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Posted by: ghastley Sep 12 2014, 12:10 AM

If mALX is back, then Clark should return too.

We left him in Evergloam at the beginning of the 4th Era, where Nocturnal had just inducted him and Minx as Nightingales, to join Dralsi. The two other members of the first trinity had been slain by Ogrim the Restless, who was the original occupant of the cave complex that became the Twilight Sepulchre.

He's about 225 years old now. Nocturnal and Azura made him immortal, rather than risk having to train a new one. He retired as a Nightingale some time ago, and went back into business managing brothels, and other enterprises that remain profitable in times of war. Much of the other intervening history should emerge as this unfolds.

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

Part 1 - Over the border

"So Gilda, have you been into Skyrim before?" Clark asked the young woman sitting next to him. Ahead of them, the horse plodded onward, pulling Clark's carriage along the road towards Helgen. He gave the reins a jiggle, but the horse's gait didn't change. It only knew slow and steady.

Gilda wasn't really paying attention. She was busy looking at the scenery, which is why Clark had asked. "Oh, what? No, I barely got a mile from our farm before now. Mother didn't like me wandering off; she was scared I'd run into bandits."

"Is that how your nose got broken?" Clark guessed.

"Yes, the one time I did get away, she turned out to be right. When the bandits found out I didn't have anything valuable, they ... well, you can imagine what they had in mind. I gave the first one who tried anything my knee, and he did that in return. The others didn't stop me when I ran off, they were too busy laughing at our discomfort."

"How long ago was that? It looks like it's been that way for a while."

"About five months, I think. One day was much like another at our farm, and I lost track of time. I can't thank you enough for getting me away from there."

Clark wasn't sure what had made him offer to take her with him. He did need a new apprentice, that was true, but why he'd suddenly decided it could be her was beyond him. It wasn't her looks, for certain. Apart from her nose, she had crooked teeth, and looked like she never ate anything. Her mother was the exact opposite, so it was clear where all the food went in that household. She was wearing one of her mother's hand-me-down dresses, which fit her like a sack.

But he'd stopped at the farm for directions when he left Bruma, and she'd caught his eye. Before he knew it, he'd told her mother she could have a good career as a merchant's apprentice, hinting that she might be able to send some of her earnings home.

And if she'd persuaded him to do that, she probably had some speech talent, so she might work out well. He'd need to heal her nose, and fix her teeth first, and that would need more magicka than he had. Once he got to Whiterun, he'd be able to use the Alchemy lab at his house to make some fortification potions, but until then he couldn't do anything.

"We'll be in Helgen before long," he told her. "It's just over there, where you can see the smoke rising..." Clark's voice trailed off, as he realised that there shouldn't be that much smoke. Something had apparently set part of the town on fire, if not all of it.

They soon met a ragged bunch of imperial soldiers coming the other way, telling of a dragon attack on the town. Clark didn't think there were any dragons in Tamriel.

"Nor did we, until that one swooped down on us," the legionary told him. "We were preparing an execution for Ulfric Stormcloak and some of his men, when it was interrupted by a blast of magic. Threw everyone around like dolls. We'd heard that Ulfric could use the Thu'um like that, so we had him gagged, but a beast that size doing it was something else entirely."

"General Tullius and the Thalmor Ambassador were there too," one of the other men put in. "We have no idea if they got out."

Nobody knew if it was safe to try passing through. There were trails to Falkreath that might be preferable, as long as you weren't hauling anything heavy.

"But watch out for bandits if you go that way," another soldier advised. "That applies any time you leave the main roads in Skyrim."

Clark had heard much the same from legionaries in Cyrodiil. In his opinion, the roads weren't any safer than any other route, just better paved. He let his horse continue down the road.

Helgen was deserted when they got there. Most of the population seemed to be lying dead in the streets, scorched by the dragon's breath. Anyone alive had presumably fled, and the dragon itself was nowhere around. Clark decided to continue down into Riverwood and let them know what had happened. If the dragon didn't attack there next, of course.

---

Riverwood was intact, but they'd seen the dragon fly over. Gerdur, the mill-owner, told Clark that her brother Ralof had escaped from Helgen, and she thought that Hadvar, the legionary from the town, had too. Ralof had brought a stranger with him, and she'd gone on to Whiterun to warn the Jarl.

Clark knew from his earlier trips that Ralof was a Stormcloak, and he asked Gerdur if he'd been one of the men the soldiers had mentioned as due for execution. Ralof hadn't mentioned that part, just that he'd escaped from the dragon. But now it made sense why Hadvar had been there at the same time. "I'll make sure Ralof stays well hidden," she told Clark.

She turned back to what she'd been doing when they arrived. "When the dragon flew over, I was so startled, I dropped this firewood I'd just split in the river. I was trying to dry it out with a flare spell, but it looks like I'll just have to split some more."

"There's an easier way, you know," Clark told her. He took one of the pieces of firewood and stood it on a stump. "Cast a frost spell on it," he told Gerdur. She did so, until Clark told her to stop. "Now dispel the ice"

Gerdur didn't know that spell, so Clark taught it to her. "Now try the flare."

The wood caught immediately, and she quickly dispelled the flames. "I hardly used any magicka doing that. It was a lot easier than the way I was trying."

"Right, especially as the frost comes easily to you. Here, I'll help you finish these."

"You make it look so easy," Gerdur told him. "Are you sure you're an Imperial, not a Breton?"

"It's all practice, not magicka reserves," he told her. "It looks easy because I'm using less magicka than you would. Just like you know how to roll a log instead of doing it the hard way by lifting. But some spells are beyond my normal reach. That's why I have to wait until I get to Whiterun before I can heal Gilda's nose."

Gerdur noticed Gilda for the first time. "I can help her with a good meal, and you too. I owe you for that firewood trick."

"I hoped you might. Cooking is where you show your skill."

---

"Looking at her, I expected she had no appetite," Gerdur whispered to Clark. "But she's on her third helping of the stew already."

Clark told Gerdur that he suspected her mother had been starving her. Whether that was to keep her thin, or just because the mother ate all the food, he didn't know, but the mother was really fat. "She didn't think enough of Gilda to get her teeth straightened, so I doubt she had any positive feelings for her."

"If Gilda eats like that all the time, she might take after her," Gerdur warned.

"I don't expect she will. I'll get Lydia to look after her, and she'll keep her fit, not fat."

Lydia was Clark's housecarl in Whiterun. She'd been part of the deal when Jarl Balgruuf made Clark a Thane of the city, for his services to its people. He'd forgotten what he'd done for them; nothing major, just a lot of small things that added up. And the Jarl had noticed his effect on the local economy. Even the Khajiiti caravan that camped outside the gates seemed to be more prosperous after Clark had arrived.

They'd be at his house, Breezehome, by the end of the day, if there weren't any problems on the road.

---

"Oh, It's you, Thane," the guard at the gate knew Clark, even if he didn't know the girl. "Is she with you? I have orders to keep strangers out, with dragons sighted in the area."

Clark vouched for Gilda, and the guard opened the gate for them.

"That's a new development," Clark remarked. "The only ones not allowed in before were the Khajiit traders. They have an unjustified reputation as thieves. Well, maybe it's partly justified, but they're not the worst. They just have a more sharing attitude to property than the Nords are accustomed to, and it's often misinterpreted."

---

"What have you got in the sack?" Lydia asked.

"That's not a nice thing to say," Clark admonished. "Even if that is a good description of her outfit. This is Gilda, my new apprentice, and we'll be exchanging that 'sack' for something better-fitting as soon as we can. She's about your height, so is there something in the wardrobe she can try on?"

"You know I only keep a few changes of armour. If you're looking for a dress, you're probably out of luck."

"Leather armour might be more comfortable, if it fits."

Gilda took a look in the wardrobe, but there weren't any dresses, and the leather was loose, even with the straps tightened all the way. She put the "sack" back on, and tied the string back around her waist.

"We have to go to Belethor's in the morning anyway. We'll find you something then. Come out to the back room while I brew up some potions, and then I'll see what I can do about your nose," Clark told her.

Lydia was already back at the cookpot, stirring up some food. She could see that the poor girl needed feeding, even if Clark couldn't.

Posted by: Acadian Sep 12 2014, 01:39 PM

How delightful to see Clark made it to Skyrim! And it seems he’s done well for himself. I loved how you opened with a wagonride – like the game does, then flirt with the early game events. It makes the story feel very comfortable but different at the same time. You also did a fine job of ‘showing’ us what Clark has been up to with the manner in which you introduced his occupation as merchant/Thane.

I got a nice chuckle over his firewood drying technique.

"What have you got in the sack?" Lydia asked.’ -- This was priceless, and Lydia at her best!

Posted by: haute ecole rider Sep 12 2014, 04:28 PM

I find that Lydia is a bit of a whiner in-game, but good with the cook pot. I also like how she says things in that superciliously sarcastic manner that only Lydia can pull off.

I'm with Acadian in how I enjoyed the start with the wagon ride then the divergence from Beth's beginning. I loved that Clark somehow took on the "sack" and gave her a job away from her doughnut-eating mom!

Posted by: Grits Sep 12 2014, 05:20 PM

I love how you used the familiar Helgen opening but sidestepped your characters getting involved. That was excellent!

"What have you got in the sack?" Lydia asked.

Perfect.

Yay for Clark’s adventures in Skyrim!!

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 15 2014, 03:06 PM

"It's just over there, where you can see the smoke rising..."
Uh oh...

As the others have said, it is nice to have an introduction to Skyrim that does not include the Empire trying to kill the protagonist for change. The 4th Era Empire might be more likeable, if not for that habit they have of trying to chop off everyone's heads...

Neat to hear that Ralof and "some mysterious stranger" came through Riverwood. That is a nice way of establishing that Clark is not the Dagonborn Dragonborn, but keeping the events of the main quest going in the background at the same time.

I loved the sack remark as well. It took me a few moments to realize Lydia meant Gilda, though!

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Sep 16 2014, 07:53 PM

Great. Nice. I can now see Clark and company in Skyrim. I have read some of his adventure in the other book, particularly his involvement with the Daedra and visiting Moonshadow. I'll be here to stay, Ghast.

Posted by: ghastley Sep 16 2014, 09:50 PM

Acadian: Clark may have learned from Thernd. Practical magic is what appeals most.

haute: Sweetrolls, not doughnuts. But if they had a deep-fryer in Skyrim, they'd be doughnuts.

Grits: Lydia's going to be a character character, if you know what I mean.

SubRosa: Clark is never the main character of the game, he just reports on the events, and gets involved in the peripheral quests. Hopefully, by the end of this, they'll be ones from my mods.

DE: This will make quite a few references back to the Cyrodiil part. Good that you've been there.

All: I'm off to Merry Olde England for a couple of weeks, and probably won't get much internet, so this piece is a bit early, and the next will be a bit late.

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

Previously Clark has picked up a new apprentice in Cyrodiil - a skinny young woman with a broken nose and crooked teeth. He's taken her back to his home in Whiterun.

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

Part 2 - Whiterun

"Do you know any alchemy?" Clark asked. "If not, I'll explain the properties of each ingredient as I go."

"Only a little," Gilda replied. "We didn't have any equipment for it, but I'd learned about a few things I could eat to cure diseases or poison. And I know that wheat will restore my health, if I can ever hide it from my mother."

"Well, what I need to make is Fortify Restoration and Fortify Magicka potions. There aren't any ingredients with both effects, so I'll have to make separate potions. Longfin and Salt for Restoration, and Jazbay Grapes and Ectoplasm for Magicka." Clark made her watch how he ground and mixed the ingredients, and used the alembic to refine the mixture. "Now you try. Your potions won't be as strong as I can make, but you'll get there with practice."

He let her make a few more potions that she'd find useful. She wondered how he knew the recipes for some of them. Wouldn't only a woman need those? And did teaching her that last one mean anything? Not that she'd object. He was a kind, good-looking man, and she owed him for everything.

"Sit down in that chair," he instructed her, and he drank the two potions he'd made. "Now hold still for a few moments. This is a relatively simple procedure, because you don't have any nose muscles to pull it back out of shape. That means I don't need to use paralysis, as well."

Clark was already squeezing and bending her broken nose back to where it should be as he spoke. He didn't have much time before the potions' effect wore off, and he wanted to do a good job the first time. "There, that does it. Take a look at yourself, and see what you think."

Gilda looked puzzled. How can anyone look at their own face? But Clark was holding something out to her. Something shiny and polished. It was a mirror, the first she'd ever seen. And when she held it right, her own face was reflected. That brought out a smile, but the sight of her teeth made it disappear just as quickly.

"I'd better straighten those teeth, too. Hand me the potions you made. This won't take as much magicka as the nose."

A few minutes later, she had a smile that was worth seeing. Her face was still gaunt, but well-proportioned, and with a bit of Lydia's cooking to fill out her cheeks, she could be quite pretty.

"Soup's ready" Lydia's voice called from the kitchen, as if on cue.

---

The soup was just the first course. Lydia had prepared grilled salmon steaks, potatoes, and leeks, and there were sweetrolls to follow. After all the stew she'd eaten at lunch, Clark didn't expect Gilda to finish it all, but he saw her reach for a second sweetroll. Lydia noticed, too.

"I expect you'll want me to help her with her weapons training and fitness," she asked Clark. "If I don't, she'll be filling that sack before long."

Gilda looked horrified at the thought, and took a long second look at the sweetroll she was eating. But she ate it anyway, took a swig of the wine to wash it down, and burped contentedly. "I think I'll know when to stop," she told them.

---

After another bottle of wine, they were ready for sleep. Lydia took Gilda upstairs. "This is my bed, but you can have it tonight," she told her.

"Where will you be sleeping?"

"I'll work something out," the housecarl replied with a wink.

---

"I really thought you'd lost all your taste in women when you came in with that one," Lydia told Clark, "but she's a lot prettier now you've fixed her face. Or she will be when she's got some meat on her. So do you want me to train her hard like a fighter, or softer like a whore?"

Clark ran his hands appreciatively over Lydia's naked body. "You know I like both kinds, and I've got a fighter already, and more whores than I can handle. So let her decide. She's going to train as a merchant, and that needs a bit of both. I have no idea what weapons she knows, if any, and that might make a difference, too. You need to be lighter and faster for one-handed, compared with two-handed, and archers need all their strength in their arms."

"But you like strong thighs, don't you?" Lydia reminded him.

---

Clark took Gilda into the market after breakfast the next day. He needed to check with Belethor about the Mammoth Tusks he'd asked him to find, and now he needed a dress or two for Gilda.

The Breton trader had a dozen tusks, more than Clark had expected. And the price didn't seem to be any lower, despite the supply. Clark didn't mind too much, and just made sure he got a better deal on the dresses. Belethor had a style that laced up, so it would fit her now, and could just be slackened off as she filled out. Clark bought one of each colour, and some nice boots to go with them.

Then they went next door, to Arcadia's, to restock Clark's alchemy lab. Clark sold a few potions, too, which let him pay for some Alchemy lessons for Gilda. He let her haggle with Arcadia over the potions she'd made last night. Clark was pleased to note that she got a fair price, even before he'd started training her in that skill.

The smithy was the other side of Breezehome so they checked in with Lydia to see what weapons Gilda would need to train with. Lydia already had a few stowed away, but she told Clark to get the best dagger Warmaiden's had. A merchant should always carry a good dagger.

---

Clark left Gilda with Lydia while he went to Warmaiden's. When he came back, Gilda was wearing one of the new dresses, and the two women were ceremonially burning her old one in the firepit, to mark the end of her old life. Gilda looked a little less starved in her new outfit, but she was still way too thin for Clark's liking. Still, her hips and shoulders weren't too narrow. If she could fill out her frame, she had promise.

She could make a start on that while he was away in Markarth. He had to go and negotiate with the Jarl, and the Guild of Prostitutes, for a permit to open a new brothel outside the city. There were a number of mines in the area, and the workers would need somewhere to relax. He had little expectation of taking over the one inside the walls, at least not yet. The Silver-Blood family had a stranglehold on trade inside Markarth, and that would have to be broken first. They were cunningly playing off everyone's fears of the Forsworn to keep out all outsiders, and Clark hadn't found a way to remove himself from that category.

"Aren't you taking either of us with you?" Lydia wanted to know. Clark had revealed to her long ago that Nocturnal and Azura had made him immortal, so she knew he wasn't going to get killed. But he still needed someone to protect him from injury and pain, and that was her job. And if he didn't need protection, shouldn't he be taking Gilda along for the experience?

"No, I need to negotiate with the Guild, and their officials are always women. I'll do better alone."

"Jarl Igmund's a man, don't you need help with him?" Lydia persisted.

"You'd only get into a fight with Faleen again. And Gilda's not ready for that level of work yet." Clark didn't have to explain what he meant by that. "Besides, the Jarl's almost on my side already. He's not one of the Silver-Bloods, and I think he resents their influence."

---

Clark departed for Markarth the following morning in his carriage. Lydia was still asleep when he left, and Gilda found her sprawled across Clark's bed when she went looking for her. "Isn't sleeping with the boss a bit unethical?" she asked her.

"No, it's fun! You should try it, once you've got something to offer. You won't get anything from him that way except experience, but that's valuable, too. You'll learn a lot from my Thane."

"I need to learn from you, first. Clark said you'd teach me weapon skills."

"I can make a start on that, and at least find out what you'll be good at, but I'll need to hand you over to a proper trainer, once I do. The main things I'll be doing are to help you practice, and keep you fit."

Posted by: Acadian Sep 17 2014, 03:21 PM

Have a great trip to the UK!

Nice explanation and details of how Clark uses alchemy. His foray into cosmetic plastic surgery and restorative orthodontics turned out well, it seems! I loved Gilda's reaction to what was obviously her first encounter with a mirror.

Gilda’s probably in good hands with Lydia, and it looks like she’s a pretty good fit for the merchant trade.


Nit: ...Clark was holding out something out to her.' - - Using 'out' here twice is redundant and probably unintentional. Maybe take a look at dropping one?

Posted by: haute ecole rider Sep 17 2014, 04:25 PM

First the nit:

There's an extra 'i' in there.

Now the review:
I liked how this story incorporates two different kinds of female roles one tends to see in stories of this ilk. I also enjoyed the use of alchemy to perform cosmetic surgery. I bet Clark has different fees than the Face Changer in Riften?

This has to be my favorite line: This hints at a history that has already happened, and places the relationship between Lydia and the other NPC's in a clearer light.

Posted by: Grits Sep 18 2014, 08:42 PM

I hope you have a great trip!

I love how Clark explains everything as he’s fixing up Gilda. I expect his interactions with her will be full of teachable moments.

Fun to imagine Lydia mixing it up with Faleen.

Posted by: ghastley Oct 1 2014, 04:36 PM

Grits: It was a good trip. Mother's 86th birthday, and nephew's 16th a week apart. English weather cooperated for once.
Clark will explain a lot of things to Gilda, and to others in this one.

haute: I'd had Taminwe and Ocato change Clark's face after his faked death in the Oblivion series, so having him boost his skills to do something less to Gilda made sense. He wouldn't have the magicka that two Altmer could muster.
Faleen always struck me as over-protective of the Jarl, and Lydia just has too much attitude, so I'd expect friction if they got together. It was also a useful way to point out that Clark has been to Markarth before.

Acadian: The reason they don't have mirrors in the game is that they're a complete pain for the rendering system, but I didn't see any problem with a small hand-mirror. They'd need to be solid silver for their technology, and require regular polishing to work. I'm thinking that Clark might get involved in the invention of the silvered glass variety at some point in this story, so I'm introducing them early.

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

Previously Clark has fixed Gilda's nose and teeth, and left her with Lydia for training. He's gone to Markarth alone to see about starting a new brothel there. It's by no means his first visit, and he already knows a number of the people there.

This part is mainly to connect the current tale to the old one, and fill in a bit of what happened in between.

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

Part 3 - Markarth

"My brother and I are among the few that still use the patronymic," Gorza gra-Bagol was telling Clark. "Most Orcs are living in the strongholds these days, where everyone's the same family, and it's obvious who your father is."

"Or roaming around the wilderness as a bandit," her brother Moth concurred. "Those Orcs don't want anyone to know about their family origins."

"But we persuaded our father to let us join the legion," Gorza continued. "The Orcs owe them something for bringing us to safety after the sack of Nova Orsinium. At least, that was our pitch, and he bought it. So we use his name from pride, and gratitude for our freedom. If I'd stayed in the strongholds, I'd probably have ended up as some lowly chief's third wife by now."

She didn't need to point out that she wouldn't have had the choice of which chief it was. Clark was quite familiar with Orc society, and how it had changed after Orsinium fell.

He'd lost touch with Uzgash when that happened. He knew she'd escaped, as he'd had one last transmission on the flash telegraph about a couple of days after it happened. She, and their young son, were on their way to the Wrothgarians, where Ulicetta's hideout was. Presumably the apparatus had broken after that, as he never received another transmission. They were fragile, and not suited to use on the run.

Gorza was telling them how using her father's name helped her feel part of the tribe still, even though they were living in Markarth. "But what's going to help you remember your mother? Women's names don't get used that way."

Clark disagreed. He pointed out that Gortwog's children had all gone by the name gro- or gra-Marghak, after their mother. "She was a Guild head, after all. It was a name to be proud of."

She was surprised that Clark knew that. Orcs themselves recalled little of that period, remembering only the disaster of the sack. Perhaps that was because most of their records were destroyed at the time. She'd done some delving back into her own past, using Understone Keep's archives, but that's where her research had hit a wall. "I know we're descended from one of Gortwog's daughters, the middle one, but I haven't found out her name. And I'd read about Marghak, but didn't know she was her mother. That's another step closer to our past, and I'm grateful."

"Her name was Uzgash, and I'm even more pleased than you are. My own research has been from the opposite end, and you've just closed an important gap for me, too. The Empire has surviving records, but they don't cover the Orcish diaspora, and there are only details of Gortwog's family because of dealings with the provincial court, and guilds."

"Do you know who Uzgash's husband was? The family's oral tradition says it wasn't an Orc."

"My investigations have suggested she didn't want his identity known. Perhaps, like her mother, she never married? Whatever her reasons, she seems to have maintained that secret. It certainly hasn't turned up in any books."

"You Imperials and your books! Thank you for bringing that one for my apprentice Tacitus, by the way. It does seem to have helped him understand what I'd been telling him about forging. Why he can't just watch what I'm doing and copy it, I don't understand. But he only gets it if it's written down!"

And thank you for changing the subject, Clark thought. "Has he read Cherim's Heart? It's a good companion to the one I brought you. I'll look out for a copy, if he hasn't."

---

"You're not from around here, are you?" Clark asked.

Velith Telvanni wasn't a Nord, but she wasn't exactly your average Dunmer, either. Her dark skin and white hair gave her a striking appearance on their own, and those breasts were just incredible. It wasn't their size, significant though they were, so much as the fact that they didn't droop in the slightest degree. Gravity just didn't seem to affect them. Her outfit was almost non-existant at the front, and certainly offered no physical support.

"You like them?" she asked, noticing Clark's gaze.

"Depends. Is Alteration or Illusion involved?" he replied. "They do look literally incredible."

"Which would you prefer?"

Clark had experience of both, and Illusion just left him feeling cheated. If she was only using Alteration to keep them supported, that would be perfect.

"Of course, I have used some Alteration magic, but just to regulate their growth. With my mother's guidance, too. I might have let them grow too much, without her restraint. I have enchantments on my clothing that helps keep them up. Especially the amulet, which I don't need to take off. I suspect that's what you noticed. Levitation is one of my family's specialities, and this much is legal, even in Cyrodiil."

A novel use, Clark thought, and one he should learn, if he got the chance.

"My mother and father are both Telvanni wizards, and are still in Morrowind. They moved nearer to Blacklight after the eruption of the Red Mountain, and are growing a new tower. That takes time, of course, and I came to Skyrim while it developed. Maybe I'll move back once there's room for me, maybe not. By that time, I might want a place of my own."

Clark knew what Dunmer maidens were like when they were young, and Velith, or Vicuña, as she preferred to be known, was clearly past the indiscriminate stage. She was into the much more enjoyable one where she had enough self-control to choose her partners, without blunting the desire. Which made her the perfect courtesan, and she knew it.

With her Telvanni intelligence, and magical skills, as well as that incredible body, she'd risen fast in the Guild's ranks. Like Marghak in the early years, she'd seen that the top jobs were jealously guarded and fought over, and had taken the less contested position of traveling inspector. She had enough autonomy to go where she chose, except when there was an inspection to make, and those were largely on her own schedule. The Guild had a bed for her, anywhere she went, and it was her decision whether to share it or not.

His dossier on her told him she usually did. She had a reputation as a hard bargainer, but most likely it was because of her use of her feminine methods of persuasion. It covered the visual impact of her appearance, although it failed to go into all the details Clark was noticing. Nowhere did it mention that she didn't shave, like most of her colleagues, but flashed a bright white tuft of pubic hair like a deer's tail. Clark had managed not to spend too long looking there.

She couldn't have (un)dressed like that on the streets, of course, but here in the Markarth brothel, she was free to flaunt everything, and distract Clark from his negotiations in any way she pleased.

She obviously had a dossier on him, too. She'd brought in wine from Skingrad, although it was only Surilie Brothers, and not the Tamika's he preferred. Her chances of finding that in Skyrim were slim to none, he thought ruefully. Nobody would ship it to the provinces when they could keep it and drink it. He had a few bottles stashed at Breezehome, but he'd brought those from Cyrodill himself.

"Bring it to the bedroom," she told him, "We might as well be comfortable while we discuss things."

Clark followed her, watching the sway of her hips, and wondering if she walked like that out of habit, or as a conscious ploy. Either way, it was worth watching.

Vicuña reminded Clark of Goldie, the Aureal at Gweden all those years ago. She was a visual feast, too, and an incredibly skilled lover. But her only objective was the shared pleasure, with no ulterior motives. He'd learned a lot from her, which had helped when he met ...

Clark hadn't thought about Taminwe for a century and more. She'd wound up the spy operation at the Red Dragon Club when Ocato was assassinated. The Club went back to just being a gentlemen's club, and Taminwe went to join her distant cousin Medora at Direnni Tower on the Isle of Balfiera. She hadn't told Clark she was expecting his child, and he'd never have known if she hadn't involuntarily called out to him, telepathically, during the birth.

He almost wished she hadn't shared that with him. He felt the pain, as well as the joy.

"Reman for your thoughts?" asked Vicuña.

"You're not telepathic, at all, are you?"

She shook her head. "That's an Altmer thing, not a Dunmer one. Why do you ask?"

"I am, slightly, and sometimes I catch stray thoughts from faraway places. It can be quite distracting."

"Then I should make sure I have your full attention, shouldn't I?"

"I think you deserve that," he agreed.

---

The young Dunmer was nowhere near as skilled as Taminwe when it came to negotiating. The pleasure was just as intense, but she just couldn't take advantage of her partner as much as the Altmer could. And she hadn't had anyone like Clark turning the tables on her before.

She knew she was giving ground on Clark's proposal for a brothel at Left Hand Mine, and she really ought to stop before she conceded more, but she didn't want him to stop, especially now. He sensed that, and knew he had all that he needed. And he knew what she needed, and it had nothing to do with this deal.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 1 2014, 08:00 PM

So glad you had a good trip to the UK and got to celebrate your mother’s 86th!

I’ve always included small hand mirrors into my TES fic. The technology certainly seems simple enough even without magic.

How delightfully comfortable to read about the familiar Ghorza and Tacitus of Markarth in the first segment of this. I loved how you included Ghorza’s in-game thinking about Imperials and their books.

Then on to the mysterious Telvanni breasts and snowy tufts of Vicuna. She seems to be quite skilled and adapted to her profession.

And a welcome reminder of Taminwe here -
’She hadn't told Clark she was expecting his child, and he'd never have known if she hadn't involuntarily called out to him, telepathically, during the birth.’ - - Even though this short passage is quietly ‘slipped’ in to the story, it speaks volumes about both Clark and Taminwe. Well done!

What a great idea to set up brothels to support the mines!

Posted by: Grits Oct 3 2014, 02:37 PM

I’m glad you had a good trip. Welcome back!

I loved hearing about Uzgash and Taminwe, especially the family connections with Clark.

A levitation charm! Love it. How fun to meet the incredible Vicuña in the story.

Posted by: Destri Melarg Oct 6 2014, 08:06 AM

Everyone else already commented on the divergent opening so I can only echo what they’ve already said. I like the decision you’ve made to narrate the dialogue rather than give us all of it, but I am also left wondering if you’re not going to that particular club a bit much and robbing yourself of opportunities to show us your vision of the world through details.

One place where this is apparent is on the road into Helgen. As readers we need to really see those first Imperial soldiers Clark encounters. Everything about them points to what they’ve just experienced as the first victims of a dragon attack (and not just any dragon, as it turns out). We need to see the fear in their eyes. We need to see their burns and the quality of their clothing. We need to see limping, and broken bones, and those whose bodies may be whole but whose minds have been broken by the sight muttering to themselves (for example). We also need to see/hear/smell/feel the wreckage of Helgen itself. Not really a nit, more of an observation.

In Riverwood I loved that Ralof neglected to mention his own attempted execution to his sister. I also liked the detail that you put into Clarks lesson regarding the drying of firewood, and that he was able to use the lesson as currency to secure dinner for himself and the ‘sack.‘

You also have a wonderful understanding that not every scene needs to be filled with action. H.E.R pointed out the delicious detail of Lydia’s history with Faleen, and the gro/gra-Bagol’s continued use of the patronymic allows you to distinguish them as individuals in the first sentence of Part 3. Just the fact that Gorza is comfortable using a word like ‘patronymic’ makes his character come alive for me.

Posted by: ghastley Oct 8 2014, 02:38 PM

Acadian: I think I also mentioned mirrors as signalling devices back in the Cyrodiil story, as the source of the code for the crystal ball telegraph, so it helps keep my world consistent. The polished silver mirror is high-maintenance, so most folk wouldn't bother, and it would be a luxury item. Clark is a merchant, so he'd have one, at least as a trade sample.

Grits: More Vicuña coming up! She was fun to play, and I hope I can sustain her character as an NPC.

Destri: I have to disagree about those soldiers. The ones that got out were those who fled at the first sight of the dragon, like Tullius and Elenwen. But my main reason for not dwelling on them is that Clark isn't the Dragonborn, and won't get very involved with those quests. Besides, in-game, soldiers are either completely healthy or dead.

-----------

Previously

Clark has travelled to the ancient Dwemer city of Markarth, where he's met Vicuña, the travelling inspector of the All-Tamriel Guild of Prostitutes. They've negotiated an agreement for a new establishment outside the city.

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

Part 4 - Markarth Temple

Of course, the agreement wasn't final until it was put in writing, and signed. They went to the Treasury House, where such things were recorded, and had the scribe there lay it all on parchment.

Vicuña read through her copy before signing. She'd been sure last night that she was surrendering everything, but this seemed like a very fair and even contract. "What's this clause at the end?" she asked. "The one about re-negotiating at regular intervals, not to exceed half a year."

"Things will change, and I don't want the deal going stale because it doesn't get renewed. I'm sure you'll see other benefits, if you think about it."

"Do you expect me to do the negotiating again?"

"Of course, and I can offer training if you think you need it."

---

Clark's price for training was the secret of that breast-levitating enchantment. There were women in several of his establishments that could benefit from it. Even the ones who had less to carry would look firmer and younger.

Vicuña took off her amulet and handed it to Clark. Her breasts settled slightly, as their full weight took effect. They were still admirably firm, and held up well on their own, but she didn't look quite as comfortable without the magical help. "I'm going to my room to get another, you can use the enchanting station in the corner to learn how it was done."

It made sense that she'd have enchanting facilities here, as well as spare amulets,. He wondered how many of the other women here were using them. The merchant side of his mind was already considering the market for soul gems.

He quickly understood when he disenchanted the item, that he'd need a lot more skill before he could reproduce this one. There were two parts to the effect, one being the familiar Fortify Carry Weight, but the other made it specific to its use, and that was the difficult part.

Vicuña was back at his side, watching him. "You'll want to visit the Temple of Dibella while you're in Markarth," she told him. "They know a lot there about how to make magicka especially for a woman. There are ways to focus the enchantment, that only they can teach."

"Is that what brought you here?" Clark asked.

"Yes, they know about the Temple as far away as Morrowind. Dibella's not worshipped much there, but the Telvanni are a bit exceptional in that regard. We don't reject any source of knowledge, no matter how foreign. And the Dwemer connection, here in Markarth, is a draw too."

Clark knew the priestesses at Dibella's temple well. He often sent young women he'd recruited for his establishments there for training in the erotic arts. His business and theirs overlapped in many ways, but they weren't exactly in competition. As the Guild required, any payment for actual sex had to go to a Guild member, but erotic displays, training, and other services that stopped short of that were permitted to non-members.

The Dibellans were equally insistent that while what they did would certainly arouse, it was an offering to the goddess. And that should be considered separate from anything it might lead to. If they did anything afterwards, it was because they wanted to, not because someone had just paid them to dance. It wasn't a secret that they got just as worked up by a good performance, but the Guild was tolerant, and let them have their fun.

He'd never really considered them as major magic-users, though, except the common uses any woman would make. But there was a fine line between using it consciously, with an obvious casting like you'd do with a fireball spell, and the way that charm and speechcraft worked. And you could definitely describe some of what they did as a "casting motion", just one that continued as it mesmerised its target.

He resolved to go over to the Temple and make inquiries as soon as he'd given Vicuña her first lesson.

"What you need to learn is how to concentrate on two distinct things at once. One is the pleasure you're sharing with your partner, and the other is the information you're trying to extract, or the argument you're trying get across. So you're going to read this book, while I try and distract you. At any time, I may stop and ask you questions about the content, and I expect the correct answers."

She lay face-down on the bed with the book on the pillow. He let her turn the first page before he started to run his hands over her back, and around to her breasts. She propped herself up on her elbows, to give him better access, and continued to read. She could manage this. The story was interesting, and Barenziah was in a similar situation, so he was just reinforcing what she was reading, and helping her get immersed in the tale. Was he reading over her shoulder? She didn't really care, as the next part looked like something she'd like to do, too.

He couldn't be reading with her now, though. Not if that was his tongue. And the book was telling her about guarding a caravan, and fighting off bandits, just as she was doing the exact opposite and letting him have access to her valuables.

At what he judged was a good moment, Clark rolled her over and asked her what was on the last page.

Barenziah had just reached the Morrowind border with Straw, and slept with some of the soldiers. She got that part right, but a lot of the details she added were what she'd just experienced, and weren't in the book at all. Clark let her read it again, and pointed out the differences.

"But that's just volume 1. We'll do another volume tomorrow, and by the time we finish the series, you'll be a lot better at it. Meanwhile, we have something else to finish."

---

"There's a man in the Sanctum!" exclaimed Orla, as she hid herself behind a pillar. Her shapely leg stretched out towards her robe, which lay on the floor not far away, and she tried to drag it to her with her foot.

Hamal laughed, and walked over to give Clark a hug. "He's seen the rest of us before, many times, haven't you Clark?"

"In intimate detail." Anwen agreed, taking her turn to embrace him.

"But didn't you tell me we don't let men down here?" Orla asked, peeking around the pillar shyly. She had a nice face, Clark thought, and at least one nice leg, why did she think the rest was anything to be embarrassed about?

He heard the door open behind him and Senna came to join them. She tossed her robe onto the bench next to him and walked around the other side of the pillar to push Orla out into the open. "You've got to get used to showing yourself, or you won't make it past acolyte."

Orla reluctantly lowered her hands and let him see her properly. She was a Nord like Hamal, with the more voluptuous build that usually meant. Senna the Breton was a little smaller, as were the Redguards Anwen, and ...

"Where's your Sybil?" Clark asked. The women looked sad.

"Lost to us recently, I'm afraid," Hamal replied. "We have just performed the Exalted Protocol of the Dibellan Sybil to try and locate her successor. The goddess has revealed to us that she lives in the small mining town of Karthwasten, to the north. If you're travelling that way, could you let her know, and have her family send her to the Temple?"

Clark hadn't intended going that way, but Hamal and the others were good friends, and he had something to ask them in return. "If I do, would you help me to use a new enchantment I just learned?" He didn't ask further about the loss. It was clear to him from the way Hamal said it that she couldn't, or didn't want to, explain.

"Yes, you know I provide Enchantment training," Hamal agreed. "I take it this one is a special one for women?"

Clark explained about the breast levitation enchantment he'd got from Vicuña's amulet. "Dibella would approve, if she didn't create that herself," the priestess told him. "But without our new Sybil, we might not have the full extent of her blessing."

They explained further how Clark would know when he'd found her. "She's a child? I'd have thought it was a job for a fully-developed woman."

"She does need to be pure when she joins us. So we need to recruit her before she loses..."

Clark understood now. The priestesses would make sure her first time was special, with plenty of ceremony, and probably supportive company to make sure it was done right. And it wouldn't be until she was fully ready for it. She'd have a few years to watch and understand what was involved before she'd be expected to participate. And until then she'd be protected, and trained for the honour of being the Sybil.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 9 2014, 03:39 PM

I chuckled as I remembered the ‘negotiating’ session.

Woot! Clark learns the handy boob levitation enchantment! By using the enchanting station, it really brings home that this is indeed a Skyrim story.

Interesting understanding between the Dibellans and the Guild to avoid conflict.

Nice job of changing the Sybil quest for Dibella into your own. Clearly recognizable, but with the typical well-reasoned twists we’ve come to expect from Clark. Clark’s motivation for that quest is perfect: The Dibellans are his friends and they need the quest done before they can fully help him.

Posted by: Destri Melarg Oct 12 2014, 02:32 AM

Fair enough.

A rough estimate? I'd say all of them!!

Clark does not discriminate when it comes to coin. And Acadian already pointed out the terrific explanation of the differences between the Guild and the Dibellans.

Posted by: ghastley Oct 15 2014, 01:58 PM

Acadian: I just couldn't see Clark trying to steal anything from those folks. The Cyrodiil story established the Dibellan/Guild relationship, so I have to stay consistent.

Destri: They'd all want to need it, anyway.

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

Previously Clark learned a new enchantment from Vicuña's amulet, but couldn't use it without some extra training. Hamal, the priestess of Dibella, had a favour to ask in return. And it sounds so simple...

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

Part 5 - Broken Tower

Karthwasten wasn't far, the road was safe, and you could make the round trip easily in a day. Clark invited Vicuña to join him. "We'll take my carriage, and maybe do a little trading while we're there." She agreed. Her type of trading might be a little different from Clark's, but there was a chance she'd find an opportunity, too.

They arrived a little before lunch, and were surprised to see the miners milling around outside the mines. The Orc told him they'd been kicked out by mercenaries sent by the Silver-Bloods "to protect them from the Forsworn". She sent Clark over to Enmon's house when he mentioned his quest. "He's the only one here with a daughter. But I haven't seen her for a few days, I hope she's all right."

Enmon and his wife Mena told him that he'd arrived a day too late. Their child, Fjotra, had been kidnapped just yesterday by Forsworn, and now the mercenaries had come and taken the mine, too. "I don't think that was a coincidence. either," he told them.

Ainethach, the owner of the mine, confirmed his suspicions. "The Silver-Bloods want me to sell the mine to them. I'm convinced that they have some kind of control over the Forsworn, and yesterday's raid was a set-up for today's occupation."

Clark was inclined to agree, but getting Fjotra back had to take precedence over reclaiming the mine. He could use reinforcements for that, too.

"Does anyone know where they might have taken Fjotra?" he asked.

The general consensus was that they'd have taken her to Broken Tower Redoubt. It wasn't far, just the other side of the river. If she really was the next Sybil of Dibella, the Forsworn might have known that. They had their own shrine to Dibella there, and it wasn't exactly like the one in Markarth.

Both Enmon and Vicuña wanted to come with Clark. He wasn't convinced that either of them were suitable for the task. Neither had any armor, or a decent weapon. "But I don't need them," Vicuña pointed out. "I have spells I can use instead." Enmon shrugged, and agreed that it might be better if he stayed behind. "It is my daughter they have, but I wouldn't want her to see her father getting killed. I'd rather she didn't have to see anyone die, but you'll do what you have to, to get her back."

"What about you?" the Dunmer asked Clark. "I can see a sword and shield on the wagon, but I don't notice any armor."

"Ebonyflesh enough?" he asked her.

"Really? The same as I use, but you don't look like a mage."

"Well, I don't do destruction, so I've been able to spend more of my time on restoration and alteration. And while I haven't the protection from my clothing I once did, I've enchanted my sword with both fire and soul trap, so it will feed its own charge."

"You have the skill for dual enchantments? I thought you told me you didn't."

"No, I was lucky enough to find an item that had both as a single enchantment, if that makes any sense. They were combined as one, just on the wrong weapon for me."

They left the horse and wagon in Karthwasten. Clark didn't want the horse getting killed if they ran into the Forsworn unexpectedly, as he didn't fancy walking all the way back to Markarth. The walk over the bridge to Broken Tower was a much shorter distance, and anyway, they'd want to be on foot to be ready for any hostilities.

Broken Tower was a fortress built into the cliff at the side of the road. Ranks of battlements stepped up the steep slope, giving good cover to archers. There was a single skirmisher outside, a woman dressed in skimpy furs, and paint. What she lacked in armour, she made up for in aggression, and ran screaming at them with a jagged sword in each hand. Vicuña's fireball met her half-way and sent her flying.

Clark had already cast his armour spell, and now she cast hers. Just in time, as an archer popped his head over the wall above them and let an arrow fly in their direction. Another fireball went back in return, but the archer just ducked out of its way.

"We'd better get inside, where I can use my sword," Clark said, pointing at the only door he could see. It wasn't locked, and they rounded the first couple of corners before they met anyone coming the other way. There was one archer in the corridor ahead, and another up the stairs to the right. Since she didn't have a clear shot at the latter, Clark ran that way, hoping the Dunmer would take out the other. He blocked an arrow with his shield and took out the archer with a couple of swings of his sword. Same negligible fur armour on this one, too. Nice body, such a waste.

He heard the explosion of another fireball below. He hoped that Vicuña had a spell without the area effect for closer quarters, but right now it was working well enough.

The next Forsworn they encountered was a man with an axe and a sword, and he popped out of a doorway too close for her to use her fireball. It took a second to ready a different spell and Clark had to deflect a massive blow from the man's axe with his shield. He staggered a little, preventing him from counter-striking with his sword. A bolt of lightning crackled over his shoulder and the Forsworn jerked back. Before he could swing again, Clark had recovered his balance, and the offensive. A slash from his enchanted sword set him on fire, and captured his soul.

Further in, a mage slowed Clark's advance with her frost, but that just kept him safely back from the fireball that flew past him. He cast a healing spell, and shivered off the rest. Then they were outside again, on the ledge above the road, trading fireballs for arrows. Not a fair exchange, really.

"This tower looks like the only part we haven't been in," Clark said, pointing to the door ahead. "I do hope Fjotra's in there, after all this."

They crept in as quietly as they could, and saw a man in furs, with a horned head-dress, making offerings to a statue of Dibella. A statue just like the ones in the temple, except that this one was smeared with blood. Human remains lay on an altar before it.

The wind blew the door shut behind them, and the man turned to see what had made the noise. They could see a hole in his chest where his heart should be, filled with some kind of plant material. He raised his hands to cast a spell.

The briar-heart had his own fireballs for them, so they quickly split up to approach him from opposite sides of the room. Vicuña was using her most powerful lightning spell, to try and drain his magicka, as well as damage him, and Clark was trying to get close enough to swing his sword. Both were wondering where Fjotra was, and if the fireballs were endangering her.

Clark was feeling rather warm by the time he got into sword range, and the Forsworn didn't seem to be letting up with his flame attack. But he faltered as Clark struck, and fell back. Clark didn't let him regain the initiative and continued swinging his sword as quickly as he could. The force of the blow wasn't as important as keeping his opponent off-balance and unable to fight back. But he had to keep out of the lightning coming from his companion at the same time, and that wasn't easy.

She ran out of magicka just as Clark's sword struck. The briar-heart's head rolled across the floor and stopped at the door of a cell. Clark took a key from the man's corpse, and hurried to open the cell door, pushing the severed head away before Fjotra could see it.

He couldn't stop her from seeing the headless body, though. Or the remains lying on the altar before the bloodied statue of Dibella. Or all the other dead bodies on the way down to the road.

Enmon and Mena were delighted to have their daughter back, but surprisingly, eager to let her go again. Becoming the Sybil of Dibella would be such an honour, and a much better life than she could look forward to in Karthwasten.

The three of them arrived back in Markarth around sunset, and they took Fjotra to the Temple right away.

"Have you brought me another acolyte, too?" Hamal asked Clark, nodding towards Vicuña.

"The nice lady helped rescue me from the Forsworn," Fjotra told her.

Clark had to tell Hamal the whole story, including the details of the shrine they'd found in the tower. "They'd clearly sacrificed someone on that altar. You don't think it could have been..."

"Our previous Sybil? It wouldn't surprise me. And that would mean that Fjotra was next in line."

"We found a few small statues, as well. Are you missing any from the Temple?"

"No, and they're quite common around here. The gilded ones are popular with women who've visited here, as mementos of their pilgrimage. Men seem to like them, too. You might offer them to Lisbet at Arnleif and Sons Traders, I know she deals in them when she can get them. "

Hamal led Vicuña to the altar in the middle of the temple. "Prostrate yourself, and then drink from the basin. Dibella will grant you her blessing."

Clark's reward was the Enchanting training he'd requested, free of charge. Not only was Hamal able to reveal the secret of the enchantment, but with the extra skill levels he gained, he could make the charge more powerful. Now he could make an amulet that might help more than a slender Bosmer.

"I don't know what Dibella gave me, but I do feel different," Vicuña told him.

"Most women are convinced that they have larger breasts," Hamal told her. "I don't believe she ever actually does that, but their posture improves, and so does their self-confidence. The result is probably the same."

Posted by: Acadian Oct 15 2014, 06:58 PM

Nice that Clark has fiery soul trap on his blade. Too bad it's not so easy to find.

Loved the bits about trying to keep Fjotra from seeing dead bodies. I remember how she reacts pretty strongly to seeing them in game once you rescue her.

Also, a good explanation for what may have happened to the previous Sybil.

’Now he could make an amulet that might help more than a slender Bosmer.’ - - Hey! Nobody likes a smart-astronach!

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 17 2014, 07:48 PM

Part 2: Alchemy for some reason is always an interesting craft. You made it more interesting by your descriptions alone. Clark's use for it is indeed unique. Hmm Lydia and Clark

Part 3: Markarth has many travelers and it would be the ideal place to build a brothel. Vicuña proved to be a fine woman and Velith's gravity defying breasts was a delight to read too. I look forward to seeing Clark in his quest here.

Part 4:

This right here caught my attention. I never thought about it. How clever is it to alter a woman's body in a professional work environment made for that sort of thing? Hmm. The Dibellens here are a fine addition, as expected with this wonderful sort of story. I'm glad you took time to delve into their religion and erotic teachings.


Part 5: Ah quite the battle we had here.



This was a wonderful description here. I love it! Vicuna has some fire-power indeed. A woman who is sexy and powerful is a good combination, no? They make a fine team, her and Clark!

Posted by: Grits Oct 18 2014, 05:30 PM

It makes perfect sense for Clark to seek out Hamal’s help with the floating boob enchantment. She’s my favorite trainer in the game, since reaching the high end of Enchanting can be so tedious. I love how you made the intro to the Sybil quest fit Clark’s story. It’s easily recognizable and the change made me smile.

Karthwasten wasn't far, the road was safe, and you could make the round trip easily in a day.

And so begins an adventure!

A slash from his enchanted sword set him on fire, and captured his soul.

That guy’s soul might get to spend its afterlife levitating a prostitute’s Legendary bosom. If Clark advertises he might get some volunteers!

I like your explanation of the Dibella shrine in Broken Tower. I could never make much sense of it. I really enjoyed seeing Vicuña in action with Clark here!

Posted by: ghastley Oct 22 2014, 02:35 PM

Acadian That Fiery Soul Trap has become my fave enchantment, and it will go onto a bunch of his associates' weapons in future episodes. There aren't many dual-effect enchantments available, with the others being on mage robes to fortify a skill and boost magicka regeneration. The notion that multiple enchantments require a higher level of skill is a handy clue as to who made a weapon, for example. Two major ones likely indicates a unique / Daedric artifact.

D. E. Alchemy is one of the skills that just about any class can make use of. There's a fortifying potion for just about everything, so it can fill in the weaknesses of any build. Clark needs Stamina more than he does Magicka, so he uses alchemy when he does heavy-duty spells. He'll make the point several times that he has the skill, but not the reserves.

Grits: It's amazing how adventures just seem to happen to you in this game when you're least expecting them! It might happen again really soon...

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

Previously Clark and Vicuña had brought Fjotra back to the Temple of Dibella in Markarth. Hamal had pointed them towards Arnleif and Sons to sell the statues they found.

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

Part 6 - Forsworn

They went back through the market district and visited Arnleif and Sons. Lisbet told them that yes, she had been looking for Dibella statues. She'd even ordered one specially for a customer, but it had been stolen on its way to her, and she'd paid for it in advance. "I'd reward you if you found it for me," she told Clark.

"Maybe I already have," he replied. "I have a couple out on my wagon that we got from a Forsworn hideout. How will I know if it's the right one?"

"The makers mark them on the base, and number them. Bring them in and I'll be able to check the numbers against my order."

Clark left Vicuña chatting with Lisbet and went out to fetch the statues. As he closed the door behind him, he noticed a man drawing a knife from his belt and stepping behind a woman at the meat stall. He stepped forward and grabbed the man's arm before he could use the knife, twisting it behind his back, and forcing him to drop the weapon.

The market guard had drawn his sword, and thrust it through the would-be assassin, narrowly missing Clark. He hadn't needed to do that, as Clark had already removed the threat. Unless he was trying to make sure the man didn't talk.

Clark made no attempt to heal the man's wound, although he probably could have saved his life. He suspected it would be futile anyway. The guard was telling everyone "No Forsworn here. We'll deal with this, so just leave it to us."

Instead, he approached the woman who was the intended victim. She told him her name was Margret, but she was reluctant to talk much in public. She told Clark to ask for her at the Silver-Blood Inn later. As he turned away, a man came up to him and handed him a note. "I think you dropped this while you were struggling with that man." Clark put the note in his pocket. The guard was still watching, and he felt uneasy.

He went out to the wagon, and fetched the statues of Dibella they'd found in Broken Tower Redoubt, bringing them back to Lisbet.

"This is it!" she exclaimed. "The same one I ordered. You say the Forsworn had taken it?"

"Do you want to tell her the whole story, or shall I?" Clark asked.

"I already told her most of it before you got back," was the reponse. "I'd just got to the part where we entered the last tower."

"You don't need a full-sized statue, do you?" Clark asked Lisbet. "If you do, I know where you can get one. It just needs a bit of cleaning up."

---

When they left the store, the guards had had a shift-change, and the one who'd been watching him before was gone. Perhaps this was a safe time to go see Margret, and to read that note.

"I'll be expecting my next lesson tonight," Vicuña reminded him, before setting off back to the brothel. "Volume two awaits."

The note just asked him to meet at the Shrine of Talos tonight. It was signed by an Eltrys, which was more a Breton name than a Nord one. Perhaps that was a clue as to which side he was on. Margret could be on either. If the Forsworn were trying to kill her, probably not theirs.

She turned out to be a Nord, but from Cyrodiil, rather than a local. She was using the cover of purchasing silver jewelry for her sister to spy on Thonar Silver-Blood for the Imperial Legion. There was something suspicious about the Cidhna Mine operation, and General Tullius had asked her to find out what she could.

"I'm not staying around to give them a second chance to kill me. This would be a good time to report back with the little I know." She gave Clark a necklace she'd bought, as a reward for saving her life, and showed him her notes on everything she'd already discovered about the mine, and Thonar.

Leaving the inn, Clark was threatened by another guard. "We don't like outsiders snooping around. Back off. You don't want to find out what happens to trouble-makers here."

Clark insisted that he wasn't trying to cause trouble, but the guard told him he'd found it anyway. "We're the ones who keep the peace here. Stay out of our business."

Of course, that just made Clark more curious. There was a situation here that the guards were getting very anxious about, and it had something to do with the Silver-Bloods and the Forsworn. Since those were the blockage to expanding his interests in Markarth, Clark would like this to come to a quick conclusion. He'd already been told by the people at Karthwasten that the Forsworn attack there was much too well-timed to be a coincidence.

However, none of that fit well with recent history. When Ulfric Stormcloak has siezed Markarth back from the Reachmen, he'd done it in the most brutal way possible. It didn't make sense that they'd be working together now.

He decided to go meet with Eltrys, the man who'd given him the note, before he headed back to the brothel.

The Shrine of Talos was a public enough place for a meeting, but there was only one other person there when Clark entered. Eltrys was indeed a Breton, and it turned out that his wife was the scribe at the Treasury House who'd just written up the agreement for the new brothel. She'd have a good idea what was going on in the city's business, from what passed her desk.

Eltrys had seen patterns in what his wife had told him. Things that made him think that the Forsworn were doing Thonar's bidding. He wasn't certain that Weylin, the would-be assassin was one of the Forsworn, but Clark had heard him say something as he drew his dagger. The information Clark had obtained from Margret fit in perfectly. Of course Thonar would set the Forsworn on her if he suspected anything. "What we don't know is how orders get to them," Eltrys said.

"I'll see what I can find out," Clark told him. "But I'll have to move slowly and carefully. The guards are already watching me, and I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

For that reason, Clark decided to avoid the Treasury House. Eltrys had told him that his wife, Rhiada, was pregnant, and he didn't want any of the trouble to start there. Perhaps he'd do better investigating where the would-be assassin, Weylin, lived, down in the Warrens. That could wait until tomorrow, as the place should be deserted when they were all at work.

Tonight he had Vicuña's next lesson to occupy his time.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 22 2014, 11:00 PM

Gosh, you're doing a great job of weaving the game quests into Clark's story - and changing them as suits your purpose.

I'm looking forward to following along with Clark regarding this whole Forsworn in Markarth stuff - Buffy always takes the guards' advice and leaves things to them, so I have no real idea how it goes.

Posted by: Grits Oct 25 2014, 08:45 PM

I like Clark’s approach to that confusing scene in Markarth. Clark is just the fellow to make some sense out of it, and unlike most people he has good reason to get involved. What a relief that he’s staying away from the Treasury House and Rhiada.

Posted by: Darkness Eternal Oct 27 2014, 01:32 PM

Clark made good use of his skills to stop the attacker but the guard's use of deadly force wasn't foreseen. The Forsworn questline is one of the best and the entire conflict in the Reach is great story! Clark's adventures in Skyrim look to be shaping up here and he's just getting started. At least the statue was returned to its respective owner.

Posted by: ghastley Oct 31 2014, 12:51 PM

Acadian: Clark has the advantage of immortality. He also has more direct interests in Markarth,

Grits: Clark wants to keep everyone alive, even Weylin (but he failed).

D.E. It's a good story, but too short. At this point, I'm just using what exists, and not expanding it.

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

Previously: Clark prevented a murder in the Markarth market, only to witness another.

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

Part 7 - The Warrens

Vicuña was lying on her back on the bed, studiously ignoring the book next to her. "How do you know I haven't cheated, and memorised the book while you were out?"

"You can cheat as much as you like," Clark told her, "but if I catch you out, you'll have to persuade me to forgive you, as well as completing your assignment. ... And how do you know I won't switch books?"

"Well I haven't read it, so it wouldn't matter," she replied. "My plan tonight is to let you tire yourself out before I start reading, so you won't be able to distract me so much."

"But now you've told me, won't I just take it slow and easy?"

"I hope so, that's what I'm in the mood for tonight, after all the fighting today."

"Yes, I'm sorry our little outing got spoiled by the Forsworn. I could have done without them too."

He didn't mention the incident outside the shop. That had been Forsworn again, if the guard could be believed.

---

"Since you didn't get round to reading last night, you can do it now," Clark said,as she lifted her head from his shoulder and yawned. "Yes, it's morning already."

"But don't I get any credit for that? You wanted me to read it last night, and I put it off until morning. So I got my own way on one thing, at least."

"That's not what I'm trying to teach you. You get what you want if you ask nicely, and you know how to do that already. What you need to learn is how to concentrate on two things at once. We're just using a book as one of them, and the other is something you should able to do without having to think."

"But I can't just ignore you, It would spoil it for both of us."

"I'm not asking you to do that, but to broaden your attention to include the book as well. You had the right idea the first night, although you didn't quite get it right. The story in the book, and what we were doing, became merged in your mind. You need to keep them separate, but pay attention to both."

"That sounds difficult."

"It is, but it's very rewarding when you master it."

Clark placed the book on the low cupboard beside the bed and had her bend over it. "Read it out loud if you find that helps," he told her, "or better yet, tell me what you're reading in your own words. That will help you concentrate on the meaning, not just the marks on the page."

"This is the part where Straw and Barenziah are in Riften, but it's spelled differently in the book. Is that a mistake?"

"Did I miss my target?" Clark asked, innocently.

"Not you, silly, the book. It's says Rifton, with an O, not with an E. Is that the same place?"

"Yes, but the spelling may have been different back then. This is all at least five hundred years ago, and things change. Even that book. You may notice I found the older edition with the next part intact."

"Oh, yes. I see what you mean. Barenziah's offered to bed Therris if he sponsors her as a member, but the version I read before didn't say what happened next. I always assumed she went to his room, but they're doing it right there in the bar-room! With everybody watching."

"So tell me what's happening."

"She's sitting on his lap, and he's undone her shirt and pulled it down around her waist. It doesn't say if she's got big ones, but apparently the Khajiit likes them. I think he's just looking at them, not licking them, or squeezing like you are." She paused to move his hands slightly. "Just there, that's where I like it."

"And then she's undone his pants, and he's inside her, ... "

"Keep going," Clark urged. "What are they doing now? This, perhaps?"

"This is almost as disappointing as the newer editions. It says she blacked out, and then just resumes with her doing her shirt back up. Oh! now I see why. I didn't know Khajiit were different."

"Really? You've never tried one?"

"No, and I can't imagine what it would feel like. I mean, I know most of it would feel just like this, but the barbs have to make a difference."

"So take a few moments to imagine, and tell me how you think it would be."

"Well it's got to be more intense. I don't know if it would actually hurt, not if she was as wet as I am."

"Do you think she really blacked out?"

"No, I expect the author of the book was a man, and she just couldn't explain it to him. I couldn't put what I'm feeling now into words. But I do know that I'm not going black out and miss any of it! I just might have to stop talking for a bit while I ..."

Clark couldn't have agreed more. He didn't say anything either.

---

"You were much better that time. It's just a question of keeping your mind on what you want, and not getting distracted. It might not take all five volumes after all. "

"Oh yes, it will. I insist on my full course of training, even if it's just for practice. If I've got the basic idea, there will still be subtle stuff I need."

"We'll see. I have to go down to the Warrens today and look around a bit. I'm trying to find out more about the Silver-Bloods' connection to the Forsworn."

"Be careful, the Silver-Bloods can get away with anything they like in this city. It seems like they own everything, and that might include the Jarl."

"If the Thalmor don't own him. I've noticed they have a presence in Understone Keep, and the Silver-Bloods don't. No, if they had that much influence, there wouldn't be a Shrine to Talos." Clark was undecided about Jarl Igmund.

---

As Clark had expected, the Warrens were almost deserted during the day, but he used his invisibility as a precaution. Just as well, as there was still someone left behind. Cairine appeared to be too sick to work. She just sat on the floor, moaning in discomfort, and didn't hear Clark creep past her. He checked all the rooms, not knowing which one was Weylin's, and of course that was the last one, right at the back. All that he found was a note telling Weylin to attack someone in the market. It didn't mention Margret by name, but he might have already been given his target in an earlier note. And the only signature was the single letter N.

Not much of a clue, but maybe it would mean more to Eltrys. Clark headed back towards the door out of the warrens.

"What's that?" A Breton in good-quality leather armour was standing by the doorway, clearly not a resident. "I'm sure I heard something." He cast a detect life spell, and saw Clark's shape at the back of the hallway. Clark let his invisibility dispel, and walked over to reason with the man. It didn't work, and a fist-fight broke out. "No weapons, or the guard will come," Cairine warned them.

Dryston was a tough customer, but Clark's blocking was better, and he didn't land any significant punches. Before long, he was taking a knee, and cursing his luck, and Clark.

"Who sent you?" Clark asked.

"Nepos the Nose. The old man hands out the orders. He said you were getting in the way. That's all I know, I swear!"

Clark bribed Cairine to silence with a cure disease potion. He presumed she was really sick, as she'd been moaning even before she knew there was someone to hear her. Dryston knew what he'd get if he told anyone.

---

Nepos' house was on the North cliff, at the other side of town. The door wasn't locked, so everyone was probably at home. Clark cast his invisibility and crept into the house.

A couple of servants were working in the kitchen, clearing up after a meal. An old man, who he assumed was Nepos himself, was dozing in a comfortable chair by the fireside. A journal lay on the table next to him. Clark picked it up and put it in his pocket, then re-cast his invisibility. He slipped back out of the house and opened the journal.

It appeared that Nepos was just a conduit for the orders, which actually came from Madanach, King of the Reachmen. Clark had belived that King Madanach was dead, killed when the Nords reclaimed Markarth, but the journal said he was alive in Cidhna Mine, which the city used as a prison. Clark needed to get this information to Eltrys.

---

Eltrys would be waiting in the Talos Shrine every evening around the same time, in case Clark had anything to tell him. To anyone else, it would appear that he was making his daily visit as a worshipper. Talos worship was just as common among the Bretons as it was with the Nords.

As he entered, Clark heard voices, and decided that invisibility was a good idea. It was; several guards were standing over Eltrys' body, and Clark got the impression he was expected.

"If he turns up, we arrest him for this murder, and let Cidhna Mine do the rest. Nobody gets out of there!"

With Eltrys dead, there was no point in Clark staying to get arrested. He crept back out and went back to the brothel, staying invisible all the way.

---

There were worse places to hide from the guards, and he did have Vicuña's training to complete. Eventually, however, he'd have to leave Markarth, and go back to Whiterun.

A few days later, Clark crept out of the brothel in the middle of the night, invisible, and with muffle enchanted on his boots. He made it as far as the stables, where he was arrested as soon as he tried to hitch his horse to his carriage. They had a guard equipped with Detect Life waiting for anyone to try and move that horse.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 31 2014, 06:18 PM

Clark and Vicuna’s bed banter was fun.

"If the Thalmor don't own him. I've noticed they have a presence in Understone Keep, and the Silver-Bloods don't. No, if they had that much influence, there wouldn't be a Shrine to Talos." Clark was undecided about Jarl Igmund.’ - - Nice observations about the Jarl's possible loyalties.

Those guards were pretty clever, keeping an eye on his horse and using detect life to scoop up poor Clark.

Posted by: Grits Nov 4 2014, 05:00 PM

I expect Vicuña is right!

I like the way Clark outwitted the guards right up until he needed his horse. This quest is fun to follow!

Posted by: ghastley Nov 5 2014, 06:04 PM

Acadian: Clark's uncertainty reflects mine. UESP tells me that Hrolfdir turned Ulfric over to the Thalmor, and also that it was Igmund. And much the same for who asked Ulfric to help in the first place. Cedran tells the player it was the father that arrested Ulfric, so I'm going with that version.

Grits: Unfortunately, it's a really small quest(line) and I haven't added to it significantly - just a bit of Clark's thinking as it unfolds. He's actually doing it himself because it fits his interests in Markarth - one of which being Vicuña. Now I have to move on to connecting him with the Dragonborn.

-----------

Previously: Clark was arrested at Markarth stables, trying to hitch up his wagon.

----------

Part 8 - Cidhna Mine

Down in Cidhna Mine, it took Clark several days of toil, digging at the silver veins, before he got any contact that might lead him to Madanach. He figured that only the King in Rags would be any help to him now.

He'd noticed that there was an iron gate at the back of the mine area which was always locked. A large Orc was standing guard over it, too, although he was a prisoner, like the others. Clark had never seen him digging, only standing guard there.

The jailers never came down into the mine itself. They were mercenaries, working for the Silver-Bloods, rather than city guards, and they stayed on their side of the main gate at the top. That was where everyone went to collect their food, and hand over the silver ore they'd dug. No silver, no food, so all the prisoners had an incentive to work.

It wasn't clear where the Orc's food came from, as he didn't seem to be doing any of the digging. He was large enough to just take it from the others if he wanted, but Clark hadn't seen that happen.

One of the other prisoners saw him looking towards the iron gate. "If you want to speak to Madanach, you've got to get past Borkul the Beast first." That told Clark that Madanach was indeed back there, and gave him a name for the Orc. Clark decided that was enough of an introduction, so he'd approach the Orc and see what happened.

Borkul demanded a shiv as toll. "I don't have one, and Madanach's expecting me." Clark replied.

Surprisingly, the Orc believed him and let him through. Clark was equally surprised when Madanach actually was expecting him.

Madanach was planning to escape the mine soon, and Clark was welcome to join him, but first he needed to go back and talk to Braig, so he'd understand their cause.

Braig told Clark how his young daughter, Aethra, had begged the Jarl to take her to prison instead of her father. The Jarl took the daughter, but not just to imprison her. Braig was forced to watch his daughter being executed. As her head rolled off the block, they hauled Braig away to Cidhna Mine anyway.

He called the Jarl Ulfric, however, not Igmund. So this had been quite a few years back, just after Madanach was deposed, when Windhelm's Jarl had control of Markarth, and Igmund was not yet on his father's throne. According to Cedran, the hostler at the Markarth stables, Hrolfdir, Igmund's father, had turned over Ulfric to the Thalmor as soon as he'd got control of his city back. Igmund had inherited a city that was firmly in the Imperial camp, and not much he could do about it.

It also wasn't clear to Clark whether Madanach's survival was due to Hrolfdir's intervention or someone lower down the chain of command. Obviously Thonar, and presumably the rest of the Silver-Blood clan, had something to do with it. But had they kept it from the Jarl, or was he aware of his city's prisoner?

Madanach still had a test for Clark. Grisvar the Unlucky, the only Nord prisoner, wasn't coming with them. He had to die first. Madanach handed Clark a shiv, a crude blade made from a rusty piece of iron railing. Several of the prisoners had one, but they usually only threatened each other with them.

Clark found Grisvar working in one of the tunnels. "Madanach says hello." Clark said, and had to duck as the man's pickaxe swung at his head. That was all that was needed to provoke the others. Grisvar found himself under attack from all sides. He didn't seem to be popular among his peers, and he was quickly dead, without any help from Clark.

Madanach seemed satisfied. He led Clark further into the tunnels. "We'll leave as soon as it gets dark. Then we'll only have the guards to deal with. Many of the Nords in the city will oppose us, if we're seen."

The tunnels led into the Dwemer ruins, where they encountered frostbite spiders, and a couple of dwarven automata. The prisoners were poorly equipped, but they had the superior numbers, and several of them could use spells. By stopping frequently to heal and recharge, everyone survived to reach the door out into the city.

A young woman in Forsworn "armour" was there to meet them. Her name was Kaie, and Clark thought she'd have been quite attractive, if it wasn't for the severe hairstyle and the war-paint. She handed out armour and weapons to everyone, including returning the equipment confiscated from Clark when he was arrested. She gave him some Forsworn things, too, in case he wanted to fit in with the group. It was all enchanted, which perhaps explained how they got away with wearing so little. Clark had noticed a bias towards magic among the Reachmen, so this wasn't unexpected.

Kaie told him that he'd be welcome at Druadach Redoubt, which was apparently their headquarters, and hinted that she'd personally see to that.

They still had to get out of the city. They hadn't gone far before they ran into a city guard, and Thonar Silver-Blood was with him. Thonar confronted Madanach and the two soon came to blows. Thonar and his guard were heavily outnumbered, and both were quickly killed. The Forsworn continued to the city gates.
Clark went along with them, but they parted at the stables. While the Forsworn prisoners headed off towards Druadach Redoubt, Clark collected his horse and carriage and set off back towards Whiterun.

---

As ever, the horse's pace was slow and steady, and Clark was unable to persuade him otherwise. Clark was constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting a contingent of guards to be on his trail, but nothing happened. Either they'd chased Madanach in the other direction, or the death of Thonar had removed his bounty.

There was only the one road down the valley, and the cliffs were high on either side. This was prime bandit country, but Clark was surprised not to encounter any. Were the Forsworn keeping them in check? There didn't seem to be many aggressive wild animals either, and the few he saw were more interested in chasing goats.

Clark stopped around dawn at Old Hroldan. He hadn't eaten, and the horse needed water. He declined the use of Tiber Septim's room, and just bought some food for the journey. He'd stop again later, and sleep in the back of the wagon, but right now, he didn't want to waste the daylight.

He needed to stop every few hours to feed and water the horse. When it got dark, he pulled off the road and set up camp. The horse was tethered to a tree, and he slept in the carriage, under a bear pelt. This was his routine for the next few days, until he reached the Western Watchtower outside Whiterun.

Something had happened here since he headed for Markarth, a few months ago. The tower had obviously been attacked, and much of it was now rubble. There were signs of fire, more than just the wood from the buildings burning. Someone or something had been using flame spells.

He continued to the stables, and left his horse and carriage with Skulvar. "Did you see what happened at the watchtower?" he asked. You could just about see the tower from here, and any war-parties might have passed close to the stables.

"Aye, it was a dragon that attacked. Flew right over here and blasted it with flames. Irileth and some of the guards went down there and fought it. Killed it, too, from what I hear."

Posted by: Acadian Nov 5 2014, 09:39 PM

What a neat walkthrough of that quest! As I’ve said, I’ve not done that one so whatever Clark says sounds good/gospel to me.

That Clark takes good care of his horse speaks highly of his character, and I’m glad they had a safe trip back to Whiterun.

A dragon attack! Woot! This raises all sorts of questions about how much of the main quest you will weave into Clark’s tale. Will there be a Dragonborn? And if so, who? You’ve alluded to having a Dragonborn in your story who will not be Clark. I’ve toyed with many ideas that use someone other than the primary game character as a Dragonborn. I look forward to seeing where Clark takes us.

Posted by: ghastley Nov 5 2014, 10:44 PM

I've revealed in other threads that Diablita from Cyrodiil will be the Dragonborn, and that Karliah is Clark's daughter, so he won't be the Guildmaster in Skyrim either. I don't intend him to do anything but side-quests, and leave the main quest lines to others, except that he'll get involved in some of the Thieves ones as a side-kick to Gilda - the Steed to her Emma Peel.

He is already a Thane in Whiterun, but that doesn't stop Diablita being one, too. The same for any other hold where he may go. Solitude, for example, already has Bryling and Erikur as Thanes so I'm assuming any hold can have several. I also assume that the heads of the Battle-Born and Grey-Mane clans are Thanes in Whiterun. Diablita will have to do the quests on Solstheim, as only the Dragonborn is appropriate to those, but each of the other quest-lines could be done by others.

Since I have the DLC's, he'll build a house, follow Diablita to Solstheim, and meet Serana after the Dawnguard stuff is over. In most cases, he'll observe or be told about the events of the quest-lines but not participate. I already have 30+ episodes drafted, and I haven't got to the quests of the mod I'm trying to create to continue the Thieves Guild again.

I don't yet have a candidate for Arch-mage, and the only connection to the College of Winterhold is Enthir's overlap with the Thieves Guild. Since Bethesda tangle all the quest lines, I'll probably have to choose before long.

Posted by: Grits Nov 7 2014, 03:05 PM

You know, I never realized that Grisvar the Unlucky was the only Nord down there.

A young woman in Forsworn "armour" was there to meet them.

The magical inclination of Bretons is a solid reason for going around less than fully clothed. They can compensate, plus in the older games more armor meant less effective spells.

I can imagine Clark’s slow and nervous departure from the Reach. I love that he missed the tower attack. Seeing how you weave the quests through your story without making them the focus is always fun.

Posted by: ghastley Nov 12 2014, 03:40 PM

Acadian: Clark taking care of his horse is because it seems it's impossible to buy one that can draw a wagon or carriage - which turn out to be the same thing in Skyrim, as there's only one model.

Grits: And I didn't notice until I checked the UESP site that all the Bretons were witchblades. I suppose that makes up for the lack of weapons beyond shivs.

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

Previously: Clark has returned to Whiterun from Markarth, much delayed by a spell in Cidhna Mine, to find that a dragon has attacked nearby in his absence.

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

Part 9 - Back to Breezehome

Lydia greeted Clark at the door of Breezehome. "Come take a look at Gilda. She's filled out a lot while you were gone, and she's grown herself a pair of funbags."

"Stop calling them that!" Gilda's voice complained from the room at the back. "You're just jealous!"

Clark doubted that. Lydia had always been content with hers. Enough to get whatever attention she needed, without hindering her fighting ability. She did, of course, know the value of goading an opponent, and was probably giving Gilda a lesson she hadn't figured out yet. Still, he was curious as to what had happened while he was away.

Gilda came through to the living room, and Clark got to see what Lydia meant. She looked like she'd burst out of the top of her dress at any moment. The laces had been let out any number of times, and she could barely tie them any more.

"I don't know if her mother promised you a virgin, but I'm sure those will be adequate compensation." Of course, Lydia was joking. She knew that Clark didn't put any store in virginity, but Gilda didn't. She blushed, and confessed that she had put her new man-magnets to the test, with all the success they deserved. Lydia had taken her out to the Bannered Mare as soon as she thought Gilda was ready for it, and they hadn't often returned alone.

The rest of her was nicely filled out, too. She showed no signs of following her mother to excess, but she'd got curves where she used to have angles, and her face was beautiful where it used to be just pretty.

"They've ruined her as an archer, you know." Lydia couldn't stop having a dig at Gilda's fortune. "It's a good thing she's skilled with a one-handed sword."

Clark looked puzzled, but Gilda picked up a bow and showed him the problem. She didn't nock an arrow, just pulled back on the string until...

They did get in the way of the bowstring. "So we'll have to teach you spells instead. You don't need to be as accurate with a fireball, anyway."

"Did you teach Gilda to cook? I'm starved after that long journey," he asked Lydia.

"I'm the housecarl, so I do the cooking in this house. And I've already started a venison stew, which will be ready in about half an hour. Why don't we go upstairs while we're waiting?"

"All of us? There's only one of him," Gilda objected.

"You don't know my Thane, do you?" Lydia responded. "It's about time you did."

---

Naked, Gilda reminded Clark a little of Vicuña, shape-wise at least. Her breasts were newly grown, and hadn't started to sag. From what he'd learned from the Dunmer, they wouldn't if she used one of the amulets to keep them well-supported. He had one that he'd made, and although it wasn't as strongly enchanted as he hoped to achieve later, it would be beneficial to her now. "Put this on, and tell me how it feels," he told her.

"Like I'm swimming, and the water's holding me up. But just where I need it."

"Did you bring one for me?" Lydia asked.

"I can make one if you think you need it," he replied. "Feeling droopy?"

Lydia just laughed, and pushed Clark onto the bed. "Come on, the stew will be ready soon, and I want to be properly satisfied before we eat. And Gilda's going to want the same, so get to work! You've been away too long, and you have a lot to catch up on!"

Clark lay on his back and let the ladies choose their places.

---

(use your imagination here)

---

Lydia had finished eating, washed her bowl, and put it away in the cupboard by the time Gilda and Clark came downstairs. "It's a good thing I made stew," Lydia remarked, "You can leave that simmering for hours, and it won't be over-cooked."

Gilda was wearing her new amulet, and little else. Lydia was fascinated by the way her breasts just floated. Clark could see her looking down at her own. Eventually she shook her head, and started to ladle out the stew into two more bowls. "I want to intimidate my enemies, not mesmerise them," she announced.

"What do you think?" Gilda asked Clark, laughing.

"It's hard to look at those and still be capable of thinking," he replied. "You need to learn how to make the most of that."

"You'll teach me, won't you?" she asked, as innocently as she could manage.

---

Gilda and Clark went up to the Jarl's palace, to see what spells Farengar had to offer. As usual he was quite dismissive, and resented the intrusion on his time, until he realised that they were paying customers. They were looking for some kind of long-range destruction, that Gilda could use instead of a bow.

Farengar pondered for a moment. "She's got two choices at her level: either the weaker Frostbite and Sparks - they aren't any stronger than the Flames she already knows and have similar range, which is to say, not much. Or you can take the projectile spells, Firebolt, Frost Spike, Lightning Bolt at Apprentice level, and she can get some training from Wuunferth in Windhelm."

"How much training would it take?" Gilda asked.

"Not a lot, it appears that you're close to Apprentice level already, and once you get there, you'll be able to cast the spells more easily. I mean, you can cast them now, probably, but then you won't have the magicka to do it again. Why don't you take Sparks for now, and Ice Spike for later? That way, you'll have an alternative to the flames if you encounter resistance, like Dunmer have, and the Ice Spike will give you a stronger spell as soon as you reach it. Longer range, too."

"Using the Flames and Sparks will advance her skill without training, won't it?" Clark added.

"Precisely, and as I said before, she's not got far to go. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to examining this dragon bone Irileth brought me."

"Then practice is what we'll do," Clark decided. "Windhelm's in the wrong direction, for now."

"Oh, are we going somewhere else?" Gilda wanted to know.

"Yes, I left some unfinished business in Markarth. I want us all to go back there soon."

Posted by: Acadian Nov 12 2014, 09:06 PM

What a fun episode!

I really had to laugh that Gilda’s growth spurt had ruined her as an archer!

Loved the exchange with Farengar – and how subtly you remind us of the recent dragon attack by having him examining a dragon bone brought in by Irileth.

Posted by: Grits Nov 13 2014, 01:47 PM

Fun times at Breezehome. Gilda of the mesmerizing breasts!

Good point that practice is as good as training for advancing Gilda’s Destruction skill. You described Farengar’s attitude perfectly!

Posted by: ghastley Nov 19 2014, 03:07 PM

Acadian: Gilda was on a trajectory to becoming over-powered, so she needed a few limitations. Clark may not see it that way.

Grits: Farengar's a bit of a cartoon character, but he does sell spells.

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

Previously Clark returned to Whiterun to find a changed Gilda. Now they're going back to finish what was started at Markarth.

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

Part 10 - Kolskeggr

As the three of them rode along the road back to Markarth in Clark's carriage, they talked about the "unfinished business" he'd mentioned.

"I don't know what effect Thonar Silver-Blood's death will have on that family's business interests. Thonar handled the commercial side of everything, leaving his brother Thongvor to deal with the Jarl and the Thalmor. Now he's gone, the mercenaries may have left the Karthwasten mines, especially if nobody's paying them any more. If not, we might have to persuade them."

"In the city itself, they were shaking down all the other merchants for protection from the Forsworn. They've lost the ability to control them, now that Madanach's free, so the economy's probably on the upswing. And I might be able to make a bid for the brothel in town, instead of having to start another out in the mining camps."

"On the other hand, Madanach's now got a free hand, and there's no knowing what his intentions are. The Forsworn attacks may well continue anyway, even if Thonar's not behind them," Clark concluded.

"So where do we start?" Lydia asked.

"Karthwasten's the simplest for us to deal with. If the mercenaries are still shutting the miners out, we eliminate them. That gets Ainethach on our side, and weakens the remaining Silver-Blood interests. There weren't many of them when I was there, maybe four or five. It will give us an opportunity to see how Gilda does with her fighting skills, as well."

"Why is that mine so important?" Gilda asked.

"Well, like Cidhna Mine in Markarth itself, it's one of the biggest sources of silver in Skyrim; and there aren't many others. There's a second mine in the town, Fenn's Gulch, but that's just about worked out. Sanuarach is the one the mercenaries are in, and it was producing well until they arrived. There are smelters outside each of the mines, so the locals can ship out refined ingots, instead of the bulkier ores. The Silver-Bloods either want to take it over, or put it out of action, and we can put a stop to that."

"Isn't there a gold mine somewhere close, as well?"

"Yes, Kolskeggr, and again it's a major producer, but there are gold mines in a lot of other regions, so they wouldn't have hoped to corner the market in gold. Silver was the more important metal back in Cyrodiil, because it was used for weapon-making. There were a lot of creatures there that could only be affected by silver weapons, or enchanted ones. Most of the mines in Cyrodiil are long ago worked out, and only a few nuggets come out of them. So there's a significant export maket, too."

Lydia knew that werewolves and undead were damaged more by silver weapons, but she hadn't heard of anything immune to normal ones. Clark told her about the will-o-the wisps in the swamps of Blackwood, near the border with Black Marsh. "And your undead here in Skyrim are more substantial. In Cyrodiil, they get a lot more ethereal shades, like Gloom Wraiths, who can hold a sword, but you can't hit them with the same one they're carrying!"

"They sound really impossible to deal with."

"Enchanted or silver weapons, or spells, work well enough. And at least they don't shout Thu'ums at you, just toss a few regular spells. The Draugr Deathlords with the Disarm shout can be a real pain by comparison." He thought back to Ogrim the Restless, when he'd helped Dralsi clear out the tomb that became the Twilight Sepulchre. His first experience of Thu'um had been rather painful.

Lydia shuddered at that thought, too. "I'm glad we just have a few mercenaries to look forward to."

Clark turned the horse off the Markarth road towards Karthwasten. They'd be passing Kolskeggr Mine soon, and maybe Pavo would have something to trade.

Outside the mine was a woman dressed in fur and feathers, and not a lot of either. Clark recognised the Forsworn armour, and wondered if his involvement in Madanach's escape from Cidhna Mine would affect anything. But either she'd not heard about that, or didn't care, and an arrow came flying towards them.

Clark released the horse from the carriage and sent it out of harm's way while his two companions dealt with the threat. He was pleased to notice Gilda using the shock spell she'd learned from Farengar, and that she had the sense to zig-zag towards the archer. Lydia was using her own bow to return fire, and seemed to be holding the Forsworn's attention as the greater threat.

Before Clark could join the battle, Gilda had reached her, and ended it with a thrust from her sword. But now another man was coming from the bridge. Clark hurled an ice spike at him, both to show the others where he was, and to slow him down. Lydia's bow, and Gilda's sparks finished him before he could reach them.

The door to Pavo's cabin was locked, and nobody seemed to be there. They back-tracked a little to the path up to the mine, and met another Forsworn guarding the entrance. Again, three on one made it relatively easy. Clark was glad they hadn't encountered all three of the Forsworn at once.

"Think Pavo's in the mine?" asked Gilda.

"I'd suspect we'll find nothing but more Forsworn. Pavo's probably fled, if he had time to lock up first," Clark responded.

"So do we clear the place out for him?" Lydia proposed.

"If we don't, then we'll have them waiting for us when we come back. Maybe with reinforcements. But we'll need to be careful. We haven't encountered any of the Briar-heart mages yet. They're tough customers!" Clark had seen their spells first-hand during his escape from Cidhna Mine.

"I'll lead," Gilda offered. "I can sneak better in my leather gear than Lydia in her plate. And you haven't got any armour at all, Clark."

Clark pointed out that he'd cast Ebonyflesh as soon as he saw any Forsworn. "But that will get their attention, won't it?" she persisted. He let her lead.

They all crept down the mine passage, until Gilda spotted a guard. She dropped back and told Lydia, who moved forward with her bow. Clark handed her a vial of poison. If Lydia could drop the guard with one arrow, then he wouldn't raise an alarm.

He fell, never knowing what hit him.

Gilda resumed scouting forward, and around the next corner were two Forsworn together. That would need a different approach. Clark could throw a fireball, but only one. He didn't have enough magicka, or skill in destruction, for more. But that would affect both of them, and hopefully they'd then be weak enough to dispatch quickly.

They were lucky, and both the Forworn were killed by the fireball, but the noise of the explosion brought others from deeper in the mine. And one of them was throwing frost and ice in their direction, as if he had limitless magicka. Gilda ducked into a side-passage, as Lydia and Clark retreated. Clark was holding up his strongest ward, and Lydia was firing her bow over his shoulder into the advancing group.

The sword-wielding Forsworn fell to Lydia's arrows, but the mage pressed forward, continuing his frost attack. He passed the passage where Gilda was hiding without a glance sideways, concentrating entirely on Lydia and Clark.

Gilda stepped silently out of the shadows, and cut his throat. Just in time, as Clark's magicka ran out and his ward with it. That fireball hadn't left him with much.

They searched the rest of the mine, and found no more Forworn. No sign of Pavo and his miners, either. Hopefully, they'd escaped to Markarth, or to Karthwasten, which is where they were headed next.

Posted by: Acadian Nov 19 2014, 10:44 PM

I liked your ‘industrial’ demand (weapons) for silver justification as to why its value rivals or exceeds that of gold. Similarly, I enjoyed Clark's worldly observations regarding the different challenges posed by undead in Skyrim vs Cyrodiil. Disarm shouts or immunity to normal weapons; either can cause quite a challenge to many warriors I should think. No worries in either province for bound weapon users though.

It was also fun to read the teamwork the trio used in that mine.


Nit: ’Clark was glad they hadn't encountered all three of the the Forsworn at once.’ - - A redundant ‘the’ near the end of this sentence.

Posted by: ghastley Nov 26 2014, 04:27 PM

Acadian: Any excuse for a link to the Oblivion stories. There's more team tactics in this one. It's the only way to beat the numbers.

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

Previously Clark and company (Lydia and Gilda) had cleared Kolskeggr mine on their way to Karthwasten to clear the mine there.

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

Part 11 - Karthwasten

The miners in Karthwasten were alarmed at the sight of the three blood-stained adventurers riding into town. But Enmon recognised Clark as the man who'd rescued his daughter. "Did you get her safely to Markarth?" he asked.

"Yes, and she's settled in at the Temple. I'm surprised she hasn't written to you... Wait, perhaps she has. The courier would have had to pass Kolskeggr Mine, and we just cleared Forworn from there. If he had any sense, he'd have turned back. There's no way around that doesn't lead you into more of them."

"So that's Forsworn blood all over you? You should go talk to the mercenaries before you clean it off. Maybe they'll just go away if you look scary enough."

Clark doubted it, but it was a valid point. It wouldn't hurt to give them something to worry about.

Most of the mercenaries in the mine weren't particularly well-equipped, and did look a bit nervous as Clark and the two women strode past them to confront Atar, the leader. He wasn't impressed, but then, he was the only mercenary wearing a decent level of armour. Clark suggested that the intruders leave quietly, but Atar just laughed. He had them outnumbered, and felt confident.

A couple of seconds later, it was the other way round. Lydia and Gilda struck quickly, and the lightly armoured men stood little chance. Atar swung his sword at Clark's ward, with little effect. However, his nordic carved suit was shrugging off their attacks, too, helped by a stout shield and a decent block skill.

Gilda stepped back a little and sheathed her sword. Using both hands, she brought her frost to bear on the stubborn mercenary leader. As he slowed, the others dropped out of sword range and switched their attacks also. Clark hit him with shock, and Lydia used her bow. He flailed with his sword, but they were too far away. With a frustrated roar of pain, he fell lifeless off the platform to the rocky floor of the mine.

"If that armour's adaptable to fit me, I want it!" Lydia declared. "The shield, too." It did seem to be a bit better than the steel plate she currently used. Gilda shrugged. She preferred leather, so she could move quietly and quickly. Let the fighter have the plate.

Clark told Lydia to pile everything onto the wagon, and they'd figure it all out back in Markarth. Moth and Gorza would know if the armor could be reworked, or if it was better to sell it, and buy something else. They'd told Clark that they could make ebony equipment, if he brought them the materials. Nordic carved hadn't been mentioned, and maybe that needed something else in its construction.

Clark told Ainethach that he was back in business, and the miners all rushed back to work. Lash gra-Dushnik came up to them as she went into the mine. "I know you're already Blood-kin, Clark, but I'll let our people know what Gilda and Lydia have done today. They'll be welcome in the strongholds, too."

---

"This is nice workmanship," Gorza said, as Clark showed her the armour they'd taken from Atar. "It won't be hard to reshape it for Lydia. If you have any quicksilver, I can improve it, too."

"Not ebony? It looks like they used ebony to make it."

"Oh yes, they did, but they used quicksilver as well, and that's what makes the difference. It's not quite as strong as all-ebony, but it's a lot lighter. And I know it's a matter of taste, but I think it looks better too."

Clark had some ingots of quicksilver, so Lydia got an upgrade she wasn't expecting. He felt he'd regret her exchanging a full helm for an open-faced one. The steel plate did keep her relatively quiet. Lydia poked out her tongue at him, since he could see it now.

"You're quiet, Gilda. Do you see anything in Gorza's stock that you need?"

"No, but if we're going anywhere near Cancelmo, I'd like to ask him if he has any stronger spells."

"If you're wearing that tight leather when you ask him, I'm sure he'll come up with something."

Gilda giggled at that one. She wore leather for a whole lot of reasons, after all.

---

Their next stop was at the Treasury House, where there were a couple of recent widows. Eltrys had died before Clark was imprisoned, and Thonar when he escaped. Rhiada was expecting Eltrys' child, and Clark wanted to be sure she was prepared to raise the child alone. Betrid had married into the Silver-Bloods, and might be still treated as an outsider by that close family.

Rhiada didn't even know that Eltrys was dead. She was used to him being away from home for extended periods, and nobody had told her anything. Clearly the Silver-Blood family didn't want anyone to know about the events that had lead to his death, and had covered it all up.

Thonar's death was a completely different matter. Nobody was talking about anything else. They didn't know about Clark's involvement, and to be fair, that was minimal anyway. The Forsworn with Madanach had killed him. Clark had escaped with them, but that was all. Betrid certainly had no issues with talking to him about it. He seemed sympathetic, unlike the rest of them. She'd expected some inheritance, but everything of Thonar's had gone to the family, not his widow.

"I'm used to being able to buy my own jewels, and fine clothes. Where's the money for that going to come from now?"

"Don't you have any skills?" Clark asked.

Betrid looked embarrassed. "I got expelled from the Temple of Dibella for using my skills. Or at least, taking payment for them. And I'm not a Guild member, so I found myself a husband, instead."

"Perhaps the Guild is where you should be looking now. There might be an opportunity here soon, either a new location, or an expansion of the one in town. I'll let you know, when I know more myself."

Rhiada was still wearing a tavern wench's outfit, even though she was starting to show a bulge of new life. Clark wondered if she had anything else to wear. Eltrys wouldn't have been earning much as a metal-worker, and even less now he was dead. Most of the family's income probably came from her job here as a book-keeper, and the Silver-Bloods probably weren't too generous with her wages.

She'd heard Clark talking to Betrid about the Guild job. "Was that the Guild of Prostitutes you were speaking to Betrid about? I nearly joined up with them before I met Eltrys. Of course, I'm in no condition for that kind of work, now."

"There might still be work for a book-keeper. Not everyone in the Guild works on her back."

"Do you think so? It would be good to believe I have another alternative if I lose the job here. This one still seems needed, even though Thonar's dead. People still need things recorded, and I imagine that settling Thonar's affairs will mean more work than usual, but it's unclear who I'm working for now. If it's Thongvor, I know he doesn't like Bretons. That could account for why I'm not getting paid much, too."

"As I told Betrid, there may be changes at the brothel soon. If it does expand, then there may be new opportunities for both of you."

---

It seemed sensible to visit the brothel next, and discuss developments with Vicuña.

"Have you brought me some new recruits?" she asked, gesturing at Gilda and Lydia.

"No, but I may have some if they're needed. Has business picked up since I was here last?"

"A bit. Since Thonar Silver-Blood died, the merchants seem to have a bit more gold left in their pockets, and some of them like to spend it here. We'e seeing more of the guards, too, and not just to keep order."

Vicuña changed the subject back to Gilda. "Did you make her an amulet for those? It looks like she needs one."

"Yes, but not as strong as you could. Enchanting's not my best skill. Why don't you talk to her about it directly?"

"I am being a bit rude, aren't I? But you haven't introduced us yet."

"Gilda, this is Velith Telvanni, professional name Vicuña. She's the roaming inspector for the All-Tamriel Guild of Prostitutes, and she's the one who showed me the enchantment on your amulet. She was with me when we rescued Enmon's daughter Fjotra from the Forsworn."

"Vicuña, this is my apprentice Gilda. We've just got back from Karthwasten, where we cleared the mercenaries from the mine. You remember, the ones who'd just moved in when you and I were there. And Lydia here is my housecarl from Whiterun."

"I'm pleased to meet both of you. Gilda, can you undo your top, so I can see how well Clark's amulet is working?"

Lydia whispered in Clark's ear. "I didn't think anyone could have boobies as big as Gilda's, but the Dunmer's got her matched. And they make Gilda's look heavy."

"That's because Vicuña's amulet has a stronger enchantment than I could manage. Hers are just about weightless." Clark watched as she lifted Gilda's breasts, feeling the remaining weight.

"I'll make her a better one. My twins' twins deserve that!"

Gilda was delighted. She loved the floaty feeling she had already, and the prospect of more was very appealing. She followed the Dunmer back to an enchanting station, and Clark followed, too. He was intending to get some more enchanting training from Hamal, but he could learn something from watching Vicuña, as well.

"Wow, this is even better! What do you think, Clark?"

"I think at least one of you two should put hers away, before it's too much for me," Clark answered. Neither believed that was possible, but Gilda refastened her leathers. The straps seemed to be straining in a slightly different direction now.

"They're not the reason you came here, are they?" Vicuña asked. Clark told her about Rhiada and Betrid. "So one definite, and one maybe later? And she's pregnant right now? I'd prefer it if she started here as a book-keeper before she gives birth. If she likes that part of the job, it will be easier to persuade her to take on extra duties later. She won't feel under any pressure to do that while she's expecting, especially if everyone can see that."

Posted by: Acadian Nov 26 2014, 08:42 PM

Great teamwork again inside the mine. Gilda is showing more and more that she’s likely a mage at heart. I chuckled about Clark’s misgivings putting Lydia in an open faced helm.

And they’re all blood kin now!

Then back to Markarth. Guild work is never done as Clark does a bit of recruiting, then Vicuna lifts her twin’s twins.

Posted by: Grits Nov 27 2014, 07:56 PM

Last time: I really enjoyed the discussion about silver and the difference between the undead of Skyrim and Cyrodiil. Gilda is developing a nice skill set. I loved the image of Clark casting a Ward and Lydia shooting through it. Yay teamwork!

Karthwasten: With Lydia in an open helm now Clark will get to see her eyes rolling. What a great idea to recruit Betrid! I had forgotten about that bit of dialog in the game where she mentions her temple days. Vicuña’s twins’ twins, lol.

Posted by: ghastley Dec 3 2014, 04:15 PM

Acadian: Gilda's got to compensate for her ... archery limitations, so destruction magic is her ranged attack. She'll continue to prefer one-handed with a sneak bonus, though, when she gets the chance.

Grits: Gilda's going to be doing that again this time, with variations. Lydia being more audible has nothing at all to do with her being left behind on the next trip. Just coincidence, really!

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

Previously: Clark and company cleaned up their loose ends in Markarth.

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

Part 12 - Road to Riften

They returned to Whiterun to drop Lydia off, and Gilda and Clark headed towards Riften.

Clark hadn't heard from his daughter, Karliah, in ages, and he was beginning to get worried about her. She'd followed in her mother's footsteps, as one of Nocturnal's Nightingales, and the last he'd heard was heavily involved with one of the others, an Imperial called Gallus Desidenius. The third Nightingale was Mercer Frey, the current head of the Thieves Guild, which had its headquarters in Riften.

Gilda had shown promise with her stealth, and the two places you went to train that further were the Thieves Guild or the Dark Brotherhood. It wasn't a difficult choice between those. And if Gilda was going to become a successful merchant, she needed to know how thieves operate. If she did well, she might get some level of immunity, too.

The other attraction was the uniform. She knew she looked good in tight leather, and theirs would make the most of her assets. For the journey, however, she was wearing a merchant's dress, and looking just like the apprentice she was.

---

Their wagon was stopped by a bandit demanding a toll, outside Valtheim Towers. Clark got down from the wagon, and put himself between the bandit and the horse, while he argued with her. Gilda could see another bandit out on the bridge, so she moved the wagon into the shadow of the tower where it would be safe from archers.

The one on the ground saw her do it, and broke off her conversation with Clark to draw an axe. Clark sent a lightning bolt through her at close range, then cast his Ebonyflesh spell in case any more bandits came down. An arrow flew past him, fired from the top of the tower.

Gilda and Clark rushed into the base of the tower and ran up the stairs. "If we meet more archers, stay behind my ward, and use that Ice Spike to shoot back," Clark instructed.

They met another axe-wielder first, coming down the stairs. Clark blocked and Gilda thrust past him with her sword, before the man could react. One more down. Clark peeked through the window slit and saw an archer waiting on the bridge, with his bow half-drawn, and aiming at the door. He cast a strong ward and stepped through the door, with Gilda firing Ice Spikes past him. The archer went over the side of the bridge, but not before Clark had taken an arrow. They retreated into the tower as Clark removed it and healed the wound.

"We'd better clear this tower first, or we'll just get shot in the back trying to get over the bridge," he reasoned. "Didn't you say there was another archer at the top of this one?"

Gilda nodded and was first up the stairs towards the top. She was sneaking up, hoping to catch the archer unaware, as she usually preferred. She found him peering over the edge, wondering when they'd come out onto the bridge. She struck silently. If he hadn't already been dead, the fall would have killed him.

When they got back to the bridge level, two more were coming across looking for them. Neither carried bows, and the bridge was too narrow for them to dodge Gilda's Ice Spikes. But her magicka reserves ran out just as the lead one dropped. The other stepped over his body triumphantly, and ran towards her. Clark pulled her back into the tower where they could both engage the man with their swords. Lydia had taught her well, and as she dodged back, Clark struck the man's side. When he tried to retaliate, Clark stepped back, and the bandit's swing missed him. Gilda stepped forward and thrust her sword at his flank. He flailed at the two of them alternately, each time getting hit by the other.

"That's the way to do it," Clark smiled over the corpse. "If you find yourself in the opposite situation, just keep going after the same one, and don't let him recover. Especially if you have a shield facing the other one."

"I'm putting on some of their armour before we cross to the other tower," Gilda responded. "Close tactics are one thing, but they'll have the same advantage I just did while we're on the bridge."

"Except that you'll have your magicka back, and will be able to return fire." Clark handed her a restorative potion. "In case you run out again, drink this. Oh, and since they'll have room to dodge, use the lightning instead of the ice. It's faster, even if it doesn't hit so hard."

Clark went first, running across the bridge. He couldn't zig-zag, but he varied his speed so the archers couldn't predict where he'd be so easily. Gilda noted that, and copied when she followed, at one point stopping completely to make the archer try to duck a bolt of shock. She was pleasantly surprised when he failed to do so, and staggered back from the parapet. She didn't think she'd killed him, but he wouldn't have much left.

She found Clark just inside in a mages' duel. Both parties had their wards up, and spells weren't getting through. Gilda stepped around and used her sword instead. Scratch one mage.

She let Clark know about the archer at the top of the tower. "Better go up there next before he can heal."
They had to go out onto the ramp, and came under fire from someone on the rocks. But the ramp circled around the back of the tower and they were quickly out of reach of the arrows. The archer at the top got off his knees as they appeared, and drew a dagger. It didn't help him, as Gilda gave him another dose of shock before he got close.

"Just the one on the rocks?" Gilda asked. Clark hadn't seen any more than one, but he'd been more interested in getting behind the tower than in counting. He peeked over the edge of the parapet, and saw the archer still watching the ramp. "He knows we have to come down."

Gilda drank Clark's potion and cast a lightning bolt with both hands. "Now he can stop waiting."

---

The bandits didn't have a lot of gold stashed in the various chests around the towers. Presumably the tolls hadn't been making them much. A few restorative potions, and discarded weapons were the only other things they found. Since they had a wagon, they collected all the bandits' armour and weapons. Usually they'd be too heavy to be worth taking, but this time was different.

"Are there any more places like this between here and Riften?" Gilda asked. "If there are, I'll stay in armour."

"No, not until we reach Fort Greenwall, just before Riften. And I want to stop at Darkwater Crossing tonight. There's a small mining village there, and they welcome traders. We'll trade at Shor's Stone tomorrow as well, but that's not far from Riften, so we'll not need to stay the night there."

---

They reached Darkwater Crossing without further incident, unless you count wolves. They were always a nuisance, wherever you went in Skyrim, but not a real threat to a competent traveller. Gilda thought she heard a bear, too, but it didn't come onto the road, and they didn't stop to look for it.

After trading with the miners, mainly food and trinkets for ores and ingots, they put the boards across the wagon to make their bed for the night. "Before we turn in, come this way," Clark told Gilda, and led her north past the smelter.

Clark led her down a slight slope to a pool. "Feel the water," he said.

"Ooh! It's warm! I wasn't expecting that."

"The water here bubbles up out of the ground hot, not far from here, and the pools around the edge are just right for soaking in. You don't want to stay in too long, as there's a lot of dissolved minerals that will start to make your skin itch. But it's just the thing for a dip before bedtime."

They luxuriated in the warm waters for a while, floating easily on their backs. It seemed that the heavy mineral concentration in the water buoyed them up more than usual.

Clark wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a dragon fly over, heading toward the Throat of the World. There were rumbling sounds coming from that direction, too. Perhaps the Greybeards were practising their Shouts.

They were just climbing out and towelling off when Annekke and Verner walked down the slope. "Oh, it's you two," Annekke said. "If it was the other miners, I'd be worried that the water would be dirty. They'll all probably be here in a minute."

The two Nords stripped off and took Clark and Gilda's places in the pool.

"Mining must be good exercise," Gilda remarked, as she and Clark climbed into the back of the wagon and pulled the furs over themselves. "Verner's in excellent shape. And I know you were peeking at Annekke."

"We'll probably meet their daughter tomorrow in Shor's Stone. She's a miner there."

"Really? They have a grown daughter? I didn't think they were that old."

"Let's just say that Annekke may have been a bit adventurous when she was young, and wasn't very old when she had Sylgja. She'd still be happier as an adventurer than a miner, but when she found this place, it was too good an opportunity to miss. With Verner's family being mining folk, and Sylgja on the way, they settled. Since her daughter grew up and moved out, though, she's getting restless again."

---

Verner and Annekke gave them a letter to take to Sylgja, since they were going that way. "And ask her why she hasn't been to visit," Annekke added. "She's probably found herself a man, and forgotten her parents."

Gilda would have liked to forget hers, but she said nothing.

Posted by: Acadian Dec 3 2014, 08:28 PM

Clark and Gilda did a great job vs those toll-grubbing bandits. Super teamwork again.

I see that Gilda is now comfortably augmenting her magicks with blade and even considering armor (tight leather armor of course). I love how she dealt with Clark and the other mage locked in a ward vs spell standoff. Indeed, those wards make a fine target for a blade (or arrow).

This whole day of travel felt wonderfully familiar to what Buffy and I experience during a typical day. I was intrigued by Verner’s request regarding Sylgia so I looked things up on UESPwiki – and, how neat to discover a new quest! Given that we often stop and chat with folks at DW Crossing, I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t know of it before. Perhaps because we don’t visit with the folks in Shor’s Stone as much. As Clark says, it’s so close to Riften that there’s generally not much reason to stop there long enough to chat much.

Posted by: ghastley Dec 10 2014, 03:33 PM

Acadian: Gilda's preference is sneak & blade, but needs magicka for range, as she can't use a bow. But mostly, it's a case of fitting the offence to the enemy's weakness.

It was Sylgja's mention of being healed, but still unable to walk far, that prompted this part of the story. It fit well with Gilda's nose, and Clark's history. The fact that Riften has a face-sculptor is barely hinted at, but I'm assuming that's known. My take on magical healing is that you still need to understand anatomy to know what you're fixing, or you just treat symptoms, not causes. It also gives me another opportunity to link back to Clark's past in Cyrodiil.

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

Previously: Clark and Gilda had stopped off at Darkwater Crossing, and Verner and Annekke had asked them to take a letter to their daughter Sylgja at Shor's Stone.

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

Part 13 - Shor's Stone

At Shor's Stone,they found Sylgja and the other miners sitting around a table in front of one of the houses. It was about the time for an evening meal, so that wasn't too odd. But the conversation soon told them that the miners had been there all day.

"What's wrong with the mine?" Clark asked.

"Spiders, that's what! We went in there a couple of days ago and found the bottom of the mine infested with them. No idea where they got in, but they've been moving gradually up, and it won't be long before they're up in the village, attacking us!"

"Can't the guards deal with them?" Gilda asked.

Filnjar spat. "They're as useless as a fifth wheel on a wagon. Spend all their time looking for enemy soldiers out on the roads. It seems they're more worried about Riften than this place."

Gilda looked over at Clark. "How big do the spiders get around here? I've seen them as big as a wolf near the farm, but they don't go around in packs, so they're not bad."

"They vary," he replied. "I have seen them bigger than a bear, but those are rare. And if two that size meet each other, they'll fight. You just have to keep out of the way and finish off the victor while she's still weak."

"She?"

"The big ones are female. The smallest ones are male, and the middle sized ones could be either. All just as venomous, but the big ones bite harder."

"There aren't any cracks in the rock large enough for the giants, if that's any help," one of the miners offered.

Gilda and Clark headed for the wagon. They needed a few things if they were going to clear the mine. Potions to replenish magicka were the main ones; but they were out of those. Clark rummaged around and found a scroll. "I can use this to summon a flame atronach," he told Gilda. "Spiders hate flame, so use that in preference to your other spells. And keep your sword in the other hand, in case one gets close."

A couple of the spiders spat their venom as soon as Clark and Gilda entered the mine, but Clark already had a ward up, and it did little. While Gilda sprayed flames to keep the spiders back, Clark summoned the flame atronach to finish them. It headed down the spiral ramp, looking for more. They followed, listening to fireballs flying ahead of them. Then there was a pause, and a larger explosion signalled the end of the atronach.

"Let's hope it got most of them," Clark muttered, and readied a fireball spell of his own. He couldn't cast many of those, but they could hit a whole cluster of targets at once. "If there's one, you hit it with your flames; if there's more, then keep back and let me do it."

"There's one!" Gilda announced, and turned on the heat. Clark put up a ward briefly, as he saw the creature try and spit, but it collapsed before it could do so. He looked over the edge, and saw two more starting up the ramp.

"My turn!" he called, and sent a fireball down to meet them. "I don't have enough magicka for another, I shouldn't have used the ward."

"It doesn't look like you'll need it. I can't see anything else moving."

They crept carefully down, watching in all directions, including up. The bigger spiders were especially fond of hiding in a web above you, and dropping behind after you'd passed. But they really were all dead. There was a gap in the rocks where they'd probably come in. It was too small for them to crawl into, but enough for the spiders.

"Do you have a magicka potion?" Clark asked. "I'd like to send a fireball in there, just in case."

"No, you'll just have to be patient. Didn't you tell me that magicka regenerates faster if you relax?"

Clark waited for his fireball to recharge. He kept his sword ready in case anything emerged, but nothing did. Then he fired into the gap, and was gratified to hear the sound of falling rock as the small tunnel collapsed.

"I think we can tell Filnjar his spider problem is over."

---

"We almost forgot," Clark told Sylgja. "Your mother sent this. She was wondering why you hadn't been home to visit."

Sylgja took the letter. "I couldn't go anywhere for a time. I took a bad fall in the mine, and broke my leg, and there was nobody here that knew enough healing to fix it. I was fortunate that a priest of Mara came by and healed it, before it set crooked. It still feels sore, though, and I wouldn't want to walk all the way to Darkwater Crossing on it yet."

"I wrote a whole bunch of letters while I was laid up, though. If you're going back the same way could you take them?" She held up a satchel that was overflowing with letters.

"Why didn't you get a courier to take them?" Gilda wanted to know.

"The couriers may be able to find you when they have a delivery, but have you ever tried to find them?" Clark retorted. "You have to go to a city to send a courier, and Shor's Stone isn't a city yet. Even in a city, you can find the office, not the couriers themselves."

"I met one on the road once," he continued. "Since he wasn't looking for me, he ignored me and just kept walking. One job at a time, no exceptions."

Clark turned back to Sylgja. "We'll take the letters. It will give us an excuse for another dip in the hot springs. But I'm concerned about your leg. If it still hurts, it might not have been healed properly."

"Clark's a good healer," Gilda assured her. "He fixed my broken nose, even after it had set wrong."

Sylgja was convinced. "Come inside, and you can take a look at it. I'm not giving all the men a free show. I get enough attention with my clothes on."

Inside the house, Sylgja slipped her heavy mining pants down and stepped out of them. Clark sat on a low stool and ran his hands over both her thighs. "They feel the same, and I can't detect any trace of the break. If you still have any discomfort, it's probably not there."

"But that's where I feel it," Sylgja answered.

"Did you get any other injuries at the same time?" he persisted.

"Bruises all over, but they're gone now, too."

"Any on your back?"

"Yes, why?"

"Take your shirt off, I need to check your back, too."

Sylgja was hesitant, but did so. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, which accounted for her reluctance.

Clark managed to ignore the front view, even though Sylgja took after her mother, and turned her around to run his hands down her spine. Sylgja winced as he touched a couple of sore spots. One was low down, near her buttocks. "I think your bruises were deeper than you imagined. This should feel better." Clark sent a healing spell into the damaged tissues, that the priest had missed.

"How did you know to do that?" Sylgja wanted to know.

"Well, I read a lot, and I've been lucky enough to have access to the Mystic Archives, back at the Cyrodiil Arcane University. They had a lot of books there that you just can't find anywhere else, and an archive of research notes from the mage scholars. The College of Whispers and the Synod raided the Archives after the Mages Guild split up, so a lot of that material disappeared."

"But among what remained was material from Ulicetta gra-Kogg*. She was falsely expelled from the Guild at one point for suspected necromancy, and her notes locked away from general use. When she was reinstated, nobody thought to release it. I found it, and read it all. It appears that she was working on transplanting body parts from the recently dead to the living. She'd had problems with limbs attaching, but having no feeling, or being paralysed, and that had led her to research what made sensation and control work. I found it all fascinating, and it explained so much, such as why a spine is hollow."

"I don't have the magicka pool to be a full-time healer. I've invested more in health and stamina, because they're more useful to my lifestyle. What I do have is the skill and learning to make the most of my limited magicka. Some of it is obscure stuff like I just used."

"So that's why you needed fortifying potions to work on my nose?" Gilda asked.

"Yes, and it's why you won't see many healers that do face-sculpting, because the secrets have been lost, and it takes too much magicka. I'll tell you a story about that later."

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

*http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=4822&view=findpost&p=188116

Posted by: Acadian Dec 14 2014, 05:45 PM

This was a neat episode. I liked Clark’s insights into sexing the spiders based on size. I agree that fighting them with fire is fun.

I chuckled at Clark’s observation that the shirtless Sylgia took after her mother - and it wasn't just the outfit. Those miner outfits really make any woman look busty – Buffy almost fell forward onto her face when she tried one of them on.

Wow, Clark was very clever to figure out that Sylgia’s leg pain probably originated in her lower back.

I like how you touched on the fine line between restoration and necromancy. I does indeed seem that a serious healer would want to study the ‘restorative’ aspects of necromancing dead or damaged tissue back to vitality. I know that Grits has also had Abiene exploring those aspects of necromancy.

Posted by: Grits Dec 16 2014, 02:43 PM

Excellent teamwork at Valtheim Towers. I love the way Gilda ended the mages’ duel. That was fun to read.

I’ve really enjoyed the exploration of healing. There’s so much more to it than the game mechanics can show, and reading about it in stories makes the game world feel richer.

Clark’s intuition that Sylgja’s leg pain had its origin in a back injury was a little too real for Grits! Very well done! I grinned at the family resemblance. Most of my characters have been unable to carry off that miner’s outfit look.

Posted by: ghastley Dec 17 2014, 02:55 PM

Acadian: The mages' duel scene is standard Clark tactics. He'll keep them busy with futile attacks on him, while his partner finishes it. Gilda catches on fast, which is why she became his apprentice.

Yes, it was Abiene that started me down the road to comparing healing and necromancy. That, and building the back-story for Ulicetta, Mucianus Alias and Mariette Rielle in his Oblivion story. When I read Traven's Black Arts on Trial, I found myself agreeing with Ulicetta completely, and it was hard to believe that she was really a necromancer, so her story came out of those two components.

Grits: It's always been a problem to combine the instant full-spectrum healing of TES's magic with its apparent limitations (scars, blindness, etc.), so I've taken the approach that it depends on the knowledge of the caster. You can't heal what you don't know needs fixing. Sylgja was one of the loose ends the game leaves demanding resolution.

Swinging a pickaxe is clearly good for the pectoral muscles. I've noticed the same thing in Orc women who use big axes and hammers.

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

Previously: Clark and Gilda had cleared the spiders from the mine at Shor's Stone, and finished healing Sylgja. Now they've reached Riften.

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

Part 14 - Riften

"Later" was that night, in their room at the Bee and Barb in Riften. He told Gilda about the time Taminwe and Ocato gave him a new face. Gilda had enough trouble believing that Clark was really as old as he said. Lydia had told her that Clark was immortal, although she hadn't explained how, or why. That seemed possible, if you did a big favour for the right Divines or Daedric Princes. But now he was claiming that the Potentate of All Tamriel had been his personal physician?

"It wasn't like that. They had good reasons of their own for doing it, and it was their idea, not mine. Besides, Taminwe did all the face-changing, Ocato just helped out with the paralysis, because of the extra magicka it needed. They were both Altmer, so you can imagine what it took."

"And she made me look older, so I wasn't actually as old as I looked when becoming immortal stopped me aging. Yes, I'm older than I look, but not quite as much as it appears."

Gilda's head was starting to spin. "I'll probably regret asking, but tell me how the immortality thing happened."

"It was a joint decision by Azura and Nocturnal. They're sisters, as far as that applies to the Daedric Princes, with all the usual sibling rivalry balancing the closeness. When my good friend Minx became Guildmaster of the Cyrodiil Thieves Guild, Nocturnal summoned her to visit her realm of Evergloam for some tasks, and persuaded me to accompany her."

"I have an idea what it takes to persuade you," Gilda mused. "Are you saying that she..."

Clark nodded.

"I'm starting to feel inadequate. And you haven't got to Azura yet."

"Then I'd better stop, and reassure you, hadn't I?"

---

"So Nocturnal has a connection to the Thieves Guilds, right?" Gilda asked as they walked through Riften the next day.

"Yes, she usually recruits her Nightingales from their ranks. It seems that thieves are the best suited to the tasks she wants done. It's a matter of having the right skills."

"Is that why you want me to train with them? Because the skills are those that Nocturnal wants?"

"Not directly. Nocturnal recruited me, and I wasn't a guild member, and didn't have the sneaking and lock-picking skills. The ones I did have were useful for getting secrets a different way, by persuasion. I can teach you that part, but I can't teach the other. I've filled the gap with larcenous partners in the past, but I want you to be more of a well-rounded merchant."

"Yes, I know you like well-rounded. But do I really need to join the Thieves Guild to get training? You want me to be an honest, fair trader, don't you?"

"The Thieves Guild aren't the cut-throat rabble you probably think they are. They have rules, handed down from Nocturnal. They help the beggars, because they get information in return. And they're one path to becoming a Nightingale."

"Your daughter's one of those, isn't she?"

"Well she was the last time I saw her, which is quite a few years ago. Karliah was a member of the Guild here, but she disappeared a while ago, along with Gallus Desidenius, the Guildmaster at the time. Mercer Frey was the third Nightingale, and he took over as Guildmaster, and presumably still holds that position. If you can find out anything about Karliah, I'll be grateful."

Clark noticed Brynjolf at his stall in the marketplace, selling his Falmer-blood elixir. He took Gilda over and introduced her. She seemed to make a good impression, but there would still be a test before Gilda could join the Guild.

"Show me you can pick the lock on Madesi's strongbox, and put the ring you find in Brand-Shei's pocket. I'll provide the distraction, while you demonstrate your skills."

That seemed reasonable, and Gilda felt she had the ability to do that. The two traders weren't guild members, who'd be watchful for those tricks, and she half-expected her second test would be to put it back. She was rather surprised when a guard was summoned to arrest Brand-Shei.

Clark wasn't expecting that either. "You go with Brynjolf, and see what he wants next. I'm going to see what's going on with Brand-Shei."

---

Gilda walked into the bar at the Bee and Barb and joined Clark at his table. As Talen-Jei brought her a drink, she told Clark about her afternoon.

"First off, Brynjolf tells me to meet him down in the Ragged Flagon, at the back of the Ratway, and then leaves me to make my own way, while he goes in via the secret entrance I'm not allowed to use yet. That's apparently the next part of the test. I don't know if I was supposed to sneak past all the low-lifes who wanted to cut my throat, or deal with them permanently, but I ended up doing a bit of both. It's a real maze of tunnels down there, so I guess they were testing my navigation skills, too."

"And my next test is to collect loan repayments from some of the merchants. That's why Brand-Shei was the target today. He was late with his payment, and needed to be taught a lesson. I have to do the same for Haelga, Bersi Honey-Hand, ... and Keerava here."

"That matches the story I got about Brand-Shei. You don't have to get anyone else arrested," Clark pointed out. "Just persuade them to honour their debts. Reasonable people know what they owe."

"The way Brynjolf explained it, they don't feel like they do owe anything any more. Debts to the Thieves Guild don't count, aren't legal, or something." Gilda looked worried that she'd have to threaten them with violence, which just wasn't her way.

Talen-Jei was back at their table. Clark asked him if he knew that Keerava had borrowed from the Thieves Guild. He didn't, and looked alarmed; he didn't want any harm to happen to her. Clark didn't believe that the Guild would do her any harm, but Talen-Jei did. And it seemed that Keerava would, too. "Just tell her you know about her family in Morrowind," Talen-Jei told Gilda. "She'll be frightened, but at least she won't risk her own safety that way."

Clark shrugged. It wasn't a real threat, after all. He told Gilda to do that, if she thought it would be effective. She could make it seem like she was concerned for the family's well-being, too.

Gilda went up to the bar, to talk to the Argonian, and returned a couple of minutes later with a small purse of gold. "She paid, but I don't think she likes me."

"I have an idea how we can make it up to them," Clark offered. "Talen-Jei's been looking for some flawless amethysts to make an engagement ring. He wants to marry Keerava, and that's an important part of the rituals. I can get him the gems for that."

Gilda cheered up a little at that idea. But there were still Haelga and Bersi to deal with.

"Those can wait until tomorrow," Clark told her. "We'll think of something."

---

Clark had met Svana Far-Shield outside the Bunkhouse the previous day. She'd told him about her aunt's devotion to Dibella, and the shrine she had in her room. Clark wasn't sure if Svana was scandalised by Haelga's practice of the Dibellan arts, or the fact that she wasn't getting paid for it. He'd declined Svana's request to embarrass Haelga with proof of her promiscuity. Only three different men in a month sounded quite restrained to him, and he was sure Haelga felt the same.

Clark and Gilda went into the Bunkhouse to look around. Clark noticed a statue of Dibella, standing on a table in the corner. It was different from the ones he'd seen in Markarth, and he wondered if it had been made by the same people. He picked it up and looked for a maker's mark on the bottom.

"Be careful with that!" Haelga rushed over to make him put it down. Gilda noted her concern and asked her what she'd do if it got lost or damaged.

"I can't even think about that," the Nord replied. "That statue's really important to me."

"More important than paying back your loan?"

Haelga paled, adding two and two in her mind and getting worried. "Here's what I owe, now just leave."

---

Bersi Honey-hand had apparently heard that Gilda was collecting, and just paid up without any fuss. He looked very relieved to have done so. He was clearly concerned about something, but nobody had told Gilda what it was, and she really didn't care now. All that mattered was that she'd done what the Guild had asked her to do, and maybe now she'd be a full member, without anyone getting hurt.

Posted by: Acadian Dec 17 2014, 11:11 PM

I think the area around Riften is beautiful – PermaAutumn.

That was a nice review of Clark’s history with the Cyrodiil TG, Nocturnal, immortality and such.

All the Skyrim TG stuff is unknown territory for me, so it’s fun to see some of it courtesy of Clark and Gilda.


Nit: ’He'd declined Svana's request to embarass Haelga with proof of her promiscuity.’ - - I think embarrass is the correct spelling? My doubt is simply to allow for the possibility of a British spelling variant I am unfamiliar with.

Posted by: ghastley Dec 23 2014, 03:03 PM

Acadian: Unfortunately, you're only going to get brief overviews of the TG quests as Gilda reports back to Clark, without a lot of detail. He'll be doing a few of the other Riften ones, to establish a base there.

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

Previously: Clark and Gilda arrived in Riften, and Gilda did some minor tests to gain admission to the Thieves Guild. She wants training, and Clark wants to find his daughter, Karliah.

This part is a bit early because of the holidays.

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

Part 15 - Meeting Mjoll

When Gilda told Clark what they wanted her to do next, he knew something was wrong. The only beneficiary of that assignment would be Maven Black-Briar, whose Black-Briar Meadery stood in town, overlooking the docks. He told her to go along with their plans for now, while he asked around the market.

"Is that your http://ghastley.org/Skyrim/Clark/GildaRiften.jpg?" he asked. "I like the tight pants on you, but I think you're overdoing the top. Isn't it supposed to do up more than that?"

"It would if they'd had one in my size. This one's too tight, and some of the straps just don't reach. They tell me I'll get a better one after a couple more jobs, so not to worry for now."

"I'm not worrying, if you're not."

---

The woman in the banded iron armour, with the axe on her back, wasn't someone he knew as connected to the Thieves Guild, or the meadery, so he went over and started a conversation. Mjoll introduced Clark to her "saviour" Aerin, a young Nord who owned a property in town. To Clark's shrewd eye, Aerin appeared to be one of those minor sons of someone wealthy, who didn't have to work for a living. He wondered how these two were connected.

Mjoll told Clark how Aerin had found her wounded outside a Dwemer ruin, where she'd gone in search of treasure. He'd healed her wounds, and brought her back to Riften to convalesce. She'd found the city to be a cess-pit of corruption, and sworn herself to do what she could to clean it up.

Aerin didn't seem to be too concerned about the corruption, but he did seem genuinely worried that Mjoll might come to harm if she tried to oppose Maven Black-Briar. "She has the Thieves Guild in her back pocket, and undue influence with the Jarl. Much more than Mjoll can safely take on."

"Come on over to the Bee and Barb, and tell me more," Clark invited. "I'm sure you each have an entertaining tale for me."

Mjoll's story came out in a disjointed set of anecdotes that Clark had to piece back together. He could understand why she became an adventurer, not a bard, because she didn't seem to be able to keep more than a couple of sentences on the same subject. The only thing she could keep on track about was her sword, "Grimsever". She'd lost it in the Dwemer ruin where Aerin found her, and she felt helpless without it. Presumably it was the sword her mother taught her to swing. It certainly didn't have anything to do with hunting cliff-racers in Morrowind with her father. Seriously, who goes looking for those things?

They were all drinking heavily as they chatted. That seemed to be something all Nords did, and Clark had to admit the local mead was very repeatable. It might have accounted for Mjoll's incoherent tale, too, but Aerin told him she was always like that.

"I think it's the stress of nearly dying in that ruin. She won't be herself until she gets that sword back."

He went on to tell Clark his version of how he found her outside Mzinchaleft. Her armour had been ripped apart by the Dwemer constructs, and he could see that she was worth saving. His healing talents were meagre, but he did what he could at the scene, and brought her home with him. The priests at the Temple of Mara were able to do a better job, and she was quite recovered, apart from her pining for her sword.

"I hope she's rewarded you properly," Clark remarked.

"Quite vigorously, and often," the young man grinned. "But I wasn't expecting her to stay as long as she has. I'm quite worn out."

They told him what they knew of the Black-Briars. Maven the matriarch, running the whole town. Hemming, her son and deputy in all things shady, and his two children, Ingun the would-be alchemist and probably poisoner, and Sibbi, who was currently jailed for murder.

Clark was astonished at a custodial sentence for murder. Either you paid the family a blood-price, or became their servant, or you were executed. Jail was for thieves, debtors, and the like. Maven must have wanted Sibbi safely out of the way for a while, and would have him released when it suited her.

They also told him that Jarl Laila Law-Giver was totally ineffective, except for providing the Black-Briars cover. The guards did nothing to limit the Thieves Guild, which appeared to work for Maven. They could easily be bribed, although it was cheaper if you were a Guild member. Laila was nominally on the Stormcloak side of the Civil War, although it was common knowledge that one of her sons espoused the Imperial cause. Mostly, she stayed out of the way in Mistveil Keep, and let Maven run the city for her.

---

One thing Aerin and Mjoll hadn't covered was the skooma trade. It was clear to Clark that several of the dock-workers were using it, especially as one of them had told him as much. Wujeeta, an Argonian working at the fishery, had begged a healing potion from him to take away the withdrawal symptoms. He'd given her that, one that had a cure disease effect, too. Perhaps it would cure the addiction. He'd ask her tomorrow how she felt, and maybe get a clue as to where the skooma was coming from.

---

Gilda was back from her trip to Goldenglow Estate. She'd stolen the bill of sale from the safe in the house, but she wasn't happy about the vandalism of the beehives they'd had her do along the way. "Apart from the wasteful destruction, it meant more of a chance for the mercenary guards to detect me doing it. I ended up having to kill a couple of them."

"And I talked to Vex when I got back - she's the master lock-picking trainer - and she told me that she'd been there and failed to get in. I wish I'd known that before I went. Still, I got a burglary commission from her for the next time we're back in Whiterun. Which will be soon, as they want me to get my next job from some guy at the Honningbrew Meadery."

"OK, get Lydia to help out with that job, if you need her, but do the burglary on your own. She's no good at sneaking in that plate she insists on wearing."

"Aren't you coming?" Gilda wanted to know.

"No, I want to find out if the Black-Briars are connected to the skooma trade. They seem to be in control of everything here in Riften, just like the Silver-Bloods were in Markarth. And I still haven't found Karliah. Which probably means she doesn't want to be found."

---

Wujeeta pointed Clark at the warehouse as the source of her skooma. She'd never been inside it, always buying her skooma at the door, from a man called Sarthis Idren. Jarl Laila would have a key to the warehouse, of course, as the guards needed access to all the dockside premises.

Jarl Laila Law-Giver did have a key, and she was already aware of Sarthis Idren's skooma dealings. "But he's bribed enough guards that we can't get proof. Here, you try." She handed Clark the key.

This wasn't exactly what he wanted, but Clark took it anyway. He considered asking Mjoll for help, but he'd rather get her sword back before he did that. She didn't seem confident enough without it.

He visited the warehouse that night, hoping there would be nobody there. Of course there was, and he'd forgotten to cast invisibility. Sarthis fought viciously, knowing that he had no choice. It was a close call, and Clark had little strength when his body guard came up from the basement to see what all the noise was about.

However, he did have the magicka for a fireball. Clark was glad that the bodyguard wasn't another Dunmer, with resistance to fire.

Clark found several bottles of skooma, and a supply of raw moon sugar, in the basement, but no sign of any production equipment. They must be making the skooma somewhere else, and shipping it here, probably by boat. Then he discovered a note in a back room that confirmed it.

He took the note to the Jarl, who unsurprisingly asked Clark to deal with it. It was outside the city, so it was outside her jurisdiction. Or in other words, she couldn't be bothered.

Posted by: Acadian Dec 24 2014, 08:09 PM

No worries on the TG. After Oblivion, I ‘outgrew’ the need to do every questline. I do get the impression that the Sky TG is not as. . . light and whimsical as the OB TG. Mostly I was just letting you know that I won’t really have a framework of game reference regarding the TG – that has both pros and cons when reading fics I’ve found.

Wow, that’s some TG outfit Gilda’s almost wearing! I can imagine the young lady is grateful for the alteration assist she received not too long ago.

Yay for Mjoll! She and the Priests of Mara are about the only folks in Riften Buffy gets along with.
’He could understand why she became an adventurer, not a bard, because she didn't seem to be able to keep more than a couple of sentences on the same subject.‘ - - How true!

I don’t know this Jarl Laila well at all, but already she reminds me of Count Bravil.


Nit: ’He wonder how these two were connected.’ - - I'm sure that you meant 'wondered'.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 1 2015, 12:54 AM

Acadian: Laila's just lazy, she lets Maven run the town for her. If Maven becomes Jarl because of the Civil War, she's a much better match for Terentius.

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

Previously Clark had given Wujeeta, an Argonian worker at the fishery, a healing potion, and she'd given him a clue to the skooma trade in Riften. He'd gone to the Jarl, who'd asked him to do the dirty work of investigating. So while Gilda was away on guild business, he made a trip out of town.

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

Part 16 - Thaned again

Cragslane Cavern was an invisibility job, if ever there was one. But just to make it harder, the place was full of captive wolves, who could smell Clark, even if they couldn't see him. Fortunately, they were all caged, being used for pit-fighting contests that people would bet on. And nobody paid any attention to their agitation, except maybe to raise their bets.

The ringleader of the bandits running the place, however, detected Clark as soon as he entered the room at the back where he was making the skooma. With most of the others between him and the exit, Clark decided he needed a distraction. He pulled the lever that released the pit wolves, and mayhem began.

Clark resumed his invisibility, and dodged back into the crowd of gamblers. The wolves were biting at anyone they could, and the bandits were swinging wildly at an enemy they couldn't see. Only the boss bandit had any idea where Clark was, and there always seemed to be someone else in between them. After a couple of blows from his warhammer hit the wrong targets, he was fighting his own men.

All the action was now happening down in the pit area, with everybody fighting everybody else. Clark crept up to the entrance, overlooking the battle, and waited for it to thin a bit. He didn't expect it to be long before the boss bandit, the man he heard someone call "the butcher", had the chance to come looking for him again. When he did, he was severely weakened by all the fighting, and Clark was waiting with a fireball. He still needed his sword to finish the man off, but he was down to his knees at that point.

Clark had picked up a few wolf bites, and cuts from a gambler's dagger, so he stopped to heal himself before searching the cave.

There wasn't much, except for skooma and moon sugar, but he did find a copy of a book on lockpicking. "Gilda could use this," he thought, and put it in his backpack.

---

The Jarl was delighted with his success, especially as it hadn't needed any help from her guards. She rewarded Clark with the privilege of buying property in Riften, and the title of Thane was available if he did.

It appeared that his dealings with the merchants of the city had already brought him to her attention. The fire salts for Balimund, the gem materials for Madesi, the Ice Wraith teeth for Marise, had all helped trade, (and increased the tax base, or she wouldn't have cared). He put in a good word for Brand-Shei while he had the chance, and got him released from jail.

Clark wanted a base in Riften, so he talked to the steward. "Honeyside is available, if you have the coin. It has access to the docks, and its own garden. Quite a nice little property. And as Thane, you'll get a housecarl to guard it, too."

It was worth the 5500 septims he paid for it. She'd asked for 8000, but settled for less, as he didn't have any more gold on him, and he might have changed his mind. Clark could quickly raise more, as his wagon was still full of weapons and armor from Valtheim that he hadn't yet sold. Balimund had bought some, but couldn't afford to buy them all. He'd told Clark to come back the next day, when he'd have done some deals and got more cash. Bersi would probably buy some of it, too.

He looked in at the house, on his way to the wagon. A young Nord woman, dressed in the same basic steel armour Lydia had been wearing when they first met, was waiting inside. Standard housecarl uniform, he presumed.

"I'm Iona, your housecarl. Sworn to protect you and your property, carry your burdens, but not to sleep with you, unless I'm in the mood for it."

That was pretty much the same little speech that Lydia had given him, too. He'd bought the furnishings for Breezehome at the same time as the house, so she'd moved into a well-furnished place with a comfortable bed. That might have been what put Lydia in the mood right away.

"Then come and carry some burdens right now. I need to bring some things from my wagon to sell in the market. Then this place needs cleaning up, and refurnishing, before I move in."

"And don't worry too much about protecting me. I'd prefer not to have any pain, but it won't kill me. I'm immortal, so save your own skin first."

Of course, Iona wanted to know how he became immortal, but that explanation could wait. It was a long story, and they needed to get busy on the shopping, and housework.

---

Clark collapsed onto the bed. He and Iona had hauled weapons and armour from the wagon to Balimund's and Bersi's shops and gone to purchase furnishings at Mistveil Keep. They had tidied up the cellar, ready for adding the Alchemy and Enchanting facilities. Clark still needed more cash for those, but he'd cleaned out the merchants. They did have the essentials - bedroom, kitchen, garden, balcony. The last wasn't really essential, but it was relatively cheap, and it did add to the comfort.

Iona came and flopped exhaustedly onto the bed http://ghastley.org/Skyrim/Clark/IonaFlopped.jpg. She had her own bed, down in the basement, so this was probably an invitation. "Help me out of my armour, I don't think I have the strength left to do it all myself." Yes, definitely an invitation.

Clark had to be very careful not to call her Lydia. The similarities were so many between the two of them. Same fit body, same youthful enthusiasm. Lydia now knew a few things that Iona still had to learn, but this was just like putting the clock back a year.

---

The next morning there was a knock on the door, and Clark found Gilda standing outside.

"You've been busy while I was away," she accused, looking pointedly at Iona. "They told me you'd bought this place when I asked around the Ragged Flagon."

Of course the Thieves Guild would know everything. Clark hadn't looked for new shadowmarks by his door, but he knew they'd have already been updated.

"I assume you've been busy, too," he countered. "Tell me about it."

"After putting Honningbrew out of business for Maven," Gilda began. Clark's eyebrow went up, but he didn't interrupt. "They asked me to go to Solitude and talk to someone called Gulum-Ei. It appears that the Guild's activities have been closely entwined with Maven's for some time, and someone's trying to stop that. The Goldenglow and Honningbrew jobs were primarily to investigate the interference, and everything pointed to the Argonian. But it turned out that he was just acting as an agent. For your daughter, Karliah."

"Mercer Frey told me that she'd killed Gallus, and then disappeared. That she was apparently waging war on the Guild and had to be stopped. I just don't know what to believe any more."

"Let him think you believe him, and go along with whatever they decide. Just let me know what's happening before you take any action yourself," Clark replied.

"Then I'm telling you now. Mercer has asked me to meet him at Snow Veil Sanctum, up near Winterhold. He thinks Karliah may be hiding out there, and he wants to kill her."

"Do you need my help?" Iona asked.

"Gilda will have to go with Mercer on her own, but the two of us should be in the area in case we can do anything. We can't let Mercer know we're following, and I don't know how to contact Karliah. This one could get messy very easily."

---

Clark and Iona stood by the road, staring intently down towards the entrance to Snow Veil Sanctum. They'd seen Mercer and Gilda go inside a couple of hours ago, but nobody had emerged yet.

The ruin was just about as far as they could see, and flurries of snow had obscured their view a couple of times. It was possible that someone had left during those, but surely they'd have seen them as soon as it cleared.

"Is that someone coming out now?" Iona asked. Her younger eyes had detected something Clark's couldn't. But yes, that did look like someone, dragging something out of the ruin. They decided to go and investigate.

The someone turned out to be Karliah, and the something was Gilda's unconscious body.

"What happened?" Clark asked.

"I shot her, Father, to save her life. Now help me revive her. I have the andidote to the poison I used, but I could use some help healing her."

Karliah was talking in riddles, but Clark was sure she'd explain before too long. He cast a healing spell over the unconscious Gilda, as Kalrliah poured the contents of a small vial down her throat. Gilda coughed, and opened her eyes. "Did you just shoot me?" she asked Karliah.

"Yes, and it saved your life. It slowed your heart, and stopped you bleeding to death when Mercer stabbed you in the back. I was intending to use that poison on Mercer, to paralyze him, so I could capture him alive, but it didn't work out that way."

"So he got away? After all that?"

"We didn't see anyone else leave, but there were times we couldn't see properly. He may have slipped out then," Clark offered.

"That doesn't matter too much," returned Karliah. "He's played his hand now, trying to kill the two of us. Maybe this is the time to go back to the Thieves Guild and let them know the truth. Then we'll have a better basis for hunting him down."

"Do you have any tangible proof?" Clark asked. "It will still be your word, and that of a recent recruit, against the Guildmaster's."

"I think we do," Gilda said. "There's this journal I picked up. The cover says it belonged to Gallus, but I can't read anything written in it."

Karliah took a look. "I recognise Gallus' writing, but this is in a language I don't know. Enthir in Winterhold is a scholar of ancient writings. He's a member of the Guild, and he knew Gallus from before I met him. There's a chance this is in a language he knows."

Posted by: Acadian Jan 1 2015, 08:20 PM

I love how Clark cleared Cragslane Cavern – start a big fight, disappear, then take out the wounded survivor(s).

Thane of Riften, with a Honey of a House and a new housecarl to go with it! I see Clark is never one to waste time. . .
’Clark had to be very careful not to call her Lydia.’ - - I haven’t met Iona yet, but this definitely sounds like good advice.

"I assume you've been busy, too," he countered. "Tell me about it." - - Smooth as ever, Clark doesn’t miss a beat as he deftly deflects Gilda’s accusatory inquisitiveness.

Very interesting what happened in Snow Veil Sanctum with Karliah and Gilda. Glad they’re both okay.

So, it’s off to the College it seems. It makes perfect sense that Enthir there would likely have some sort of ties to the guild of thieves.


Nits:
I don’t want to quote a large block, but if you look at your fourth paragraph into the episode, it looks like you missed a paragraph break.

’She had her own bed, down in the basement, so this was probably a invitation.’ - - I expect you want ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ preceding invitation?

Posted by: Grits Jan 6 2015, 02:18 PM

Part 14 – Like Gilda and Clark I was also surprised when the guards came to arrest Brand-Shei in my game. That was the first hint that Skyrim’s TG questline was going to be a bit darker than Oblivion’s. Good job to Gilda on getting the payments without violence.

Part 15 – Wow, Gilda looks great in her too small TG outfit. I especially like her low-riding leather pants. I love Clark’s impressions of Aerin, Mjoll, and the Black-Briar clan. Clark’s view of Mjoll’s scattered chatter made me grin.

He went on to tell Clark his version of how he found her outside Mzinchaleft. Her armour had been ripped apart by the Dwemer constructs, and he could see that she was worth saving.

I wonder if Aerin reconsidered once she started talking. It sounds like she’s keeping him happy, though. Lol.

It sounds like Clark had a tough time in the warehouse. All of my previous relatively pacifist thieves sympathize!


Part 16 – It was worth the 5500 septims he paid for it. She'd asked for 8000, but settled for less, as he didn't have any more gold on him, and he might have changed his mind.

I love it! I don’t think I’ve ever tried that in a game.

Snow Veil Sanctum, yikes. Neat to see the outcome of that quest through Clark’s eyes.


ETA: I forgot to say, I love the illustrations!

Posted by: ghastley Jan 8 2015, 03:04 AM

Acadian: As we'll find out later, it's the housecarls that are in a hurry. Clark is just easily persuaded. Iona and Lydia have different shades of hair, but I think it's styled the same, and they are the same size, and start in identical gear. Since Jordis also has the same outfit, I assume it's the uniform they get at housecarl school.

Grits: The price of Honeyside is anything from 5000 to 8000, depending on how much you have. There's no way to haggle, if you have the full 8000, you pay it. So you give all but 5000 to your follower before talking to the steward. I think one of the other homes is priced like that, but most are fixed-price.

Clark is not going to get involved too much with Mjoll. Like Neloth, his ears are sensitive.

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

Previously: Clark became Thane of Riften and bought Honeyside. He and Iona, his new housecarl, then followed Gilda and Mercer Frey to Snow Veil Sanctum, where Mercer hoped to find (and kill) Karliah. He failed, but disappeared into the blizzard. Gilda had found Gallus' journal, and they've taken it into Winterhold to see if Enthir can help them translate it.

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

Part 17 - Gallus' Journal

Enthir met them in the Frozen Hearth. Neither Gilda nor Karliah were members of the College, so they weren't permitted into its grounds. "You've got a fair amount of skills in the magical arts, aren't you a member?" Gilda asked Clark.

"Not here." Clark replied. "I learned most of my spells in Cyrodiil."

"College or Synod?" Enthir queried.

"A bit of both. The local guildhalls weren't divided between them when I picked up most of mine. And I've learned most of my summoning spells from other sources."

Clark was glad he didn't have to explain all of those. He could only summon Aureals and Mazken in the Shivering Isles, and he suspected none of these folks had ever met one of those. Winged Twilights and Daedra Seducers were just as foreign. He'd summoned them in Tamriel before, but not here in Skyrim.

"Show Enthir the journal," Clark prompted, to change the subject.

"This looks like Ancient Falmer to me," the elf told them, after a quick perusal. "Not a language I know."

"So who does?" asked Karliah. "We need that journal translated, before I can show it to the Guild."

"The expert on this is Cancelmo, in Markarth, but you won't persuade him to do it. He'll be too busy with his excavations. He never was much for cooperation. Didn't want anybody else taking credit for his work, even if they did most of it."

"So what do we do?"

"Search his laboratory, see if he has a dictionary, or anything like that. I can probably make sense of this if I just know what the words mean. The elven languages do have similar sentence structures and grammar, even if the words are different."

---

When he entered the Markarth brothel, Clark was astounded to find Rhiada, in her final month of pregnancy, sitting naked at the desk. She stood up and strode, not waddled, across to greet him.

"Did Vicuña make you an amulet to take the weight off your feet?" he guessed.

"The amulet just supports my breasts," she replied. "The shoes are carrying junior for me. Separate enchantments makes more sense, as I'll need the amulet until he's weaned."

"And your clothes got too tight?"

"Actually, I do have a loose robe I could be wearing, but here in the brothel, nobody minds me being nude. Especially the men."

"And since she's a member of the Guild, they can pay her to pat her belly, and give her a squeeze." Vicuña told him.

"They do that?"

"Oh yes. It's considered lucky to pat an expectant mother's baby bulge, and make her baby feel welcome. The friendly squeeze makes Rhiada feel good, and a generous tip helps, too."

"So Rhiada's settled in nicely, how about Betrid?"

"To start with, she was difficult. She thought she was worth more than she was getting, being Temple-trained and all. And she tended to perform, rather than do what her client wanted. But then one of them got impatient with her and slapped her butt and told her exactly what she was going to do for him. Nobody had ever done that to her before, and she was shocked, but discovered that she liked it. Not too hard, of course, real pain would be against Guild rules. I've told all the men they can spank her if she misbehaves, and it will only cost a little extra to do that. So now she's making more gold, and everyone's happy."

Vicuña had a question for Clark. "Did you ever open that other brothel outside the walls? The one we negotiated over?"

"No, but I've made an offer for this place. Thongvor's not interested in commerce. He's not like his late brother, at all."

---

Gilda returned from Understone Keep late in the evening with a large piece of paper she'd used to take a charcoal rubbing from a stone in Cancelmo's laboratory. "I had to give Cancelmo's nephew Aicantar a rubbing to get this, if you know what I mean. I hope it was worth it."

"I hope you pointed him in our direction if he likes that sort of thing," Vicuña added. "He's not one of our regulars."

"I doubt he gets the chance to leave the keep," Gilda replied. "His uncle has him working full-time on the excavations, or examining the things they find. I bumped into him in the laboratory, taking a Dwemer spider apart. He was surprised to find me there, but quite helpful ... after I'd persuaded him a little."

"Oh, and I picked this up on the way out. Any idea what it is?" Gilda held up a bronze cube, that seemed to be made up of pieces that slid or turned in various ways. You could probably take it apart, if you moved the parts in the right directions, in the right order. Clark fiddled with it for a while, and handed it back.

"See if Delvin Mallory has any use for it," Karliah suggested. "He collectes oddities like that, and he might give you a decent price for it."

Gilda already knew that. She'd sold a bee sculpture she'd found at Goldenglow to him, and a couple more items from her other jobs.

---

They travelled back to Winterhold together and took rooms at the Frozen Hearth. They found a group of young mage apprentices carousing in the bar, clearly celebrating something, perhaps a birthday?

"No, better than that. They happen every year, and this was a once-in-a-lifetime event. We found a huge magical Orb in Saarthal, and they're calling it the Eye of Magnus. The Arch-mage thinks it's extremely important, perhaps the greatest magical find ever!" the Nord told him.

"It wasn't 'we' that found it," The Khajiit corrected him, "It was Brelyna. You and this one were collecting minor artifacts in the rest of the ruins, Onmund."

The young Dunmer looked embarrassed at being the center of attention, but she nodded assent to the Khajiit's version. "Thank you, J'zargo. I couldn't have done it without Tolfdir's help, of course."

Clark couldn't help thinking that if she didn't want attention, http://ghastley.org/Skyrim/Clark/FrozenHearth.jpg. Then he saw the dice on the table, and guessed what they'd been playing. He wondered which of the others could do telekinesis, and whether Brelyna knew that.

---

"It looks like the same text in Falmer and in Dwemer. Fortunately I know the latter, so it should be straightforward to match up the words. Give me a couple of hours, and I should have the Journal translated for you."

Enthir took the paper and the journal and sat at a table in the Frozen Hearth's basement.

He was working on the last page when he called Karliah over. "Does this make sense? I've never heard of a Twilight Sepulchre, so I'm not sure if I've got that part right."

"Let me see." she replied. "Oh, no! if this is what really happened, then Mercer has the Skeleton Key!"

Gilda looked puzzled, but Clark had heard of the Skeleton Key before. Dralsi, Minx and he had used it to open the Ebonmere, the portal between Evergloam and the Twilight Sepulchre, so that Nocturnal and the Nightingales could pass freely between the realms. If Mercer had taken the key, that would now be sealed, and Nocturnal would not be happy. The portal near her shrine outside Leyawiin had been closed long ago, and the Ebonmere had taken its place.

"If I were you, I'd check the vaults at the Guild. If Mercer turned on Nocturnal, he'd have done the same to the Guild." Clark didn't know that the Guild had any vaults, (he hadn't been there,) but it was a reasonable assumption.

"We need to get to Riften as fast as possible." Karliah told Gilda. "I'll see you at the Ragged Flagon. I need to get another horse along the way; Mercer killed mine."

Posted by: Acadian Jan 10 2015, 06:08 PM

What a fun episode, spanning much of Skyrim!

Wow, Vicuña’s mind never strays far from filling the brothel’s coffers.

How neat to see Enthir and the three amigo mage students! Poor naïve Brelyna was probably destined to fare poorly with strip poker. Actually, I think she was wise to surrender her robes before her hood - I've seen the poor thing's hairstyle without her hood.

Then back to more thiefy guildy stuff like skeleton keys and such.

Back to Riften next, is it? I’d kill that Mercer fellow for sure for killing Karliah’s horse!

Posted by: ghastley Jan 14 2015, 03:04 PM

Acadian: Vicuña's a high-ranking official of the Guild, so she tries to be mindful of their interests.

Brelyna's hairstyle will be seen and remarked on next time Clark meets her. She'll have to venture out of Winterhold to continue the College quest line, and their paths will cross again. Brelyna will also meet the Dragonborn, once I've tied in that part.

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

Previously: Enthir translated Gallus' journal, with the help of some text that Gilda obtained from Cancelmo's laboratory in Markarth. They met Brelyna, who'd discovered the Eye of Magnus in Saarthal, and then returned to Riften.

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

Part 18 - Riftweald Manor

Gilda came back to Honeyside, after she'd met with the Guild. "Karliah persuaded Brynjolf and Delvin to use their two keys to check the vaults, and they were empty, like you expected. Mercer couldn't have opened them alone, without the Skeleton Key, so that helped prove his guilt. And they believed me when I told them he'd tried to kill me. So we have the Guild behind us, but we don't know where Mercer went."

"Brynjolf wants me to break into Riftweald Manor. Mercer bought the place some time back, and now it looks like he used the Guild's funds to do it. He's got it sealed up tight, and guarded by some goon called Vald. There may be others inside, but we don't know for sure."

"We'll all go, just in case," Clark decided. That included Iona, but not Karliah, who had gone to try and contact Nocturnal. There was a shrine not too far from Riften that might let her do that.

Clark managed to persuade Vald that Mercer needed him in Markarth, and that they'd keep watch on the place in his stead. That only got them into the grounds, and the door at the back was just as locked and barred as the one at the front. "Do you have a bow?" Clark asked Iona. She nodded.

"Try and hit that mechanism up there under the balcony," Clark asked her. "I think it will release the ramp, and then we can try the door up there."

With a loud clatter, the ramp dropped, and they all ran up to the balcony. "I'm sure, if there's anyone in there, that they know we're coming. Be careful when I open the door."

Clark raised a ward before he did so, and they all stepped in after him. Iona still had her bow at the ready, and the first of the bandits inside was well-pierced before he could reach them. The second, however was close behind, and untouched by arrows. Gilda stepped forward and swung a dark blade at the man. The single blow dropped him, much to Clark and Iona's surprise.

"What's that enchanted with? And where did you get it?"

"Karliah gave it to me. She called it a Nightingale Blade, and it absorbs health and stamina, as well as being a pretty good sword. It looks like Ebony to me, but it has this special insignia on it, so it looks a bit different from a regular ebony sword."

"Do you know how to recharge an enchanted weapon?" Clark asked.

"With a soul gem? Yes, but I don't have many of those, and most are empty. How do you fill them?"

"You need a soul trap spell to do that. It's better to have it enchanted on the weapon, but only a real expert can put more than one enchantment on anything. If that blade has both absorb health and absorb stamina already, it was either enchanted by a powerful mage, or Nocturnal herself."

"Your sword has fire and soul trap together, doesn't it?" Gilda asked. "Did someone else enchant it for you?"

"No, actually there's a single enchantment that does both. I was lucky enough to find another weapon with it, and learned the enchantment from that. If you have a dagger, I could put it on that, and you'd have a way to capture souls, and it would still be a decent weapon."

Gilda wasn't sure. She preferred to use one hand for a blade and the other for spells, and to capture a soul would mean using a blade in each hand.

"But that's only when you need one," Iona pointed out. "If you find enough filled gems, you won't have to. I'd take it as a backup. You never run out of things until you need them."

"Good point, and a dagger's light enough to make little difference."

They continued into Riftweald Manor, looking for clues to where Mercer might have gone. They found nothing in the house, until Clark remarked. "Why aren't there any shelves in this cupboard?"

He felt around the back panel, until he suddenly triggered a hidden switch, and the back slid aside. There was a passage behind the cupboard, leading down to the cellar. Nothing was there, but the passage continued further, towards the temple next door, and the back entrance to the Guild.

"I suspect this passage will be trapped," Clark told the others. "Watch out for them, and any ways to turn them off."

"Pressure plate on the floor!" Iona pointed. They all skirted that without issues, but the floor ahead had a different kind. Iona had seen those before, too. "If you step on the wrong one, it will blast flames up at you," she told them.

"Mercer must have crossed this before" Gilda reasoned. "Look for the ones that are worn or dirty from footprints." Clark went first, partly from chivalry, and partly because he was immortal. He found the right path, and they followed.

The next trap was pendulum blades. Timed sprinting got them past those. Finally they reached a small room, with a desk and some shelves. Among the papers on the desk were some plans and a note. A bust of the Grey Fox stood at the back of the desk, next to a case containing a sword. The sword looked like a glass shortsword, but the blade was blue, and glowed slightly. Clark had seen it before.

"That's Chillrend," he told them. "I haven't seen that since the Champion of Cyrodiil showed it to me, a couple of centuries ago. It has a nasty frost enchantment, if I remember correctly."

He handed it to Iona. "I have fiery soul trap on my sword, Gilda has the Nightingale blade, so I think you need something better than your plain steel."

Iona's eyes widened. She'd never had a weapon like this before. "But what do I have to do to deserve this?"

"Just use it wisely," Clark replied. The way Gilda was looking at him, that's all he could have said.

Just around the next corner was a hole in the floor. Gilda dropped down to find herself in the Ratway. "Come on down, you don't have to go back past the traps this way," she told the others.

Gilda headed to the Ragged Flagon, and Clark and Iona went the other way, back to the canal entrance, and on to Honeyside.

---

"Gilda's taking her time, isn't she?" Iona remarked, and as if on cue, she stepped through the door.

"I need to go with Karliah and Brynjolf to petition Nocturnal for her help," she told them. "Karliah seems to think Brynjolf and I are good candidates to be Nightingales, to replace Gallus and Mercer. Mercer may not be dead, yet, but he's clearly no longer a Nightingale."

"What do you need us to do?" Iona asked.

"Nothing yet. I'll know more once we've spoken with Nocturnal. The Ebonmere may be closed, but Karliah thinks she can still reach Nocturnal through the shrine at Nightingale Hall."

"I need to go over to Mistveil Keep and arrange to have the Honeyside basement furnished," Clark added.

"Once we have Alchemy and Enchanting stations, I can show Iona how to use them, and make you that dagger I promised."

"I thought you'd wait to do that until we got back to Whiterun, but it makes sense to have the capability here as well. Does Lydia use the equipment in Breezehome?"

"She certainly makes her own health potions," Clark replied. "But we don't have our own enchanting lab there, remember?"

"Who's Lydia?" asked Iona.

"Clark's favourite bedmate, except for Vicuña, and the two of us." Gilda replied. "She's his housecarl in Whiterun. For all I know, he has one in each of the other cities, too. Maybe not Markarth; he has a whole brothel there."

"I'm only Thane here and in Whiterun," Clark clarified. "I've visited all the cities, and significant towns, of Skyrim, but those are the only places where I've had any significant business dealings. I've been avoiding Solitude and Windhelm because of the Civil War, and Falkreath, Winterhold, Morthal and Dawnstar don't have traders that deal in the same goods that I do."

"Belethor deals in Ivory, so I go to Whiterun a lot, and I came to Riften because of Karliah. I've dealt with the East Empire Company at the Solitude Docks, but rarely needed to go up into town."

Gilda had to leave, and go meet Karliah outside town. She didn't know where this Nightingale Hall was, so Karliah and Brynjolf were taking her there.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 14 2015, 09:27 PM

Sounds like Gilda’s rising fast in the guild of thieves.

Different characters collect different things, I guess. Leave it to you to introduce the concept of a housecarl collection.

Nice to see Chillrend again, and I enjoyed Clark’s thoughts on enchanting and soul catching and such.


Nit: "Karliah sems to think Brynjolf and I are good candidates to be Nightingales, to replace Gallus and Mercer.” - - ‘Seems’ is missing an ‘e’ in the first part of this sentence.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 14 2015, 10:11 PM

Oh, Clark's not trying to collect all the housecarls.

Just the female ones.

Posted by: Grits Jan 19 2015, 05:47 PM

What a great idea to give feather shoes to pregnant Rhiada. It must take a lot to surprise Clark with a sight inside a brothel, but she managed it!

I had the same thought as Acadian about Brelyna’s remaining attire – with her original hairstyle she definitely should keep the hood for last!

Excellent gift for Iona. I really like Skyrim’s Chillrend, but I rarely get to see it.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 22 2015, 03:03 PM

Acadian: Gilda's got to have a full-time job, because at the rate Clark's going to collect housecarls, he'll be too busy to devote enough time to her. Not that she'll let that stand in her way...

Grits: Iona needed a better weapon for a later chapter, so Chillrend will star then.

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

Previously: Clark became Thane of Riften, and bought Honeyside (with an Iona thrown in).

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

Part 19 - Honeyside

"It looks like we get a decent supply of ingredients thrown in with the furnishings," Clark remarked to Iona. "And some recipes, there on the table. I'll show you how the apparatus works, and you can try making some potions."

"What sort of potions should I be making?" she asked.

"Right now, any you can. You need practice, to gain experience, and making anything will help. Once your skill improves, you'll probably want potions that restore or fortify health, or let you carry more. A mage would want to fortify magicka, or magical skills, and an archer might make poisons for her arrows, but I'm guessing you're a sword and shield person."

"I can use a bow, but I'm not the sneaky sniper kind of archer," Iona replied. "And my only magical skills are some restoration, and enough destruction to light a fire."

Clark had heard the same from Lydia. Housecarls must all come from the same school.

He helped Iona with her choice of ingredients for her alchemy, as he already knew a lot of their effects. Since she wasn't wasting items on failed mixtures, she advanced quite quickly, and soon had a decent supply of useful potions. "We'll sell the ones you won't use to Elgrim's Elixirs, and re-stock the shelves with ingredients later. Before that, let me show you how the enchanter works, and make that dagger for Gilda."

Clark handed Iona a black robe that he'd taken from a bandit mage. "There's a cheap enchantment on this, that boosts magicka regeneration. You can learn that enchantment by taking the robes apart, and then use a filled soul gem to put it onto something else. Your skill will improve when you disenchant things, enchant new ones, or recharge a weapon using a soul gem. You can destroy weapons, to learn their enchantments, too, but the only one you have at the moment is Chillrend, and it wouldn't be a good idea to destroy that!"

"So are the enchantments for weapons different from the ones for armour and clothing?"

"Mostly," Clark replied. "The weapon ones will usually add damage, each time you strike with the weapon, and those get used up and need recharging. The ones you put on armour are fortifying ones that work continuously, and don't need feeding with soul gems. I prefer the latter, as I can't be bothered with soul-trapping and collecting gems."

Clark made Gilda's dagger, to show her how it worked. He knew that the fire element of the enchantment was fixed, and he could only vary the duration of the soul trap spell. Since he was putting it on a dagger, he considered a short duration to match the fast weapon, but he had second thoughts. "Gilda will probably switch to her other weapon after using this, so I'll give her enough time for the switch and a couple of swings of that." Finally, there was the choice of soul gem. A larger one would provide a larger number of charges, but since she'd be collecting them quickly with this, it wasn't an important factor. Clark made a reasonable guess at how often she'd use it.

"Now it's your turn," he told Iona. "Disenchant that robe I gave you, and then see what you can use the effect on."

"I can't put that effect on my old sword!" she complained. "Only on my armour."

Clark was expecting her to use a ring, or a necklace. It appeared that Iona didn't have either. She wasn't the type to decorate herself, and not knowing enchantments, jewels just weren't of any interest. He gave her a simple silver ring to use.

"You'll probably get better weapons and armour anyway. That ring should be useful to carry around, even after you find better ones," he suggested.

---


Gilda re-appeared that evening wearing a suit of dark armour that looked like tooled leather. Over it all was a cape, with a hood that incorporated a mask. The only way Clark could recognise Gilda, was the way the top buckles were straining to burst open.

"I take it that's the new Nightingale uniform?" Clark inquired. "It looks a bit tight on you."

Gilda nodded. Maybe she'd said something, too, but the mask muffled her voice.

Clark and Iona helped her out of the armour. Gilda took a deep breath, apparently her first since she squeezed herself into the cuirass. "It's nice armour, but nobody seems to make things to fit me," she complained. "I'll wear my Guild stuff instead. At least I can let out the straps on that."

"I'd keep the boots if I were you. These have a really good Muffle enchantment. And what have you got on the gauntlets?"

"Dual fortifications: lockpicking and one-handed. That's a bit better than the Guild ones, too."

"We didn't have this when Dralsi, Minx and I were Nightingales. I wonder if it's something Karliah developed?" Clark mused. "What do you use to improve it?"

"Void salts. If you can find them. They come from Storm Atronachs, and most of those you'll see are summoned, so you can't collect."

"I think we got some with the furnishings for this place. You didn't use them up, did you, Iona?"

"No, I didn't have any recipes that called for them, and I wasn't going to experiment using the expensive stuff," she replied. "Let me go down and see what we have."

She came back up with three bowls of void salts. "That will improve the boots and gauntlets, and leave one to spare. What does the hood do?" Clark asked Gilda.

"Fortify Illusion. I don't really make any use of Illusion spells, so there's probably no point in using it."

"Not even Invisibility?" Clark was astounded. That was one spell he thought indispensible.

"Not as a spell," Gilda replied. "I carry a potion or two for when I need it. Remember, I can get past most people just by sneaking. Plus, invisibility means your allies can't see you either, and Karliah's an archer."

Clark understood that point. Invisibility was for going in solo, or following someone, out of their line of fire. Gilda would likely be in the lead on her next mission. "Where are you going to look for Mercer?" he asked her.

"All evidence suggests that he's headed for Irkngthand, to get the Eyes of the Falmer. Since it's a Dwemer ruin, we expect automata and Falmer, and maybe bandits outside. A real mix of opponents, and we have to deal with Mercer at the end of it all."

"He'll have all the same enchantments on his gear, and most likely know invisibility and a few other Illusion spells. Do you know Detect Life?"

Gilda didn't. Clark checked his stocks, and the bookshelves in Honeyside, and couldn't find the spell tome for that. They'd have to see if Wylandriah had a copy in the morning.

---

Gilda, Brynjolf and Karliah set off for Irkngthand together. Clark was a bit happier now that they'd upgraded Gilda's equipment a bit, but still disappointed that he couldn't go with them. He made sure Brynjolf knew he was responsible for Clark's daughter and apprentice. "They'll more likely be looking after Brynjolf," Clark thought to himself. "I should stop worrying, and let them work this out themselves."

He left Iona to look after Honeyside, and keep watch on what Maven and her family were up to, while he went back to Whiterun. Now that Gilda had the Thieves Guild almost sorted out, it was time for him to find out more about the dragons appearing. The only place he knew that had any information on them was Whiterun.

---

"I don't think that was us," Clark told Lydia."I definitely felt the ground shaking. And that rumbling noise is still going on."

Lydia reluctantly put some armour on, and followed Clark outside. Several other townsfolk were out in the street, peering into the distant mists at the top of the Throat of the World. Something major was obviously going on up there, as they could see flashes of lightning, flames, and perhaps wings, although it was too far to be certain.

The sound of it all was undeniable. If that was really dragons fighting, they were using Shouts that carried all the way to Whiterun.

Then it all subsided, and they saw a black dragon flying north-east away from the mountain. There seemed to be another, that remained circling the peak, so presumably that one had driven the other off. The black one wouldn't be flying over Whiterun, so everyone relaxed, and went back inside as it disappeared from view.

Lydia dragged Clark back into Breezehome, too. He still had work to do.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 23 2015, 03:53 PM

’Clark had heard the same from Lydia. Housecarls must all come from the same school.’ - - I love it! When is your College for Housecarls mod coming out?

Gilda made quite the entrance wearing her mask and buckle-bursting Nightingale armor.

I like that you brought up the hazard of friendly fire using invisibility (or stealth in general). To address the brightly-lit bound bow that Buffy uses, we pretend that only allies can see the blue flaming glow – which helps avoid Buffy getting hit by friends. Foes however can’t see all the blue glowiness so the bow doesn’t give her away to them.

’They'd have to see if Wylandriah had a copy in the morning.’ - - Oh, she likely does, but the big question is would the absent-minded court mage know where she put it?

What a neat glimpse of the main quest as Clark and Lydia observe what seems to be a distant dragon battle near the throat of the world.


Nit: ’Invisilibity was for going in solo, or following someone, ...’ - - Just spelling of invisibility.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 28 2015, 02:50 PM

Acadian: I find Wylandriah knows where her stock of spellbooks is, because she's not using those. It's the things she uses that she's always putting down and forgetting.

And the main quest is getting closer still ...

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

Previously: Gilda had gone off to Irkgnthand, chasing Mercer Frey, with Brynjolf and Karliah. Clark had returned to Whiterun, from where he'd seen dragons fighting at the top of the Throat of the World.

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

Part 20 - Dragonsreach

The next morning Clark headed for Dragonsreach. He'd been meaning to talk to Farengar Secret-Fire, the court mage, about the dragons, and now was the perfect opportunity.

Half-way there, a guard came up to him and told him that Jarl Balgruuf wanted to see him. He was summoning all his Thanes to advise him on the latest dragon situation. So the heads of the Grey-Mane and Battle-Born clans would be there, too. Clark recalled that they rarely agreed on anything, so Jarl Balgruuf would be asking him to cast any deciding vote.

---

"Diablita?" There weren't many people you could confuse with the red-skinned, horned, tailed, and hooved woman talking to the Jarl. As far as Clark knew, she was the only example of her race, whatever that was.

"Clark? How are you still alive after all these years?"

Clark worried that now the Jarl would know how old he was, but it occurred to him that Balgruuf would have no idea how much time Diablita was talking about. He ignored her question and asked one of his own.

"What brought you to Skyrim? I thought you and Angeline had settled outside Chorrol."

"You know this woman?" Jarl Balgruuf interrupted.

"Oh, yes," Clark confirmed. "I knew her in Cyrodiil, before I came to Skyrim. Why has she come to your court today? Did you summon her?"

"No, she's the reason I brought all the rest of you here. She wants to use the old dragon trap on the balcony to catch a dragon. I don't see how we can take that risk while the Civil War is still going on. As soon as either side sees we're busy with the dragon, they'll make a move."

"Perhaps I can persuade the Greybeards to host a peace conference," Diablita suggested. "Both sides respect the Greybeards, and regard them as neutral."

"Aye, Dragonborn, they do. But do you have enough influence with the Greybeards? I know that they summoned you to High Hrothgar after you helped Irileth slay the dragon at the watchtower, but I know little of what's happened since."

Did the Jarl really call her Dragonborn? Clark decided he needed a long chat with Diablita, as soon as possible.

Balgruuf wanted the Thanes' opinions on her idea. Clark's vote was for, and he was surprised that it was unanimous. Perhaps everyone did believe in the Greybeards' ability to pull this off. Of course, she'd have to convince General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak as well.

Well, they were both men, and Diablita had everything she needed to make a good first impression. Clark remembered the first time he'd met her and her sister, as they climbed out of his basement back in the Imperial City Waterfront. She hadn't changed much in the two hundred years since. Her chains and piercings were gold now, and of finer workmanship, but they were still just about all she wore.

---

When the meeting broke up, Clark and Diablita left together. He needed to find out how she'd become the Dragonborn that everyone had been talking about, ... and everything else that had happened in the last couple of centuries.

"I came to Skyrim to learn mage armour spells," she told him. "You know I don't like covering myself up, and I got tired of trying to adapt regular armour to suit me. When I heard about the magical alternative, I wanted to give it a try."

"When I crossed the border, I got caught up in an Imperial ambush that captured Ulfric Stormcloak. I guess they thought I was part of his group, because they hauled us all off to Helgen to be executed. That all got interrupted by a dragon attacking the town, and some of us got away, including Ulfric, Tullius and his Thalmor advisor, and a Nord called Ralof, who took me down to Riverwood with him. He stayed there, while I came here to warn the Jarl."

"When a second dragon was spotted near the watchtower, the Jarl sent me out with Irileth. I was the only one who'd even seen a dragon before, apart from the guard from the watchtower, so it made sense."

"We killed the dragon, and that was as much the Nords' doing as mine. I absorbed some kind of power from it, and learned to use the Unrelenting Force shout. I'd found the first word on a wall in Bleak Falls Barrow, but I didn't know how to use it before."

"That's when one of the men told me I was Dragonborn. Apparently leaning Thu'ums is hard for normal people, and if you can just absorb them from dragons, it's special."

"So it has nothing to do with your horns, and looking a bit like one?" Clark asked.

"You haven't seen half of it," she responded, and cast a spell. Wings sprouted from her back. Leathery ones, that looked just like a dragons' wings.

"You couldn't do that before. Where did you get that from?"

"Nocturnal gave them to us." Diablita looked sad when she said that. "Angeline, my late half-sister, got some, too. We'd retrieved the Ring of Hircine for her, from a werewolf who was terrorising the Gold Coast, and she noticed me looking enviously at one of her Seducer Guards' wings. Or maybe Angeline doing the same. We agreed on a lot of things, after all."

"I wonder why Nocturnal didn't ask Minx and I to get the ring?" Clark asked.

"I think she said you were in Skyrim at the time. Something about a draugr in a cave, and Nightingales. It didn't make a lot of sense at the time, but then we didn't even know what draugr were back then."

"What happened to Angeline?" he asked.

"Died at a ripe old age, surrounded by her family. Our family, really, as it was always dubious who anybody's father was, so we shared. We settled at Weatherleah with the Jemane twins, and had our matching daughters. Born a few hours apart, just like their mothers. I have no idea which of the twins was Elys' father, and Angeline would have told you the same about her Emelie. Then Angeline had twin boys, who looked a lot like their fathers, except that their hair was as blond as their mother's."

"Since three of the four kids were hers, she tended to stay at home and look after them, while I went out adventuring on my own. And of course, she was a round-ear, and aging faster than I was. The Nords all call me an elf because of my pointed ears, and I seem to have their lifespan, too. I still don't know what I am, so Dragonborn is a good a term as any."

"Most of the children and grandchildren etc. were Angeline's, and there were a lot of twins in the mix. Elys and I were the odd ones out, even though we were always close to our respective siblings, the cousins and so on were more distant. I would take Elys with me on my dungeon-diving trips, and we'd be away from the farm for long periods."

"I think Elys went to High Rock some time before the war with the Aldmeri Dominion. I haven't heard from her in a long time. And Angeline's line are too numerous to track; they'd be all over the continent by now."

"Did you have your wings out when the dragon came to Helgen?" Clark asked. The thought had just struck him that the dragon might have seen them.

"Yes, I have to cast the spell again to retract them, and my hands were bound so I couldn't do that. And I wondered myself if that had anything to do with the dragon coming. But it seemed to be attacking everyone, and I wasn't getting any special attention, so I've discounted that idea."

"It might have got me extra attention from Ralof, but then so might a couple of other things. There was an Imperial soldier who wanted to help me escape, too, but I saw him guiding a child out of the town instead. I wonder where the kid ended up?"

They were almost at the door of Breezehome by this time, and Clark invited Diablita to stay. But she was intent on going to Solitude as quickly as possible. She had to persuade General Tullius to attend the peace conference. Once he'd agreed, she thought Ulfric would have no choice, or he'd be seen as the unreasonable one.

Clark wished her luck, and watched her leave through the main gate.

Posted by: Grits Jan 28 2015, 05:49 PM

That’s so handy, I had no idea that Honeyside came with three portions of void salts to upgrade the Nightingale gear. I guess Allek my Nightingale who lived there must not have been into Smithing.

It was really neat to see the uproar at the Throat of the World from down in Whiterun. Having the main quest in the background is lots of fun.

Oh my gosh, Diablita the Dragonborn, and she has wings!! This is just getting better and better. I loved hearing about her and Angeline’s family in the last couple of centuries.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 28 2015, 10:50 PM

And Diablita the Dragonborne enters the story!

Nice job of tying her past, Clark’s past and the Skyrim main storyline all together. And giving her wings! If she can shout and cast in flight, that’s got to be a massive equalizer when fighting dragons.


Nits:
- ’...but it occured to him that Balgruuf would have no idea how much time Diablita was talking about.’ - - Unless it’s a British spelling I’m unfamiliar with, I think you want occurred?
- ’I know that they summoned you to High Hrothgar after you help Irileth slay the dragon...’ - - Here, I’m sure you wanted ‘helped’ instead of ‘help’.
- ’I guess they though I was part of his group,...’ - - Thought vs though.
- ”Apparently leaning Thu'ums is hard for normal people, and if you can just aborb them from dragons, it's special." Learning vs leaning. Absorb vs aborb.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 28 2015, 11:01 PM

I thin I ned a keboard that doesn't drop charcters so much.

And a spell-chequer that understands homophones.

Posted by: Destri Melarg Jan 29 2015, 01:37 AM

Hey, back again and all caught up.

I agree that keeping the Skyrim main quest in the background is a great idea! It gives the story a richness that it might not have otherwise. I liked Diablita’s narrative of the game’s opening and I like the fact that she gave us some insight into Hadvar’s fate after she decided to follow Ralof. So he backtracked from the barracks door in order to spirit Haming out of the city, eh? That must have been fun with Alduin still flying about.

Posted by: ghastley Feb 4 2015, 03:36 PM

Grits:

Alchemy supplies in Honeyside are listed on http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Honeyside It also has two of the fire salts that Balimund wants, but it's the expensive way of getting those!

Yes, Diablita is the Dragon born, and we've already established that Gilda becomes TG master, and Brelyna is on her way to becoming Arch-Mage. Clark will only get slightly involved with each of the quest-lines, as is his custom. He'll meet Serana only after the Dawnguard quests are done (by someone else, of course). Diablita has to be the one to go to Solstheim, as that line of quests is only for the Dragonborn, but Clark will visit, with a friend or two, at various times, and get involved in (or just observe) some side-quests. I couldn't pass up an opportunity for Clark to meet Neloth, for example.

Diablita's wings resulted from downloading the http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/53271 mod to check it out for the Daedra Seducers in Nocturnal's realm. I'd seen them in Victoria's Screenshot thread, and she'd used the same horns I'd used for Diablita (although without any hooves or tail), so she tried them and liked them. They don't let the character fly, but do let them jump higher, and fall softer. There's another mod for flying, and the wings have animations to support it, but I didn't get that one. The spell to sprout or hide them is part of the mod. Hers are retextured to remove an excessive glow, and better match her "outfit".

Acadian:

Diablita's wings aren't strong enough to fly on her own, or she wouldn't need a ride from Ohdaviing (or Sarotaar, once she gets to Solstheim). The "sprout on demand" part is what made me think of the Daedra Seducers from Daggerfall (and Oblivion if you have Evergloam).

Destri:

When you leave Helgen with Ralof, you don't encounter Hadvar on the way, so he must have taken another route out. Since Haming turns up again in the shack of his grandfather Froki, we know he got out. Gunnar Stone-eye is never seen again, so I assume he didn't survive. Adding the two suggests that Hadvar went back for him after failing to find Tullius, who'd already fled.

Both Hadvar and Ralof have to escape Helgen, as they're with you during the CW quests, and you haven't chosen a side yet. The coin-toss put Diablita the Dragonborn with Ralof, although it was biased by Hadvar having the alternative story with Haming.

Having all the quest lines done by someone else is what Clark is all about. He was created in The Gweden Report as "the junior reporter from the Black Horse Courier" to detail the activities of the CoC in my Oblivion mods, and developed into Clark, Earl of Gweden, spy-master to Potentate Ocato. His name was bestowed by the folks here, and worked into the story.

Although he rarely got involved with any vanilla quests, he started to participate in some of my mods' quests along the way, especially the later ones for Nocturnal. His friend Minx had become the Guildmaster of the Cyrodiil Thieves Guild, with a little help from Clark, and she was a partner for some of them.

The mod with Diablita and her sister Angeline never got released, mainly because I wanted voice acting beyond what was possible, but everything they did happened in my game with Clark as the player-character.

Previously: Clark discovered that his old partner Diablita is the Dragonborn, when he met her at Dragonsreach - for the first time in two centuries. She's gone to persuade Tullius and Ulfric to come to a peace conference at High Hrothgar.

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

Part 21 - Dragonsreach Balcony

A couple of days later, Gilda arrived from Irkgnthand. She showed Clark a huge gem, one of the Eyes of the Falmer that Mercer Frey had been after. The other one had been sold to Delvin Mallory, but she'd kept this one for herself.

"I take it that Mercer Frey is dead?" Clark asked.

Gilda nodded. "And Karliah and Brynjolf survived. We all had a close call when the chamber flooded, but I found a passage at the top, and we all got out into a cave by the lake. Mercer was already dead at that point. I killed him myself, so I know it. I had to, as he'd made Brynjolf and Karliah fight each other with some spell he cast."

"We all went back to Riften afterward. Karliah wanted to give me her bow as a reward, but of course, I can't use it, so she's keeping it. They're considering making me Guildmaster, once I've done enough thieving jobs to qualify. What do you think, Clark? Should I do those, and take over the guild, or just stop now, and let someone else do it?"

"If Karliah and Brynjolf don't want the job, then it should be yours, if you want it," he told her. "Don't forget about Maven Black-Briar. The Thieves Guild needs a leader that will stand up to her."

"I had forgotten. I was thinking that Mercer Frey was the enemy we had to defeat, but he was just a symptom of the real disease. I have to take the Skeleton Key back to the Twilight Sepulchre in any case. I should speak to Nocturnal when I'm there, and get her advice, too."

---

Before Gilda returned from the Twilight Sepulchre, Clark was summoned again to Dragonsreach. Jarl Balgruuf had returned from the peace conference at High Hrothgar with the Dragonborn, and they were preparing to capture a dragon.

Clark hadn't noticed Balgruuf leaving Whiterun. That wasn't too surprising, as that might have been the cue for a siege. They'd have naturally kept it as secret as possible.

Diablita gave Clark the story. The imperial side had brought Elenwen as an observer, and Jarl Elisif the Fair, and Legate Rikke had accompanied General Tullius from Solitude. Ulfric had brought along Galmar Stone-Fist, Rikke's counterpart in his forces. Balgruuf of course was present as a neutral, and Delphine and Esbern of the Blades were also there as technical advisors on the dragon menace.

Clark was familiar with the Blades as the Imperial bodyguard at the end of the third era. He was aware that they'd taken over espionage after the Red Dragon Club spies had disbanded after Ocato's assassination. But he thought that the Thalmor had wiped them out at the start of the war.

"They're the last two remaining," Diablita told him. "We went to their old Skyrim headquarters at Sky Haven Temple and found it deserted. However, that's where we found Alduin's wall, the history of how he came to this time and place. It's what put us on the path to defeating him."

"The negotiations opened with a nasty confrontation over Elenwen's presence. She made the point that she was there only to make sure the peace treaty didn't conflict with the White Gold Concordat, and would otherwise not interfere. Ulfric's reaction to that was pure hatred of all elves, and having pointed ears myself, I let her stay. I think I was fair to Ulfric's side the rest of the time, but he didn't get off to a good start with me."

"Ulfric demanded control of Markarth, or he wasn't going to sign. We persuaded him to swap it for Winterhold, instead of just having it conceded. And Tullius got reparations for a Stormcloak massacre of civilians. That was an incident I hadn't heard about, and it just confirmed my dislike for Ulfric and the Stormcloaks."

"At that point, both sides were feeling that they'd got a bad deal, which probably proves it was fair, but it nearly stopped the agreement being signed. It wasn't until Esbern made a speech about his research on the dragons that everyone got back on track. He told us that if Alduin wasn't defeated, the whole world could end. That put the Civil War into a different light, and it was quickly agreed that the dragons were more important."

"I was feeling really pleased with the outcome at that point, but then Delphine spoiled it by demanding that I kill Paarthurnax."

"Who's that?" Clark wanted to know.

"He's the dragon who taught the Greybeards, and me, the Way of the Voice. How to use the Thu'um."

"I take it you're not going to do as she asked." Clark remarked.

"Of course not. I ignored her, and went over to talk to Elisif instead. She hadn't said much during the conference, and I was curious why Tullius had brought her. I know she's Jarl of Solitude, and the widow of the late High King Torygg, but she's really not part of Tullius' entourage. Back in Solitude, she lives at the Blue Palace, while Tullius occupies Castle Dour, and there isn't any traffic between them."

"She wasn't sure why he brought her either. She told me that she knew Tullius was only supporting her as Jarl because he wanted a puppet. A strong Jarl would have been replaced by an Imperial governor, and she didn't want that. So she'd acted like a distraught widow as long as she could, and was gradually establishing a new persona as someone who was still learning the job. She'd managed to pass most of the decision making to trusted advisors who were a little further from Tullius' reach, and continued to act like the blond bimbo Tullius expected."

"I told her that she might have revealed more of herself than she intended at the conference. She hadn't said much, but it was well-stated, and showed a greater understanding of the political situation than she might have liked. However, I don't think Ulfric or Tullius was paying any attention to her."

"Elisif told me her greatest asset was that she looked like the dumb blonde that was the Imperial stereotype of Nord women. She flaunts her breasts as much as she can get away with. Not as much as I do, of course; she still has to be the Jarl. Just enough to confirm Tullius' prejudices, and get her dismissed as harmless. And they do distract men's attention from what she's saying."

"I get the impression that she's lonely without Torygg. You should go visit Solitude, Clark. I think you could do some good there."

---

It seemed that Clark was going to be busy in the next few months. If Thongvor Silver-Blood had replaced Igmund as Jarl of Markarth, then the power shift there was going to need some attention. This peace treaty might just have undone everything the death of his brother had achieved. Doubtless the Thalmor presence in Understone Keep would have gone, but what of the other "foreigners"? Thongvor was a "Skyrim for the Nords" type, and the Orcs and the few other elves in the city might be having a hard time. Imperials, Redguards and Bretons, too, if they were too obvious about their race.

And if Diablita was pointing him in the direction of Solitude, he should follow up there too. He'd worked with her long enough to trust her judgement.

---

The business of the moment, though, was the dragon. Diablita had a name - Ohdaviing - that Esbern had found in his researches. The idea was to call it out as a challenge, to see if the dragon responded to his name.

"And what if he comes? How do you bring him down to the trap?"

Diablita told them all about the shout Dragonrend, that she'd learned at the Time Wound atop the Throat of the World. It was a shout powerful enough to bring down Alduin himself. She'd proved that the hard way, battling the elder dragon before he'd fled to Sovngarde.

Balgruuf grew alarmed at that. He'd watched, as they all had, as the lightning and flames had engulfed the top of the mountain. "That was mostly Alduin's doing, and he won't be here," Diablita assured him.

"However, while a lesser dragon than Alduin, Ohdaviing will certainly have his own flames or frost, so non-combatants should not be out on the balcony to watch."

"I think she means you," Balgruuf addressed Farengar, who'd being quietly sidling towards the stairs. The mage sheepishly returned to his quarters.

"Irileth, come with me. The rest of you, wait here." Balgruuf included Clark in that. He wanted all his Thanes safely in the main hall, in case anything went wrong.

---

The whole palace shook as the Dragon and Dragonborn shouted at each other. Then again, as the huge beast landed on the balcony. The rumble of the trap closing seemed peaceful by comparison.

Clark noticed Farengar rushing up the stairs towards the balcony, and decided to follow. If nothing else, he might keep the mage out of trouble.

Diablita was standing in front of the captured dragon, negotiating.

Clark tapped Farengar on the shoulder, startling him. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.

"I just wanted a sample of the beast's scales," he replied. "I may never get a chance like this again."

"The dragon may be trapped, but he's not muzzled. If he breathes fire over you, you certainly won't get any chances. Besides, you can buy some dragon scales from Belethor if you need them."

"Belethor? Where did he get them?"

"Irileth sold them to him. She got them from the dragon that was slain at the watch tower. Some bones, too, if I recall correctly."

Farengar face-palmed. Why hadn't he asked Irileth if there had been any more remains? He'd just assumed that the Dragonborn had absorbed the whole dragon. That was the way the guards had described it, and he hadn't thought to question the details.

The chains rattled above Clark's head, and he turned to see the great yoke being hauled back off the dragon. It seemed that Diablita had persuaded it to fly her to find Alduin. "Take me to Skuldhafn, then" she commanded.

Diablita blew Clark a kiss. "See you when I get back. I might have time for you then."

---

"Where's this Skuldhafn?" Clark asked Balgruuf as they watched Ohdaviing fly off with Diablita riding on his neck.

"I have no idea, but I heard the dragon say there was a portal to Sovngarde there, and it was the only path to reach Alduin. The only way to get there is to fly, and I gather those wings of hers wouldn't be strong enough for that."

"She tells me they're only useful to slow her when she falls, or to help jump across ravines. They don't have the strength for her to lift herself with them." Clark concurred.

Posted by: Acadian Feb 4 2015, 08:27 PM

Yay for Elisef! I knew there must be some reason that Buffy and I like her so much. Those innocuous-looking blondes can be full of surprises.

And Diablita Dragonborn is off, on the wings of a dragon, to fight Alduin!

Posted by: Grits Feb 6 2015, 03:03 PM

That scene with Odahviing on the balcony is one of my favorites in the game. I’ve imagined what it must look like to the Dragonborn’s follower who gets left behind. I loved seeing it through Clark’s eyes in your story.

Farengar’s antics had me grinning, especially his face-palm moment. How very like a mage.

Posted by: ghastley Feb 11 2015, 03:31 PM

Grits: Of course, I only get the option to tell it from Clark's viewpoint here, as that's the theme I've constrained myself to using. How much Diablita tells him later is her choice.
Farengar's desire for dragon scales is part of the regular game, but since most of my characters have sold some to Belethor, it made sense for Irileth to have done so, too.

Acadian: Elisif starts to shine in this one. The way she's portrayed in the game is exaggerated, and my take on it is that it's a deliberate ploy on her part to act dumb. That's easier for a blonde with cleavage, of course.

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

Previously: Diablita has flown off to Skulhavn on the back of a dragon, but before she left, she suggested that Clark should go to Solitude.

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

Part 22 - Solitude

After a couple of days of waiting in Whiterun for Diablita to return, Clark set out for Solitude with Gilda. Although his main intention was to investigate Elisif, Gilda had a Thieves Guild commission there, and she was an excellent distraction.

"We'll go to the Blue Palace to buy a spell tome from Sybille Stentor," Clark told Gilda. "That will give us a chance to look around a little, and maybe find an opportunity for something else."

"Theft, or what?"

"Anything that gives us greater access to the court. If any of the major players, especially the Jarl, has any work for us, that would be perfect. Otherwise, we play it by ear."

---

They arrived late in the evening, and took a room at the Winking Skeever. Gilda, in her tight leathers, got more than a few glances from the men. Then they'd look at Clark, and wonder what he'd got that they hadn't. The women would look at Gilda, know what she'd got that they hadn't, and then wonder about Clark.

They spent most of the following morning wandering around the market. Then it was time to head for the palace.

As they entered the audience room, and climbed the stairs, they could hear someone http://ghastley.org/Skyrim/Clark/Petition.jpg There were strange noises coming from Wolfskull Cave, and lights in the night. The petitioner was from Dragon Bridge, some way from the cave, but he was clearly disturbed by the phenomena.

Elisif was earnestly listening to the man, while glancing at her advisors for clues to their reactions. Her proposal at the end of his pitch caught Clark by surprise.

"We will immediately send a legion to scour the cave and secure your town. Haafingar's people will always be safe under my rule."

Sybille and Falk talked her down to a lesser course of action, of just sending an extra guard or two to Dragon's Bridge. Somebody would take care of the cave, too.

Clark saw his chance and suggested that he and Gilda should go and take a look. Varnius Janius left, happy that the matter was in safe hands.

"You didn't have to volunteer, you know," Falk told them. "The Jarl and I have this routine well-oiled now. She promises the moons, and I bring her down to Nirn again. Everyone loves her for it, because they think she means everything she says. And what they actually get is quite enough to satisfy them."

"Well, we're looking for an excuse to explore the area, so this is no problem for us. And you never know; there just might be something behind that tale of his."

Falk doubted it. That cave had a tradition of being haunted for as long as he could remember, and there was no reason to believe something new was happening.

"But don't let me stop you going there. The caves that everyone avoids are the ones that still hold their treasure, aren't they?"

Gilda whispered in Clark's ear as they left the palace. "I think Falk Fire-Beard and Thane Bryling have something going on. Did you see the way they look at each other?"

"No, I was watching Elisif." Gilda elbowed him in the ribs. "And not just her cleavage. She's quite an actress, and she's playing for high stakes, here."

"What do you mean?"

Clark explained what Diablita had told him. Elisif had to appear weak as a Jarl, so that Tullius wouldn't have her replaced. At the same time, she had to do the job as well as she could. Hence the coded interplay between her and Falk. She'd just told him that she thought something needed to be done about Wolfskull Cave, and probably how much. Falk had scaled it down appropriately, but not changed the basic decision to send more guards to Dragon Bridge, and investigate the cave.

---

The presence of two skeletons guarding the entrance to the cave was evidence that this wasn't a wild goose chase. Something had to have animated those two, and recently, as that kind of magic fades quickly. That something was most likely still in the cave.

"Skeletons usually indicate necromancers," Clark thought. "I wonder how long before we meet one."

As they might have expected, the novice whose job it was to keep the guard in place was stationed not far into the cave. And further in were more experienced colleagues who'd re-animated draugr to assist them. Finally, they came to what appeared to be a dead end. The chamber had a pit in the floor, but the only other exit was back the way they'd come.

Clark peered down. "I don't see any way to climb back up. But this can't be all there is. We didn't pass anything of interest, and there didn't appear to be any accommodations for the necromancers. I can't believe that they come here every day from somewhere else."

Gilda shrugged. "So we go down, and hope there's another exit. That looks like a paved floor down there."

"That's true. And since there isn't one up here, it didn't just fall there."

It wasn't far to drop, and when they landed, they could hear something up one of the tunnels. "It sounds like chanting," Gilda said. "Come on!" She set off down the tunnel with Clark close behind her.

They emerged on a ledge overlooking a cavern. Blue lights were swirling around a tower in the centre, and the sound of chanting they'd heard was coming from the top. "There must be a side-passage back there that leads down, and we missed it." Clark guessed.

Gilda shushed him and pointed. A faint glow was coming from somewhere just behind them. It outlined an opening in the passage wall that they hadn't seen before. The glow was getting brighter, as they watched.

Gilda guessed that someone was approaching, carrying a torch. She crept towards the light, readying a flame spell. An ice spike came back in response, but an explosion of fire ended it. Clark looked down at the pool of burning oil the necromancer had stepped into. "Nice timing," he told Gilda.

"However, I'm sure the others will have heard that, so..." Clark cast Ebonyflesh and readied a ward, too. His other hand held his fiery soul trap sword.

"We summon Potema." The chanting was now close enough for them to hear the words. But it wasn't coming from the draugr that faced them, or the necromancer behind him. As they fought their way around the spiral of stairs and ramps leading up the tower, they could hear another voice being added to the ritual.

"Yes, yes! Return me to this realm!"

"As our voices summon you, the blood of the innocent binds you."

"Summoned by words, bound by blood" The last chanted in unison by several voices.

"What are you doing? You fools! You cannot bind me!"

"Summoned by words, bound by blood" The chorus came again from the necromancers.

"You don't have the power!" Potema's voice mocked.

"Something is wrong. There is an intruder" a single voice interrupted, presumably one of the necromancers near the top had spotted them.

The chanting stopped, and several necromancers came down the stairs, firing spells in their direction. Clark had his ward up, in anticipation, and blocked most of it. Gilda hacked past the ward with her blade, and one by one the necromancers died.

At the very top, one lone necromancer stood trying to continue the ritual. Once she was dead the blue lights stopped swirling, and disappeared through a hole in the roof, and an eerie silence fell. Clark searched around, and found a book, which he handed to Gilda. "Read this. I think I recognise it as a skill book you'd find useful."

Gilda meanwhile had found a lever, that dropped a drawbridge to another tower, set against the side of the cave. There was a chest on the top, with a decent amount of loot, but more important, it lead to a path out of the cave.

---

Back at the Blue Palace, Falk asked what wild animals they'd found. He was convinced that Varnius had just heard wolves howling or something equally innocuous. When Clark told him about the necromancers' ritual, his jaw dropped.

"You stopped them, didn't you? Don't tell me they brought Potema back to life!"

"We stopped them," Gilda replied. "Assuming that was all of them."

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

Edited to add a picture of Elisif's cleavage. Because in the unmodded game she's not showing any.

Posted by: Acadian Feb 11 2015, 09:36 PM

"You didn't have to volunteer, you know," Falk told them. "The Jarl and I have this routine well-oiled now. She promises the moons, and I bring her down to Nirn again. Everyone loves her for it, because they think she means everything she says. And what they actually get is quite enough to satisfy them." - - Wonderfully done, ghastley! This one statement really supports that theory about Elisef. Not only that, by referencing multiple moons and Nirn, your familiar metaphor fit right into TES. You continue to do good service to one of my favorite NPCs.

I love the Potema quest at Wolfskull Cave. It was great to hear how Clark and Gilda cleared the place.

If Clark's not careful, he's gonna end up getting thaned again and find himself with yet another beautiful housecarl - and a blond one at that!

Posted by: ghastley Feb 18 2015, 02:56 PM

Acadian: Clark's already admitted that he's collecting housecarls, but only the female ones. Of course, that shouldn't be read as implying that he's restricting himself to housecarls, either.

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

Previously: Clark and Gilda had investigated Wolfskull cave and interrupted an attempt to resurrect Potema.

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

Part 23 - Solitude Docks and Temple

"I need a drink after that," Clark said to Gilda, "and one of the unique drinks that Solitude has to offer is Evette San's spiced wine. Have you tried it yet?"

"It's not one of those sneaky drinks that doesn't seem very strong, but then you wake up in a strange bed realising it was, is it?"

"No it isn't any stronger than regular wine, just tastier. If anything you drink it more slowly, because you want to savour it."

"Then let's get some!"

Evette had a problem. "Sorry, I just sold the last of what I had, and I can't make any more until I get the spices. There's a shipment come in, down at the East Empire Company warehouse, but Vittoria Vici's not releasing it. You couldn't go down there and persuade her to change her mind, could you?"

"If that's the only way we'll get any spiced wine, we'll do that." Clark promised."Will she be down at the docks, or at her house in town?"

"Down at the docks at this time of day. And you'll need to see her there, because that's where she'll book it out."

"This way, Gilda, there's a back way down the stairs here to the other side of the dock bridge. It's a bit shorter than the other route, so if she does leave work early, we'll meet her coming the other way."

---

"The tarrif is how much?" Clark asked.

"I just told you, 2000 gold."

"But that's more than the shipment's worth, and a lot more than Evette can afford. She can barely afford her stand in the market."

"Well I do like her spiced wine, and if she's run out of the spices ..." Vittoria was caught between her greed and her taste for good wine. "Fine, tell Evette San her shipment will be brought up shortly."

---

They took the good news back up to Evette, who handed them a couple of glasses. "I thought you said you'd run out," Clark reminded her.

"Of bottles, I have, but there's a small cask under the counter that has some left in it. We'll finish that off, and then I'll go home and start processing another batch. Come by tomorrow and pick up a couple of bottles."

There was quite a bit in that cask, and the sun was getting low when a courier approached them. "I have a note from Falk Firebeard, at the Blue Palace. He said it was important that I get this to you, even if you'd left town."

Clark read the note. It appeared that the events in Wolfskull Cave hadn't been the end of the matter, and something else had come up. Falk would prefer to tell them in person, so could they come back to the Palace?

Falk sent them to Styr, at the Hall of the Dead, for more information. It appeared that Potema hadn't disappeared entirely after the abortive summoning, but had resurfaced in the catacombs beneath the Temple of the Divines.

Styr told them that she'd used those catacombs when she was Queen of Solitude, and had raised armies of undead there in her lifetime. "Did you know that if she were alive today, she'd probably be the Empress? She's one of the legitimate Septim line, with a much better claim than the incumbent. Fortunately, though, she's not alive, at least not yet. Her necromancer minions may have summoned her spirit, but that's well short of a full resurrection. You still have the chance to prevent that. Bring me her remains from the catacombs, and I can make sure they're sanctified and thus put out of her reach."

"How do we get to these catacombs?" Gilda asked.

"Through the Temple. One of Potema's servants knocked a hole through into the undercroft. We've locked that part off, to keep her at bay, so you'll need this key. And take this spell, too."

Styr handed Gilda a spell tome for Turn Undead.

---

"I expect we won't be finding more necromancers down here. They wouldn't be able to get into the catacombs. It will be draugr, vampires, and the odd skeleton or two. All raised by Potema herself. She may have some ability to use magic against us directly. We won't know until we get closer to where she was buried."

Clark used the key he'd been given to open the gate that lead to the breach in the undercroft wall. The pile of rubble still lay on the floor, and he was half-expecting to find the corpses of those who'd made the hole. But on reflection, they were dealing with Potema. She'd reuse those who fell.

"I don't know how long she has to wait before she can raise a draugr again," he remarked to Gilda, "If she has the same limitations as the other necromancers, a fresh body will fall into ashes if it's killed again after being raised. And she doesn't have access to live ones here."

"So we should only have to kill anything once?"

"I'm never sure with vampires. I think they can be re-animated, even though they're undead. Twice at most, though."

"Then let's hope she doesn't have a large supply of vampires."

Potema's voice greeted them at the entrance to the catacombs. "You've arrived at last. The ones who prevented me from being bound return to my fold. I have much to thank you for, little ones. When you die I will raise you and you can take your place by my side."

They ignored the voice and pressed on. The first draugr was waiting just around the corner, and a vampire was lurking at the foot of the stairs in the first room. "Wait a moment, I want to see if Potema raises her." Clark didn't want any enemies behind them.

To play safe, he set light to the pool of oil on the floor, and watched the body burn up.

They ground their way slowly through the catacombs, slaying mainly draugr. That seemed to be what Potema had in the greatest quantities, and even those were thinly distributed along the tunnels. Presumably, she'd used a lot of her supply in her earlier life. One small consolation for them in their tedious progress.

Potema took every chance to taunt them, when she had any concentration of foes to throw at them. At one point, she raised several draugr and a vampire in a small cell, with closed doors. Fortunately, that took her some time to do, and they were able to attack each one as it raised.

"If she'd done that before we got here, they'd have been more of a problem," Gilda remarked.

"Not so," Clark returned. "They'd have been vulnerable to a fireball from outside. Potema had to wait until we were in the room, too."

"She's probably learned from this. I'd expect she'll have the strongest gather round her at the end."

"You didn't have to say that out loud," Clark reminded her.

Gilda whispered in Clark's ear that she was trying to set up the best situation for that fireball. She knew he couldn't throw many before he ran out of magicka.

---

"This must be the last section, and if I'm not mistaken, we'll find Potema and her guards behind that door." Clark pointed at a solid iron door that seemed more substantial than the others they'd passed through. "Whoever put her behind that meant her to stay put."

He glanced over at Gilda, and gasped. "What happened to your jacket?" Gilda was always threatening to burst out of it, but now she had.

"A buckle let go during that last skirmish. The leather's improved up to the point where it will turn a Deadric blade, but it looks like I neglected the fittings."

"That's not the best timing. You don't want to be vulnerable now."

"I don't think it makes much difference," Gilda replied. "It's not the leather that protects me, so much as the magic of the forge. Armour always has gaps, and it's magic that fills them. You're not using armour at all, are you?"

"No, but the spells I use don't work if I wear any armour."

"This is probably a different kind of magic. I don't think most smiths even think of it that way. They just do the work they've learned, and the armour gets more effective. But consider the facts. Dwarven armour is made from softer metal than steel, but it protects more. That's because it's more magicka-friendly than steel. And look at the materials you use for the really high-end stuff. Daedra hearts, void salts, and so on. Stahlrim and dragon scales are almost pure magicka, if you think about it."

"Yes, I've added a bit more leather when I've improved mine, but sometimes I've removed some, and it's still been an upgrade. It's all in the working of the material, and I'm convinced it's the same as casting a spell."

"Well, if draugr get distracted by that sort of thing, we have one big advantage," Clark noted.

"Count again," Gilda laughed.

Posted by: Acadian Feb 18 2015, 04:46 PM

I don’t mention it that often, but I do appreciate writers (like you) who precede a new episode with a tiny summary of ‘In our last episode. . . .’

As much as I like reading Clark’s adventures when he’s engaged in unfamiliar territory (like thieves guild stuff), I think maybe I enjoy reading about familiar quests even more. I'm always fascinated by how other players and their characters approach the same situations that Buffy and I know well. All the Solitude stuff Clark and Gilda are doing fit into this category,

I appreciated Clark and Gilda’s concern about the threat posed by leaving dead bodies behind them in the lairs of those who can resurrect them. Although Buffy doesn’t resurrect the undead to fight for her, she does have the ability to raise them momentarily – just long enough to ‘spoil’ their corpses into ash to prevent use by others against her.

I had to smile at Clark and Gilda’s discussion of how ‘less is more’ when it comes to armor and how a daedric bikini trumps full steel plate.

Oh noes, a wardrobe malfunction! Leave it to Clark and Gilda to ferret out a possible of advantage of Gilda Unbound -
"Well, if draugr get distracted by that sort of thing, we have one big advantage," Clark noted.
"Count again," Gilda laughed.’

Posted by: ghastley Feb 25 2015, 03:30 PM

Acadian: It should be obvious where this is all headed, (no Jordis ... yet) but reminding myself how far it got is just as important for me. The bit I'm writing and the bit I'm posting are getting further apart.

Daedric bikinis aren't going to appear, as they're self-contradictory. Using Daedric material implies that the substance matters most, so you'd use as much as you can. Wearing a bikini as armour indicates trust in the enchantment, rather than the material, so you'd use something more comfortable. Gilda wears nice supple leather. She likes the fortify carry on the Thieves Guild cuirass, even if she can't get the right size. The housecarls don't do magic, so they wear full heavy armour.

Diablita does the magic armour only thing, because she couldn't get physical armour that fits her. Some of it is Gilda's problem, and some is the hooves. Swinging a big sword keeps everyone out of range, too.

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

Previously: Clark and Gilda had entered Potema's catacombs to investigate new activity there. It appeared that necromancers had succeeded in raising her spirit, but hadn't yet brought her back to life. Gilda had experienced a wardrobe malfunction, but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

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

Part 24 - Potema's Tomb

A ghostly shape was floating in the center of the chamber, up near the roof. It was hard to see what it was, as lightning was crackling around it, and flaring randomly at the walls. Potema's voice was coming from the same direction, so they assumed it was her spirit energising it.

Several coffins standing around the periphery fell open when the lightning passed, and draugr emerged and advanced on Clark and Gilda. The first wave were weak, probably just a probe to test them.

"Impressive, but don't applaud yourself too soon!" Potema's voice announced another wave of draugr. Or maybe she'd just noticed Gilda, Clark thought to himself.

There were still draugr lying there from the first wave, and Clark tried an experiment. He raised one of them himself, and sent it back to fight its brethren. That seemed to cause them some confusion, as it was no longer obvious which side any draugr was on. Gilda caught on quickly, and added to the mayhem by using her Turn Undead spell. Clark continued raising any draugr that fell. It was a weak spell, and didn't take much magicka. The reanimated undead were also feeble, but their main task was to be a distraction, and that they did well.

Clark soon noticed that he was taking Potema's cannon fodder away from her. The draugr wouldn't raise a second time, and she was running out of allies. Gilda and he concentrated their offense on the tougher opponents, and let the others beat on each other. Since both of them were mainly using their blades for that, it didn't stop them raising and turning the rest with their other hand.

The final draugr lord shouted Clark's blade out of his hand. But he couldn't repeat that for Gilda, who struck before he could raise his own weapon. She kept him reeling back, unable to regain his balance, until he slipped over the edge of the stairs, down to where Clark was standing.

"Oh, that's where it went!" Clark gleefully grabbed up his sword. The draugr was just getting back on his feet from the fall, when a blow from Clark's weapon set him on fire. Clark kept him falling back, as Gilda jumped down to help.

A soul filled one of Clark's gems as the final draugr lord died. But the greater swirl of magicka was passing through the door at the end of the room. Potema was retreating to her throne room, and they needed to pursue. Clark could see a skull on the throne, presumably hers. He grabbed for it, but was pushed back by a ghostly shape which had to be Potema herself. Not entirely substantial yet, but she was already able to affect the mortal world, and the sword in her hand was real.

"If she can affect us, we can hurt her," Gilda reminded him. She hacked at the ghost, and her blade glowed as it absorbed health from the spectre. Clark could see Potema fade as that happened, and he added his assault to Gilda's. Finally there was no more resistence, and he picked the skull off the throne.

"I thought that someone had put a circlet around the skull, but it looks like these jewels and gold bands are embedded in the bone. I wonder what that would have felt like if she came back to life." Clark mused.

"I, for one, am glad I don't get to ask!" Gilda replied. "And I hope that door is the way out, and we don't have to go all the way back to the Temple. I don't think the priests would like me flashing my breasts there!"

"You can use both hands to hold your jacket in place now. We should be done with fighting."

"I still need to go somewhere I can fix it before we go back to the Temple. Open the door and see where it leads."

"There are a couple more draugr out here, but I don't think they'll be any trouble now Potema's gone," Clark called back to her, "and the next door leads out to the mountainside."

Out in the relative safety, Gilda rummaged through her backpack until she found a leather strip that she could use as a temporary fix.

"That still looks delightfully precarious," Clark told her, "but it won't give the guards an excuse to arrest you."

---

After a short side-trip to Beirand's forge for a more permanent repair, they made their way back to the Hall of the Dead with Potema's skull. Styr was intrigued with the way her followers had encrusted it with jewels. He wondered if that had had any influence on her return. Gemstones were often reservoirs of magicka, and that might have been part of their plans. He didn't detect any magicka now, and he'd remove the gems before the skull was sanctified.

Falk was delighted. He presented them with a Shield of Solitude and a decent amount of gold. "The Jarl would prefer this be kept quiet. You can imagine the chaos that would have ensued if Potema had succeeded in returning. Elisif will be much happier if the people don't start speculating about that!"

Gilda took the coin purse, and handed the shield to Clark. "I need to go back to Riften," she announced. "I have Guild work I should be doing."

"Before you go too," Falk addressed Clark, "there's another small matter that Jarl Elisif would like you to consider."

Elisif beckoned Clark over to the throne, and spoke to him quietly, so that her voice wouldn't carry too far.

"When my husband died, I made offerings to each of the Divines at the Temple. I couldn't make one to Talos, of course, and that's important to a Nord. Since I can't leave the city without a Thalmor escort, could you take Torygg's war horn to one of the shrines in the wilderness? Most of the members of my court are under too much surveillance to do it, but you're a travelling merchant that won't arouse any suspicion."

Out of the corner of his eye, Clark could see Bolgeir Bearclaw, her housecarl, nodding in approval. The White Gold Concordat was observed, but parts of it regularly ignored, in most of Skyrim. Whiterun was nominally under Imperial control, for example, but it still had a shrine to Talos in the Cloud District.

Clark asked if that wouldn't be a better location, but Elisif marked a specific location on his map. "There are reasons for sending you there. And also for my waiting until Gilda left before asking you. We know she's in the Thieves Guild."

"She may be its Guildmaster before we speak next," Clark confirmed.

"Then maybe I need not have worried. They'll be less of a concern under her control. Regardless, the horn is a unique item, and if it wanders from the shrine, that may provide useful intelligence. People who see it will remark on that, and other people may overhear."

---

Clark left with the horn and headed for Whiterun. Elisif had as good as told him that she expected him to be tailed by Thalmor spies, and probably some of her own. Only the former were of any concern, of course. He'd like to have Lydia with him when he went out to the shrine. If the Thalmor were going to do anything, that was the most likely place he'd encounter them.

What they weren't expecting to meet were a dragon, and giants. The latter were herding a couple of mammoths down the valley, and heading away from the shrine. The dragon seemed to be coming from the mountain to the north, headed towards the Throat of the World. The giants saw it, and reversed direction to see off the threat, which placed them between Clark and Lydia, coming from the west, and the shrine, to the east.

They paused, watching to see what unfolded. The dragon circled once, tempted by the mammoths, but then continued on its flight towards the Throat of the World. The giants stared after it for a while, then turned back towards their original path. Something else, however, drew their attention. Clark could see them shaking their clubs at another threat, this time on the ground.

After a minute or two of inaction, the giants resumed following the mammoths. But now it was clear to Clark and Lydia that there was something up ahead, and they were ready for it.

"Bears, do you think?" Lydia suggested.

"I doubt it, you usually hear them first. They'd rather warn you off than fight. No, this is something that likes to stay silent, and hidden. Bandits, for example."

Clark knew who he was really expecting, of course, and he wasn't wrong. A Thalmor Justiciar and a couple of soldiers were loitering near the shrine. They attacked without provocation. It seemed that just visiting that location was reason enough.

Clark did little other than block the wizard's spells with his ward. Lydia, in her carved nordic armour and with her recently-enchanted sword, tore through them without any real effort.

"Hey, this fiery soul trap really makes a difference!" she enthused. "I should have let you do this a long time ago."

"You improved the sword at Warmaiden's too. How do you know that wasn't the main factor?"

"Well, I don't. Not for certain. But the flames certainly intimidate the others. Hit one, and the others back off!"

"The soul trap didn't do anything, though," she added after a moment's thought.

"You don't have a black soul gem. You need one of those to trap a person's soul."

"Are Thalmor people?" she asked, almost seriously.

Clark didn't reply. He reverently laid the war horn that Elisif had given him on the shrine. It wasn't an ostentatiously decorated piece, but the workmanship was fine, and distinctive. He could understand what Elisif had said. Anyone who saw it would talk about it.

Posted by: Acadian Feb 25 2015, 08:06 PM

I’m continuing to really enjoy the Court of Solitude-related quests here. Loved the humor break when Clark considered that Potema’s ‘impressive’ comment may have referred to Gilda Unbound. Nice ‘quest building’ with the bits about Potema’s skull being encrusted by jewels instead of wearing a circlet.

I liked your treatment of the horn/shrine of Talos quest. There certainly is plenty that can be read into the nature of Elisef’s request.

Oh, and nice reminder that there be dragons about!

"Are Thalmor people?" - - My elf even wonders the same thing.

Posted by: Grits Feb 28 2015, 09:45 PM

It was fun to watch Clark’s tactics against Potema’s horde. Having Potema’s skull encrusted with gold and gems rather than just wearing a circlet that mysteriously can’t be removed was a great touch. “Delightfully precarious” made me grin.

Elisif’s request is my favorite part of getting to know Solitude. I enjoyed Clark’s journey to the shrine, especially Lydia cleaving those Thalmor with her newly upgraded sword!

Posted by: ghastley Mar 4 2015, 02:59 PM

Acadian I could never understand why Elisif sends you to a shrine in the wilderness, so I made up a reason. More dragons this time, too ... and Jordis!

Grits: It was the way the skull is shown in the load screen that inspired that. The circlet is way too tight on the skull, and looks embedded. So I ran with the idea.

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

Previously Gilda and Clark finished off Potema, and took her skull back to Styr, and then Lydia and Clark delivered Torygg's War Horn to a shrine of Talos outside Whiterun.

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

Part 25 - Proudspire

As Clark and Lydia walked up to the main gate, back at Whiterun, the guards were excitedly gathering on the battlements and pointing towards the Throat of the World. The two joined them, and saw a number of dragons flying around the peak. They could hear the great beasts chanting, all their voices in unison. They couldn't understand what was being said, but it was clear that some important ceremony was taking place. Did this have anything to do with Diablita and Alduin?

A visit to Dragonsreach confirmed that she hadn't returned that way. How long had she been gone now? A week?

"Time in Sovengarde may not pass as swiftly as it does here," Jarl Balgruuf reminded him. "Eternity's a long time, no matter how fast or slow it goes. And I'm certain that she prevailed, or Alduin would have been back for vengeance before now."

---

Clark needed to report back to Elisif, so he didn't wait for Diablita's return. She might not go back to Whiterun, anyway. Clark couldn't imagine her not telling Balgruuf what had happened; not after he'd put Dragonsreach at risk for her. But she might have other tasks to attend to before that could happen. He just didn't know.

---

He handed Elisif the orders that he'd taken from the Justiciar's corpse. They named the agent as Lorcalin, not a name she recognised. But the signatory was Elenwen, the Thalmor First Emissary. They didn't mention Elisif, or Clark, but just told him to kill anyone going to the shrine.

Elisif passed the orders to Falk Firebeard. He read them, too, and put them in his pocket. Nobody said anything.

"I'm considering making you a Thane of Haafingar," Elisif announced, as Falk nodded his agreement. "You'll need to purchase property here in Solitude, but I already have reports that you've done enough to help my people. Proudspire Manor is available, isn't it, Falk?"

"It is, if you have the 25,000 gold for the building. It comes with a housecarl, of course, since you'd become Thane. There's only a minimum of furnishing there at the moment, enough to be able to use the place while you upgrade. I can supply better furnishings when you have the funds."

"Then let me pay you for the building now, and we can do the formalities. I'd like to see the place before I know what needs changing," Clark decided.

"Jarl Elisif, Clark is now a property owner in your city. There is no longer any impediment to his becoming Thane, and you have my recommendation."

"Then by my authority as Jarl, I pronounce you Thane of Haafingar. You'll have duties here at the court, but those will be shared with Bryling and Erikur, my other Thanes. We'll let the guard know about your new status, so they won't treat like you were one of the common rabble. And I'll give you a tour of the Blue Palace, so you'll know your way around."

"You're most likely only familiar with the entrance, hallway and the audience chamber, the one we're in now. Follow me to the private sections."

Clark followed Elisif into the corridor at the side.

"The rooms here belong to Sybille Stentor, my court mage, Falk Firebeard, the steward, and Bolgeir Bearclaw, my housecarl. My own is the one at the end." Elisif paused to make sure Clark had registered that.

She turned and led him down the back stairs. "On this level, you'll find the staff quarters, the kitchen and the guest quarters. Bolgeir often sleeps down here, I suspect he likes being close to the kitchen." They walked along the corridor, to emerge at the hallway. Elisif pointed. "Across there is the Pelagius wing. We normally keep that locked, as it's supposed to be haunted. The staff go in and clean from time to time, but reluctantly."

Elisif turned and retraced the corridor to the stairs. "There's one more level below here. We have guests from Markarth staying there at present. Ex-Jarl Igmund and his immediate retinue relocated here after the peace conference. Let's not disturb them right now."

They walked back up the way they'd come down, and Elisif pointed out where Bolgeir usually stood when he was on duty. "He's quite dedicated. Sworn to protect his Jarl, and his wife, and continuing to do so, even now she's a widow. He makes sure nobody disturbs her rest."

Clark got the distinct impression that the arrangement wasn't entirely to Elisif's liking. She made several references to Falk's relationship with Bryling, and the fact that he might not be sleeping at the Palace every night. Sybille was a bit of a night-owl, sleeping most of the day, but you could rely on her staying in her quarters at night.

The final hint was that Elisif's door was never locked. "The Jarl should never be shut away from her people, should she?"

"I'd better go and take a look at Proudspire Manor before I do anything else," Clark reminded her. "I presume my housecarl will be waiting to give me the tour there."

---

Jordis the Sword-Maiden was a blonde version of Iona or Lydia. She had the same basic steel armour that they'd worn when he first met them, and the same introductory speech about protection and burden-carrying, but it stopped there.

That was because she had to show him around the house, and the opportunity for the other part would unfold as she went. She opened the door at street level, and handed him the key. "We're entering at basement level," she told him. "There's not a lot down here at present, just my little room here on the right. Single bed, not enough room for two. On the left there's space for an alchemy lab, and enchanting facilities, if you choose to have them installed."

The housecarl's room was clean and tidy, if a bit sparsely furnished. Comfortable enough, if you only wanted somewhere to sleep, and stash your gear. Clearly, Jordis had just arrived and hadn't had time to tidy any more of the house. The other side was piled with crates and barrels, and straw was scattered everywhere.

The stairs led up to a main floor with an entrance hallway, dining room, and living room. The main door led out to a stairway down to the street, but there was another door that led out to a patio, overlooking the harbour. Most of this floor was devoid of furniture, with just a few broken crates lying among the cobwebs.
On the upper floor was a small living space, with the bedrooms leading from it. The smaller one was empty, and the larger contained just a simple double bed. This floor, too could do with a good cleaning.

"This is the only double bed in the house." Jordis pointed out, sitting on it. "So I assume you'll be using it. Where would you like me to sleep? There's nothing fixed in my duties, but I'm amenable to persuasion."

"Your choice, of course. I should point out that I am Thane in Whiterun and the Rift as well as Haafingar, so I won't always be here. I'm also likely to have duties at the Palace that may continue into the night. In addition, I'd like to get this place cleaned up and refurnished first. That bed looks like it may already have occupants. Ones that bite."

Jordis got up quickly from the bed, and dusted off her posterior.

"So what would you like me to do for you now?"

"Just come with me to the Palace, and we'll arrange for the upgrades. I doubt that it will take long for them to move everything in. While they're doing that, we'll go to Beirand's and see what he has. You'll need better equipment than you have at present."

Posted by: Grits Mar 4 2015, 04:39 PM

"You're most likely only familiar with the entrance, hallway and the audience chamber, the one we're in now. Follow me to the private sections."



Woo, Jordis sounds accommodating. A blonde for Clark’s Housecarl collection. I love Proudspire’s patio. Actually I love the whole manor. I can see Clark getting comfortable there.

Posted by: Acadian Mar 4 2015, 06:01 PM

Another nice reminder of that pesky main quest as dragons dance and sing at the top of the world. Perhaps the mystery of Diablita Dragonborn will remain just that – a mystery.

Wonderful touch that, after ‘thaning’ Clark, the Jarl would give him a tour of the rest of the Blue Palace. Oooh! Elisef dropping some amorous hints Clark’s way!

Then on to Proudspire and the Sword Maiden! And she’s dropping rather unsubtle hints as well.

Grits is right - Proudspire seems like it would suit Clark quite well.

Clark is managing all the attention as deftly as ever.

Posted by: ghastley Mar 11 2015, 02:01 PM

Acadian: Clark now has to decide whether to give Elisif priority over his housecarl, who's sworn to carry his burdens etc. Not a hard decision, but he does need to make a few preparations.

Grits: Jordis will explain everything in the episode after this one.

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

Previously: Clark has bought Proudspire Manor, and been Thaned again. Both Elisif and Jordis have dropped heavy hints in his direction.

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

Part 26 - Blue Palace

"Ooh! This one's enchanted!" Jordis enthused.

"Then I doubt that's one of Beirand's own. He usually leaves that to his customers. Probably something he bought from an adventurer, and there's no knowing who made it. I'd keep looking, if I were you."

"Quite right, and I thank you for your trust in my work," Beirand chimed in. "But there's one piece I have here that's not of my making, that I think you should consider."

He showed them a steel sword, looking much like one he'd have made himself. Clark looked at it closely. "Is this Skyforge steel?"

"You're a true connoisseur," Beirand told him. "Indeed it is. The woman who sold it to me had a greatsword to match it. Her reason for selling was that she never used it, just its larger brother. So it hasn't seen any battles, except as an observer."

Clark handed it to Jordis. "Give it a swing, see how it feels."

"Better than mine, but that wouldn't be hard. And it does have a good edge," she continued, feeling it with her thumb.

"It should keep that," Beirand told her. "Skyforge steel doesn't blunt easily, like ordinary steel can."

"We'll take it," Clark told him. "And if they've delivered the enchanting station, I can do the rest."

---

Jordis was bubbling with excitement as Clark took her new sword down to the enchanting station. "How does fire damage and soul trap sound?" Clark asked.

"You can do two enchantments?" Jordis didn't believe her luck.

"No, it's one of the rare combination ones that works for weapons. Most of them are for mages' robes. And because the soul trap part will let you recharge often, I don't need to use a large gem. The fire part isn't major, but it does make a big difference, especially when you get multiple hits in a row, and the damage stacks. It's what I use on mine, and Lydia in Whiterun has it on hers."

New steel plate armour, new Skyforge steel sword, now with an enchantment. Jordis was wondering just how good she had to be tonight to deserve all this. She must have wondered out loud, because Clark told her it wouldn't be tonight. He had work to do at the Blue Palace, and she'd have to wait a day or two. "If you're feeling energetic, go whack the training dummy, and see if your new armor needs adjusting. You don't want to wait until you're in the middle of a fight to do that."

---

Clark entered the Palace, and cast invisibility before he slipped up the back stairs and along to Elisif's chambers. The reason for the invisibility was two-fold. First, so that nobody else would know he was there. Elisif had hinted that her housecarl was apparently trying to keep her faithful to her late husband, ignoring her feelings in the matter. The second reason was that there was a slight chance that he was her second string, and he'd find someone else there before him. Better not to embarrass her by interrupting anything.

He found her sitting naked on her bed, gazing hopefully towards the door. Although she couldn't see him, she did see the door open and close, and she stood up. "Is someone there?" she asked. She made no attempt to cover herself, even though she had no idea who had just entered.

---

"What if it had been someone else?" Clark wanted to know.

"That would have been my second choice. But I only invited you, didn't I?"

"And didn't you think I'd like to watch you undress?"

"Games like that are for when it's not urgent."

"So that's why we've only just come up for air."

"Speak for yourself," Elisif told him and went back to persuading him to do it again.

---

Much later, as she lay exhausted in his arms, Elisif had more time to chat. "I hope I didn't call you Torygg, you did remind me of him a couple of times."

"Good times, I hope."

"Oh yes, it was always good times with Torygg. And I miss him so much. Especially when I have to make decisions that affect Haafingar. Falk's a great help, when Bryling's not distracting him. And I suppose she is, too. Sometime I need to talk about women things."

"So the only one of your Thanes who's completely useless is Erikur?"

"Oh, he's not useless. If I want to know what the Legion or the Thalmor are up to, I can count on him to reveal something. And he's just as useful for passing misinformation the other way. I just have to mention that I heard a rumour, and he's off trying to sell what he 'knows' to whichever side he thinks will pay the most. Sometimes both."

"He's also a merchant, so he gets reports from all sorts of places. My people can get copies of those fairly easily. He's the best spy I have, and he doesn't know it."

"So is he the reason for the dumb blonde act?"

"I'm not acting blonde, just dumb. And you've just checked that the breasts are real, too. No, some of that act is for the people. I can promise them the moons, and they blame the Imperial occupation when they don't get them. I'm not sure they take my gestures seriously, but the sentiment behind them gets across. The common folk may laugh at my antics, but they love the show, and Tullius and Elenwen know that."

"I haven't seen those two around the court. Do they ever visit the Palace?"

"No, Tullius doesn't leave Castle Dour unless he has to, and Elenwen's always at the Embassy, up on the next hill. She does throw frequent parties, though. That way anyone she wants to see comes to her, and they're in her playground. She'll probably want to check you out, now I've made you a Thane."

"Who goes to those parties?" Clark wanted to know.

"I'm usually there, just because the Embassy's in my hold, so I get an invitation automatically. Then she's normally invited the other Imperial Jarls, and their thanes. Prominent merchants, rich land-owners, anyone with influence to peddle."

"You didn't mention the General."

"No, it wouldn't be his style to accept. He's the single-minded strategist type who thinks of nothing but the war. And maybe Legate Rikke, too. The legion chose her to be Tullius' second in command on merit, but I suspect she has orders to help him relax a bit. Our dossier on her suggests that she'd be doing that anyway."

"Do either Tullius or Elenwen have spies in the Palace?"

"We assume so, although we have no reason to suspect anyone in particular. They may just send in someone like that Varnius character from time to time, to take a look and listen."

"Or me?"

"That wouldn't matter. I'm on your side now, anyway." Elisif gave Clark another kiss, and laid her head on his shoulder.

Posted by: Acadian Mar 11 2015, 06:43 PM

What a fun episode – doubtless because it focuses on two of my favorite NPCs in Skyrim.

"Ooh! This one's enchanted!" Jordis enthused.’ - - Using ‘enchanted’ and ‘Jordis’ in the same passage is always a wonderful and accurate idea.

"I'm not acting blonde, just dumb.” - - Spoken like a true blonde! I’m glad to see Elisef ready to move on from her grieving. She is in an awkward position for companionship. Beyond the whole grieving widow of the king challenge, there is the problem that, as Jarl and potentially High Queen, she is too young to likely be enamored of those with appropriate credentials, and too high of station to really be courted by a young man who probably lacks Jarl or Thane-like credentials.

I wonder if Clark’s going to end up at a Thalmor Embassy party?

Posted by: ghastley Mar 18 2015, 03:37 PM

Acadian: Elisif's not looking for a husband, as he'd take over as Jarl. She's looking for somebody who wants her, not her job.

The Thalmor are much more careful with their invitations after the incident with the Dragonborn.

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

Previously Clark has left Jordis to try out her new armour while he attends to Elisif's needs.

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

Part 27 - Proudspire again

Elisif had already woken, and gone down to the kitchen for breakfast, before Clark surfaced. It made sense for him to go out the same way he came in, invisible once more. He slipped out of the main door behind a guard, and remained invisible he until was on the patio of Proudspire Manor. Then he let it dispel, and opened the door.

He noticed that someone had thought to light the fire. He wondered if they'd done so when they delivered the furniture, or if it had been Jordis. She might have used it to cook something for herself last night. Or she might have just gone to the Winking Skeever. And he'd left her in the mood for some fun, so she might just have brought someone back with her.

He crept up the stairs, considering going invisible again. He decided not to. He hadn't given her any instructions, other than to practice in her new armour.

He opened the door to his bedroom quietly. The new furniture was in, and the place looked much better than the first time he'd seen it. The bed was an opulent four-poster with a canopy rail - and a nude Jordis asleep on it.

Alone, he was pleased to note. Except, that is, for one of those carved horker tusks. Clark wondered if that came from one of his own factories.

Clark left her there, and went down to get himself some breakfast.

---

Jordis still hadn't put any clothes on when she appeared about an hour later. Since he hadn't told her what she should wear around the house, she wasn't going to just grab something from the closet without asking him first.

Put that way, it almost sounded reasonable. If it wasn't for the way she wiggled her hips as she walked over to the cookpot, and spread her legs before bending over it.

"She's trying too hard," he thought to himself. "Which really means she's not quite sure of herself."

He couldn't help comparing her to Lydia and Iona. Blonder, of course, and maybe a little rounder and softer. She was about the same age as Iona, which would be a year younger than Lydia. She was at the peak of fitness, with breasts that couldn't be larger without starting to droop just a little. She should be confident in her desirability, so why wasn't she?

Well, he had just put her off to go sleep with someone else. And there had to be some reason that she wanted him right away. Lydia and Iona had both wasted no time, maybe that was part of their training.
"Let me think about your outfit a little longer," he told her. "I quite like the one you're wearing now."
Jordis giggled, but Clark could see relief in her expression.

"Tell me about your training," he asked her. "My other housecarls had the skills to match their equipment, so I assume you know heavy armour, block and one-handed. What else did they teach you?"

"Everyone learns to heal themselves when they're little, so they don't have to run to their mother every time they fall down. And women learn a few other restoration spells at puberty. Housecarl training adds healing others, so I can protect my Thane better. I can use a bow as well, but I wouldn't call myself an archer. And I can cook, even if it's nothing fancy."

"What about the other magic schools? Do you know any conjuration, or alteration, for example?"

"No, we're taught to use potions, or scrolls, for anything like that. We'd need more magicka, and health and stamina are more important for a housecarl."

"Lockpicking, sneaking, pickpocket, speech?"

Jordis shook her head, and a few other parts jiggled in sympathy. "They didn't teach that, but most of us picked up some skill, just being students, if you know what I mean. Those are the best skills for causing a bit of mischief."

"So what were you best at?"

"Up to now, I thought I was good at persuading. Well, men at least. There's no point having all this if I don't use it, is there? And I have to make my Thane like me. I'm sworn to protect him, but he's only going to look after me if he wants to."

That made perfect sense, and Clark was certain that it wasn't her idea. Not when Lydia and Iona had both bedded him within hours of meeting him. Given their duties, it could be a matter of life and death, after all. A Thane who just didn't care about them would quickly get them killed.

On reflection, he'd done the right thing by upgrading her armour and sword. That should have told her right away that he wanted to keep her. And that reminded him, he had enchanted her sword, but maybe he should make an amulet for her as well. She needed some support, or she wouldn't stay that perky for long.

He took her down to the basement and spent the next few hours teaching her the basics of alchemy and enchanting. "There was one other skill I didn't ask you about," he suddenly thought. "Did you learn any smithing?"

"Enough to make the armour and weapons I had yesterday. They make us do that as part of our course. So not enough to improve the plate you just gave me, and certainly not anything enchanted."

"By the time you need that upgraded, you should be able to. Just improve any iron and steel you pick up, and the better leather stuff, before you sell it. You'll get a better price too, especially if you sell the piece you're wearing."

"You won't want to sell this," he continued, and put the amulet he'd just enchanted round her neck. "How does that feel?"

"Uplifting?" she ventured. "I can't really describe it, but I like it."

"Then I think we've found you the right outfit for home," Clark announced.

"Just this amulet?"

"You're only my housecarl, you don't get a ring."

---

"This is the place," Gilda thought to herself. "And it looks like I have multiple entrances to choose from. They'll typically have the same lock, so you can use the same key anywhere. So I won't go in the basement. I'll go round the back and in the floor above. I'll have more cover back there."

"No shadowmark? That must mean someone new's just moved in. I'll have to add one on the way out."

"Aah! There we go. Nice and quiet. Let's hope they've oiled the hinges already."

She cracked the door open just a little and peered through the gap. There didn't appear to be anyone on this floor; they'd probably gone up to bed already. She slipped in and closed the door quietly behind her.

There was some decent silverware on the shelves and tables, but they weren't why she was here. She had a specific piece to steal, a golden model of a ship. Anything else she picked up was hers to sell, but she had enough gold not to bother. This job was for the benefit of the Guild.

"Yes, they're definitely in bed," she thought. "And not asleep yet. But she'll sleep soundly after that, judging by the noise she's making."

There was no sign of the ship on the main floor. Gilda decided to check the basement, and give the couple a little longer to tire themselves out. Even though she just knew it would be in that bedroom. It always seemed to work out that way.

As expected, the model ship was nowhere in the basement, either. Her hunch that it was in the bedroom was getting more likely all the time. However, they didn't seem to be falling asleep as soon as she'd hoped.

She was just outside their door now, and she could hear more clearly.

"And have you ever tried this?"

"That's Clark's voice!" Gilda gasped. "I could be standing here for hours, if he's on form."

She pondered a few moments, and came to a decision. Pausing only to undo her jacket, she opened the door.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked.

"Gilda, this is Jordis, my new housecarl. Jordis, this is Gilda, my apprentice." Clark spoke without interrupting what he was doing. Jordis didn't reply, except to moan with pleasure.

"Good evening, Jordis. I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important. And do you need any help? Clark can be a bit overwhelming until you get used to him."

Gilda let her jacket fall to the floor, and bent to let Clark kiss her. As he did so, she slid off her boots and pants, and kicked them aside. Then she moved to the other end of the bed and started to play with Jordis' breasts.

"Hers are a bit bigger and softer than Lydia's, aren't they?" Gilda asked, running her tongue around the nearest one.

"So?" Clark replied. "They suit her, and they respond to a bit of attention, which is all I care about."

They certainly did, and the young Nord was getting a lot of attention. Twice as much as she bargained for. "I thought you were going to help me, not Clark," she panted. "Not that I'm complaining, yet."

At her first opportunity, she traded places with Gilda. She'd never seen breasts as big as those before, and she was sure the stranger wouldn't mind her repaying her in kind.

Posted by: Acadian Mar 18 2015, 07:04 PM

Clark was certainly put through his paces in this episode!

Persuasive logic about why it seems to be in a housecarl’s best survival interest to bed their thane. Practical, if not romantic.

Posted by: ghastley Mar 25 2015, 02:28 PM

Acadian: It's always struck me that the job of housecarl is like an arranged marriage without any guarantee of the benefits. There's an outside chance of an upgrade, and as Jordis pointed out, they at least need to be wanted.

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

Previously: Clark and Elisif, followed by Clark and Jordis, then Gilda came and joined in.

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

Part 28 - Stones

"So why are you in Solitude?" Clark asked when Gilda lifted her head off his shoulder the next morning.

"Guild job. They actually sent me to rob this house, or rather, to take a specific item from it. A golden model of a ship. Since I haven't found it in the rest of the house, I assume it's in here, somewhere."

"If it is, I haven't seen it. But then I haven't really looked the place over in any detail. This is only the second day since I bought it."

Jordis opened one bleary eye, and pointed. The ship was on a shelf on the other side of the room, next to a small jewel case with a glowing red gem in it. Gilda got out of bed and went over to take a look. Jordis cuddled up closer to Clark, in case he needed her.

"I haven't seen one of these before." Gilda said, picking up the unusual gem and bringing it back to the bed to show Clark.

"But I think I have," he replied. "There was one just like it at the Blue Palace." He didn't mention that he'd seen it in Elisif's bedroom, or why he'd been there. He had enough complications without introducing that one.

"Other than that, I don't recall seeing any others. That glow alone would make me remember. I have no idea if they're valuable, or just a curiosity, either. But the fact that you found one here just lying around suggests the latter."

"Good point," Gilda agreed. "But do you mind if I take this one to show them at the Guild? They have experts on every kind of merchandise there."

"That would be a good idea. You've got to take them the ship, so you'll be going there anyway."

Gilda gathered up the ship and headed out the door. "I'll start breakfast. Come down when you're ready."

Jordis had already decided what she wanted for the first course.

---

Clark and Jordis joined Gilda about half an hour later in the dining room. Clark handed Gilda her leathers, that she'd left in the bedroom. She put them on, but didn't bother doing the jacket up until she left the house.

"Is she going to appear every time we do it?" Jordis asked as soon as the door closed behind her.

"No, it could be someone else next time. Who would you like?" Clark replied. "Like I told you, I have two more housecarls. And did I mention the brothel in Markarth?"

"No you didn't. I'm not sure I want to know."

"Information is useful, even if it's not what you want to hear," Clark insisted. "So I'll tell you anyway. We may need to go there soon, to find out what the change of Jarl has meant to business."

When he described Vicuña, Jordis looked depressed again. "You like really big-breasted women, don't you?"

"Yes, but I like variety, too. Yours are just the perfect size for a housecarl. Did you know Gilda can't use a bow, because hers get in the way of the bowstring?"

Jordis thought about that for a moment. Would she rather have have breasts like Gilda's, or be able to use a bow? She thought of the times her bow had kept her alive, and it wasn't a hard choice. And Clark did seem to like hers, which is what really mattered.

"Get your armour on," Clark told her. "I want to go exploring today, and let you show me how you fight. We need to learn to work together, and a bit of cave-clearing should do it."

He reminded her that she didn't have to worry about him getting killed, but he needed to find out what support she'd need in a fight. "I don't wear physical armour, but I can cast a strong spell, Ebonyflesh, and wards, so not much will get past that. What I don't have is the pool of magicka that an Altmer or Breton would have. So I don't normally do destruction spells, except for an occasional fireball. I'll use my sword, which has the same enchantment as yours, but mainly I'll block while you attack. Understood?"

---

They left the city and walked down the road towards Dragon Bridge. Before they got there, however, Clark decided to take a turn to the north and look for a cave or something. They were bound to find something in the hills between here and the northern shore.

A pack of wolves on the path gave them a chance to fight together against a weak opposition, and Clark got an idea of which way Jordis would attack, and how likely she was to jump in front of him. A little too likely at present, but that was the way she'd been trained. And he'd not complain when it was a bear or troll, instead of wolves. If he'd been an archer, he'd be cursing her for blocking his aim, but he wasn't, so they could easily adjust.

"Look, a cave!" she announced. Just off the road ahead was a dark opening that probably was the mouth of a cave. Clark cast his armour spell and entered, with Jordis close behind him.

The cave was small, and there only seemed to be one occupant. That, however, was a frost troll, and it had seen them. Jordis rushed the creature, and set it on fire with her first swing. That surprised her as much as it did the troll, as she wasn't used to the enchantment yet. Those wolves had died in one swing, so she hadn't seen how the fire enchantment lingered. But she saw her advantage and kept the troll off-balance with a well-timed flurry of further blows. The flames grew as she did so, doing increasing damage each time. The troll turned, and tried to flee, but Clark cast a fireball in its path. Jordis thrust her sword into its back one final time, and filled a soul gem.

Clark showed her how to recharge the sword, before taking a look round the cave. Among the bones littering the floor, he found the remains of a conjurer, with another empty soul gem in his pocket, and a small satchel of alchemy ingredients. Lying next to him was a spell book, unfortunately one Clark already knew, so he handed it to Jordis. Then he noticed a small jewel case, like the one Gilda had found at Proudspire. There was a glowing red gem in this one, too.

Posted by: Acadian Mar 25 2015, 08:46 PM

’Jordis thought about that for a moment. Would she rather have have breasts like Gilda's, or be able to use a bow?’ - - Buffy tends to give her more, um. . . not-built-for-archery followers firebolt staves or crossbows for this very reason.

"Look, a cave!" she announced.’ - - This brought a chuckle, for I’ve heard her say that more than once.

Nice to see Clark and Jordis fighting effectively together and that the housecarl is doing well with her standard issue Clark-enchanted blade of fiery soul trap.

Heh, Gilda seems the clever one here having, apparently recruited Clark to help round up those unusual gems.

Posted by: Grits Mar 30 2015, 03:52 PM

"Look, a cave!" she announced.

Perfect! Ooo, another gem! That was a great observation about the troll catching on fire after the wolves just dropped dead.

Posted by: ghastley Apr 1 2015, 02:02 PM

Acadian: Gilda throws ice spikes when she needs range.
It's unusual to hear it on the way in. Most followers only notice caves when they emerge afterwards. It's my way of pointing out that Jordis may be blonde, but not stereotypically so.
Neither Clark nor Gilda know yet what the gems are about, so they won't know that the Guild is the ultimate beneficiary.

Grits: After using the fiery soul trap a few times on different weapons, I noticed that it works best on faster ones, as the stacking effect - "more damage to enemies already on fire" - adds up more. It makes it strange that you only find it on a battle-axe.

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

Previously: After finding an unusual gem in the bedroom, Clark took Jordis out to try her new equipment and show him how she used it. They found another of the gems in a cave. So now Clark needs to fetch one he already found.

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

Part 29 - Palace Duties

Clark went to the Blue Palace for the usual weekly meeting of the Thanes, Elisif's council of advisors. Erikur was complaining about the Empire taxes on shipping, which of course wasn't anything Elisif could change, even if she had any sympathy for the fat merchant. Bryling was more concerned with city security. The legion had been recruiting the city guards, and their ranks were getting a bit thin.

"They only have to keep order in the city these days," Falk reminded her. "The soldiers are patrolling the roads."

"True, but their interests aren't quite the same as Haafingar's. I'd be happier if we had more men."
Elisif's glance at Clark told him she'd seen the unintended double-entendre. "I don't think Falk would entirely agree with that sentiment, " she added.

Bryling realised what she'd said, and barely suppressed a snort. Erikur sat there nonplussed. It had all gone completely over his head. Perhaps he didn't know about Falk and Bryling, they were trying to be discreet. Sybille had caught on, but her nocturnal habits probably meant she encountered them together more often.

They discussed a few more topics of general concern, and Elisif declared the meeting over. "Falk, talk to Bryling about the guard situation. We might be able to use part-time volunteers, or something. Clark, could you come with me? I'd like you to look over the Palace's books. Erikur's done his best with them, but I'd like a second opinion from another merchant."

"They're properly balanced, if that's what you're concerned with," Erikur asserted.

"And I'm sure you've checked for any missed opportunities you could see," Elisif agreed. "But a second set of eyes might catch something new."

---

"Last time, you said you'd like to watch me undress," Elisif said, once they were in her room, and the door closed behind them. "Did you mean watch, or did you want to help?"

"Whichever you'd prefer. Let me know when you'd like my assistance."

Elisif stood by a chair, and took off the outer robe she wore. She draped the robe over the chair, and turned to face Clark again. She wore the same dress that she usually did for public audiences, or at least an identical one, but somehow it looked different. Her breasts looked higher, and her areolae were peeking above the neckline. Clark wondered if she'd been teasing the public with those today.

When she slid the dress to the floor, it was clear why she looked different. A lacy corset was pushing her up, and the half-cups presented her nipples delightfully.

Silk stockings covered her legs, held up by thin straps from the bottom of the corset. A minimum of lace ran between her legs to complete the ensemble.

"This was Torygg's favourite outfit. On me, I mean."

"We obviously have something in common," Clark agreed. "And how did he proceed when you presented yourself to him like this?"

"Never the same way twice. He might let me take it off, slowly, one piece at a time; or he might tear it off me with his teeth. Or have me leave it all on."

She turned and bent over, to show him how the lace parted. Clark knew she was enjoying putting on this show for him, so he let her continue. He pulled another chair over, and sat watching.

After a few minutes of strutting around, squeezing her own nipples, and fingering herself, Elisif became impatient, and came to sit on Clark's lap. She presented him a nipple to start on, and started to unlace his fly.

---

"I'm not sure this chair will last much longer," Clark interrupted. "It wasn't intended to support two people, and certainly not this much activity."

Elisif paused to let him lift her up, and he managed to stand without slipping out. She wrapped her legs around his back, and he walked over to the bed. "Walk around a bit more," she suggested. "This feels good."

"I'd rather you were over the bed in case my foot slips, or I trip over something. I can't see where I'm going."

If she'd been a slender little Wood Elf, they might have been able to sustain that position a bit longer, but he soon had to lay her back onto the bed. She took the opportunity to remove her panties.

"Is that corset comfortable, or do you want to take that off, too?"

"It's laced all up the back, I'll need your help."

Elisif knelt, to give Clark the access he needed, and he set to work.

---

"Where did you get the unusual gem?" he asked. Elisif was getting dressed, and it was almost as much fun to watch as the opposite direction. She lifted the dress over her head and wriggled it down her body. Then she turned and answered.

"Oh that, I don't know. Torygg brought it back from one of his trips. He had Sybille look it over, but she only found a little magic in it, enough to make it glow. And the box is enchanted with a minor levitation spell to make it float, but that's all. Just a curiosity. I don't know why I've bothered keeping it."

"I found a couple more of those myself, and I've been wondering about them. Perhaps they're pieces of something, and you need to put them all back together, before anything happens."

"You can have that one if you like. Let me know if you find anything out about them."

"I'll do that," he replied.

---

A few days later, Clark heard the front door of Proudspire Manor open and close again. "Clark! Are you and Jordis busy?" Gilda's voice announced her return from Riften.

"How does she know?" Jordis asked.

"Don't complain, we've had a couple of nights to ourselves," Clark reminded her. "and you've certainly made the most of them."

"Come up and join in," he called down to Gilda.

She strode in, naked already, and straddled Jordis' head. "Catch me up, while I talk to Clark, will you?"

"You know that gem we found? Well I showed it to Vex, and she told me it was one of the Stones of Barenziah. Apparently, there's two dozen of them, and they were all once in her crown. They're not worth anything individually, but the whole set would be a different matter. Yes, just there. I'll do the same for you in a moment"

"Jordis and I found another one in a cave the other day. So we have three so far. Only twenty-one more to find."

"We have five. I found one in Whiterun, and another one on the Dainty Sload. That's why I'm back in Solitude. The Guild sent me to do a job for Erikur, payback for the ship's captain cheating him on a deal."

"Are you sure about that? I wouldn't trust anything Erikur told me."

"Yes, the Guild checked the details before they agreed to it. And we have him nicely in our pocket if he gets out of line now. The guards already know that Erikur had dealings with Captain Volk, and we can plant more of the drugs in Erikur's house, just as easily as I did on the Dainty Sload."

"You suspect that Erikur was dealing the stuff?"

"It makes money, so of course he would. That's the only consideration he ever has. And it feels so good."

Clark looked down. He decided that Gilda had caught up enough, and he'd better rescue Jordis.

Posted by: Acadian Apr 1 2015, 03:59 PM

And Clark continues the hard work of gathering those unusual gems.

Gilda has an interesting way of keeping Jordis quiet while briefing Clark on what she’s learned about the gems.


Nit - ’Well I showed it Vex,’ -- Missing a ‘to’ before Vex?

Posted by: ghastley Apr 8 2015, 02:12 PM

Acadian Only one Stone collected this time, but they'll turn up from time to time. Now they're looking for them, they'll get noticed.

Once I decided that Clark would buy Proudspire, that quest became inevitable, especially with Gilda becoming Guildmaster.

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

Previously: Much the same as the episode before. I'd better change things before Clark gets into a rut - even if he'd like that! So this time we'll leave Solitude and confirm the end of the Main Quest.

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

Part 30 - Guild Work

"I brought something else from Riften," Gilda said, once she'd got her breath back. "Madesi gave me this."
She picked up something from the floor. Clark hadn't seen her drop it there, but he'd been concentrating on Jordis.

"He offered to show me how to use it, the cheeky beggar!" Gilda held up a large ivory dildo. The shaft was carved to resemble an Argonian's scales, but perhaps a bit bumpier than the real thing.

"Ah yes, that was the project we discussed last time I was there," Clark told her. "And the reason he made that offer is that this one does something you won't have seen before."

Clark took the dildo from her and looked it over. "Yes, here it is." He twisted the base and the dildo started to writhe in his hands. "It's powered by a Dwemer dynamo core. Those things can run for ever, it seems. There are a lot of parts that slide and turn to make this work, and it's a real piece of fine workmanship. Madesi's done better than I thought possible."

"I think Jordis deserves the first chance to try it," he continued. He handed it back to Gilda, and gave her room.

Jordis lasted about a minute before she couldn't take any more. "Your turn, then," Clark said, taking it back from Gilda. He offered it to Jordis, but she declined. "I just want to watch, and see how much of it she can take."

"Ready or not, here it comes."

Gilda was already losing control when Clark found out that he could twist it further, and speed it up. Jordis was giggling like she was drunk, and clinging to Clark to stop herself falling over. Gilda gripped the sheets tightly and arched her back. This was amazing, and she wasn't going to admit that it was too much for her.
Clark brought her back down gently, turning the speed lower and letting her recover. He took another look at the control. "It looks like you can turn this the other way, too." He did so and it produced a different motion. "Ready to try some more?" he asked Jordis.

"OK, but be gentle, make it last this time." She lay down next to Gilda, and held her hand. Clark slid it into her before turning it on, and increased the power gradually, watching Jordis' face for her reaction.

At the right time, he started dialing back the power. Time to get back to the real thing. He handed the dildo to Gilda, and showed her the other setting, then he pulled Jordis onto him and began to rock her gently over the edge.

---

Clark asked Gilda, over breakfast, how she was doing with her project to repair the Thieves Guild's reputation. "Solitude's dealt with," she responded. "Whiterun, too. I just had to spring an old man from the jail there, nothing too controversial, and I found one of the gems during that caper. Windhelm has a rival gang I still need to deal with, and Markarth's jeweller (and potential fence) needs a candlestick mould recovered from the bandits who stole it."

"Need any help with those?" Clark asked.

"I wouldn't mind having the numbers balanced a bit. I could probably get by on just stealth to recover the mould for Endon, but the Summerset Shadows need to be eliminated. They might notice someone killing them."

"Summerset? Meaning they're all Altmer?" Jordis queried.

"That's the information I have."

"Do you think they might have any connection with the Thalmor?" She was asking both of them, now.

Gilda had no idea, but Clark thought they could have followed the Thalmor to Skyrim, even if they weren't connected directly. They'd have more chance to thrive with Thalmor influence in place.

"And then of course there's Riften, and the Black-Briars. I won't tackle that problem until I have the others sorted, and I'm confirmed as Guildmaster. It's likely she'll still have some of the members on her side right now."

"We'll need all the help we can get for that one," Clark agreed. "But back to the present. Where do you want to start?"

"Those Altmer in Windhelm, or rather its hold. They don't have their headquarters in town, but out in a cave a fair distance away. There's an agent in the city itself, but she already agreed to cooperate if I can get the gang off her back. She used to be a Thieves Guild member, and she'd much rather be back with us."

"We can pick up Lydia on the way. That should give us the numbers we need."

"Can you handle three women at once?" Gilda asked him.

"I've got help now," Clark replied, holding up Madesi's invention.

---

Lydia told them they'd just missed Diablita. She'd been back to tell Jarl Balgruuf about the end of Alduin, the World-eater, and the whole city had held a celebration in her honour. She'd warned them that they might still experience a few more dragons, but Alduin wouldn't be raising more, and some of them would be on Paarthurnax' side, and not hostile.

"Where did she go?" Clark asked.

"She might have headed for Solstheim," Lydia replied. "A couple of Dunmer in weird masks tried to assault her in the street, and she found a note on one of them pointing her that way. It seems that she might not be the only Dragonborn."

"Solstheim? That's somewhere I haven't been," Clark remarked. "There's not a lot of trade, since the ebony mine at Raven Rock closed down. The Dunmer who settled there after the Red Mountain exploded aren't doing too badly; at least they know how to farm the ash. But apart from the produce, and a few gems, they don't have much to sell. The East Empire Company's just about abandoned the place, I hear. They certainly don't sail there from Solitude any more."

He showed Lydia one of the unusual gems. "If you see any of these around, pick them up for me. There are twenty-four of them in all, but we've only found five so far. They're not valuable individually, so you may not have any problem persuading folks to let them go."

"I think I've seen one of them. When we had the festival for Diablita, I went back to Jorvaskr with one of the Companions for a bit of fun, and there was one lying around downstairs. I can't remember exactly where it was. I was in a lot of beds that night."

---

Gilda left to pay the mead hall a visit, and came back a few minutes later with their sixth gem. "Nobody noticed me taking it. In fact, nobody noticed me at all. Should I be worried?"

"You haven't met Diablita, have you?" Clark asked her. "After a man's seen her, just about any other woman will go unnoticed for a while."

Lydia described Diablita for the others' information.

Gilda's opinion: "Definitely not inconspicuous." Jordis was totally amazed that anyone would fight two-handed and naked.

Clark reminded her that he didn't wear any armour either. "She uses spells for that, just like I do. She just takes it all a little further, and doesn't wear clothing, either. And she's not quite naked, she does wear those chains."

Back in her Cyrodiil days, her chains and piercings were her armour, but she'd outlasted them by a couple of centuries. Obviously the supply of Sigil Stones dried up a long time ago, so you couldn't enchant like you used to.

Posted by: Acadian Apr 8 2015, 09:05 PM

I think Clark and company just might be diverse and into enough things that collecting all 24 gems might be pretty doable for them.

And Diablita! Or at least word of her. Heck, a whole festival for her – makes perfect sense, given that she’s taken care of that pesky old Alduin.

Kind of open as to whether Clark will go to Solstheim. I look forward to finding out. I can imagine that Diablita would have little trouble with some of the more yucky choices required there. The First Dragonborn vs Dovadaedra!

I see that Clark’s exploits in the boudoir have gotten more. . . explicit the last couple episodes. You’ve traditionally made superb use of innuendo in such cases and I’ve always enjoyed how creatively you’ve done so in the past. And a gentle reminder as well that our members can be as young as thirteen. I do believe that when writing such scenes, a bit more left to the imagination can be wonderfully effective. I say this knowing perfectly well that SubRosa, Darkness Eternal and I have, on very rare occasion, written sex scenes that test the edges a bit. But since such activities are a regularly recurring and integral part of Clark’s wonderful adventures in Tamriel, I’d love to see a return to your more subtle touch with those kind of scenes going forward.

Posted by: ghastley Apr 15 2015, 02:06 PM

Acadian Clark will be going to Solstheim eventually, but since many of the DB MQ activities take place in Apocrypha, which only the Dragonborn can reach, won't be able to take part in those. Diablita gets a mention in this one, though, as does another unusual gem.

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

Previously: Clark is quite worn out, and needs to relax with a bit of life-or-death dungeon diving.

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


Part 31 - Uttering Hills

"We're getting close," Lydia remarked. "I think I can see an archer up ahead, guarding the entrance."

"I think he's seen us, too," Jordis replied, raising her shield to block an incoming arrow.

Lydia already had her bow out, and was preparing to send one of her own back. Gilda fired off an Ice Spike, and Clark a Firebolt. Lydia denocked her arrow, it wasn't needed.

Jordis pulled the arrow out of her shield and checked it for damage, then added it to her quiver. "Only steel, but they're good enough for bandits."

"Do we know how many are in the gang?" Lydia wanted to know.

Gilda hadn't got that much information about them. Just that they were Altmer, so there were bound to be mages among them, and that the leader's name was Linwe. They didn't just need to eliminate the gang; she was also looking for for Fjotli's locket.

"Who's Fjotli?" asked Jordis.

"Was. She was the daughter of of Torsten Cruel-Sea, in Windhelm. The gang killed her and stole her silver locket. Her father wants it back, and he's the one the Guild wants won over. Getting Niranye back as a fence is a bonus."

"Windhelm seems to be a dangerous place for young women," she continued. "When I went there to talk to Torsten, someone had just killed another one in the graveyard outside the Hall of the Dead. I discovered his hide-out in an abandoned house, and tracked him down. That was despite everyone's help, pointing me at the court wizard instead. When I asked him, Wuunferth recognised the amulet I found in the murderer's lair as the Necromancer's Amulet, and it all fell into place. I caught Calixto trying to stab another woman in the marketplace, and put my blade in him, instead."

"They told me that he'd killed two more women before Susanna the Wicked. One of them was probably Friga Shatter-Shield, because he'd taken over her house, but I don't know who the other was. When Torsten told me about Fjotli, I assumed she was the one, but he'd already found her killer, and identified the Summerset Shadows as the people behind the murder."

"And you're sure this Calixto wasn't one of them?" Clark asked.

"He was an Imperial, so I doubt he had any connection. And Fjotli was younger than the women that Calixto was killing, just a child really."

Gilda paused for a moment. "You know, I think I saw one of those gems in Wuunferth's room. When we get back to Windhelm, I'll go check, and see if he knows anything about them."

---

They encountered several other Shadows inside the cave, one at a time, and disposed of each without much effort. The end of the cave was the first time they met two Shadows together, and neither of them was Linwe. "He must be in here," Lydia indicated a door set in a stone wall.

"This looks like there was a tower above at some point. Can't go up, so I'd guess they'll be downstairs," she continued, after they'd gone through the door.

There was nobody in the room below, but a tunnel led off it, and they could hear footsteps coming towards them. Lydia sent an arrow into the dark, and a cry of pain, and the quickening of the footsteps, confirmed a hit. Another Shadow ran out into a flurry of swords. He didn't last long.

Another of Lydia's arrows took out a further Shadow, before she could even get out of her chair, at the end of the next tunnel. "That looks like a dead end," Clark remarked.

"It was for her," Lydia responded.

"Through here," Gilda urged. "This looks like the main chamber."

The ceiling there was higher, and a large banner hung in the middle of the room. Clark had a flames spell ready, so he torched the banner to see if that evoked any reaction. If it did, the Shadows would be emerging from those two doors opposite.

"Stay back and wait for them," he instructed, and as they all rushed out of the adjacent rooms, hurled a fireball into their midst. Since most of the party were using swords with Fiery Soul Trap, the enchantment stacked on the existing flames, and it was quickly over. Linwe was the last to fall, and the locket was on his body.

His room also contained a copy of Mace Etiquette. Clark gave it to Jordis, as the junior member of the crew. She was the most likely to benefit from reading it.

---

Wuunferth knew very little about the unusual gem in his room. He'd found it in a cave somewhere, but he didn't recall where. He'd noted the minimal levitation spell on the case, and that's why he'd picked it up. When he got it back to Windhelm and examined it further, he couldn't find anything special about it.
Gilda told him the little she knew of its origins.

"Well, if you're collecting them, you can have this one. The only reason I still have it was curiosity, and that's more likely to be satisfied if you can get the whole set. Let me know if you manage it."

---

"Where next?" Clark asked.

"The silver mould is supposed to be at Pinewatch. That's a small cottage outside Falkreath, so there won't be a whole gang to deal with there. I was thinking I'd just sneak in and steal it back."

"I think I know where you mean. Siddgeir was trying to sell me a plot of land near there. He's not exactly the trustworthy type, even if he is Jarl. He called it Lakeview, so it wouldn't surprise me to find the land's at the bottom of the lake. Still, I have the directions from his steward, so I could take a look while you're retrieving the mould."

"I take it we're going back home, then?" Lydia asked, indicating herself and Jordis.

"Take Jordis back to Breezehome, and I'll pick her up on the way back. I'm sure you two can find something to do at the Bannered Mare."

"And sell the stuff we picked up here, to pay for the mead?" Lydia inquired.

"I thought the men bought all your drinks?"

"Busted!" Jordis laughed.

---

Before travelling back, they all went to listen to Luaffyn sing, (and have a drink or two) at Candlehearth Hall. Gilda recognised the mage sitting by herself in one corner.

"Isn't that Brelyna, from Winterhold? We met her at the Frozen Hearth when we went back to Enthir to get Gallus' journal translated."

"Yes, I think you're right. I wonder what she's doing here?" Clark agreed. He almost hadn't recognised her. She'd been wearing a rather shapeless Apprentice robe before, with a hood that hid most of her face. Now she had a tailored Expert robe, that revealed a slender, but shapely figure, and showed a bit of leg. She'd shed the hood, and Clark couldn't help thinking http://ghastley.org/Skyrim/images/BrelynaCandlehearth.jpg.

It turned out she was on her way to fetch some books from Fellglow Keep, not far from Whiterun. A mage apprentice called Orthorn had stolen them from the library, and one of them was apparently connected to the Eye of Magnus.

"And you're going alone?" Clark asked. Brelyna hadn't exactly struck him as the bold, adventurous type when they'd first met. Capable enough, but not really confident in her own abilities.

"Yes, and it surprises me, too. I'd never have believed I could do that before I met Diablita. She's shown me my spells are up to the challenge. Mind you, I'd still feel happier if I had someone with a big sword coming along with me."

Jordis and Lydia both giggled at the double meaning, and drew Clark's attention. "I may have the next best thing," he told Brelyna. "Jordis and Lydia here are heading that way, and would be delighted to help."

"But tell me how you know my old friend Diablita," he continued. "Was she at the College?"

"Only for a short time," Brelyna explained. "She'd come to buy a spell tome for Ebonyflesh from Tolfdir. He's the only one who sells that*. When she arrived, we were all in the Hall of the Elements having a lesson on wards. She listened in, and helped Toldfir with a demonstration, just before we all went off to Saarthal. You know what happened there."

"Was Diablita with you at Saarthal?" Clark asked her.

"No, she stayed behind at the College, shopping for other spells, I think. Anyway, she was there when we got back. I told her all about what had happened, and how scared I'd been. The Psijic monk appearing in a vision, and then all the fights with the Draugr. Fortunately Tolfdir was there to help me with Jyrik Gauldurson, or I'd never have got out alive!"

"Diablita told me that Tolfdir had said the same about me. He said that if I hadn't taken care of Jyrik, he'd be dead. I suppose it was a joint effort, after all."

"She told me I just needed a bit more experience to get my confidence up, and she could help with that. We went off and explored a few caves in the area, and fought a few bears and trolls, and I think she was right. It was her idea to use staves for my destruction, so I wouldn't have to raise all my skills at once. And she helped me with my magical practice, too."

Brelyna looked a bit embarrassed when she said that. "I did turn her into a dog at one point. But my spell to reverse that worked, so it all turned out well in the end. And I'm a lot more confident in my spells now, too."

Clark grinned. "Well, two housecarls may not add up to one Diablita, but they're better than nothing. And they have a lot more armour! Use them as a shield, they're quite tough. Or turn them into dogs, if you feel inclined."

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

Note: Clark and Vicu�a both use Ebonyflesh, and didn't get theirs from Tolfdir, who really is the only source in Skyrim. Clark learned his long ago, and Vicu�a before she arrived from Morrowind.

Posted by: Grits Apr 15 2015, 05:49 PM

That’s an inventive application of Dwemer technology! Now everyone’s going to want one.

It’s always fun to hear about the game’s quests going on in the background. Must have been quite a party at Jorrvaskr. It’s fun to think of Lydia with a social life.

I laughed at the thought that with Jarl Siddgeir, Lakeview could mean a view from the bottom of the lake.

Brelyna’s short robe looks nice. Woo, she’s doing the MG questline (maybe)! I can’t wait to see what Clark does with her hair. I have a special fondness for Brelyna. Jerric enjoyed his brief time as a dog.

Posted by: Acadian Apr 15 2015, 06:27 PM

Clark, Lydia and Jordis are working well together at dungeon clearing!

’Siddgeir was trying to sell me a plot of land near there. He's not exactly the trustworthy type, even if he is Jarl. He called it Lakeview, so it wouldn't surprise me to find the land's at the bottom of the lake.’ - - Same reaction here as from Grits!

Brelyna! She is one of my fave NPCs and it’s fabulous that you have her on a track that might even lead to Arch Magehood for her someday! Yup, gotta do something about her hair though.

And, as ever, I really like that Clark is only part of what is going in Skyrim. Others are doing quests that he either helps with or only hears about – very neat!

Posted by: ghastley Apr 22 2015, 02:21 PM

Grits: Not everyone is going to feel the same about "the Madesi", as we'll see in this one.

The only problem with having Clark as an observer is remembering which of his companions has met whom, and who needs to be informed about things they weren't involved in. For example, Brelyna has met Diablita, and now Gilda, Jordis and Lydia, but not Iona, yet. I've had to rewrite a few episodes where I lost track.


Acadian: When I first took the screenshot of Brelyna, I'd already fixed her hair, and I had to re-shoot with her original hair to match the story! She's definitely on her way through that quest line, and we'll see her again soon.

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

Previously: Gilda, Lydia, Jordis and Clark eliminated the Summerset Shadows, the first of Gilda's tasks for the thieves Guild. Jordis and Lydia went with Brelyna to retrieve some books for the College, while Clark and Gilda headed for Pinewatch to pick up a silver mould for her next job.

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

Part 32 - Pinewatch

"This isn't a bad location," Clark was thinking. "Decent view of the lake, protected from the wind by the rocks to the East, and far enough off the roads either side for some privacy. There's enough level ground for quite a large building, too."

He wandered around a little, and found several ore veins, and clay deposits, nearby. Those would be useful, as they'd provide quite a bit of the building materials a house would take. There were quite a few mature trees that someone had already started logging. That could have been Gerdur in Riverwood, or maybe Hert at Half-moon Mill. He'd have to go to one of the mills to get lumber sawn anyway, and they hauled it as part of the price.

He heard Gilda calling him. She was waiting outside the door of Pinewatch, beckoning him over.

"The item's not in the cottage, and I found a secret opening behind some shelves in the basement. It looks like there's a whole set of caves leading off beneath the hills. And I found a note that suggests a gang of bandits is based here. That makes a lot more sense of why the Guild sent me."

"I take it you'd like some assistance?"

"If only to carry out the loot," she replied. "Who knows what else they have stashed down there."

"Do we go and get the housecarls from Whiterun, and do it tomorrow in force?" he suggested.

"No, I left a dead bandit in the basement. If we don't do it now, they'll be expecting us."

---

Gilda stepped out of the tunnel onto a platform overlooking a large cave. "It's like a warehouse! This cave alone must be twice the size of the house above."

Certainly there was a resemblance. Shelves held crates and barrels on two distinct levels. A walkway wound around to give access to the upper level, and it seemed to lead off to another cave beyond. Someone was coming from that direction, and he'd probably spot them soon.

When he did, he had no option but to approach along the walkway, and fell to Gilda and Clark's ranged spells before he could use his warhammer. But the archer who emerged behind him didn't have that problem.

Clark pulled an arrow from his arm and cast a healing spell, as Gilda finished off the archer.

"I should have cast my armour quicker, but I didn't think I'd need it right away. I won't repeat that mistake."

"Then cast now, because I think I hear another one."

Clark did, and followed with a ward. The bandit wasn't carrying a weapon, and that usually meant mage. Her frost spell bounced harmlessly off, and Gilda was on her before she could change tactics.

They surprised a trio of bandits around a table in the next cave. Clark sent in a fireball before they could get up, and that made up for their lack of numbers. One of them was already dead in his chair, and the other two down to half their health before they started to fight.

Clark and Gilda paused to heal, and for Clark to get his magicka back. They might need that fireball again. Gilda took the opportunity to look around the cave for the silver mould. She didn't really expect to find it. They hadn't encountered the bandit chief yet, someone called Rigel Strong-Arm, according to the note Gilda had found in the house.

The next tunnel took them into what looked like part of a Nordic barrow. There were coffins around the walls, upright, in the ancient style, and the remains of draugr lying scattered on the floor. It appeared that the bandits had had some clearing of their own to do when they moved in.

One lone bandit was patrolling the area. He didn't put up much opposition. There were two ways out, and no clear choice between them. The first just led into a closed room. "But look what's here!" exclaimed Gilda. "Another of those gems."

There was quite a bit of other bandit loot, but no sign of the silver mould, or of Rigel.

They took the other exit, and soon found themselves entering the bandit gang's main sleeping area. Several of the beds were occupied, but they were all spread out along the wall, and Clark's fireball wasn't going to be very effective. They stopped at the entrance, and Clark put up a ward, while Gilda fired Ice Spikes at the sleeping bandits. With the slowing effect of the frost spell, the bandits could only reach them one at a time, and Clark and Gilda were able to use their swords to good effect.

"There's more coming from the next room"

Gilda responded to Clark's warning by firing Ice in that direction. The bandit slowed in the opening, effectively blocking it for those behind him. That gave Clark time to drink a potion and replenish his magicka. He raised his ward again, for another round of the same tactics.

Still no Rigel Strong-arm. She had to be farther in, probably guarding a chest with that silver mould in it.

Gilda stopped Clark at the entrance to the next room. There were bone rattles hanging from the ceiling everywhere, and an area screened off at the far end.

"I'd bet anything Rigel's behind that screen, probably asleep," she whispered. "In which case, this is a stealth job."

Gilda crept silently across the room, easily avoiding all the rattles, and disappeared around the corner. She emerged a few minutes later and beckoned Clark over to sneak after her. "I just learned how to do this, and I've been itching to try it," she whispered when he arrived.

Gilda pointed at Rigel, naked on her bed. "I pickpocketed her armour, right off her back."

Rigel rolled onto her back, snoring loudly. "Now isn't that pretty?" Clark mused. "How sure are we that she's the last one?" he asked Gilda.

"Fairly sure. There's only the one door out of here, and it's locked. With this key, which she had safely hidden in her armour."

Clark whispered in Gilda's ear, and she giggled. "Ooh, that's mean. Let's do it!"

Rigel's wrists and ankles were quickly tied to the bedposts. She struggled mightily, but she couldn't stop them. Clark reached into his backpack and pulled out Madesi's Dwemer-powered dildo.

"We're not going to hurt you, Rigel. Quite the opposite."

---

"I think she just passed out. She took more than I thought she could."

Clark watched her breasts rise and fall. She was breathing well, so they hadn't killed her. Gilda untied her wrists and ankles and he healed them, where the leather strips had dug in as she struggled.

"I think it's safe to leave her like this. She won't have any stamina left."

Clark remained on the edge of the bed watching the unconscious Rigel.

"Are you finished with staring at her boobs, or do I have to get mine out to lure you away?"

"That won't be necessary, but if you feel like it..."

Gilda pulled him to his feet, and pushed him through the door behind her.

"Careful, you almost pushed me into a trap."

There was a plate on the floor that obviously triggered something. Clark backed up and looked around. "Up there, that beam's set to swing down when it's released. I should be able to set it off without getting hit. There!"

The beam dropped, and swung past him. "Now let's move, before the trap resets."

There were two more traps on the way to Rigel's treasure cache. A dart trap, rigged to another plate on the floor, and a mace trap behind the last door. None of them a problem, because they were expected. A further pressure plate was in front of an altar, but they just went around the other side. The altar was covered in gold coins, gems, ingots, ores, and the silver mould Gilda had been looking for. There were a couple of candlesticks, that looked like they'd been made from the mould, too. Clark piled it all into their backpacks, and hefted one.

"This is about all I can carry. Can you manage yours? I know you have Rigel's armour already."

"No problem," Gilda replied. "The Guild armor fortifies my carrying ability. I don't wear it only to make me look good."

There was a barred door beyond the altar, but the bar was on this side. It led out onto the walkway in the first part of the cave, near the tunnel where they'd come in. They followed it back up to the basement.

Clark dragged the body of the bandit Gilda had killed into the tunnel and pushed the button that closed the secret door. He briefly considered destroying the mechanism, and sealing the place off, but they'd left Rigel alive down there. She'd need to get out, eventually.

---

They sold the armour, and most of the heavier valuables, in Falkreath. Clark found that he had enough gold with him to purchase the plot of land he'd just looked at.

Since he didn't have to deal with Siddgeir for that, just the steward Nenya, he dropped into the Longhouse and made the transaction. A shapely Redguard woman in steel armour and an Alik'r headscarf approached him as he opened the door to leave. "I'm Rayya,your housecarl. The Jarl has decided to make you Thane of Falkreath, now that you own property in his hold. Please come with me, so he can do the formalities."

So he had to meet with Siddgeir after all. The man was as slimy as ever, and told him that he'd have all sorts of interesting work available for Clark now he was Thane. Clark imagined that none of it would be honest.

Clark had to tell Rayya that he didn't actually have a house yet, just a piece of land to build one. "That's no problem," she replied. "Nenya will have had supplies sent to the site, enough to put up the beginnings of your home. I can help you make a start."

"You do that, and I'll go ahead to Markarth," Gilda told him. "You can meet me there when you have Rayya settled in."

Posted by: Acadian Apr 22 2015, 09:59 PM

I’m so glad that Brelyna will be playing a significant role at the College. Like Jordis and Elisef, she’s among my fave ladies of Skyrim.

Ooh, Pinewatch! I know it well – great fun! Gilda and Clark continue to fight well together.

’Clark whispered in Gilda's ear, and she giggled. "Ooh, that's mean. Let's do it!" - - What a clever use for Clark’s dwemerized secret weapon!

And yet another housecarl to break in! Quite the collection Clark has.

Posted by: Grits Apr 22 2015, 10:26 PM

Clark’s going to have a great place to party at Lakeview. I wonder if his neighbor Rigel will come over and say hello. It was fun to remember Pinewatch as Clark and Gilda went through it. That place has a real treasure cache. Neat.

Yay, Rayya! She was worth talking to Jarl Slimeball for.

Posted by: ghastley Apr 29 2015, 03:04 PM

Grits: Although I'm writing many episodes ahead of posting, I still haven't decided what Rigel will do. She'll be aware that anyone else would have just killed her.

Acadian: More Brelyna soon, I promise. Clark now has the "complete set" of housecarls, so he may not want to get Thaned again!

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

Previously: Clark bought the plot of land at Lakeview and discovered that he'd been Thaned again. Gilda knows what that means, so she's left Rayya with Clark and gone to Markarth to see Endon and give him back his silver mould.

In this one, I couldn't help commenting on a few of the oddities of Hearthfires.

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

Part 33 - Lakeview

Rayya showed Clark the workbenches that had been delivered to the site. There was a chest of materials, including ingots of iron and corundum, and an anvil where he could make building materials. "You start making some locks, and nails and things. I'll go see if there's a pickaxe over there by the stone quarry."

Apparently there was, as he soon heard her picking away at the rock. She came back and dumped a load into the chest and returned to dig some more.

Clark read the plans, which didn't have many options to start with. It appeared that he'd have to put up a small house, but he'd get the chance to convert it to be the entryway to a larger one later. That needed some of the stone for a foundation, and more for the floor. He was glad Rayya had started with that. Perhaps she knew in advance?

He worked on laying the stone, as Rayya cut it. Before long, he was able to put a smooth course on top as a floor for the house.

Clark consulted the plans again. The next step was wall framing, which needed logs. Rayya pointed to a pile of them, over by the clay deposits. He noticed a chopping block there, too. He could turn any cut-off pieces into firewood.

With Rayya's help, he put up the roof framing next, before filling in the walls with wattle-and daub panels. There was enough clay in the chest to do that without digging up any more, but he wasn't sure if he needed any for the roof.

No, no clay for the roof, just timber. And nails. Clark had to make more of those first. He'd used the first batch up doing the walls. Now the only thing to add was the front door. He needed to make hinges and fittings for that, and they used up the last of the iron ingots in the chest.

Some of the left-over wood assembled a workbench inside for making furniture. Raaya had apparently put together a chest, too, but the rest of the room was bare. Clark checked the plans, to see what furniture he could make. "We'll want a bed as soon as possible," Rayya reminded him. She was much more subtle about it than Lydia, Iona or Jordis, but he knew what she meant.

"We don't have the materials for that. Did you need to use the last of the timber for the chest?"

Rayya pointed out that they didn't have any straw, and a bed needed that, too. He wouldn't have been able to make one anyway.

"Where do I get straw? And is there anything else we need to buy?"

"Read the plans. There should be a list of materials there somewhere."

There were a couple of items that he'd only be able to get at a general store. Straw was one, and glass was another. Goat horns, for making lamps, could be obtained from dead goats, but it looked like he'd need more than he'd find easily. He'd better buy some of those, too.

Clark looked outside. The sun was on its way down, but they could just get to Riverwood before the stores there closed.

---

Clark sent Rayya to buy iron and corundum ingots from the smithy, while he picked up the other materials from the Riverwood Trader. "And if you're done before I am, head for Gerdur's mill and order some more logs."

"Of course, my Thane."

---

It was getting dark when they arrived back at the Lakeview site. Clark made some more nails, and put a bed together. Then some iron fittings, so they could have lights inside and out, using some of the goat horns he'd bought.

"I won't put a fireplace in yet." he told Rayya. "If I'm reading the plans right, it looks like it would have to be removed if we make the house bigger. The bed can be moved, but a firepit can't."

"What I will do, is put up a smelter. We've got iron and corundum veins right here, and we might as well use our own materials. And we have enough of them to make an armorer's workbench and a grindstone."

Rayya looked over the plans. "If you add the Animal pen, that includes a tanning rack. You used the last of your leather strips making the bed. We'll probably need more later on."

She went inside while he did that, to put a bear pelt over the bed. It would keep the straw from poking through, and making them itch. Somewhere in the plans were instructions on upgrading the bed, but for some reason that might not be possible until they'd added on the main hall. Perhaps there was some piece of equipment he had to construct first. He needed to read it all through a few times, and figure out what he needed, and in what order.

The animal pen was simple enough to put together, and Clark made some more leather strips, and stowed them in the chest for future use. He decided to test out the smelter, too, so he mined some iron ore and made a few ingots. He stowed those away, and went inside.

Rayya had changed out of her steel armour into something more comfortable. A pair of baggy trousers, made of sheer silk that he could easily see through. She'd swapped her grey headscarf for a more colourful one, but the only other thing she was wearing was a sash around her waist.

Her breasts were small, high, and absolutely beautiful. They suited her slender, willowy figure perfectly, and they jiggled enticingly when she laughed.

She kept her headscarf on, even in bed. "An Alik'r woman doesn't show her hair to strangers. It's considered immodest."

"But you showed me everything else."

"I didn't say our traditions made sense, I just told you what they are. And now we've got to know each other, I can take it off."

Her hair was jet-black, and Clark guessed that it had never been cut. It reached down her back all the way to her buttocks, and might have gone further if it had been straight, instead of being curled into ringlets.

Although the hair on her head might never have been cut, she had none anywhere else. She explained that it was all part of not showing it to strangers. She couldn't just cover it up, or he'd never get to know her properly.

---

Clark now had three Nord housecarls that all fought the same way: with sword and shield. Rayya hadn't been carrying a shield, and her sword looked different, too.

"Yes, I use two scimitars. I prefer the faster attack to the greater defense of a shield. They taught us all the same way, so I know heavy armour, and have the smithing skill to make it. And block, even though I don't do that. Archery, of course, and enough restoration to heal both of us."

"You can make different armour on the anvil outside, if you'd prefer something lighter. Heavy and fast dont really go together."

"I might do that, once I have the skill. I quite like the look of the armour the Thalmor soldiers wear, except that I wouldn't want anyone to think I was one of them."

"You mentioned having other housecarls," she continued. "Where else are you Thane?"

"Riften, Solitude, and Whiterun. I also have property in Markarth, but it's a brothel, not a home. I'm basically a businessman, and that's just one of the businesses. I trade with the merchants and the shipping companies, and have some factories in various places."

"Making what?"

"These, for example. I can't live at all my houses all the time, so these are invaluable." This wasn't Madesi's, just a plain one, carved from a Horker tusk.

"Ivory, isn't it? I think I've seen this style before, too. They make them like this in Hammerfell."

"Yes, that's where that one was made, in one of the coastal cities. I've had to move my factories several times because of wars and pirate raids, so I can't remember where exactly that one came from."

"Does this mean you'll be leaving soon?"

"Not yet, but it does let me try a few things with you that I couldn't do without help."

---

"How many iron ingots do we have?" he asked.

Rayya looked up from the chest, where she'd been taking stock. "I think we have just enough to put up the main hall, and then we need to decide whether to mine and smelt, or buy more."

"We can add the cellar as well," Clark stated. "That just needs stone and logs. I want to install the Alchemy and Enchanting stations in the main hall, even if we build the towers later. You'll be able to use them to practise while I'm away, and if we put the target dummies in the basement, you can use those too."

"Are you going to have time to make all the furniture? I thought you needed to go to Markarth fairly soon."

"No, but if I appoint you steward, you'll have the authority to hire someone to do it for us. If you make the materials, here on the anvil, it will improve your smithing, too. When I get back, we'll decide about the wings. I'm thinking kitchen first, then bedrooms, and the tower at the back, for the view."

"Why the extra bedrooms? We'll have three beds already in the main hall, and you and I only need one of them."

"Because I may bring other people here. If it was just the housecarls, I'm sure we'd all be in the same bed, but ..."

"I get the point. I was just worried you were thinking family already."

"You may be sworn to carry my burdens, but I expect you to avoid carrying that one."

Rayya laughed. "Of course, my Thane."

Posted by: Acadian Apr 30 2015, 12:31 AM

Clark the homebuilder! I suppose it is good that all the other Jarls provide men for housecarls. That helps keep Clark’s collection manageable.

It was nice of Clark to do so much of the work instead of just delegating to Rayya and disappearing. I don’t think manual labor is his forte, but he gave it a good shot. And it was fun to follow along with his and Rayya's progress on the house.

Ahah, no plans for any little ones at this point. I wonder if they'll adopt?

No, silly! You can’t upgrade the bed until you build the big hall!

Posted by: ghastley May 6 2015, 08:03 PM

Acadian: Clark may need another housecarl to help take care of his housecarls! (They'd probably like that).

He expects Rayya to hire someone else to help with the work. He's determined that her persuasive skills are up to the job.

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

Previously: Rayya and Clark built the small house at Lakeview and put in a bed, but not much else. He's added the main hall, and made her Steward, so now he can continue to Markarth.

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

Part 34 - Markarth

Makarth hadn't changed much. The few differences Clark could detect seemed to be confined to Understone Keep. The old Jarl's retinue were gone, displaced to Solitude, and Thongvor's people had taken their places. The Thalmor no longer stalked the inner corridors, but Moth gro-Bagol was still the Jarl's personal smith, and the cooking staff remained. Even the dogs were still there.

As Thane of other cities, Clark paid his formal respects to the new Jarl. He asked after Cancelmo, and was told that the Altmer was still working in his excavations. If he wanted to buy any spell tomes or scrolls, he'd have to try and find him there.

Thongvor's attention seemed to be turned outside the city, which he was basically leaving to go about its own business. The Forsworn, the ones that had killed his brother especially, were his focus. They had to be tracked down and exterminated at any cost. It appeared that Thongvor didn't equate Forsworn with Breton, however, or he'd never have trusted his kitchen staff, all of whom were Breton.

Satisfied that his business interests in Markarth weren't under threat from the new regime, Clark went looking for Gilda. The Temple of Dibella was close, and he always enjoyed the company of the priestesses. He was also curious how Fjotra was getting on in her new life as Sybil.

Senna was in the public chamber, as usual, and Fjotra was helping her tidy the shrine. "Yes, if the flowers are wilting, it's all right to throw them away. The worshipers will bring fresh ones."

"Are the others downstairs?" Clark asked.

"Yes, they're in the middle of a ritual, which is why Fjotra's up here with me. She's not ready for those yet."

"They let me join in some of them, but not others," Fjotra added. "I haven't worked out what makes the difference, yet. And sometimes men are allowed to go down there and watch, but I'm not. Other times, it's only the priestesses. It's very confusing."

"Which kind is this one?" Clark asked Senna.

"You can go down," Senna told him.

---

As Clark had expected, Orla and Anwen were dancing. Wearing only lilies in their hair, they were performing an "invocation of natural beauty", which involved a lot of twining themselves around each other, and passing their hands over the other's body. A small audience of men was watching, and Hamal was passing a plate for donations to the Temple.

Clark leaned over her shoulder and put a few septims on the plate. His other hand announced his presence, too.

"Careful," Hamal whispered. "We don't want anybody thinking that's on offer."

The dancers finished and bowed to their audience, who clapped enthusiastically. Then they turned and bowed to the statue of Dibella behind them, to even louder applause.

The men shuffled out of the room. Some of them seemed to have difficulty walking, until they adjusted their clothing. Hamal smiled beatifically, and raised her hands in a sign of blessing.

"Staying prosperous, I see."

"I'm sure most of the men don't actually look at how much they're putting on the plate," Hamal replied. "They don't want to miss anything."

"What brings you here today? Apart from us, of course?" Anwen asked.

"I just looked in to see how Fjotra was doing. I was curious how you're managing to preserve her innocence, and train her for this at the same time."

"It's a question of determining what she understands, before we expose her to it. She has to understand how her body works, and how and why men's are different, before she can understand the rest. She's in the middle of puberty right now, and we've done some of the rituals for that," Hamal explained. "She already knows the spell for cleansing herself. And the one she doesn't need yet. If we make it part of her daily habit, she won't forget it when she's older."

---

Clark found Gilda over at the brothel, chatting with Vicuña. She'd delivered the silver mould to Endon, who'd offered his services to the Guild as a fence in return. "What have you been up to, Clark? Found any more of the Stones of Barenziah?"

Vicuña and Rhiada wanted to know what those were. Clark was carrying one in his backpack, so he showed it to them.

"I've seen one of those before," Rhiada exclaimed. "Now, where was it? Can't have been in the Warrens, so it must have been at the Treasury House. I don't recall where, exactly, and I haven't been over there for a while. Maybe Betrid remembers seeing it, too?"

"Yes, Thonar had one of those. Silly little bauble, it doesn't do anything but sit there, slowly turning, and glowing slightly. Not enough light to read by, or it would actually be useful."

"Gilda?"

She was already gone. The Treasury House wasn't far, and at this time of day, the main door would be open. She'd only have to pick a lock if it was in a back room.

They didn't expect her to take long, so when she hadn't returned a couple of hours later, Clark started to worry. He was walking to the door to go look for her, when she came in.

"After I picked up the first one, I suddenly recalled where I'd seen another," she explained. "There was one in the Dwemer museum, up at Understone Keep. I ran into Aicantar again, and he remembered me from my last visit. He'd rather enjoyed that, and hoped that I'd stay a while. I suggested that he come here, instead, but he can't get away from his uncle for long. So we had a quickie in his room before I came back."

"Quickie? You've been gone for hours!"

"A quickie is when he doesn't use any stamina potions," Gilda stated, looking at Vicuña for confirmation. The Dunmer nodded agreement.

"Aicantar's an elf. We're never in the same hurry you people are."

Posted by: Acadian May 6 2015, 10:05 PM

Politicians Jarls come and go, but I figure the nature of Clark and Vicuña’s business in Markarth render it mostly immune to such events.

Gilda got two stones and one elf in the same outing!

"Aicantar's an elf. We're never in the same hurry you people are."

Posted by: Grits May 12 2015, 05:06 PM

Lakeview: Clark got his furniture together much faster than I ever have, but of course he didn’t have to interpret stick figures drawn by Ikea. Funny about the straw bed before the main hall, nice bed after. How fun that Rayya had all of that hair tucked under her headwrap! I love her outfit.

Markarth: The line Acadian pointed out was also my favorite!

Posted by: mALX May 12 2015, 05:47 PM

I am so missing being able to read Clark's adventures! I still haven't been able to finish his fun in Cyrodiil, but I hope to one day be able to finish the stories I miss so much, and Clark is most def one of my faves.

Posted by: ghastley May 13 2015, 02:06 PM

Acadian: The Champion of Cyrodiil taught Clark that brothels and "toys" would always make money when wars took people away from their homes. He's done well from remembering that.

Grits: I always thought that headscarf was too big for its purpose, and a lot of hair was the only explanation. I wonder if anyone has made a mod that puts an Ikea store in Skyrim? (Requires Hearthfires and a lack of taste).

mALX: Hope I don't get too far ahead of you!

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

Previously: Clark returned to Markarth to find out what effect the change of Jarl had brought. Gilda found a couple more Stones of Barenziah. Now he has a lot of loose ends to tie up (or tangle).

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

Part 35 - Leaving Markarth

As they left Markarth, a courier came up to Clark with a letter. It was from Diablita, in Raven Rock, letting Clark know that the ebony mine was back open. The East Empire Company had closed it as too dangerous to work, rather than because it was exhausted, and she'd cleared up the draugr infestation. She found herself a nice blade in the process, too.

It went on to say that she'd done a couple of other things for the folk of Raven Rock, including foiling an attempt on the life of the First Councilor. They'd given her the house that the plotters had owned, so she was now an official resident. There wasn't a lot of bed space, though, so Clark should come alone, or with at most one companion.

She was currently going around the island, restoring the standing stones for the Skaal. This was all tied up somehow with another Dragonborn from long ago called Miraak. He was trying to get back to Mundus from Hermaeus Mora's Apocrypha, and his attempt was disrupting the lives of everyone on the island. She'd got some help from an old Dunmer wizard called Neloth, who lived in a giant mushroom that he'd grown from spores from one in Morrowind.

"Vicuña said something about her parents growing a new tower near Blacklight. That's a House Telvanni thing; none of the other Dunmer houses do that." Clark told Gilda. "Let's go back and let her know about Neloth. She might know him, and want to visit."

'You do that, I want to get back to Riften. I'm supposed to be inducted as Guildmaster, and I want to see who turns up for the ceremony."

"Maven and her brood, you mean? Does she still think she owns the Guild?"

"That's what I'd like to find out. She presumably owned Mercer Frey, but does she see his replacement as just part of business as usual, or what?"

"Be careful, then. She'll have the city guard backing her if it gets ugly."

---

"Well, of course I know of Master Neloth, but I've never met him myself. My father replaced Mistress Therana on the Council, when the Vivec Guild of Mages tried to have them all assassinated, and in a few cases, succeeded. Neloth, of course, survived, as did Master Aryon, but Mistress Dratha went missing. Master Gothren, the chairman, was at Ald'ruhn when the Daedra hordes sacked it. Nobody survived that."

"Does the Council still operate, now that Vvardenfell is uninhabitable?"

"No, which is probably why Master Neloth has moved to Solstheim. There's no need to be in any contact with the others. And there may also be something there to further his research. His special skill is enchanting, like my father's is teleportation, and my mother's is levitation. It's possible that he may have gone there for the Stalhrim, or some other material that takes enchantment well. Since Solstheim is Dunmer territory now, it would be much easier for him to set up house, even with House Redoran nominally in charge."

"So what's your field? All I know about your use of magic is that you throw a mean fireball, and you enchant amulets with a levitation effect that women love."

"I'm still dabbling in whatever I find useful at the time. It will take me years to decide. Perhaps talking to Master Neloth will give me some ideas."

"Does that mean you'd like to come to Solstheim with me?"

"If I may. I've never been there before, although I've gone to most parts of Skyrim."

"I need to do a few other things before I go there. Why don't I meet you in Windhelm, a month from now. Take a room at the Candlehearth Hall if I'm not there when you arrive."

---

Clark needed to talk to Madesi about the mechanical dildo. Full power on the prototype was probably a bit excessive, and if he was going to manufacture and sell them, it needed to be reduced. If the Argonian could manage that, he knew someone who might like the next one.

"Limiting the power range is a simple change," Madesi assured him. "In fact, I've already incorporated that feature into the latest one. Mind you, I wasn't actually thinking about the person using it, so much as not overloading the dynamo core. All I needed to do was restrict the movement of the control with a limit screw, ...."

Clark hadn't really been listening past the point where Madesi told him it was already done. He told the Argonian to start making them in quantity.

"I'll need additional workers for that. I can't produce more than one a week on my own."

"Then hire some. I suggest you have each worker produce a piece of the assembly, rather than make the whole thing. That way, they'll all end up the same quality, and you won't have to teach each person everything. And if it's fiddly work, hire women. They're better at that sort of thing, probably from sewing, and similar domestic work. Plus, they can test them for you!"

"Not if they're trying to work at the same time. You need all your concentration for that. And I don't know if Iona would let anyone else do her job."

"Oh, she's been helpful, has she? I'll talk to her about that, and make sure she's properly compensated."

---

"Madesi tells me you've been working on quality assurance for his latest product."

"Yes, well he brought it round to Honeyside to see if you were home. Of course, you weren't, but I was. So he told me what it was all about, and I'm sworn to carry your burdens, so of course I volunteered. After all, I'd imagine I'd be doing that if you were home."

Clark had to admit that it was a job only a woman could do properly.

"He left a number of them here, and asked me to let him know which one I preferred. They're all different colours, with the red one being the strongest, and the blue one the weakest. The red one's a bit too much. I like the orange one, the next one down."

Clark gathered up the others, and put them in his backpack. He'd be leaving for Solitude the next day, and he'd see if Madesi had another orange to restore the set.

---

Elisif surprised Clark by preferring the green one. "I need to be able to keep quiet," she reminded him. "The yellow makes me moan, whether I want to or not, and the red one would have me screaming!"

She was intelligent enough to know without asking that Clark wouldn't be around the court much in the next few weeks. "Where are you heading for?" she wanted to know.

Clark told her about Diablita's letter from Solstheim.

"She's the Dragonborn? I'm glad to hear she's left the mainland. The Thalmor are still stinging from the visit she paid to their Embassy a short time back. It seems that Elenwen was tricked into inviting her to one of her parties, and she slipped out through the torture chambers with some stolen dossiers. I believe a few prisoners got loose at the same time. Anyway, they're still hunting for her. That could be why you haven't been invited there yet. They're a lot more careful with their background checks these days."

Posted by: Acadian May 13 2015, 08:09 PM

Nice summary of things on Solstheim, and we can see that Dragonborn Diablita’s been busy.

I like how Clark made arrangements to meet Vicuña in Windhelm. The ability to tell a follower to meet you somewhere should be a mandatory part of follower training.

Posted by: ghastley May 20 2015, 02:05 PM

Acadian: Diablita had done just about all the Dragonborn quest-line by the time she wrote to Clark. It's one that deliberately has the player character solo in Apocrypha much of the time, so it doesn't suit having him help. He'll get to do some side-quest things while he's there, though, especially where there's a mainland connection.

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

Previously: Clark received a letter from Diablita in Solstheim, and agreed to take Vicuña with him to visit her. But he has a number of tasks to accomplish first. This time he's starting to finish Lakeview.

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

Part 36 - Lakeview becomes a Manor

Rayya had furnished the main hall at Lakeview by the time Clark returned. "I put in the Alchemy and Enchanting stations, like you said. And everything else, in here and the entrance hall, except for the animal trophies. I'm not a hunter, so they're not my style, and I wanted to ask you before I did that."

"Leave them out," Clark concurred. "I always find it a bit creepy to have something dead watching me, especially in the bedroom."

"That reminds me," she responded. "Did you decide on what wings to add? You were thinking of bedrooms, kitchen and a tower, if I recall."

"Yes, that's the plan, and it's why I'm back here now. I want to get the structures up, so you can furnish while I'm away in Solstheim."

"Can do. I assume the same plan applies, everything but the mounted trophies?"

"And we won't need a second alchemy lab. The storage in the tower will still be useful, though. And weapon racks and armour mannequins everywhere but the basement."

"Yes, what about the cellar?" Rayya asked. "I haven't done anything with that. I wasn't sure if you wanted a forge, or if the anvil outside was enough. And you already built the smelter, grindstone and workbench out there. All that's downstairs right now is an archery target, and I can easily move that."

"Just put the lights down there for now," Clark decided. "I'm not sure if I'll use it for storage, or as a place to throw parties. A big open space can be useful."

"Maybe the mead barrels, then. They'd be useful to have, whichever way you decide."

"Good point. The little one up here won't hold enough for a proper party."

---

Clark noticed that Rayya wasn't wearing her armour. In fact, her outfit was much the same as she'd changed into on their first night here. She'd added a couple of pieces to cover any embarrassment if she went outside and met strangers, and she was wearing her scimitars, too.

He asked her about it. She replied that she was in and out of the house all time, so this was the comfortable compromise. "I don't need the steel armour much anyway. I can fight off wolves or bandits without it, just with a fast attack. I never did decide on a light armour that I like, and I notice you don't use any either."

"That's because I can cast a spell for defense," Clark replied. "Do you think you'd want to learn one?"

"I'm still not sure," she replied. "If I did that, wouldn't I need more magicka?"

"Not if you're only using it for the one spell. You'll have it all back before you need to cast again, and it will need less as you get more experience. I've never needed more."

"You've just about convinced me. It's at least worth learning the spell, so I can try it."

"I may have a spell tome for Oakflesh on the wagon," Clark told her. "Let me check."

---

"Here you go. You'll find that after you've used this for a while, it will take less magicka to cast it. By the time you need a stronger spell, you should be able to cast that for about the same amount of magicka this one takes now. Just don't go chasing giants, until you've learned Ebonyflesh!"

"If we get any giants round here, I'll be up to the top of the tower with my bow!"

"Not until we've built it," Clark reminded her. "We'd better get to work."

"Let me use the anvil this time," Rayya asked. "I could use the experience with my smithing. I've been making all the nails, hinges, locks and fittings for the furniture, and I'm getting close to where I can improve enchanted gear!"

"Have you got anything that needs it?" Clark wanted to know.

"Not yet. I've been holding off on enchanting my Scimitars until I could do that. Otherwise, I'd have to do it the other way round, and temper them before enchanting, and then I'd have to find new ones before I could do it again. Nobody makes these in Skyrim, so that would be a real problem."

Clark had seen a few other Alik'r carrying Scimitars, but nobody else. And you certainly didn't find them in any smith's inventory.

"What did you want to enchant them with, anyway?"

"I'd hoped to persuade you to put fiery soul trap on one of them, but I'm not sure what would go with it on the other."

"I'll look out for ideas," Clark replied. "Master Neloth on Solstheim may know enchantments I've not heard of."

---

Rayya was disappointed that Clark was leaving again. They hadn't had time to try all the beds, and she had a new recipe for vegetable soup he hadn't tasted. "It's spicier than your other housecarls would make. You've been to Hammerfell, so you know how different the cuisine is there."

"If you think Hammerfell food is spicy, then you haven't tasted food from Elsweyr," he replied. "The hotter the country, the hotter the food, and the deserts there are hot even at night."

Rayya hadn't actually been to the Alik'r desert herself. Her parents had come from there before she was born and she'd been brought up in Elinhir, just over the border. But she had heard that it could be as cold at night as it was in Skyrim. Dry sand didn't hold the heat the way water did, even when it was ice. She knew that Clark had been there, as he'd told her that some of his merchandise came from the area.

"Have you been to Elsweyr, or just had food from the caravan people?" she asked. "I think they make their food extra-hot as a joke on anyone who's not a Khajiit."

"Yes, I've been there. Before the Mane was assassinated, and the tribes went back to fighting each other, you could travel freely around the whole province."

"But that was nearly two hundred years ago!" Rayya protested.

Clark hadn't told her about his immortality. He'd been too busy house-building, and it had slipped his mind that she'd need to know. It was a long story. Maybe he could stay one more night.

Posted by: Acadian May 20 2015, 06:38 PM

Nice banter between Rayya and Clark as we get brought up to speed on Lakeview progress and plans.

Enchanting a set of dual scimitars? Fiery soul trap is indeed a great choice for one. Absorb health comes to mind for the other?

Oops. Clark let slip his age. . . . Yeah, he’d better stay another night just to prove he still possesses his youthful vigor.


Nit: ’She'd added a couple of pieces to cover any embarassment if she went outside and met strangers,...’ – - Spelling of embarrassment. I don’t think using a single r is a British variant, but please correct me if I’m wrong.

Posted by: Grits May 23 2015, 12:36 AM

I applaud Rayya and Clark’s taste leaving out the animal heads. I think the horker looks particularly appalling. A cellar party room is a great idea! The entire back room is empty in most of my games until I think of a good way to use it. Besides for sparring, of course.

Hmm, I wonder what Rayya will choose for her second enchantment. I’m looking forward to Clark and Vicuña’s journey to Solstheim.

Posted by: mALX May 23 2015, 10:01 PM

Even though I can't read this at this time, I want to make sure to continue supporting Clark's story for all the fun and laughter Clark has brought me over the years in his stories. This is one of my favorite stories, and I really miss it!

Posted by: ghastley May 27 2015, 02:52 PM

Acadian: The correct spelling is embare-assment, I think.

Grits: There's just a possibility that Clark will find a couple of scimitars on Solstheim that are already enchanted. Soulrender and Bloodscythe seem to be made for her.

mALX: Clark will be waiting!

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

Previously: Clark finished the external construction at Lakeview and left Rayya to furnish it. He promised to look for enchantments for her scimitars while he was on Solstheim.

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

Part 37 - Mzinchaleft

Before he set off for Solstheim, Clark had a few other visits to make. Gilda and Karliah were busy putting the Thieves Guild back together, so he wanted to go to Riften and see how they were getting on. He'd never got round to upgrading Iona's armour, either. It seemed to him wrong to pair Chillrend with plain steel, and she needed something better. It probably wouldn't be long before Riften saw some action, and he didn't want her at a disadvantage.

It turned out that she'd had the same idea herself. She'd been training with Balimund, and could already craft Dwarven equipment. The problem was that the smith didn't have a large supply of the metal, as most of his customers needed iron and steel.

"You get that from Dwemer ruins," Clark recalled. "But apart from Markarth, at the other end of the province, I don't know where any of them are. We should ask Mjoll, if she doesn't object to being reminded of the subject."

"Oh, I've met her," Iona replied. "She's the one who lost her sword in one of the ruins, isn't she? So she should know the way to that one, at least. Let's go over to the Bee and Barb, and see if she's there. She and Aerin go there most evenings."

Mjoll and Aerin weren't the only familiar faces. "Brelyna, what are you doing in Riften?"

"Looking for a Dwemer ruin," she replied. "I don't expect to find it here in town, but I know it's not too far from here, and someone might know exactly where it is."

"So you're looking for one in particular, not just any Dwemer ruin?"

"Yes, I need to find Mzulft. There's a party of mages from Cyrodiil that I need to talk to, and they were last known to be headed there."

"The local expert on Dwemer ruins is probably Mjoll, and Iona and I came to see her, too. Let me introduce you."

---

Mjoll didn't remember where Mzulft was. She had been there, but her mind was too full of Mzinchaleft. "I won't be able to think straight until I get Grimsever back, I'm afraid."

"You at least remember where that is, don't you?"

"Not really, but I'm sure Aerin does. That's where he found me, after all."

Aerin was able to mark Mzinchaleft on the map for them. "I do hope you can get Mjoll's sword back."

---

Brelyna didn't mind the prospect of visiting two Dwemer ruins, as long as one of them was Mzulft. She wouldn't explain why that was important, but "College business" would have to do for now.

"We'll ride in my wagon," Clark decided. "It's a bit slow, but Iona needs to collect as much Dwarven metal as she can, and that stuff is heavy. The wagon can carry all we find, as well as the three of us."

"Three?" Brelyna queried.

"You, me and Iona. Mjoll's not up to going back without Grimsever in her hands. We'll come back here if we find it, and see if that helps her remember about Mzulft."

---

It took a couple of days to get there, and the welcome they got wasn't exactly friendly. A party of bandits had occupied the buildings above ground, and didn't take kindly to visitors. Fortunately, there weren't many of them, and they had the usual lack of coordination that untrained warriors often exhibit. No more than a couple of them attacked at any time, which meant they were outnumbered in each skirmish.

They also seemed to be particularly intimidated by the Frost Atronachs that Brelyna summoned. They're large, impressive-looking brutes, even if they're slow and don't really do as much damage as you'd think.

"Their size can be a problem in caves," Brelyna admitted. "Although they'll happily fight for you, they also tend to get stuck in the narrow parts, and you can't make them understand that you want to pass. And don't even think about sneaking when one of them is with you!"

They encountered a few more bandits just inside, who weren't expecting them, and were easily picked off as the advancing party met them. They'd apparently dealt with a few of the Dwarven automata in this section of the ruins, as the remains of a couple of Dwarven spiders were lying around. Iona searched them, but found little to salvage.

The wreck of a Dwarven sphere a bit further in provided a small plate that could be melted down, and they could hear sounds of fighting from the bottom of the next ramp. Through the gate at the bottom, they could just about make out a couple more of the spheres fighting some more bandits. They let it play out before opening the gate to finish off the surviving sphere.

Only one of the spheres yielded any useful scrap, but there were a couple of pieces of plate in a corner.

---

Those appeared to be the last of the bandits, and only some more of the automata were roaming the next few corridors. They appeared one at a time, which put them at a major disadvantage against the team.

"I'm surprised we haven't come across any traps yet. The Dwemer seemed to be as fond of those as the Ayleids were in Cyrodiil," Clark remarked.

"Like that?" Iona asked.

"I don't think that's a trap," Brelyna said. "But they were just as fond of puzzles. We're going to have to figure out what order to pull those levers in order to get through."

"I'm betting that the valve in the last chamber will release all the doors, so we don't all have to go together," Clark replied. "Brelyna, follow me. Iona, stay with the first lever, in case we need it pulled again."

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed.

It didn't prove too complicated a puzzle, and Clark's assumption about the valve proved correct. All the remaining gates opened at once, and the path was clear.

In the next room was another lever, operating a lift.

Posted by: Acadian May 27 2015, 06:43 PM

Nice job of tying Mjoll’s wonderful quest to Aspiring Arch Mage Brelyna’s ‘College business’.

Aerin is sweet to offer the location of Grimsever and extend his wishes for success. I’m sure he realizes that Mjoll might begin adventuring again if she regains that weapon, yet he cares about her more than himself.

I’m sure that Darnand (from Jerric’s world) would agree with Bre’s assessment of frost atronachs and their merit/utility.

Clark is handy to have along when it comes to solving puzzles it seems.

Posted by: Grits May 28 2015, 03:53 PM

Mzulft and Mzinchaleft, I can never keep those two straight. No wonder Mjoll sounds confused.

Acadian is right, I know some folks who would agree with Brelyna’s assessment of her frost atronach, especially getting stuck in the narrow parts!

Good plan to leave someone at the first lever. That puzzle causes some concern when the bars go back up behind you. How fun to have Brelyna along for this adventure.

Posted by: ghastley Jun 3 2015, 02:23 PM

Acadian: Brelyna's going to need someone like Mjoll to help with the rest of the quests. The CoW quests are hardest for a pure mage, and I don't know whether that was intended as a reason for using a follower, or just bad design. Still, it suits the story, so I won;t complain.

Grits: Don't forget Mzark! It's Bthalft and Bthardamz that confuse me.
I wrote the bit about the frostie after my character found herself stuck between Brelyna blocking behind her, and the summons blocking ahead. Nobody could move until the spell expired.

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

Previously Clark, Iona and Brelyna have gone to Mzinchaleft to look for Mjoll's Grimsever, in the hope that she'll then remember how to find Mzulft for Brelyna.

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

Part 38 - Mzinchaleft Depths

"How far down do you think we are?" Iona asked.

"As long as there's another lift to take us back up, it doesn't make a lot of difference," Clark replied. "I'm more worried about the Falmer, than the depth." He pointed forward, at a body lying on the stone floor.

They also found a broken Dwarven Spider. "No usable scrap on this one, just a soul gem."

"I'll take that, if it's filled," Brelyna told her. "I can always use those to top up my staves. Using those for destruction spells leaves my own magicka for conjurations and armour."

"And if it's not filled, give it to me, and I'll see about filling it. My sword does that," Clark reminded her.

---

When he opened the next door, Clark could see a Falmer scout on the bridge up ahead. "How well do you sneak?" he asked Iona. "Can you put couple of arrows in that one before he spots us?"

"I think he might notice the first arrow," she replied, but crept forward with her bow at the ready. The Falmer staggered, as her first arrow hit, and Brelyna added a blast of shock before he could recover.

The sound of the lightning brought a second Falmer to investigate, but again he was hit before he found them.

"Keep it quiet, and it may stay this easy," Clark reminded them. "Falmer are blind, so if they can't hear you, they won't know you're there."

"Chaurus aren't, though," Brelyna interrupted, and used her other staff to send a fireball at the advancing beast. Clark raised a ward just in time to block a spray of poison, and Iona sent an arrow in its direction. It still managed to just reach them before falling to a thrust from Chillrend.

That was the only Chaurus in the area, although they did encounter two more Falmer before entering the building at the end of the bridge. Staying as quiet as possible gave them all the advantage they needed.

---

There were a few more Falmer in the building, but no Chaurus. Stealth proved to be a winning approach, but the tunnel ahead looked ominous.

"There will be Chaurus down here," Iona said, pointing at the egg mound by the wall.

"And not enough room to summon a Frost Atronach. I hate these narrow tunnels," Brelyna agreed.

Clark said nothing. He found that the restricted space made a ward more effective, as you couldn't get around it.

---

After a number of encounters with both Falmer and Chaurus, they eventually emerged at a plaza where the Falmer had set up an encampment. A row of iron spikes barred a gateway on the other side, but there was no sign of a lever or anything that would lower them. "I bet it's up that ramp, in the tower overlooking us," Clark whispered. "We'll have to go past the huts and hope there's nobody home."

Of course there was, but only Falmer, and none of their pets. There was an archer in the tower, and he heard them open the gate to his perch. Iona was in the lead, with her shield up, so he didn't get much of a target to aim at.

Behind him was a button that lowered the barrier. It came down noisily, probably alerting any Falmer on the other side. Indeed, a shaman with a staff of frost was waiting to attack them as soon as they passed through. Clark's ward was already up, and the frost did little. Iona returned fire with her bow, but it took a few arrows to bring the shaman down.

"We either need to go up that ramp, or through the door opposite. Which should we try first?" Brelyna asked.

"The door's on our level, so we'll take a look there first," Clark decided.

It turned out to be just a storeroom, but there was a fair amount of metal scrap, and a broken Dwarven Centurion lying on a bench. That yielded a bit more metal, and a grand soul gem for Brelyna.

---

The ramp lead to a large room with a lot of hissing pipes. At the far end, a functional Centurion stood in its recharging frame, which appeared to block a doorway to something beyond. And on a table next to it, a blade gleamed.

"I wonder if that's Grimsever." Iona mused. "If it is, then that's probably the Centurion that beat up on Mjoll."

Iona moved forward to see if she could get a better look without alerting the Centurion. A port opened in the wall ahead of her, and a Dwarven Sphere emerged. She dropped back hurriedly, and they all fired at the advancing Sphere.

A rush of steam told them the Centurion was activated, too. They hurried to finish off the sphere, before its reinforcements arrived. As it fell apart, Brelyna summoned a Frost Atronach to distract the Centurion. If there was room for the metal giant, there was room for hers, too.

"Quickly, up those stairs over there," Clark called out. "We can drop behind it and grab the sword. I just hope the door isn't locked."

Brelyna continued to use her staves to send a barrage of spells at the Dwarven creature they assumed had been Mjoll's nemesis. Her Frost Atronach was shattered by a mighty blow from the colossus, but it staggered itself as it did so.

"It's weakening," shouted Iona, and she rushed in with her sword before Clark could stop her. Brelyna had to hold her fire, for fear of hitting the housecarl.

If it hadn't been Chillrend in Iona's hand, she might not have inflicted enough damage, but the added frost made all the difference. The great metal legs gave way, and Iona had to dodge quickly out of the way as it fell untidily to the ground.

It rewarded her extra effort with a good haul of scrap metal, and another grand soul gem. There were a couple of gemstones, and weapons that it must have taken from other adventurers who hadn't been so lucky.

"And we do have Grimsever," Clark affirmed. "This sword has just the enchantment Mjoll described."

"It's looking a bit the worse for wear," Brelyna observed. "We ought to clean it up a bit before we give it back."

"I can get Balimund to help me sharpen it up," Iona agreed.

"And we can do better than that," Clark announced. "I have some Malachite on the wagon, so we can improve it for her, if you or Balimund has the skill."

---

"You found it! But wait, there's something different about it. I mean, it's Grimsever all right, but something's changed." Mjoll put down the axe she was carrying and took the great sword* from Iona. "You've had it tempered up a notch, haven't you? I could never manage that myself. Never had the skill, or the material."

"Let me give it a swing," she continued.

Everyone stood back and gave her room. It was a large and heavy blade, but she whirled it around as if it were light as a feather. "It doesn't just look better, it feels better, too. I can't thank you enough!"

"Actually, perhaps you can," Clark began. "Brelyna needs a guide to take her to Mzulft, and Iona and I want to go there too, and look for Dwarven Metal. It will give you the chance to use Grimsever again, I'm sure."

"Back to a Dwarven ruin? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aerin asked.

"I doubt there are any Centurions there," Brelyna explained. "I'm following a group of mages from Cyrodiil, and I'm sure they would not be going there if that was what they expected to find. A few lesser automata, no doubt, and maybe some Falmer, that's all."

"And I think going back to a Dwarven ruin is exactly what Mjoll needs, to put her right. Slay the ghosts, and all that," Clark added. "Remember, she's not going to be alone, this time."

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

*Note: USKP changes Grimsever to a two-hander to match Mjoll's skills.

Posted by: Acadian Jun 3 2015, 06:21 PM

Oh, Mintzelchuffsalot is a great dungeon with the wonderful bonus of helping out dear Mjoll. Buffy went through there recently and it was fun to read how Team Clark did so. And how nice to clean up and improve the blade for Mjoll. She will doubtless make a great escort for Brelyna.

‘And I think going back to a Dwarven ruin is exactly what Mjoll needs, to put her right.’ - - Yup, I agree with Clark!

Posted by: ghastley Jun 10 2015, 01:43 PM

Acadian: Brelyna takes Mjoll to Mzulft (but not Mzark) in this one, and they'll report back in a later piece.

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

Previously: Clark, Iona and Brelyna had gone to Mzinchaleft to look for Mjoll's sword, Grimsever, in the hope that she'd remember more about Dwarven ruins once she had it back. They'd encountered the same Centurion that had given Mjoll so much trouble, but their greater numbers had made the difference.

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

Part 39 - Mzulft

Mjoll now remembered the way to Mzulft. It was about two-thirds of the way to Windhelm, and not too far off the road. You couldn't quite see it as you passed, but there were arches marking the path, so it was hard to miss the turning.

"If I remember, there's a good quantity of metal in that storeroom over there," Mjoll told them, pointing. "I don't like the Dwemer style of armour, too clunky and heavy-looking for my tastes, so I never bothered collecting it. The usual mixture of loot in the main ruin, but there were parts where the doors were locked and I couldn't pick them, so it's worth a second visit."

"You and Iona go and load up at the storeroom, and Mjoll and I will go look for the Imperials, then," Brelyna decided. "We should be all right on our own."

Mjoll wasn't sure. Brelyna was small and unarmoured. She could look after herself, now she had Grimsever, but what about the Dunmer? Clark pointed out that Brelyna was just as resistant to fire as Mjoll was to frost. She could use spells instead of armour, and "Show her the reinforcements," he concluded.

"He's bigger than I am," Mjoll conceded, as the Frost Atronach loomed over her. "Almost as big as the Centurion I fought in Mzinchaleft."

Clark noted that Mjoll didn't have any problems talking about that incident now. It was probably a good sign.

"Whatever happened to him, anyway? Was he still there when you fetched Grimsever?"

"Oh yes," Iona told her, "but not any more."

---

Clark and Iona wished they'd taken the wagon to Mzulft. There was a lot more metal than they'd expected, and it was about as much as they could carry. On the other hand, Iona had more than enough to advance her smithing skill.

"I should be able to make my own steel plate by the time I've used all this up. Balimund tells me he can train me until I can make ebony armour, and that's what I'd really like."

"Check out Narzulbur when you're ready for that. The Orcs there mine ebony, and if you're helpful to them, they should be prepared to trade with you. Maybe they'll let you mine some for yourself."

"Where's that?"

"Up in the hills between here and Kynesgrove. I think that trail over there would lead you there if you follow it far enough."

They didn't take that turn this time. It was the opposite direction from Riften, and they didn't want to carry the metal any further than they had to.

---

Brelyna and Mjoll joined them in the Bee and Barb that evening. "How did it go? Did you find your mages?" Clark asked Brelyna.

"Yes, but most of them were dead. The Falmer got them, but we found one of them alive, locked in the Oculory."

"What's an Oculory?" Iona asked.

"A big room with a Dwemer contraption in it," Mjoll answered. "And not much in the way of treasure."

"It did provide what I was looking for, though," Brelyna cut in. "The location of the Staff of Magnus. I now know it's in Labyrinthian, so we're going there next."

"We?" asked Aerin. "Do you mean Clark and Iona, or is Mjoll going again?"

"I'm going," Mjoll told him firmly. "Brelyna and I make a better team than I imagined. She does everything I don't, and vice-versa. Together, we're more then twice what we are individually. She needs a sword-wielder, and I need a mage."

"And I'm off to Solstheim," Clark told him. "Iona's staying in Riften, if you need some company."

He turned back to Brelyna. "Mind filling in the rest of the story? What is this Staff of Magnus, and why do you need it? I assume there's some connection to that Eye of Magnus you found in Saarthal?"

"Yes. You remember I mentioned seeing a vision of a Psijic monk in Saarthal? Well he turned up in person at the College, and told me to find someone called the Augur of Dunlain. That turned out to be a wraith of some kind, down in the Midden below the College. He told me I need to find the Staff, and when I asked Mirabelle about it, she remembered the Imperials were looking for it, too. So that's why I went to Mzulft, following them. The Oculory showed us where the staff was, but not how to get it."

"I had another vision of the Psijic monk as I was coming out of Mzulft. He told me I need to go back and ask the Arch-mage about Labyrinthian, and that I was on the right path."

"Do you trust these Psijics?" Clark asked.

"I know Ancano hates them, so that makes them all right by me," she replied. "That man gives me the creeps."

Clark must have looked blank, because she explained. "He's a Thalmor, resident at the the College for some reason, probably as a spy. He's always been particularly unpleasant to me, because I'm of House Telvanni. He treats me like I'm a mere hedge wizard, but extremely dangerous at the same time. The Augur of Dunlain had told me that Ancano had visited him, too, to ask about the Eye of Magnus, and that he was about to do something potentially disastrous."

"The Psijics were warning me about catastrophic events being set in motion, too. At least they held out hope that I could do something to stop them. It didn't seem to matter to them that I wasn't an Altmer. To Ancano, that makes all the difference."

That fit Clark's impression of the typical Thalmor. He wasn't at all surprised. "If he's still alive, I assume he didn't meet Diablita, when she visited."

Brelyna chuckled. "I wish he had, but unfortunately, no.'

---

Brelyna and Mjoll accepted a ride in Clark's wagon as far as Windhelm, from where they continued on toward Winterhold, as Clark headed into the city.

Posted by: Acadian Jun 11 2015, 08:21 PM

So nice to see Mjoll the Motormouth Lioness leave Aerin the Worrywart Milkdrinker back in Riften and get out for some adventurin’! Brelyna’s quite capable, but she really shines as part of a team – and Mjoll makes the perfect escort for her! As she said, they complement each other very well.

I heartily endorse Bre’s impression of Ancano – including the concept that if Ancano hates the Psijics, then they must be okay.

Oooh! Ancano meeting Diablita! I’d like to see that also.

I’m very much enjoying the adventures of two of my favorite Skyladies –Brelyna and Mjoll.

Posted by: ghastley Jun 17 2015, 01:41 PM

Acadian: Brelyna and Mjoll will be back, but other questlines have to unfold. Most of them won't be as quick as the next one!

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

Previously: Brelyna and Mjoll went into Mzulft, while Clark and Iona collected Dwarven metal from the storeroom nearby. Brelyna is now about half-way through the College of Winterhold questline, and Clark has only had reports of what's going one when he meets her. In this part, the entire Dawnguard story will happen to someone else!

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

Part 40 - Meeting Serana

Clark had let Gilda know by courier of his plans to visit Solstheim with Vicuña, so she knew he'd be at Candlehearth Hall. He was half-expecting her to visit them there, if only to tell him how things were with the Thieves Guild, and Maven Black-briar. He wasn't expecting the young woman who turned up in her place.

Except that she wasn't young, she just looked that way. Serana was several times older than him. "I'm not sure how long ago I was locked away in Dimhollow Crypt," she told him, "but there wasn't an Emperor in Cyrodiil back then."

She'd found out about Clark from Gilda, whom she'd met in Riften. Serana had joined the Thieves Guild as an appropriate vocation for someone of a nocturnal disposition. Clark could see from her eyes that she was a vampire, and like Sibylle Stentor in Solitude, or Hert and Hern at Half-moon Mill, she clearly had it under control. She'd lost her father recently. or rather, helped kill him, and she wanted Clark's help in getting her mother back.

"What makes you think I can help?" he asked.

"First, the fact that you just asked that question, rather than why you'd want to. There aren't that many people that would be prepared to help a vampire with anything. Second, Gilda told me you were an immortal, too, and that could be the key to reaching my mother, Valerica."

"What else did Gilda tell you?"

"She said that you'd been made immortal directly by a Daedric Prince, like I was. So I thought you'd be understanding, and willing to assist. I can see you're not a vampire, so I assume it wasn't Molag Bal in your case."

Clark suspected that Molag Bal might not have been as considerate as Nocturnal and Azura. "You'd better tell me the whole story first. Take your time."

Of course, there was a gap of centuries in the middle of her tale where she had no idea what was going on in the world. She knew that Harkon, her father, had had the same plan to acquire and corrupt Auriel's bow all that time. He wanted to turn off the sun, so that vampires could roam at all times. Clark could see a large number of problems with that idea, so he wasn't surprised it had opposition even from other vampires.

It wasn't clear to her why it had all come to a head just now. Perhaps that had been connected with Isran reforming the Dawnguard, and recruiting the young Nord who'd been the catalyst. She'd been entombed, and her mother in hiding, all that time, until he'd awakened her and set the whole thing in motion.

The Hunter, as Serana referred to him, had taken her back to Volkihar Castle, but refused Harkon's offer to make him a vampire. Her father had made it clear that he wouldn't get the same offer twice. Serana's intent was to try and stop Harkon's scheme, and she thought at first that she'd stand a better chance of doing so from within the family. It hadn't taken her long to reject that idea, and she'd gone looking for the Hunter back at Fort Dawnguard.

Together, they'd found two more Elder Scrolls to go with the one she'd had with her in Dimhollow Crypt. The lack of the scrolls had apparently been what was stopping Harkon from proceeding with his plans, and he'd let her leave the castle again, in the hope that Serana would find them for him.

One of the scrolls had been taken by the Dwemer, and was hidden in a ruin in Skyrim. The other was in the possession of her mother, Valerica, who'd taken it to the Soul Cairn and got trapped there by the Ideal Masters. Serana wasn't sure who they were, but she thought they had something to do with Molag Bal. They'd brought the scroll back, but Valerica had stayed in the Soul Cairn, refusing to leave until Harkon was dead.

Once they had the scrolls, it had been a question of staying one step ahead of the other vampires while they used them to track down Auriel's Bow, which was just as important to the Dawnguard's side as it was to Harkon's. It was the only way to put an end to Harkon and his plans. Serana and the Hunter had finally confronted Harkon in the Cathedral at his own castle, and the Hunter had used Auriel's Bow to slay the vampire lord.

"It wasn't until afterward that I discovered what the Hunter's motivations were," Serana continued. "He asked me, or rather demanded, that I get cured of my vampirism. I got the impression that he thought I was to be his reward for the whole effort, and my being a vampire didn't fit with his plans. Since I'd just eliminated my father for trying to plan my existence for his own benefit, I wasn't about to let a mortal take over. Besides, after what I went through to get my immortality, I wasn't too pleased with the idea of losing it. I sent him back to Fort Dawnguard, and I've erased his name from my memory."

"So where do I fit in?" Clark asked. "That all sounds very complete. Harkon's dead, the Hunter is out of your life, and your mother's free to return."

"Free to return, yes. But she won't believe me when I tell her that my father's been slain. She knows better than anyone how powerful a vampire he was. She thinks he's using me to trick her, and so I need someone else to confirm my story. Someone who's not a vampire, and therefore not one of Harkon's minions."

"There has to be something more than that involved. Or else anyone could help."

"Well, my mother's still in the Soul Cairn, and anyone who goes there has to be dead, or undead, or maybe immortal. I'm not quite sure any more. When I took the Hunter with me, we were able to trick the portal by partially soul-trapping him. I don't think that would work a second time. Anyone dead couldn't come back, a vampire wouldn't convince my mother, so the only option that's left is an immortal - like you."

"Are you in a hurry? I was just leaving for Solstheim, so can it wait until I get back?"

"Of course. She's been trapped there for centuries. What's a few more weeks?"

Posted by: Acadian Jun 17 2015, 07:57 PM

Ghastley, I love your treatment of Dawnguard! What a fantastic summary, and you connect all the dots with great sense. How mysterious (and appropriate) that it was some unnamed ‘Hunter’ who helped Serana, then could not see clear to let her be. . . well, Serana. That Serana would migrate to the guild of thieves does make some sense, as well as account for her introduction to Gilda.

I see that Clark’s trip to the Soul Cairn goes straight to the back burner as he continues with his Solstheim plans for the moment.

So, can one get vampirism from sleeping with a vampire? If anyone can ferret out the answer, it’ll be Clark!

Posted by: ghastley Jun 24 2015, 02:13 PM

Acadian: The choices boiled down to Clark doing the whole Dawnguard quest-line himself, or finding out about it after it's all done. There aren't many points where someone doing the quests could meet him, except maybe when the Moth Priest Dexion is visiting. But I'd been considering how Valerica would be persuaded out of the Soul Cairn if the player didn't go back, and it just made sense that Clark was the only candidate for that.

He'll be experiencing difficulties other than contracting vampirism, but I'll save the details for later. No ferrets will be harmed in the making of this fan-fic.

Meanwhile, other quest lines are playing out, and one of them needs a push from Clark.

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

Previously: Serana came to meet Clark at the Candlehearth Hall, but he had to postpone visiting her mother until he returned from Solstheim.

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

Part 41 - Journey to Solstheim

As Vicuña and Clark left Candlehearth Hall to go down to the docks a couple of days later, a guard spoke to them.

"Can you believe it? The mages have blown up Winterhold again."

He didn't have a lot of detail, just that the Arch-mage had been killed, and several other mages injured. None of the townspeople had been hurt, this time, but they'd been terrorized by some kind of wisp-like creatures that seemed to have been summoned by the explosion.

Clark hoped that Brelyna hadn't been one of those injured. Mjoll was with her, and the guard had only mentioned mages being hurt, so perhaps this happened before the two of them arrived at the College. Their ship was waiting, so there wasn't anything they could do right now, but he'd want to find out as soon as they returned from Solstheim.

---

The Captain of the Northern Maiden, a Nord by the name of Gjalund Salt-sage, was pacing on the dock.

"Climb aboard. It's not a long trip, but I'd like to get there before dark. We've already got all the cargo stowed, so we can leave right away."

---

During the short voyage, Gjalund told them how he'd almost quit making this trip. There never was much traffic, with the mine in Raven Rock being closed, and then there was the incident with the masked cultists. He remembered them coming on board on Solstheim, but the next thing he knew, he was back in Windhelm and they'd disappeared. He'd been really shaken up by that, and vowed never to go back.

"But then that Dragonborn woman, the big red one with the horns and everything, came and persuaded me. The ones in the masks had attacked her, and she told me I owed her for it. I still don't know why I agreed at the time, but I'm glad I did. She's got the mine back open, and trade's picked up again."

"So you're bringing ebony back?" Clark inquired.

"Yes, and the unusual Dunmer foods that they like in the Grey Quarter. They don't grow too well around here, but the soil on Solstheim suits them. Makes sense that Ash Yams would do better in ash, doesn't it? That was about all they had to trade before the mine re-opened. A few gemstones, too, but not often."

"So what goes the other way?" Vicuña asked.

"Just about anything. Cloth, foodstuff, books, other metals, both ores and refined, and the odd passenger or two. Now there's work available, some of the Dark Elf men from Windhelm have been going over to dig the ores."

"I think the Dragonborn has a house in Raven Rock, now. I've seen her in town a few times, in the Retching Netch. That place is busier than it used to be, too, now that everyone has more to spend."

"She does have a house there," Clark confirmed. "We'll be staying with her for a few days, and then visiting a couple of other places on the island. I reckon we'll probably be ready to come back in about a week. Are you still doing this trip on the same schedule?"

"Yes, Morndas to Raven Rock, Tirdas back to Windhelm, Middas To Raven rock, Turdas return, and again on Fredas and Loredas. The only day I don't sail is Sundas. Just find me at the dock, and I'll bring you back."

"I may stay a little longer," Vicuña reminded Clark. "It all depends on Master Neloth. If I decide to study with him for a while, then I won't be in any hurry to return."

---

Diablita was waiting for them at the dock. "Shall we go for a drink first, or do you want to drop your packs at the house? We'll be going past the Retching Netch on the way."

"I'd prefer to go the house, and change first," Vicuña answered. "You're making me feel rather over-dressed."

"I'm not sure anyone else would get away with wearing that little," Clark added. "They'll expect you to act like a Dunmer, not like ... whatever Diablita is."

"But if we're going for a drink, it will be a more relaxed atmosphere. I'm sure I can find something that's comfortable, but still acceptable."

They walked through Raven Rock, and Diablita pointed out the stores. "There's the Retching Netch, then the next building is the Alor House. Fethis Alor sells general goods, and he's always looking for East Empire Company pendants, if you find one. His daughter Dreyla assists, but she'd much rather be back in Morrowind."

"At the Ilenth Farm, Garyn sells food, and his wife Milore is an alchemist, selling ingredients, and potions. Glover Mallory, on the other side, is the local smith."

"Mallory?" Clark asked. "That's not a Dunmer name. Is he any relative of Delvin Mallory, in Riften?" Gilda had mentioned him several times as one of the Thieves Guild.

"Ask him. There he is now."

It turned out that Glover was Delvin's brother. He'd learned to repair bonemold armour from a Dunmer named Vanryth, and there wasn't much call for that particular skill in Riften, so he'd come to Solstheim instead. Work was steady here, repairing the guards' equipment and miner's tools, so he'd stayed. "I'm the only member of the Guild here on Solstheim, not that it means much any more. I'm just a smith these days."

"Did you put that Ancient Nordic Pickaxe to good use, Diablita?", he asked as they left. "You haven't brought me any Stahlrim yet."

"Well, I'm not the armour-wearing type, as you've probably noticed, and the Bloodskal Blade takes Silver, not Stahlrim. If I decide to make something for my friends, I might go find some."

Diablita explained to Clark and Vicuña that Glover had given her the pickaxe after she persuaded Crescius Caerellius to return it. He'd borrowed it from Glover to use in the ebony mine, but Glover felt it was being wasted there. You could mine ebony with a regular pickaxe, but only an Ancient Nordic one could mine Stahlrim. Glover wasn't going anywhere out of Raven Rock, so he'd given it to her. "I think that it's all on the north side of the island, where it's colder. They certainly know about it at the Skaal village."

Clark knew a little about Stahlrim. He'd once seen the Chrysamere, which had been forged using Adamantium and Stahlrim, two very different materials whose properties complemented each other. He suspected that Chillrend had used it also, as it had the same distinctive blue sheen, and the frost enchantment made it even more likely. "But that tempers like glass, and it's shaped that way, too."

Vicuña suspected that Stahlrim had been used to make it hold more enchantment. "It would be Stahlrim that brought Neloth here. Enchanting is his field, and that's always been the material of choice, if you could get it."

"That and heartstones," Diablita added. "They're something new, only since the Red Mountain erupted. Neloth thinks they have some of the power of the Heart of Lorkan. He's experimenting with both, in ways that weren't possible in earlier eras."

"Did he enchant your sword?" Vicuña asked Diablita. "I've never seen that enchantment before."

"No, it already had this when I found it. Neloth told me he'd heard of the Bloodskal Blade before, but it hadn't had the same enchantment. He thinks it may have absorbed the power over time, being buried where it was."

Posted by: Acadian Jun 25 2015, 04:47 PM

Nice tidbit about Brelyna’s progress at the College.

And a wonderful summary of life in Raven Rock, referencing familiar events and a couple quests.

It seems to me that Diablita would fit right in there.

Posted by: ghastley Jul 1 2015, 01:36 PM

Acadian: More summaries of quests already done coming up! Diablita is almost ready to finish the Dragonborn quests, but not quite. She will manage to get Clark involved in a side-quest or two on the way.

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

Previously: Clark took Vicuña with him on a visit to Raven Rock, where Diablita now has a home.

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

Part 42 - Raven Rock

While Vicuña was changing, Diablita showed Clark around Severin Manor. "I suppose I could start calling it Diablita Manor now, but everyone uses the Severin name, so I haven't. The family who owned it before weren't really called Severin either. Probably Hlaalu, or Ulen, in reality."

"It has everything I need, alchemy, enchanting, a full forge and all the crafting stations. And a spare bedroom, with its own door for privacy. It only has a single bed in it at the moment, but there's enough room to put in a larger one later."

"It's much bigger than it looked from the outside," Clark responded. "I assume that's because most of it is underground."

"Yes, pretty well all the buildings here are made that way. The ash is easy to dig, but then you reach solid rock not too far down. There's only one level below ground, but it's a big one. The part above ground is always about the same size, by tradition. I think they were actual shells back in Morrowind, but they make replicas from Bonemold here."

Vicuña was back with them, wearing essentially the same outfit she'd had on at the Markarth brothel, except that she'd added a few small pieces to cover what she had to. "This is all Telvanni style, rather than Redoran, so they'll expect it to be a bit different from what everyone else is wearing. Hopefully that will include it being a bit less. If Diablita can get away with hers, I should be all right."

---

Sadri didn't mind. He asked the two ladies if they'd mind sitting near the bar, so that all the men would come to take in the view. "They drink more than the women, so I want to give them every encouragement I can."

"And would you all like to try my Sujamma? The first one's on the house, as you won't have tasted this recipe before. I call it Sadri's Sujamma; imaginative name, isn't it?"

"Have you had Sujamma before?" Vicuña asked Clark. "It doesn't travel well, so you can only get it in Morrowind, or here on Solstheim."

"And here, only at the Retching Netch," Sadri was quick to point out. "Nobody else is making it."

Clark hadn't. He'd not been to Morrowind, although he'd hoped to go and visit Rinalla in Mournhold. The eruption of the Red Mountain, and the Argonian invasion, had conspired to prevent it. It may have been for the best, as it he might not have been welcome here if he'd been more associated with House Hlaalu.

"So what's Sujamma made from?" he asked.

Vicuña told him that nobody who made it would ever divulge their recipe, but it would be basically a grain-based fermentation, fortified with brandy, and generally flavoured with local herbs or berries. "it's all about the secret herbs and spices, isn't it, Sadri?"

"That it is. What do think of this one?"

"You won't get better anywhere. It's pity it doesn't travel, or you could make a fortune. Perhaps you need to talk to Captain Gjalund about running Sujamma-tasting trips from Windhelm? Bring the people to the drink, instead of the other way round."

Clark was already considering the compromise. You could take this for the short trip to Windhelm, and it would still be good. He didn't know if the New Gnisis Corner Club made any, but he hadn't been offered any when he went there. Perhaps there was a mainland outlet for Sadri, and it would help lure the customers across to the island. He'd have to talk to him about it another time.

---

Diablita wanted Clark's advice. She had got this far on her own, but now she needed someone else's opinion. "What do you think of Hermaeus Mora? Can I trust him?"

"If you know what he wants, you can trust him to try and get it. What does he want from you?"

"He wants the Secrets of the Skaal, whatever they are. Neloth thinks it's just another way to skin a Horker, but I can't see a Daedric Prince concerning himself with that, even if it is knowledge. And I need something from him in return. The final word of the Bend Will shout, without which I can't reach Miraak."

"I think you'd better start by explaining about this Miraak. Assume I know nothing at all, because that's about right."

"Miraak is another Dragonborn, except that he lived in Skyrim a long time ago. He sold out to Hermaeus Mora for more power, and was taken to Apocrypha. He's been trying to get back to Mundus ever since, and he's started to have some success. He managed to corrupt the All-Maker Stones, and he had the people of Solstheim rebuilding his temples around them."

"His temples? He wanted the people to worship him?"

"Yes, that's the sort of person Miraak was, or still is, I suppose. It's just that he's stuck in Apocrypha now, and isn't happy about that. Anyhow, I managed to cleanse the Stones with just the first word of the shout, but Storn tells me I've only slowed Miraak down, not stopped him."

"And Storn is...?"

"Storn Crag-Strider is the shaman of the Skaal village up in the north-east of the island. His daughter, Frea, has been trying to help me, but she can't go to Apocrypha, because she's not Dragonborn."

"But you can."

"Yes, I just have to read one of Hermaeus Mora's Black Books, and it takes me there. It's a weird place, full of old books, and patrolled by hostile creatures, lurkers and seekers mostly."

"So what keeps you going there? I assume you're looking for something, besides Miraak?"

"Knowlege, mostly. Each Black Book I've read has taught me something magical, and I keep hoping to find more words of Bend Will, but it looks like I have to get them from the Daedric Prince himself."

"And how will Bend Will help you?"

"It's the same power Miraak has been using to make the people do his bidding. I need to ride a dragon to get to the summit of Apocrypha, to confront Miraak, and that will make the dragon obey me. "

"Because you can't trap one, like you did at Dragonsreach?"

"Exactly, and I can't summon one to Apocrypha from Mundus. I'll be dealing with an unrestrained and hostile dragon, probably goaded by Miraak. I need all the same powers he has if I'm to defeat him."

"So have you dealt directly with Hermaeus Mora before?"

"A bit. I had to deal with him, through Septimus Signus, to get the Elder Scroll I needed to read at the Time-Wound on the Throat of the World. He spoke directly to me after that, but he wasn't making any bargains then. He didn't start that until I was in his own realm, and he had the upper hand."

"Where does Neloth fit in to all this?" Vicuña asked.

"He helped me find the Black Books. I'd found one myself, in the ruins of Miraak's main temple, That lead me to Miraak, but he left that area. I needed more of them if I was going to search the rest of Mora's realm, and he knew where at least one more was, at Nchardak. Storn suggested I should ask him, and he's quite happy to assist, as the books are just as useful to him."

"And what was it you wanted to ask me?" Clark resumed.

"Whether I should ask Storn to make the trade with Hermaeus Mora. He's kept the Secrets of the Skall his whole life, and if he gives them up, he'll have nothing to live for. He won't be able to pass them on to his daughter, Frea, because they won't be secrets any more."

"But the alternative is leaving Miraak unchecked, isn't it? it seems like that would be just as bad an outcome for everyone else. I think it's Storn's decision to make, not yours. Give him all the facts, and trust his wisdom." Clark felt he was avoiding the decision, too, but it really was in the hands of the Skaal.

"You, however, need to be fully prepared for whatever he decides," he continued. "When you eventually confront Miraak, you'll be up against another Dragonborn, with more experience than you. If he doesn't return, and you meet him in Apocrypha, it will be in a realm that's more familar to him. You need to be as strong as he is, and more so."

"I know. I've been combing the island, looking for any more Dragon Shouts that he might know, and I have all three words of Dragon Aspect. I found some others that would only help if we had allies, but I believe Mora is setting us up for one-on-one combat. I can't take my two-handed skill any further, and I can heal myself about as fast as is possible. I'm about as ready as I can be."

"What does this Dragon Aspect do?"

"It's a kind of mage armour power, on top of what I already have. and it increases my attack strength. From what I've been told, Miraak is more of a spell-caster, so it benefits me more than him. I hope it's the edge that I need."

"Did you ask Neloth or Frea what they thought?" Vicuña asked her.

"Neloth is only interested in Neloth. If the situation doesn't affect him, he has no opinion. Frea is overly-concerned about her father, and possibly about her own inheritance of the Skaal Secrets, so she's a bit biased, too. Neither gives me answers that help, which is why I asked Clark."

"I still think you should be asking Storn, not me. But let's all go visit Neloth, and then the Skaal, and see if they change my mind."

Posted by: ghastley Jul 8 2015, 02:12 PM

Previously: Clark and Vicuña looked around Raven Rock, and Diablita told Clark about her dilemma with the Skaal and their secrets.

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

Part 43 - Tel Mithryn

"Oh, you're back! What brings you here this time? Did you find another Black Book for me?"

"No, I brought a couple of friends to meet you. They just came over from Skyrim yesterday, and we're on our way to the Skaal village. Tel Mithryn is on the way, so we dropped in."

"I really don't have time just to be social. I have important work I should be doing, and ... "

Neloth broke off in mid-sentence, staring at Vicuña's chest. She'd just taken off her travelling robe, and her breasts had floated out into full view.

"Now that's something you don't see every day," Neloth remarked, and walked over for a closer look. "I've not seen an amulet quite like that before."

"I don't think he ever noticed mine, either," Diablita remarked.

"Master Neloth studies enchanting," his apprentice, Talvas Fathyron, pointed out. "He can be very single-minded when it comes to his chosen subject."

"Clark's a bit like that, too," Diablita agreed, with a wicked grin.

"A fascinating application, but one I wouldn't have any direct use for," Neloth continued. "However, if you made that yourself, then you've obviously got potential as an Enchanter. I take it you've come here to further your studies, hmm? I tell you what, you assist me with my research, and I'll teach you more about enchanting. Agreed?"

"Don't you already have an apprentice?" Vicuña inquired. She was standing next to Talvas as she said it.

"Talvas is a conjurer, not an enchanter. He's studying the business side of things, rather than the magical. I have room for an assistant with the research, as well. I can provide you a bedroll here, and a chest to stow your things. What do you say?"

Diablita was standing behind Neloth trying to sign to Vicuña that it wasn't a good idea. She'd experienced a couple of his experiments, and they didn't always go as planned.

Vicuña pondered a moment, and then went to confer with Clark and Diablita. "I know Neloth's reputation, but it doesn't really concern me. I have enough magical ability of my own to keep me safe from his mistakes, and the man does know his enchanting. I think I'll take him up on his offer, if only until I see how it works out."

"Splendid," Neloth pronounced. "We'd celebrate with a nice cup of Canis Root tea, but my new steward, Drovas, hasn't got the hang of making it yet. You'll have to settle for some of the local brew."

"Just a small one, then we have to be off," Diablita told him. "I want to reach the Skaal village before dark."

---

As Clark and Diablita neared the village, a man dressed in thick fur came up to them. "Thank the All-maker you've returned. Baldor Iron-Shaper has gone missing, and there's no-one we can spare to go hunt for him."

"That's not good, Deor. Did anything strange happen the day he disappeared?" Diablita asked. She remembered that the majority of the villagers had been Miraak's thralls, working on building a shrine at the Wind Stone, when she arrived. Perhaps Miraak had taken control of him again?

"Hm, I do not remember Baldor acting strangely. Although, now that you ask, I did see something in the woods on the day he disappeared. I saw two elves in the far distance, dragging something behind them. Hunters often visit our lands, so I thought little of it."

Diablita asked him to be a bit precise than "in the woods", and got directions that she could use.

"I recall there being an old abandoned lodge in that direction." she said to Clark. "If Baldor was abducted, they've probably got him locked up there. Come on!"

"Just the two of us?" Clark queried.

"Well, most of the villagers are just craftsmen, and wouldn't be any help. If we took Frea with us, then the place would be totally undefended. She won't leave her father now."

"She's the only fighter they have?"

"Just about. The hunters can use their bows, of course, but she's the only one with any armour."

---

There were three men outside the lodge as they approached. The building itself was sound, but the windows were boarded up, and it looked like nobody lived there. It didn't make sense why anyone would be waiting outside, unless they were guarding something, like a prisoner.

"They haven't seen us yet. Shall I introduce us with a fireball?" Clark suggested.

"I can't tell from here if Baldor is one of them, so don't. We'll have to get closer and find out more. Besides, he may have gone with them voluntarily."

"I recall the Skaal said he was being dragged."

"The two standing are tall enough to be Altmer. That's probably why Deor called them elves. And they seem to be wearing some kind of uniform."

"Thalmor? Here on Solstheim? I didn't think they'd reached this far."

"We'll find out soon enough."

An arrow whizzed past Clark's head from an unexpected direction. "They're hostile, and there's four of them. At least four!" That made up his mind about the fireball, too.

This was the first time in nearly a couple of centuries that Clark had seen Diablita in action. Her new blade appeared to have an incredible reach, as the first man fell before she even got close to him. A flash of red light sliced across the man's body and he fell as if the blade itself had cut him.

Clark cast his ebonyflesh spell, raised a ward and followed. His shorter sword wasn't the match of hers, but it was still doing its share. Their opponents appeared to be favoring spells, to the extent of using bound swords instead of metal ones, which fit the Thalmor profile. That made using a ward a better choice than a shield, even if he'd had the option.

He ducked, as a severed head flew in his direction. Diablita was being effective, if a little untidy. A stab from his blade, and his opponent also expired.

"Where did the archer go?" he called out to Diablita.

"Already on it," she replied, running up the slope. A scream of pain from behind a rock soon told him the answer.

One of the dead soldiers had a key, that fit the lock on the lodge door. There appeared to be nobody inside, but when they went down to the basement, they found Baldor slumped in a corner. He'd obviously been beaten, but he was still alive.

"Why did the Thalmor take you?" they asked him.

"I do not know this word Thalmor, but if you mean the elves, they were trying to learn the secrets of forging Stahlrim. Their leader, an elf called Ancarion, has a map. He says that it shows the location of a hidden source of Stahlrim."

Clark healed his bruises, and helped him to his feet.

"You must get the map back," Baldor continued. "It belongs to the Skaal, and the elves should not be trusted with its secrets."

"Where do we find this Ancarion?" Diablita asked. Apparently this would would also need doing before she and Clark returned to the village. Clark suspected she was just putting off talking to Storn, but he said nothing.

"He has a ship moored at Northshore Landing in the north-west of the island. They were going to take me there next. I think the Stahlrim is somewhere in that area."

"How were they going to mine it? Isn't it too hard for normal pickaxes?"

"I wasn't going to tell them that. Let them find out for themselves. And I don't carry an Ancient Nordic pickaxe to do it for them. They didn't make many, and the majority are long lost. The few I have are safe at my forge in the village."

"So they can't mine it, don't know how to forge it, and although they have the map, haven't been there yet? Were they expecting you to do everything for them?"

"I suppose they were. Why else would they take me, and not just try to steal from me?"

Posted by: ghastley Jul 15 2015, 01:50 PM

Previously: Clark visited Tel Mythrin, where Vicuña stayed to train with Neloth. Diablita and he continued to the Skaal village, but were diverted to look for Baldor Iron-Shaper. They found him in the clutches of a band of Thalmor and released him.

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

Part 44 - Northshore Landing

"So you know my purpose here, then? I suppose you must have found that dullard of a blacksmith. Unfortunately for you, my mission here is also a secret. To protect it, I have no choice but to silence you. Now, give me one good reason that I should not kill you where you stand."

It was clear to Clark that Ancarion was feeling a bit frustrated by the lack of success his mission was having. He suggested that if the map wasn't any use to the Thalmor at this point, perhaps he could just take it back.

Ancarion's response was a blast of lightning that sent Clark flying backwards over the side of the ship. He'd cast his mage armor spell before boarding the vessel, so he was more annoyed at being dumped in the cold water than anything else. But that kind of rudeness deserved a fitting response.

By the time he got back on board, however, Diablita had beaten him to it. "Where did Ancarion go?" he asked her.

"Most of him went over the other side of the ship," she replied. "But his head's rolling around the deck somewhere, if you want to go looking for it."

"It's the piece with the map that I need. I hope he landed on the shore, and it didn't get soaked."

Fortunately, the map was in a waterproof leather pouch in a pocket of his robe. "We should go check the location, and make sure this isn't a fake," Clark decided. "We'll take a sample back with us to Baldor, and he can tell us if it's proper Stahlrim, or not. You're carrying that pickaxe, aren't you?"

Diablita nodded. "How far is this 'secret source' from here?"

"Not far, but it's inland a bit, and we may have problems finding a way up the cliffs. The map shows a location, not a route to get there."

---

Even with the map, it wasn't easy to find the way in. Nestled in a corrie on the side of the mountain, it was hidden by the rocks from all sides but one. A circular stone wall, looking like one of the nordic ruins on the mainland, hid everything from view even from that side. They crested the wall, to find a set of stone steps spiralling down into a depression in the centre, ringed with draugr coffins. Each one had a lid of Stahlrim, instead of the usual stone. A few more like them were face-up in the middle.

Diablita took out her pickaxe and went to work on one of the middle coffin lids. It took a lot of blows with the pickaxe before anything came loose. "I can see why this needs a specially hard tool," she remarked. "I'd have broken an ordinary one by now."

While she continued hacking at the lid, Clark examined the piece she'd removed. It had the same blue sheen that he'd seen on Chillrend, and the Chrysamere. The Stahlrim didn't feel cold, even though he knew it was a magical form of ice. That presumably meant that it wouldn't melt like ice, either. He wondered just how one did forge the stuff.

"Baldor knows, or the Thalmor wouldn't have taken him," Diablita reminded him.

"Does the way back to the Skaal village take us past Castle Kaarstag? Glover Mallory mentioned that he'd lost his improved bonemold formula, and he thought the thief was heading there."

"Why would anyone go there? The place is full of Rieklings!"

"It seems this Esmond Tyne fellow, the one that stole it, thought he could fence a few things there, or at least that's what he told Glover. Maybe somebody else lived there before the Rieklings moved in."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Diablita concurred. "The Thirsk Mead Hall got taken over by a tribe of the little beggars."

---

They found Esmond's corpse just a short way into Kaarstag Caverns, the cave that formed the back entrance to the castle. Whether he was killed arriving, or leaving, wasn't clear, but it didn't really matter. The only important consideration was whether he still had Glover's formula for improved bonemold, which he did.

The Rieklings Diablita had mentioned didn't make an appearance. They must all have been further into the caverns. Clark wasn't interested in looking for them, so they left the way they'd entered.

---

Baldor confimed that it was real Stahlim. "I could make you a greatsword from it," he told Diablita, "but it would only be the equal of the one you have, and without its enchantment. Perhaps I could make you some armor, instead?"

Clark didn't expect her to want any, and he wasn't wrong. "I'm about as prepared as I can be for Miraak. I'd better talk to Storn. No more putting this off."

Diablita gave Storn all the facts she had, including how Septimus Signus had died when Hermaus Mora had decided he was no longer useful.

"But Herma-Mora was keeping him alive just to open that box, wasn't he? He'd have been dead long before without his intervention. That's why he crumbled into dust when you succeeded in retrieving the Oghma Infinium. And why you walked out with the book. The Demon of Knowlege is not preserving my life. I won't be changed." Storn dismissed her fears as groundless. "Besides, I'm an old man, with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Give me the book, and let me do what is needed. I'll make sure he lives up to his side of the bargain."

Frea tried to persuade her father to change his mind. "Father, you must not do this. That book is... wrong. Evil. Against everything that you have taught me my whole life."

"I must, Frea. It is the only way to free Solstheim forever from Miraak's shadow. There comes a time when everything must change. Nothing that lives remains the same forever. Do not fear for me, my daughter. This is the destiny that the All-Maker has laid out for me"

"I stand beside you, father, as always."

"I am ready for whatever the foul master of this book has in store for me."

Storn opened the book. Diablita watched intently, as it had always been her reading the books before, and she had no idea what it looked like to anyone else. Frea had watched her reading one before, so she was the first to see that something was different this time. The tentacles that had pulled Diablita across into Mora's realm were acting strangely. Instead of just wrapping themselves around her father, the largest was rearing back like a snake about to strike!

And strike it did, impaling the old Skaal's head. "At last, the Skaal yield up their secrets to me." a voice spoke from nowhere.

"That's Hermaeus Mora's voice," Diablita whispered to Clark, as if he couldn't have guessed.

The voice addressed Diablita. "Dragonborn, you have delivered me the gift I requested. In return, I keep my promise, as befits a Prince of Oblivion: I give you the Word of Power that you need to challenge Miraak. You will be either a worthy opponent or his successor, as the tides of fate decree."

Frea stood frozen for a few moments as her father dropped lifeless to the ground, not believing what had just happened. Then she turned to Diablita. "Go. My father sacrificed himself so that you could destroy Miraak and lift his master's shadow from the land. Go, then. Kill Miraak. Do not fail."

Diablita looked at Clark, and pulled another book from her pack. "Wish me luck."

She opened the book, and Clark could see the tentacles emerge and wrap around her, just like they'd done with Storn. None of them threatened to impale her, though, and as he watched, she began to fade.

"Is this what happened before?" Clark asked Frea.

Frea was still staring down at her father's body. "What? Oh, yes, that's what she always looks like when she reads one of those books. And it only lasts a few minutes, even though she tells me it was hours to her."

Posted by: Grits Jul 18 2015, 05:18 PM

"Most of him went over the other side of the ship," she replied. "But his head's rolling around the deck somewhere, if you want to go looking for it."
An appropriate response from Diablita. I love it!

Nice to have a ‘secret source’ that is actually difficult to find. You made me look up a new word, yay! Wait, no Stalhrim rings for Diablita? Baldor needs to expand his crafting range!

Best of luck to the Dragonborn. Hermaeus Mora may get more than he bargained for with Diablita as Miraak’s successor!

Posted by: ghastley Jul 22 2015, 02:17 PM

Grits: I knew I should have called it a cwm.

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

Previously After a side-trip to rescue Baldor Iron-Shaper, and retrieve a map to a secret source of Stahlrim, Clark and Diablita the Dragonborn arrived at the Skaal Village. Diablita then left again, for Apocrypha.

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

Part 45 - Skaal Village

When Diablita rejoined them, fading back into full solidity, a glow of magical armour, unlike anything Clark had seen before, had formed around her. It was as if she was wearing a suit of dragonplate, but made out of light.

"Did you kill him? Is Miraak dead?" Frea demanded.

"Miraak is dead," Diablita confirmed. She reached into her pack and pulled out a mask, robe and various weapons. They were of a design that neither Clark nor Frea had seen before. "These were Miraak's. I suggest we put them on display in the Greathall, as a monument to Storn, who defeated him as much as I did."

"And what's that you're wearing?" Clark wanted to know.

"This is Dragon Aspect. I was right about it working better for me than for him. And the Bloodskal blade made up for his stealing dragon souls to regenerate. But I didn't get to kill him myself. When Hermaeus Mora saw that his defeat was inevitable, he finished him off for me. Skewered him with a tentacle, absorbed his body, and dropped the skeleton. I don't like to think what that felt like!"

Frea had been concentrating on something else. "I can confirm it. The Tree Stone is free, and the Oneness of the land is restored. But that just brings us back to where we were before Miraak's intervention, and we've lost Storn and our secrets."

"You haven't lost the secrets," Clark pointed out. "They're just a little less secret, which might be a good thing anyway. Anything important shouldn't be a secret, it should be shared."

"They were shared among the Skaal, of course," Frea agreed. "And that's why they aren't lost to us, as you just reminded me. Perhaps you have a point, but did it really need my father to die, to get it across?"

"I don't believe that Hermaeus Mora really has them, even now," Diablita added. "From what Storn told me, they weren't cold facts that could be written down in a book. They were ways to do things, that you can only learn by doing them. Like you can't learn archery from a book, you have to practice, instead."

Frea nodded in agreement, but warned Diablita that her contact with Hermaeus Mora put her on the same path as Miraak before her. "Do not get tempted to follow it."

"I won't," Diablita assured her. "But I will get a second opinion from Master Neloth. We'll be going back that way, won't we, Clark?"

"It's as good a route as any," he agreed.

---

"No, you seem to be clear of any influence," Neloth assured her. "Not too surprising, as it would have shown up when you read the book at Nchardak. You were affected, but gaining knowledge always does that. The point is that it's your knowledge now, and no longer dependent on the Daedric Prince."

"Now all that's left are the remaining Black Books, waiting for another ambitious fool to be lured into Hermaeus Mora's clutches. Speaking of which... I think I've located another book, if you're interested. Here, let me show you."

"Is this the last of them, or are there more after this one?" Diablita wanted to know.

"Well, you found the ones in Raven Rock Mine, and Benkongerike, we've dealt with the one at Nchardak, and the one I already had. Those and this new one are all my research indicates exist at present. Of course, Hermaeus Mora can always create more, if he chooses."

"I'll pass for now," she decided. "I've had my fill of Apocrypha, and Mora's minions."

"Are you sure? This isn't a job I can trust to Talvas, and Velith has more sense than to do that."

"That's a point. Where is she?" Clark asked.

"Looking for my former assistant, Ildari Sarothril. She was supposed to be lying dead in a sarcophagus down by the shore, but Velith found it empty. It seems that the heartstone I placed in her kept her alive, after all. I cast a divination, and determined that she was at Highpoint Tower."

"She was, but she's dead now," a voice behind them announced. "Here's the heartstone that caused all this trouble."

Vicuña walked over to Neloth and dropped a stone into his hand. It was about the same size as a human heart, and glowed red with obvious magical power.

"So Velith is Vicuña?" Diablita whispered in Clark's ear.

"Yes, her full name is Velith Telvanni. She's a member of Neloth's house, although she's most likely not a relative, or anything that close. Vicuña's a sort of professional identity, as she's not just a wizard."

"Well, that probably puts an end to all these Ash Spawn attacks," Neloth decided. "Now we can do something about the house."

"By 'we', I assume you mean me?" Vicuña asked. "And what's wrong with the house?"

Neloth pointed at the wall, where a large blister-like growth had appeared. "Ask Elynea Mothren what to do about it. She'll know."

"It looks like I have more errands to run." Vicuña told them. "I'll see you back in Skyrim some time."

"Yes, Skyrim," Clark agreed. "I need to get back and find out what happened to Brelyna."

Diablita wanted to know how Clark knew her little friend. "I'll tell you on the way back to Raven Rock," he told her.

---

Diablita didn't appear to be too worried when he did. She had a lot of confidence in the Dunmer's magical abilities, even if she didn't herself. "And it sounds like that Nord you've sent with her is just what she needs as a companion. I'm sure she'll take care of the trouble without our help."

Clark wasn't so sure. And then there was Serana, and her request. He'd better get back to the mainland as soon as he could. Except that it would be Sundas by the time they got back to Raven Rock, and the ferry didn't run until the following day.

"I've got some time to kill, now, too," Diablita reminded him.

---

On his way to the docks to board the Northern Maiden, Clark stopped off at Glover Mallory's forge and returned his bonemold formula. Glover thanked him profusely. "If there's any of my old Thieves Guild stuff you could use, it's all down in my basement. Here's a key. Go down and help yourself."

The Blackguard's Armour was tempting, but it wouldn't fit Gilda, and Clark couldn't see himself wearing it either. The fences back in Riften would buy it, of course, but nobody else would. The only thing that had any real interest for Clark was a letter. It appeared that Glover had written it to his daughter, Sapphire, but had never sent it. "Do you mind if I deliver this for you?" he asked the smith.

"No, it would be better if it's delivered by someone who can answer her questions. So if there's anything in there you want explained, ask me now."

Posted by: ghastley Jul 29 2015, 01:57 PM

Previously: Diablita saved Solstheim while Clark stood around chatting to Frea. Clark picked up Glover's letter to Sapphire to take back to Skyrim.

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

Part 46 - Back in Skyrim

By coincidence, Brelyna and Mjoll were staying the night at the Candlehearth Hall when Clark got back to Windhelm. "Show him the Staff" Mjoll urged.

"This is the Staff of Magnus," Brelyna told Clark, showing him an impressive-looking staff with a glowing orb at its tip. "We just went to Labyrinthian to get it. It turned out that Savos Aren, the late Arch-mage, had been there when he was young, and sealed the place up to trap the undead Dragon Priest Morokei, who was using it. Because it drains magicka, it's a particularly powerful one when used against mages, so Mjoll was just the right person to have with me. She's all brute strength and raw power, and the Dragon Priest didn't stand a chance!"

Mjoll was clearly proud of what she'd done at Labyrinthian. "Show him the mask, too!"

"Oh yes, this is the mask he was wearing. Ugly, isn't it? Mind you, it's probably better-looking than the undead face he was hiding behind it. If it wasn't so repulsive, the enchantment would almost make it worth wearing; I could use the magicka regeneration. Still, there are other things I could wear for that."

Clark was more interested in what had happened at the College. He'd heard that the Arch-mage had been killed in an explosion, and clearly Brelyna and Mjoll had survived. What was that all about?

"Ancano's taken control of the Eye of Magnus. Or at least he thinks he has. He's making it do all sorts of things, one of which is a shield around the Hall of the Elements, to stop us getting to him. It was the initial release of magical energy from the Eye that killed Savos Aren, and it also spawned some kind of creatures, sort of like wisps, that terrorized the town for a while. The Psijics sent me to find the Augur of Dunlain. He told me that this staff is the only thing that can control the Eye properly. It's not surprising that Ancano's getting bad results."

"So now you're headed back to Winterhold to take control yourself?" Clark asked. "If it's that dangerous, do you want to control it?"

"It's more a case of stopping Ancano before he destroys the rest of Winterhold, or the whole of Nirn. He's a Thalmor; that wouldn't be a bad outcome from his viewpoint. And I want my College back in operation. I can't learn anything with that kind of disruption going on."

"Aren't you learning just as much on these trips? Especially the combat aspects of magic, I'd have thought."

"That's not all there is to magic, and even that needs as much laboratory research as field trials. You need to develop new spells in an environment where you don't have to rely on them."

That made Clark think of Neloth's preferences in the matter. He'd prefer to keep the research to himself and let someone else do the riskier stuff. He'd left Vicuña doing that for him.

"I know that name, Neloth. My mother had a lot of tales to tell about him. Is he on Solstheim now?" Brelyna remarked. "And who's this Vicuña?"

"Her real name is Velith Telvanni. She went over with me to study enchanting with Master Neloth. I know she's already very good at it, so she's ready to take the next step of learning from the Master."

"I know her, too, from our days in Morrowind. She wasn't using that other name then. Why did she change it?"

"Probably to play down her Telvanni roots. It does make everyone expect you to be a Master Wizard before you're ready for that. She had other things she wanted to do first."

Brelyna laughed at that. She remembered what her friend Velith liked doing. Not that she was immune to those urges, either. She was a Dunmer, after all. She just had more dedication to her magical studies than Velith had. And smaller breasts, so she wasn't getting quite so many invitations to get distracted.

"If you knew her in Morrowind, does that mean you're from House Telvanni, too?" Clark asked.

"Yes, and you can't imagine the pressure you get to be an incredible mage, even before you've had the chance to learn how. That's one of the main reasons I came to the College of Winterhold. I could learn at my own pace there, and not have everyone rushing me. I prefer to do things thoroughly, rather than quickly, and make sure I have all aspects covered."

"I've been working on Conjuration and Alteration. My ambition is to merge the two, and improve the duration of my summons by reinforcing them with alteration magic. That's why I use staves for destruction, and it turned out that was the best tactic against Morokei, the Dragon priest who had the Staff of Magnus. He could drain my own magicka, but he couldn't stop me using staves against him. Or Mjoll. He had nothing to use against her."

"Do you think all that practice using staves will help you use the Staff of Magnus?" Clark inquired.

"I hope so. Although I don't really understand what it does, yet. Maybe it will become clear when we get back to Winterhold."

---

Clark's next destination was Riften. He'd left Gilda building the Thieves Guild back up, and looking into reducing Maven Black-Briar's influence on the city. Serana was most likely there, too, as she'd joined the guild as a suitable nocturnal vocation. And he had a letter to deliver to Sapphire.

At Honeyside, Clark found Gilda in residence, instead of Iona. She told him the housecarl was up north at Gloombound Mine, mining the ebony she needed for her new armour.

"I took her up there a few days ago," Gilda said. "I was already welcome in the strongholds, after the Karthwasten Mine clearance, so I thought it would be a good idea to take Iona and introduce her. They were a bit suspicious of her, and didn't react very well to her presence."

"Still, I wasn't expecting her to get into a fist-fight with the Chief! That turned out to be the best thing she could have done, although it didn't seem that way to me at the time. He likes strong women who don't get pushed around, and she certainly proved to be that. Mind you, deciding to fight him stripped to the waist probably helped a lot."

Clark smiled at that. What could Gilda have achieved?

"So that accounts for Iona. What about Karliah?"

"She's staying out of sight at the Nightingale Hall outside town. Maven Black-Briar doesn't know she's back, and we'd prefer to keep it that way. We have plans developing to deal with her, but we don't want to reveal anything until it's all in place and ready to roll."

Clark nodded. The Thieves Guild worked best in secrecy. He didn't expect her to tell him much about the plans until he needed to know, either. He asked about Serana.

"The vampire? She'll be somewhere around, but you won't see her until after dark, of course. I'd check the Bee and Barb this evening. Most people drop in to catch up on the daily gossip, at some time or other. But what do you want with her?"

Clark explained to Gilda about her wanting to get her mother back from the Soul Cairn.

"I can see why she needs you to do it, but are you sure you won't get trapped like her mother did? The Ideal Masters sound like they're not exactly trustworthy."

"I fully expect them to try something. But I'll have Serana with me going in, and both of them, hopefully, coming out. They should know the Ideal Masters by now, so there won't be too many surprises. By the way, what exactly did you tell Serana about my immortality?"

"Just the little I know, which is that you were made immortal by a Daedric Prince. And that sex was involved, naturally."

"It's just that she thinks it happened for me in sort of the same way it did for her. And although she hasn't described it in any detail, I don't think Molag Bal was as considerate as Nocturnal and Azura."

"What I don't understand is how she talked you into doing this for her. I know what usually motivates you, and that woman just doesn't. She almost seems to be afraid of it, not that anything else seems to scare her."

"Think about it, Gilda. If Molag Bal made her a vampire that way, it can't have been any fun. Wouldn't that put anyone off?"

"I just can't imagine. But then, I have no experience of Daedric Princes at all, and would prefer to leave it that way."

"You've talked to Nocturnal, haven't you?"

"Talked, yes. You know what I meant by experience. You can have too much of a good thing, and I know that from that contraption of Madesi's. I almost feel sorry for Rigel Strong-Arm."

Clark smiled at that memory. "Well, anyway, it's not so much that she persuaded me to do this, as that I'm curious about her mother. She's either the most manipulative monster imaginable, or the kind of parent that inspires complete devotion. There's no room for anything in between."

Posted by: ghastley Aug 5 2015, 01:40 PM

Previously: Clark returned from Solstheim to get an update on Brelyna's progress, and how things were progressing in Riften.

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

Part 47 - Ragged Flagon

Serana wasn't in the Bee and Barb when Clark went there, but Sapphire was. Clark beckoned her over to his table, and ordered a couple of drinks from Talen-Jei.

"I've been meaning to ask you ever since I saw you in here; what's your real name?"

"Look, I don't really know you. I don't even really know anyone here. Why do you care anyway? It's not like we're family. This is a business. Look, you want to know about me? All right, I'll tell you. I'll tell you about the time I was a young girl, barely out of her teens... living on a pig farm in the middle of nowhere. Didn't have a coin to spend between our entire family. Ate the same slop we fed our livestock."

"That sounds horrible," Clark responded.

"Oh, wait... it gets much better. How about the fact that our farm was attacked by bandits, and that they killed my entire family who didn't even brandish a weapon against them. Here's the best part. They took me as a prize, and violated me for a fortnight. Tossed me from bandit to bandit like... like..."

"You don't have to go on."

"It's fine... I had to tell someone I suppose. Carrying around a weight like that... it hurts after a while. Cuts you inside like a dagger to the heart. Over time, I managed to gain their confidence. Then one night I grabbed a knife, waited until they fell asleep and cut their throats. I never returned to that pig farm you know. There's nothing for me there. So that's my sad story. What do you think?"

Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out Glover's letter, and laid it on the table in front of Sapphire.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Read it, and find out."

She did, twice. "I... I can't believe it. All those years on the farm, and my mother never told me about any of this. Words can't even begin to describe how much I appreciate you bringing this to me. Here, take this. I used to carry it for good luck, but I think you deserve it more than I do." She offered Clark her namesake gemstone.

"No you keep it," Clark told her. "Your father paid me well enough to bring the letter. But you can help me find Serana. I was expecting to see her here, too."

"She's probably still at the Ragged Flagon. Doesn't usually come here until it's a bit darker outside. Come with me, I'll take you down there."

Sapphire knew that Clark wasn't a member of the Guild, even though Karliah and Gilda were. The Ragged Flagon was open to anyone in the Ratway, if you had the coin, but if he went there alone, dressed the way he was, he'd be the target of every pickpocket, or maybe worse. She didn't doubt Clark could take care of himself, she was more worried about those who might get hurt trying to rob him.

---

Serana was sitting at one the tables, chatting to Delvin Mallory.

"Good evening, Uncle Delvin," said Sapphire.

"I ain't your uncle, so don't call me that. I may be old enough to be your father, but that's no reason to give me any lip."

Sapphire said nothing, but put Glover's letter in front of him.

"Glover's your father? I really am your uncle? Well, I'll be..."

Clark left Sapphire with Delvin, and took Serana back to the Bee and Barb. "I'm ready to help you get your mother out of the Soul Cairn, if you're ready to show me the way. What do we have to do to get there?"

"There's a portal back at Castle Volkihar. It used to be a lot harder to get to when the place was full of Harkon's vampires, but it's easier now they've been wiped out. We still have to go around the side of the castle and in the back way, as the passage through to the main entrance is blocked. It's probably a shorter route, anyway."

"And where's the castle? I've never heard of the place."

"Off the coast, west of Solitude. There's a jetty with a rowboat near the Thalmor fort. It only takes a few minutes to row out there."

"But getting to the jetty's going to take a few days travel. Do you need to travel at night?"

"No, I'll be all right if I just put my hood on. I'm weaker during the day, but my spells aren't, and I can look after myself."

"We'll take my carriage as far as Solitude, then, and I'll leave it at Katla's. Is there anything I should take to prepare me for the Soul Cairn?"

"Nothing special, but you might want a few health potions to use after we go through the portal. I suspect that it will drain you pretty drastically. The bonemen and wrathmen that prowl the place aren't any more dangerous than any of the draugr in this world, and you won't need any special equipment against them.
The only real problem will be convincing my mother to come with us."

"You said that she refused to believe that your father, Harkon, was dead. Is there anything we can take as proof?"

"Not really. When he died, he turned into a pile of ash. I have his sword, and his armour, but they aren't unique, and anyone could have stolen them without killing him. In principle, anyway. I can't really imagine anyone getting away with it, while he was alive."

"You'd better take me to where he fell, and if the ashes are still there, I can at least tell your mother I saw them. I assume they're somewhere I couldn't get to if he were alive?"

"That's true. If you can describe the Volkihar Cathedral to her, then she'll know you've been there, at least."

---

"Watch the gargoyles," Serana told Clark. "I think those are just stone, but sometimes they turn out to be alive." There were a couple of them lying dead on the ramp up to the main door, and two more sitting on pedestals.

Another was in the entrance hallway, looming over them as they walked through to the dining hall. The corpses of several vampires, and one or two in Dawnguard armour, lay around the floor.

"Through there, at the back. There's a door into the cathedral, and Father's ashes should still be by the altar, if these bodies remain."

Clark stepped over the remains of a large hound-like creature, and followed Serana to the rear corner.
Serana pointed at a passageway blocked by rubble. "That used to lead through to the courtyard where my mother tended her garden. I imagine she'll want to clear that if she moves back."

Posted by: ghastley Aug 12 2015, 02:48 PM

Previously: Clark and Serana had arrived at Castle Volkihar, and looked around the Cathedral, so that Clark could help to convince Valerica that Harkon was really dead.

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

Part 48 - Volkihar Cathedral

The Volkihar Cathedral was remarkably well-lit with natural light for a vampires' temple. Clark presumed that there was something about the stained glass that made the sunlight less oppressive. One shaft was illuminating a pile of ashes in front of an altar to Molag Bal. The altar was in the shape of a bust of the Daedric Lord, with a blood fountain issuing from its mouth. Clark took careful note of that, as he expected to describe it to Valerica to convince her he'd actually been here.

He poked through the ash pile, but there was little to confirm that it was Harkon's. It still retained an unnaturally red hue, but that meant little. His armour and sword had been taken, presumably by the Hunter when Harkon was slain. Wait, didn't Serana tell him that she had them, now?

---

Clark and Serana left the castle through the front door, and made their way around the outside to the old dock. This was currently the only way to reach Valerica's study, and the portal to the Soul Cairn. Once they'd cleared the passageway through to the courtyard, there would be another route, but now this was their only choice.

There were skeletons and gargoyle remains everywhere. Clark asked Serana if they'd had to battle their way past all of them before. "Not all of them. Most were already dead, although some were raised again as we passed. More than we wanted, I can assure you."

"Through here," she said at last, and opened a door into a large room, with a high ceiling, and a glowing pit where the floor had once been. Stairs curved down into a swirling purple mist. "The portal's down there," Serana told Clark, as if he couldn't have guessed.

"From what the Hunter told me when he first tried to go through it, I think it drains your health, if you're not undead. Lean on me, so you don't fall when that happens."

The Hunter' appraisal was accurate, and Clark had to stop and regain his composure on the other side. He cast a healing spell, which seemed to work normally for him. A couple of potions, and he was back to normal. Still, he hoped it wouldn't repeat on the way out.

"Which way is your mother? Do we follow the path ahead?"

Serana pointed at an archway ahead of them. "There's a wall dividing this place in two, and a barrier of magical force around it. That arch is the only gap in the wall, and the Boneyard, which is where I left my mother, is on the other side. We should be able to see it from there."

---

They passed several ghosts just wandering around looking lost, and half-way from the wall to the Boneyard, a couple of skeletal beings rose out of the ground and attacked them. Serana smashed them with ice spikes before they could get near. "I though we'd cleared them all the first time I was here," she told Clark. "I guess the Ideal Masters can raise more whenever they feel inclined."

They found Valerica fiddling around at an Alchemy lab near the door. Clark was initially surprised that Valerica appeared to be only a few years older than her daughter. But a moment's reflection, and he understood that they'd both stopped aging when they became vampires, so Serana had almost caught up with her mother.

"Who have you brought with you this time? That's not the man you came with before."

"No Mother, it's not. And I'd prefer you not reminding me about him. Clark is here to confirm that Harkon is dead. He's seen the ashes, which is all that's left, in the cathedral where the Hunter killed him."

Valerica asked Clark a few pertinent questions and he thought he'd convinced her he was telling the truth. "I know Serana wants me to return to Tamriel, but do you? Why would you want another vampire?"

"To start with, because it's what Serana wants. Also, she's told me what her father was like, and she doesn't seem to take after him. So she must have inherited her nature from you, and that's enough of a recommendation."

"You know the Volkihar aren't just ordinary vampires," Valerica insisted. "Behold!"

She began to transform before Clark's gaze. Her leather vampire armour melted away, leaving only a thin strip hanging down between her legs. Her face changed into a grotesque troll-like mask, with horns, and her hands and feet grew vicious-looking claws. Small vestigial wings spouted from her shoulders, and she lifted off the ground. The wings apparently gave her a form of levitation, rather than physical lift, as they hardly moved.

However, the majority of her body remained just as feminine as it started, and was now easier for Clark to see and appreciate. He told her so, and she transformed back, laughing. Her armour, however, didn't re-appear.

"You men are all the same, and that's why we love you," Valerica exclaimed. "Don't we, Serana?"

A look of disgust was on Serana's face. Clark imagined that children never consider their parents having any sexuality, but this looked like more. She appeared to be revolted by the whole idea of sex, perhaps as a result of her experience with Molag Bal. He'd need to talk privately with Valerica before bringing the subject up with Serana.

It did appear, though, that Valerica was going to return with them. She gathered the few items she'd need, and prepared to follow Clark back to the portal.

That's when the dragon appeared. He faded in from nothing on the wall opposite the steps from the Boneyard.

"Are you going to stop me leaving?" Valerica asked him. "Do you still hold to the Ideal Masters' bargain?"

"No, Qahnaarin, that was over when you two, and the other joor, defeated me. I come now because I perceive a chance of my own freedom. This new one, he was not here before, but he gives me the hope I need."

The huge beast's head turned to face Clark. "You know the Dovakhin, don't you? The one the mortals call the Dragonborn? I have seen her in your mind, and she appears to be close to you."

Clark was used to his weak telepathy bringing him the stray thoughts of others, but this was the first time it had gone the other way. Had the dragon really seen Diablita in his memories? He had no other explanation.

"Yes, I know her. How does that help you?"

"She is the only one that can use my name to summon me from this place. I cannot leave of my own accord, but if she calls my name in Tamriel then I am bound to appear there. I believe that each time that happens, the hold of this place on my soul will be weakened. You can take my name to her, and tell her of my need."

"I need to know more, before I agree," Clark responded. "Why are you here, and what was the bargain with the Ideal Masters that Valerica mentioned?"

"In my battles with the other dragons of Nirn, I sought advantage by the study of what you call necromancy. I made a deal with the Ideal Masters to guard Valerica until her death, in return for the ability to summon armies of undead."

"They neglected to tell me that she was immortal. So I have been here, bound by my agreement, all this time. I fear that I have been here so long, my body has become attuned to this place, and cannot return to Nirn without the power of the Dovahkin reinforcing me."

Clark pondered the dragon's request a moment. "I can take your name to her, but whether she chooses to call it will be her decision, not mine."

"That is a risk that matters little. If you do not, then there is no chance for me to leave."

Clark was not expecting the name to be a Thu'um. The ground shook, and the wind howled, as the dragon spoke his name, Dur-neh-viir. "Will all that happen again, when Diablita uses your name?" he asked.

"Of course. The language of the Dovah is a language of great power, which is why so few can master it. Now read it, too."

On the wall beneath the dragon, three clusters of symbols were glowing. Clark understood, without quite knowing how, that these were the three parts of Durnehviir's name, written in the dragon script. He wasn't sure how he'd convey that part to Diablita, but the dragon seemed to believe it was possible.

"I can say the name Durnehviir, of course," Valerica pointed out, "but I can't shout it the way the Dovahkin will be able to. And now, any of us could probably write it down, not that that would do anything on its own."

"Correct," the dragon agreed. "If you spent enough time practicing, you could eventually understand the meaning, and it would become a Thu'um for you, too. It would please me if you did that, but I do not expect you to devote that amount of time to my cause."

With that parting comment, he spread his immense wings and flew off.

Posted by: ghastley Aug 19 2015, 01:14 PM

Previously: Clark had persuaded Valerica that Harkon really was dead, and Durnheviir had asked him to mention his name to Diablita.

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

Part 49 - Return to Volkihar

Back at Volkihar Castle, Valerica took a few minutes clearing spider webs from her laboratory, and tossing the spoiled ingredients away. "I'll need to gather a lot of fresh supplies to get this place back to what it was. Let's go take a look at the rest of the castle."

It wasn't until she reached the courtyard that she made any further remarks. "It's good to be home again, but I hope the rest of the place isn't as run-down as this. I expected the parts we've just come through to have decayed, as nobody knew that part of the castle even existed. This looks like Harkon hasn't made any repairs since I went to the Soul Cairn!"

"That's probably right, mother," Serana concurred. "And I wasn't here to do anything about it. The passageway through to the main hall has collapsed, and we'll have to go around the outside."

"Really? I know Harkon never liked this part of the Castle, but just letting it fall into ruins? Oh, well, I have all the time in the world to fix it up again, and I think I'll start by replanting here."

---

"It looks like I have a good supply of thralls to help with the reconstruction." Valerica remarked when they entered the Castle Hall. "It's a pity Harkon himself didn't leave a corpse I could use."

She cast a spell over one of the vampire corpses, which raised itself up and walked over to the rubble blocking the passageway to the courtyard. It tried valiantly to lift one of the blocks, but failed. Serana raised a second one, and together they managed to move the block.

"I'd better stay here and help Mother for a while," Serana told Clark. "This appears to need two of us."

Clark pointed to a larger corpse in the corner. It appeared to be a troll, wearing armour. "Now that's different!" exclaimed Valerica.

She waited until the two thralls had put the stone block down where she wanted it, and cast her spell at the dead troll. As it floated up off the floor, one of the vampire thralls collapsed into a pile of ash. The other just stood there, moaning.

When Valerica found that the troll had the strength to move the rubble unaided, she told her daughter to release her thrall and go with Clark. "I can manage on my own, now."

Clark wasn't in any hurry to leave, however. He wanted to find out more about the whole story, from Valerica. Serana had no clue what was going on while she was in Dimhollow Crypt, so she hadn't been able to tell him everything. And there was a lot she wasn't saying about her early life, and becoming a vampire.

"Serana, while the troll's clearing the passage, why don't you get the other corpses to clear the rest of the hall? Just send each one down to the shore with some of the lighter debris, and you can leave its ash pile there when you raise the next one."

"What will you be doing?" Serana asked

"I need to talk to Clark for a while," Valerica replied, and led him back to the bedroom.

Bedroom wasn't a very accurate term in a vampire castle, of course. There wasn't a bed, just a pair of coffins. His and hers, Clark assumed.

---

Valerica began her tale with the chance meeting of one adventurer with another in a bar in some village in Tamriel. Harkon had been sitting at the bar when she walked in, and since she was confident she could persuade just about any man to buy her a drink, she 'd picked him.

He noticed the bow on her back, and asked her if she'd consider joining him in exploring a nearby cave. He wanted someone with ranged capabilities to watch his back, as he was very much a sword-and-board fighter. He'd heard from others that this particular cave was likely to be tough.

"I have a few spells I can use, too," she'd told him. "But they're mainly for when anyone gets too close. And healing, if it's really too close!"

He'd laughed at that, and admitted he carried a lot of potions, because he didn't have that skill. She agreed to trying that cave with him, to see if it worked out. They shook on the deal, and he bought her that drink.

"It was just as difficult as everyone had said, but we managed it," Valerica continued. "Our fighting styles meshed very well, and we didn't get in each other's way. Both against the bandits in the upper level, and the zombies, or draugr - I forget which it was, now - on the lower. And the loot in the chest at the end was as much as we both could carry."

"When we got back up to the first chamber, we dumped everything in a pile next to the bandits' bedrolls, ready to divide it up between us. He looked at me, and then the bedrolls, and I knew what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. We just about ripped each other's armour off!"

"We were a successful team for quite some time. We didn't just work as a pair, sometimes we'd hire others for special projects. Often, we'd come back with more than we could sell, even after the others had taken a generous share."

"We found a small shack, with a bed and some chests we could lock, and made that our base. By that time we had enough self-control to go home first!"

"That's when Harkon started to notice that he had a problem. He was always looking back to see if I was all right. He asked me to marry him, so he could leave me safely behind with the family."

"I wanted a proper house before that, but we could afford it. So we found a place and moved in. As soon as I was pregnant with Serana, Harkon may me stay behind, and he hired mercenaries to take with him. I insisted they were male, of course!"

"And then one day he found himself in a nest of vampires. They were a lot stronger than he'd expected, and he was the only one of his band who got out alive. I made sure he was properly healed, as I'd heard you could get nasty diseases from vampires." Valerica smiled. "I was really ignorant about vampires back then."

"So was he, or he wouldn't have got into the position of losing his entire band of mercenaries. He told me he needed to find out more about them, so he'd be better prepared next time. I took that at face value, not realising that he was jealous of the vampires' power, and wanted it for himself."

"He went off on an expedition to the North, and I presumed that it included the College of Winterhold, and their library. Wherever he did go, it took him several weeks, and when he came back, he announced that we were moving. He'd found us a Castle to live in!"

Posted by: ghastley Aug 26 2015, 02:01 PM

Previously Clark, Serana and Valerica returned to Castle Volkihar and started to clean up. Valerica began to tell Clark the story that led up to Harkon's death.

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

Part 50 - Daughters of Coldharbour

"That was Castle Volkihar, of course. It was empty when we got here, and although it was dirty and full of skeevers, it looked sound. Harkon told me that it had once been the home of a clan of vampires, and they had a shrine to Molag Bal there. But I shouldn't worry, Deadric Princes can only come to Tamriel if they're summoned, and who'd want to summon him?"

"Harkon hired some staff, to help us clean up the place, and maintain it after that. There was a delightful little courtyard where I planted flowers and medicinal herbs, and spent much of my time while I was waiting for Serana to arrive. Harkon didn't like it, it was too peaceful, and made him restless. He always seemed to want to go off and find a cave full of bandits to fight after he'd spent any time there."

"He never knew about the secret passage from there to my study. Nor did any of the staff. I didn't find it myself until Serana was already grown, and I'd been a vampire for several years."

"I should tell you about how that happened, shouldn't I?" Valerica inquired. "It will tell you a lot about Harkon."

"One of the staff came to the courtyard looking for me. I was surprised that Harkon didn't come himself, as he knew where I'd be. The servant asked if I'd come to the Cathedral, as Harkon had something he wanted to show me."

"I was curious why he'd chosen that place, as we rarely went in there. I always found the shrine, with its perpetual blood fountain, a bit too creepy. Molag Bal, to me, wasn't someone you worshipped. You'd prefer that he ignore you, or he could make a misery of your life, or even beyond. Harkon didn't seem to mind, but I'd always put that down to male bluster."

"Anyway, as soon as the door closed behind me, a huge black demon materialised next to the shrine, and Harkon was behind me, pushing towards him. And I mean him. The creature was naked; I'm not even sure he had skin. And conspicuously male."

"Molag Bal?" Clark asked.

Valerica nodded. "The King of Rape himself. I knew what was likely to happen next, and I wasn't wrong. You'll understand if I omit the nastier details. It was his intent to cause me as much pain and degradation as possible, and he knew how. I found myself thinking that I just wanted it to end, and If I had to die to make that happen, so be it."

"That's when it stopped. Clearly, that was what gave Molag Bal his satisfaction - his victim's total surrender. I collapsed on the floor and just cried. Nobody came to help me, not even Harkon."

"The pain went away faster than I expected. Especially as he'd sunk his jagged claws in my breasts, I was expecting to be healing myself for weeks. But I was whole again, and somehow felt more alive than before. Stronger, too."

"I got up and looked around. Harkon was there, watching me. And all the staff. With glowing eyes that told me they were all vampires. Every one of them."

"Harkon congratulated me on becoming a 'Daughter of Coldharbour'. He said that it was an honour not bestowed on many, as few survived the ordeal with Molag Bal. Before I could knock his teeth down his throat, he turned and walked out of the Cathedral."

"When I got back to my room, I saw in the mirror that I had become a vampire, too. And I'd started to calm down by then. There was a book I'd seen Harkon reading on the bedside table, and I picked it up and read about what I'd just become."

"It made some sense. Harkon, being Harkon, would want to become the most powerful kind of vampire possible, and he'd want that for his wife, too. Naturally Molag Bal doesn't want volunteers, so he wouldn't have been able to warn me, or it might have gone wrong."

Clark must have raised an eyebrow or something, as Valerica hastily explained. "No I don't mean I'd have been willing at all. Although Harkon might have thought that. He was 'vigorous' with me, to say the least, and he knew I like it that way. No, I meant that if I'd had any warning I might have resisted too well, and have angered Bal. Harkon did at least want me to survive."

"I still wouldn't be any hurry to forgive Harkon for this 'gift'. Yes, I was made more powerful, but it had hurt like... " She paused. "Nothing could hurt like that!"

"And then I though about Serana. Her parents had just become vampires, and she hadn't. How would she react? Of course, I hadn't figured out at that early stage that Harkon intended her to go thorugh the same ordeal that I had. Serana was still a child."

"When I did add it all up, I made sure she'd be better prepared than I was. I couldn't tell her anything, naturally, but I did everything I could to help improve her chances. I figured that I'd need to keep Serana a virgin, as losing it's painful, but survivable. Perhaps Molag Bal wouldn't need too much more pain from my daughter. And we trained her fighter-hard, so she'd be tough enough to withstand it."

"Of course, she had asked many times while she was growing when she'd become a vampire. I told her that vampires stopped aging when they were turned, so we'd want to wait until she was an adult. If we didn't, she 'd be stuck as a child for ever. That seemed to satisfy her curiosity."

"Keeping her virginity intact wasn't too hard at the isolated Castle. The vampire clan we'd gathered around us were firmly in Harkon's control, and we had mortal cattle in the basement cells for all their hungers. I tended to keep her with me, too, and not let her wander around where she might read the wrong books."

"I took her to the Cathedral on Bal's summoning day myself. I knew it was inevitable, and I couldn't stop Harkon doing it if I didn't. I don't think she had any idea what was going to happen, just that this was the day for her to become a vampire at last. She might even have been looking forward to that."

"Harkon took over once Serana was inside the Cathedral, and the door closed. He led her up to the altar and summoned Bal, telling him that he had a present for him. A virgin."

"Serana promptly screamed, and tried to run away. Which was exactly the right reaction. Molag Bal must have been able to sense her fear, as everyone else could. I turned away as he grabbed hold of her, and pulled her legs apart."

"I asked one of the others if it was over yet. She told me that it wasn't, that Molag Bal was taking much longer than he had with me. But Serana was still with us, and I shouldn't worry. When they told me it was coming to an end, I looked around to see her kneeling in front of him, and presenting her face for his 'blessing'"

Clark hadn't noticed Serana joing them. Her expression at being reminded of the events can't easily be described.

"What mother told you about total surrender, wanting to die just to end it, that happened for me, too. Right at the beginning, when I felt like I was being turned inside out the hard way. But he didn't stop, and I didn't die. The pain faded, more slowly than I'd have liked, but it did fade. I was just numb, and detached from what was going on, until he tried to drown me at the end."

"And I was a vampire, another Daughter of Coldharbour, just like my father wanted. At the time, we thought he just wanted us to be like him. That was what I wanted then, although I'd have chosen a different method. Just about any other way, really."

Posted by: ghastley Sep 2 2015, 01:51 PM

Part 51 - Daughters 2

"It wasn't until later that we found out about the prophecy. Basically, that needed a Daughter of Coldharbour to die, so that her blood could be used in some ritual with Auriel's bow. The details of how to do that were in the Elder Scrolls, and Harkon started looking for the right ones. He found one of the three, and mother managed to steal it from him. That's when she hid me in Dimhollow Crypt, and tried to hide herself in the Soul Cairn."

"Harkon didn't know I already had one of the scrolls," Valerica added. "I took that one with me to the Soul Cairn to keep it separate from the one I hid with Serana. There would have been only one more needed, and then he could have started to look for the bow."

"But why did you think he intended to sacrifice one of you?" Clark asked. "Weren't there Daughters of
Coldharbour other than own his wife and daughter? I'd have expected him to be hunting for them, at the same time as the scrolls."

"Because there weren't any others," Valerica replied. "Harkon tried to summon Bal again the next year, but he wouldn't respond. I doubt the poor girl he'd found would have made it, but she couldn't even be offered."

"And I searched the archives that the Dawnguard kept," Serana added. "There are no reports of any since me. I don't think my father would have given up trying to create more, so I just have to assume that nobody else survived Bal."

"Or that he wouldn't answer the summon," Clark surmised. "Do you want to know what I think happened? I think you became a vampire at just the same point your mother described, when you surrendered control of your life to the Daedric Prince. But with your new vampire strength, you were able to withstand his assault, and he was having too much pleasure to stop. If you'd understood that, you'd have been able to control him, but you were a first-timer without any experience to draw on, and didn't. He dodged the arrow then, but now he's afraid of losing control again, and won't take the chance by coming here."

"Wait, you're saying Molag Bal is afraid of me?" Serana asked, incredulous.

"No he's afraid of not being able to control his own urges," Valerica responded. "But that's almost the same thing."

Clark was hearing other voices. Inside his head. Voices he recognised, because they'd been there before. "Yes, you can come and have a chat," he told them. "Just let me warn the others."

"Azura and Nocturnal would like to speak to us," Clark announced. "I think they overheard what I was thinking."

They materialised either side of Clark, and Azura gave him an affectionate squeeze. There was something different about the way she looked and he wasn't sure what it was.

"Bigger breasts," she told him. "I'd noticed you were spending time with some quite spectacular women, so I thought I'd give them a try."

Nocturnal had changed even more than her sister. She'd apparently got bored with her "black glow" and looked more like a mortal woman. Or rather, what a mortal woman would wish to look like. Hers might have been a bit larger than Clark remembered, too, but she didn't have them out on display the way Azura did.

"It appears that Clark also likes vampires," Nocturnal pointed out. "Even if Molag Bal doesn't favour these two any more."

"Yes, Molag Bal," agreed Azura. "Just the topic we came to discuss. I think Clark's hit the nail right on the head. Serana was more than he was expecting, and now he's bound to be ... embarrassed, at least."

"Especially now that we know about it," agreed Nocturnal. "He should just be glad that we haven't told Boethiah."

Azura giggled at that, a reaction the two vampire women weren't expecting from a Daedric Princess. "No, we wouldn't do that, would we? Not until it would be really useful, anyway. No point in playing your cards too soon, is there?"

"But now you know, if Molag Bal finds out that you know, aren't we in a lot of trouble?" Serana asked.

"No more than Valerica was in, in the Soul Cairn." Nocturnal replied. "I'm convinced the actions of the Ideal Masters were at Bal's bidding. That's as much as he's capable of, outside of Coldharbour. He can't take direct action in Mundus, so you'll be safe enough."

"And we're not forgetting the 'direct action' he took with both of you," Azura added. "He could only do that because he was summoned to do so. Harkon's dead, and nobody else would have the motivation to summon him against you. Besides, you control the shrine, and there aren't many others where he can appear."

"You can't destroy the shrine," Nocturnal pointed out. "Even we couldn't do that. But it's just an ugly ornament until someone uses it. And by use it, I mean more than just drinking some of the blood. It will sustain a vampire without getting Molag Bal involved at all, so I wouldn't even consider blocking the Cathedral off from the rest of the castle. The blood fountain's too useful."

"Does that work the same way as the ones in the Deadlands?" Clark asked. He'd been there way back when he rescued Cyndil the archer from the dremora.

"Yes, pretty much so," she agreed. "But those were set up to restore health. This one's a bit more vampire-specific, and wouldn't do you any good. But the magicka that powers it is all around us, and doesn't come from Bal himself. That's why the blood fountains in Mehrunes Dagon's realm would aid his allies and enemies alike"

---

After Azura and Nocturnal had gone, Serana spoke to Clark. "So they were the ones who made you immortal, weren't they? I'd assumed that if it wasn't Molag Bal, it would be Boethiah. After all, she's a woman, sometimes, and Gilda had said that sex was involved."

"And now you're curious, aren't you? Especially now you've met them, and they're not a pair of scary monsters."

"Azura's pair were monsters, but I wouldn't call them scary," Valerica agreed. She hadn't met Gilda, of course. Serana had, and she said nothing.

"Yes, well they weren't always like that," Clark replied. "And they're probably already back to normal size, since I didn't go wild about them. She's awesome anyway, and she should know that without my reminding her. But that's just one thing about her that will probably never change. She likes being admired, and wants to deserve it, too."

Clark sat the two women down, and started the lengthy tale of how he'd first encountered Nocturnal, in Minx's bedroom at the Cyrodiil Thieves Guild, and how that had led to him retrieving Azura's Crescent, when it was stolen by a Khajiit burglar.

"So you did it with both of them, but none of that made you immortal?" Serana queried. "And the way you described it, it sounded like you were having fun."

"He was," her mother answered. "Just keep listening. It will do you good."

"It was indeed very enjoyable, and after one particularly good session with Azura, she asked me if that wasn't the best I'd ever had. I told her it might have been second best, so of course she wanted to know when I'd had better."

"I told her that, no it wasn't her sister, who was as good, in her own way, but not better. She should think again. Who could be better than Azura?"

"It was herself, when I brought back the Crescent. She was so overjoyed to get it back, she just had to share that feeling with someone. That was what made it special, sharing the joy. Not trying to impress me."

"Azura was pleased with that answer, but she still wanted to know how I could even think about other times while all that was going on. So I had to tell how how I'd trained that ability as a spy for the Empire, with Taminwe in particular. And we'd learned as much from each other because we shared every new trick we discovered."

"Azura had noticed my emphasis on sharing. Was sharing the secret?"

"Not a secret, just something she might not have thought about before. She was the unequalled ruler of her own realm, so it just didn't come up, except for situations like this."

"Azura told me she'd rarely learned something new from a mortal, and she thought I should be rewarded. She asked her sister what she thought would be appropriate, and Nocturnal told her that if she kept rewarding me the way she usually did, I'd need to be immortal or I'd wear out!"

"Of course, when Nocturnal joined her to help do that, I started to wonder if they were putting my new immortality to the test. I told them that together they'd just set the new high mark, because that's what Azura liked to hear, and it was true, anyway."

"And by sharing, she'd remarked."

"Are you trying to suggest that the three of us...?" Valerica began.

Posted by: ghastley Sep 9 2015, 02:03 PM

Previously: Valerica explained to Clark how she and Serana became vampires, and he told them how he became immortal, too.

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

Part 52 - Azura's Shrine

It took a long time for Clark to talk his way out of that slip. Especially as he'd have liked nothing better, if only Serana had been ready for that. But he knew he still had a lot of work to do before her fear of intimacy went away.

He asked Serana if she'd made any friends at the Thieves Guild. He knew that Karliah was in hiding, and Serana and she had probably never met, but she'd told him that Gilda had sent her his way in the first place.

"Well, Vex is all business, and doesn't have time to chat; she expects me to be out doing a burglary somewhere, rather than sitting idly around the Ragged Flagon. Tonilia's much the same, and only talks to me when I have something to fence. Gilda's the Guildmaster, and I have to assume she's even busier than the others."

"But Sapphire and I have something in common, even if it's not something we like to talk about."

Clark wasn't at all happy with the idea that he might have just doubled his work, but Azura re-appeared to send things in a new direction.

"Are these better?" she asked him, with a little shake of her hips that set everything jiggling.

Clark was struggling to find a way to explain that he didn't believe in a "perfect size" - it all depended on the woman, and what she was happy with. And since no woman is ever content with the status quo, he didn't have an answer for her.

But thankfully, Azura didn't wait for an answer. "They're not the only reason I came back. I just remembered that I haven't sorted out the situation with my Star yet, and it might be just the quest for you two to get to know each other better. Go to my shrine up in the hills near Winterhold, and talk to the priestess there. She'll give you all the details."

---

"You two?" Serana asked, once Azura had disappeared again. "Which two?"

"You and Clark, of course," her mother replied. "I'm getting back to cleaning this place up, and I'm sure she knew that."

"And she definitely meant me, with that bit about getting to know each other. I'd think a mother and daughter don't need to do that." Clark understood what Azura had in mind, and it was a good approach. There would probably be some danger involved, but two immortals shouldn't need to be too concerned.

---

Aranea Ienith was glad to see someone visiting Azura's shrine. And of course, she was expecting them.

"Azura gives me visions of the future," she explained, "and so I'd already seen your arrival in my dreams. Come inside my modest abode, out of this cold wind."

The base of Azura's statue was hollow, and a small, but comfortable, dwelling for her priestess had been constructed inside it. There was a table and chair, a fireplace with a cookpot, some chests and cupboards, and a large, well upholstered, bed.

"Azura usually sends me men, who want to know their future. They need to make me tired and happy, so I'll have pleasant dreams. It's an arrangement that suits me, and presumably Azura too, as she does provide the visions. I'm sure it's not just a one-way connection, and she's sharing my dreams and recent memories, too."

"What do you already know about her Star?" Clark asked.

"Not much, so presumably there will be information about it in my next vision," Aranea replied. "Shall we begin the preparations?"

"Are we aiming for 'relaxed' or 'exhausted'? And how would you like Serana to participate?" Clark inquired.

"Relaxed, and any way she likes," the dunmer replied, taking off her hood, and shaking her hair loose. She had medium-length red hair, cut in a style that looked easy to maintain, in this remote location. She ran her hands through it a couple of times, and then stopped to rub her shoulder.

"I shouldn't stand out in the cold so much," she complained. "It leaves me feeling stiff in my back muscles,"

"I know just the answer for that," Clark announced, and dug in his backpack for a small vial. He pulled out the cork and gave it to Aranea to sniff. "This scented oil can really help, if properly applied."

Aranea smiled. "And of course you know how, don't you?" She took off her robe and lay down on the bed, so that Clark could begin.

"Gilda said you were a healer," Serana began, "but that's not how anyone's ever healed my back."

"Well that's because there's nothing that actually needs healing. Aranea's back isn't damaged, just a little tired, and I'm helping her muscles relax more than they normally would on their own. That's going to help her sleep deeply later on, too."

"And it really feels good, Serana. Did I get your name right? You should let Clark rub your back, too."

"Good idea," Clark agreed. "Serana, take your armor off, and lie down on the other side. There's plenty of oil for both of you, and I have two hands."

"Don't you need both hands for Aranea?" Serana asked. "You've been using both up to now."

"I'm happy with just one," Aranea answered for him. "Come on, join me! You'll like it."

Serana turned her back on them, and began to remove her things. First the hood and cape, then the belt that had her dagger attached. She placed them on the table, then sat in the chair next to it to pull her boots off. She turned her back again before sliding her pants down and stepping out of them. She picked them up and folded them neatly on top of the hood and cape. The leather layer of her armour had numerous hooks to undo at the back, and it took her an interminable amount of time to unfasten them all.

The bracers she wore over her shirt sleeves also took a long time to remove, especially as she had to do so with only one hand. Clark and Aranea were both watching, but not waiting. He was already massaging her legs, as the shirt slid off Serana's shoulders.

That too had to be folded before she came over to the bed. And then Serana shyly kept her back to them, and covered herself with her hands, for good measure. Aranea smiled at that, but managed not to laugh out loud.

Clark poured a little of the oil into the palm of one hand, and spread it over Serana's shoulders. "Hold your hair up out of the way a moment, so I can reach your neck," he asked her. She used one hand, leaving the other guarding her breasts.

"Your muscles feel tense," Clark dead-panned. "You'll really need my help to relax properly. I'd better use two hands to get started; Aranea won't mind."

Aranea propped herself on one elbow and watched Clark begin to massage Serana's shoulders and neck. As his hands reached her lower back, Aranea rolled over, and pulled one of them back to where she wanted it.

---

"This is going better than I expected," Clark was thinking. Serana was lying on her back now, and her hands were behind her head, not trying to cover anything.

And then suddenly he was lying on the floor, and Serana and Aranea were helping him back up. "What happened?" he asked.

"I think you must have tried to put something inside me," Serana answered. "I can't even do that myself. It's sort of like how you blink to protect your eyes. You don't think about it, it just happens."

"You can't do it?" Clark queried.

"No, it's like my hand gets paralysed and just won't move that way. And if I try to sit on something that would go in there, I levitate instead."

"So you pushed me away, somehow. The last time that happened to me, it was a Boss Draugr using the Unrelenting Force shout, but that felt different." Clark rubbed the back of his head, reflexively.

"Probably just Telekinesis, which is Alteration magic," Aranea suggested. "The closer you are, the stronger it is, and you can't can't get any closer than that."

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you, but I was really hoping that you'd be able to do what I couldn't. And everything before that had felt so good!"

"I don't have that problem," Aranea reminded them, "and we were supposed to be getting me ready to dream. Can we get back to that, please?"

The safest configuration was with Clark on his back. The worst that could happen that way is that Serana would levitate herself a little. She seemed to enjoy what he was doing, and Aranea was enthusiastically tiring herself out without needing much of Clark's concentration.

Posted by: ghastley Sep 16 2015, 02:18 PM

Previously: Clark and Serana had gone to Azura's shrine and met Aranea.


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

Part 53 - Nelacar

Aranea was the first to wake up. "I've had my vision," she told them. "You need to go into Winterhold, and find a mage there. He's not a member of the College, although he may have been in the past. Azura told me he knows how to find her Star."

---

They found Nelacar in the Frozen Hearth. At first he thought they were applicants for the College, or customers for his magical supplies, but Clark told him why they were really there.

"Azura's Star? Yes, Malyn Varen took it. He was incurably ill, and he saw the Star as the only hope of salvation. You know how soul gems work? Well they all break after they're used, except for one. Azura's Star is permanent, and that's why Malyn was so interested in it. He thought he could place his own soul in the Star and become immortal that way."

"However, Azura's Star won't hold a person's soul. He needed to change that before it would be of any use to him. Azura didn't like him doing that, and cursed him. He started having hallucinations, and shouting at things that weren't there."

"And in his experiments, he needed souls to trap. He actually killed one of his own students, just for his research, and that's when the College threw him out. He took his followers to Ilinalta's Deep, a fortress next to the lake, to continue his work. I stayed here in Winterhold, but I'm not exactly welcome in the College any more."

As they turned to leave, Nelacar had one further thing to say.

"You're not intending to take the Star back to Azura, are you? She was the one that drove Malyn insane. Daedra are evil, and Azura's no different than the rest."

---

They stopped briefly in Whiterun to pick up Lydia. It made sense to both of them that they'd want someone in the group with her fighting style.

"What do you believe?" Serana asked, as they travelled towards Lake Ilinalta. "Did Azura really drive Malyn insane, or was it the disease he had?"

"Probably a bit of both," Clark replied. "Her resistance to his efforts to corrupt the Star would have angered him, and helped drive his insanity, but I doubt she'd have been the initial cause. That was probably the disease."

"Could we catch it, assuming we find him?" she wondered. "If he couldn't cure it, we probably couldn't either."

"I have no idea," Clark replied, "but if none of his necromancer minions had it, it can't be easily transmitted. Just don't sleep with him, or anything like that."

"Is that likely?" Lydia wanted to know. "I've got another set of armour that almost shows my nipples for occasions like that."

"No, I'd have invited Gilda along if if was that kind of trip," Clark laughed. "Any armour almost shows hers."

---

"Let's go through there," Lydia said as they were passing the entrance to Brittleshin Pass. "I've never found much more than a few skeletons in there, and it cuts off a lot of the distance."

"Suits me," Serana agreed. "I'm not a fan of this Skyrim weather. I've spent enough time in caves, but anything's better than this sunshine."

They did encounter a necromancer half-way through, and he'd raised a few more of the skeletons, but nothing they couldn't handle.

"You'd better watch your back when we get to Ilinalta Deep," Serana told Lydia. "I nearly put an ice spike through you a couple of times."

"Then it's a good thing we came this way," Clark responded. "She'll be charging in, any time there are archers, like those two skeletons back there. Just remember that, and adjust your angle when it happens."

"And don't use the fireballs, either," Lydia added. "I sometimes have to remind Clark about those."

"The Hunter," and Serana scowled when she mentioned him, "mainly used a crossbow, so we were both starting off with a ranged attack. I'm not used to working with someone who prefers getting in close."

"If the enemy prefers ranged, that's when I prefer close-up," Lydia replied. "And I'm sure they charged at the two of you when they could, for the same reason. It makes you take the time to change weapon. Except when you've already got one out, so I like the way you're combining spells in one hand with a dagger in the other."

"Also, since we're working as a team, I can have you fire past me to bring them to us, while I'm waiting with my sword and shield ready. Clark will be up next to me blocking the spells with a ward. You've always got a bit of an advantage when they have to make the move, so Clark and I usually let them come to us. Except when they're archers, of course, because they want to stay away."

They were emerging from the other end of the cave at that point. "Ilinalta's Deep's not far from here, if I remember correctly," Lydia told them. "I haven't been in there, as it looked like it would be mostly flooded. I don't think the the foundations of the fort were much good, and it seems to have sunk half-way into the lake."

---

"How do we get in?" Serana asked. "It looks like the entrance would be well underwater."

"Top of that tower, if you can still call it that. There's a trapdoor in the roof."

The water level inside seemed to be quite a bit lower than it was in the lake outside. Clark surmised that something was draining it away elsewhere in the old fort. "There may be more to this place than it looks from the outside."

They found a skeleton shackled to a pillar in the entrance. A journal in the knapsack at his feet mentioned a story that the fort was haunted.

"That usually means necromancers," Clark suggested. "Moaning of the corpses they raise, rattling skeletons, all that kind of thing. But if this had been a Nordic ruin, then I'd expect draugr." He readied a ward spell, as well as drawing his sword.

"They don't usually go in for armour," Lydia remarked, "so I'll get better results with a bow, especially if I can sneak up on them. The two of you shouldn't be too noisy, in what you're wearing. And I need to practice my new Muffle spell."

There was nobody in the next room, and only one way out of it. Lydia took the lead up the narrow passage, creeping silently with her bow ready. She stopped, the bow twanged, and a small cry of pain indicated she'd hit someone. A thump suggested he'd not survived.

They caught up with Lydia, and saw a skeleton lurching towards them. Lydia was pulling out a second arrow, but Serana already had an ice spike ready for the possibility. The bones flew apart and its sword clattered on the floor.

Someone in the next room had heard that, and two more necromancers came rushing in. One ran into the arrow that Lydia had originally intended for the skeleton, and the other took a blow from Clark's blade. Serana's second ice attack finished the latter, and she was surprised to see a swirl of magicka flowing towards Clark.

Clark was busy fending off the first necromancer's flames with his ward, so he hadn't noticed. When Lydia drew her sword and joined in, the man soon fell.

"Did you just soul trap him?" Serana asked, pointing at the other corpse.

"Possibly," Clark responded. "I have picked up a few black soul gems recently, and one of them might have been empty. My sword will do that, as well as the fire damage."

"Nice. I haven't bothered putting any enchantment on my dagger, as I don't use it that much. But that looks useful, and it's a fitting response to necromancers."

"We need to continue," Lydia reminded them. "Or we won't find that Malyn Varen you were telling me about."

"We might not find him anyway," Clark told her. "If he did succeed with his plan, he could be inside Azura's Star by now."

Posted by: ghastley Sep 23 2015, 09:04 PM

Previously: Clark and Serana had picked up Lydia to help them retrieve Azura's Star from Ilinalta's Deep. They've entered the ruin, and met the first Necrodudes.

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

Part 54 - Ilinalta's Deep

They followed some more winding passages, until they could hear a couple of voices in the next room. Lydia turned back to the others and whispered. "I can't see around the corner, or I'd try and sneak-shoot one of them. But I have another tactic for these situations."

She stood up just by the corner of the passage and motioned for Clark and Serana to be ready next to her.

"I can smell necromancers," she announced in a loud voice. "Of course, the way they stink, they might be half a mile away."

As expected, the two men came running up the passage right into a flurry of blades. Clark had a ward up before the first one reached them, and Lydia's shield was blocking the other half of the space. Serana added a shock spell, to help drain their magicka, and they fell easily.

"Stay here, I can hear more of them," Lydia announced, and the others could soon hear the footsteps, too.
"Let them come to us, like the last two."

The first to arrive was a bandit that had clearly been raised by the necromancer following him. He didn't make much impression on Lydia's waiting shield, and an ice spike and a couple of sword thrusts took him down. The necromancer tried a fireball, now that his minion was gone, but Clark's ward was up, in anticipation of that.

Serana went back to shock spells against casting opponents, and he was quickly unable to use his spells against them. That was what Lydia was waiting for, and her sword finished him.

"No flames left?" Clark asked.

"Out of charge," she replied, "and no gems anyway. He's still dead, so what does it matter?"

"Unlike the next one," she continued, as she heard more footsteps headed toward them.

Clark just had time to re-cast his ward before a cloud of frost came their way. Lydia slowed noticeably, having taken much of the force of the spell. Serana had managed to duck around the corner, and she returned fire with a lightning bolt.

The necromancer staggered, but recovered before the slow-moving Lydia could reach him. Clark moved out into the room, as soon as he could get past her. He wanted to get some space between them, so the mage couldn't hit them all with one spell. The necromancer decided he was more of a threat than Lydia, and hurled more ice in his direction.

Fortunately Serana had had the same idea as Clark, and gone the other way. She fired more lightning at their enemy, as she moved.

And now Lydia had shaken off the frost, and was bearing down on him. too. He wouldn't last much longer.

---

Still, he'd been a bit of a challenge, even for three of them. They stopped to repair and recover, and Clark took the time to recharge Lydia's sword, using the black soul gem he'd filled earlier.

Serana was looking around the room, and found an couple of books, some potions, and some empty soul gems. She brought them back to the group.

"If you're thinking about enchanting your dagger, you should read this one," Clark told Serana. "A Tragedy in Black will teach you a thing or two about the subject. I haven't seen this other one before, though. I wonder what The Aetherium Wars were about?"

He read a bit further. "Aetherium, apparently. Well, we don't have time now to do anything about this, so we'll stow it until later." He put that book into his pack.

They moved on, and soon found themselves back in a familar room.

"Except we're up a level," Lydia remarked, "on that balcony we couldn't reach before. I guess this door is where we want to go through next."

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, this should lead us to the tower. The one that was still above water, with no visble entrance from outside," Clark agreed. "And that probably means more necromancers are waiting for us."

---

There were more, and once again, Lydia had them wait around a corner while she hurled insults, to bring the necromancers to them.

"Where did you pick that up?" Clark asked. "You certainly didn't learn it from me!"

"I sort of got it from Gilda," Lydia replied. "We were always taunting each other while I was training her, and I realised just how effective it could be in a real combat situation. So I tried it out in a cave full of bandits, and it worked better than I'd hoped. Of course, Nords are easy to taunt. You just remark on how ugly their mother must be, because if they'd got their looks from their father, they'd never have happened. And if that doesn't work, then you tell them it's the stupidity they inherited from their father. One of the two is usually true, and that's what makes them mad."

"So that's why you remark on necromancers' smelling bad," Serana surmised. "Because they do."

"Precisely," Lydia agreed. "Now I just need the right lines for draugr."

---

The last room at the top of the tower was empty of necromancers, but a skeleton sat in a chair on a raised dais with a battered-looking Azura's Star lying at his feet. A tome entitled "Malyn Varen's Grimoire" lay on the floor nearby.

"What happend to this?" Serana asked, picking up the Star.

"The Star won't normally hold a person's soul," Clark reminded her. "Varen must have had to do a lot of experiments to find a way to corrupt it, and I'm sure this damage came from the ones that failed."

"Well, at least it won't get any worse now he's inside," she responded. "Do we take it back to Azura's shrine right away?"

"There's not much more we can do here," Clark agreed. "Have we picked up everything the necromancers don't need any more?"

"Just about," Lydia concurred. "And that reminds me, this book looks like something Serana would want more than I would. I found it a couple of rooms back."

Clark knew that one. The Doors of Oblivion was one of the first Conjuration books he'd read way back in Cyrodiil. Lydia handed it over unopened.

"We'll go back to Breezehome for now, and Serana and I will take the Star back tomorrow."

Lydia looked pleased at the prospect of Clark staying overnight. She knew that even though he'd probably be paying more attention to Serana, he'd not neglect his housecarl.

---

"You two go up the bedroom and get started, and I'll join you as soon as I've got the stew simmering. It shouldn't take me long." Lydia had already taken off her armour, and was now wearing just an apron. She probably wouldn't have worn that, but hot fat was too unpredictable, and she could take it off as soon as the meat was seared.

Upstairs, Serana was still wearing her full outfit, and seemed reluctant to take it off. "I don't want to promise what I can't deliver," she told Clark. "And it's not that I don't want to. You know what happened last time, and I feel so guilty about Aranea having to do everything for you."

"What she told me, was that she felt guilty about getting more than her fair share," Clark replied. "I'm sure that Lydia won't feel guilty about anything. I don't believe she ever does, no matter what she's been getting up to."

Clark had unlaced most of her armour by this time. He began to help her out of it.

"This time, we know what we can do, without any accidents, so as long as we warn Lydia, it should all work out. You seemed to like it when I did this before, didn't you?"

"You didn't do it quite that way last time. I think I like it even better now."

---

When Clark heard Lydia's footsteps on the stairs, he went to intercept her, and tell her what the ground rules were.

"She can't what? But that's the best part! Wait, does that mean I get it all?"

Clark turned to Serana. "I told you she had no sense of guilt."

"What do you mean? I'm not taking anything away from her, I'm just making sure it doesn't get wasted. What's to be guilty about? Especially as I know you'll be doing everything to make sure Serana's enjoying as much as she can."

"And it's more than I ever did before. It's just that I can almost imagine what I'm missing," Serana added. "Eventually, I believe that I'll want it more than I'm afraid of it, and I'll be cured. I just don't want to hurt my friends getting there."

Posted by: ghastley Oct 7 2015, 01:13 PM

Previously: Clark, Serana and Lydia had retrieved Azura's Star from Ilinalta's Deep, with Malyn Varen still inside it.

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

Part 55 - Azura's Star

Clark awoke to the familiar feeling of the blood beginning to circulate in his left arm. Lydia had just moved her head off, and it was starting to tingle. He looked down to see where his other arm was, in case he disturbed Serana by moving it. Her fingers were entwined with his, and she was holding his hand between her thighs. The back of his hand felt moist.

Her eyes were closed, but he could see that they were moving. She was having a dream, a pleasant one, he hoped. She squeezed his hand gently and pressed it against her.

Lydia had woken up, and was looking over at the dreaming Serana. She rubbed Clark's left arm for him, knowing that she must have been sleeping on it again. "When you can feel this one again," she whispered, "give her a bit more help."

Clark brushed a curl of hair from Serana's face, and she didn't wake. Nor when his hand touched her shoulder, or her breast. Instead, her free hand joined his and guided it.

And then she woke up. "I was having such a nice dream," she complained. "Why did it have to end just then?"

"Why, what was happening?" he asked.

"It's what was about to happen," she told him. "You were going to... "

She let go of Clark's hands and sat up. "How much of that was dream, and how much was real?" she asked. Of course, Clark had no answer.

"I don't know either. When I woke up," he told her, "You'd started without me."

---

They reached Azura's shrine about dusk, which seemed appropriate. Aranea was pleased to see them, but somewhat horrified at the condition of the Star. Azura herself was more perplexed than horrified.

"I don't understand how mortals can have done that," her voice told them. "And I can't mend it while they're still in there. Someone will have to go in and do something about it."

"You mean me, don't you?" Clark guessed.

"Well, you are the best suited to this job. And I can give you some help, as I obviously understand the Star better than anyone else."

"While I don't know how Malyn Varen managed to enter the Star, I know that he can't have taken any weapons with him. As a mage, of course, he'll still have spells he can use. And the same will apply to any of his minions that he might have taken with him. I can send you in with your sword, which should give you a bit of offensive advantage."

"And even though we made you immortal, I still don't want you getting damaged. I think I know how we can improve your defence, too. Aranea, do you still have that mage's robe from the College? The Master Robe of Restoration, I mean."

"Yes, I do. I only wear this one because it's warmer."

"And don't you have some College boots with the Fortify Restoration enchantment to go with it? Fetch them both for Clark, while I do some more enchanting."

"Do you have a plain ring, Clark, and an amulet. I want to enchant them with Fortify Restoration, too."

Clark did have those items in his backpack. He placed them on the altar, and watched as they glowed with new magicka. Aranea emerged from her cell with the robe and boots.

"Together, these will make it possible for you to cast your ward continuously. It will cost you less magicka than you'll be regenerating, especially with the robe boosting that, too."

"It won't make the ward itself any stronger, but you already have the ability to block most spells, because they don't get any stronger either. The few that get past the ward won't be ones that can harm you."

Clark started to change into the ward-boosting outfit. "What's on that amulet you're wearing?" Azura interrupted. "Why would a man want that enchantment?"

"It's just a keepsake," he told her. "This is one I made for Gilda, but we replaced it with a stronger one later, and I kept the old one."

---

Aranea and Serana were pacing up and down by the altar waiting to for Clark to re-appear. The Star appeared to be gradually mending itself, and Azura had told them that it was due to Clark's progress inside.

"He's nearly done," she assured them, and as if on cue, Clark materialised next to the altar.

"I think I can explain how Malyn Varen managed to corrupt the Star," Clark announced. "He had help, and I believe it came from Mehrunes Dagon. I had to fight a number of Dremora mage guards in there, as well as Varen himself."

"With my ward stopping their fireballs and lightning, it was a bit of a stalemate. They kept retreating out of reach of my sword, and I had to chase them all around the interior. That's what took all the time."

"Look at the Star," Aranea urged. "It's back to its former glory again. All the chips and cracks are mended, and it's just beautiful."

"Yes, it is," Azura's voice agreed. "And Clark will look after it, and make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Me?" he asked. "Aren't there others who deserve it more? Or at least, will use it more? I hardly ever need to recharge my sword, and I've usually found some small gems that will do the job."

"Yes, you. I know you won't use it much for yourself, but you're always with someone else who has an enchanted weapon. All your housecarls do, except for Rayya, and I've already told Aranea what you need to do about that."

"Oh, so that's what that dream was about. I was so confused, with all the chests and ice and things. Was that Solstheim? And was that blue material Stahlrim?"

"Yes, Aranea, to all those questions. Clark, it will all make sense when you next go to Solstheim. Trust me."

Clark turned to Serana. "We should go back to Riften. Something Azura said earlier gave me an idea and I think Gilda can help."

---

"I hope you'll forgive me reminding you about the Hunter," Clark began, "but I'm curious. You implied that he wanted you, but you also told me that nobody had tried to ..."

"He wouldn't touch me, because I was a vampire. That made me unclean and unworthy, even though he was practically drooling down my cleavage most of the time. It was much the same when he met my mother. For a long time, I was convinced that was the reason she stayed in the Soul Cairn."

"I think we really started to get on each other's nerves. Especially as I preferred darkness, and he preferred bright sunshine. And he was always critical of the way I'd resurrect things, to practice my spell. He didn't complain when it was strong enough to get us some decent help, of course."

"Telling me to get myself cured was just the last straw. That was all for his benefit, and he wasn't thinking about me at all."

Clark decided to let the subject rest. He'd got the information he needed. He gave Serana a reassuring hug, which seemed to improve her mood again.

Posted by: ghastley Oct 15 2015, 01:10 AM

Previously: Clark had gone into Azura's Star to evict Malyn Varen, and had been given it as a reward.

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

Part 56 - More Stones

Back at Honeyside, Clark was surprised to find Brelyna visiting with Gilda and Iona. She'd brought with her a pair of the Stones of Barenziah.

"When Jordis and Lydia helped me retrieve the books from Fellglow Keep, we found one of these, and I took it back to the College to try and find out more about them. The housecarls told me you'd started collecting them, but had less than half the set, so I figured you wouldn't need this one right away."

"I found another in my quarters when they made me Archmage."

Clark hadn't heard about that. The last he knew, Brelyna and Mjoll had been headed for Winterhold with the Staff of Magnus to try and stop whatever Ancano was doing there. It was time to catch up on that whole story.

"When we got back to the College, we found that there was a magical barrier around the whole place, created by Ancano, using the Eye. Tolfdir suggested trying the staff on the barrier, so I did, and it collapsed immediately. I wasn't too surprised by that, as Morokei had been using it to drain my magicka, so I knew that it somehow suppressed magical effects."

"That got us back into the building, but we still couldn't do anything to Ancano. I was reluctant to try, as that's what got Savros Aren killed, but when Ancano invoked the Eye's power to try and attack us, I had no choice but to use the staff to try and shut it down again. We were lucky that the Eye spawned a couple more of the wisp-like creatures it had the first time. They went after Ancano, and gave me time to shut the eye down."

"With the Eye no longer in his control, the others could attack him. Mjoll and Tolfdir together was more than he could handle."

"With Ancano dead, we still had the Eye itself to deal with. We had no idea what Ancano had done to it, and whether it was stable enough for us to attempt to take control of it. That's when the Psijic monks appeared and took the Eye away. Quaranir, the one who'd been contacting me at times and guiding me, suggested that that I should concentrate on getting the College back to normal. He called me Archmage, as if it was obviously my job now."

"I didn't feel much like an Archmage. I was only an Expert in a couple of the magical schools, although it wouldn't be long before I reached Master level. Still, there were Masters of each of the Schools that should be before me in line for the job."

"Tolfdir disagreed. The Archmage wasn't supposed to be a specialist like he was. That was too likely to result in one school of magic pushing the others to the side-lines. Colette Marence was already complaining that Restoration didn't get enough recognition, and that would only be worse if one of the Masters was in control of the whole College. Mirabelle would have been the obvious successor, if she had survived."

"I thought about the alternatives. Enthir wasn't right for the position, nor Nirya. I could certainly do a better job than either of them. Eventually, Tolfdir talked me into it, although I insisted that someone else fill Mirabelle's administrative position, perhaps him."

"I didn't take much persuading to take over the quarters. I like having my own alchemy and enchanting stations, rather than having to wait my turn for the ones in the halls. And as a young Dunmer, I'm sure I'll find a use for the bigger bed," she laughed.

Clark smiled at that. Trust a Dunmer to see that advantage. "Is that Amulet your badge of office?" he asked her.

"Actually, no, The robes, which I'm not wearing right now, perform that function. But they're a bit dull and unattractive. Fine for an old bureaucrat like Savos Aren, but I'd want something else. However, they do have just the enchantment I need, with extra magicka, skill fortification, and regeneration all on the same item. I can't do multiple enchantments, or I'd try and put it all on the amulet."

"So who's the Master Enchanter?" Clark asked. "Isn't there one at the College who can do it?"

"Not right now," Brelyna replied. "Sergius Turrianus is an Expert instructor, and does a lot of the College's work, but it's out of his range, too. There's a priestess of Dibella in Markarth, apparently, who can train higher, and Neloth over on Solstheim."

"And by now, I suspect your old friend Vicuña has joined them," Clark pointed out. "She was studying with Neloth, and I gather was getting close to Master level, too."

"There's another reason to go to Solstheim, too. I need some higher Conjuration training than I can get here in Skyrim, and Neloth's apprentice Talvas Fathryon can do that."

"He does Master training, but he's Neloth's apprentice?" Clark was amazed at that.

"Well, it is Neloth we're talking about. He's a level above most of us when it comes to magic."

"Is that why you're here now? You're planning a trip to Solstheim?"

"Yes, I have so many reasons to go there. Neloth, for the enchanting, Talvas, for the conjuration, and Velith and Diablita, because I haven't seen my friends for too long. And after saving the College from destruction, I need a vacation!"

"And Azura was just hinting that I need to go there to find Rayya some new weapons. That's if I understood what Aranea was telling me," Clark added.

---

Gilda added the two Stones of Barenziah to her collection. "That's exactly half the set, now," she remarked.

"Let Mjoll know about them," Brelyna told her. "She'll be out adventuring on her own again, now that she has Grimsever back, and I'll be in Solstheim for a while."

"Er, I'm not sure she'd want to help the Thieves Guild," Gilda pointed out. "She blames us for the current state of Riften."

"Oh, don't think she's just a dumb blonde," Brelyna replied. "She's quite aware that it's the Black-Briars that are the real problem. Now there's a chance you'll break away from Maven, I'm sure Mjoll will do anything she can to help that happen."

"I didn't tell Serana about them," Clark remarked. "There weren't any at Volkihar Castle, but that's not unexpected."

"Everyone in the Thieves Guild knows we're looking for them," Gilda replied. "And I'll let them all know we're half-way there. That will include Serana, of course."

---

Clark had sent a note by courier ahead of them, so Diablita was waiting on the dock in Raven Rock when the ferry pulled in.

"Greetings, Archmage Brelyna! I was half-expecting Vicuña to be with you. She went over to Skyrim looking for a staff for Neloth, and I thought she'd be back around now."

"Oh, so she doesn't know I'm visiting?"

"She'll find out from Captain Gjalund when she takes the ferry; on his next trip, I'd imagine."

"We're expecting to spend a few days here in Raven Rock before visiting Tel Mithryn, so it should all work out nicely to travel there with her," Clark pointed out.

"So what are your plans?" Diablita asked. "The letter didn't say much, other than that you were coming."

"That's because we don't have any for the first couple of days," Brelyna answered. "I just want to relax in Dunmer society and ignore the rest of the world for a while. Then I can get back to being Archmage at my own pace. We can make all the plans when Vicuña's back to add her input."

"Do you have any?" Diablita asked Clark.

"Only if you know anything about enchanted scimitars," he replied. "Azura implied that there were some on Solstheim that Rayya would like. She was rather vague about them, and I got the impression that they were part of a more complicated story. She told me I'd find out more about it when I got here."

"Well, the only unsolved mystery I have any clue about is a book about Haknir Deathbrand I found. It's at least partly based on fact, as I came across the island the book mentions. It's off the north-east coast, and the door to the tomb there is locked beyond my picking abilities. No indication of it being haunted, but maybe the ghosts are all inside."

When they got to Severin Manor, Diablita handed Clark the book. "There's a mention of twin swords near the beginning that makes me think this is what Azura meant. Where did you find this book?"

"That's not a clue," Diablita told him. "Since I found this one, I've come across more copies in various places. We could go back to the island I told you about, and look around there. It's not far from the Skaal village, so we could ask Frea if she knows anything about the legend. Skaal oral traditions have a lot of useful information you won't find in books."

"We'll go there later, when Vicuña's back," Clark decided. "Our priority is a visit to the Retching Netch for a bit of relaxation!"

Posted by: ghastley Oct 21 2015, 02:36 PM

Previously: Clark and Brelyna arrived in Raven Rock to visit Diablita and Vicuña.

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

Part 57 - Raven Rock

As the new girl in town, Brelyna was quickly noticed, and she enjoyed flirting with all the men who hadn't brought their wives with them. "If I went into the Frozen Hearth in Winterhold, I don't think I'd get this much attention if I took all my clothes off," she remarked.

Clark smiled as he remembered her almost doing that the first time they'd met. And then he looked over at Diablita, who was just wearing her chains, and had to laugh.

Brelyna looked puzzled at first, and then saw where Clark was looking and laughed, too.

They talked to Sadri about the story in the Deathbrand book. "Oh yes, I've got a copy of that around here somewhere, too. I'd always assumed it was just a legend, like most of the other ghost stories you read, but you say the tomb actually exists?"

"Yes, off the coast near the Skaal village," Diablita assured him. "But of course it's locked, so nobody can find out if the legend is true. We were thinking of going back there and asking the Skaal what they know."

"Take some of my Sujamma with you. I'd like to know what they think of it. I'm always looking for new customers, and I don't have any contact with them."

"Have you tried sending a few samples over to Windhelm with Gjalund's ferry?" Clark asked him. "There's quite a community of Dunmer in the city who might like it."

"I don't know if it would still be good after a long sea journey," Sadri responded. "Sujamma needs to be fresh."

"It's less than a day's trip," Clark reassured him. "And good Sujamma doesn't sit around undrunk for long. Because the Dunmer know all about freshness, once they know where it comes from, they'll be coming here to drink it."

"Good point. Unless, of course, they won't touch it because it wasn't brewed locally."

"I'll handle the business of getting them to try it," Clark told him. "When I go back to Windhelm at the end of this trip, I'll take a few with me. Ambarys Rendar will be glad to provide his cutomers with authentic Sujamma, and I'm sure he won't mind if they think he made it himself."

"But I will!" Sadri exploded. "I'm going to label the bottles, so everyone knows it's Sadri's."

"Just leave the details to me," Clark insisted. "The first thing is to get them to taste it. Then we can tell them where it comes from. If they're surprised that it's imported, and still that good, it will make an even better impression."

Sadri looked unconvinced, but Clark knew he had some time to bring him around. He wasn't planning the trip back to the mainland for quite a while.

---

Since the next ferry from the mainland wouldn't come in for a couple of days, they all went off to the Skaal village. Frea didn't know anything more about the Deathbrand story, but Fanari Strong-Voice remembered that there was an island called Haknir's Shoal just north of there. "The only connection may be the name, of course. But since Gyldenhul Barrow is nearby, there's some chance there's more to it than that."

"Since it's close, we might as well check it out," Diablita agreed. "We'll still be back in Raven Rock in plenty of time."

Clark thanked Fanari for her help with a bottle of Sadri's Sujamma. "This is good!" she enthused. "It's not Nord Mead, by any means, but I like it."

He handed another bottle to Frea. "If Fanari likes it, maybe you will, too."

"It's different," she agreed. "I can taste a few familar herbs, but I've never had them in this combination, and certainly not in a drink. I'm not sure I'd drink this all the time, but I do like it."

"It's a bit stronger than mead," Clark agreed, "so I don't imagine anyone would change from one to the other. Sadri, in Raven Rock, makes it, and he'd be willing to trade, if you have something to offer in exchange."

"We usually have a good supply of meat and fish, and we've traded with the Dunmer for Ash Yams when we have a surplus," Fanari offered. "We should be able to work something out."

---

When they reached Haknir's Shoal, just a short walk north of the village, they found they weren't the first to the party. A small group of Reavers were there, camped on the island, and they'd been digging. A chest was visible in the hole they'd dug, and one of them was poking at the lock, trying to open it.

He stopped when the guard spotted Diablita approaching, and raised the alarm. An arrow flew towards her, even before they'd hailed them. "It's either a treasure they don't want to share," she guessed, "or they think we're the Redoran Guard come to arrest them."

Clark didn't think Diablita looked much like a Redoran Guard, but the first option was the likely one anyway. He raised his ward, and followed her. Brelyna cast Ebonyflesh, and pulled the staff from her back.

The Reavers were rather out-classed. It was quite probable that Diablita could have taken them out on her own. Brelyna incinerated the archer that had started it all with a fireball, and Diablita engaged the armoured leader. Clark waited until the mage in the party had exhausted her magicka against his ward and then moved in with his sword. He rather hoped she'd have the sense to run away, but she pulled out a dagger instead. End of mage.

The chest didn't have a very hard lock, so it was soon opened. In it, they found a helm made of Stahlrim. "Is this the cursed one the book mentions?" Clark wondered.

Since none of them ever wore a helm, they weren't inclined to try it. Not that they believed it was cursed; it just wasn't useful.

The Reaver Lord had a map that was of more interest. This island was marked on it, but so were three other locations, widely scattered around the coastline.

"One of them is near Raven Rock, and another near Tel Mithryn," Diablita noted. "We'll be going to both of those anyway."

"Hopefully, Velith will be back on the next ferry and she can join us," Brelyna added.

---

When they got back to Raven Rock, there were still a few hours before the ferry was due. They decided they had enough time to find whatever the map was directing them to.

Another small band of Reavers was there, with another chest they'd dug up. This time, though, they'd also disturbed a family of netch, and were too busy fighting them off to pay any attention to Clark and his companions. They waited until the last Reaver was dead, and the netch drifted back to where they had been grazing.

The lock on this chest was a little harder to pick, as if to compensate for the easier access to it. Eventually, though, Clark had it open, and found a suit of Stahlrim Amour inside. "It wouldn't surprise me to find the other two locations have chests with boots and gauntlets," he surmised. "But we'd better get back into town. The ferry's almost due."

---

They hung the armour and helm on a mannequin in Severin Manor on the way. Brelyna had noticed that they were enchanted, and she intended to examine them more closely after they met the ferry. "If Velith's on board, she'll make a better job of that than I can. Enchanting's her field, not mine."

---

Vicuña was indeed on the ferry, and Gjalund had told her she was expected. She showed them the ancient staff that Neloth had wanted. "Apparently this was made by someone called Azra Nightwielder, who was a pioneer of staff enchanting. Neloth's more interested in it as a historical record than anything else. The staff itself doesn't appear to be special, but he tells me that careful examination will reveal exactly how Azra went about adding the enchantment. Neloth has an enchanting station that uses Heartstones, but of course, they didn't exist back when this staff was made."

"What's a Heartstone?" Brelyna asked.

"Oh you can mine them in a lot of places on Solstheim," she replied. "I was forgetting you haven't been here before. Neloth thinks they came from the explosion of the Red Mountain, so he first found them on the Morrowind mainland. But most of the ash, and the heartstones, fell on Solstheim. Morrowind got the lava, and the floods."

She rummaged around in her pack, and found one. It glowed blood-red, and obviously was a source of magicka, much like a filled soul gem. "And like a soul gem, you can use it for enchanting, which is why Neloth is interested."

"We have something to show you, too," Clark added. "It's back at Severin Manor, so let's go there next."

Posted by: ghastley Oct 28 2015, 03:12 PM

Previously: Brelyna, Diablita and Clark had collected a set of Stahlrim armour, reputed to be that of Haknir Deathbrand, from a series of chest buried around Solstheim.

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

Part 58 - DeathBrand

"There's more to the enchantments on these pieces than the immediately obvious," Vicuña told them. "Without the other parts, I can't figure it all out, but they were made to work together in some way. If you had the complete set, there's a further enchantment that would come into play. I'm sure Neloth would be fascinated, but you'd have to stop him destroying it all to find out how it works."

"Is that what he'll do with that staff you found?" Diablita asked.

"No, he reveres Azra's work too much to do that. It will take him a lot longer to examine the staff without taking it apart, but that's the way he'll do it."

"So it's possible to learn an enchantment without destroying something?" Brelyna asked, suddenly a lot more interested.

"Yes, sometimes. If it's an enchantment you know nothing about, then you have no choice. But if you take Fiery Soul Trap, for example, the one on Clark's sword, then a Master Enchanter who knows both Fire Damage and Soul Trap could duplicate it. With a bit more skill, you can combine more than just two."

"So the enchantment on my robes could be put on something else? There are a lot of enchantments on those, but they're all familiar ones."

"Let me take a look at them," Vicuña replied. "Once you're doing multiple enchantments, it's more a case of power than number. A lot of small ones isn't much harder than a couple of big ones."

Brelyna showed Vicuña the Archmage's Robes. "This may be a little more than I can manage, but well within Neloth's capabilities. Definitely something we could do working together."

"I can see why you'd want to wear something else, too. What did you want to put the enchantment on?"

"This amulet." Brelyna showed her the one she meant. "I had it made in the unique shape of the College symbol so it would make a good badge of office, and I can wear whatever I like with it."

"Or like Vicuña's own amulet, you can wear it without anything else." Clark pointed out. Diablita agreed, of course.

"Getting back to the Stahlrim pieces, we know where the others are, as we have a map. One of them is close to Tel Mithryn, so we'll take these with us when we go there. The other is up to the north-west, nearly all the way to Northshore Landing, where we got the map for Baldor."

"I'd suggest that you three go fetch that one, while I take the staff back to Neloth. I'll bring up the subject of the other enchantments while he's in a good mood, and we'll pick up the last piece when you get to Tel Mithryn."

That sounded like a good plan. They weren't expecting any greater Reaver problems at the other locations, so it wouldn't take all four of them. Neloth was a different matter, and Vicuña probably would do better on her own there.

---

There weren't any Reavers at Bristleback Mine, but there were Rieklings instead. Clark thought he preferred Reavers, as a ward is less effective against spears. Brelyna was inclined to agree. But at least the lock was cooperative, and they soon had a pair of Stahlrim gauntlets to add to the set.

At Tel Mithryn, the chest was guarded by Ash Spawn. Well, it would have been Reavers there, too, but the Ash Spawn had seen to them by the time they arrived. Clark's ward was better against firebolts than spears, and Diablita's sword cut through most things, anyway.

"Boots, do you think?" Clark asked as he started on the lock.

---

Vicuña had paved the way for them well, and Neloth was eager to take a look at the Stahlrim pieces. "Yes, there's an additional enchantment from wearing all of the set," he agreed. "Velith was right about that. But I also get the impression that this isn't all. There should be a shield to go with it, or possibly ..." He paused to think for a moment. "If there isn't a shield, it could have been constructed to use with two weapons, one in each hand. I'd be using two staves, but then I wouldn't be wearing armour. No, I'd imagine the original owner would probably have used a pair of swords."

"Don't try to kid us, We know you've read the book," Vicuña interrupted.

"Oh that book. Well, now you point it out, I see the connection. I was just drawing my conclusions from the evidence. Any correlation to others' conclusions should be made afterward, as you well know. If you don't do that, you just repeat their mistakes."

"And this key that was with the boots will probably provide the proof," Clark added. "I imagine it will open Gyldenhul Barrow, and we'll find a fifth chest there."

"Yes, well you'll have to go and find out, won't you? I have no interest in swords, so I can't help you there."

"How abount enchantments?" Vicuña resumed. "Could we duplicate this one for Brelyna?"

She showed Neloth the Archmages Robes. He raised an eyebrow when he saw them.

"These are the robes of office of the Archmage of Winterhold. How did you get them?"

"Brelyna is the new Archmage. They're her robes."

Neloth noticed Brelyna for the first time. She'd been off to one side, taking to Talvas, while the others were gathered around the Stahlrim armour.

His other eyebrow went up to join the first. He thought she was one of the two most beautiful women he'd seen, if she wasn't both of them. The resemblance was uncanny, although it couldn't be the same one. It had been so long ago. And they'd called her Brelyna. That wasn't the name he remembered.

"Brelyna ... Maryon?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Was Aryana Maryon your mother?"

She nodded again. "I presume you knew her in Morrowind. They tell me I look just like she did when she was my age."

---

They found a couple of Reavers trying to pick the lock on Gyldenhul Barrow. Naturally they were hostile on sight, but no match for Clark's team. The key Clark had found in the last chest fit the lock, as expected, but all that lay behind it was a small chamber with a pair of Stahlrim-covered coffins at either end. A dead Nord lay near one of them. Apparently he'd starved to death while trying to mine the Stahlrim with an ordinary pickaxe.

"Did you bring your Ancient Nordic pickaxe?" Clark asked Diablita.

"Of course. I expect those swords will be made of Stahlrim, too, and if I gather some extra material, we can see if Baldor Iron-Shaper can temper them."

Diablita hacked at the first coffin for some time before she chipped off all the Stahlrim. It really was a hard material, even in its raw form. The second one took just as long, but...

"There's nothing in this one, and the back's open. We can go through to another passage."

"Let's go," Clark agreed, raising his ward in case anything was waiting for them.

He soon dropped it again, as they emerged into a long room full of ... piles of gold. There were a few other items mixed in, jewels, weapons, armour, but no paired swords.

At the other end of the room was a door, locked with the same key they'd used on the outer door. It led to a tunnel, and Clark raised his ward again, and took the lead. Brelyna cast an armour spell, and followed. Diablita pulled her sword from her back and joined Clark at the front.

They emerged in a large, empty chamber, and Clark could see a skeleton lying near a single sword on an altar. It was a scimitar, and glowed with some kind of enchantment.

"I wish Vicuña had come with us," Clark said. "She'd be able to tell us more about that enchantment."

"Well she's helping Neloth enchant my amulet, so I'm happy to have her doing that. We'll find out all we need to know when we take it back to Tel Mithryn."

Posted by: ghastley Nov 4 2015, 05:37 PM

Prevuiously: Clark Brelyna and Diablita entered Gyldenhul Barrow in search of swords. So far, they found one.

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

Part 59 - Haknir

Clark picked up the scimitar, and a noise from behind them told him they were no longer alone. He turned, and saw that a ghostly figure had appeared near the entrance, which was now closed off. The ghost was wielding twin scimitars, and charging right at them.

Diablita swung the Bloodskal Blade, and a slash of red fire crossed the ghost's chest. At the same time, Brelyna's lightning bolt hit him, and he disappeared again.

But around the room, four more ghosts had replaced him, armed with bows, axes and hammers. Diablita charged at the nearest archer, and Clark did the same on the other flank. Brelyna summoned a flame atronach to even the sides, and fired a second bolt from her staff at another ghost.

When the first wave had been put down, the twin-bladed ghost re-appeared. Again they fought him for a short time, and he winked out again, with more of his crew taking his place.

"Are these tougher than the last lot, or am I just getting tired?" Clark asked nobody in particular.

"Both," agreed Brelyna. "Keep your ward up. I need to re-cast my armour."

Diablita was running around shutting down the archers as they appeared. Clark and Brelyna stayed together, and he protected her with his ward while she poured lightning into anyone who approached. As she switched to a second staff, he took the first and re-charged it, without interrupting the ward.

"How do you manage to sustain that for so long?" Brelyna managed to ask, as the last of the current wave of crew fell, and Haknir popped back in.

"Fortify Restoration on my whole outfit," he replied. "Azura's idea, and it really works well."

Diablita's sword didn't need recharging. "But I do," she told them, chugging a stamina potion as she closed with the ghost again.

For a third time, he left them, and more of his crew took his place. Not as many in this third wave, but they looked better armoured than the ones before. "No archers this time, which is something positive."

Brelyna's fresh atronach now put the numerical advantage in their favour, and they spread out to flank the remaining ghosts. "And if Haknir appears in the same place again, we'll have him surrounded," Diablita noted.

"We have to finish these two first," Clark reminded her.

The one nearest Clark and Brelyna unexpectedly got a fireball in the back from the flame atronach, and visibly weakened. The other took advantage of the atronach's diverted attention to send it back to Oblivion. But that, in turn, gave Diablita the opening she needed. Thalin Ebonhand's ghost staggered as she struck, and he never regained his balance. Now only Garuk Windrime's ghost remained, and not for long.

Haknir was immediately back in their midst. But as Diablita had indicated, he was surrounded, and couldn't face them all. Since Clark was dealing the least damage, Haknir turned on him first, and flailed at the ward with his scimitars. Since a ward is best at deflecting spells, not blades, Clark was starting to wish he'd brought a shield.

But before Haknir could break through, he was brought to his knees by a powerful blow from Diablita, and a bolt of shock from Brelyna, arriving together. Clark quickly added a thrust from his sword, and Haknir finally fell. Among Haknir's remains they found a second scimitar to match the one Clark had taken from the altar, except that this had a different glow than the first.

"One absorbs health, and the other magicka," Brelyna noted. "but not unless you wield them together. And there's something else in the enchantments to weaken or destroy armour, physical or otherwise."

"I just hope Rayya will appreciate what we had to go through to get them," Clark remarked. "The set of armour was a breeze by comparison."

"These don't look like they're made of Stahlrim, though. Are you sure they're the right ones?" Diablita wanted to know.

"I'd imagine they used Stahlrim to help enchant them, but they actually look like they're made of steel. Still, Chrysamere was made from Adamantium, but looked like Stahlrim, and Chillrend is Glass that's blue, so I expect these will temper with something else entirely. We'll ask Baldor, when we go back through the village."

---

"Ebony," Baldor told them, "and you'll need the Daedric skill to do it. These are clearly an artifact with at least some contribution from other realms. I could never have made anything like them, and I doubt any mortal smith could."

"The armour you found is a set, but these swords aren't part of it. They all may have had the same owner, but there are two distinct styles. I would imagine the armour is local, but the swords look more like they came from Hammerfell. How Haknir got them is a tale that hasn't been written, but as a pirate, he'd have travelled widely."

"But can you help us temper them?" Clark wanted to know.

"Not I," the Skaal replied. "I do not want to work on Daedric pieces, so I never learned to do so."

Clark recalled Iona telling him that Balimund could work Ebony, and she was learning to do that for herself. That was a little short of Daedric, however. Perhaps Eorland Grey-Mane, although he had a style of his own. His pieces were the equal of Daedric, but not the same. Serana had mentioned that the smith at Fort Dawnguard could train to the highest levels, so maybe he could do it.

Whichever it was, they were all back on the mainland. And so was Rayya, which meant that it could wait until he went back.

---

Back at Tel Mithryn, Vicuña and Neloth had enchanted Brelyna's amulet to match the robes.

"There's just one small snag," Neloth told her. "The nature of the enchantment is such that you can't wear the robes and the amulet together. It just won't work a second time on the same person."

"That's all right. I wanted the amulet enchanted so I wouldn't have to wear the robes. They're practical, but they're dull, and boring. Besides, I don't want to have to wear the same outfit every day."

"And you should be wearing something with a bit more Telvanni style," Neloth told her. "You need to remind everyone where your magical prowess originates."

That gave Vicuña an idea, and she went to fetch Ildari's robes from her chest. When they got back to Severin Manor, she'd see if she could alter those for Brelyna.

---

"When I see a guard's eyes following me," Brelyna said, back at Severin Manor, "it's not the same here as it was in Skyrim. Over there, I could just feel the suspicion that I was about to blow something up. Over here, he's just being male."

"Well, if you like that feeling, we should do something about your outfit," Vicuña told her.

"And maybe her hair. That's a much better style than she used to wear as an Apprentice mage, but it's still a bit ordinary," Diablita added. "Still, that fits with the College-issue robes she's wearing. It's all a fit-in-with-the-crowd ensemble, if you ask me."

"I'm not sure I want to stand out from the crowd as much as you do," Brelyna answered. "I'm not built the same way."

"Perhaps you should," Clark responded. "As Archmage, you're supposed to be a figure of note, and draw some attention. And if the guards are noticing you, ..."

"Well, I am new here, and Velith and Diablita have been walking around half-naked long enough that they don't notice any more. Or not as much, anyway."

"So we need to stop that happening for you," Vicuña pointed out. "Prepare to strut your stuff!"

She held up Ildari's robes for Brelyna to look at. "We'll have to cut the front away; there's a huge hole where the heartstone used to be. But that's a good thing, because then your amulet will show."

"Won't I be showing a bit too much of me at the same time?" Brelyna complained. "I'll be feeling the cold if you go that far."

"We'll add an enchantment to keep you warm. Nothing says 'mage' like ignoring the elements, and dressing for pure visual effect. And yes, before you ask, I did that on mine. Being an enchantment, it doesn't wear off and give you a nasty surprise!"

Clark looked over at Diablita. Her chains couldn't offer much protection from frost, and he didn't recall her having enchanted them with anything but defense. "Same here," she admitted. "That's one reason I wanted to learn the mage armour spells instead. That, and needing a stronger enchantment than anyone could manage without a Sigil Stone. I could get enough frost protection, but not enough against physical damage."

Clark had a bit of advice to offer, from his memory of the Bear Riders. "When it's frost protection, enchant the piece of clothing you'll take off last."

"Good point," Vicuña agreed. "Even the most wispy piece of lace can hold a full enchantment. And if you need them, you won't easily forget them!"

The way Brelyna blushed made Clark think that had happened before, but he didn't ask.

Posted by: Grits Nov 5 2015, 05:09 PM

Clark’s crew on this Solstheim adventure is probably my favorite combination of characters so far. I like the way they interact with each other. Brelyna is a delight. Now I’m wondering where she left her wispy lace items and how often this happens. New Winterhold radiant quest: find Arch-Mage’s panties!

Posted by: ghastley Nov 11 2015, 11:18 PM

Grits: What happens in Morrowind, stays in Morrowind.

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

Previously: Clark, Brelyna and Diablita fought Haknir Death-Brand's ghost to retrieve his swords, and they took them to Baldor Iron-Shaper to see if they could be improved. Neloth helped enchant Brelyna's amulet, and Vicuña made her a new outfit.

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

Part 60 - Return to Skyrim

He left the women discussing hairstyles. Brelyna wanted something that was easy to maintain, and Vicuña was advocating something more formal and up-swept. Brelyna was a slight figure, and needed some extra height. They both agreed that her ears shouldn't be covered, as they were so much a Dunmer hallmark, and hers were exquisite.

His feet steered him into town, to chat with Glover Mallory. Clark had delivered a letter to his daughter, Sapphire, and he wanted to know if she'd got in touch with her father.

"Yes, she did," the smith told him. "and I got another letter from my brother, Delvin, too. First time he's written in a long time. They both told me how much the Thieves Guild has changed since I've been here. I gather that apprentice of yours is the cause of that."

"Was Maven Black-Briar in the picture when you left the mainland?" Clark asked.

"She'd turned up in Riften, and bought the meadery, but wasn't involved with the Guild. I didn't like her, but that was just because she charged too much for her mead. It was good, but not that good."

"I'd suggest that Maven's had more effect than Gilda. She's just put things back the way they should have been."

"I'd disagree," Glover objected. "Mercer Frey was taking things in the wrong direction even before he had Maven's help. He's one reason I'm here, and the other is that I learned to mend Bonemold, which gave me the opportunity."

"So when's Sapphire coming to visit? Or will you be going over there?"

"Hard to say. We're both pretty busy these days. The Thieves Guild is humming again, and now the mine's re-opened, I have a lot of repair work to keep me active."

Just in case, Clark asked Glover about Daedric smithing.

"Beyond me," he answered, much as Clark had expected. "But I do know that it's not very different from smithing Ebony. There's a difference in incorporating the Deadra Hearts, when you make it in the first place, but the tempering process is almost identical."

---

Both Brelyna and Vicuña returned to Skyrim with Clark. Neloth wanted Vicuña to fetch a briar heart for him, preferably after witnessing its installation by a hagraven. He'd cast a memory spell on her that would show him everything she learned about the process, and he hoped to repeat it with heartstones.

His first attempt at that was, of course, Ildari Sarothril, and that hadn't exactly been a success. It wasn't clear if Ildari had been the cause of all the Ash Spawn, or whether the heartstone deposits did that, and she'd just harnessed them to her purposes. Vicuña was inclined to believe the latter, as Ildari hadn't been that powerful a mage.

"So you'll be heading back to the Markarth area, then. The Forsworn are all in the Reach."

"I'd certainly like to check in at the brothel there. Rhiada's been running the place in my absence, and being a mother at the same time. She probably needs a rest by now."

Brelyna had official duties as Archmage, and she needed to return to the College. She intended to go to Riften first, and pick up Mjoll to accompany her. Clark proposed that they all go there, and see if Iona would join him to help out Vicuña in her briarheart hunt. He'd also like to see how her smithing was progressing. He knew she was training it with a view to making her own ebony armour, and she might be getting close to making Daedric, too.

"If she has made a suit of ebony, she'll be a great addition to the party. That stuff almost makes you invulnerable, especially if it's fully improved." Brelyna enthused. "I wonder if she'd make some for Mjoll, too."

---

Iona had indeed made a suit of ebony, and the boots and gauntlets to go with it. "Then I ran out of ingots, and couldn't improve it. You don't have any, do you?"

Clark hadn't brought any back from Raven Rock mine. With Gloombound producing well, it wasn't the most profitable goods to carry. He'd taken a case or two of Sadri's Sujamma for the New Gnisis Corner Club, and hadn't had much capacity for more in his pack.

"We'll get some more from Gloombound later. It's a pretty decent set already, without the extra work. Did you make a helmet?"

"No, I can't see properly out of the full helm. I know I'd get a lot more defence by having a full matching set, but if it hampers my vision, I'd lose out on offense. I do have a matching shield, though."

---

Babies are cute, but a bit smelly at times, so Iona and Vicuña gave Rhiada's back and they all headed out of Markarth again. "Where's the nearest place to find a briarheart?" Clark wondered.

"The hagravens seem to prefer the higher elevations, according to Neloth. He thinks it's a bird thing, even if they can't fly. So I'm thinking that Dead Crone Rock, at the top of Hag Rock Redoubt, is our best bet. Unless those names were intended to be misleading, of course." Vicuña suggested

"Unlikely," Clark thought. "But the 'dead' part could mean the hagravens aren't there any more."

"We'll see when we get there," Iona decided for them. "It will all be a good test of my new armour anyway."

Clark was glad to note that she'd not been tempted to replace Chillrend with an ebony sword, just for looks.

---

The trail to Hag Rock seemed to be a playground for bears. There was one around each bend, and since Iona was eager to test her armour, they let her do most of the work.

"You're not finding the ebony a bit heavy?" Clark inquired. "It looks like it should be."

"I am getting a good workout, but that's no problem. Using it makes me stronger, and I'll be used to the extra weight before I know it."

Clark checked Chillrend, to make sure it was fully charged. They were almost at Hag Rock, so he used Azura's Star to be certain.

"Vicuña, if we see any archers, hit them with lightning before they can do us any damage. If we make the others come to us, my ward and Iona's armour and shield should be our advantage. Between us, we'll have most attacks countered. Your shock spells will work for mages, too, and drain their magicka."

"Iona, stay with me and keep Vicuña safe behind us. You won't want to get in her line of fire by running ahead anyway."

"We'll go up the nearest tower and across the bridge. The long way round would give us more cover, but it also lets them drop rocks on us."

---

Progress was slow, but steady. They stuck to their plan, at least until the giant frostbite spider appeared out of a hut near the top. That wasn't in the plan at all, but the general formation of Clark and Iona blocking for the spell-caster suited just as well.

There were no enemies left between them and Dead Crone itself. They'd killed one briarheart already, and taken his eponymous item for Neloth, but they were still hoping to find a hagraven making another.

"What do you expect to find in the tower?" Iona asked. "More spiders?"

"I doubt there's room for another of those, but who knows what else we'll find. Be prepared for the unexpected."

There were only Forsworn in the base of the tower, plus a few traps to avoid and neutralise. If there was a Hagraven in residence, she'd be at the top. It looked to Clark like the door ahead of them would open at the top of the tower, so he advised them all to sneak the rest of the way.

The door led to a long flight of steps, and Clark could just see another briarheart seated at a table on a landing half-way up. "If Iona can put an arrow in him, at the same time as you hit him with some lightning, we may get past without a fight," he suggested. The two prepared, and he tapped their shoulders simultaneously to signal the attack.

It worked, but of course the sound of the spell alerted the hagraven, who appeared at the top of the stairs to hurl a fireball at them. Clark raised his ward before she could do it again, and stepped forward. Iona stuck with her bow, firing over his head.

Vicuña's Dunmer resistance to fire allowed her to push past Clark and start to shut down the hagraven with more shock spells. As she abandoned the fireballs, and started to use her claws, Iona drew Chillrend and took over.

They stepped over the hagraven's corpse, pausing only to gather the feathers. On the altar beyond was a dead Forsworn, with his heart already removed. A briar heart was waiting next to him, due to be installed in the ritual they'd interrupted. And on the other side was another Stone of Barenziah.

Posted by: ghastley Nov 18 2015, 02:53 PM

Previously: Clark found another Stone of Barenziah while helping Vicuña with a mission for Neloth.

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

Part 61 - Dark Brotherhood, Dark Armour

"This makes thirteen, doesn't it?" Clark asked Gilda, back at Honeyside.

"Fifteen," She corrected him. "I just found another up north in a nordic ruin called Yngvild."

"Why were you up there?"

"Vekel asked me to look for a set of books that were supposed to be hidden there. I owed him a favour, so I agreed to take a look. I found a nasty old necromancer and the Stone as well as the books he wanted."

"And the other one?"

"Mjoll just brought me that. Wouldn't say where she found it, but she knew from Brelyna that I was collecting them. Perhaps you can get the story from her."

---

Clark was better suited to persuading a woman to talk than Gilda was, and Mjoll soon confessed how she came to find the Stone. The part she was most embarassed about was Grelod.

"The old woman who runs the orphanage? What about her?"

"I killed her," Mjoll replied. "I didn't mean to, but I caught her beating one of the kids, and I put her across my knee to see how she liked it. I didn't even hit her, she just clutched her chest and went limp. Of course, the kids all cheered when that happened, the disrespectful little urchins. It took all I knew to calm Constance down, but when I reminded her that she'd be responsible for the orphans now, that seemed to get her back to rights."

"And the stone? Don't tell me they had one in the orphanage."

"No, I got that later. A courier delivered me a note with a handprint on it, and the words 'we know'. Nothing else, no signature or anything. Then that night I woke up in a shack miles away with a masked woman telling me I'd stolen a victim from the Dark Brotherhood. She wanted me to repay them by killing one of the other people she'd dragged to the shack. There were three of them, tied up with sacks over their heads. I don't kill anyone who can't fight back, so I killed the woman instead."

"She was Astrid, head of the Dark Brotherhood, and one of the Solitude guards told me I should report her death to the Penitus Oculatus in Dragonbridge on my way back here. So I did, and they asked me to finish the job by killing all the others at their hideout near Falkreath. That's where I found the stone, in their Sanctuary."

"Just like that. You killed them all, and found the stone."

"Well it wasn't that easy, but now I have Grimsever back, and improved, it's easier than it used to be. I didn't even need Brelyna and her magic this time. They came at me one a time, or I might not have succeeded, but I guess assassins aren't used to teamwork."

"I picked up this book for Brelyna, too. I don't know if she's read this one, but it has the symbol for alteration on the cover. She usually likes those."

---

If Mjoll was going to do that sort of thing on her own, Clark thought that Brelyna's idea of making her a set of ebony armour was a good one. And Iona wanted to improve hers, too, so a visit to Narzulbur and Gloombound Mine seemed like a good idea. Perhaps Mjoll would want to come along and help dig the ore.

"Almost didn't recognise you with your top on," Chief Mauhulakh greeted Iona as they entered the stronghold.

"What's that about?" Mjoll wanted to know. Iona had to tell her about her bout of fisticuffs with the Orc to gain Blood-kin status.

"Great strategy," Mauhulakh added, "She had me totally distracted. Doesn't just fight well, that one. She can think, too."

"I take it she beat you?" Clark inquired.

"Let's just say I conceded. It's all about putting up a good fight, rather than the outcome."

"We've come to ask if we can mine some more ebony, so I can improve my armour," Iona told him. "Can Mjoll help?"

"Maybe I should ask her to mine topless. It should be just as good from my point of view, and it hurts a lot less!" the Orc laughed, "No, just mine a bit more than you're using, and that will pay us back. There's plenty of ore down there, and every bit of effort digging it is appreciated."

"Can we use the smelter and forge too? It will save us carting it all the way back to Riften."

"Of course, if Dushnamub isn't using them. Give him your surplus ebony when you're done."

---

With all three of them swinging pickaxes, it didn't take too long to extract the ore Iona needed. There were a few iron veins there as well, and although they didn't need any for their current project, they took some of that up to Dushnamub, too.

"No need to smelt the iron. I don't know if I'll use for steel yet," he told them. "Most of my work is repairing pickaxes, and they use a lot of it."

Iona got busy making Mjoll's equipment. "I'll do all the forge work first, and then improve it all at the workbench after, mine and hers."

Pretty soon, Iona realised she didn't have enough leather strips for everything. "I have those," Dushnamub said. "What have you got in exchange?"

"How about my banded iron armour?" asked Mjoll. "I won't needing that any more."

Clark had enough gold to pay for the leather, but Mjoll was already taking off her cuirass, and he wasn't about to stop her. Iona wasn't going to be upstaged by anyone, so of course her armour had to come off to be taken to the armourer's workbench.

"It's a Nord thing," Clark explained to the incredulous Orc smith. "Mjoll's always saying how she finds the cold exhilarating. I notice neither of them is venturing too far from the forge, though."

"I hope you're not making mine too tight in the chest," Mjoll was saying. "I need more room than you do."

"You do not," Iona argued. "Mine are just as big as yours. Clark, settle this for us!"

"You're both smaller than Gilda, so why debate who's second? If it's just an excuse to argue, I'll find you a pit of mud to wrestle in, and charge admission."

That made both of them laugh, and Dushnamub grinned at the prospect, too.

As if to settle the question, Iona found that she couldn't remember which armour was which, but it turned out that it didn't matter. They really were the same size, at least when it came to the armour fitting them.

---

Dushnamub didn't do Daedric either. "Although we mine ebony here, I don't even use that. Orcish takes Orichalcum, and tradition's more important to us. I can improve that to the point where ebony's no better, anyway."

---

Back in Riften, Clark asked Serana about the Fort Dawnguard smith.

"Gunmar? If you want a suit of armour for your dog, or a troll, he's your man. A bit weird, but a great smith. About the only one in Skyrim who knows about making crossbows, too."

"Do you think we could get him to temper Rayya's scimitars?" Clark asked. "There aren't many smiths that can work on Daedric items. I have the ebony it would take, but not the skill."

"Well the problem would be getting to him," Serana pointed out. "I could go there, but I wouldn't want to, given that you-know-who is probably there. They wouldn't let you in, because you're not a member of the Dawnguard. The same with Iona, if she wanted training, she'd have to join them first."

"I know what you mean," Clark agreed. "Eorlund Grey-Mane is the only other smith I know who can train at that level, but you have to be a Companion before he'll do that."

Posted by: Grits Nov 18 2015, 05:06 PM

Woo, I am on my feet for Mjoll! I love how you handled starting that quest. Mjoll is the perfect candidate to kill the Dark Brotherhood. Yay!

Mjoll and Iona mud wrestling! Clark could sell a lot of tickets to that event. This was a fun update.

Too bad sexy-voiced Gunmar can’t work on Rayya’s scimitars. I loved it when Mikke lived at Fort Dawnguard because I got to hear him talk.

Posted by: ghastley Nov 25 2015, 09:07 PM

Grits: Mjoll doesn't really want to talk about it. Grelod's the significant part, as far as she's concerned. The rest just happened.

Previously Mjoll found another Stone of Barenziah while she just happened to be destroying the Dark Brotherhood. Clark is still looking for a smith that can temper the scimitars.


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

Part 62 - Leet Daydrik Skillz

"Let me see those," Balimund said. "Nice pieces, but you're right about tempering them. Just a bit beyond my range. But I don't think Iona's going to need much more practice before she can do it for you. Did you notice how she's upgraded that sword of hers? She's done that every time she's been able, and Mjoll's too."

"I'd never really given that a thought," Iona replied. "I just wanted a set of ebony armour, and that's all I was aiming to achieve. But you're right, I ought to see if I can do anything more for Chillrend and Grimsever. Do you have any Malachite?"

Clark did, and Iona could, confirming that her skill was going up. Now both swords were even sharper and more durable than before. "So see if you can do anything with these," Clark asked.

"Are these ebony? They look more like steel."

"I'm not sure, but you'll need some ebony to improve them, so I kept a couple of ingots aside, just in case."

"I'll try, but no promises."

Balimund watched as Iona sat at the grindstone and started work. He'd taught her all he knew, and he hoped his star pupil could take the step beyond him. Clark had given her a potion to boost her skill, so maybe Daedric was achieveable.

"I think it's working," Iona said, as the sparks flew off the blades. "These are going to be amazing!"

"Balimund told me that when you work on a blade, you're not just adding metal to the edge, and then grinding it away again. That would just leave you back where you started. It's more like brushing your hair, or massaging a sore muscle, you're getting the metal aligned properly. If you can feel when that happens, then you'll make the blade better, and I'm starting to feel what this one needs."

"And you can feel a difference between ebony and Daedric?" Clark asked.

"Yes, it's subtle, but it's there. Even though I'm just changing the edge, the rest of the metal works through, and there is a difference."

---

Clark hadn't been back to Lakeview since he and Rayya put on the extra wings, and he'd left the furnishing to her. He was surprised to find child-sized beds in the bedroom wing, but "that was what the plans called for," as she explained.

"We have two double, and two single beds, for adults. And there's plenty of space in the cellar for more, if we need them. There's nothing down there but mead barrels, right now."

"I'd just imagined that the beds from the main hall would have been moved in here, but these are additional ones?"

"Yes, it's not like the one we moved from the entryway earlier. That would have been in the way after the remodelling. And we upgraded that one, as well as moving it."

She showed him around the other wings. There was an oven in the kitchen, something he didn't have in his other homes, and she'd been baking pies, to try it out. "And apple dumplings, and crostatas, and ... and if I don't stop, I'll be putting on weight."

"There's a lot of empty storage here in the tower for alchemy ingredients, but I left out the lab itself, as we already have the one in the main hall. That was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Yes, the main reason for building the tower was the view from the top. It's a good vantage point for an archer, too. We need at least one tower, in my opinion, just for that."

Rayya had to agree. She'd had problems with a giant that had wandered past and over-stayed his welcome. He'd been helpful at first, killing a pack of wolves for her, but then he'd threatened her, when she went out the door. Shooting him from the tower had avoided a toe-to-toe battle with someone over twice her size.

"You'd have managed it fine, if you'd had these," Clark told her, producing Soulrender and Bloodscythe from his pack.

"Wow! Where did you get these? They don't make scimitars in Skyrim, but these aren't Hammerfell ones, either."

Clark told her what he knew of the Haknir Death-Brand story. "So they're a bit of everything, then? Deadric, Stahlrim, ebony and who knows what else. Did Azura tell you anything more?"

"No, and she only gave me cryptic clues to finding them. I haven't been back to her shrine to ask why, but I suspect that the search was part of what she wanted for me."

"You don't need to visit my shrine," said a voice in Clark's head. "With your permission, I can come here."

Azura appeared as soon as she had Clark's agreeement, startling Rayya a little.

Clark was pleased at how calmly his housecarl seemed to accept a Daedric Princess appearing in his home. (Her home, too, of course.) That was partly because she didn't know it was Azura, and she'd seen mages dispel their invisibilty before. So the introductions startled her a little more.

"I don't know everything about them," Azura explained. "My sister, Nocturnal, is the one to ask about artifacts. These were most likely made specifically for Haknir, and they would come from somewhere on the High Rock coast. Haknir would have seen Hammerfell scimitars from his time raiding the Illiac bay, and he wanted some of his own. There aren't many smiths that know how to make Daedric items, so it took him some time to find someone who could do it."

"He took a pair of ordinary scimitars to the smith as a pattern, which is why they look that way. They have the same balance, even though the material is different. That's not easy to do, and may have required using Adamantium in the hilts to compensate for the heavier blades. Nocturnal believes Boethiah may have contributed the enchantment, after they were made."

"Boethiah? Why would he get involved?' Clark asked.

"I think Boethiah's 'she' at the moment," Azura replied, "But at the time Haknir petitioned his chosen Prince, you might have it right. And it was because Haknir asked, and it suited his purposes to grant it. It's a sneaky kind of enchantment, the way it weakens the opponent, and the whole idea of denying it, if you don't use both, confirms it."

"Oh, and you won't have to wait long to try them," she added. "There's a small band of bandits heading this way from the lake road. Have fun!"

And with that, she disappeared as abruptly as she'd arrived. Rayya and Clark ran out onto the balcony over the bedroom wing to see if they could spot the bandits.

"Shall I soften them up with a fireball?" Clark asked.

"No, let me see if I can persuade them to leave without a fight. Sometimes it's better if they pass on the word that this place isn't worth the risk of raiding. But if they're too stupid, I'd still like to see if I can handle them alone, with these swords."

"I've got your back if you need me," Clark replied, "but go ahead, and play it your way."

The bandit chief didn't think Rayya looked very frightening, unarmoured as she was. The two swords glowing in her hands didn't seem to register as a threat. He answered her polite request for him and his men to leave by taking a swing with his warhammer.

Rayya's first blow had him down on one knee, with his steel armour beginning to crumble away into dust. The second sent his head rolling down the hill. The other two bandits turned and fled, which was just what she wanted. Perhaps now they'd all leave this place alone.

"I like these swords!" Rayya's eyes gleamed. "They almost make up for you being away so long."

Posted by: Grits Nov 27 2015, 09:33 PM

Neat explanation of how an ingot can make a sword sharper. It’s fun to see a game mechanic given some life.

I had to look up Bloodscythe’s and Soulrender’s enchantments, since the only character of mine who has found them (Jensa) favors two-handed swords and so she chucked them into a drawer. No wonder Rayya is so pleased with the gift!

Posted by: ghastley Dec 2 2015, 03:03 PM

Grits: Those swords are only of any use to a dedicated dual-wielder. The fact that their enchantment only works when they're used together makes them very inflexible. Maybe Rayya's the only one in the game who'd appreciate them?

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

Previously: Clark had delivered the twin scimitars, Bloodscythe and Soulrender, to Rayya, his Lakeview housecarl. She got the chance to try them, too.

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

Part 63 - Remembering Pinewatch

After Clark had made up for his extended absence, Rayya had a few more questions for him.

"What's a Daedric Princess doing, getting involved with my swords? And I know that she said that Boethiah helped create them, but what's Azura's angle?"

"Azura's not a big fan of Boethiah, so she's always happy to thwart his/her plans. Giving the swords to someone who won't just go slaughtering innocents is just an opportunity to grab when it arises. And that all came up because of Serana, and Azura's Star, each of which is a complicated story. And those complications are part of why I've been away so long."

"Start at the beginning. How did you come to her attention in the first place?"

"Well, that all starts with Nocturnal."

Rayya was starting to disbelieve all this. Azura had mentioned her name, but it didn't seem to have anything to do with Clark.

"The only other Daedric Prince that's part of this story is Molag Bal," Clark told her. "And I didn't have any contact with him. That was Serana's misfortune."

"But you did have contact with Nocturnal?"

"That would be a major understatement. But let's skip the early period and start with my being one of her Nightingales. The current triad are Gilda, Brynjolf and my daughter Karliah. All members of the Riften Thieves Guild. She encourages their redistribution of wealth, as it's generally good for society to prevent anyone getting too rich at everyone else's expense. I've been helping her in various ways ever since my days in Cyrodiil at the time of the Oblivion Crisis. And no, I didn't have anything to do with that, or you could add Mehrunes Dagon to the list."

"Most of what I did for Nocturnal involved collecting Daedric artifacts for return to their creators. Then Nocturnal introduced me to her sister, and she had me do a few things for her, too. Again, that was a long time ago, and not part of the current story."

"I met Serana through the Thieves Guild, and she's one of the few Daughters of Coldharbour, vampires who were created directly by Molag Bal, the King of Rape."

"You mean, she was ..."

"Exactly. And she's not really recovered from that experience, even now. But my Daedric connections and hers were what had us teaming up to recover Azura's Star. Azura wants to help Serana heal, again because she doesn't like Molag Bal any more than she does Boethiah. She thinks I can help Serana, and having us work together was part of her plan. So once I'd got Serana's mother back from the Soul Cairn, she sent us looking for the Star."

"Serana's mother? You didn't mention her before."

"Valerica's another Daughter of Coldharbour. She's a bit better adjusted to that than Serana, and we left her rebuilding Volkihar Castle, way up off the north coast. Unlike her late husband, Harkon, she never was a worshipper of Molag Bal, and her experience with him didn't change that."

Rayya wasn't surprised at that. "But she still wants to remain a vampire?"

"Both of them do. They're just about immortal, and have adapted to being weakened by sunlight. They're a bit different from the ones who got the disease, and don't find it so hard to mingle with normal people. There's more positive than negative for them in staying as vampires. And as Serana put it, after going through that to become one, she expects something in return."

"So what else does Azura want? I assume getting me these swords was just part of a bigger plan, so how do I fit in to it?"

"I have no idea," Clark admitted. "I'm not even sure that Azura's thinking that far ahead. As I told you, putting them in your hands keeps them away from others that Boethiah might favour. I know I have still have more to do to help Serana, but that may be all."

"So what's Serana's problem?"

Clark explained. Since a lot of the explanation involved showing her what he could, or couldn't do, without triggering her reflex reactions, they both got a bit distracted.

---

The following morning, after breakfast, they took a stroll around the property,

"That farmhouse down there," Clark pointed out Pinewatch. "Did you know there's a whole complex of caves beneath it? As big as a warehouse, and bandits used to use it as one. Gilda and I cleared them out, and killed all but one of them. We had a bit of fun with Rigel Strong-Arm before we left, and I've always wondered what became of her. Have you seen any bandits going in or out of there?"

"Well those ones yesterday weren't the first to come past, but I don't believe any of them had any connection to Pinewatch. As far as I know, the place is deserted now. What did you do to Rigel anyway? I'd have expected the bandit leader to fight along with her crew, and end up as dead as they were."

"Her quarters were further into the caves, and she slept through the whole battle without even knowing we were there. Gilda was able to sneak in on her and steal her weapons and armour without even waking her. We couldn't just kill a naked woman, so we improvised a suitable punishment that left her alive. For all I know, she might even have enjoyed it."

"And that gives me an idea," he continued. "If Gilda could do that, then there's something else she might be able to do."

---

"You want me to do what?" Gilda exploded. "Of course she'd notice me doing that!"

"Not if she's asleep, and thinks she's dreaming it," Clark replied. "I've good reason to believe I can distract her enough that you could. And this isn't a very large dildo, anyway."

"Well, you're right about distraction. That's the main part of picking a pocket. You make the mark think the contact is something completely different, and get their attention elsewhere. And that is similar to what I had to do with Rigel. But she was awake when we ..."

"Because we wanted her to be aware of that," Clark interrupted. "So it's not exactly the same."

"I still don't think it's possible. if you can do all that when she's asleep, why not just ...?"

"So I can try and convince her she did it herself. If she starts to believe 'only Clark can do it', she'll take up all my time. You want me to have something left for you, don't you?"

"Well, I'll take that as a promise, and collect my payment as soon as the job's done."

Gilda felt pleased with her negotiating skills after that, until she reflected for a moment. "Well done Gilda, you just agreed to attempt the impossible, and sleep with him afterwards. You should become a merchant with skills like those."

"But again, you were going to do it all anyway. So we all win, especially Serana, if this works."

Posted by: Acadian Dec 7 2015, 11:39 PM

Clark and company have been busy indeed! Adventuring in Solstheim, helping Serana & Valerica, helping Brylyna, earning Azura’s Star, noting Mjoll vs the DB....

Nice to catch up with Clark as he recounts some of his recent adventures to Rayya.

"Her quarters were further into the caves, and she slept through the whole battle without even knowing we were there. Gilda was able to sneak in on her and steal her weapons and armour without even waking her. We couldn't just kill a naked woman, so we improvised a suitable punishment that left her alive. For all I know, she might even have enjoyed it."


Nit- ‘As I told you, putting them in you hands keeps them away from others that Boethiah might favour.' You want ‘your hands’ of course.

Posted by: Grits Dec 9 2015, 01:52 AM

He sure did!

Oh, what a great idea to have light-fingered Gilda take on the Serana challenge. I’m not sure which skill will help her more in this situation, pickpocket or lockpicking. Probably both!

Posted by: ghastley Dec 9 2015, 08:04 PM

Acadian: Clark's probably a lot busier than he'd really like. But since he's effectively telling the whole story of all the quest-lines, side-quests etc. he's got to at least talk to the ones doing them.

I was as surprised as he was that Mjoll didn't have more to say about the Dark Brotherhood. Maybe she'll have something different to talk about when she's dungeon-diving with Brelyna, and the Archmage won't get so many cut-purse anecdotes?

Grits: The "Perfect Touch" perk that she needed to remove Rigel Strong-Arm's armor was in the pickpocket tree. I'm conjecturing that it would be the relevant one here, but the UESP wiki isn't clear on the limits of that.

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

Previously: Gilda has agreed to help with Serana's problem.

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

Part 64 - Serana at Honeyside

Clark's excuse for bringing Serana to Honeyside was that he wanted to show her how to enchant a dagger. He'd had Iona make a nice ebony one that he knew would appeal to her, and he'd already planted the idea that enchanting one with Fiery Soul Trap would suit her needs well.

Since Fiery Soul Trap was a rare enchantment - it seemed that only Clark knew it - she didn't need much persuading. She'd seen what it did when Clark and Lydia had used their swords in Ilinalta's Deep. The frost on Chillrend was impressive, but vampires appreciate the fear that being set on fire brings more than most. And trapping a necromancer's soul was true justice. She wasn't sure why she hated necromancers so much. She just did.

And she liked being with Clark. All the women seemed to, even Sapphire liked him. It didn't hurt that he had excellent taste in wine, and Honeyside was always well-stocked. There was something about the Tamika's, maybe the deep blood-red colour, but more likely the incomparable flavour.

The sun was coming up already. Clark pulled the shades, and gestured towards the bed. "Sleep here," he told her. "It's getting bright out there."

And he joined her on the bed, and helped her undress, and she fell asleep in his arms.

Clark looked over to the basement stairs, where Gilda's head had appeared. He checked to see if Serana had started to dream, and gave a silent nod. A few gentle touches, not enough to awaken her, persuded Serana to turn the way he needed.

Gilda signed that she needed a bit more room to work. Serana responded the way Clark had hoped.

"Don't stand there," Clark whispered. "If she does react and it comes back out, it might be faster than an arrow. You don't want to get hit in the knee!"

Gilda almost burst out laughing, but that could have woken Serana up at the wrong time. She needed to get back downstairs before that happened.

---

"Clark, wake up!" Serana exclaimed. "There's something inside me!"

Clark wanted her to think he was still asleep. He murmered groggily "What do you mean by inside you?"

"I can feel something, down there"

"Down where?"

"Just take a look, and tell me if I'm imagining it."

"No, you do seem to have found one of my dildos," he answered. "Probably one from the side table by the bed. When did you pick that up?"

"Is it really where I think it is? How did it get there? Did you do it?"

"It's really there, and No, it wasn't me. Why would I use that when I'd prefer to use something else?"

Serana seemed to accept that, and reached one hand down to check for herself. "I'm still not sure I believe it," she told him.

"Did you dream about doing that? Sometime you do things in your dreams, and you wake up and find they really happened."

"Well yes, I dream about that all the time. But it's never happened before."

"First real opportunity?" he asked. "Or was last night's dream a bit more vivid than usual?"

Of course, he'd helped that as much as he could, and suspected that he'd had Azura's help. If she could guide Aranea's dreams, then why not Serana's too?

"But I can't do that," she protested. "I've tried before, and failed."

"Well, somebody did, and if it wasn't me, who else could it be? Besides, you wouldn't let me, remember? At least I'm not picking myself off the floor today."

"But if I did that, am I cured? Could I do it again while I 'm awake?"

"Why are you asking me?" Clark asked. "You're the only one who has the answers."

---

"I think I can pronounce you thoroughly cured." Clark finally conceded half an hour later. "There doesn't appear to be anything holding you back. Now can I get some rest, or are you determined to catch up for centuries of abstinence? You know, if we keep doing it, it might end up curing your vampirism as well."

Serana laughed. "I don't want to go quite that far. Just to the brink, maybe. I need my vampirism for the extra stamina, anyway."

---

When they woke up again, Clark had no idea what time it was. Serana was a night person, and he wasn't, but they'd both slept from exhaustion, rather than because it was the right time. He peeked out of the window, and it looked dark.

As Serana left, Gilda re-appeared. "I have another of those Stones of Barenziah," she announced. "So I'd like to celebrate, and you owe me, anyway."

"Where did you get this one?" he asked.

"Windhelm," she told him. "In the Shatter-Shield home. I came across it while retrieving the Golden Ship again. That's the same piece I was looking for when I found you and Jordis in Proudspire. Which got me thinking about you know what."

"So do we need to wait until Iona gets back? It wouldn't be the same without a housecarl, would it?"

"Exactly. I want your complete and undivided attention, for once. Or maybe twice."

---

"Where did Iona go?" Gilda asked. "I know you needed the place to yourself for Serana, but did you send her anywhere in particular?"

"I just suggested she go off with Mjoll and clean out a few local tombs and caves. They're both a bit restless, waiting for something to happen between the Guild and the Black-Briars, but not being able to do anything yet."

"Karliah still doesn't have all the pieces for that," Gilda admitted. "We can deal with her brood, but Maven's been really careful that nothing sticks to her. It all has to wait until we have something we can use against her." She mused for a moment or two. "So Iona and Mjoll could come back at any time?"

"I only told them I needed a day or so. And Serana's a night person, so they'd assume I meant at least two."

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

Note: I'm ignoring what the wiki says: "Perfect Touch does not work on NPCs who wear unobtainable clothing or who are marked as essential" because Gilda doesn't know about that.

Posted by: Acadian Dec 10 2015, 09:22 PM

Clark is such a kind-hearted healer. In this case, helping Serana with her ‘centuries of abstinence’.

So, Mjoll and Iona of off cracking skulls, and Gilda found another of Barenzia’s stones. She should be rewarded for that. . . oh, wait. . . .


Nit: "I think I can pronounce you thoroughly cured." Clark finally conceeded half an hour later.’ - - I think you want conceded.

Posted by: ghastley Dec 16 2015, 03:04 PM

Acadian: There are still quite a few more Stones, and Clark will be busy enough without rewarding their collection.

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

Previously Clark (with a lot of skilled assistance from Gilda) has "cured" Serana of her Molag-Bal inspired problems.

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

Part 65 - Riften and Solitude

Fortunately for Clark, they didn't interrupt anything when they returned, or they'd have wanted to join in. Paticularly as they'd also found a Stone of Barenziah, in Ansilvund.

"We picked up this strange old sword there," Iona said, showing them the Ghostblade, "But it's nothing special when you compare it to the ones we already have. The Stone was much more of a reward."

"What does that make the count?" Clark asked Gilda.

"Seventeen," she replied. "Getting close, but there's still another seven to find, and they could be anywhere in Skyrim."

Mjoll and Iona had also brought back quite a haul of soul gems, books, and other treasures that needed sorting. Some of the soul gems went to recharging their swords, and they kept some more for future use.

"I'll take this spell book to Wylandriah and see what she'll give me for it," Mjoll announced. "It's one we all know, so it probably won't be worth much, but it will give me an excuse to check on how she's doing. She's so absorbed in her experiments, if I don't remind her, she'd forget to sleep for days."

Iona took the Ghostblade down to the enchanting lab in the basement, and hung it on one of the weapon racks on the wall. She noted that they had some ectoplasm, if she wanted to temper it. It might almost be worth doing that, as it did have an unusual enchantment, that made it pass through armour as if it wasn't there. "Later," she thought.

Mjoll had found a letter from Brelyna waiting for her when she got back to Aerin's house. She'd been asked by Arniel Gane to help with an experiment, and she'd already supplied him with some Dwemer cogs from her trips to Mzinchaleft and Mzulft. Now he wanted her to hunt down a staff so that he could trade it with Enthir and get his special soul gem back. And of course, it was a unique staff, not just one that could be replicated by Neloth.

"It looks like I'll be going with her," Mjoll said happily. "I like working with Brelyna."

"Does she have any clues where to find this staff?" asked Clark. "Or do you expect to search every cave and ruin in Skyrim?"

"She's narrowed it down to two," Mjoll replied. "It's either in Rannvieg's Fast, or Sunderstone Gorge. The last known owner was a necromancer, and those are the most likely of his haunts. If we're lucky, we'll get to visit both of them. I enjoy hunting necromancers!"

---

"Do you have any plans I should know about?" Iona asked Clark.

"I need to go visit Solitude again, soon. Jarl Elisif expects me to keep her informed about the rest of Skyrim, as she doesn't get out of Hjaalmarch. She'll be getting some intelligence from her other Thanes, but I think she trusts what I tell her a bit more."

"She might have other reasons for wanting to see you, you know."

"I'm sure she does. And Jordis, too. But I don't see either of them relying on me exclusively."

---

Elisif was aware that General Tullius would like nothing better than to marry her off to somebody weak and ineffective. He'd found out that she wasn't the dumb bimbo he'd been counting on, but only after she'd established her position too well for him to replace her. So there had been a steady stream of ambassadors from other provinces, come to pay respects at the court. All of them had been young men, roughly Torygg's age, and many resembled him to some extent.

"I could use some training," she told Clark. "You told me once about the Red Dragon Club, and how Taminwe operated. I need to able to do that. If I'm going to have access to representatives of the other provinces, I can find out a lot more about the wider picture."

Clark pondered that for a while. Tullius wasn't stupid, and if he found out that he was supplying Elisif with more than just entertainment, he might cut off the supply. She wouldn't want that to happen.

"That's exactly why I need to know how. I don't want them to feel they've told me anything I shouldn't know, or it will get back to the General. I'm sure I could persuade them to tell me anything already, and keep quiet about it, but I know there's more to it than that."

"It sounds to me like you're getting there without my help. Knowing the problem is half of solving it. However, I'll be happy to offer my services in refining your skill."

"I thought you might," she grinned. "And as it happens, there's someone in town that I'd like you to investigate, too."

"Female, I assume?"

"Very. They tell me she's from a ship that's anchored out beyond the ice, and she's shopping for supplies. However, that's not what she's after in the Winking Skeever in the evenings. That's all for her own benefit."

"I'll talk to Jordis first. She spends a lot of her time in the same tavern, and I suspect with the same intentions."

"Indeed. It was Jordis that told me about her. But there's more. The other business you'll need to attend to on this visit is Elenwen. She's having another of her parties at the Embassy, and I have an invitation to pass on to you. I get the impression that you're reason for the party, as she was most insistent that I get you to attend."

"I wonder what she wants from me now? She could have invited me any time since you made me a Thane, just to find out who I was. There must be something new that's tipping her hand."

---

Clark wasn't entirely surprised when he saw two of the local men leaving Proudspire just before he reached the front door. Jordis wasn't going to waste her time while he was away, and as his housecarl, she'd insist on taking them home with her. However, he wasn't expecting her to have brought a woman home, too.

The Breton with the long curly hair, and the loose, almost open, pirate blouse was Hélène, the sailor that Elisif had told him about. She was the First Mate from the Red Witch, a vessel from the port city of Farrun, in High Rock.

"First Mate means I manage the crew, while the Captain manages the ship. But I also interpret it as meaning that I get first go with any new men. Jordis has been helping me interview potential new crew while I'm here in Skyrim."

"Interview?" Clark queried.

"Well, any new sailor's got to fit in, hasn't he? I was hoping we could add a Nord to the ship's complement. Everyone's a Breton right now, except for Teraakus, the Argonian. Every ship needs an Argonian for the underwater work, like cleaning barnacles off the hull. He passed his interview, too."

"And what's your angle in this?" he asked Jordis.

"It was a case of competing, or joining forces. I'm giving Hélène a second opinion, when she's not sure. Of course, half the time, it's a first opinion, but you know what I mean."

"And if there is no second opinion, then they wouldn't last long on ship, would they?" Hélène added.

"So apart from that, what's going on with the Red Witch? The ships we see here are either transporting goods for the East Empire Company, or else they're pirates, preying on the trade. If you were doing the former, I'd know about you already."

"There is a third group, you know. The authorities in High Rock have chartered us as privateers, and we're permitted to hunt the pirates for the bounties."

"I've heard the term privateer before. Usually it means pirates that have the protection from one side in a conflict, with the understanding that they'll restrict their plundering to the other side."

"Well, there isn't any war on the northern coast right now, so bounty-hunting's a decent enough living. Eliminating a few rivals won't hurt, either. And if I'm honest, which is unusual, then I'd have to say I prefer attacking a ship that deserves it, rather than just one that has the wealth in its hold."

"But that would be the Captain's decision, not yours, wouldn't it? I'd like to know what his opinion is."

"Hers. The Captain's a woman. I could arrange for you to meet her, if I think she'd be interested. She puts a good deal of trust in my opinion, which is why I'm the First Mate."

"I have heard that the East Empire Company in Windhelm has a pirate problem, so did you come here to deal with that? They trade from there with Solstheim, whereas the branch here in Solitude trades more with High Rock."

"Not specifically, although if there's a bounty there, we might get interested. No, we've got a different job this time. I won't say what it was, without speaking to Captain Clarisse first. And if you ask me nicely, I might make the introductions, and you could find out for yourself."

Jordis was not unaware where this was leading. She decided to let Hélène find out what she was getting into for herself, and maybe she'd rescue her later. No, definitely. She wasn't going to be left out of the fun!

Posted by: Acadian Dec 16 2015, 07:50 PM

Nice job capturing the nature of both the absentminded Wylandriah and the itching-for-a-fight Mjoll!

Back to Solitude for Clark then. Not surprising that the secretly clever Elisef turns Tullius’ suitors into intelligence sources.

Out to sea next? And will Clark be mating the first mate? I quite enjoy the East Empire related quests in the game, so I'm looking forward to what may be ahead.

Posted by: Grits Dec 27 2015, 12:51 PM

Woo, the Red Witch is in port! I’m looking forward to Clark meeting Captain Clarisse.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 6 2016, 03:47 PM

Acadian: Rise in the East is in the future, but will get hopelessly entangled with some other quests. As for Hélène, you just missed that, even if Clark didn't.

Grits: Soon, just not yet.

-----------

Previously: Clark has met Hélène, the First Mate of the Red Witch, a pirate privateer ship with a bounty-hunting charter from High Rock. Stones of Barenziah keep turning up.

-----------

Part 66 - Thalmor Embassy

"Well, at least I get you to myself tonight," Jordis remarked as they watched Hélène head down to the docks in the morning. She turned to look at Clark, who wasn't saying anything. "I do, don't I?"

"I have an invitation to the Thalmor Embassy this evening. I can expect that I won't get back until tomorrow, at the earliest." Clark was genuinely disappointed. He'd have liked to keep it simple, too.

---

"You're Clark, aren't you?" the girl with the flute asked. "Jordis told me about you, but I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Yes I am, and you are...?"

"I'm Illdi, from the Bard's College. You know, next door to Proudspire. I get invited to these parties of Elenwen's to play music for the guests, I'm not sure why they picked me; it's not like I'm the best musician. But I guess Inge would turn down the invitation, so I'm next in line if they want instrumentalists. And they just want music, rather than singing, so that nobody stops talking just to hear the words."

"So you play, even though most people aren't really listening? That doesn't seem very rewarding."

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I need to practice my flute and lute anyway, and this gig pays me to do that. And if I make mistakes, it's a good thing nobody's really listening, isn't it?"

Illdi paused for a moment, and then changed the subject. "Could I borrow Jordis from you? I have a couple of tasks I need to do for the College, and they're more suited to her skills than mine. She's a good friend of mine, and she's already agreed to help, if she has your permission."

"Why does it need my permission? As long as her housecarl duties are met, she can do what she likes."

"Well, she might have to be away from the Manor for a few days. She's supposed to look after the place while you're away, and you when you're there. That means being in Proudspire every day, doesn't it?"

"I don't need as much looking after as she's telling you, although I suspect she'd like some herself. Of course she can take a few days off to help you. What do you need her to do?"

"Well, both Pantea, the singing teacher, and Inge Six-Fingers, the instrumental teacher, have had things go missing from the College. And because it's a flute and a lute, the instruments I play, they thought I'd like to get them back."

"Except that they're in nasty caves and dungeons somewhere, with who knows what guarding them?" Clark surmised. "If not, I'm sure they'd just go fetch them themselves."

"You got it," Illdi agreed. "And the places are both about as far from here as you can get. The flute's supposed to be in a cave up on the north coast near Winterhold, and the lute in a cave in the Rift. They both told me it was the distance involved that meant they couldn't go. Teaching schedules wouldn't permit. That didn't fool me. I know I need a good fighter for backup."

"I'd better get back to playing," she continued. "I can see Ambassasdor Elenwen coming over to check on me."

Elenwen wasn't interested in what Illdi was doing, but she was looking for Clark. She took a glass of brandy from the serving girl's tray and brought it over.

"You're from Cyrodiil, aren't you?" she asked Clark. "Can you taste this, and tell me if it's genuine? That Erikur swears it's real Collovian Brandy, but I don't exactly trust him."

"Aren't you concerned that I'll just denounce it as fake, so I can take over the contract? After all, we're both in the import/export business."

"You might, but you'd have to come up with a product to better it, so I don't see how I'd lose out."

Clark acknowledged the logic in that. You didn't have to be much of an expert to know a good brandy from an inferior one. He took a small sip. "It's Collovian. Maybe not as good as you can get, but genuine enough. You could serve this to your guests, but there are better ones for your private reserve."

"That you could supply if I asked?"

"Perhaps. The better they are, the harder to obtain, of course. Like Tamika's wine. You won't find that in Skyrim, unless you brought it here yourself. You might get Surilie Brothers, if you're lucky, but again, not the best years."

"Then I'm lucky," Elenwen replied. "I did get hold of a few bottles of Surilie Brothers. Perhaps you'd let me know if I got a good year. They're over in my Solar, in my own cellar."

---

Clark couldn't fault Elenwen's research. She knew he was a wine buff, and he could be counted on to take the opportunity to sample some Skingrad wine when it was offered. He'd avoided commenting on Erikur, when he'd been offered the chance. It was clear to him that she'd relish the chance to play the two merchants against each other, but she expected him to know that. He'd have to be careful later, as that had just been the opening gambit.

If she knew his tastes in wine, she'd probably have some idea what else he liked. And a few drinks together in private would give her an excuse for that.

"Can you open the bottle while I go and change out of this uniform?"

"Of course," Clark replied, pulling a corkscrew from his pocket. He had a number of useful little tools in there, that a merchant might use to sample wares. One for cutting a plug from a cheese wheel, a small balance for weighing things, and so on. Elisif had told him that Elenwen was expecting that her Thane was a merchant.

He'd noted the subtleties of her remark. Elenwen had in one simple statement told him that her outfit wasn't her own choice of style, and promised him something "more comfortable" without actually saying so.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 6 2016, 08:56 PM

"Oh, it doesn't matter. I need to practice my flute and lute anyway, and this gig pays me to do that. And if I make mistakes, it's a good thing nobody's really listening, isn't it?" - - Well, can’t fault Illdi’s logic. In fact she’s quite clever to recruit the aid of a Sword-Maiden for her Bard College fetch missions.

Clever of Clark to ensure his ‘merchant’ cover is deep enough and suitably prop-supported to stand up to reasonable scrutiny.

Something tells me that the likely frolics between Elenwen and Clark will be primarily about information gathering by both of them, and any passions that surface merely a pleasant by product.

Posted by: ghastley Jan 13 2016, 03:50 PM

Acadian: Clark may gather information, Elenwen will gather something that isn't quite...

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

Previously: Clark has met Illdi at one of Elenwen's parties, and she's asked for Jordis's help with some fetch quests. Elenwen has set her sights on Clark.

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

Part 67 - Elenwen's Solar

The robe she re-appeared in wasn't anything dramatic, yet. It was tied simply with a cord around the waist, and was currently wrapped around her enough to conceal everything but a slender outline that wasn't lacking in curves. Her hair hung a little looser than it had before, making her look a bit more relaxed.

The robe was Taminwe's preferred garment for these situations, Clark recalled. It would naturally work itself loose, and could be allowed to do so, or re-adjusted, as needed. Fastened only at the waist, it could reveal whatever she wanted it to, and when she wanted it to.

It was inevitable that he'd compare the two Altmer, and equally inevitable that Elenwen couldn't quite match up. She certainly was everything another Altmer would dream of, but Taminwe had all the best of a mixed heritage. Not just the endless legs of the High Elves, but the breasts of a Nord, the rounded rear of a Redguard, and enough facial contributions from Breton and Imperial to be quite stunning. Add to those the insatiability of a Dunmer, and the inexhaustible stamina of an Orc, and you'd just be getting close.

Not only had Clark trained with the best in that game, he'd also learned to keep up with Nords and Orcs when it came to drinking. He knew that Elenwen needed to keep enough of her own faculties, so he just didn't need to drink any more than her, and he'd have no problems in that regard.

She, however, would want him to think she was just a little more inebriated than the reality. That was part of the whole charade of letting her robe reveal "more than intended". Which should be happening around now, he thought.

Except that the subject of their conversation had wandered to the Dragonborn, Diablita. She wouldn't want him making comparisons there. He'd admitted having met her in Whiterun, but not before. That much would be common knowledge, as his position as Thane would have made it inevitable. Clark was curious as to what, if anything, she'd worn when she came to the Embassy. He knew she rarely had anything on but her chains.

Elenwen decided that it was an opening she could use. "Just her chains," she replied. "It made me wonder whether some piercings would suit me. I was more than a little curious what it would feel like, too. So I had just one done, to find out. Do you prefer this one, or the other?"

---

Clark wasn't sure what made him think that Elenwen was trying to read his mind, but his earlier memories of Taminwe had made him conceal his thoughts. Both of them had had some telepathic ability, and Medora had helped them develop it as far as they could. Since it made it difficult to do anything that surprised her, he'd spent some time learning how to hide what he was thinking, even from Taminwe, or Medora. It just became a habit to do so in situations like this.

After a moment when he wondered if Elenwen was noticing the block, he let a few inconsequential thoughts escape. Ones that were relevant to what they were doing, so he could see if she was really 'listening'. It took a few attempts to determine the limits of her ability that way, and in the process he got a few helpful stray thoughts from her.

"I wonder if she'd like this," he thought in her direction, before actually doing it. When he picked up her mental enthusiasm for the idea, he put it into practice. Confirmation was clear.

As he played with Elenwen's pierced nipple, it reminded him how Diablita (of the many piercings) had unfortunately become trapped in Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha to replace Miraak. By this time, he could read her mind well enough to know that she was believing him. It was apparent that she'd trust anything she got this way, as she truly considered her telepathic abilities to be unusual, if not unique.

So the other side reminded him of Elisif. He wasn't sure if telling Elenwen that there was a relationship between them was a good idea, but it didn't seem to be news to her. More important was that she now believed that Elisif was a staunch supporter of the Imperial-Thalmor alliance, and its benefits for Skyrim. The sort of person that they needed to help maintain her position as Jarl, as a counterweight to Ulfric Stormcloak.

The mention of Ulfric revealed a whole raft of memories from the Altmer. He had been her greatest success before Clark, and her proof that this mind-reading really worked. She'd taken him over after the interrogator had finished with his more painful methods, and had acted sympathetic. She'd quite enjoyed the results, as well as the promotion it got her. Ulfric had turned out to be quite a talented lover, as well as a source of information.

Clark let her relive some of the best parts. No point in missing anything, was there? Especially as she thought she was having the same success again. That pleased her, and a happy woman is always better at what she's doing.

What she got from him was a well-crafted mixture of facts and lies. The facts could be checked, but weren't anything she could use. They would, of course, confirm that he was a reliable source. The untruths were more vague. Solstheim was essentially divided between the Dunmer in the south, now free of Miraak's influence, but in constant tension with the Rieklings in the north, who were a bit fiercer in Clark's account than in reality. Elenwen wondered if they were the reason that she hadn't heard from Ancarion, and Clark let her believe it was likely. At no time did he think about the Skaal, as Elenwen didn't seem to know about them.

The mention of Ancarion revealed her concern that she was losing agents. Ancano and Estormo at Winterhold, Lorcalin at the Whiterun hold shrine. The undercover ones, too: Valmir at Forelhost, Shavari in Riften, Gissur right here in the Embassy. She didn't have one in Whiterun, which is why Clark could be so useful. And he can do this, too. She'd better be more careful that Clark didn't find out what she was getting from him, or he'd turn against her, like Ulfric did.

---

Back at Proudspire the following day, Clark asked Jordis about helping Illdi. "Is she intending to go with you? She's not going to be much help unless you need inspiring music to keep you fighting."

"Don't underestimate her," the housecarl replied. "She's quite a competent mage, especially with her healing, and wards. Almost all Restoration school, but that's what I find the most help. I think that concentrating on the one area has helped her advance faster, too"

"Have you been out with her before? Remember how I took you out to see how you fought when I bought this place. You need to know how you'll work together. You were a bit too likely to jump in the way of my spells when we started."

"Yes, we went and fetched Noster's helmet together. He showed me a thing or two about sneaking, so it wasn't a waste of time, even though we were doing it mainly for the practice."

"So when do you want to go? I'll be around here for a while, as I have palace duties to catch up on, as well as some business deals to attend to."

"When you've caught up on the other business you've been neglecting," she replied, pulling him up the stairs towards the bedroom.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 13 2016, 10:35 PM

It was great fun listening to Clark’s thoughts about the sensual components of Taminwe’s mixed race. I guess ‘the short legs, small bewbs and big ears of a Bosmer’ didn’t make the list.

Wow, the telepathic aspect of his encounter with Elenwen added a whole new dimension to their ‘mind games’!

Good to hear that Illdi has some restoration skill. That should help keep the Sword Maiden in peak condition.

Posted by: Grits Jan 18 2016, 10:41 PM

Goodness, what a brain-bending encounter with Elenwen! The Taminwe games served Clark well with this other telepathic Altmer.

I chuckled at the thought of Illdi singing Jordis to victory. Wards and healing spells sound like a better backup for Jordis’s skill set. Very enjoyable as always, ghastley!

Posted by: ghastley Jan 20 2016, 03:50 PM

Acadian: That Bosmer's not trying to do Elenwen's job.

Grits: If Bethesda feel that combat needs musical accompaniment, who am I to disagree?

-----------

Previously: Clark has told Elenwen a convincing bunch of untruths, and let Jordis go with Illdi to retrieve instruments for the Bards' College.

-----------

Part 68 - Red Witch

Clark was looking forward to a few days of relaxation once Jordis left with Illdi. Unless, of course, Elisif needed him,or Gilda made another of her unannounced appearances. But the knock on his door was from someone else. First Mate Hélène had come ashore with an invitation for him to visit the Red Witch and meet Captain Clarisse.

The Redwave was docked in Solitude, and Clark had imagined from the names that the Red Witch would be a sister ship. He wasn't prepared to find a vessel more than twice the size looming out of the fog as the rowboat approached. Nor for it to be armed with catapults taken from Dwemer ruins, and mounted on the fore and after decks. Each of them looked capable of putting a hole in a ship's hull, and sending it to the bottom.

Clarisse was as impressive as her ship. Tall for a Breton, and dark-haired, with piercing blue eyes. Clark guessed that half her ancestry might be Nord, at least. She wore a blouse of fine silk and lace, that he couldn't quite see through, but it was apparent that she was wearing nothing beneath it. A short kilt hovered tantalisingly over tall leather boots, and a long red sleeveless tailcoat overall.

She took Clark to her large cabin aft, and dismissed the First Mate. "I can handle things from here," she told her.

"Erikur tells me you prefer wine to ale or mead," she continued, once the cabin door was closed. "I'd imagine an Imperial would favour Skingrad wines, but those are hard to find up here in the north. I hope you'll find the Illiac Bay wines a close second."

Clark tasted the clear golden liquid he was offered. Tamika's and the Surilie Brothers wineries generally made reds, and this was quite different. A little sweeter, and with a flowery overtone that brought a name from his memory. "Bretony, isn't it? I can't recall how long ago I tasted this, or even where I was at the time."

"Yes, but which side of the island?"

"They only grow the grapes on the south side, so it had better be from there."

"I thought that was Balfiera."

"It's both. And it's probably true for some of the other islands in the bay, not that the others produce much wine. You need a south-facing slope to grow decent grapes, and some protection from the wind helps, too. The mainland on the High Rock side of the bay produces more wine than the Hammerfell side, for the same reason. Once you go any further south, you're getting into the desert."

"We've only taken the Witch south to the Bay once. Most of the time we've sailed the northern coast of High Rock. But we did pick up some wine while we were there, direct from the islands."

"I presume your charter is from Farrun, as that was the pennant I saw you flying." Clark continued "Is that where the Red Witch comes from?"

"The ship's as much a mongrel as its crew," Clarisse responded. "She started life as a cargo vessel, and we think she used to work the West coast until the Aldmeri Dominion cut off the trade. Then she moved onto the northern routes, and we-refitted her with the current weapons, which came from the East Empire Company when they left Solstheim."

"That was some time ago," Clark noted. "They must have been used for another purpose in between."

"Farrun tried using them for shore protection, but they really needed more of them for that job. It made more sense to mount the few of them on a ship and make them mobile. But that takes a large ship, like the Red Witch. We made a deal with the port authorities, which included our charter."

"That was made possible by the re-opening of Raven Rock mine. Now there's trade with island again, the shipping routes are viable once more, and of course, there's a new crop of pirates. The East Empire Company used to handle all that, and of course the Morrowind routes, too, but the Red Mountain all but put their Windhelm operation out of business, so now there's nobody keeping those pirates in check."

"So why are you here, rather than Windhelm, if that's where the pirates are?"

"Because we're on more than the one commission. And we're open to more. We have the pirates to deal with where we find them, but we're also tracking some bounties, and even carrying some goods that need the extra protection. Erikur, here in Solitude, often has items he needs carried discreetly."

"I'm sure he wouldn't indulge in smuggling, so I'll assume you're just keeping things quiet from his competitors. Which would include me, so why are you telling me this?"

"To see if you make any counter-offer, of course. Whether it's for information, or similar services, it's all part of the game. And if you believe that Erikur wouldn't smuggle, then I've totally misjudged you."

"Erikur would never admit that the smuggling was his intent. There would be back-up documents to show that duties had been paid after all. Or it would be your fault, not his, that they hadn't."

"No, he wouldn't try to pin blame on me for anything," Clarisse replied confidently. "I know things that Erikur wouldn't like revealed."

"Are any of the bounties for Erikur?" Clark asked. "It would not surprise me if he's made himself unpopular in the other ports he trades with."

"Remarkably, no. But there are a few interesting ones among them. For example, we're hunting a pair of fugitives from Hammerfell, and one of them is hunting the other. Iman is a noble from one of the prominent families that live near the Alik'r Desert. She made the mistake of pointing out that the family feuds, which date back to the Crowns and Forebears of centuries past, are aiding the cause of the Aldmeri Dominion. Another family took that as an accusation that they were on the Thalmor's side, and promptly accused her of treason, in retaliation. When Kematu, (a sadistic bounty-hunter who likes to capture his female targets alive, so he can be nasty to them,) heard about it, he went looking for her. There's a bounty on him, too. We'll definitely want to collect that one if we can, but the one on Iman we might not. Especially if she offers anything for keeping quiet about her."

Clark had seen some of Kematu's men sniffing around Whiterun. One of them had got himself arrested, and was rotting in a Dragonreach dungeon. The rest of the Alik'r were now banned from entering the city. It was reasonable to assume that Iman would have taken advantage of that refuge, if she wasn't in Whiterun before the Alik'r arrived.

"She has quite a distinctive scar on her cheek that she got during her escape from Hammerfell. It won't be hard to recognise her when we find her," Clarisse added. "We know where Whiterun is, of course, but can you show me the best route to get there? I see from my map that there are forts on the roads, and I have no information which might prove hostile."

Clarisse took off her coat and tricorn hat and hung them on the back of a chair. She led Clark over to a map table in the corner of the cabin, and took a roll of parchment from the shelf. She unrolled it across the table, and revealed a map of the north-east of Skyrim, with Whiterun in one corner, and Solitude near the opposite one.

"The forts are usually in the hands of one side or other in the Civil war," Clark explained, "but sometimes the battle to take it leaves the victorious side too weak to defend it from bandits. Possession tends to be transient, but last time I passed, this one was held by the Empire, so travelling from Solitude, you'd have no problems." He pointed to a location on the chart, and she leaned over to look.

Sailors know their knots, so it probably wasn't an accident when her blouse fell untied, and Clark was presented with an impressive display of Clarisse's assets. She started to tie it back up, but "changed her mind".

"You've seen them now, so what's the point. And they might help me persuade you to come with us to Whiterun. Since you know the place, and the people, it will make it easier to ferret out Iman, if you're there."

Clark was always amenable to being persuaded, and he'd already decided he'd want to be there, so he let Clarisse have her fun. She quickly realised that he was playing her along, but by that time, she didn't care.

She wasn't wearing anything beneath her skirt, he found out. And the high heels on her boots lifted her to a comfortable height for all sorts of interesting positions. "When you start out on a small ship that only has hammocks for the crew, you learn to adapt," she told him. "Don't try making love in a hammock."

Negotiating just when they'd make the trip continued for some time, and concluded in her bed. Clark needed to wait until Jordis was back at Proudspire, although Clarisse was eager to start out for Whiterun as soon as she could. They'd be accompanied by the first mate, and some of the crew. It wasn't clear to Clark if they'd be coming to keep Hélène occupied, or to help deal with Kematu's men. Maybe both, he decided.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 20 2016, 08:49 PM

I love how Clark had to, once again, display his ‘wine merchant bonefides’ to the swashbuckling Captain Clarisse before things could proceed.

Wonderful job of tying lots of things together, ranging from Erikur’s operations, to bounties, to the ship’s history/armaments, and finally to the Alikr’s hunt for the scar-faced Redguard woman.


Nit: ”I see from my map that there are forts on the roads, and I have no information which mught prove hostile." - - Spelling of 'might'.

Posted by: Grits Jan 22 2016, 04:40 PM

How fun to meet the captivating Captain Clarisse. Clark’s knowledge of wine confirms his identity better than a carriage driving license. I love how the Captain’s doings involve various game quests. Poor Clark thought he was getting a day off when Jordis left, but nope. Work, work, work!

Posted by: ghastley Jan 27 2016, 06:50 PM

Acadian: More storyline entanglement coming up. Clark needs to keep up his merchant persona, in case it gets back to Elenwen.

Grits: Clark will be getting some help with all that work in this episode.

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

Previously: Clark met Captain Clarisse aboard the Red Witch. Jordis went instrument-hunting with Illdi.

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

Part 69 - Saadia

Jordis was looking unreasonably pleased with herself when she returned. "So your trip with Illdi was a success, and you recovered the instruments, I take it?" Clark inquired.

"That's not all we recovered," Jordis replied. "We brought back something for you, too."

She brought her hands from behind her back, and in each one was a small box with a Stone of Barenziah.

"There was one in each cave. Just how many of these things are there?"

"Twenty-four in all. And I've lost count of many that makes. Gilda will know, she's keeping them at the Guild in Riften. There can't be more than about four or five left to find, and then we'll find out what they all do."

---

There were five men from the Red Witch's crew with Clarisse and Hélène when they rowed into Solitude docks. "Kematu will have as many men with him, if reports are accurate. And two women to six men is the way we like it."

The two women rode on Clark's wagon, and the men followed behind. His horse was slow, so they needed to make a couple of overnight stops on the way. After the first night, he understood why the women got to ride, and it wasn't just pulling rank.

"Is it like that every night on the ship?" Clark asked Clarisse.

"No, there's almost a balance in the crew, so we only get the chance to indulge on trips like this. The cook, the smith and the quartermaster are all men, and they'll be making the most of our absence, I'm sure."

---

As they rode the wagon the following day, Clarisse explained how things worked on the Red Witch. She'd decided that it would be a bad idea for the captain to show any preference among her crew, and having a rule that officers only sleep with officers would not have been popular with the First Mate. That would be much too restrictive for her. So there were institutional measures to encourage the opposite.

Loredas evenings were an all-hands deal, where it was expected that everyone would have as many partners as possible. Sundas, there was a lottery, with all the men's names in one hat and the women's in another. The stated purpose was to ensure that all the men got an equal chance with the Captain, but it also served the same for the rest of the crew. When there was an imbalance in the numbers, the rules called for three names to be selected as many times as needed.

Shore parties like this disrupted those arrangements, so they'd be made up of female officers and male crew, or vice-versa.

"The crew are content with those rules?" Clark asked her. "Don't they have favourites that they'd prefer to stay with?"

"Most of the week, they can if they want to," she replied. "But you don't become a pirate, I mean privateer, if you're the settle-down-with-one-partner type. You'd probably become a farmer, or an inn-keeper, instead. No, my crew are all adventurers that work well as a team, and that carries over to a lot of other things."

---

By the time they reached Whiterun, Clark had a pretty good idea who Iman was.

Hulda owned the Bannered Mare, but she was getting on in years and ready to retire. So she'd started to let other people do the work around the tavern. Olfina Gray-Mane helped out with the bar duties, as the place could get pretty packed on some evenings, but couldn't do it all. Ysolda had hopes of taking the place over if she could raise the gold to buy it from Hulda, but she was spending all her time on trading, rather than learning the tavern business. So Hulda had hired a Redguard woman as cook and assistant barmaid some time back.

Saadia wore her hair short, unlike Rayya, and it was cut to cover the sides of her face, where Clark suspected it was hiding the scar that Clarisse had mentioned. He suggested that he'd investigate Saadia alone, so that the number of people suddenly looking for her didn't make her run off again. He was a regular patron of the Mare, although not a frequent one, so she wouldn't be alarmed if he spoke to her. He sent the others off to Dragonreach to see if they could get anything from the Alik'r prisoner.

---

Saadia was in her room, off-duty. Clark wasn't sure if he'd be welcome, but he knocked on her door, and she opened it. To his surprise, she wasn't wearing the bar-keeper dress she normally wore, but a traditional Alik'r outfit like Rayya sometimes wore. The same voluminous pants, fitted only at the waist and ankles, with a sash around her waist. A headscarf or hood was wrapped around her head. It covered her hair, and all of her face except the eyes.

Clark was unsure what this all meant, and he needed a reason for interrupting her off-duty time alone. He improvised, and asked for her advice on a suitable present for his housecarl. Something to remind her of her origins, for preference. That gave him an excuse to ask Saadia about her own.

He remarked on the headscarf, when he got the chance. Rayya had told him that it was to conceal her hair from strangers, but of course Saadia didn't wear it when she was working downstairs. And the housecarl didn't hide her face like that, either.

She admitted that she'd got a bit paranoid about hiding her scar, especially when the Alik'r mercenaries showed up. That confirmed that this was really Iman, and Clark managed to address her by that name a couple of times before she noticed.

"Would it help if you didn't have that scar?" Clark asked. "I think I could re-heal that for you. But I'd need to make a couple of Fortify Restoration or Magicka potions first, over at my lab in Breezehome."

Saadia wasn't prepared to leave the Mare, so he'd have to come back with the potions. It only took a couple of minutes, and she was waiting, with the headscarf removed, when he returned.

"I'd heard that there was a face-sculptor in Riften, who could do things like this. But I'd also heard that you needed to join the Thieves Guild first. And I don't want to change my whole face. I like the one I have."

"I can see why. Especially without a scar to spoil it. Now hold still while I work. I don't have enough magicka to use paralysis as well."

Clark had brought his hand-mirror over from Breezehome, as well as the potions. She wasn't unfamiliar with the device, like Gilda had been, but she'd come from a prominent family who could afford things like that. She was just as pleased with the result; and relieved, because now she could prove she wasn't the one the mercenaries were hunting.

He pointed out that although Kematu's men would only know about the scar, she still had other bounty-hunters looking for her, such as Clarisse. That would continue as long as the bounty remained uncollected. They'd need to come up with some story that would close that chapter.

Posted by: Acadian Jan 27 2016, 08:28 PM

Jordis and Erdi had a productive adventure after all!

How clever (and nice) of ‘Doctor’ Clark to offer to fix up Saadia’s scar. Now she’ll be able to wander Skyrim and get out of the Alikr harassment the same way all the rest of the Redguard women do in those random encounters – no scar! I look forward to learning what Clarisse and Clark come up with to permanently end the bounty.

That is one quest Buffy’s never done. The Alikr dudes ask her to find the Redguard. Buffy asks why. The dudes say none of her concern. Buffy says, ‘Fine’ and walks away.

Posted by: ghastley Feb 3 2016, 03:54 PM

Acadian: Many of my characters have done the quest. Mostly it's prompted by the number of encounters with two Alik'r and a Redguard woman without a scar. And a few times, I just wanted a few spare Scimitars for Rayya. When they do it, it's always on Saadia's side. You get much more experience by taking on the folks in Swindler's Den, and the rewards are similar. I generally give Saadia a change of outfit once it's over, and she doesn't need to hide any more.

Bounty-clearing is coming up.

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

Previously: Clark has healed Saadia's scar, so that she won't match Iman's description. But that may not be enough...

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

Part 70 - Planning

The mention of Kematu had Saadia worried again. There were people in Whiterun who'd seen her with her scar, and could give her away. She needed Kematu eliminated, too.

"Already under way, I suspect," Clark reassured her. "Clarisse and her crew want the bounty for killing him, much more than they want to collect yours. I sent them over to Dragonsreach, to see if the prisoner there could tell them where to find him. Since they haven't come back to report failure, I suspect they're on the way to his hideout now."

"Saadia, can you come down to the bar? There are more people here looking for you," Hulda called out.

"I'll go first," Clark told her. "Hopefully it's the Red Witch party returning."

It was, but they'd lost one of the men. Kematu's warriors hadn't been the only ones in Swindler's Den and the bandits he was hiding with had proved more trouble than the Redguards. Hélène held up a sack that was stained with blood. "Kematu's head," she announced. "We need that to collect the bounty."

"And what about Iman?" Clark asked.

"If we wanted that one, we'd need her head, too."

"Complete with scar?"

"Of course."

"In that case ... Saadia, you can come down now."

Saadia had changed into her bar-keeper dress, rather to Clark's chagrin. And she'd pulled her hair back, so you could see both of her cheeks, neither of which now had any scars.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Saadia, not Iman. No scar, so not your quarry. Now we just need to determine what happened to Iman."

Clarisse had caught Clark's meaning, even if she was mystified as to how he'd achieved it. "We don't really need the bounty for her, but if we knew that Iman was no longer alive, then the bounty would be cancelled. So how did she die?"

"It would have to involve magic, or there would be a corpse left behind," Saadia suggested.

"Or she could have been eaten by a dragon," Clark added, "although the legends tell us they prefer virgins. It just so happens that the Dragonborn knows a couple of dragons that owe her a favour, or at least could be persuaded to co-operate with my plan."

"I'm not sure Iman wants to be eaten," Saadia pointed out.

"Anybody else will just see a dragon swoop down, and leave again. Those closer to the event will report that Iman was taken, never to be seen again."

"And those will be us?" Hélène suggested.

"Exactly. That bounty was as good as in your hands, when the dragon took it away. If you're not claiming the reward, why would you lie?"

"What's in it for the Dragonborn?" Clarisse wanted to know.

"Diablita was promised a reward if she'd call Durnheviir to Tamriel, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't collected. He'd be the ideal one to do this for us. He's an impressive-looking beast, not that any dragon isn't. And he returns to the Soul Cairn after he's summoned, which helps our story that Iman is no more. It's one more possible reason for taking her. My experience is that a story that has a lot of unknowns gets believed, if the outcomes are all what the listener wants to hear."

"So you're saying that we don't explain exactly how Iman perished, just that the dragon took her?"

"And whatever his reason, she no longer exists. Which is true, because now there's only Saadia."

"When would all this happen?" Saadia asked Clark.

"Any time we can get the parties together. The only one not here is Diablita, and now you have more freedom to travel, we can find a suitable location for everything. Outside the city of Whiterun, but somewhere close enough to witnesses. Maybe near Rorikstead, or the eastern tundra in view of the farms. I'll send a message to Solstheim, and we can do it as soon as the Dragonborn shows up."

"And what do we do while we're waiting? Hélène wanted to know.

"We've got Kematu's bounty in the bag, or at least his head's in one," Clarisse pointed out. "I think we could have a bit of a celebration, and a tavern's not a bad place for one."

"Let me contribute to that, too. I think I have something to celebrate as well," Saadia added. "I believe we can get the guards' complicity in letting things get a bit unrestrained, and that will give my friends Olfina and Jon a bit of cover."

"Olfina Gray-Mane and Jon Battle-Born?" Clark queried. "Not a pairing either family would approve."

"And it's showing the strains of their disapproval. Jon wants to leave town, and go to the Bards College in Solitude to study. Olfina wants to stay here, even though that means she can't be with Jon as much as she'd like. I'm hoping that the chance to really get together will help them decide what to do next."

Clark wasn't sure that was a good idea. They'd both be presented with a lot of alternatives, and almost obliged to sample more than each other.

"They probably already have. Neither family would have anything against that. And if they disappoint each other, better they do so sooner than later. Can't imagine that happening, anyway."

"They'd both want to be seen with someone else," Clarisse pointed out. "So if anyone asks who Jon was with, it was me. And Olfina was with Clark, right? And in both cases, a number of others who have escaped our minds. Now my crew don't know either of them, so they won't be able to tell anyone. Who needs to be distracted, so they don't let on?"

"Ysolda, Uthgerd, and Mikael are the main ones. I don't imagine any of them giving us any problems, although Uthgerd will probably get into a brawl with one of the sailors before she starts enjoying herself properly. That's just a habit of hers. She likes tough men, and it's hard to persuade her that there are better ways to prove it." Clark continued that he'd be bringing Lydia along to help out. "If there are men around she hasn't slept with, she won't forgive me for not telling her. She'll even take care of Mikael, if he's the only one available."

"What about Hulda?" Saadia wanted to know. "She normally doesn't mind leaving Olfina and me in charge of the Mare, but if she thinks there might be trouble, I don't know what she'd do."

"There won't be trouble, any more than Uthgerd's usual brawl. And Hulda's never had any issue with those. Sure, a few drinks get spilled, but that just makes people buy more to replace them," Clark responded. "I can convince her that it will be good for business."