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> The Gweden report, A story of the story of the stories.
mALX
post Feb 10 2012, 12:18 PM
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From: Cyrodiil, the Wastelands, and BFE TN



Sorry for the double post sad.gif

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 10 2012, 12:51 PM


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mALX
post Feb 10 2012, 12:53 PM
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QUOTE(ghastley @ Feb 9 2012, 03:18 PM) *

I'm hi-jacking my own thread here, but the background for the Red Dragon Club is going to be spying for the Elder Council. Their main concern after the Oblivion Crisis is the succession, and finding a new Emperor. I'm assuming the fact that Uriel sends you off with the amulet towards Martin is that he's the only direct heir left (albeit illegitimate).

But I can't find anything about any siblings of Uriel VII and any cousins etc. that might still be around. Maybe I should ask Brother Arturo who he's going to check out next? Or does anyone here recall any genealogy I'm missing?

I just added a new section of sewers to connect the RDC to a grating just outside the city walls, so there's a back way out for anyone who needs it. Just need to add a few customers, and shoot the publicity stills.



This page has all the Septim Dynasty in it, scroll to the bottom of the page for the geneology chart:


http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Septim_Dynasty



There is another (illegitimate) son of Uriel's that it is up in the air whether he was actually killed. No body was ever found, and he was supposedly assassinated by Uriel Septim himself's orders (something Uriel Septim wouldn't have done), but it was at the time of the Imperial Simulacrum so that means it was Jagar Tharn that ordered the murder.

The murder was supposedly performed by Lady Benoch, who was devoted to the real Uriel. It occurred the year before Jagar Tharn was vanquished, and was ordered because Calaxes had suddenly become hostile to "Uriel" - which he would have if he suspected an imposter.

Calaxes was trying to overthrow "Uriel's" rule and set up the Temple of the One as the rule - probably to protect Tamriel from Jagar Tharn's rule.

I've always believed Lady Benoch knew Uriel/Jagar Tharn was an imposter by then, and instead of killing Calaxes she protected him. She developed a mysterious "gardener" after this, and 11 years later married him. My supposition is that the gardener is Calaxes and that he still lives.


Calaxes Septim (?b - 3E 398)

An (illegitimate) son of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, given the Archbishopric of The One in the Church of the Nine Divines. During Calaxes' reign as Archbishop, tensions grew between himself and the Emperor due to Calaxes' views on the secularity of government, and the Emperor's Legislation to limit the Church's Authority. Rumors grew that Calaxes was advocating a rebellion to establish a Theocracy, and soon afterwards he was assassinated on the 29th of Sun's Dusk 3E 398, in the Temple of the One, supposedly by Lady Benoch and the Imperial Guard because of the threat he represented.

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 10 2012, 01:07 PM


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ghastley
post Feb 13 2012, 05:44 PM
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Thanks for that link, mALX. Following a few leads from there got me to:

"Andorak Septim (?b - ?d)

According to A Brief History of the Empire, upon his father's death Andorak, Emperor Uriel IV's son, was disinherited by vote of the Council, and a cousin more closely related to the original Septim line was proclaimed Cephorus II by the next year, 3E 248. For the first nine years of Cephorus II's reign, those loyal to Andorak battled the Imperial forces. In an act that the sage Eraintine called Tiber Septim's heart beating no more, the Council granted Andorak the High Rock kingdom of Shornhelm to end the war. Andorak's descendants still rule Shornhelm as of the Fourth Era."

The last line suggests that the current ruler of Shornhelm would be the appropriate candidate to be rejected by the Council at the end of the process, being the closest provable relative, but of a lineage already rejected, and presumably with a renunciation of all future claims in the final agreement.

I've come up with my first pretender, and am putting the quest together now. Details here Follow the link to Uriel's Cousin, too.

Hopefully I'll still have the time to continue this thread. And finish the Daggerfall mod, and the Bear Riders, and the companion sisters, and ...

Of course, "finish" is an inexact term, as I keep revisiting them to add more.


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mALX
post Feb 13 2012, 08:55 PM
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WOO HOO !! smile.gif


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ghastley
post Feb 14 2012, 12:46 AM
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A quick interlude and Selena's tale. This was the first sub-quest I wrote for the mod, and it's a bit simple, even more so as she has to relate it without having seen it happen. Go there, kill everything, report back. So she'll talk more about Kvatch, from her point of view.


Selena

The second night at Gweden was just starting for the young reporter from the Black Horse Courier. His room was full of all the women he'd already interviewed, and he had a good idea what they had in mind.

They told him that Sugar had a pair of Orc brothers come in from Chorrol, and she was taking both on at once. With just one customer, it was like a cross between a rodeo and a wrestling match, so two was going to be a real spectacle. Tsarrina was selling tickets to watch, and she'd sent all these women over to him, so there would be more room for the men.

"So where would you like to start?" asked Virgilia, as innocently as she could.

He tried to avoid choosing. "Isn't there anyone here whose story I haven't heard?" But Tsarrina had sent those women upstairs over at the Lodge. She was controlling who he talked to, and when. He looked around the room, hoping for a way he wouldn't have to pick between them.

It must have been the way his gaze didn't linger any longer than it had to on Prizna that provoked her. "Come on now", she said. "You know you want to look. Start being honest with yourself!" Prizna was a tall, strong Dremora, and she had a lot of her colleagues backing her up. In seconds, he was lying naked on the bed, and Prizna was making him take a very close look.

That solved his problem with choosing, but now he had to deal with Prizna. He only saw one option, but he wasn't complaining. Prizna was moaning, but it didn't seem to be a complaint.

Inevitably, the others weren't going to just stand and watch. He couldn't see who was doing what, all he could see was Prizna. Sugar was busy, so he knew she wasn't one of them. He just hoped they'd be more gentle with him than she would.

---

"What did Juliana mean by 'silver-tongued Imperial'?" Tsarrina asked with a mischievous grin on her face. He groaned at that one, for more than one reason.

Tsarrina guessed he hadn't had a lot of sleep. She decided he should hear Selena's story next, as it wasn't too complicated.

Selena was a Redguard who'd survived the Siege of Kvatch. She came in and started to tell her tale.

Kvatch was a good town for a prostitute before the Daedra came. There was an Arena there, and a big market, and several taverns. Plenty of merchants and adventurers passing through, who might want a bit of fun while they were in town. The Count ran things with a light hand. Taxes weren't too high, the guard were forgiving, and business of all kinds was encouraged.

I worked for Garanil. He was an Altmer who owned a large house with private rooms that he rented out to us. He'd also solicit for us at the Arena, while we worked the taverns. I was making a good income, and didn't mind giving him a share. He took care of us, had a big Orc for a bouncer at the door to stop any trouble, and dealt with the law when we needed it.

But when the Oblivion Gate opened up outside the city, he ran away. He headed for a hideout in Salted Mine, to the north of Kvatch. We begged him to take us with him, but he told us we were on our own. The Orc bouncer didn't turn up, so we couldn't get any help from him, either.

We scattered, figuring we had a better chance of escaping individually. I climbed over a part of the city wall where a pile of rubble made a ramp, and made my way to the South. I found a campsite on the road. They told me Captain Matius had put up barricades to stop the Daedra coming out of the city, so it should be safe enough there. But they wanted to know where I'd got out, so they could guard there too.

I waited in the camp for the others from Garanil's house. None of them arrived, and nobody among the refugees had any news of them getting out. I guess I was the only one who made it.

A refugee camp's not a good place for a prostitute to do any business. There's just nowhere private enough. Most of us slept on bedrolls in the open, and the few tents were used by the healer, the smith, and others who had a proper job to do. We all pitched in to forage for food, but I had no hunting skills, and I wasn't good at finding the right plants either. I helped tend to the wounded, but I don't know any healing spells, so I still felt useless.

I was still hoping Garanil would return. He'd know what to do, and we'd start getting back to normal. But he didn't come. I was certain he'd got out of the city, so where was he now?

When the adventurer that I now know as the boss came to the camp, I asked him if he could help me find Garanil. I told him where Salted Mine was. That was the only place I knew where he might be. I was still hoping that Garanil would help us rebuild, and I could get back to my old job.

Salted Mine was on the other side of Kvatch, to the North. He asked me if he could go through the city to get there. I told him there was only one city gate, at the end of the road through the camp, and that one was blocked by an Oblivion Gate. Nothing could enter the city until that was shut down.

He strode off up the road anyway, to talk with Captain Matius at the barricades. The following morning a number of people came down the road telling tales of how the Oblivion Gate had just been closed. They'd not seen anything of the fighting, but had been sheltering in the Chapel of Akatosh until help arrived. The chapel had been damaged in the siege, but for some reason the Daedra were unable to enter it, and they'd been spared.

Brother Martin and Oleta, the healer from the chapel, were there, and so were Guilbert Selone, the gardener from the Arena, and a woman called Lenka Valus, whom I didn't know well. None of my sister prostitutes had reached the chapel, and nobody had seen Garanil. I asked Tierra, the guard who'd escorted the new batch of refugees from the city, but she hadn't seen him either.

She had seen my new adventurer friend, though. Captain Matius had told her that he was the one who closed the Oblivion Gate after the guards had failed. He'd rescued Ilend Vonius from the Deadlands too. They were calling him "The Hero of Kvatch" now.

She told me they'd all be trying to retake the Castle as soon as she returned to the city.

Just then a squad of legion men came into camp. They'd seen the smoke from the Gold Road and come to investigate. They followed Tierra back up the hill to Kvatch. I didn't see any of them come back down in the next few days, so I guess there was more fighting in the city.

The Hero came back a day or two later to tell me that he'd found Vampires in Salted Mine. They'd made Garanil a Vampire, too, and he'd had to kill them all. So Garanil wouldn't be coming back, ever.

He told me what the destruction in Kvatch was like. I'd seen some of it myself, but it got even worse after I escaped. He'd been with Captain Matius when they retook the Castle, and he'd found the Count's body himself. Matius was determined to rebuild, but that wasn't going to be happening soon. It would be years before there was a city on the hill again. Years before there would be a proper brothel in Kvatch. He asked me if I'd come here and help Tsarrina, instead. He'd see me here later, but he had to speak to Brother Martin first.

The three of us walked down to the Gold Road, but we went in opposite directions when we got there. I don't know where they were headed. The Hero thought it was best if he didn't reveal his plans. He and Brother Martin had something special they needed to do, and they didn't want to get me involved.

None of us knew back then who Brother Martin really was, and what would come to pass in the following months. I knew that the man I'd agreed to work for was now the Hero of Kvatch, and I had a feeling that he'd not stop there. Of course you know he became the Champion of Cyrodiil and more.


This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 20 2012, 05:50 PM


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Grits
post Feb 14 2012, 02:00 AM
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The new mod sounds great! Politics and courtly intrigue will be a fun contrast to Gweden’s relaxed environment. The ladies look very svelte in their uniforms. smile.gif

I thought Prizna's solution was perfect. Good thing the young reporter didn't have tusks or fangs to worry about.

I like Serena’s tale a lot. Just a working girl from Kvatch giving an insider’s view of events. I love that she walked Brother Martin down to the Gold Road with the Hero of Kvatch. I wonder if she knew him personally?


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Acadian
post Feb 15 2012, 12:59 AM
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What a great interface and rich tribute you provide to Kvatch here! This was well-anchored in the game and should do a wonderful job of supporting your mod. smile.gif

Nit: ’I asked Tierra, the guard who'd escorted the new batch of refugees fron the city, but she hadn't seen him either.’
‘from’ of course.


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mALX
post Feb 15 2012, 01:27 AM
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The beginning of Serena's story where the reporter is talking SO reminded me of a joke. I typed it out before realizing...doubt it would be allowed on these boards, lol.

This Black Horse Courier reporter may never be the same, lol. And not sure if it was deliberate, but it seems everyone Matias went somewhere with - his partners ended dead and him a hero, ROFL !! I'd be leary about joining him in battle.

Loved Serena's tale, and the newest addition to the mod !!! Great Write !!


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ghastley
post Feb 20 2012, 05:57 PM
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I just realised that I spelled Selena's name wrong all the way through that last entry. At least I was consistent! Let's hope I can spell Freija properly.

---

Freija

"I know you," said the reporter from the Black Horse Courier. "I reported on your Arena match against the Grand Champion."

"And I suppose you're wondering why I'm working here for him," answered Freija, "especially after the beating we gave each other."

"That did cross my mind," he admitted.

Freija took off her dress. What was it with these women? Why couldn't they keep their clothes on? She made him look closely at her body. She was covered in scars, everywhere he looked, There were a few places he wasn't going to look, or this interview would get off-track.

She put her dress back on, and he sighed with relief. Pehaps he'd be able to concentrate on getting the story this time. This should be a good one.

---

Like most Nords, I was fond of good food, a good fight, and a good ... well, just about anything. The North's like that, you have to work hard and play hard, just to stay warm. I did a few contracts for the Fighters Guild up in Bruma, and got myself a reputation for swinging a sword. That kept the men respectful, and made me a bit of gold, too.

But I needed some more excitement, so I went off into the mountains to look for ruins and caves to explore. That's where I came across a shrine to Boethia. I was promised all the excitement I could hope for, in the Tournament of Ten Bloods.

I wasn't too keen on having to kill all the other contestants, but I wasn't going to let anybody kill me either. I had trained well in the Fighters Guild, and I knew I could defeat them.

After I did, Boethia told me that my reward was immortality, if I wanted it. I didn't think it out, and agreed too quickly. I also accepted the suggestion that I should use it to become the Champion of the Imperial Arena. How could I lose?

The first fights were easy, but of course they get harder as you advance in rank. Before long I was fighting opponents who were my equal, and really able to hurt me. I couldn't lose, but I could get still get badly injured. You can't believe how painful it is to survive wounds that should be mortal.

The Basin of Renewal heals all, but it doesn't take away all the pain. Some of it will never go away; it's etched into my memory.

So I trained harder, and took more time between matches to make sure I was ready. I fought more defensively, and carefully. I still needed to attack to win, but I wasn't reckless any more. I became a better fighter, and won my matches fairly.

I don't know why I didn't just stop. I wouldn't have been the first to retire from the Arena. Maybe I was afraid of Boethia's "reward" and what might happen if it was taken back. I kept advancing, and was soon the team champion. Only one more match, and the title would be mine, and then maybe Boethia would be satisfied, and I could safely retire.

Normally, when the Grand Champion is challenged, it's an unlimited match, with no armor, weapon or spell barred. I had had matches against mages that burned off all my hair, and Orcs that swung huge warhammers that rattled my bones. I could get badly damaged in an unlimited match.

I persuaded the Battlematron, Ysabel Andronicus, that the crowd would be better served by the opposite. What would be better than a match where both combatants used equal equipment, and spells were forbidden? I got a lot of support from Owyn, the Blademaster, for that last idea. Like most Redguards, he hates spell-casters, .

Ysabel liked the idea too. We discussed what gear would be appropriate, and decided on reviving the ancient armor of the first Arena. Just a manica on the sword arm in place of the full cuirass. A traditional bronze helm and shinguards, with a round shield and gladius to match. Oh, better add a loincloth to keep it decent!

"That's not much protection, but it's the same for both combatants, The crowd will have no problems seeing the blood, if you're not all covered up." Ysabel reasoned..

Owyn wasn't so sure when he saw it. He wanted me to cover my chest. "This isn't that kind of show," he complained.

"It is now," returned Ysabel. "The crowd will love it. We should have the seats taken out from the cheap sections, so we can pack more in."

"But it's too distracting," Owyn argued. "I've seen them a thousand times, but I still can't help looking. It's got to be worse for the Champ. Aren't you supposed to be looking out for his interests?"

Ysabel was convinced that the Grand Champion wasn't going to have any problems concentrating on the fight. She had his financial interests to look after, too. This was going to draw in a much bigger crowd, and she got a cut of that.

They had an artist come in and draw my likeness for a new poster. It was quite tasteful, but one's imagination could easily fill in what it didn't quite show.. So could an urchin with some charcoal! I was going to be famous for that, if nothing else.

I would have the advantage of training with the unfamiliar antique equipment. The Gladius is a stabbing sword, unlike the modern edged weapons, and you need a different style of fighting to use it effectively. That also meant a different defense, especially without body armor. The current Champion would forget that, I hoped.

The day came, and I issued my formal challenge to the Champion. We suited up, (or is that down?), and took our places behind the arena gates.

When the gates dropped, we both came out slowly. I held my shield up in front of my chest to tease the crowd. I knew I'd get more effect when I moved it aside. I hoped that worked the same on the Champion.

The Champion never took his eyes off mine. Ysabel was right, he was too good a fighter to get distracted.

He opened with a slash at my shield arm, just as if he were using a regular shortsword. I dodged and stabbed under the swing. He wasn't there any more and I had to bring up my shield quickly to block the real attack. Damn! he understood the old weapons too.

Over the next half-hour we stabbed, blocked and parried at each other without seeming to make any progress. Neither had scored any major hits, but we were both bleeding from numerous small cuts. The crowd had cheered every one of those. especially when the blood trickled down my chest. Our swords and shields were showing a lot of wear, too, as most of our efforts had involved them colliding in futility.

I'd read that a lot of the fights in the early Arena had ended when one of the combatants collapsed from fatigue or loss of blood. Back then, the crowd got to choose if he lived or died. I couldn't die, but I was getting close to collapse.

My opponent had the advantage there. I'd fought short matches in the Arena, but he'd been off closing Gates in the Oblivion Crisis, facing streams of opponents in long battles to get to the Towers. I had trained hard, but I began to doubt if it was enough.

Then our equipment started to break. My sword tip snapped off against his shield, making it next to useless. Then the handle came off his shield, but I had nothing to attack with but my fists. I'd killed with them before, so that's what I used. And then my shield broke, just like his.

In a few seconds, we were both pummeling each other with our bare hands. The crowd had never seen anything like this before. This wasn't a back-alley brawl outside the tavern. We were trained fighters in open space. And without my shield, they could see me better. They loved it.

They couldn't see the bruises yet, but we could feel them. We were both liberally smeared with each other's blood, and our blows would re-open the cuts and keep it fresh and flowing. My only hope was that he was as close to collapse as I was.

He wasn't. I went down first. When I came back to consciousness, he was just standing there waiting for me. Anyone else would have tried to finish me off while I was down, but he hadn't.
Or had he? Had he tried and given up?

We tried to continue the match. I went down a couple more times, and realised we'd come to an impasse. He couldn't kill me, of course, but I couldn't win either. I suppose I could wait until he starved to death, but the crowd wouldn't.

I took off my helmet and told him what I had just thought. He agreed that the match had become pointless, and neither could win. We went back to the Bloodworks to ask the Battlematron for a ruling.

She had no idea how to handle a tie, they just didn't happen! She pulled a dusty old book from her cupboard, to read what had happened in the past. We'd fought our match with the old equipment, so the old rules should apply, shouldn't they? No, they didn't, she decided, one of us had to die.

"But I can't die" I confessed. "And I don't have the ability to kill him."

I had to tell them the whole story of Boethia and the immortality curse. I was cheating, so the match was void. Ysabel wasn't happy with the idea of a void match, as she might have to give the crowd its money back. And we'd certainly given them value. There hadn't been a bout this long in all her memory. Forfeit, then, just like you'd get for illegal equipment in a regular match.

I didn't care. I didn't want to fight any more, so any way we could stop was good with me. I didn't expect to get paid, either, and I was very surprised when the Champion insisted we split the purse. He said I'd done half the work, so I should get half the gold. We'd announce a tie, not a forfeit.

We washed off the blood, and went back up to the Arena with Owyn, who raised both our arms in "victory". The announcer declared a drawn match, the first in history, and the crowd went wild! The Champion would retain his title, as he had not been defeated. I would retire undefeated, too.

A part of the crowd who'd hoped for a rematch weren't happy with that, and a few small fights broke out in the terraces. The guards soon stopped those, however, as the majority of them knew they'd had a great show. I was still giving them one, if you think about it.

Back in the Bloodworks, the Champion asked me what I'd be doing after this. "Hurting" I told him.

He meant after that. I hadn't given it any thought, mainly because I hadn't expected this outcome.
He pointed out that I wasn't reluctant to use my "obvious assets" to my advantage, and suggested I join his venture here at Gweden.

I wasn't ready for that kind of switch in career yet. I liked the idea of giving pleasure instead of pain, but I couldn't come to terms with asking for payment. "If a guy deserves me, he should get it for free." I told him.

"Besides, I need to get myself some different skills if I'm not going to be a fighter any more. I want to learn to heal, instead of injure. Cure diseases, that sort of thing."

He'd wait. He marked the farm on my map, so I knew where to find him when I was ready. I gathered up my few possesions, put on a plain robe, and hit the road.

I went back to Bruma first, and had Cirroc teach me healing, both for myself and others. It was strange to learn spell-casting from a Redguard, but I guess healing is a special case. Owyn never had any problems with the Basin of Renewal being magical. It was just there, and we all used it.

Bravil was next, the Mages Guild. I wanted to avoid fights in future, and I thought a Calm spell would help. It would probably make healing more effective too. It's a friendly place, that guild, and I stayed for about a week before I moved on.

Heading back North, I ran into a bandit. My new Calm spell wasn't enough, and I ended up having to kill him with his own weapon. Carrying one of my own wasn't a good idea, as that seemed to make the bandits attack first and talk later. I needed to be able to conjure one instead. That way, I wouldn't look threatening until I needed it.

Chorrol Mages Guild was the place to go for Conjuration, so that was my next stop. We worked on creating me a custom spell that gave me both a bound sword and some armor. The defense was mainly magical, as I figured I'd use my natural distractions to supplement it. Even if it hadn't worked on the Champion, it would work on highwaymen and bandits. Teekeus made me practice it in the basement, as I was distracting everyone else!

I still wasn't ready to take up the Champion's offer. I felt better about travelling the roads now, so I went all the way to Cheydinhal next. I wanted to see more of Cyrodiil before I made up my mind, and I could take some training in the chapel there. Perhaps to cure disease, or poison.

I was about as far from the farm as I could get in Cheydinhal, and there was something I didn't like about the place. Maybe it was the corrupt guards, although I'd run into those just about anywhere I went. Cheydinhal did seem to have more than its share. So I didn't stay long, and soon found myself headed for Anvil.

I wasn't consciously going towards Gweden, that was just coincidence, wasn't it? I wasn't sure any more, but it wouldn't hurt to learn another spell at the Mages Guild while I sorted out my mind. By the time I learned to cure paralysis, I was decided.

The Champion wasn't at the Lodge when I arrived. Tsarrina promised to send him a message, and introduced me to the rest of the team. That was a word I hadn't heard since the Arena, and it meant something different here. Most of the Arena fights were one-on-one and the only help you got from your team was encouragement before the bout.

Ok, maybe there were a few similarities, but there wasn't another team to hate here. Quite the opposite. And every match was a tie, or as close as you could manage.

Tsarrina told me I'd really be part of a team that night. One of the men of the Anvil watch had got a promotion, and they were all coming here for an orgy to celebrate! She assumed I wasn't too shy for that after my Arena performance.

She showed me where I would sleep, and gave me a chest to stow my things. I didn't carry much, just the helmet from that championship match as a reminder of what I'd put behind me.

Back downstairs, the men were beginning to arrive. It was strange to see them in civilian clothes, but that didn't last long.

"Didn't I see you in the Arena?" one of them asked. I noticed he wasn't looking at my face when he said that. The other men noticed that too, and laughed at him.

So I gave him something better to remember me by. I could tell by the way they all cheered that he would.


This post has been edited by ghastley: Feb 20 2012, 05:59 PM


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Acadian
post Feb 21 2012, 01:10 AM
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And the crowd roars! This was just a real nice story with some great insights into the price of immortality, the Arena and respect between two skilled combatants. You well-captured the length and futility of Freija’s final match. And she retires in fine style. Hey, scars are sexy!

You also paint the Champion with a noble brush that makes the intentionally nameless/faceless hero one that any gamer would like to play.


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ghastley
post Feb 28 2012, 02:43 AM
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Since posting Freija's story I've created a poster that I'll be putting up in a couple of places. The Red Dragon Club will get a clean copy as decoration, and the Gweden Lodge will get a copy that's been defaced by a street urchin with a piece of charcoal.

But on to the next interview...


---------

Nelrene

Tsarrina brought in the next one proudly. "This one would like you to meet our Mazken," she said.

Nelrene was as big as Prizna, but thankfully not as naked. She wore a dark satin dress decorated with black lace and fringes, with a wide hooped skirt. A plunging neckline fought for attention with her glowing eyes.

Did all Daedra have eyes that glowed? Prizna's were red, and Nelrene's were blue, but they both shone with the same unworldly light. He didn't ask, yet. But he did ask about her race. Mazken, Tsarrina had called her.

Nelrene explained that the Mazken came from Sheogorath's realm, the Shivering Isles. There was another Daedric race there, too - the Aureals, also called Golden Saints. Nelrene didn't understand why Sheogorath needed them when he already had the Mazken, but she bowed to his will. Nelrene started to explain:

The Mazken are all completely loyal to their Lord Sheogorath, but our loyalty to mortals has to be earned. For me, the Champion of Cyrodiil did that even before I knew that he had become the Madgod.

Syl had enough of Sheogorath's favour that we served her too, but it was starting to wane. She was his Duchess of Dementia by virtue of having slain the previous Duke, and she was permanently in fear that she'd have the same fate. Of course she would eventually, those are Sheogorath's rules.

She was supposed to just get on with her job as Duchess, and leave the succession issue to the Madgod's wisdom, but that wasn't Syl's way. She wasted all her time looking for conspiracies against her, and creating them in the process.

I could sense that she had overstayed her welcome as Duchess, and that I would serve the Madgod better by helping to remove her. When Muurine began to plot against her, I took my place in the conspiracy and did what I could to help advance it.

Muurine told me it was all about Syl's little fling with Thadon, the Duke of Mania, whom Muurine hated. It seemed important to her, and perhaps it was, as another sign that the era was ending and the Greymarch beginning. I didn't know, but I agreed to her plan. I didn't care about the petty excuse they had for wanting Syl's death, but I knew her time was coming.

I provided Ma'zaddha with a weapon, and demanded that he find someone to use it against Syl. Anya Herrick, Syl's handmaiden, was a good candidate, as she could get close to her. He had contacted Anya, and was beginning to bring her round to our side when the Lord Sheogorath himself spoiled it all. He sent the Champion to Syl, to become her Grand Inquisitor. It seems it was too soon to dispose of Syl, and the conspiracy was not to succeed.

I did not realize that until it failed. First the Champion, and Herdir, Syl's personal torturer, interrogated Syl's steward Kithlan, and found out about Anya. Then Anya directed him to Ma'zaddha. The Khajiit held out, despite the attentions of Herdir, and the trail could have ended there. But I foolishly tried to keep the conspiracy alive. I spoke to Ma'zaddha late at night in Crucible and told him to find someone else to replace Anya.

I didn't know that the Inquisitor was listening to us. He confronted the Khajiit after I'd left and got him to agree to get more names. Someone else overheard them. Ma'zaddha was murdered, and the Inquistor found the sword I'd given him in his cupboard. I knew the conspiracy was over when he showed it to me. I sent him to Muurine. I hoped she could convince him that it was justified.

Syl was delighted to have the plot unravelled, and took great delight in executing Muurine herself. Then she turned her spite on me, and had me sent to to Corpserot Prison.

The imprisonment itself was of no concern. I'd have to fight my way out past the Grummites, but a Mazken is immortal, and my death would just be a delay in reaching freedom. But that snake Syl had another card to play. She told me she'd asked Lord Sheogorath to make me mortal. As in no return to the Wellspring. As in dying from diseases, permanently. That kind of mortal!

I didn't know it was a lie. I stayed cowering in the cell until the Champion came to get me. He had to bring me some Amber armor and weapons before I'd venture out. I didn't trust anything else. Syl had no influence in Bliss, so Amber should be trustworthy.

If I'd stopped to think about it, I'd have realised that Syl would have killed me as soon as I became mortal. Since she hadn't, she couldn't and I wasn't, but I was too scared to reason clearly.

We didn't encounter any Grummites inside the prison, as they'd all fallen when he came in, but there were some waiting for us as we emerged. I forgot my supposed mortality when I got into battle, my training just took over. But the fear all came back afterward. He healed my wounds, which were minor anyway, but he couldn't take away the fear. The walk back through Dementia was a long and frightening one for me.

He brought me into Tamriel, through the door in Niben Bay. I still felt unsafe, even here.

He told me Syl was dead, and he'd killed her himself, so he could be certain of that. That she had lied to me about being mortal. That he was now the Madgod, after defeating Jyggalag. That's when I stopped believing him again.

He had to take me to Sheogorath's Shrine before I'd change my mind. When Haskill's voice confirmed all he'd told me I was so ashamed. I had disbelieved the true Madgod.

He understood. It was because I thought for myself, instead of just blindly waiting for Sheogorath's direction, that he'd thought me worth rescuing from prison in the first place.

Now he wanted me to think for myself again, and consider Gweden. I had a few questions first.

If I died here in Tamriel, how could I return when the Wellspring was in the Isles? He told me the door on the Island would remain, and I could return to the Shrine here too.

How could I be here in Tamriel, where none of the other Mazken could follow? That was harder to explain. Actually any of them could come here if they were invited, but they wouldn't, because they believed they couldn't. I believed I could, and he'd invited me, so I did. Especially now, Daedric princes weren't allowed into Tamriel, but he was the Madgod, and that didn't stop him returning. He belonged here, and I could too, if I wanted.

Would I really be welcome at Gweden? I had always been a guard, a soldier, an authority figure. He told me about Silanu, and that got me even more confused. I couldn't understand why anyone would pay her to do that. But then I remembered how strange the people in the Isles had been, and it wasn't so unusual after all.

And I really did find a welcome here. If there's any trouble, my training comes back to the surface, but that's rare. And my habit of ordering mortals around isn't the disadvantage I thought it would be. Apparently some guys do like to be told what to do. Of course, what I'm telling them to do has changed a bit.

So put down that pen and notebook, and help me with these lacings.


"How may I serve?" he asked her. Tsarrina stopped them. He had another interview or two before that.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 29 2016, 02:20 PM


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Acadian
post Feb 28 2012, 04:17 AM
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Great poster for the Arena. smile.gif

Goodness. Gweden sure stables a wide variety. Something for every taste. I’m really hoping there’s a Golden Saint in there somewhere! Or maybe a flame atronach – that would be hot. tongue.gif Eeep! No spider daedra though. ohmy.gif

This post has been edited by Acadian: Feb 28 2012, 04:18 AM


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mALX
post Feb 28 2012, 06:02 PM
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I was amazed at the detailed background into Sheo's SI realm in this - and loved the Poster, you have some artistic talent !! Awesome Write !!


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ghastley
post Feb 28 2012, 06:27 PM
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That's actually quite simple in GIMP or Photoshop. Take a screenshot, trim out the bit you need, run an edge detect filter, then colorize. It's not very far different from part of the process for making a screen shot into a load screen.

Which reminds me. I need a load screen for entering the Red Dragon Club....

And of course I made one

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 4 2016, 10:02 PM


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Grits
post Feb 29 2012, 03:17 AM
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These last two stories have been my favorites for their rich backgrounds and tons of detail. Also for provoking numerous giggles and snorts. Are you sure it wasn’t a drunken Nord who embellished Freija’s poster? tongue.gif

The Red Dragon Club quests look great! I especially enjoyed reading about Uriel’s Cousin. It’s fun watching the intrigue grow. smile.gif

This post has been edited by Grits: Feb 29 2012, 03:19 AM


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ghastley
post Feb 29 2012, 06:54 PM
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QUOTE(Grits @ Feb 28 2012, 09:17 PM) *

Are you sure it wasn’t a drunken Nord who embellished Freija’s poster? tongue.gif

Nord, street urchin, where's the difference? biggrin.gif


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mALX
post Feb 29 2012, 07:15 PM
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QUOTE(ghastley @ Feb 28 2012, 12:27 PM) *

That's actually quite simple in GIMP or Photoshop. Take a screenshot, trim out the bit you need, run an edge detect filter, then colorize. It's not very far different from part of the process for making a screen shot into a load screen.

Which reminds me. I need a load screen for entering the Red Dragon Club....

And of course I made one



You have an awesome talent !! Nice load screen !!


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ghastley
post Mar 6 2012, 12:21 AM
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@Acadian: A Golden Saint? Ask and you shall recieve, if it's at Sanguine's shrine, and you do a quest for him first.

@Grits: Hopefully a few giggles in this one, too.

@mALX: No pictures in this one, and I've created a thread in the Mod Announcements section for the ongiong changes, so I can keep the future presents out of the present, in future.


The auto-censor had a field day with this episode, so if I missed anything it did, let me know. Or if you know an acceptable alternative to [woman of negotiable virtue].

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

Goldie

"When the Champion returned from the Shivering Isles, he told this one all about the Saints and Seducers," said Tsarrina to the reporter. "So when Nelrene came here, this one told him we simply must have an Aureal as well, to preserve the balance."

"To be honest, she just wanted to find out what one looked like. If that one proved to be a good fit for this establishment, that was pure gravy."

"So you'd best talk to Goldie, next, and you can see for yourself."

Goldie was everything the reporter had expected when he first arrived, but more so. This was his vision of the ultimate [woman of negotiable virtue]. A golden image of a perfect woman. Seductive, but aloof and detached. Dazzlingly beautiful, and the smooth gold skin, and glowing golden eyes, made her almost unbearably so. Out of reach, unless you paid for the privilege. And you'd pay anything for Goldie.

She'd had a lot of practice, being immortal, so it wasn't too surprising. She wasn't naked like Prizna, as that would give him an excuse to look away, but her outfit hid only enough to make him want what it concealed. A calculated balance that had been perfected over a long existence.

What he hadn't expected, was that she was not from Sheogorath's realm at all, but from Sanguine's.

"I'm not like the other Aureals," she told him. "It is true that I have little or no respect for males until they earn it, but they can do that in my bed. I'm not too hard to please, either."

The look Tsarrina gave him suggested that was an understatement.

"But how was a man going to get anywhere near me if he hadn't already proven himself?" she asked. "I desperately wanted them, but they were all unproven, and thus unworthy. I was rejecting them all until Sanguine took charge. I bowed to his will, of course. He is a Daedric Prince, after all."

"He told me to be his [woman of negotiable virtue] To simply obey him, and let him choose for me. To start with, I despised the men, but I loved what they did to me, They were as impersonal to me as I was to them, just a means to an end."

"But some were better than the others. They managed to engage more of me, to get me more involved. To find my preferences and exploit them, as I did theirs. Was it a contest, or a partnership? Did they care about me, or just getting good value for what they paid? I was intrigued, as well as stimulated, by Sanguine's game."

"And how did I come to be playing it here? The Champion asked for an Aureal, and Sanguine provided me."

Goldie began her tale of the Champion.

He had come to Sanguine's Shrine here in Cyrodiil to petition the Daedric Prince. Yes, there was an Aureal [woman of negotiable virtue] for Gweden if a small task could be performed in exchange. I was summoned and presented to the Champion for his approval. I was on offer if he could succeed. Sanguine didn't have to ask me, he knew I'd jump at this.

A Daedric Prince's task is never as easy as it first appears. Sanguine simply asked him to fetch the undergarments of Ulene Hlervu. What he didn't tell him, of course, was what he'd have to do to get them. The Champion told me all about it when he got back, and Sanguine filled in the parts he missed out.

He'd met Ulene before, and she'd been quite pleasant on that occasion. She'd told him where to find Azura's Shrine and been very surprised when he'd come back with her Star. She'd always considered worshipping at the shrine a complete waste of time, as you never get anything good from a Daedra Lord. True, he had the Star, but only after a gruelling fight with a cave full of Vampires, so her opinion didn't change much.

But Ulene and the Champion didn't exactly have the kind of relationship that gave him ready access to her underwear. He'd considered his options.

He could attempt to improve her disposition to the point necessary to remove them. Not only might that be beyond his Speechcraft's capabilities, but he was trying to recruit me, not her. Silanu was already at Gweden, so he didn't need another Dunmer.

He could sneak into her room at the castle and steal some. He had the impression that Sanguine didn't want stolen goods, and the ones he wanted were those she was wearing.

He could just tell her the truth, and see if she believed it. She'd been totally straight with him about the Daedric Shrines, so it seemed to be the best alternative. And it was.

Although she was a bit reluctant at first, she admitted that there was a good reason for Sanguine to be interested in her underwear, as he clearly knew all about the Count. The Champion didn't, so she explained further.

The Count had always been a philanderer, even when his late wife was alive. Lysatha didn't seem to mind, most likely because she wasn't entirely faithful herself. She was as young as Ulene, and Ulene understood that.

The Count, however, liked to mark his conquests by collecting souvenirs, specifically undergarments. No, he didn't have any of hers, and she was wearing particularly thick and unsexy flannel ones to help ward him off. They were probably the ones Sanguine wanted, because if she gave those up, it would be proof the Count had been "cured".

When I asked Sanguine about that, he said she'd got it exactly right!

The Champion made some discreet inquiries around town. Some of the answers weren't as discreet as his questions, and they painted a lurid picture of Count Andel Indarys. There were a few women who admitted to being flattered by the Count's attention, but complained that he'd been less interested in the contents of their lace and ribbons than the garments themselves. Others had refused the Count's advances, but found they'd lost items from their laundry afterward.

So if he wasn't doing it to keep a tally. Ulene wondered if the Count was just collecting, or wearing them himself? Which ever it was, she decided, it was time to stop it. If the Champion could steal the Count's collection back, she'd make sure they were all returned to their owners, and let all the women know what happened. Maybe if they all knew, the Count would be embarrassed enough to stop. Meanwhile she was going back to her room to see if anything was missing.

On his way into the Castle, the Champion met Garrus Darelliun, the guard captain. He knew Garrus from an earlier visit, when he'd helped him to expose Ulrich Leland, the prior captain, and his fines racket. He asked Garrus if he knew anything about the Count's panty fetish. No, he didn't, but it he found it particularly odd, because the late Countess never wore any.

Garrus looked the other way when he entered the private apartments, but he used his Ring of Shadows anyway. No point in the other guards getting involved. There was a chest behind the Count's bed containing what he was looking for, but he wasn't expecting the quantity he found!

Ulene was surprised to be talking to an invisible Champion, but he wasn't taking his ring off while he was carrying a huge pile of women's panties! She understood, and led him to where he could put them down. When she saw how many there were, she was even more astounded.

She picked through the heap until she found some she recognized as her own. That confirmed for her that the Count had been stealing! She held up the dainty scrap of lace and asked the Champion if these were the ones Sanguine wanted. She already knew the answer, she just wanted him to know that the ones she was surrendering weren't her usual style.

Ulene slipped into the next room and made the swap. She came back out with a large sack and stuffed the rest of the pile into it. Then she handed him his prize, which was almost as heavy as all the others put together. I saw them when he brought them back to the shrine. They were almost thick enough to wear for armor!

Sanguine wanted me to try them on. He said he wondered if they'd manage to make even me look undesirable. I told him he already knew the answer, so why spoil the Champion's opinion of me?

He laughed, and told me I was free to leave with the Champion if I wished.

I took that as a direct order, because I wanted to. I would inspect this Gweden Lodge on behalf of Sanguine, and see if it would meet with his approval. I wasn't going to let the Champion know that joining him was my own choice, even if I did think he'd done well. He had a bit more persuading to do, I hoped.


The reporter asked her about the name "Goldie". Sanguine had called her that, and it suited her purposes well. It made her anonymous and familiar at the same time. She'd almost forgotten her real name, and he didn't need to know it. Goldie was what she was and who she was now.
"Do you think you'll ever return to Sanguine's realm?" asked the reporter.

"Only when Tamriel runs out of men." she replied.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jun 5 2012, 02:57 AM


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Acadian
post Mar 6 2012, 02:03 AM
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Golden Girl Graces Gweden Gang! Golden Globes Galore! biggrin.gif

Woman of negotiable virtue! My chuckles grew greater each time I read that! smile.gif

And the undulating saga of Ulene’s undies! The things our poor Champion does! wink.gif


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post Mar 6 2012, 02:47 AM
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I’ve resorted to “strumpet” and “harlot,” but they just don’t have the same zing as [woman of negotiable virtue]. tongue.gif

Our hero conducts a legendary panty raid!! Nice to see Sanguine taking an interest. Ulene’s little I-don’t-usually-wear-granny-panties cracked me up. smile.gif




ETA: Just saw "Golden Globes." LOL, Acadian!!

This post has been edited by Grits: Mar 6 2012, 02:48 AM


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