The Gweden report, A story of the story of the stories. Options

[Grits]

Oh my gosh, Marghak is awesome. She spotted a potential unregulated competitor while she was still on the ship!! I love it.

Thank you for Marghak’s reference to The Firsthold Revolt. It let me do some quick homework so I had the info to understand what she was talking about.

All kinds of intrigue, and Clark the new Earl is right in the middle of it! This is really interesting, ghastley!

[ghastley]

@Acadian: Marghak knows that if the customer doesn't survive, you don't get the repeat business. And it won't be a problem, as it happens.

There is indeed trouble in the Summerset Isle, as Lathenil reported earlier. And the Thalmor aren't the only bad guys. The collapse of the Crystal Tower blew the lid off all the syndicate rivalries and other unrest.

@mALX: Morgiah is Barenziah's daughter by Symmachus. By my calculations, the mother was 387 years old at the time. Don't children keep you young? Orcs don't live anything like as long as Dunmer, so Marghak's had to work harder at looking young than Barenziah did.

@Grits: Marghak thinks she's awesome too. She's especially proud of how's she's kept her figure.

----------

Dancing in the Dark

As Taminwe left the room, Marghak winked at Uzgash, and the two of them stood up from table.

"On the way here from Anvil, I paid a visit to Gweden Farm," Marghak told him. "And while I was there I talked to all the women. They all remember you. In particular, the three Daedra women remember playing a game in the dark, where you had to identify which was which. That sounded like a lot of fun, and I wondered if we might try something similar."

She dropped a blindfold on the table in front of him. "Don't put it on yet," she instructed, "We have a lot to show you first."

"Uzgash or Taminwe have probably told you that I was brought up in a coven of witches. They spent a lot of their time dancing around naked, and it was clear that it kept their bodies fit and young-looking. But there was more to it than that. I learned that a Master of Restoration can fully repair the stretching of pregnancy and childbirth, if she acts promptly. And after the child is weaned, she can restore the mother's breasts. A witch didn't start to show her age until she couldn't keep up her exercises, and she'd have stopped dancing before that."

"So before I started to produce Gortwog's children, I made sure that there was a Master Restorer in the court. A good workout with a heavy warhammer tones up the muscles even better than dancing, although I still do that to maintain flexibility. I may be twice my daughter's age, but I suspect you'll have a hard time telling us apart."

Uzgash chimed in. "We've all learned to do the same dance moves, even my brothers. It's no good being strong if you're not supple as well. My mother's particularly proud of how she's kept in shape while having seven kids, and attributes it all to what she learned from the witches. I hope you can play that lute I see in the corner. Dancing goes much better with music."

Marghak explained that the dances the witches did were a little different than the ones he might have seen at Houses of Dibella. Those were intentionally erotic, as that was their purpose. The witches were oblivious to the effect their dancing had on any audience, as they were an offering to the gods, not the men watching. They took their clothes off before they started to dance, if they wore any.

"So where did you learn the other style?" he asked Uzgash. He'd seen her in the Tap and Tack - and Gudrun too, who'd learned it all from her. That was definitely the erotic way of dancing.

"Some of it in the brothel in Orsinium, but I made most of that up as I went along," she replied. "You just have to keep your eyes on the audience and repeat what they like." He could see Marghak nodding her head in agreement. That was much the same as she'd done where she worked before she met Gortwog.

She handed him the lute and told him what tune she wanted him to play first. It was the one he'd seen her strip off to at Olav's. He wan't as good a player as the minstrel there, but he made a fair effort.

Uzgash and her mother must have rehearsed this dance, because they did everything as perfect mirror images of each other. And as more and more of them was revealed, he was impressed by how remarkably similar their bodies were. He was starting to forget that Marghak was any older than she looked.

Once they were nude, Uzgash called for a different tune, and they changed their dance to the witches' style. This was a communal dance, not a solo one, and they would swing and lift each in ways that were just as arousing as the Dibella style, but in a totally different manner. He found it hard to concentrate on playing the accompaniment, and they noticed.

"I think he's ready for the next part," Marghak said, and picked up the blindfold. The two women hauled him up the steps to the bedroom in the dome, and helped him undress. While Marghak pinned up her hair, Uzgash made sure the blindfold was in place, and doing its job.

"Now the first thing you have to do is guess which one of us is on the left, and which is on the right." Marghak's voice (or was it Uzgash's?) said from the foot of the bed. He hadn't really noticed how similar they sounded until he had the blindfold on. This might be trickier than he thought without that clue.

He felt each of his hands being lifted and guided, and he tried hard to feel a distinction. He wasn't sure he wanted to find any, as they might stop this game if he did. Still, that wasn't happening anyway, and even the quiet moans of pleasure that escaped the two weren't providing any help. Everything he'd learned about Uzgash in their time at Falkreath apparently held true for Marghak, too.

He admitted that his hands couldn't tell him who was who, and they moved on to the next part. "Who's this?"

"Marghak," he stated confidently. She lifted the blindfold from his eyes and asked him how he could tell so easily. The woman astride him was indeed her.

"Just a well-informed deduction. No matter how detailed Uzgash's reports about me were, I knew you'd want to find out for yourself," he replied. "You're like her in that, too. And I know Uzgash well enough to be certain she'd insist on you going first, just in case two was too many."

"I told you he was clever," Uzgash laughed. "Now I'm going back to the club and leaving you two to play."

Marghak didn't seem too disappointed at having him all to herself.

---

Marghak might feel just like Uzgash, but something more intangible was reminding him of Taminwe. A well-conditioned response took over.

By the morning, he knew the location of each of Gortwog's children, and a lot more about the politics of the Wayrest and Orsinium courts. He had a unclear picture of the way the Altmer were interfering, but that was a reflection of Marghak's own uncertainty. And she was happy to have confided in a trustworthy friend. After all, look what he'd done for Uzgash.

Marghak may have learned a few new things, too, but she'd soon find out they were common knowledge in the Imperial City.

---

Taminwe was impressed, although she told him it was all due to her training. "That's why I'm not worried about Marghak getting together with Ocato tonight. But you did much better than I'd expected! I do hope Morgiah decides to come through Cyrodiil. She could be an ebony mine of information!"

"In that case, I'd better spend more of my time with Minx, and less at the club," he suggested.

"On the contrary, she's been living in the Summerset Isle for the last thirty years, and Rinalla hasn't known anything else. I'd think you need more Altmer."

"Who did you have in mind? Ouch! Careful with those fingernails!"

[Acadian]

Marghak’s a magnificent example of Orsimeri splendor at the peak of bloom! Very fun background about the witches and their arts of cosmetic restoration and dancing under the stars - skills that have clearly served the prolific and Nirn-traveled Marghak well.

And yay for Clark, as he is treated to a woman who has amassed a lifetime of charms!

[Grits]

She dropped a blindfold on the table in front of him. "Don't put it on yet," she instructed, "We have a lot to show you first."

It’s a testament to Clark’s training that the evening didn’t end right there.

I love the applications of Restoration. It’s a magical world!

[mALX]

First off, I am so sorry it took so long to get here and read - very hectic week. Loved the game with the blindfold, reminds me of something I saw on the Howard Stern show once! Lol. Great Write!

[ghastley]

@Acadian: I've been playing Daggerfall a bit to soak up the background, and the witches are essential for Vampirism and Lycanthropy cures. So with my usual luck, my characters have been visting them quite often. And Marghak's part of my Daggerfall. So an episode featuring both was inevitable.

@Grits: I've always liked "scientifical and practical" magic in stories. Magic needs rules, and the reader should be able to understand (sort of) how it works, and what its limitations are. It's way too easy to just use it when the author's painted the protagonist into a corner, and there's no other way out. Counter-magics, like detect life and dispel, another thing I like about the games, and other's stories.

@mALX: I'd cut the original "tell the Daedric women apart in the dark" story down from a whole over-raunchy chapter to a piece in the reporter's notes, so I needed to put some back in. Blindfolds just add a note of anticipation to the mix.

--

The next part is already made into a playable quest. I wasn't quite sure where it belonged in this sequence, but here seems as good a place as any.

-----------------

Cult of Dibella

Marghak was back at the Red Dragon Club. She had another concern that needed their help.

The Guild of Prostitutes has a close relationship with some of the cults of Dibella. While they concentrate on the erotic, not on the sex itself, there are always some who can't help themselves and get carried away. We recruit many of our best women that way.

And there's a smaller number that go in the opposite direction. Those who prefer the preliminaries to the main event, as it were. We cooperate on training, and generally sort out who belongs where early on. It's been a positive arrangement for both sides, and is likely to continue to be so.

However, they don't have the same unified structure as the Guild. The cults are independent of each other, with their own rules and regulations. We have to deal with each one as we find it. Recently, we've encountered a few that want nothing to do with the Guild, and there's something suspiciously consistent about them that makes us think they're connected in some way. Our main fear, of course, is that they're exploiting the young women who join them.

We know the cults need some form of income to survive. If a man wants to pay to watch a woman dance naked, that's not a problem for us. Or he can pay to can rub scented oils over her entire body, or anything short of actual sex. If that's where it ends up, she's a prostitute, and falls under the Guild's rules. And believe me, we've had to define what "actual sex" means to the finest degree.

These new cults don't want us to know what they're doing, and that makes us think it's just unlicensed prostitution. The women may not even be getting paid for their services, if they've got them convinced that it's an act of worship. They could be using drugs or spells to do that.

And then, too, because it's illegal that way, they may also be blackmailing the men. It's hard for us to figure out what their motives really are. They've started to pop up all over Tamriel, in farmhouses, caves, even in houses in some of the cities. It's always a small group, six at the most, and the priestesses are usually Altmer, although the acolytes could be any local race of men or mer.

We've just heard that there's one in a cave not far from Bravil that may be a good candidate for you to investigate. It's isolated enough that you can go there without being noticed, unless they have a spy detailed to watch the place. I doubt they've the manpower for that. And if there is any trouble, it won't be noticed either.

The priestess might be dangerous. They always know a good range of spells, and being Altmer, they'll have the magicka to use them. If the women are their thralls, they could fight on the priestess' side, so watch out for that. None of them will be armored, of course. Barely dressed, if they follow their usual style.

Ideally, we'd like you to seduce the priestess, and find out what she's up to that way. We're assuming the other women are innocent of anything, and any violence is likely to harm them, so we'd prefer to avoid it.

He realised that Marghak was speaking directly to him for that last part. He'd been wanting an investigative assignment, but he hadn't quite imagined this one. All the women he'd been involved with while he was a reporter had initiated things themselves, and he'd only needed to keep his head and steer activities in the right direction. But this time was going to be different. He needed to make sure that the priestess, and not one of her subordinates, was his partner.

He couldn't just use a Charm spell to get past her guard, either. She'd be ready for that. He'd have to do it the old-fashioned way.

----

Angeline and Diablita accompanied him to the cave, and went off to patrol the area for anyone who might be watching the place. He entered the cave alone.

The passage down into the cavern was long and dimly lit, but it opened up to a large open space, with a collossal statue of Dibella in the center. It was similar to the one in Anvil, but appropriately for one of her erotic cults, with much less drapery.

The priestess and her acolytes also dressed according to that theme. The acolytes wore a few wisps of thin gauze, that completely exposed one breast and barely concealed the other. Another piece of the same thin material was draped around their hips. It wasn't hard to see through it, even in the dim light in the cave.

Where the acolytes' outfits simply revealed, the priestess' displayed. Her breasts were held high by a sinuous golden band that wound around them and ended in a spiral around her nipples. An ornate belt around her waist held up a half-skirt that fell only at the back, and an elaborate collar and shoulder pieces framed, but did not conceal.

Taminwe had warned him that she might try to use illusion magic on him, to command or charm him, so he'd gone in prepared with enchantments on his clothes that would reflect or absorb spells. She didn't need those spells to have the effect she did, although he suspected Illusion was enhancing the display. But it also played in with his plans. He needed to concentrate on her, and she was making that easy.

The priestess, Alinwe, was suspicious of this stranger who'd turned up in her cave unannounced, but was also prepared to take advantage of whatever the gods delivered. She asked him who'd referred him to their remote location; surely he'd not found it by accident? If he'd been sent by her masters, that would become obvious in how he replied. If not, she might get some idea what she could gain from this encounter.

He replied that he'd heard rumors of the cult's existence in Bravil, and had just been curious. "Who could resist the idea of a cave full of near-naked women with love on their minds?"

She laughed, and called the acolytes to her. "I hope we're everything you expected," she said. The girls all looked back at him adoringly, as if he was the best thing they'd ever seen. Just a little too adoringly, or he might have believed them.

Alinwe suggested he choose one of the girls, and let her show him the joys of DIbella. They all eagerly stepped forward to be selected, but he held up a hand to stop them. "I couldn't pick any one of these over the others. And I doubt that I could please them all. No, if there's any choice to be made, I'd have to pick you, Alinwe. After all, Dibella has placed you above them; who am I to disagree with that choice?"

"Oh, I like a bold one!" Alinwe's broad smile looked amost genuine, and perhaps her words had some truth to them. "But you're going to have to deserve that. Perform a service for Dibella, and then I'll perform for you."

She wanted him to retrieve the silver phallus that they used in their initiation rites. Goblins from Fort Irony, on the other side of Bravil, had stolen it, and it was presumed to have been taken there. "Hurry back," she exhorted.

He left the cave to confer with Angeline and Diablita. They'd go check out the fort, while he went back into the cave to scout around. "Let us do what we're good at, and you go do the same." Angeline told him.

He wasn't all that good at sneaking, but he could use his invisibility spell, if he was careful, and if Alinwe wasn't using life detection. He thought that unlikely, as she was probably using all her magicka controlling the girls.

He started his search in the darker corners of the cavern, and soon found a passage that led to the sleeping quarters. Simple pallets and bedrolls for the acolytes, and a smaller room with a single bed was presumably where Alinwe slept. There was a chest by the bed, but the lock was beyond his picking abilities.

He renewed his invisibility and went back to the main cavern. Near the opposite corner he noticed a rope hanging down from the roof of the cave. He looked around, and saw that he was concealed from view here, and could safely pull the rope without giving himself away. He did so, and a large rock slid down, revealing a small side-cave. In it, another woman was chained naked to the wall.

The Breton's name was Mariette, and she told him that Alinwe's spells had failed to enthral her the way they had the others. Her natural resistance to magic was enhanced by her enchanted sandals, surprisingly the only piece of her clothing they hadn't taken away. She knew all about the setup here. Whoever was controlling Alinwe would send agents to be rewarded by the women, or else they'd be providing them to locals who could be blackmailed afterwards. "You can't use alcohol, drugs or spells to make a woman want you, or it's rape," she reminded him. She must have seen the look on his face, because she continued "Oh, we all use Charm or a few drinks to break the ice, but there's big difference between that and what I'm talking about."

"That phallus she sent you off to to find is locked up in her room. It's supposed to be available to any acolyte who wants to prove herself, but Alinwe keeps it as her personal toy."

By this time, he'd managed to unlock the shackles that held Mariette to the wall. She was weak from her ordeal, and collapsed to the floor, but not before warning him to look behind him.

At the doorway, where the rock had been, was a flame atronach! Alinwe and the acolytes had all summoned daedra, and were running angrily towards him. The priestess had noticed the rock wasn't in its place, and she'd raised the alarm.

He ducked out of the small cave into the wider spaces of the main one, to lead them away from the vulnerable Mariette. He knew enough about summoning spells to realise that it was pointless to try and take on the summoned creatures. They were all scamps and flame atronachs, anyway, and he just had to keep moving out of the way of the slow fireballs. He needed to concentrate on the casters, in particular Alinwe, who was the mastermind of all this.

She flung a shock spell at him as he approached, only to writhe in agony as it reflected from him. He'd prepared for illusion, but it worked just as well against destruction! Her own power was her undoing. Without any armor, she was particularly vulnerable, and her race and birthsign both traded extra magicka for weakness to its effects.

When Alinwe died, her spells died with her. Her own summoned atronach was dispelled, and the girls were released from her control. In moments, all the daedra were gone, and the acolytes were staring horrified at each other, and wondering what they'd been doing.

Their reactions to their lack of clothing differed considerably. The Imperial, Caudillia, was trying to cover everything with her hands, and finding she had too much to succeed. The Redguard, Tamara, glared at him with her hands on her hips, looking more angry than embarassed. Horwen, the Bosmer, was trying to sink into the shadows, and pretend she wasn't there.

Urana, the Dunmer, was completely relaxed. So she was almost naked, and had the attention of a good-looking man. What was wrong with that? She smiled at him, hopefully.

He was still staring at Alinwe. Even though she was dead, she was still magnificent. It was unfortunate that she'd had to die. Perhaps he was projecting Taminwe's skills on her, and she wasn't as good as she looked, but she definitely would have been interesting! He found himself almost sympathetic to Falanu, now.

A faltering voice at his side told him otherwise. Mariette had staggered down from her prison to join them. "There's illusion and fortify magicka enchanted on that outfit," she told him. "Help me put it on, and I'll show you what I mean."

With the priestess' garb in place, Mariette looked larger than life. Her breasts looked larger, her hips flared wider, and she looked a lot taller. "The height's mostly the high heels, but the rest is illusion magic." Mariette took the opportunity of her newly fortified magicka to cast another healing spell on herself, and her voice lost its quaver, and became more authoritative.

He looked back at the corpse on the floor. Alinwe did look a lot more ordinary without the help of her outfit. Mariette handed him a key that she'd taken from a pocket in the belt. "This will probably fit the chest in Alinwe's room. Can you go see if the phallus is in there?"

He found himself hoping that the same reward was still on offer for its return.

It was indeed in the chest, along with a number of clothing items that he assumed were what the acolytes had arrived wearing. He left those behind. He preferred their current attire.

The silver phallus was significantly larger than life-sized, and had a flat base, so it could stand on its own. Mariette took it from him, and placed it on the middle of a platform behind the statue, where a row of stone chairs faced towards it. "I think you can imagine what the initiation rite involves," she said with a wink. "Part of the test comes from having everyone else watching. She needs to concentrate on the joys of Dibella, and shut out the rest of the world, or she'll fail."

Urana was eager to try, and particularly wanted him to watch. Mariette told her to save it for when they had a paying audience. She'd taken charge now, and she had to run things properly. They'd need all the income they could get, and erotic displays were a good source of gold.

"I'll need a talk with each of you later, to make sure you really belong here. I know Alinwe was holding you against your will, but you all came here freely in the first place. Probably all for different reasons, even if they did have something in common."

They weren't really listening to her. They were all staring at the phallus. Caudillia with a mixture of fear and fascination. She couldn't get over the size of that thing. Was it really possible? Could she do it? The thought of being watched was especially scary, but exciting at the same time.

Tamara's expression was more one of defiance. Yes it looked impossible, but she'd do it.

Horwen was demurely looking down, but her eyes kept being drawn back to it. If they could do it, so could she. But she'd want to practice with something more normal first, and work up to it.

Mariette took his arm and led him towards the sleeping quarters. She needed to thank him for rescuing her, and the girls needed some time to play without her watching over them. He briefly thought of Angeline and Diablita, who were probably fighting goblins right now, but Mariette soon got his attention back.

---

Taminwe and Marghak weren't as pleased with the outcome as he'd been. Their hope was that the priestess would reveal something about those higher up the chain of command. "Are sure that Breton didn't have any clue to who was behind Alinwe?"

But Mariette had been chained up most of the time she was there. The little she knew came from Alinwe's attempts to make her do things she didn't want to. Once the Altmer realised her spells were ineffective, the Breton's chance to learn more had evaporated. "She'll send word if they try and contact Alinwe, so we still have a possibility that this will pick up where it left off."

They could only wait and hope.

[Acadian]

Thank goodness for spell reflection!

‘He was still staring at Alinwe. Even though she was dead, she was still magnificent. It was unfortunate that she'd had to die. Perhaps he was projecting Taminwe's skills on her, and she wasn't as good as she looked, but she definitely would have been interesting! He found himself almost sympathetic to Falanu, now.’

I wonder what the goblins wanted with the silver phallus? Someone stole their totem and the shaman has a sense of humor?

[Grits]

He wasn't all that good at sneaking, but he could use his invisibility spell, if he was careful, and if Alinwe wasn't using life detection. He thought that unlikely, as she was probably using all her magicka controlling the girls.

I particularly like this part. She can’t use all magic at all times, and Clark figures out how to use his skills to get the job done himself. His spell reflection meeting Alinwe’s natural weakness was another great touch. Darnand is hoping I will forget about that.


He briefly thought of Angeline and Diablita, who were probably fighting goblins right now, but Mariette soon got his attention back.

They will be disappointed when they don’t find what they’re looking for! I hope Clark is prepared.

[mALX]

*

First off, I am so sorry it took so long to get here, I have been sick as a dog this week.

Loved the degrees and distinctions in the acts to qualify for the guild or qualify to be against the guild if practiced outside of it! Bill Clinton needed to learn these, lol.

Also, the silver Phallus, ROFL !!! Do I detect a "Naughty Little Claudia" clutter item? ROFL !!! Awesome Update!


*

[ghastley]

@Acadian: of course the goblins are just ignorant victims here. Alinwe was just using them as scapegoats for her own misuse of cult equipment. She's got it locked in her chest.

@Grits: I did at least point the sisters at a ruin that contains Shadowbanish wine. It won't be a complete waste of time going there.

@mALX: Yes, there's a clutter item. But I leave it in the cave. There's no point letting Angeline and Diablita get distracted by toys.

----

I'm working simultaneously on three new quests for the mod. One covers Uzgash coming down to the City from Falkreath, and it's similar to what was described here, with the stripping in Olav's, but without the bridge collapse. Another takes Morgiah and Rinnala across Cyrodiil from Anvil to the Morrowind border, and the last one starts the split of the Mages Guild.

This episode is a part of an older quest that's needed for a bit of background for what's to come.

----------------

Randonil's tale

Whenever Tsarrina came to the Imperial City to help with the book-keeping, Clark would take her place at Gweden. He was sure that the place would run itself perfectly well without him, but it kept up the appearance of being a dutiful manager for the Count of Kvatch. Besides that, there were a few other reasons he liked to visit the place.

One of them was Virgilia, the Imperial who'd made an early impression on him when he first visited as a reporter. But this time, she was with a tall Altmer mage, and the way she was looking at him made him think it wasn't just another customer.

"This is Randonil," she told him. "Remember how I told you about sneaking an invisible fellow student into my bedroom when I was trying to lose my virginity? This is him! And I know you're not a reporter any more, but I think you'd like to hear the rest of the story."

To be honest, Clark had only given that job up reluctantly. Whenever he could, he still wrote anonymous articles for the Courier. It was good writing practice, and that helped with his books. Those too, he thought ruefully, were just a hobby now.

It was his own article about Gweden that had got their story going again. Randonil had completely lost track of Virgilia when her parents sent her away to live with her Aunt Rosentia. He'd given up all hope of seeing her again at the Arcane University, and immersed himself in his studies to try and forget. But then he'd read about Gweden in the Black Horse Courier and something seemed very familiar.

He'd graduated some time before, and was doing some research work for the senior staff, but nothing that couldn't be interrupted. He got permission to travel down to the Gold Coast to see if Virgilia really had found her way there. Somewhere between Skingrad and Kvatch, he'd been waylaid by bandits.

That hadn't been entirely unexpected, and he hadn't had too much trouble defeating them, but with his magicka reserves dangerously low, he had no defense against the necromancers who turned up next. Cursing his luck, he'd been dragged off to Fort Linchal and imprisoned there. He wasn't sure what they had in mind for him, and why they hadn't killed him immediately. The cell they put him in kept his magicka drained, and he had no option but to wait for things to develop as they might. At least he'd written ahead to the Count's Arms let them know he was coming. When he didn't turn up, someone might come looking for him.

It took rather longer than he'd expected. Wilbur had sent a message back to the University, instead of raising the guard in Anvil. Raminus Polus had alerted the Arch-mage.

"That's the boss, of course," Virgilia pointed out. "He was here at Gweden when Raminus' Dremora messenger popped out of nowhere and gave him a note. It's a good thing thing Prizna wasn't in the room, or she'd have been scared she was being called back!"

"So you were there and saw it?" Clark asked.

"Of course. That's probably the only reason I was able to persuade him to let me come along. Raminus didn't provide a lot of information, just that Randonil was coming to look for me, so naturally he quizzed me for anything I knew."

She continued explaining everything that had happened next. They'd gone up to the city to ask around at the University for any clues to the disappearance. Maybe one of Randonil's colleagues would have some ideas on his route, or something. "I took my armor with me. It wasn't much use as armor, because it doesn't cover much, but it was better than nothing."

Clark and Randonil grinned at each other when she said that. They both liked the idea of nothing, especially on Virgilia.

"Well, it's quite good at being armor now," Virgilia told them. "Raminus suggested that we ask Delmar to enchant it with Shield, so it would function properly. It's better than Ebony now, even if it does still remind me of goblins."

"We left it with him, while we went off to Cheydinhal. The Arch-mage had to install Deetsan as chapter head, and give her a promotion to Warlock. There was also a candidate for the Mages Council there to interview, an Orc battlemage by the name of Orgul gro-Kurak."

"Then we came down to Anvil, to ask Carahil to join the council, too. She wouldn't do it until the Arch-mage found someone to replace her, so we went back to the University, to see if Raminus had any news, and to collect my armor."

"That's when we got the tip-off that the necromancers had been seen taking someone towards Fort Linchal. The three of us, Orgul, the boss and I, all went off to the fort to look for Randonil. Orgul hates necromancers, something to do with a family crypt I think, so he was eager to get involved."

Randonil reminded her that Raminus had taught her a few extra spells, so she could actually help them. "She's a quick learner. I'm sure she'd have done well at the University if she'd had the chance to continue her studies. It wasn't just her other obvious talents that attracted me to her."

He hadn't seen any of the action, being stuck in a cell deep in the fort while most of it was going on. "And Virgilia's been too modest to tell me about it. Apparently she thinks I'd be upset about her putting herself in danger to rescue me."

"To be honest, I was hiding behind Orgul and the Champ most of the time," she admitted. "One of the spells Raminus taught me was healing, and it seemed to be a better use of my reserves than trying to hurl fireballs or lightning."

"Orgul didn't use that kind of spell either. He seemed to prefer summoning a war-axe and hacking with it. He said it was better in confined spaces like the corridors of the fort, and that the necromancers might absorb spells cast at them. My impression was that he just liked being hands-on when he dispatched a necromancer."

Randonil agreed with that judgement. "I'm no battlemage, and they do get more weapons training than the rest of us, but Orgul did seem to delight in splitting necromancer's skulls with his axe on the way out. And it was he who insisted that we clear the place, and not just leave once I was found."

"Did you ever find out why they kept you alive?" Clark asked Randonil.

"No, although it's possible they hoped that I'd join them. Many of the necromancers are Altmer, so perhaps they thought I'd be sympathetic. The other possibility was ransom, but I gather no notes were delivered to ask for any payment."

"You haven't told him what happened afterwards," Virgilia reminded Randonil.

"Oh, yes, the best part! We all continued to Anvil, and the Arch-mage talked to Carahil again about joining the Mages Council. When she repeated her objection, he made me her replacement! Apparently he'd had a recommendation from Raminus Polus that I was ready for a chapter position, and it all just fit so perfectly."

"So Randonil's in charge in Anvil, and we can see each other all the time!" Virgilia bubbled.

Clark wondered what the Altmer thought of Virgilia continuing her employment at Gweden. He'd known about that when he came here to look for her. "I'm the same age as she is," he pointed out. "That's a trivial part of an elf's life expectancy. I won't be looking for a wife for a century or more, and she's as much fun as I need now, the way things are. Her capacity for this greatly exceeds my meager needs. And she's learning so much, I can't complain."

"It would have been splendid to be each other's first, but it didn't happen that way. We've consoled ourselves with the fact that we actually knew what we were doing when it did happen.That first experience of each other was a lot better than it would have been."

"Talking of first times," Virgilia interrupted, "I've not had two of my favorite men together at the same time before."

"It's a good thing Tsarrina's not here to hear you say that," Clark told her sternly. "She'd be expecting double the income from you in future!"

"Three in the bathtub might be a first too," Randonil suggested. Clark doubted it, but it did sound like a good idea. They headed down the basement stairs. He had a few more ideas for "firsts", but he'd save them for later.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 26 2013, 01:53 AM

[Acadian]

So Carahil is part of the Council of Mages! How wonderful for her and Traven. And Rattatoui Randonil is in charge of the Anvil MG branch!

I like Orgul’s direct approach to necrohunting.

So they’re headed for the tub. Bubbles!

[Grits]

"That's the boss, of course," Virgilia pointed out. "He was here at Gweden when Raminus' Dremora messenger popped out of nowhere and gave him a note. It's a good thing thing Prizna wasn't in the room, or she'd have been scared she was being called back!"

Oh my. That is a hilarious image!

Yay for Shield charms.

I like Orgul’s armor over robes look. (I checked out his page to make sure I wasn’t missing anything.)

And Carahil finally gets her promotion!!

[mALX]

First off, I am so sorry it took so long to get here and read this. RL has been pure hell this past couple weeks.

Orgul hates necromancers, something to do with a family crypt I think, so he was eager to get involved."

This line made me laugh, maybe it wasn't meant to be funny but it just struck me that way. Like there needs to be a personal reason to hate a necromancer, lol. And just the hint of a story without the telling of it - loved that line!

Orgul has meager needs? Maybe the brothel will have some "Stallion Potion" to assist him in that? Lol. Great Write!

[ghastley]

@Acadian and Grits: Carahil and Orgul will be relevent in a later chapter, but it was really Randonil, and his experience with the necrodudes, that I needed to introduce before I refer back to them.

@mALX: No it's Randonil with the meager needs, and that's only in comparison to Virgilia. In the mod, he visits the farm once a week, and Virgilia visits him once a week, too. I don't know if Carahil and Orgul get up anything in the Council Chamber at night, I don't often go and peek!

The next few episodes recount a new quest I'm building that has the player escort Morgiah and Rinnala across Cyrodiil. The "one camp at a time" aspect makes sure that they at least have to get past a few bandits, and not just fast travel all the way.

---------------

Black Queen's Gambit - Part 1

Clark knew the location of Atrene Camp. It wasn't too far from Gweden, and Darwen had taken him there once. She'd said they'd be hunting bears, but she didn't ask him to bring a weapon, and they didn't see any bears. He suspected she just wanted to get him away from all the other women, and have him all to herself. It was one of the few campsites that never seemed to harbor bandits, so it was a nice safe location for an afternoon of fun and games. He wondered if that was what Morgiah and Rinnala had in mind.

Clark had been asked to escort the two through Cyrodiil. They'd be arriving by ship from Firsthold, but they wouldn't anchor in Anvil harbor. Instead they'd come ashore by rowboat, and head for the campsite, bypassing the town completely. Apparently they thought it was safer for them to stay away from cities, and main roads.

They were waiting at the camp when he arrived. An Altmer sailor from the ship was on guard, but Clark gave the right password and was allowed past to meet the Dunmers. Both were dressed as commoners, but you couldn't describe either as inconspicuous. Morgiah's preference for bright red clothes had been inherited by Rinnala, and both liked to feel the sun on their breasts.

He'd been told that the taller one would be the daughter, and he was glad that he had that difference to go by. Morgiah didn't look significantly older, but whether that was just a Dunmer's natural slow aging, or if she'd enhanced that effect with alteration or illusion magic, he couldn't tell.

It was apparent, however, who was in charge. Morgiah dismissed the sailor back to his ship. "Now the Earl's here to look after us, we won't be needing your services any more. Go back to Firsthold, in case my son needs the ship."

The sailor bowed, and left. The glance back at Rinnala suggested to Clark that his duties had included a bit more than just protection. Rinnala, on the other hand, was only looking at Clark.

He asked Morgiah what she had planned, but she'd been waiting for his arrival before making up her mind. "Do you think we could pass for sisters?" she asked him. "We don't want to travel as mother and daughter, or we might leave clues for anyone following our trail."

He was reluctant to offend Rinnala by suggesting she looked as old as her mother. A young lady wants to appear mature, not old, and one's mother is always of an older generation. "Why not just use similar names, and not tell anyone what your relationship is?" he suggested. "Sisters, cousins, whatever. You have a family resemblence that anyone could spot, but there's no need to be specific. Let them guess."

They both seemed to like that idea, and set to making up names. He suggested borrowing Falanu and Miranu. They were cousins, and looked as similar as these two, although they really were about the same age. They didn't think that was a good idea. The real Falanu and Miranu might become unintended victims, if anyone followed that false trail.

"Tolisi and Tanasa, then - I know they're both dead already." Those were rejected, too. Rinnala did not want a dead woman's name. Well, not a recently dead one, anyway. It's a different matter being named after an honored ancestor.

Morgiah lit the camp fire and started assembling the ingredients for a stew from the sacks they'd brought with them. Clark had expected cooking to be one of his duties, not something a Queen and Princess would do. Morgiah reminded him that she wasn't trusting anyone on this trip. She'd prepare her own food, until she knew him better.

As they ate, the two women continued proposing and rejecting names. He learned quite a lot from their reasons for discarding some of them. They belonged to people he didn't know, but the women did. Usually friends of one, but not the other.

After their meal, Morgiah pointed at one of the small one-person tents, and told Rinnala to go and get some sleep. The look she gave her mother made it clear that wasn't what she had in mind, but she did as she was directed.

Morgiah, meanwhile, led Clark to the larger tent, pulled him inside, and closed the flap.

"You need to know something about why we left the Summerset Isle," she told him. "Have you heard of a group of thugs called 'the Beautiful'? Probably not, the news had only just reached Firsthold when we departed. They'd issued threats to most of the royal families, and illustrated what they meant by abducting the daughter of the King of Shimmerene. Not for ransom, you understand. They wanted to create fear, and what they did to her achieved just that. I don't think Rinnala knows about it, because I'm sure it would have quite put her off sex. You're not a woman, so you wouldn't be able to imagine what that poor creature went through."

"And it will be good for Rinnala to get away from the court for a while. I remember being in the same situation in Wayrest. I was the odd one out, the only Dunmer girl in a sea of Bretons. I also had Princess Elysana to contend with. Not only was she a rival for every man in Wayrest, but she wasn't above spreading lies about her half-sister and brother. I took the first chance I got to be out of there."

"I was still in the minority in Firsthold, but I was the Queen, and that makes a big difference. I was so grateful to Karoodil, I was almost faithful to him. And I probably could have been, if he didn't go off chasing pirates so much. The Altmer are a xenophobic lot, and only have eyes for their own. If we hadn't had ambassadors from all around Tamriel, I don't know what I'd have done for amusement."

"The common people are just as bad. You probably recall that I had to put down an uprising led by Lady Gialene not so long ago. If we'd stayed, I'm sure that would only have happened again. Bringing Rinnala away from Firsthold is just what she needs. It's not just for her safety, she's at the age where she needs to explore her tastes, and she needs a better selection of partners than she'd have back there."

Clark wondered whether the mother needed a wider selection, too. Morgiah had much of her legendary mother Barenziah's intelligence, and it wasn't just coincidence that Morgiah had decided to pass for Rinnala's sister. She knew that everyone would expect her to be just as promiscuous as the younger woman, and he suspected she was going to make the most of the opportunity.

"I've seen the way Rinnala was looking at you," Morgiah told him. "Of course, she looks at most men that way, at her age. She'll doubtless feel a bit constrained by her mother's presence on this trip, but if she's got any brains, she'll find a way to get you alone. Don't disappoint her."

"Do I give you any reason to suspect that I would?" he asked.

"No I'm sure that Orsinium arranged for you to escort us with that in mind," she responded. "The Orc who taught her Blade and Blunt undoubtedly taught her other things, and he'd have reported her tastes to his masters when he passed on our request. So we assume you're just what she asked for. The only question is whether she really knows what she wants. After all, that's why she's looking around, just like any woman of her age."

"I don't know anything about you, and so I can't trust you, yet. I sent one of the ship's crew into Anvil to ask around, and he came back with a bit of information about a brothel outside town called Gweden Farm. And you're the Earl of Gweden, any connection?"

"Yes, in the sense that my title does come from that place. It was a private joke of Ocato's, because my Earldom derives from running the Imperial CIty's best brothel. The Potentate is a regular customer, and we have a few mutual interests. I'm just the manager, it belongs to the Count of Kvatch, as does the local one." He could see that this wasn't all news to Morgiah, and his honest response was making her more comfortable trusting a stranger.

"I've heard of the Red Dragon Club," Morgiah continued. "It does have a good reputation among the diplomatic community as a clean establishment with a good wine cellar." She didn't seem to mind letting him know what she already knew. That was probably a good sign.

"Gweden Farm serves a good glass too," he told her. "It's not so far from Skingrad, and in my opinion at least, the best wines in Cyrodiil come from Tamika's vineyard there. We should make a point of sampling some when we pass through."

"Well, we have to give that a miss. We won't be going through any of the cities on our journey. That's exactly what anyone sent to follow us will expect, and they'll have spies looking out for us in them. Our plans are to go cross-country, and stop in campsites like this one. It will mean forgoing the protection of the Legion and city guards, but I'm not sure they're any more trustworthy than anyone else."

"A lot of these campsites are popular with bandits," he pointed out. "You just can't predict which will be safe, and which won't."

"A lesser risk than entering the cities. Bandits go around in small bands, and we're not incapable of handling that limited a threat. They probably won't be any worse than the wild animals of the forests. We just need your local knowledge to keep us away from goblins. They're tribal, and tend to congregate in large numbers. Tough fetchers, too."

"Where are we headed next, then?" he asked.

"I'll let you know when we leave here," replied Morgiah. "And that might not be for a few days. We don't want to stay here long enough for anyone to find us, but we also don't want to be predictable. Our departure will be as randomly determined as I can make it."

Morgiah pulled the flap of the tent aside just a little, so she could peek through the gap towards Rinnala's bedroll. Her daughter looked like she was sleeping, but she knew better than to rely on appearances. "Go bring the other bedroll in here," she told him. "If I leave you here alone, you might not get any sleep."

[Acadian]

Camp hopping it is! And, no doubt sampling the bedrolls in each to ensure they’re fit for royalty.

At first, I thought that Morgiah doing her own cooking was going to symbolize her link with the common mer. But I see now it is just a precaution to avoid the royal danger of poisoning.

Buffy, when she sleeps at a bandit camp, hits the bedroll she uses with both a frost and dispel spell to get all the cooties out. Oh, and as you may know, tmar’s characters (Baa & Mooch) use fast travel to go bandit camp hopping. They like popping into the middle of a fight though - great fun I suppose, if you've got the stones for it.

[mALX]

This was fascinating, absolutely LOVED the plans for changing Morgiah's name and the background story! She and Barenziah are two of my favorite characters in the Lore. Awesome Write!

[Grits]

I like all of the security measures, especially having to stop at various camps along the way. That will allow time for Morgiah’s and Rinnala’s characters to really make an impression.

[ghastley]

@Acadian: I'm sure Morgiah will learn to trust Clark soon. Like in this episode.

@mALX: Barenziah's probably a role-model for both these women. To be seen later.

@Grits: The multiple camps was a necessary part of the mod, or there'd be nothing to do, but it does help here.

-----------------

Black Queen's Gambit - Part 2

"Last night ... you didn't, did you? Not with my mother!" The look on Rinnala's face was a complex mixture of emotions. Hope that nothing had happened, mixed with all sorts of disbelief that her mother might have actually...

He assured her that Morgiah had just wanted him where she could keep an eye on him, and all that had happened was sleep. He had to stop himself showing any disappointment, as he wasn't yet sure how Rinnala would react to him finding Morgiah attractive. Or even, as he suspected, to her thinking the same of him.

For now, he just reminded her that Morgiah was only about thirty-five years older than her. Barenziah had been nearly 400 when she conceived Morgiah. She hadn't thought about it that way before.

Rinnala saw her mother walking over to them, and asked "Are we leaving today?"

Morgiah responded that with the day's fine weather, it would be just what anyone would expect them to do, so they wouldn't.

"Then could I go down to the beach for a swim? It looked deserted when we came ashore, except for a mud crab or two."

Morgiah looked questioningly at Clark, and then replied. "Why not? Let's all go."

---

As soon as they reached the edge of the sand, Rinnala was slipping out of her shoes. If Morgiah hadn't stopped her, she'd have taken everything off, and just run naked into the ocean. "Pick those up, and make a tidy pile of everything over on that rock!" she was instructed.

That didn't slow her down by much, and soon Clark and Morgiah were watching her frolic in the waves, while they took off their own clothes at a more sedate pace, and added them to the pile. Morgiah asked for a lot more assistance with the process than she needed. Clark was glad to have his attention pulled away from the display that Rinnala was putting on. He rather wanted to have a swim himself, before the ladies decided he was ready for anything else.

He could make a show of being polite, closing his eyes, when Morgiah revealed too much, and not give any offense. He declined her offer to assist him unlacing his pants, and quickly got into the water before she could make any other move.

That seemed to amuse her immensely. He felt her splash into the water behind him and she whispered in his ear. "If you'd let me, I'd have cast a spell to solve your problem. It's one I use when I want to humiliate a man, but it has its beneficial uses, too!"

"Does Rinnala know that spell?" he asked.

"Of course, but I can't imagine her wanting to use it," Morgiah responded, pulling him around so that he'd have to look at her, and not Rinnala. The younger woman was bending over in the shallow waves near the beach, pretending to look for clams. "And don't worry, the opposite spell is beyond anyone's abilities."

"Ah! You know there's a potion for that." Clark told Morgiah about Miranu's wonderful potion #9.

"Really? That could be very useful!" she exclaimed. "The most powerful men are quite often advanced in years, and not always as ... amenable to persuasion ... as the younger ones. That potion could make all the difference."

With that happy thought, she took his hand and lead him out into the deeper water to swim.

Morgiah dived down towards the bottom, and he drew a deep breath and followed. She levelled out and skimmed her hand through the top of the sea-grasses, flushing small fish out of their hiding places, and watching them dart around trying to hide again. After about a minute, she rolled over to face him, and beckoned, but he was heading back to the surface for air.

"Don't you know a water-breathing spell?" an incredulous Morgiah asked. "I'd better teach you one quickly, or you and Rinnala won't be able to hide from me."

Alteration wasn't his area of expertise, but that really was a simple spell. Still, it took a couple of tries before he got the casting motion right, possibly because what Morgiah was doing would distract anyone. Two could play at that game, he thought.

Morgiah thought that turnabout was more than just fair, but she lifted his head and pointed over his shoulder . Rinnala had spotted them on the surface and had swum out to join in the fun.

---

Morgiah had another spell to offer when the three emerged from the water to look for the rock that was keeping their clothes dry. She summoned three heated towels, handed one to Clark and asked him to dry her back. Rinnala picked hers up and got to work on Clark.

---

Back at the camp, it was clear to Clark that a lot of the earlier tension had gone. Morgiah seemed to trust him now, and she also appeared to have decided not to tease her daughter by keeping too close a rein on him. Now his worry was that they might decide to share, instead of take turns. He'd had practice with Minx and Carwen, and of course Angeline and Diablita, but that was just pleasure, and these two were business.

"We'll leave tomorrow," Morgiah announced, "so you two had better make the most of the large tent tonight. We don't know what accomodation there will be for us at Brotch Camp."

"Rinnala, he can walk on his own...."

[Grits]

Clark had a good point about the very slim age difference (by Elven standards) between mother and daughter. Of course to Rinnala her mother would seem ancient, even though they might look very much the same.

The water breathing spell is one of my favorites just for sheer enjoyment. What a fun day at the beach.

"Rinnala, he can walk on his own...."

[Acadian]

Seems like Clark was having a hard time getting undressed at the beach, what with Morgiah pulling on his attention. Oh noes! Morgiah’s got a spell that can soften things up!

‘She summoned three heated towels,’
Kewl! Buffy would have to summon three times for three towels and wouldn’t have a clue about magically warming them without risking a fire.

What a magically fun day at the beach!