The Saga of Joan of Arkay, A Morrowind Main Quest Story Options

[Renee]

Each event is preceded by prophecy, but without the event, there is no hero.

In the waning years before the end of the third era of Tamriel, a prisoner was born on an uncertain day, from uncertain parents. To most, she was ignorant of the role she was to play in that country's coming history.

"They have taken you from the Cyrodiil prison, first by carriage, then by boat. To east and to Morrowind. Fear not, for you shall be watched. You shall be chosen... "

16th of Last Seed, 3rd Era, Year 427



..."Wake up!"....

The lady from Cyrodiil squinted her eyes. Someone was peering at her through the gloom.

"Wake up!" said the voice. The voice of a Dunmer, for sure. "Why are you here?" asked the voice. "Are you with us?"

The smell of rotted wood permeated the air. The lady felt a gentle rocking as she got up off the floor. She wrinkled her face. Was she on a boat?

"That's right, stand up," said the voice. And now that she was standing, the lady could see she had been spoken to by a Dunmer. "You were dreaming," he said in a gravelly voice. "What's your name?"

"Joan. Of Cyrodiil," said she.

"Well, not even last night's storms could wake you," he replied. "I heard them say landfall was made last night." He was standing before her without a shirt on, Joan could see. "We've reached Morrowind, I'm sure and certain they will let us go."

"Who ... shall let us go?" Joan was bleary.

"Quiet. Here comes the guard."

An Imperial soldier was approaching from somewhere up deck. Joan could hear his footsteps clonking along. He made his way down a set of stairs on the far side of the boat, and toward the Dunmer and Joan.

"This is where you get off," said the Imperial with a regal sort of voice. "Now. Come with me."

Joan hesitated, trying to remember what happened. Why she was .... here ... on this boat. And not on the boat with the others. The others from Cyrodiil.

"You'd better do what they say," warned the Dunmer with no shirt.

"Hoy there," Joan called to the guard. "Have I been placed into some manner of custody?"

"You'd better do what they say," warned the Dunmer with no shirt, for the second time.

So Joan did. She followed the Imperial through the ship's dim lower hull. Noticed hammocks, crates, and barrels. She then walked cautiously up the ship's ladder, giving one last look back to the far alcove, where she'd awoken a few moments ago. Finally, she moved through the ship's mid-deck hold, which was brighter and a tad more pleasant than its lower section. Candles, and places to eat.

"Get yourself up on deck and lets keep this as civil as possible," the Imperial growled.

"Yessir," Joan answered. "Ehm. Perhaps this is a case of mistaken identity," she spoke to the Imperial, but didn't dare look at him. She said a quick prayer to superior powers before climbing upon the ship's upper deck.

mid-afternoon
Unsure what had happened, Joan was expecting she was about to walk from the ship's inside straight into some sort witch hunt. She'd walk on deck, and be surrounded by accusers, or some such. Because that's the way she felt, at the moment. Things were not right. She was in some sort of trouble, perhaps. Had to be mistaken identity, though. Had to be.

But this was not the case. Her fears would be allayed.

"This is where they want you," said a man, a Redguard, who was standing ondeck. "Head down to the dock and into the census office."

At this point, Joan noticed three things at once.

1). She was not under any sort of arrest. This was obvious, since she was not bound.

2). She was not about to be accused of anything.

3). She had made it to Vvardenfell.

Joan had boarded the wrong boat, for sure. But she had also successfully made it to her destination, somehow. The weather was balmy. She could see gigantic mushroom trees standing way off in the distance. Finally, the silt strider standing off to the side of whatever town she was in made this area no mistake. Only one place on Tamriel could support those types of flora.

"But what has happened to the others? Where are the rest of my priory?" she asked.

"Let's go," said the Redguard impatiently, ignoring her concerns. "Move it along."

She began to move off the boat. Onto a small bridge, which led to a dock, which led to a Tudor-styled building. So this was Vvardenfell, but the town she was in had Imperial influence. A second guard greeted her as she neared him. Unlike the others so far, he seemed pleasant, maybe even pleased to see Joan.

"You finally arrived but our records don't show from where," he said.

"Cyrodiil. Cheydinhal, as a fact of matter. I am Joan from Cheydinhal."

"Great," the guard said in his pleasant voice. "I'm sure you'll fit right in. Now follow me up to the office."

Joan did so, slowly. If the others did not make it, did this mean her quest within Vvardenfell would not be granted?

"Head on in," said the guard, and so Joan of Cheydinhal did so. It was not as though she really had any choice in the matter.

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Joan of Arkay Chargen Sheet

Joan in Seyda Neen

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 6 2021, 12:46 AM

[Renee]

Yah I decided to move Joan of Arkay's tale here, just because her story was supposed to be simple updates (my character is in X doing X) like I've been writing in Oblivion > General lately. But Joan's tales started with some imagination and fiction right from the getgo.

Have some cake, everyone. Maybe if everybody's munching I won't feel so nervous.

And thank you Acadian for moving all these tales here. Now that the Morrowind Mischiefs thread is bare, maybe I'll start posting my other two characters in MM. Their tales equate to simple updates, you see. My character is in X doing X. At least that's what I tell myself.

It is interesting how the Blades are a throughline through the ES games. The Agent of Daggerfall was a Blade, you are one in Morrowind. You become one in Oblivion, and in Skyrim. I cannot remember if you were in the Blades in Arena..

Hey, I never thought of it this way! That's right. We are part of the Blades, or assist them, in every game so far except Arena. Assuming your character does the Main Quest, of course. I don't remember what their role is in Arena, but there are Blades in that game, too.

"We must all commence upon lowly turf from the onset," says she,'
- - Well spoken, Joan. Humility better suits a holy knight than hubris.

Given Joan's attitudes, I'd be concerned about whatever 'ugly' favor Asphalt might ask of her as his price for info.

Yea, I love when she said that "We must commence upon lowly turf from the onset."

The favor has already been done, since my gaming is several weeks ahead of my storytelling. The favor isn't so bad. But it is quite a good Bethesda trick.

Cosades, a glance at the nightstand tells all one needs to know about how a once a highly respected Blade officer found himself assigned to the island of Vvardenfell.

I never thought of the Character as being a member of the Blades. Not even when he joined the Blades, which usually he didn’t. The Character was always thought of as someone independent, someone so shrouded in the myst and shadows that the Blades don’t even know who he is.

Ha, so you're saying Caius was once in a higher position, eh? Wow. Wonder what he did to get demoted. (Uh, don't answer if there's spoilers!)

I know what you mean about a character joining some guild or faction but not feeling entirely a part of it. In fact this is how Joan feels now.

Congratulations on getting your own fanfic thread, Renee! Looking forward to more adventures of Joan of Arkay!!

Thank you Lena! In fact you encouraged me a month or so back, when we were messaging. Miss Rosa also took a shot, and so did Acadian.

Lol Cosades never knew how right he was about the favor being “ugly”. It’s probably one of the most god awful tasks in the game! Bethesda knew what they were doing.

It's not really THAT bad, but it IS one heck of a trick. Some Bethesda devs definitely got their fill of nerdgasms laughing at all of us trying to figure it out.

We looked all over the place for that damn ... item. It's so easy to find, too.

It is great to see Joanie come adventuring in the Fan Fic forum. I hope you will bring your other character's tales over here as well.

Well I will be writing Laprima Donaugh's tale here, too. That'll be a Skyrim story.

Laprima will be interesting for me to game with because she's a noble. She's lived a posh life, and so she's not so combat-oriented because she's used to being surrounded by guards all her life. But over time, she'll be forced to learn how to fight, and defend herself. She basically comes to Skyrim to give her hand in marriage, and Queen Elisif is her aunt.

Stay tuned. <_<

I really enjoyed the first official FF-story, it made me laugh more than just once. The whole scene with shirtless Caius giving firm orders to surprised Joan, even allowing her to use his bed, and mentioning "ugly" favor that she'll need to perform, was just hilarious!

Things might have been happening too fast but I do hope that she'll follow Caius' orders.

Thanks Doctor Lopov. I knew you in particular would like that one, since you have fond memories of this game.

She is going to follow Caius Cosades's orders because she thinks she's being guided to do so.

Ciao.