Ye Old Tavern, Innsmouth Options

[Namaste]

-----A bit of background. Back before Morrowind released I created a topic in another forum with the same name. The idea behind this is to toss your character in with minimal info given and develop him along the way. For instance in the the first post of this story i will introduce several characters and will control only one. If you wish you may control one of them our introduce your own. I will end the first chapter with a lead in, such as "he turned as the door opened" allowing for a new character to enter, just ignore those lines if you wish to use one of the characters already present or simply a character that I hadn't noticed.

Our Tale Begins:

If you travel just south of Balmora these days you will find an old tavern, and inside that tavern is an old man. His mind is weak these days and he remembers little of the outside world. He lives instead vicariously through the stories, whether they be false or true, of his customers. He has many tales, one for each guest, tonight i will pass on one of these.

The bar was busy one night, guests of many races bustling amongst each other yet sitting for the most part segregated. A large Orc sat in the corner drinking in solidarity, a group of young wood elves drank themselves stupid and danced gaily, and a young Breton bleeds to death on the tavern floor. Moments ago he had chatted with the most beautiful Nord you ever saw, but with little warning a voluminous figure rushed from behind and stabbed him in the back. A most cowardly blow for sure. Now the young man twitched and pulled away from the wound, but the murderer had hit deep. As the lifeblood of this young noble spilled onto the floor the tavern grew quiet (aside from the Wood Elves who were to drunken to notice a thing) A silence falls over the crowd as they turn to see who has felled the young man, off to the side the bathroom door swings open.


{Please Read and Respond, and tell me if i suck}

[Aki]

The appearance of the entry was enough to draw the crowd's attention from the dying man. The figure was garbed in what had to be Ebony armor, at least, what had been Ebony Armor, it was extensively modfied, and had a fine mail between the plates and lacked any decoration, just...black, the new arrival's legs were digitgrade, like that of a Khajiit or Argonian's, but obscured by a footplate, and shingaurd. It wore a dark cloak on its' shoulders, and a Stalhrim longsword at its' side. Unlike a Khajiit, or Argonian, is seemed to lack a tail. The figure was also solidly built, a much more imposing figure than any Khajiit on Vvardenfell.

The most striking feature was the golden helm that set upon the figure's head, it was made like a Wolf's head, the eyes of the helm had glass lenses, keeping anyone from seeing the wearer's eyes, but allowing the wearer to see fine. The helm swept its seemingly unseening gaze over the bar, and walked over to the fallen Breton, and knelt beside him. A faint blue light washed over the Breton, healing the wound, and stabilizing his condition.

The figure rose, looking around. obviously trying to find the attacker himself.

[Namaste]

The golden helmed figure scanned the bar, his eyes catching on a disturbance in the air. As his eyes focused on the disturbance the spell wore off and the murderer was revealed, A small but heavily muscled Argonian. The Argonian realized the figure has seen through his shaman magic and prepared himself for battle. His unearthly long arms swung along with his body as he slinked amongst the crowd unseen.

His magic was quite refined, only by focusing hard on the creature could he be seen, if ones eyes were to drift ever so slightly to the side he would immediately lose track of the caster. Unluckily for him the visage of the golden helmed figure had struck more than a bit of fear into him, he recalled stories told in hushed voices of a figure clad so, and in this distracted state he bumped into the Orc in the corner.

Startled the Orc rose to his feet and grabbed a wellworn Dwarven axe, unknowingly he had stepped directly between the golden helmed figure and the assassin.


(I intend to control the Orc, feel free to have him do whatever a rather stupid barbaric Orc might but do not kill him. As for the Argonian kill him if you want or if anyone wants to take him as theirs feel free)

[Aki]

If not for the telltale sound of mailed and plated paws striking against the sturdy and worn floor, one couldn't of told that the golden helmed figured had run the distance, the dark cloak and armor blended together in the darkness of the tavern as the Stalhrim sword cleared it's sheath. The Orc hit the ground, a red mark left on his face from the blow with the sword's blunt side. He had been cast aside as if a ragdoll. A mailed hand closed around the back of the Argonian's neck.

"Tell me, why did you do it?" The golden helmed figure asked, his voice was deep, and had a rumboling to it like a soft growling. The tip of the frozen blade prodded the lizard in the back.

[Namaste]

The Orc rose on shaky feet, his equillibrium still offset by the surprising strength of the golden helmed figure.

Stupid man hit Thrall?

The Orc spread his legs and brought the axe back over his right shoulder with surprising speed and struck forcefully at the golden helmed figures back, in ordinary circumstances the blow would have been too fast to avoid and would have ripped deep into its targets body leaving behind the taint of rust and something else the Orc was not aware of, but these....these were not ordinary circumstances for that golden helmed figure was involved.

Instead of being mortally wounded the figure simply darted to the side and the blow hit the Argonian high in the shoulder leaving it's left arm dangling by a layer of muscle and a few pieces of tendon. The helmed figure stood, blade drawn ready to fight, as the Orc wiped his axe on his pants. A fight was averted when the Argonian began to emit noxious yellow fumes. The golden helmed figure took a step back, unsure of what monstrous sickness could be carried in such fumes but the Orc sat beside the Argonian until the fumes petered out and the Argonain began to twitch, as the golden helmed figure joined the orc in observing the would be assassin the Argonians eyes cleared and widened in fright.

[Aki]

The golden helmed warrior huffed, muttering something inaudible in his helmet. "Lovely..." he said, "I can't info out of him like this..."

[Namaste]

The Argonian looked up at the orc and the golden helmed figure and said,

"Who are you.....what have you done to me?"

The golden helmed figure caught on rather quickly that the Argonian had been under a spell or trance, while the orc was not that quick. He grabbed the Argonian by the right shoulder, the one that wasnt quickly going gangrene, and held him up while he reared back with his axe to finish the job.

[Aki]

"Wait, he was being used," The golden helmed figured said, raising a hand to stop the Orc. The other hand roughly grabbed the badly damaged arm and pressed it against the flesh where it belonged. A few arcane words were audible through the helmet become a faint blue light washed over the Argonian and the flesh and bone mended itself back together.

[Namaste]

The Argonian rose to his feet bewildered but gaining composure. The golden helmed figure stood over him and helped him to his feet while the Orc looked sized the figure up.

The Argonian spoke in stilted phrases with a strange look on his face,

"I am.....pawn....Gunji see you." He began to drool and cough violently.

"Bring this to him....or your kin will suffer" The Argonian began to cry and twitch, it's innocent farmers mind being racked by a complicated spell it had been made to cast on itself.

The Argonian grabbed the shoulders of the helmed figure, his body slumped, and looked into the visor...it squeezed the figures shoulders trying to stay upright, his fingers broke from the strain. The Argonian Farmer fell to the ground the skin on his chest and shoulders beginning to tear and bleed.

"Deeeestroy it....run....you...you seem wise....for your families sake burn this damned thing." With that the Farmer raised it's twitching arm and the golden helmed figure could make out a ring clasped inside his hand. Before the figure could grab it the Argonian's weakened body gave and the his body collapsed entirely. The figure bent and carefully pulled open the Argonian's shattered fist, it picked up the ring and shut the eyes of the Argonian, but first the figure saw a reflection in his eyes.

(OOC: Kill the Orc if you want, i dont care, the reflection is of him charging to kill The Golden Helmed Figure. I'm going to control Gunji now. Dont worry about this becoming some ES Lord of the Rings by the way, i hate midgets)

[Aki]

The figured drew the Stalhrim longsword again, turning fluidly to meet the Orc. He sidestepped the Orc's swing and scythed the blade across his stomach. The Orc fell and collasped, bleeding and struggling to keep his guts in side him. He glanced at the Argonian. "Gunji..." the figured muttered. "Was that the controller's name? Or this poor honoured user's?" he looked at the ring.

"Odd...i don't see any enchanment..."

[Namaste]

The bar keep signaled the Golden Helmed Figure over to him, the figure stepped over the dead bodies kicking away the Orc's hand as it reached for his ankle. The bartender looked deeply into the visor, obviously trying to get a look at the figures eyes. The figure cocked it's head questioningly and the bartender took that as his signal to just give up.

"That uh...," the barkeep coughs, intimidated by the figure, the mention of Gunji, and the high death rate in his bar as of late, "That Argonian isn't Gunji...he's just a dumb farmer who had a place a bit south of here...Gunji, he's a bit of a local legend actually."

The barkeep pauses waiting for the figure to signal him on, the figure remains stoic.

"Gunji is a name with a history round these parts. I'll tell you the story but just gimme an hour or two to wrap up business, and swear to me on whatever god you hold dear that you won't mention my name to a soul. And if that ring is what i think it is, destroy it."

[Aki]

The figured look at the Bartender, without moving. He nodded, before sitting down at a table to let the Bartender wrap up business. The figure examined at the ring as he waited. Several patrons nearby stared at him briefly, before realizing he could be looking at them and they wouldn't know it.

[Namaste]

"Ok, the legend is that this Nord by the name of Gunji is on his way to becoming a God. That he has powerful magics at his beck and call, that he will bring about the Apocalypse."

The Golden Helmed Figure showed no expression of fear, surprise, or humor.

"Yeah....the reality of it is somewhat less impressive although still unpleasent. See Gunji is real, very much so in fact i knew him once....god that was a long time ago," the barkeeps eyes sink to the floor, he takes a deep breath and goes on, "He was a bright young lad, full of potential, but he thought very highly of himself. He took to fighting, lifting weights, taking drugs, and looking for ways to make himself stronger and stronger. He started reading forbidden books and isolating himself"

The barkeep grabs a perfectly clean mug and starts polishing it, staring at his hands, "His...uh....his mind got twisted. He had all these bizzare opinions that he was getting more and more vocal about. Survival of the fittest kind of things but taken to another level. One day he decided he was going to recreate himself."

The barkeep puts the mug down and looks into the visor again, "He murdered and mutilated his own family, he decapitated his childhood friend, and burned down his village. All to start over. He figured that by turning against all he had known he could gain some kind of power, you know?"

The Golden Helmed Figure gave no sign of in fact, knowing.

The barkeep shrugs, "He figured that if he could get himself into a mindset where he could kill those he loved...well, he'd be able to do anything."

The Golden Helmed Figure leans his head to the side and leans forward as if to say something.

"No, no....dont break your little spell of silence now big fella. I'll tell you how i know this. You see his childhood friend, well that was my son. Yeah, see i was working in a nearby town and on my way home when i saw the pillars of smoke........."

The barkeep turns his head for a long moment, when he turns back his cheeks are wet and his eyes red.

"He was burning the bodies...i watched him throw my son on a ****ing fire. The sick **** held me down and gave me this," the barkeep pulls up his sleeve to show a massive scar in the middle of his forearm, "he pinned me through the ground while he stacked bodies on my son. He told me why he killed my son. Talked about the strength he had found, all this egotistical crap as my flesh and blood burned....He tried to make me understand....he has found powers. Those men you killed...they were good men, the orc was a drunken fool. But he was a good man. I think Gunji has gained the ability to control the minds of the weak, albeit for a short time..."

The Golden Helmed Figure sits still, the barkeep's shoulders rise and fall.

"I don't know exactly what that ring is....but i know that he's coming for it. Don't let him get it, i fear there may be some truth to the local legends of Gunji, i pray i'm wrong but.....i think he seeks godhood."

The Orc sits up, his innards spill out upon the floor and he makes no attempt to hold them back.

"I see you traveler. You hide behind a visor, why? Are you ashamed of something? Let it be not so. You have great power, show your strength and kill this old fool. You have intelligence as well, show it as well and bring the ring to me. We will rule together and bend the world to our will. I offer you a seat at my right hand, you will be revered above all others. What is your choice Golden One?"

The Orc's jaw drops and it's head turns, it waits for an answer.

[Aki]

The helmed figure looked to the Orc. It huffed. "You shall soon see why," he said. "But this ring shall not be yours, power wil lnot be yours. I, tried to break the rules. I now know what happens when you mess with powers beyond a mortal's control."

[Namaste]

The Orc smiles,

"It's been a long time Goldie, since i had a nemesis. Know that i will break you and it will not be pleasent. Enjoy what time you have Goldie, for it is fleeting. And barkeep, know that in the last moment's of his life, your son cried out to you for help."

The Orc's smile widens until the flesh at the corners of his lips begins to tear. His innards catch on fire and he is soon engulfed. The Golden Figure rises, the orange glow of the fire reflecting off his armor and stands above the body. As the flames spread throughout the bar the two figures walk out.

"Well ****," says the ever poetic barkeep.

[Aki]

"I suggest you find a new dayjob," The golden helmed figure replied. "As things with me are going to messy." He pulled out the ring. "So, i bet this thing can't be destoyed by ordinary means, or will a good smashing wreck it?"

[Chumbaniya]

[quote=Namaste]
Stupid man hit Thrall?
[/quote]

((An orc called Thrall? Now where have I seen that before? . Still a good orc name anyway))

EDIT: Me mess up quoting. Me stupid!

[Namaste]

(Actually i dunno what your talking about chumbawumba, see i was thinking Legion from the Bible, only Thrall sounds more orcy)

The barkeep shrugs, "I would assume not, truth be told i always thought it was a legend. See i can't be sure of this, but considering Gunji is after it i think that is the key to Chutu. Uhh...that'd be the attempt by a Dwemer cult to follow in the footsteps of the Dwemer...only without the disappearing part."

The Golden Helmed Figure looks at the ring quizzically.

"Crap....lemme tell you that story now."

[Namaste]

"So there were these Dunmer crazies right, and they went about aquiring that old mad Dwemer's papers. They built themselves a bonafide god. An' they figure out how to control him, now the issue is how to teach their descendants to control it...so what do they do?"

The Golden Helmed Figure waited for the man to continue.

"Well...They carve basic instructions into it. An' for a few months they go rip-roaring around, causing all kinds of mayhem and unhappiness in the snowy lands north of Morrowind, Solthseim i believe it was. An' one of em' comes upon a realization. She realizes that the instructions are laid out plain as day right there on the thing. Yeah these Dunmer were none too bright.

See if i had a machine of incredible power, and neigh-unlimited potential, i would be loathe to write instructions on it. Between you an' me, if'n i were one o' those dunmer i woulda killed all the others an' had the power all fer meself...but then i am a bit of an british boat....yeah"

The Golden Helmed Figure looks about him impatiently.

"Anyway, they got this incredible thing, a god, but they got instructions on how ta' use it right there so what do they do? Security a course. They lock that sumbitch up somethin' tight. See they put in all kinds of devices and failsafes and so on, but one of begins to fear the power. That same little lady who realized it might be none too smart to have instructions on the side. So she has a final check put in...a ring.

Yeah, she convinced the cult counsel to get one final fail safe, one just-in-case, installed. See she began to question the wisdom of the plans of her fellow cultists, plus apparently Stendarr (god of mercy) told her that she, holding the final key, would be damned to Oblivion should she persist. So she ran. She disappeared from the world, and the ring with her."

"The Golden Helmed Figure reaches over its head stretching its arms.

"Yeah.....i dunno. This might all be a load of crap, stupid fairytales. Let's find out, smash it up or whatever. I don't care, just don't let Gunji get to it. Go ahead, burn it, chop it, drop a rock on it. I'm curious what happens"

(By the way, if the speech seems odd its because i copy/pasted it from a parallel story im writing on MWSummit)

[Aki]

The Golden helmed figure began to apply a great deal of force on the ring with his hand, far more than that of a normal mortal man. Even more than that of one agumented by enchantments.