Postcards from Tamriel, Stories and such that fall somewhere between a snippet and a thread Options

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Small, bare feet ran through the cobblestone streets of the Imperial City. The smell of spices and cooked meat filled the air, and the sound of sauted vegetables filled the ears of the small Breton girl. The streets of the Imperial city were littered with food places, places to eat in a hurry, to eat outside, to take food home. Carts with pastries, exotic foods and any number of dishes you could think of were torture to the orphans of the streets.

The tiny girl with auburn hair and hazel eyes watched as her target bought his food. She waited a moment before following as he briskly walked towards the gates to the Talos Plaza District. She followed behind him at an idle pace, keeping an eye on him. The guard stopped her at the gate.

"No."

"Please? The smell hurts my belly."

"Then go to the next district."

Fat tears rolled down the girl's face as her target slipped through the gates. The waterworks then became real as her chance for a meal disappeared as the gates closed. The guard looked guilty and knelt, his steel armor creaked.

"What's your name?"

The girl sniffled. "Samara."

"Samara what?"

"Samara Sage."

"What's your last name?"

She shrugged. "Mama and Daddy are dead."

"And where do you stay?"

"The orphanage near the prisons."

"Tell you what," he stood up and reached into the pockets under his greaves and pulled out five septims. "Take this," he knelt again, "and buy something from one of the carts. Something you've always wanted."

Samara eagerly took the money with a huge smile, her red, blotchy face now lined with joy. The gaurd stepped back to his post as the girl scurried off.

"That child won't survive the streets, Victus," his companion said. Victus turned his head and looked at the other guard.

"I'm going to speak with the Captain about the conditions of the orphanage. They receive funding from the city, there shouldn't be children looking like her wandering the streets if she stays there. The inspections officer is being lied to."

"Or he's pocketing the bribe money."

"There are four groups you never steal from. Orphans, widows and widowers, refugees, and the elderly. The city can dress it up all they want, but I'm not going to stand for this."

"You'll learn. The government is the bow, and the Legion is the arrow fired. We do what we are told."

"She wouldn't be stealing and pickpocketing if things were ran the correct way." I did not join to watch innocents die while we sit idly by. I thought the Legion stood for something?

Victus finished his shift and walked towards the guard barracks. He changed out of his gear and headed to the All Saints Inn, where he ordered a bottle of beer. He kicked back at a small table for one in the corner and watched. Most of the patrons didn't recognize him out of uniform, but those who did stayed away from him. He knew it was for the constant professional and paranoid demeanor the guards were encouraged to have, but as far as he was concerned, the steel was meaning less and less to him.

He drank one more beer before heading out, his mind wandering slightly. The tall, white-stoned buildings had kept him feeling safe and secure as a child, even when he grew up in the orphanage. The same orphanage the little girl had come from. He wondered if the same Imperial woman who had beat him as a child was still allowed to beat the other children.

He felt ill when the bruises on her arm had sprang up in his mind's eye. Were there bruises, or were they just a projection of his own experiences? Victus couldn't immediately recall any bruising on her arms.

He fell into his bed at the barracks and fell asleep without pulling the covers over himself.

[SubRosa]

Vae Victus! That was a nice little piece, which immediately made me think of a young Teresa of the Faint Smile.

[Elisabeth Hollow]

I only read a little bit of Teresa. I know she was a beggar, but that's it lol

[Grits]

I was reminded of Teresa, too! Fortunately for Samara Victus has a gentler approach than Vols. This was a nice bit of background for Samara. Is this the character you’re playing in Oblivion now?

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Samara is in "At My Feet," but sea much older.

[Grits]

(This is just a page from the Darnandex, a supplement to Jerric's Story.)

Appendix Three:

A Map of Game Quests Within the Story

Main Quest

Tutorial
Deliver the Amulet
Find the Heir
Breaking the Seige of Kvatch
The Battle for Castle Kvatch
Weynon Priory
The Path of Dawn part one


Mages Guild Recommendations

Anvil
Skingrad
Chorrol
Bruma


Fighters Guild Quests

A Rat Problem
The Unfortunate Shopkeeper


Daedric Quests

Meridia
Sanguine (unfinished)


Miscellaneous Quests

Go Fish
The Killing Field
The Siren's Deception
The Sunken One
When the Vow Breaks
Zero Visibility

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This post has been edited by Grits: May 21 2014, 10:44 AM

[Grits]

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Appendix Four: Geography

Changes and Additions found in Jerric's Tamriel

Places that are in the same location but different from the games:


Brina Cross/Brina's Crossing: A market village at the junction of the Gold Road and the road to Sutch.

Fort Virtue: An operational Legion fort and naval station. Commercial traffic and public ferries use the adjacent docks.

Gnoll's Meeting Camp: A bare-bones way station operated by former bandits.

Kvatch Mages Guild: Specializes in Alchemy training.

Sutch: It's a real city.

Weye: A market town hosting wholesalers every Tirdas and Fredas.




You won't find these in the games:


Hope Valley: A Breton kahve farming settlement in the high valleys north of the Orange Road and east of Hrotanda Vale.

Mattapi: A Nord and Dunmer village in the mountains above Blacklight.

Pottersville: A village of clay miners and potters east of the Kvatch plateau.

The Riptide: A tavern located at the Anvil harbor's east end.

Tannertown: A settlement of leather workers northeast of the Kvatch plateau.

Troll Rock Lane: A dirt track connecting a series of farmsteads in County Chorrol including the Odiil Farm.

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This post has been edited by Grits: Mar 5 2019, 01:46 AM

[Darkness Eternal]

Hmm. New places. Cyrodiil is never a small place, is it?

Great places and clever names! Look forward to more, Grits, seeing these places in the post in description, that is.

[Grits]

(Still adding to this...)

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Appendix Five: A Timeline for Jerric’s World Stories

3E403

Spring, Sonstra and Kjelling

20 Sun’s Dusk, Jerric is born


3E414

Summer, Jerric and Rhano’s Tides


3E432

Evening Star, Abiene’s Home for the Holidays


3E433

Sun’s Height, Jerric’s Story Chapter One

25 Last Seed, Chapter Three, Imperial City

28 Last Seed, Chapter Four, Aleswell

3 Hearthfire, Chapter Five, Chorrol

4 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 1, Odiil Farm

7 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 2, Weye

12 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 4, Skingrad

15 Hearthfire, Chapter Seven, Kvatch

28 Hearthfire, Chapter Eight part 4, Weynon Priory

6 Frostfall, Chapter Eight part 5, Cloud Ruler Temple

11 Frostfall, Chapter Eight part 6, Jerric begins to wander

20 Sun’s Dusk, Jerric turns 30

4 Evening Star, Chapter Nine, Anvil




For quick reference, the Tamrielic Months and their Gregorian Equivalents
Morning Star / January
Sun’s Dawn / February
First Seed / March
Rain’s Hand / April
Second Seed / May
Midyear / June
Sun’s Height / July
Last Seed /August
Hearthfire / September
Frostfall / October
Sun’s Dusk / November
Evening Star / December

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This post has been edited by Grits: Jul 24 2014, 06:11 PM

[Acadian]

As soon as I saw Jerric's birthday, I raced to the wikilore page to translate it to 20 November and put in in my calendar. Then I got to the end of your post and saw that you had already anticipated what I would do. Then I did a face palm.

Thanks for posting this little slice of JerricLore!

[Grits]

Thank you for being such a wonderful and supportive friend!

[SubRosa]

And if you want a quick reference of which birthsign corresponds to which month:

CODE

Morning Star    January        The Ritual
Sun's Dawn    February         The Lover
First Seed        March         The Lord
Rain's Hand    April            The Mage
Second Seed    May             The Shadow
Midyear        June             The Steed
Sun's Height    July            The Apprentice
Last Seed        August         The Warrior
Hearthfire        September     The Lady
Frostfall        October        The Tower
Sun's Dusk    November        The Atronach
Evening Star    December        The Thief

bah, it refuses to keep the formatting no matter what I try. If you quote the post you will see it all formatted.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 24 2014, 06:52 PM

[Acadian]

Oh I completely forgot about the birth signs. Jerric's an Astronaut of course so naturally he was born in Sun's Dusk. Just like Buffy = Mage/Rains Hand. And that means, I guess, that Methie (at least in TF) was born in Second Seed.

[Darkness Eternal]

Great stuff Grits. Peaked my curiosity.

Subrosa, are those birth signs and months correspondence Lin lore? Just curious.

[SubRosa]

Great stuff Grits. Peaked my curiosity.

Subrosa, are those birth signs and months correspondence Lin lore? Just curious.

Yep. I got it all off I the Imperial Library and the UESP Wiki. The wiki had the TES months and their Gregorian counterparts, and I think it was the IL that had the birthsigns by month.

Of course there is the Serpent sign too, which doesn't have a regular month. It can pop up at any time.

[ghastley]

Signs to months is in the in-game book The Firmament - you can't get any more canon than that. It's been in the game since Morrowind at least.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 11 2014, 06:12 PM

[Darkness Eternal]

Hmmm. Can't believe I missed that. I've read it before. Thanks.

[Acadian]

* * *

My dear Jerric,

As Sun’s Dusk the 20th will soon herald the anniversary of your birth, I hope the courier carrying this letter and gift is able to find you for a timely delivery.

My gift to you is a small pale blue aetherial fragment that I have named ‘Jerric’s Stone’. It fully recharges your magicka – but unlike a welkynd stone, is not destroyed in the process. After use, however, the stone requires a full day to refill itself with magicka before it can be used again. You don’t want to know how I came by it, but the stone is a byproduct from the creation of Azura’s Star ages ago. Happily, an aspect of the reusable nature of the Star lingers within this fragment. My hope is that, as an atronach battlemage, you will find it useful. If Jerric’s Stone turns the tide of even one battle for you, then I shall know I chose wisely.

Superian and I are still traveling Skyrim. As I’m sure you know, winter arrives early and rides a harsh wind in this Nordic land. With every snowfall, I am grateful for the resist frost toe ring you so thoughtfully gifted to me several years ago.

Please convey my warmest regards to Darnand, Abiene, Lildereth and your stable of wonderful animals.

With great affection, Buffy

[Grits]

,

20 Sun’s Dusk
Whiterun


Jerric breezed through the Bannered Mare’s front door and headed straight to the bar. Hulda glanced up from her mopping. She did not look surprised to see him. “Hungry, tired, or just plain thirsty?” she asked.

“I’m two out of three, and you can guess which, I’ll wager.” Jerric shouldered in between two patrons and leaned on the bar.

“The usual, then?”

“Yep. A pitcher of ale and beef with bread and a side of horker loaf, with mead and venison stew while we’re waiting. And some Honnigbrew mead. And an apple. Two apples. Better make that three apples.”

Hulda raised a brow. “We? It’s not all for you this time?”

“Well, yeah. But I’m going to sit over there with my friends. They likely ate hours ago.” He gestured to where Lildereth sat at a table, a wine goblet at her elbow. The elf’s scowl seemed to be working. In the crowded tavern no one had managed to steal her extra chairs. “So we’ll be waiting for me to get my dinner,” Jerric finished.

Hulda started to turn away.

“Hold on a moment. I need to write a letter. Do you have some parchment I could borrow?”

Now Hulda’s other brow went up. “Borrow ? Write?”

“Uh, and some ink and a quill?”

The innkeeper gathered the materials and walked off to arrange his meal.

Jerric viewed the bar top. Crumbs swam in a sea of spilled mead and wine. Hulda’s efforts at cleaning could not keep up with the locals’ excesses tonight. This town knew how to celebrate Warrior’s Festival. He cleared the clutter off of a nearby side table and smoothed the parchment sheet.

Be careful, he told himself. Take your time so she can read it. He doubted that Hulda’s good graces would extend to more supplies if he made too many mistakes.

Jerric reached into his pocket for the gift Buffy had sent to him. Jerric’s Stone rested on his palm like a chip of pure sky. Magicka tickled his hand as it flowed steadily into the stone, refilling it. The tavern’s sounds and smells faded to the background as he thought of the little elf with dazzling blue eyes who had been so thoughtful and remembered his birthday.

He set the stone beside his hand and carefully dipped the quill.

Dearest Buffy,

Next time I see you get ready, because I’m going to hug you off your feet. The courier found me this morning right by the bridge over the White River. I got a chance to try your gift out right away because I was on my way to a job and as usual had about enough magicka left to heal a hangnail. I guess you know that spot’s a good place to find bandits. You would not enjoy the noise and mess my frost runes make, but they sure got the job done today. The road’s a little safer now at least for a few days and I didn’t even get my blade wet thanks to the magicka from Jerric’s Stone.

Buffy, this is the part that may sound womanish. You know how it is with the days like birthdays when some of the ones you love can’t ever be there with you again. I started off this morning fighting back that feeling. Then you remembered my magicka problems and thought of me on my birthday, and I don’t have the words for how much that means. I will use Jerric’s Stone every day even when something’s not trying to end my life, and each time I will think of you with thanks for your gift which is a true treasure. Even more precious is your kind heart and your friendship.

Now I think that’s enough of that kind of talk. I’m glad to hear you’re keeping warm. We’re staying in a little house in Whiterun this winter next to Adrienne and Ulfberth’s shop. You should come stay with us when you and Superian are passing through. There’s plenty of fresh air even with all of us in there breathing it on account of the gaps between the walls and the roof, and the gaps in the walls, and I’d guess also the gaps in the roof. Maybe that’s how the house got its name. But it has a big fireplace and we have piles of furs so it works out all right.

Everyone says hello right back to you. Darnand had a lot of questions he wanted me to ask you about Jerric’s Stone but I think we can skip all that and let him figure things out himself. We’ll raise a glass to you tonight, and I’ll drink a beer for Superian.

Thank you, Buffy. You made me grin so much it hurts.

Love from your friend,

Jerric

[SubRosa]

Happy birthday to Jerric, and his stones. When I was at the grocery story today I noticed that People Magazine voted him sexiest man alive.