The Saga of Laprima Donnaugh Options

[Renee]

Hey. So this is going to be the final chapter of Spring 2022, and I appreciate everyone's attentions. Have some cake. I realized something about Laprima Donnaugh the other day. As a character in a story, she is my most highly-developed. But as a character in the game of Skyrim, she is completely undeveloped. Still Level 1, with absolutely zero progress of skills!

Laprima, the novice to court intrigue versus Sybille who likely has centuries of courtly experience augmented by supernatural abilities. That Sybille emerges with the upper hand here is no surprise.

Yes, Laprima sees Sybille sitting outside her room, and decides she needs to reveal her thoughts, but is surprised to learn the court wizard is able to keep up with the revelations, and is miles ahead, in fact.

With some of these NPCs so far: Sybille and Elisif especially, I tried to do some research at UESP and The Imperial Library. How old are they? Where did they grow up? and so on. There isn't much to go on with these two ladies, so it's hard to say if there are years of courtly experience, or centuries. In the game, Sybille is portrayed as bumbling (at least in the opening Wolfskull Cave scene) but I prefer the idea that she's got some better experience. How else would she wind up as a member of Solitude's court?

Sounds like she's a potential ally for Laprima. Both of them have their secrets, and neither would really benefit from revealing the other. And as vampires go, Sybille seems reasonable... at least so far. Though one wonders if she has an ulterior motive.

Certainly hope there will be more to this!

That is something which could go both ways. I don't want to reveal too much, but Sybille's relationship to Laprima could certainly become Ally, and I think in some ways it will. They will never be Friends though, because both of them now possess cards in the deck which they can use to play against each other. Sort of like if two scorpions meet. They are both wary of each others' stings now.

There will be more, but not for about 6 months or so. I have a weird thing about these games: I only play Elder Scrolls games if the weather outside is cloudy and/or rainy, while Fallout is for sunnier days. I only play Skyrim if it's less than 60-65 degrees F, and that means no Skyrim until October or November. I just feel silly playing a game in which it is cold, when outside it is actually warm and spring or summer-like. But I'll play other games--really keen to get back into Morrowind for instance.

! I had a hunch that Elijah might be mentioned or even appear again, because he deserved a prominent place in Laprima's backstory.

I had a hunch, too. Honestly I did not know Sybille knew about Laprima's brother until just before I began writing two weeks ago. The story originally (in my head) ended with the wizard saying the bit about Laprima changing her looks, as per her aunt's wishes. Then when I began writing it, the final part about her bro *POPPED* up.

That was great that you intuited Sybille already knew about the smuggling, and that she might have learned this after eavesdropping. How did you do this? Hmm, maybe it was just the fact the wizard was sitting right outside her door so quietly.

Now Sybille is sounding like my mother. "You look rather tawdry." ugh.

Sorry to hear that.

I got surprised by that scene, I must say. Going by the effects assigned to skooma in vanilla Oblivion, it is more like Speed or Cocaine or a similar stimulant, not a hallucination-inducing substance. But of course you are free to imagine whatever you like there! So then skooma from Black Marsh makes you see things...

Yes, this is true! In Morrowind the primary effect of Moon Sugar is Fortify Speed, and in Oblivion it is Damage Intelligence, which is why Chamany gives Laprima Alkanet (this restores Intelligence). I tried to do some research reading actual in-game books, to try to learn what skooma actually feels like. There isn't much to go on, that I've found anyway, so I did embellish a bit.

I read your story too, but also don't always comment, just because I sometimes feel bad for falling so far behind. I also do leave bookmarks here and there, I'd be lost without them!

Now that's the Sybille I know and love; dedicated to her court and always 10 steps ahead of everyone. I think their little face-to-face went well. Maybe, Sybille went rather easy on Laprima but I'm not betting a red nickel on Chamany.

Nice, glad you have come to these conclusions. In fact with Chamany, he was supposed to already be found killed. That's how I saw the story going years ago before I started actually writing. He was supposed to be found dead the very next morning.

Working with scripts in Skyrim is a b1tch though. I wanted him to get killed via script, and finally wrote something which compiled okay in the Creation Kit. Did not work in the game though. But maybe this is a good thing. The story's more intriguing than I originally conceived.

I will post the story soon, and later this week I'll also post some picture links. Ciao.

Ah dang... "You have posted a message with more emoticons that this board allows. Please reduce the number of emoticons you've added to the message" ... Always something.

[Renee]

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Her Future in Skyrim

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Tirdas, 26 Frostfall, 4E 201

Laprima awoke the next morning in a large comfortable bed, unsure where she was. For about ten or twelve seconds, she struggled to remember. She'd been having a dream, and it had been a gripping one. Finally, she recalled. She was in Solitude, inside its Blue Palace. Today would be her third day in Skyrim.

Her usual routine back in Cyrodiil had been to wake early, paint and rouge her face, have a bite to eat, and get on about her day, preferably with haste. Unlike her dearest friend Siouxsie Ballion, Laprima did her best not to lollygag. Often, her days were pre-planned and organized. Being a student had helped of course, but even on days when there were no classes, lying around in bed while waiting for sleep to reclaim was never on Laprima’s agenda. Doing so was a near-guaranteed way to attract the darkness.

But now, here in Skyrim, she noted new circumstances. Two important facets of difference.

First, her lover was here, and by her side. Chamany LaCroix. She had left her home behind to join him, all while dealing with a fair amount of guilt, and an enormous number of questions. Had deserting friends and family and school been the right thing to do? Laprima was still unsure. So many things had changed within the last three months; she had uprooted her entire life, and all she had known since childhood. But at least Chamany was here, now, and by her side.

The second notion to consider caused her a few moments of consternation, as she laid a few moments in bed: the court wizard’s parting words from the night before. About her brother. Whom Sybille Stentor had claimed was alive and well, somewhere here in Skyrim. How can this be? … Was Sybille’s information to be trusted?

Laprima had tried quizzing the wizard for more, asking questions, probing for answers. But Sybille remained vague. Did you learn about Elijah from aunt Elisif? she had asked. … Sybille would not answer directly; she would only ramble a bit about her abilities to “see” and “scry”. Finally, the wizard claimed she was growing tired. She’d laid to rest, and refused to discuss the matter further.

And now that Laprima pondered this more, it seemed impossible Lady Elisif could have informed Sybille about Laprima’s long-lost sibling. For the queen seemed unaware of Elijah’s disappearance, had not even asked how Elijah was doing. It was as if she’d completely forgotten Laprima had a younger brother. And this was fine with the Cyrodiilian. Laprima had not been eager to discuss the darknesses of past with her fussy, over-exuberant aunt.

So. How had Sybille Stentor gleaned this sort of knowledge? Was her ability to see and scry something to be relied upon? … Laprima Anne Donnaugh, rather perplexed.

For the moment, she decided to believe the wizard’s foretellings. She decided to release her worries from captivity. And this, she quickly discovered, felt enormous and beneficial. A closet of fears and gloom, now open and ready for sunlight. She smiled and wondered and felt the darkness which had pervaded her life for so long diminish to a corner. So. How had Sybille Stentor gleaned that sort of knowledge? Was her ability to see and scry something to be relied upon? Laprima Anne Donnaugh could not answer firmly yet, but for the moment, she did not care.

Chamany awoke. The couple then did the sort of things which new couples do during their first morning together in bed. Afterwards, she glanced at the way light was slanting into her bedroom, and determined it was still early morning. Wonderful.

Her first day in Skyrim had been confusing, her second was full of surprises. For her third day, she would get out and do something, something which would be considered her own. There was no way she'd spend her entire third day dawdling within her room, or even the palace. She would explore all of Solitude, thought she with impetuous ardor. Even her nit-picking aunt would (perhaps) be less of a bother!

Two days before she’d been wondering if she’d made the right decisions, leaving her home for Skyrim, following a man whom she really did not know. More and more it seemed the answer to these questions was the word “yes".

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[Lena Wolf]

I got surprised by that scene, I must say. Going by the effects assigned to skooma in vanilla Oblivion, it is more like Speed or Cocaine or a similar stimulant, not a hallucination-inducing substance. But of course you are free to imagine whatever you like there! So then skooma from Black Marsh makes you see things...

Yes, this is true! In Morrowind the primary effect of Moon Sugar is Fortify Speed, and in Oblivion it is Damage Intelligence, which is why Chamany gives Laprima Alkanet (this restores Intelligence). I tried to do some research reading actual in-game books, to try to learn what skooma actually feels like. There isn't much to go on, that I've found anyway, so I did embellish a bit.

Skooma is a potion and not an ingredient, so it's not just the first effect that you need to look at, but all effects. You always get to experience them all, regardless of your alchemy skill. It is similar to wine, in this respect. In Oblivion these effects are: Damage Intelligence, Drain Agility, Fortify Speed, Fortify Strength. In Skyrim it is also a potion and is definitely considerably watered down (Chamaney got that right!) - all it does is Restore Stamina by 25 points, which is miserable, really. Even the Hag's Stallion Potion in Markarth was more effective. In Morrowind Skooma has the same effects as in Oblivion, except that Intelligence is drained rather than damaged. But of course Chamaney's skooma was from Black Marsh, so it could totally have a rainbow around it as well.

Have you tried Felldew? I mean obviously if any of your characters ever tried Felldew? I think you mentioned to have never gone to the Shivering Isles yet... Well... Now there is a hallucinogenic for you!

Sorry to hear that Chamaney was supposed to get murdered. I'm getting quite attached to the guy... Hehe.

I read your story too, but also don't always comment, just because I sometimes feel bad for falling so far behind. I also do leave bookmarks here and there, I'd be lost without them!

Feel bad? Don't. There is no obligation to follow a story as it is being written. I've been reading some stories written years and years back, I find it is actually quite nice to be able to read a story at your own pace. Yeah, bookmarks are your friends, that's for sure!

[WellTemperedClavier]

Sad to see that Laprima's adventures seem to be coming to a (temporary) close. Still, it's probably good for her to enjoy the optimism and take a break!

[Acadian]

I like that Laprima has decided to deal with her situation optimistically. I hope she enjoys her summer and look forward to more of her story when the weather allows.

[SubRosa]

So first level Laprimma is off to explore on her own! Perhaps hijinks will ensue. Even if not, I will be looking forward to seeing her taking up the quest to find her mysteriously missing brother when you return for the next season.

[Lopov]

It's been three days in the life of Laprima only and it feels like quite an adventure already. I'm looking forward to the continuation of her story, whenever you feel ready to do it.

Great pic as Laprima thinks of her future in Skyrim.

[Renee]

Thanks you all. Today is Laprima's real-life birthday. I rolled her 5 years ago on October 29, 2017. Thought I should return to her for a surprise visit.

To recap, not much has really happened yet physically, this story's more cerebral. Laprima Anne Donnaugh arrives to Skyrim from the Imperial City, and the city is where she grew up. Laprima's mother is related Lady Elisif of Skyrim in this story, making Elisif Laprima's aunt.

Laprima's brother disappeared at the age of 7, which screwed up Laprima's childhood, and caused her mother (Elisif's sister or half-sister) to become catatonic. Though Miss Donnaugh was ultimately able to do well in school, she eventually got into trouble, as her mind could not entirely forget the past. She and her 'gothic' friends began pilfering small items in various shops in the I.C. as an attempt to alleviate their "darkness".

But her juvenile crime spree did not end there. Laprima learned to pick locks in one of her classes, and one night was caught breaking into Red Diamond Jewelry. She got in trouble (probably a warning) for the first arrest. Pretty soon, she was caught again. After spending 5 days in jail, her wealthy father almost disowned her.

She eventually fell in love with one Chamany LaCroix, who is a foreigner (it seems), and also was one of her classmates in the city. They began planning on getting married. But Chamany soon left for Bravil, dropping school. He'd gotten a "job opportunity he could not pass up." He asked his fiancé to follow him to Skyrim (where his first job opportunity would take him), and eventually she did.

Laprima arrived to Solitude on a freight ship, which caused some consternation with the nobles of the Blue Palace, because everyone was expecting her to show up on the Katariah, or some other boat fit for a noble. So the big question was: why did she arrive on a barge?

The answer: Chamany LaCroix, who'd arrived to Skyrim first, had already been living in Skyrim for a month or two. Chamany convinced his fiancé to ride upon the ship while he made arrangements here in Skyrim for a gigantic skooma deal. Basically, he tricked his own fiancé into riding along with this shipment of illicit drugs, while he set things up with whomever he's dealing with. Laprima is not pleased about this, yet she's also been paid a huge amount of coin, over 7000 gp, for her unknowing efforts. From my perspective, she's my only Elder Scrolls character who's started off rich.

There's a couple twists in this story, both of them related to Sybille Stentor, the Blue Palace's court wizard. As a seer, Sybille already knew what was going on with Chamany from the moment he arrived. She also claims that Laprima's brother (Elijah) is alive, and is somewhere here in Skyrim.

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It's really sort of difficult writing in the style her tale demands, I must admit! It's not like Joan, where half the tale is basically already written (just follow the quests) or Vicious, whose voice and story ideas I can draw from real-life co-workers and situations. Laprima's story demands something else.

I was sitting there last night in front of my laptop with "On her fourth day" for what seems like an hour. Finally, my housemate turned on the TV and began watching. Poltergeist was on one of our 800+ channels. 👻 "Oh, you're writing, should I turn it off?" she asked. Actually, no, don't do that. Sometimes random distractions from other media seem to do the trick. Pretty soon I was auto-writing the poetic stuff *schwoop...*

Went to bed around 10 and had a bunch of scattered Laprima dreams, which I barely remember. But a bunch of words kept floating into consciousness as I'd wake and fall back asleep. So here it is, 5:31 AM. Let's see what I got.

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 29 2022, 12:02 PM

[Renee]

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The Forces which Beckon

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Middas, 27 Frostfall, 4E 201


On her fourth morn in Skyrim came the next dream. Droplets and snowflakes. Discs in the sky, obscured by cirrus and cumulus. A path which wandered and wound. Far away, distance high upon rockface. An opening, cluttered crates nearby. Inhabitation. Arrangements, portending, portending, becoming. Deep into caverns, inhabited by beings who dwell within darkness. Structural cruxes, cedars and pines. Fastened and sound. Yet copious darkness.

Dwelt within darkness, darkness yet brilliance. Darkness, portending. Darkness, arranging.

Flickers of light, laughter, crying. The shadows of friends. Past peoples, elated. Her folks all around, yet also not present, not here, not now. Calling, bellowing, deep into night. Malevolence and dignity. The beast, he's nearby. His figure, familiar. Somehow, familiar.

Asleep she was, and having a dream, yet how could this one be so real?

And there she heard him. "Laprima!" There he was. Avian cries, the sound of a dog. Was that really her brother? Really, was it Elijah?

Someone was coming. Airy contusions. The smell of damp, the chill of burrows. Threatened, he lingered. Someone, here, somebody coming.

And all along in the background was the incessant barking of dogs, the howling of hounds, the baying of wolves, the cries of canines, the --

~~~~~~~~~~

Laprima Anne Donnaugh awoke from her nightmare, bolted upright in bed. Addressed the sudden uneasiness of combined worlds for a moment; that one slipping away into this. Her heart was racing. Her skin tingled. Her hair half-covered her face in a dark, sweaty mass. Shafts of sunlight illuminated the room, her room. And where in oblivion was she?

"Laprima, you are with us?" Her aunt before her, aunt Elisif the queen, peering, smiling, and radiant. "You are alright?"

Her fourth day in Skyrim, today it began. Her usual routine after having such a dream was to scribble all she could remember into a special journal designated for such things, which was an effort to document and arrange those night experiences into written thoughts, missives she could then study, and try to make sense of. But this was impossible now.

"We've got lots of lovely things planned for you today," aunt Elisif began, as she fussed about the room. "I have personally arranged a visit with one of the magistrates of Castle Dour once you have gathered yourself ready. My court shall soon be in session, which you are completely welcome to attend, if you'd like. Oh, and there is also a chaplain who'd like to meet you. Personal friend, he's in charge of our Temple of Eight. And once court attendance is over, we can perhaps place a visit to that facial specialist I was gabbing about the other day," Elisif winked. "See? Lots of lovelies planned for you today, my dear niece. When you feel ready, of course."

As she had no choice but to rise and begin her day, the forces which beckoned could only dwindle aside, powerless and impotent in the light.
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[Lopov]

What an ominous dream! I had a feeling already at the first mention of her missing brother, that he's going to play some role in her story to come, whether in dreams or in person.

I enjoyed this short but also ominous prelude to the coming Laprima's season.

[Acadian]

Thanks for the nice recap of where we are now in Laprima’s story after her summer break.

Ominous is right, Lopov. Very unclear what it all means and by the time Laprima finishes executing Elisef’s plans for the day, she will likely have forgotten some of the detail of her dream.

[SubRosa]

That was a creepy dream, that seemed to combine Laprimma's chagrin at having been unwittingly used as a drug mule (the empty crates), combined with the sense of someone coming. I wonder if that is her long-lost brother, who might be a werewolf?

[WellTemperedClavier]

Good to hear from Laprima again!

Dreams usually feel impressionistic to me, and your description gets that across. Lots of elements, particular sensations, particular moods--but not necessarily gelling into anything specific. So that felt true to life.

Looks like Elisif is still unaware of the various issues Laprima's dealing with, which means Laprima has to put on a happy face while melting down from the anxiety. Not a fun situation to be in, and that happy face gets draining after a while.

[Renee]

January 21, 2023, here we are, folks.

Thanks for kind comments. Yes Lopov, the dream part, it's like I wrote that while subconsciously setting up some sort of rhythm. Like, poetry. 📕 I used to know how meter works in poetry, but that was last studied way back in English class in high school. I've forgotten how it works, but that's the feel I was going for.

It gets explained better here... as I explained to Lopov. A few months ago.



But I was watching Poltergeist with my housemate Karen (yes, she's a karen) as I wrote that. The weather was October-chilly, all this crazy stuff was happening on TV. "They're here," the little girl said when the aliens arrived. It kind of set up a bizarre writing state which will probably never get repeated.

Wow, ominous! What a great word, Acadian and SubRosa. Hmm, werewolf! Nice speculation there. 🐺 It's hard to say where all of this is going. I had a whole bunch of notes written up on my computer which died last year. Who knows what the heck was on there? I had all sorts of crazy ideas.

Truthfully, some of these ideas were probably bad, though. Like, I wanted her to have a pet spider and stuff. And everyone would get freaked out about this. Anyway...

Yes, Laprima is back, Clavier! - and yes, I am glad you have picked up on all her conflicting thoughts for sure. Laprima being new to this town, with so many emotions and worries and fears, but also moments of happiness, as we'll see.

Now, where did we stay?

This post has been edited by Renee: Jan 21 2023, 06:45 PM

[Renee]

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Her Fourth Morn in Skyrim

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Middas, 27 Frostfall, 4E 201

Her fourth day in Skyrim, today it began. Laprima spent an hour or so dawdling in bed before slipping off into that odd state which exists between sleep and dreaming for a few minutes. Finally she awoke, to the sight of her fiancé waving goodbye. "I am off," he called to her. He appeared to be happily rested, wearing a dark outfit which made him look as though he belonged. "I shall be done throughout the day," he said, getting his words confused once again.

"Much appreciated," Laprima answered quietly, smiling softly. "Although, I do believe you'd just been meaning to just say 'gone', not 'done'."

"Ah-ha ha," Chamany Lacroix chuckled a bit. "I try, I do try to say words in your language the way which is right. You know this, yes?"

"Yes, I know this."

"Well. I am off. And do pro-mise to, eh, to fetch for us a nightstand," he said, performing a little bow. "Perhaps...down by the docks there are some furnitures we can purchase."

"Ach! Well that would be lovely, Chamany! And such great recall you do have! I am gratified that you have made a priority to even make cite of this," she said, pleased. The pair of lovers gazed at one another for a moment, unable to stop grinning like madness. Because...the nightstand...

The nightstand was something she'd mentioned as they lay in bed the previous night, discussing their bedroom arrangements. Her new room had four dressers, which Laprima and Chamany decided they'd split: two for him and two for her. It also had a sturdy barrel for trash, three wooden tables (a round table for dining, and two smaller ones for small plants and decorations) and two chairs. But there was no place to contain the smaller items of life: the notes, the jewelry, the random knickknacks which get picked up or left behind day to day.

Really, it was the fact that he'd remembered such a thing, casually mentioned and without any sort of haste. This was one of the many small moments which caused small rushes to flourish within her. She supposed this was how it was supposed to be for any young couple; nothing unique going on here. But still.

Her man left in a hurry, like he really had to be somewhere. Other than finding that piece of furniture and arranging a few bureaucratic notions for himself, Laprima was not entirely sure what else his day would entail.

But she knew what her day would consist of.

An hour ago, Elisif had barged into their room, just after Laprima'd had that dream about the dogs. Elisif explained that she'd already seen fit to let a few citizens here in Solitude know that her niece was now living in town, and would be needing to find some sort of occupation to keep her busy. -- So today's agenda? It was certain. It was already planned. Never mind the fact that Lady Donnaugh would rather go back into some sort of schooling. Never mind the fact one of her dressers now contained a few burlap sacks filled with just over seven thousand gold; half the amount obtained through her fiancé's illegal smuggling of dozens of crates of skooma. Never mind the fact that because of this, technically she would not actually need to work, perhaps for several years.

Of course, Queen Elisif knew nothing about any of this. Nobody did, other than Sybille Stentor, Solitude's court wizard. And it was not as though Laprima was proud of her husband's efforts. Coming into Skyrim, she knew she'd be dwelling in a palace. She knew she'd not have to worry about scrambling some place to live. But other than this, she'd been looking forward to starting off poor.

...Hmm, well not exactly poor poor. Perhaps a better way of putting it: starting from nothing. Like most young folks her age, who find themselves moving off and away from their family. Her entire life so far had been coddled and comfortable. It would be nice to begin at the bottom. Or at least, as close to the bottom as somebody who'd inherited her own quarters in a stone palace could begin.

She gazed to one of her windows, studied the light which filtered through.

From her previous architecture classes, she remembered that the windows in her room (and probably within most of Solitude) would be made of all sorts of translucent materials: thin meshes of bone, quartzes and cheap crystals, hammered and melted and scythed out carefully into narrow sheets. Or clear minerals such as fengite. Most of Solitude's windows, she'd already noticed, were not made of clear glass, as had become the style down in Cyrodiil. Therefore, they could transmit light, but were not designed to actually see through. Glass was more expensive, which was no excuse for a palace, of course. In many cases, those other window materials made for better protection, but they could only diffuse naked sunlight.

Still, it seemed by now it was mid-morning, which was perfect.

She got up out of bed. Shivered a tad. Her room was cold. Not a frigid sort of cold, and perhaps the air in her quarters would not be so bad to somebody who'd grown up here in Skyrim. But to a warm-weather Heartlander like herself, clearly she was not used to this sort of atmosphere, yet.

"Perhaps I can arrange for my own personal hearth to be delivered at some point," she muttered.

She strode to one of her dressers. Selected a quilted outfit which looked as though it'd be warm enough. The outfit was not really her style, its top was a frightful bluish-gray, all bulked and puffed for climate reassurance. But it fit well. It also immediately staved off the draught.

As an added bonus, her nitpicking aunt would also probably approve.

"Oh, dreadful."

At the bottom of the dresser were three dull-reddish phials. Skooma. Were these phials supposed to be for her? Or had Chamany accidentally dropped them in here, despite the fact that she'd vocally disapproved of the mixture's use the day before? - She shook her head. "Absolutely not," she scoffed.

Laprima picked them up. Later on, while visiting the Bard's College, she would spontaneously decide to drop all three of them over the college's wall, which overlooked the Sea of Ghosts. But for now, she merely picked them up, just in case a servant (or even her nosy aunt) happened to glance inside.

She put her boots on. Grabbed an apple from the main table in her room, and spotted the note which had been left there.

Just the friendliest of reminders that today we are going to have a look at some jobs for you!

...her aunt's words read.

Don't delay, dear!

"Delay? I shall not," Laprima said absently, once again feeling that odd combination of dread and folly. She folded the note, looking for a better place to put it. Ah. Here's exactly why she needed a nightstand, or some other sort of compartmentelized space she could organize items like this.

Instead, she placed it into the trash barrel.

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Elisif Reminder Note
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[Acadian]

A touching moment with Chamany as LPD enjoys that he remembered about the nightstand. I still can't trust him though - too many secrets, and his smuggling has already compromised LPD with Sybille. I hope her day with Elisef goes well.

[SubRosa]

The Prima Donna is back!

Elisef seems like quite a busy-body, sticking her nose into LaPrima's life as she does.

Well, here is hoping for the best, and maybe Laprimma will find something that interests her in her aunt's To Do list.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Boy, having a drug dealer husband does complicate matters.

I will say, it's a good sign that Laprima understands she isn't really starting from nothing. It's one of those fine distinctions that can get lost if you're privileged like she is, but she has enough awareness to avoid this. Her situation is less luxurious than it was back home, but it's still a good sight above what most people have.

Also, I like the details on the architecture. The weirdness of windows in TES always demands some explanation. Could you really get a translucent sheet from bone, quartz, and crystal? I'd also never heard of fengite before, so thanks for mentioning that!

Okay, so she's tossing the skooma into the sea. Pretty classic way of getting rid of contraband. But I have a feeling there'll be a lot more where that came from, and she won't always have such a convenient means of disposal.

This post has been edited by WellTemperedClavier: Jan 22 2023, 05:29 AM

[macole]

From pictures I've seen, fengite or alabaster windows are beautiful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabaster#/me...:Orvieto083.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window#/media...MariaWindow.jpg

https://www.tiliapublishinguk.co.uk/ourshop...-Capernaum.html

[Renee]

Hey amigos, I am posting this week's story a couple days early. Gonna have a busy weekend, and it's supposed to be sunny the whole time, anyway. 🌞 As you may know, I only game & write Elder Scrolls when it's dreadful and depressing outside.

@Acadian the Paladin: Yes, absolutely, I don't really trust the guy either. Thing is, in my original ideas for this story Chamany would've already been killed. He was supposed to get killed, and Laprima would've been accused for this. But then as the story unfolded last year I couldn't get the scripting to work right (quest stuff), so I had to come up with a workaround solution. Turns out, now I'm glad he's still with us. I enjoy his personality. And the new ideas I've got going on for him I think are much better, I think.

Seriously though, it would've been kinda lame, my original plans for him.


@Florens: Yes, she's back! And things are moving write along (ha ha c wut i did their?) I hope you find Laprima's adventures and story to be worthy of the Fan Fiction forum.


@Clavier: Mm hmm, you said it. In our terms here on Earth, Chamany wouldn't exactly be a bad boy. He's not a Matt Damon or a Charlie Sheen, you know, he doesn't go around doing devious things (well...) for the sake of showing off. But he's also nowhere near a choirboy. In his own mind, he thinks what he's doing is right. He's just trying to get ahead, like many of us. He doesn't see what he's doing as "wrong".

And Laprima herself doesn't really know the guy, yet. She just met him the previous summer (it's now fall in her world). They've known each other for just over a year now. It's her first real relationship.

The part when she'd been wanting to start at the bottom is interesting, yes. Though she's not exactly filled with guilt about growing up with money, she did have a desire to show up to Skyrim without any extra assistance. But no matter how she's tried, she cannot fight the fact that she's still rich. 💰 Wouldn't that be a nice "problem" to have.

Any architecture part of the story catches me off guard, by the way. As I'm writing this story I am dipping into her thoughts, like many of us do while roleplaying. Any architecture part is unplanned. Because me? I don't go around thinking like that at all in my daily life. But my noble gal does.

-- Probably the same for you, as you don't go around thinking about fashion tips, eh?


macole: thanks so much for providing those links! I was actually doing to do this myself, dig up the Wikipedia pages I found about the history of windows, so now I don't have to.