The secret of Thaldorn Manor Options

[Lopov]

What I first intended to post as separate snippets / texts in the Where are you? thread, alongside with screenshots in the Screenshots thread, I now decided to post as a full story instead. Mostly, because it will be easier for me to post stories and screenshots at the same time. At first I didn't intend to make a story out of it, but lately I've been getting some ideas, so I decided to flesh them out.

It'll be sort of a horror story and will revolve around Rieltar Brunos Thaldorn, the mage and the former necromancer, who returns to his home - Thaldorn Manor.

I don't know how long will the story be, but definitely as long as I'll feel inspired to write and as long as I'll have time - I'm estimating anything between one to three months. I'll post one or two stories per week, in the beginning just one. For now I'll just copy the first entry alongside with screenies and with the comments, and with some added extras at the end.

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I

Not many Cyrodiilians want to talk about the Thaldorn Manor. Five years ago it became publicly known, that in the noble house east of Pell's Gate, horrific deeds have been going on for years. Myraan Thaldorn, the high-ranking battlemage in the Legion, and his wife Deurexia, the respected teacher at the Arcane University, have been keeping a group of young maidens imprisoned in the manor basement. By sheer luck, one of them one night escaped and on her way to Pell's Gate, ran into a group of patrolling legionnaires. Before Thaldorns even found out that one of their captives was no longer chained, the patrol already stormed the manor and rescued two more maidens. As soon as they realized that their scheme has been exposed, Myraan and Deurexia committed suicide. The house was locked by the Legion and since that day nobody has stepped inside.

Myraan and Deurexia had one son - Rieltar Brunos - who was at that time a student at the College of Winterhold. News of his parents' death reached him a few weeks later, along with the key to the manor, he was after all the only heir.

*five years later*

Conjurers that have been occupying Sardavar Leed, the Ayleid ruin close to the manor, saw tonight for the first time light inside it. But not the light of candles, but of someone casting spells, they assumed.

The only heir returned home.

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"You cannot walk on water or move mountains without faith. Or at least without a proper spell. I bought my water-walking spell from Trayvond in Cheydinhal. The bridge was probably intentionally collapsed after...deeds of my parents were revealed."

"South of the Imperial City, between Pell's Gate and Fort Alessia, lies the Thaldorn manor, in old records mentioned also as Thaldorne manor. It's where I spent my youth. I like the surname of my ancestors - Thaldorne - better. "

"Welcome home, Rieltar. Please, make yourself at...home. Your father is upstairs, polishing his armor. Go and greet him, right son? Except that there's no one to greet."

"This door is forbidden to open, Rieltar. It must remain locked at all times. Beasts lurk below. Ugly, abominable beasts! Beasts from all planes of Oblivion. They'll burn you alive and your mother won't be able to help you!"

"Pieces of the past, secrets of my parents."

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Extras:

The abandoned manor in my hometown, that served as an inspiration for the Thaldorn Manor. The manor as such is the work from another author, but I edited a lot of stuff to my own liking, both outside and inside.

The name of the protagonist is a nod to Baldur's Gate I, specifically to the leaders of the Iron Throne organization. Their names were Rieltar Anchev, Brunos Costak and Thaldorn.

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First comments from the other thread, so the authors don't need to repeat themselves.

A new adventure begins in 3rd Era Cyrodiil it seems?

The scowling necromage has returned!

Oh noes!!! Well now we know how he got that spooky manor. Picutres!

Goodness, what were his parents up to? Those poor maidens.

I love his shorts! That's a first for me.

Thaldorn Manor looks extremely appropriate - overgrown, cobwebs, mysterious doors, chains. . . .

Now, that mysterious door he is never supposed to open. I'm sure he never will. Nope. Not a chance. . . .

Thaldorn Manor looks like the kind of place the Scooby Gang would visit. I wonder if there are any ghosts! They would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for that meddling Rieltar...

When do we go through that door!

This post has been edited by Lopov: May 13 2020, 11:00 PM

[Lopov]

@SubRosa - indeed, Branwen survived. When she woke up, the mother was gone. But I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of her...

@Acadian - I learned the word 'palaver' from Stephen King's The Dark Tower Series, the word is there mentioned fairly often. I assume the word must have some roots in Latin / Italian, because on Italian "to talk" is "parlare".

@macole - I agree, it's important that Ves remains sober in the near future.

@Renee - Marie's axe was an unexpected event for me, that's why I included the invisible axe in the story. The story is heavily-based on real-game events, so things might get even more complicated if Marie made it to Pell's Gate, for instance.


VIII

“Marie is gone? Oh…she was supposed to teach me some restorative magic…”

“In that you should visit her in the Imperial City. Brother Elritar escorted her there. You can find her in the Temple of the One, I assume. Now if you’ll excuse me…I have a funeral to attend to.”

“Of course, Primate. And please, accept my apologies. My behavior the other day was…inappropriate.”

Primate Valandrus Abor snorted, then nodded, and Vesuvius assumed that the apology was half-accepted. He felt a bit better now. Regardless of the fact, that the Primate was rude and uppity, he didn’t deserve the ruckus, which Vesuvius caused in the Great Chapel a week ago.

Such a shame that Marie was gone, he was really looking forward to getting better at restoration. Oh well! I’ll visit her the next time I’m in the Imperial City.

As Vesuvius stepped out of the Great Chapel, he saw a pair of guards carrying a wooden stretcher with a corpse upon it. He immediately recognized the dead man– it was the paranoid Bosmer that wanted to meet with him behind the Chapel.

Looks like I’ll never find out what he wanted to talk to me about. Anyway, it’s time to leave Skingrad. I bet that Odysseus is already worried about me.

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“Didn’t you hear what my wife said?” Edouard Retienne was barely holding back not to throw the courier by the name of Lartier out of his abode.

“Get out! Get out now! Look what you have done! She’s crying!” Standing behind them, Jolie Retienne was sobbing by the fireplace.

“Is this…” Lartier made a pause” …your final answer? Are you sure that you want to refuse such a generous offer?” he continued with a calm voice.

“Yes! Now get out, before I carry you out myself!” yelled Edouard.

“Understood. I apologize for the inconvenience. You shall never see me again.”

As the supposed courier left the house of Retiennes in Water’s Edge, Edouard hurried to his wife Jolie. He loved her dearly and the words of the stranger upset her, because they reminisced her of events that took place five years ago.

Outside, Rieltar Brunos Thaldorn jumped on the horse that he bought in Bravil and slowly rode out of Water’s Edge. Such a shame! He had expected that his plan would work and Retiennes would come with him to the Imperial City…he didn’t know much about the third captive, known as Jolie, but he was supposed to find her in Leyawiin. Yesterday while staying at the Five Claws Lodge, he paid a hefty sum of septims to innkeeper Witsedutsei, and she revealed him that there’s only one Jolie in the vicinity – years ago she was known merely as Jolie but then she married and has been since then known as Jolie Retienne, living in Water’s Edge.

The husband of course complicated things, so Rieltar needed to come up with a plan. After some pondering he decided to try the following trick – he visited Retiennes and introduced himself as Lartier, the courier from the Imperial City. He brought Jolie 2,000 septims as a payment for the suffering that she endured during her captivity five years ago. He lied to be a representative of the Legion and claimed that after many years they decided to pay all captives 10,000 septims as a compensation. 2,000 septims was to be paid upfront and 8,000 more at the seat of the Legion in the Imperial City. His plan was to get rid of the husband while on a way to the Imperial City and kidnap Jolie. Alas, Jolie didn’t even want to hear about the gold, and her barbaric husband threw him out the house.

But Rieltar Brunos Thaldorn had another plan. And this one shall work.

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A few hours later a group of four Black Bow bandits stormed the house of Retiennes. There was another person with them, covered with the Robe of Chameleon, so Retiennes didn’t see him, at least that's what Rieltar thought. The orders he gave to the Black Bow bandits prior to the attack, were clear.

“Kill the husband and help me kidnap the wife. She must not die!”

He paid them in advance and he’ll pay them even more, he said.

He lied of course.

Rieltar Brunos Thaldorn was not to be trusted.

Black Bow bandits shot a plethora of arrows at Edouard while Rieltar cast a familiar horrific red aura spell on Jolie. Weakened and in shock to see her husband fall in front of her own eyes, Jolie was an easy prey.

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As she slowly opened her eyes, there was a man standing above her, staring at her with a blank expression on his face. Around here were dead bodies of four bandits that had previously attacked their home.

“Hello, young one. My name is Rieltar,” said the man. She immediately recognized him. It was Lartier – the courier.

“I believe we must go,” he said. “My mother is anxious to meet you. Again.”

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In the Retiennes house the muscular arm grabbed the shaft of one of the arrows that were plucked inside his body. He knew that it was inadvisable to remove arrows in such a way but he had no other choice. With a bestial roar the first arrow left its target

“It takes more…. than a mere arrow…to kill Edouard Retienne!”

One by one, all arrows were out. Either bandits were bad archers either Edouard was lucky that he survived. He was bleeding and he was in dire need of healing, but he needed to find his wife! He needed to find Jolie!

Stumbling, dizzy Edouard stepped out of the house. Bright sunlight blinded him and he tripped over the stairs, falling down to the cobbled road. Just in that time the rider on the fine black horse was riding at high speed through Water’s Edge and in the last second managed to jump over Edouard.

“Slow down, Odysseus, slow down!” ordered Vesuvius and swiftly jumped from the black horse. “There’s a man in a need of healing.”

“Don’t move too much, friend. I’m no healer but I have some fine potions with me. Take this…”

Edouard grabbed Vesuvius’ hand so strong, that he dropped the potion to the ground. His face was pale and his clothes were drenched in blood, but his eyes were sane, his view focused.

“My wife! JOLIE! She’s been…kidnapped!”

An imminent lump appeared in Vesuvius’ throat. Was this the same Jolie that he wanted to greet? He came all the way down to the Black Forest, hoping to greet one of the girls, whose lives he had saved five years ago. He heard that she had married to some farmer, but was this wounded man in front of his eyes in fact Jolie’s husband?

“Jolie…is she your wife? Wait...drink this potion first! Then tell me what happened.”

Edouard took the potion, Vesuvius supported his head, and the Breton at first made a few small sips. As his wounds started healing, he made a bigger sip, then nodded as if it were enough for now, so Ves removed the potion.

“The bandits came…and took her. He was with them, covered in some invisibility cloak. He thought that I can’t see him but I did…Lartier. From the Imperial City! That’s where he took her! You must find her! You must find JOLIE!”

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Released

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Jolie Retienne

Lartier the courier

Edouard steps in

Leaving...?

In return for killing the opposing bandit faction,...

...Rieltar demanded a service from the surviving Black Bow bandits.

Cloaked

Retiennes under attack

Overpowered

Payment time

Black dead bandits

"Hello, young one. My name is Rieltar."

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Above Edouard

"You must find JOLIE!"