ‘Goblin Lady’ nickname during this time, after she paraded this chef before the Elder Council. She then proved it was possible to communicate with the green-skinned being. Several council members were able to ask the chef some questions, which Jayne translated back and forth, to eventual loud applause. It was her day in the sun, as the saying goes. Eventually, the idea was suggested by Jayne and her team: What if it were possible for citizens and goblins to live side-by-side, without conflict?

But then, the Oblivion Crisis occurred, and this changed everything.

Jayne’s original plan of a peaceful existence between societies became amended. Sometime during Evening Star of 433, she presented her latest (and final) dissertation to the council. In this one were several new ideas, including one which intrigued all the council’s members.

Oblivion gates were popping up all over the land, not just in the vicinity of Cyrodiil’s towns, but also in wilderness areas. It was thought the guards and guilds could handle the towns, but what about smaller villages, such as Pell’s Gate, or Aleswell? What about travel upon Cyrodiil’s roads? There simply weren’t enough protective feet on the ground in the country itself. Daedra attacks were becoming commonplace. The Hero of Kvatch, a middle-aged man with flowing gray hair (a former scroll-writing sage mysteriously known as The Grey Wizard) had managed to close the gate in that town (with the help of Martin Septim, of course). But the idea of one man doing it all seemed so ludicrous at the time, it was something nobody even considered.

Enter Jayne Goodfall, presenting her own seemingly ludicrous ideas before the council. Goblins lived all over the land, she informed. They lived near to some towns, they lived near to most villages, and they certainly lived in areas which only the boldest adventurers might venture. All goblin dwellings were fortified. What if she were able to successfully convince Cyrodiil’s numerous goblin tribes that they should join forces with the Empire? What if Imperial soldiers and goblin warriors were to fight parallel to one another, casting aside their usual fear and hatred?

Her suggestions quickly gained traction. Forty out of fifty council members forwarded the idea at the time; if only Uriel Septim were still alive, certainly Jayne would have the final go-ahead.

She was able to convince the council to allow her to entice a group of ten goblin 'representatives' from Fort Ash. These goblins came to the Imperial City with Jayne, under Imperial protection, and then entered the city itself without incident. The idea was to prompt these goblins to join forces with the Empire, then they'd go off and spread the word to other tribes. By now, Jayne had so much influence among these tribes. Any official suggestion from her (arranged by totems, or otherwise) might just be taken seriously.

It was on the morning of Evening Star 30 that the goblins, Jayne’s team, and the Elder Council were all to sign the first tentative contract toward what she hoped would become a fruitful endeavor. Not just for the sake of the Oblivion Crisis, but also for the future of these creatures, as well. If the goblins could prove themselves in war, assisting the Empire, certainly the time would come when they'd be recognized as possible candidates for citizenry.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

“So,” the road patrol said in a rather smug tone of voice, “what you are saying is IF only for you and your … ability to speak to the goblins, it might of been you who’d became the Champion of Cyrodiil, instead of our current Arch Mage, the Grey Wizard himself?”

“You try my patience, soldier," Jayne answered pensively. "No, ‘tis not what I am saying a'tall. All’s I am saying is that if I had been able to implement my ideas into successful action, the crisis itself could have been curtailed with much less bloodshed, and with due haste.”

“Hmph," the guard seemed nonplussed. "Well, I must indulge, I suppose. So what happened next?”

“Well, I believe that some of the goblins became overwhelmed. Here they were, captive within the big city, a place full of foodstuffs, riches, and treasure which they could only previously imagine. They were to be held within one of White Gold Tower's numerous chambers for the night, under lock and key. And I should have been with them. But I was not."

"Go on," the guard prodded, his face summoned from a different time.

"Thank you. Well from here on, I blame myself for the events which unfolded. For I was not with them, no, I was celebrating in The Feed Bag, an establishment you may have heard of, in the Imperial City Market District. I'd had a bit too much to drink, all of us were full of glee. And the goblins.... apparently some of them somehow managed to break out of the tower. They can be masters with lockpicking, you know. Anyway, they took advantage of their newfound situation. Some of them, not all, but some, became apparently greedy. Went off looting in the middle of the night. Citizens were terrified, fights broke out, and then, one of the Market District merchants got killed. ... And I was to blame! ..I blame myself, soldier,” Jayne looked to her feet. “I blame myself.”

“You blame yourself?”

“I do. In the morning, the guards came for me. All the goblins had been founded, then eradicated, by then. I was on my way to my office, when one of the council members told me the news. Well, of course I immediately rushed toward the tower, but by then it was too late. I was confronted by a guard, who began to read my writ. I was to be placed under arrest."

“I see,” the soldier stifled a yawn. “Listen lady, is there much more to this ... tale?”

“You still seem in disbelief,” Jayne sighed. “Listen to me! Will you?"

The guard shrugged. Grabbed a bottle from a rucksack located on his horse's flank. Pulled the cork from its top. "Go ahead."

"Well, I panicked. Instead of consenting to immediate arrest I began trying to explain who I was, and what should then be done about this situation. And of course, the guard did not want to hear any of this. In his eyes, I was now resisting. He drew his weapon! And so did all the others within the locale. I had no choice but to panic, and run."

"You ran?"

"It was to be a temporary thing, me running from the law. I knew this. But fortunately at that very moment some sort of riot had just broken out upon the Waterfront. All the guards were called to assist. Something about taxes, if I recall. So the guard who'd been ready to take me in suddenly rushed away."

The soldier nodded, took a swig from his bottle. Was he intrigued, or bored? Jayne could not tell.

"I fled the city, but later tried to return. I needed to explain ... if only I'd been able to speak to a council member, maybe this could all have been sussed out. As it was, every guard I encountered wanted to hear none of it. My bounty was apparently quite high! They'd immediately draw their weapons if they even saw me approach.

"Again," she continued, "I had to run. I located a horse, then stole it. Rode off to Morrowind, because I knew its western shores quite well. Stayed there for many years. I had no other choice you see, but to spend those years in exile, and fear."

Jayne made eye contact with the man then, unsure what to expect. The guard was smiling though, had himself another swig from his bottle.

"Really ma'am, you are holding me up from traveling my designated route. The sun now crests the western horizon; I should be halfway back to Cheydinhal by now."

"So, you do not believe me?" Jayne nearly pleaded.

"Even if any of this is true, there's nothing I can do about it. Honestly, all this sounds like the ramblings of a crazy woman, if you ask me."

"I see."

The guard began moving off without another word, his horse clip-clopping slowly away. Jayne realized then that the bottle he'd been drinking from was full of ale.

"Oh, might I ask one final question of you sir?"

The guard sighed. "What is it now?"

"Have you heard any news about a gang of brigands, moving from town to town, thieving from successful citizens with ostensibly elaborate schemes, and then disappearing like specters into the night?"

This stopped the guard right on the spot, his horse no longer clip-clopping. He turned to her. His face (illuminated by torchlight) now a mask of disgust.

"Hey, what do YOU know about a gang of brigands thieving from citizens? Hmm? What of this? For you see, there are reports of some sort of ... gang, who've so far caused local havoc. First in Leyawiin, then in Bravil."

"Oh, you want my input on the matter?" Jayne feigned surprise. "Well, I don't know if you should trust me! After all, this information of mine could merely be just the ramblings of a crazy woman!"

"But" the guard stammered " ... wha-- but....how....?"

As the guard began motioning his hands this way and that, Jayne walked calmly away, relieved that she was still a free woman. She began wondering if The Sleeping Mare in Pell's Gate would have a place to stay for the night.


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Jayne the scholar, circa 409

This post has been edited by Renee: Sep 8 2019, 04:20 AM