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> The Gweden report, A story of the story of the stories.
ghastley
post Jan 20 2014, 11:15 PM
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@Acadian: The Wayrest Painting in Daggerfall is described thus: The scene in the painting shifts and twists. You can clearly see the inside of a tent. Several men in the livery of Wayrest are intensely debating with a man bearing the coat of arms of Daggerfall. One of the Wayrest men slips behind the Daggerfall man, draws a dagger and casually slides it between his ribs. The image fades as the life ebbs from his body. It's supposed to be an animated cut-scene in the game, but it doesn't work in mine. sad.gif

Retrieving it is one of the quests in the MQ line, but its background isn't explained much. So this episode will do that.

@Grits: The book was in Morrowind and Oblivion, and it's in Skyrim, too, so Bethesda think it's worth keeping.

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

Previously: Clark met a Redguard named Haballa, who tried to use the Lover's Kiss power against him. She still managed to persuade him to go look for the Wayrest Painting for her, but perhaps that's what Clark intended anyway.

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Nocturnal - Part XVI

Clark travelled to Chorrol, expecting to find the sisters at Arborwatch, and ask them if they knew anything about the theft from the castle there. He was told that they were most likely out at Weatherleah with the Jemane twins. So he went to Chorrol Castle, and spoke with the herald, Laythe Wavrick.

"The Countess has recently lost a painting, a portrait of her late husband. You'll have to speak to her about that."

Countess Arriana Valga told him that the only people who had access to the painting were her personal staff, i.e Laythe Wavrick, Orgnolf Hairy-legs the porter, Orok gro-Ghoth the steward, and Chanel the court mage. Bittneld the Curse-Bringer, captain of the guard, could answer any questions about the men he'd assigned duty that evening.

Laythe Wavrick hadn't been there. He'd been on duty in the main hall at the time. He suspected Orgnolf, as the man had a drinking problem. Orok gro-Ghoth confirmed that aspect, but told Clark that he'd confronted Orgnolf about it, and got him to quit. He himself had been in his room all the time, as the heavy rain had prevented him taking his usual walk in the town.

Orgnolf too, complained about the rain that evening. He'd been bringing in a shipment of wine, and the delivery boy had dropped some of it and broken the bottles. Clark asked about the drinking. "If you had my job, you'd drink too," was the reply. "Except I can't afford to, so I've quit."

Bittneld had done the inside duties himself that evening. "One of the privileges of being captain is that someone else patrols the town when it's raining." He'd seen the incident with Orgnolf and the wine being dropped. He wasn't surprised that it made Orgnolf angry. "He's fond of his wine, whether he's drinking it himself, or serving it to others." He hadn't seen either Orok or Chanel, and assumed that they'd stayed in their rooms.

Chanel claimed to have been observing the stars for her astrological charts. She didn't mention the rain that everyone else had told him about. Clark left her room, and went looking around the castle.

It was soon clear to him that someone on the staff was a painter, but they didn't want anyone to know. He found a half-completed canvas in one of the towers, and paint stains on a carpet. Clark guessed that Chanel had been working on her painting that evening, but couldn't tell him that.

He opened Chanel's door and cast invisibility. She wasn't there, and he was able to search the room undisturbed. A palette and paintbrushes were in a lecturn on her desk, suggesting that she was the secret artist. Clark waited in her room until she returned. He let her know what he'd found, and waited for her to respond.

"Yes, I took the painting," she told him, "but you need to know the whole story."

"The Count knew I was a painter, and he encouraged me in my hobby, even sitting for that portrait. His wife was only interested in art as an investment. If a painting didn't have the right artist's signature, it was worthless in her estimation. When the Count died, I was able to arrange for my portrait to be hung in the main hall as a memorial to him. Anonymously, of course."

"The Countess didn't like having an unsigned painting hanging in the hall. The quality of the work didn't matter to her, it was all about the artist's name. She couldn't have the work of an unknown on display like that."

"But she did like the picture. She had it moved into her private quarters, and made a kind of shrine of it. With candles lit in front of it, instead of proper daylight. Needless to say, it was soon sooty and grimy. I took it to clean it, but she noticed it was gone, and I had no choice but to keep it until I got a chance to put it back."

"Where is it now?" Clark asked. Chanel pointed at a painting hanging on her wall.

"I wrapped another painting around it, and put it back in the same frame. It's only the painting itself that anyone remembers."

It was obvious to Clark now that this "theft" had nothing to do with the Wayrest painting, but he asked Chanel anyway, if she knew anything about that.

"The theft, of course not, but I can tell you quite a bit about the painting itself. The mage who taught me Alchemy painted it."

"She often had me grind pigments for her paint; she said it was good practice. You need the same fine grind, whether you're making potions or poisons, or pigments. And she'd discovered that mixing ingredients from the two schools sometimes produced very interesting results, like paints that glowed in the dark, or whenever anyone came near them. That had started her on an investigation into using alchemy deliberately as part of her art."

"You're probably aware that most spell effects are available through alchemy. Resistance potions and damage poisons for each of the elemental forces; increasing or draining skills and attributes; feather and burden and so on. She reasoned that some of the less obvious ones such as charm, frenzy and others of the illusion school would also have alchemical equivalents, and they'd most likely turn out to be paints."

"Some of her results were novelties, like a paint that turned invisible when you cast a certain spell." Clark knew about that one. There were a number of paintings at the Red Dragon Club, apparently of quite respectable ladies, whose clothing could be made to disappear in that way. Their innocent poses were quite the opposite when undressed.

"The Wayrest painting was the ultimate development of that idea. It was composed of many layers of the special paint, in tiny dots that might or might not be visible. There was no specific picture. It would form itself according to the influences of the caster's mind. At least, that was the idea. For her, it would never show anything but a very unflattering portrait of her ex-lover."

"She tried to get me involved in her work, but I didn't want anything to do with the Illusion magic. Redguards are never happy with magic, and Illusion is the perhaps the school we think is the worst. I learned Restoration, and Alchemy, which are what got me the job here, and of course I learned to paint. Some of her apprentices became painters, and others ended up as mages. A few did both."

"Do you know what happened to the painting?"

"It was stolen from her house at some point. She wasn't really paying it any attention, as she considered it a failed experiment. Whoever took it must have known the spell that went with it, or it wouldn't have been any good to them. Her conjecture was that one of her ex-apprentices took it, but she never suggested who that might be. That was all some time before I joined her school, so I wouldn't have known them anyway."

"Did she ever paint another?"

"No, it wasn't what she was trying to do. The images it showed weren't really artistic, so much as they were factual. Plain and boring, really, unless you had a particular interest in the subject. Or in the case of her ex-lover, the exact opposite. She wanted to produce a painting that did what any artist strives for, to show the subject's personality, and not just their likeness. I think I achieved that with my portrait of the Count."

"Thanks for reminding me; we have to do something about that. How long would it take you to put it back the way it was?"

"Half an hour, at most. But then what? Where will you say you found it?"

"I'm going to find it hanging in the county hall where it should be. It will take a bit of chameleon, and maybe a distraction or two, but I think I can get it back in place unnoticed while the Countess is eating dinner tonight. Who will normally be there with her?"

"Her herald will wait at table, and Orok gro-Groth usually dines with her. Bittneld is usually patrolling the town at that time, so he'll post some other guard in the dining room. Where do you want me?"

"I think you should be in the dining room, too, so the Countess knows you're not involved."

---

At about eight that evening Clark walked into the dining room. "Lady Arriana, would you come and look. It appears the missing painting has been returned."

They all rushed into the hall to see the painting back on display where it had originally hung.

"Did you find anything out about who stole it?" the Countess wanted to know.

"The only theft I was able to track down was when it was taken from the people of Chorrol by the Countess," Clark replied.

Laythe Wavrick was horrified by this response, but Lady Arriana just raised an eyebrow. "Well, without a full explanation, I can't offer you the full reward. Besides, I need to give half to whoever restored it. It hasn't looked that good in years."

"The only reward I'd really want is any information you have about the so-called 'Wayrest Painting'. It's been stolen from Sentinel, and I was hoping you might have heard some rumors from the art market."

"I know the painting. I saw it myself once, before Akorithi decided it was broken. But nobody's heard of anyone trying to sell it. I'd mentioned it to Count Indarys the last time we were all in the Imperial City a couple of years ago, but he thinks only his precious Rythe Lythandas is capable of painting anything, so he didn't pay any attention. I forget what brought the subject up, we hadn't been talking about art in particular before that. Countess Umbranox was fascinated by the idea, but I always enjoy talking with her, because she agrees with me."

---

Not much of a lead, but Clark needed to go down to Anvil and talk to Count Corvus Umbranox anyway. He'd been the Gray Fox at the time the painting must been stolen, so if it had come to Cyrodiil, it was likely he knew about it.

"It certainly wasn't a Thieves Guild job. That much is certain. But there have always been freelance thieves, and the art market is one where a solo operative could make a successful career." Corvus pointed out. "The smugglers' caves below the castle here handled goods from Guild and non-guild sources alike, so it's even possible it came through and I was completely unaware of it."

Clark hadn't known about the caves. "Here, let me show you," the Count offered.

They walked into the dining hall and met Millona on the way. "Where are you two off to?" she inquired.

"I'm just taking my friend here to see the old smuggler's passages below the castle. He didn't know they were there until I just mentioned them."

Millona came along with them as Corvus opened a secret door in the wall. Behind it was a dimly lit hallway. A set of stairs on the left lead down to the caves. "In the other direction," the Count pointed, "past that door that I don't remember, is the passage up to the Royal Quarters. Millona, what's behind that door? I don't think it was there before I became the Gray Fox."

"No it wasn't," she replied and took a key from her pocket. "I had it added a few years ago."

The three of them entered the small room. A painting hung on the wall, showing Corvus taking off the grey cowl and revealing himself to the Countess. A few chairs faced the painting, which was well-lit, and tables at either side of the room held drinks and refreshments. It was clear to Clark that the whole purpose of the room was viewing the painting, but he didn't understand why it wasn't on public display.

And then suddenly it made sense. This was the painting he was looking for. But it now showed the scene that was most important to the Umbranox's.

"Did you have this painted?" Corvus was asking her.

"No, she didn't , but that's not quite the right question." Clark told the Count what he'd just figured out. "You must have cast the spell again, since you were reunited, because this painting only shows the past." This was addressed to Countess Millona, who nodded.

"Yes, I got tired of looking at those two blank faces: the old man on his deathbed, and the younger one taking the package from him. I cast again, and this is what appeared."

"Those must have been myself, and the prior Gray Fox!" Corvus exclaimed. "I never knew who he was, of course, or else I forgot immediately I found out. That was the way the curse worked. Even this magical painting couldn't show our faces, because we were erased by Nocturnal's power."

"And I just realised - you had this stolen to try and find me! My straight-as-an-arrow Millona actually commissioned a theft!"

"I just wanted you back. I'd have done anything for that."


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Acadian
post Jan 21 2014, 05:05 PM
Post #362


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A new custom class of mage: Alchemical Artist! Very creative, ghastley. Loved the naughty, bawdy uses of such paint found in the Red Dragon Club. Hmm, makes one wonder about body painting. . . . Oooh, and enchanted tattoos! tongue.gif

Clark at his best as he spares Chanel and returned the painting of Count Chorrol. emot-ninja1.gif Then the plot thickens, ranging from mention of Rythe Lythandas of Cheydinhal to Count Corvus Umbranox and his Lady Millona. The TG/Gray Fox angle is a logical lead to follow.

And it just gets better! Aww, the TG is my fave questline because it is, after all, a love story and I much enjoyed how you continued in that vein with Corvus and Millona. happy.gif


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Grits
post Jan 27 2014, 04:54 PM
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I like how Clark resolved Chanel’s situation. What a sweet story with Corvus and Millona! happy.gif


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ghastley
post May 19 2014, 06:33 PM
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@Acadian: I agree about the TG quest-line, and have always been disappointed that there's no follow-up on the Corvus/Millona story. Now there is.

@Grits: Canvas the Castle has always been a rather unsatisfying quest, so I adjusted it a little.

@All: I'm still building this quest, but the parts described below are solid enough, and all the undecided bits will be in the next episode.

------

Previously: Clark had resolved Haballa's search for the Wayrest/Sentinel Painting when he found it had been acquired by Millona Umbranox to help her look for her missing Corvus. He's not sure if Nocturnal was involved in that diversion, but it did concern a theft, so anything is possible.

------

Nocturnal XVII - Azura's other quest

Clark was vaguely aware of a pink glow in the corner of his bedroom as he woke from a good night's rest. It faded and he paid it no attention, until a voice came from the same general direction.

"Excuse me, are you Clark?"

Clark rubbed the sleep from his eyes, which began to focus on a dark-skinned female figure where the pink glow had been. The wings and tail told him it was one of Azura's Winged Twilight messengers.

"Azura wants you to come back to Moonshadow. She said that if you didn't want to, I should persuade you any way I could. Would you like to be persuaded?"

"As long as she's not in any hurry."

---

"What kept you?" asked Azura.

Clark thought the Twilight was blushing, but it's hard to tell with their dark complexion. He answered Azura for her.

"You told her it was important, not urgent. She did her utmost to make sure I'd come."

Azura raised an eyebrow.

"Now I'm here, what do you need me to do?" Clark continued.

"I need you to help me find my guard captain. She's a Daedra Seducer, of course, like the others; just one with a bit more initiative than usual. Normally, that's a good thing, but it seems that it's given us a problem to deal with."

"When you brought my Crescent back, I may have monopolised the males of the court a little, making up for lost opportunities. And she's the sort that doesn't complain, she just does something about it. In this case, we think she went off looking for alternatives around the island. There are a few caves and tunnels that harbour imps, and possibly she's found a male one."

Clark had only encountered the small neuter imps, and he wasn't familiar with any others. Azura explained that imps were like ants, bees and termites. Most of them were sexless workers, but there were a small number of males, larger than the usual ones, that served the queen. Azura wasn't sure what a queen imp looked like. It could be just a larger version of the regular ones, or something gross and bloated like a queen termite. Anyway, she wasn't the issue here. The drone imps were about human-sized and male enough for the Seducer's purposes.

"The Daedra Seducers have magical capabilities that make them almost irresistable when they use them. I'd expect they'd work as well on an imp as a man or mer. That's how they hunt, when they need to, but keep them well-fed and they'll just do it for pleasure. The unknown in all this is what the male imps can do. You know that the workers use elemental damage spells, so we'd expect some use of magical powers, we just don't know what that would be."

Clark recalled an encounter with one of Nocturnal's Seducer guards. She'd used her spell on him, thinking he was an intruder in the palace. His outfit had reflected it, and she'd found herself helplessly attracted to Clark. Nocturnal had "rescued" him by dispelling the magical compulsion, but it had been fun while it lasted.

He told Azura about that incident, and the Daedric Princess looked alarmed. "What if the imps can reflect spells? Who knows what would happen. You'd better find her quickly!"

Clark suggested that he ask Nocturnal to use her crystal ball to help them search, but Azura didn't want to bother her sister with this. "She's too busy with her hunt for Artifacts, and we can do it for ourselves. You know how to use a scrying ball, don't you?"

Clark had to admit that was not one of his capabilities. He'd never learned the spell, as he'd not had any use for it before. "Then I'll teach you," Azura declared.

Azura had one of the Twilights fetch a crystal ball, and she placed it in Clark's hand. "Now put your other hand here. Feel the difference - hard, cold and resistant; soft and warm and compliant. You need to make the crystal ball more like the other. Bend it to your will. Now concentrate!"

"But what if I..."

"Got it all backwards? Do you really think I'd let you even start to make that mistake? This will help you concentrate on getting it right, and it lets me know how you're doing. Of course, with your slight telepathy, and my being a Daedric Princess, I'd know anyway. ... Good, now look into the ball and see what's showing for you."

"I think your plan has backfired after all," Clark told her. "All I can see is a pair of rather large, and uncovered breasts. Not yours, but they do look rather inviting."

Azura slipped back into his mind and helped him adjust his field of view. "I have to see this through your eyes, as the crystal ball is yours now, and only you can see through it. That's her, but I don't recognise where she is. It looks like a cave, but that could be anywhere on the island."

Azura pondered a moment and continued. "Your describing them as merely inviting, rather than compelling, or anything irresistable, suggests to me that she's not using her power. Still, it might not work through the ball, and you do have your spell reflection to protect you. Who knows? Regardless, if she's showing her wings, and all that, then she's aroused, or hungry. There's not a lot of difference."

"I can't see anyone else. Is that a limitation of the scrying, or does it mean there's really nobody with her?" Clark wanted to know.

"Partly. The scrying spell keeps her at the center of your attention, but it doesn't prevent anything else from showing, if it's in the right direction. See if you can change your viewpoint. She looks just as good from the rear."

Clark wasn't certain if Azura was helping him with that, but he did manage to do what she asked. It was as if he was there in the cave with the Seducer, invisible, and walking around peering through the distorting optics of the ball. He could only look in her direction, but he could do it from any angle, close up or more distant. What he really wanted was to look into the tunnel she was facing, but her wings were in the way. He thought he could see another pair of wings in the shadows of the tunnel, but he wasn't sure.

"If there are other wings, it's probably an imp, like we thought. What's she doing?"

"Just staring into the darkness. She doesn't look angry, or frightened, or anything that gives me a clue how she feels."

"So we don't know if she's being kept under a compulsion spell, or if she really wants to be there. You'll have to go and find out."


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Acadian
post May 20 2014, 08:14 PM
Post #365


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I’m still enjoying how you weave game quests together and add your own twists and turns. smile.gif

This whole episode had me rolling, especially the early parts. When Clark finally got to Moonshadow and asked what Azura she needed him to do, I thought Azura was going to ask for some ‘persuading’. wink.gif

Crystal balls, boobs, wings and a cave – sounds like Clark’s next destination. goodjob.gif




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Grits
post May 26 2014, 04:23 PM
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I love the social structure you’ve given imps. How fun to have the guard captain’s spell backfire. Especially fun for the imp.

I laughed at Azura’s crystal ball lesson. Good thing Clark can still think with his hands full of globes.

I’m looking forward to playing this quest! smile.gif


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ghastley
post May 27 2014, 06:09 PM
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@Acadian: Given what Azura wanted last time he was in Moonshadow, Clark was rather disappointed that he has a real dungeon job this time. I think Azura knew that.

@Grits: I needed larger males than the regular imp, so the hive insect model fit best. I hope the quest works for you. I only did one test run through it, so I may have had no problems only because I knew how it worked.

-------

Previously: Azura had taught Clark how to enchant a crystal ball for scrying, and he'd used to locate the Daedric princess' missing guard captain, in an imp lair.

-------

Nocturnal XVIII - Azura's other quest - part 2

Azura had warned him that he would probably be up against a formidable spell-caster. The Seducers had their own spell reflection, not at the level Clark used, but significant enough that they didn't need much other magical resistance. So if she was under a Command spell, it was a powerful one. She would possibly be hostile to him, at least until he could kill the imp. Clark's outfit would reflect her spells, and Azura didn't want her hurt.

He'd have to scout the cave using invisibility, and hope that they couldn't use detect life against him. But eventually he'd have to cast the spell that Azura had given him, and then he'd be seen.

That spell should switch the Captain's enthralment to Clark, and let him lead her out of the cave. The Imps were likely to be too much for him to handle, so this trip was just the rescue, not the retribution.

---

When Clark reached the cave, he cast invisibility, and crept quietly inside. The first chamber appeared empty, but he ducked behind a pillar to cast invisibility again. There was just a chance that the imps were invisible, too. He thought for a moment, and put his life detection ring on, cursing himself for not doing that to start with.

The next chamber was equally empty, but around the corner he could see a glow. There was a locked gate between him and the glow, so he tried another direction. Soon he came to another short tunnel leading down, and he followed it, casting again as a precaution. Two glows came into view this time, and he slowed his approach in case anyone else was detecting life.

Around the next corner he was able to see what the two shapes were. One was the Seducer Captain, and the other was the largest Imp he'd ever seen. He was flapping around apparently searching for something. It was clear that he couldn't see Clark, but maybe he could smell something strange in his cave.

Clark hugged the wall of the cave, trying to get closer to the Captain. When the Imp turned his back, Clark quickly read the scroll Azura had given him. That dispelled his invisibility, of course, but it was important that the Captain could see Clark when the spell took effect. As Azura had predicted, the Captain's adoring gaze turned to him, as control passed from the Imp to Clark.

Naturally, the sudden removal of his spell alerted the Imp, and he turned and hurled a fireball at Clark, then howled as it reflected back to him. Clark backed away from the Seducer, as the Imp's spell had covered quite a wide area. Even though the Imp had taken the damage, she'd still get hurt if she was too close to the next one.

She followed, unthinking in her enthralled state, but fortunately, the Imp had learned not to throw spells. He attacked with his claws instead, forcing Clark to raise his shield in defence. That shield reflected damage, but not as completely as his outfit reflected magic. The Imp screeched again, but continued his attack. Clark's shortsword hacked at the Imp, not doing a lot of damage, but enough to get a loud reaction, and a more frenzied attack.

Clark could have used some assistance from the Seducer, but she was completely under the influence of the spell. Azura hadn't been able to explain it very precisely. It was the Seducer's special hunting spell, that made the target follow, and removed all aggression, and apparently self-preservation, too.

It appeared that the Imp's rage made him forget Clark's reflection of his first spell, as he backed off and cast a huge shock spell. The Imp dropped from the air, dead, but Clark was horrified to see the Seducer twitch as the lightning bounced to her. Then he breathed with relief, as a purple glow replaced the arcs of lightning, and the dead Imp's body jerked again. Seducers reflect, too.

She didn't look hurt, but Clark cast a minor healing spell on her. She reflected that, also. And yet she hadn't reflected the spell from Azura's scroll. Deadric Princesses clearly understood magic better than mortals did.

---

Back at Azura's hall, the Seducer Captain was quickly dispelled of all the magical compulsions. She looked Clark over as if seeing him for the first time. Her expression changed from disgust, to shock, and slowly to more ... thoughtful .

"I am deeply ashamed at having to be rescued by a mortal. I cannot believe my own stupidity in assuming the Imp would have no defence against me, especially the same defence as my own. And you did so alone, which I find quite surprising. There must be more to you than I imagined."

Azura wanted a full account of what had happened. "As well as you can remember. I understand that you won't recall much of the events after your spell went wrong."

"I assume you've guessed why I went to the cave in the first place. When I got there, it was swarming with drone imps, just as I'd suspected. I used my Allure on them, and they became docile, and didn't give me any problems. Until I got further into the cave, that is."

"I noticed one of the Imps was a little larger; in the way that interested me, too. So I left the others, and walked towards him. He cast a buff spell of some variety on himself, something the others hadn't done before trying to fry me, freeze me, or shock me. I took that as a sign that he was a bit more clever than they were, too."

"As you've probably worked out by now, he was casting a reflection spell, and my Allure completely backfired on me, leaving me in his control, instead of the other way round. I could see a huge grin cross his ugly face as his evil little mind saw the possibilities. My recollections are a bit vague from that point on."

"I remember him driving the other males out of the cave. It seemed that he wanted to keep me for himself. But then he took me to a gate at the opening of a tunnel, one leading further into the cave, and had me lock it. Thinking about it now, it doesn't make any sense, unless there was another entrance to the caves that way."

"Or he wanted to lock something in," Azura pointed out. "Maybe that was the Queen's lair."

"That could be," the Captain agreed. "I didn't see anything but males, but she'd have to be somewhere near them."

"Do you still have the key?" Clark asked, but immediately felt foolish. Where was a naked woman going to carry a key? The Seducer reached into her hair, which was tied at the top of her head, and produced one.

"Good, so now Clark can go and let her out!" Azura exclaimed.

Clark wasn't too pleased at that idea. What if she was angry at being locked in? He assumed that Azura didn't want her harmed, or he wouldn't have been asked to release her. If she started casting spells at him, she'd hurt herself. And what if she was grateful? That could be worse!

Azura giggled as she read what Clark was thinking. "If that happens, I'll let you summon help. Drelka here won't make the same mistakes twice." Finally, Clark had a name for the Seducer.

"What? You're giving him the power to summon me? I don't deserve that kind of punishment! It was bad enough being a temporary thrall to an Imp, but if you give him that kind of power, who knows what he'll use it for."

Azura had a fair idea of the possibilities, and she didn't think Drelka would take too long getting to like them. And she needed to spend some time with a mortal to get a better perspective on existence. Lesser Daedra had no fear for their own safety, because they'd return to their familiar bodies through any inconvenient deaths. Perhaps with someone else to fear for, she'd learn some caution.

There wasn't any real chance that Clark would abuse the new power she'd given him. Clark wasn't one to hurry his pleasure, and a summoning spell isn't long enough for that. He'd only call on her in an emergency, and he preferred to avoid those. He already knew how to summon Aureal and Mazken in the Shivering Isles, and he'd done that thoughtfully. Drelka had nothing to worry about.

Azura advised Clark that the other males were likely to have returned to the cave, now that the big one was dead. His original tactics of using invisibility would be appropriate again, and once the Queen was freed, she could deal with the drones. "If she does take a fancy to you, that's when you might need Drelka's help," she concluded. "I know you like two at a time, when you get the chance."


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Grits
post May 27 2014, 11:45 PM
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Kanet is presently escorting the captain to Azura. She’s pretty nervous about the scroll wearing off before they get back. (Kanet lacks Clark’s confidence in magical matters.) The captain looks like she could kick Kanet’s butt all the way back to Nirn! They are wearing pretty much the same outfit (sandals) and they have their hair in the same ponytail style, so Kanet hopes that there will be girl stuff to bond over rather than butt-kicking if they have a confrontation. Kanet is a lover, not a fighter. Also she can’t heal another person, so she’s keeping an eye out for imps.

I love how this quest rewards the non-violent. Clark could have charged in and killed the Imp Queen while searching for the captain, but that’s not his way. Now he has a chance to make another new friend. blink.gif

Azura’s thoughts as she decided that Clark would not abuse his privileges with Drelka made me smile. Especially He’d only call on her in an emergency, and he preferred to avoid those. biggrin.gif That’s Clark!



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Acadian
post May 28 2014, 09:44 PM
Post #369


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Ooh! A solo Clark mission. Skulking through a dungeon navigating by pink glows – yup, we know how that is. Clark did a nice job – and so did you at making his actions (and reactions) make solid sense.

No imp chips? laugh.gif

And now it’s back to the same cave for another solo Clark mission.


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ghastley
post Jun 10 2014, 03:42 PM
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@Grits: I tried to build this quest so you could do it without killing any imps at all. And at the end, all the imps on the island cease hostilities.

@Acadian: The Imp Queen is quite prepared to glow pink of her own accord.

----------

Previously Clark has brought Drelka back from the cave. Now he has to go back and release the imp queen.

This episode just about wraps up his adventures in Cyrodiil, and I may have to find some way he can survive until Skyrim (or have a descendent chronicle the Dragonborn's adventures for the Courier).

--------

Nocturnal XIX - Azura's other quest part 3

At the gate once more, Clark looked around to make sure none of the drones was nearby. Just as Azura had predicted, the cave had filled with them, once they knew it was safe to return. As soon as he put the key in the lock, he'd lose his invisibility, and have to cast again as soon as he opened the gate.

The Queen Imp, an even larger creature than the one he'd killed, came rushing over at the sound of the gate opening. She paused at the entrance, sniffing the air. Did she know there was somebody there?

Whether she did or not, there were other matters on her mind. She flew off towards the cave entrance, chittering as imps do. A chorus of similar calls echoed back from the drones. Clark followed her, curious as to what would happen when they were reunited.

In the largest chamber, he found the Queen surrounded by her retinue. The males were obviously excited by her return, and surrounded her in a circle, eagerly jostling for position and hoping to be chosen. The Queen was slowly gazing around the circle, apparently making her choice, when her eyes fell on Clark.

That's when he noticed that his invisibility had expired, and they could all see him. He raised his hand to cast again, and looked frantically for the way out.

The Queen decided that he wasn't as interesting as any of her drones, and ignored him. The drones hadn't paid him any attention either, but once she made her choice, he imagined that all the others would be looking for something else to do. He finished casting while he had the opportunity, and ran out of the cave, all the way back to Azura.

---

Azura handed him a key. "I want Drelka to get to know you better, and you'll need a bit of privacy for that. This key unlocks the guest house on the next island. It's yours as long as you want it. I'm sure Drelka will want to stay there even when you're not around, so I've detailed a Winged Twilight housekeeper to keep the place clean. He'll also see to Drelka's needs when you don't feel inclined to visit. I don't want her wandering off again."

"I'll show you the way," Drelka told him. The seducer was back in uniform, so to speak. Her wings were gone, and she wore a gauzy skirt similar to Azura's, but red where hers was blue. Her breasts were covered, too, but the material was sheer like the skirt, so they might as well not have been.

Her attitude to Clark seemed to have changed somewhat, too. Whether she'd been talking to Azura while he'd been letting the Queen Imp out, Clark didn't know, but she was treating him with a lot more respect.

He recalled that when he brought Azura's Crescent back to her, she was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest touch. And slight touches were something Clark did well. If Drelka was expecting that sort of results, he'd have problems.

Or would he? Drelka had run off because she wasn't getting what she needed back at Azura's hall, so the situation wasn't all that different. Just a Daedra Seducer instead of a Daedric Princess, and that made it a bit easier.

---

Drelka surprised Clark with an eagerness and apprehension that reminded him of a virgin.

"Well it is my first time with a human I haven't enthralled first." she pointed out.

"So how is that different from having a Daedric partner?"

"I just don't know," she replied.

Drelka reminded Clark a lot of the Dark Seducers in the Shivering Isles, except that Sheogorath had balanced their arrogance with a sense of duty. Azura's minions didn't have that, and it was difficult for her to treat him as an equal. Clark began to suspect that was why he was here, as her teacher. Binding her to that summoning power was one step, and this was another.

Her wings were a minor problem, too. They'd sprout whenever she was excited, but they made it uncomfortable when she was on her back. Drelka would lay down, find her wings sprouting, and have to sit up again.

Clark quickly understood why Drelka wasn't used to being in that position. She'd normally be in control, either because she'd enthralled her victim, or by rank as Captain of Azura's guard. It had never dawned on her that she was cutting out half of the possibilities. Clark felt a sense of duty, even if she didn't. Drelka had a lot to learn, and he should be the one to teach her. This could take some time...


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Acadian
post Jun 12 2014, 12:26 PM
Post #371


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Loved the pink glowing Imp Queen screenie!

Uh oh. I thought Clark was going to get pressed into Imp drone service for a moment there.

Ah yes, the positional complications induced by having wings. I thought perhaps they might take a cue from dragons and try it in flight? Not for the feint of heart, that. ohmy.gif tongue.gif



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Grits
post Jun 13 2014, 10:11 PM
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Yikes, Clark had a close call with the imp swarm! He made a well-timed exit despite his curiosity.

I’m sure he’ll come up with some ideas for Drelka’s wings. If not they can just ask the housekeeper. tongue.gif

I’ve really enjoyed Clark’s adventures, and playing these quests in your mod has been a blast. Perhaps Clark will find a cure for aging in one of the Daedric realms he visits. smile.gif


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ghastley
post Jun 16 2014, 03:24 PM
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I think I may have found the cure for writer's block. After announcing the end of Clark's tale, I wrote about 15,000 more words this weekend. Most of it a bit too naughty for here, though, so I'll probably post it on my own site.

The basic idea came from Clark wondering what would have happened if the Queen Imp died. Nocturnal tells him that without her, the youngest worker imps would no longer be inhibited from developing their sexual characteristics, and there would soon be a new generation of queens and drones. Clark recalls that Sparky was but a hatchling when Thaurron brought him to the Anvil Mages Guild. He'd better warn them. Carahil is the only female there, so Sparky thinks she's the queen. She's back in Anvil, looking for a home, as Randonil replaced her as guild head. The only place on the market is Benirus Manor.

---

And I also have a page or two of notes for Clark in Skyrim, where he'll observe the activities of the Dragonborn and guild heads, while trying to avoid any danger to himself. It will be the same Clark, after Nocturnal and Azura decided to make him immortal, (did you read my mind, Grits?) rather than keep training new ones. All the standard quests can happen to someone else, including the Thieves Guild expansion I'm working on. Since I already made him a Nightingale, and introduced him to Dralsi in this thread, he can be Karliah's father (the couple retired as Nightingales when she was born), and not have to actually join the Skyrim guild.

His back-story is that he's a general merchant, specialising in things that won't get commandeered by the armies. Although the Red Dragon Club dissolved when Ocato was assassinated, the brothel business just fragmented to other establishments, and with his partner the CoC, there's a string of them all throughout the Empire, and the Aldmeri Dominion. All sides tolerate their existence, and don't want to take them over and give them an official stamp of approval. One of the side-lines is toys for the ladies, and horker and mammoth tusks are a big source of ivory, the other being the elephants in Elsweyr. Carving them is mainly done in the seaside towns of the Illiac bay, which is why you don't find the factories in Skyrim.

Clark has descendants on the Island of Balfiera, where Taminwe went to join her distant cousin Medora (i.e. there are a few good Altmer in his game), and among the Orcs, although he has no idea where they all ended up after the sack of Orsinium. There may be others, of course.

I won't start a thread on Clark in Skyrim yet, or I won't spend enough time making the TG expansion mod!


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ghastley
post Jun 16 2014, 06:40 PM
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QUOTE(Acadian @ Jun 12 2014, 07:26 AM) *

Not for the feint of heart, that.

OK, it's a typo, but it also occurs to me that "Feint of Heart" would make a good title for a chapter of something. Unfortunately it doesn't fit anything I'm working on, or I'd steal it. biggrin.gif


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Acadian
post Jun 17 2014, 12:05 AM
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Clark going to Skyrim sounds great. Don't worry about having it make sense. Several folks just ignore the time stuff and simply walk across the border.

For Buffy, I'm debating between a magical passage via Pale Pass or perhaps being sent there from Frostcraig Spire. The key for me (and some others) is that the character can pass back and forth between the two games. The 200 year thing simply doesn't suit my purpose and I've never been one to feel entrapped by 'lore'.

Regardless, what you have planned for Clark's adventures sound perfect for him. smile.gif


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Grits
post Jun 21 2014, 02:50 AM
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Oh I’m glad Clark’s adventures will continue. With the notion that children bear the racial characteristics of their mother’s race Clark will have an interesting assortment of descendants. Since he’ll look forever young he could get himself into trouble unless their mothers have named them all “Clark.” tongue.gif

I’m looking forward to Carahil the househunting imp queen and the history of the carved horker tusk market as Clark moves on to Skyrim! smile.gif




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mALX
post Jul 15 2016, 04:43 PM
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I'm bringing this to page one so I don't miss it in my catching up reading - would have been catching up on it already if I had found it before now!




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ghastley
post Jul 15 2016, 04:46 PM
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mALX, you might find it easier to read here, unless you prefer to read other's comments along with it, or add your own.

There are a few extra chapters there, too, and the naughtier pictures. ohmy.gif


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mALX
post Jul 26 2016, 01:57 AM
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QUOTE(ghastley @ Jul 15 2016, 11:46 AM) *

mALX, you might find it easier to read here, unless you prefer to read other's comments along with it, or add your own.

There are a few extra chapters there, too, and the naughtier pictures. ohmy.gif



I am catching up on Gweden. I tried following that link; and it listed the chapters but didn't have links to them that I could find.

I'll check it out again when I figure out which chapter I left off on.

Edit: Okay, I think I found the links, now to find out where to pick up on it at!



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mALX
post Dec 17 2016, 07:32 PM
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Nocturnal - Part XIII

I have read/listened to this chapter several times and started writing a comment for it, then somehow lost them. Every time I re-read it though, the same thoughts come up!

This is one of your most spectacular chapters in Clark's history - surprisingly without Clark having sex with anyone! laugh.gif

First off, this line struck me every time I read this, and I quoted it in all my responses that got lost in either a laptop battery crash or blue screen:

QUOTE

"Perhaps it will help her case with the Mages Guild if she's seen using dead necromancers for her research."


From November 2014 through several readings and right up to today, every time I read/heard this line it has nearly choked me to death laughing!!! That is one of your best lines of all times, and that is saying a lot!

But the rest of the chapter is one of the best examples of how you weave Lore into your stories with such finesse that it just melds into your story perfectly! I have always loved that about Clark's story; but in this chapter you excelled/surpassed even your own self with the history - amazing job!!!

Then: Dralsi *mALX's head explodes*

Is this the child that disappeared en route to Wayrest? The one that was conceived during the Imperial Simulacrum when Barenziah had her affair with Jagar Tharn? You said "The Nightingale;" wasn't Jagar Tharn actually The Nightingale?

Okay, so this is (why it always takes so long to get my comment posted on this chapter and end up having my laptop crashing before I can post it because I end up researching this whole segment of time with Barenziah repeatedly; and her story has always been one of my favorites in Lore) - this is another of those places where Bethesda gives us two completely different versions of history and calls both accurate and blames the Dragon Break for splitting time and destiny?

Oh wait, I see. This character was added along with "The Nightengales" (3 volume book set) in the Skyrim game. Skyrim did a LOT of previous Lore busting, one of the reasons Destri stopped writing because it completely derailed the whole Lore his story was based on.

I have always taken "The Real Barenziah" as a true guide to that time period in Barenziah's life because it was chronologically detailed and viable with both time frames and placement of parties involved; while the other (Barenziah Biography) was kind of glossed over rosy view of everyone and no details whatsoever. But the history given for Drayven Indoril in this Nightengales set was all over the place, full of speculations, didn't take into account Symmachus, or make sense with anything we know of Barenziah, the timelines, or the Dark Elf culture.

I really wish they had just held to the Lore in this, because I do believe they could have convincingly made it that Nightingale could have been both Drayven Indoril and Jagar Tharn; because when Barenziah recognized him immediately as the Nightingale when meeting Uriel Septim VII during the Imperial Simulacrum - kind of had to be the same person for that to happen.

Not to mention that it would explain the mysteriously missing child from history that Barenziah was carrying when she left the Imperial City and was never mentioned again throughout history since just before her arrival in Wayrest on that same trip.

The Imperial Simulacrum is when she had the actual sexual affair with the Nightengale, and that is when she became pregnant with his child. She was 6-8 months pregnant when she fled the Imperial City to Wayrest. That child mysteriously disappeared from history somewhere on that trip.

That trip where the baby disappeared - Bethesda could very easily have made them one and the same and it be believable that the child was dropped off with some family members of Drayven Indoril and been raised to become the Dralsi to suit their new Nightengales story line. Why they had to completely revamp the past just floors me.

Or better yet - Bethesda could have made Dralsi Jagar Tharn's child (the Nightengale) - and had Barenziah and King Eadwyre drop the child of Jagar Tharn off with this Drayven Indoril so he became her father via adoption = anything but the way they raped the Lore with their new theory.

In my mind, that child that disappeared on that trip would have to be Dralsi then. Because it was made clear that no sex took place between Barenziah and Nightingale before the Imperial Simulacrum; she wanted him desperately and he used her lust for him to lure her into giving him the Staff of Chaos; but left her hanging = grabbed the staff and ran/disappeared when Symmachus showed up in crypt. She was left bereft, that was clear.

After Tiber Septim forced Barenziah to have that abortion, and her overwhelming desire for a child during the years previous to that staff incident = very doubtful she would have given her baby away or that Symmachus would have forced her to, he was kind of meek when it came to Barenziah.

BUT - when she became pregnant with Tharn during the Imperial Simulacrum; she already had Helseth and Morgiah; and King Eadwyre would not have wanted to also raise Tharn's child. Very well could have dropped it off on the trip to Wayrest, and hence Dralsi enters the picture.

At least that is how I see the history here. Anyway, this is what I love so much about your story = the Lore.

Then, on top of that - the making of that sword, and such detail in the materials, their uses, the weight and balance with skill - totally amazing !!!!! I love this chapter more than any other chapter you have written, and that is very hard to say!!! Especially since Clark didn't have any sex in this one!!!! Totally AWESOME Write !!!

And now you know why it has taken so long to comment this chapter, laugh.gif







This post has been edited by mALX: Dec 17 2016, 10:37 PM


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