Winterhold Wanderings Options

[Elisabeth Hollow]

OOC: This is the journey to Winterhold for Grits, King Coin, and I. SInce there are only three players, I don't see the point of makin a discussion thread, especially sine we all know our characters, besides Channah, but that's just me, lol. This can certainly be changed, if y'all wish.

To clarify to you two, we can pilot any of the NPCs that we wish. Now, since I wasn't "in charge" of the Lost Knife thing, anyone who's RP'ed with me will tell you that I'm a huge fan of surprises. I like to toss unexpected situations at the people. If it's going to be a major inconvenience, I'll ask first (Life, death, injury, stealing, etc) but otherwise, get ready for surprises lol. And feel free to toss something at me, as well. I hate hate HATE every little thing being planned. I like free-form roaming games, hence why I enjoy this franchise so very, very much.

Once we're there, we can interact with each other if we wish. I'm NOT making it mandatory to constantly be around each other. If we want to go on adventures and show a little character development, it's totally allowed. Just try to make it intt one long post, or several posts. It can be a little backstory revealed or whatever, as long as it's pertaining to what's going on at that moment. For example, if Aravi or Channah are investigating some weird noises under the stairs and find a group of students performing necromancy on a rat, eh,s so be it. Romance is cool. Friendships with other students or teachers is cool. I don't care. Have fun, make it interesting, or boring, whatever you want! I enjoy reading that kind of stuff.

Now, without further ado, here we go, y'all!



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=






The journey through Lost Knife had shown Kayla a bit of perspective. Firstly, it was that while chitin armor was sleek and stylish, the spaces between the plates were a weak spot. Granted, it was much better than her old regular leather armor, which she had left back in the Wobbly Goblet. She supposed that whomever had ended up with it might sell it for a few septims, though it was pretty worn.

Secondly, she was tougher than she thought. She had survived not only an arrow through the chest, which alone should have killed her, but the icy torrents of the water in the cave hadn't broken her body beyond repair.

And, last of all, she had a new outlook on her friend that traveled with her. The small Khajiit, dwarfed by the Altmer's already stunning height of seven feet, turned into a werewolf every full moons. She had felt a bit protective of Aravi when they had first met, feeling that due to her small size she was quick, but didn't strike hard enough. She was wrong.

She remembered the lumbering beast that snarled and roared at the three trapped in the cage in the cave. Aravi and another woman, an Imperial mercenary named Vera, had transformed out of necessity. The bandits had trapped them in, planning on taking them out like fish in a barrel.

With a sideways glance, masked as an attempt to scratch the ride side of her head, Kayla glanced at the Khajiit on her left. She sighed and ran her fingers through her auburn hair and looked ahead, shifting her pack on her shoulder.

"If my memory serves me correctly, there should be a small mill up ahead. We can probably get a bed for the night and a hot meal if we offer a service like cooking or chopping wood." She stopped momentarily and looked around as she adjusted her sword on her hip. "Or we can pass it up. It's still pretty early, we can probably reach..." she stopped herself.

"Nevermind. We should probably avoid Windhelm." Kayla was sure Aravi was aware of the racism that shrouded Skyrim against anyone not a Nord. Even though Altmer were shunned and accused as spies for the Aldmeri Dominion, she was at least allowed in the cities. Khajiit were not. She turned to her deceptively small comrade.

"I think we can make it to the mill and rest for the night, gather our wits and map out what road we can take, then head out early in the morning. I don't know about you, but I think a night's rest in a bed sounds wonderful."

[Grits]

OOC: OK, free-roaming, no plan. I can do that.

*****

Channah stomped the snow from her boots and stepped into the Frozen Hearth. Warmth hit her face like a dry slap. The innkeeper was engaged in discussion with Nelacar the resident wizard. Channah hung up her fur cloak and hood while they finished.

“It was a minor miscalculation,” Nelacar said. His tone was somewhat less than apologetic. “I have already corrected it for future experiments.”

Ugh, thought Channah. That doesn’t sound good.

Dagur seemed to agree with her. “This,” the innkeeper fumed, “This is why people have a problem with your College.”

Channah walked forward before Nelacar could begin protesting his association with the College. Over the last three days staying at the inn Channah had heard it enough.

Dagur held his position leaning on the bar. “Ah,” he said to Channah. “You’re back. Any luck today?”

Channah sat down on a barstool. “If I had any luck I’d be packing up and moving in. Not today, though. It was that Faralda wench again. Why does she want me to cast Fury at the ground? I’m not here to learn Illusion spells.”

“Ah,” Dagur said again. “Well.”

Channah took that as his best advice. She sighed. “Another night, please, Dagur.” She slid the coins across the bar. “And some hot cider and whatever I smell baking. Is that pumpkin pie?”

Dagur made the exchange. “It’s pumpkin something. What are you going to do today?”

Channah made a face. “I don’t know. My blades are sharp, my mail is clean, and my leathers won’t take any more balm.”

“Sounds like you’re ready to go kill something.”

Channah laughed. Spoken like a Nord. “Perhaps I’ll start with a mage.”

Dagur picked up his cloth and began polishing a tankard. As far as Channah could tell it was the same one he had been cleaning for the last three days. She supposed she was not the only one who needed to keep her hands busy.

“There’s no wizard at the Jarl’s court, but you could always try Windhelm,” he suggested.

Channah gave her cider an appreciative sniff. “It’s the principle. I’m not going to mess with folks’ minds. That’s just not right.” She waited a full minute before taking a sip of cider. She had all day to finish it. And Dagur had all day to watch her.

She sighed again. “That’s a good idea, Dagur. If I can’t get in tomorrow maybe I’ll try it.”

.

This post has been edited by Grits: Feb 16 2014, 02:52 PM

[King Coin]

The past few days had been a fearful mix of highs and lows for Aravi.

First, joy at finding out that there may be a chance for her to be a mother sometime in the future. It would require some experiments, and an operation, but it was possible. And illegal. To make this happen, her friends needed soul gems filled with energy.

Which lead to the previous excursion. She brought her friends Kayla and Darnand, a mercenary Vera, and then a relatively unknown bard. That’s when things started to go bad.

Kayla took an arrow in the chest and nearly died.

She was horrified when it happened. That wasn’t what was supposed to happen. She felt guilt, and then torn between calling off the whole thing and continuing to look for her friend. Ultimately she couldn’t abandon Kayla, and it turned out well. But what if she had doomed the rest of the party?

She cut off that line of thought. It had turned out well, and Kayla was here at her side. Darnand and Vera were on their way to Cyrodiil each with a sack of gems and gold respectively.

The joy of finding Kayla again was again replaced by horror. Bandits swarmed into the cave, and she and Vera were forced to become monsters to prevent them from all being killed. Beast blood was usually a secret best kept at all costs. Again, there was joy when it was all over and her friends didn’t abandon her, didn’t try to kill her, didn’t try to take her to a cell.

Now she was happy that all she had to do for the next few days was just put one foot in front of the other. She kept up with Kayla’s long strides easily. She was used to walking or running everywhere.

Kayla mentioned stopping at a mill, or continuing to Windhelm. Then she remembered Windhelm’s culture.

“I don't know about you, but I think a night's rest in a bed sounds wonderful.”

Aravi groaned just imaging a soft mattress. “And a hot meal, with mead.” She had grown fond of the sweet beverage. She only needed to be careful, the Nords tended to brew it stronger than her small body could easily handle.

“I’ve been to Windhelm before.” She grimaced, showing her pointed teeth. “But let’s stop at the mill. I can chop wood. If they want someone to cook, that will be on you. I’m pretty bad. Kharjo is the cook.”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Kayla laughed loudly. "We'll be thrown out at the end of the night if they expect me to cook. I can kill it and skin it and put salt on it. That's it."

She looked to her left and cocked her head. "Hear that running water? We'll follow the creek until it turns into a river, and it'll lead us to the mill." She steered Aravi into the right direction, leading the way. She avoided the obvious questions.

How did it happen?

What's it like?

Does it hurt?

Can you cure it?

Kayla knew almost nothing about Lycanthropy, except there were different types of were-people. As far as she knew, werewolves and werebears were the only two that turned into anything that resembles a man and a wolf twisted and mangled together. Then again, wereboars and werefoxes were rare to find. There wasn't a lot of desire to catch lives specimens of werewolves and study them. Especially if they were anything like Vera.

Ugh. Kayla preferred if her thoughts did not turn towards the Imperial. She was curt, short with words, and had an air of conceit that didn't settle with Kayla. Their first meeting went awfully, when she killed a thrall that Kayla had wanted to save, that Kayla had said she'd save. and their second meeting wasn't too much better.

It wasn't that the mission went badly. It had at first, and it was no fault of Vera's. It was, perhaps, in Kayla's eyes, that Vera had all of that conceit because of her ability. That she might think she was better because of her Lycanthropy. Kayla had resolved to be civil to Vera, even before knowing what she was. Revealing her other nature had given the elf a bit of perspective on the Imperial.

And if that's the way she wanted to be, then so be it. Vera was on her way back to Cyrodiil, and Kayla and her friend were heading in the opposite direction. The more distance, the better. Eventually, Vera would be nothing more than a memory, and Kayla would forget. Kayla felt petty, even being upset at Vera for anything. She realized a few miles back it was a common theme in her life; Nords thought they were better because they were Nords, other Altmer thought they were better because they knew the language and the culture better.


They hit the stream and began following the river northeast. She pointed to the mill.

"There. See? Oh, it looks...unkempt. I hope it's not abandoned." She looked at her map. "I think the woman called this place Mixwater Mill. Come on."

[King Coin]

Aravi smiled at Kayla’s good humor, and allowed the high elf to lead them towards the mill. She watched her friend’s expression change. Aravi could guess at what she was thinking.

She was about to ask Kayla, when the Altmer pointed ahead.

“There. See? Oh, it looks...unkempt. I hope it's not abandoned. I think the woman called this place Mixwater Mill. Come on.”

Aravi approached the mill with Kayla. Aravi’s hopes fell as they drew nearer. Her hands drifted to her swords. Something in the back of her mind was making her feel jumpy.

“Hello?!” Aravi called to the silent buildings. “Anyone there?”

No light in the windows. Only a wisp of smoke came out of one chimney.

What happened here?

Aravi looked at Kayla, and shrugged.

She slowly crept forward, unsheathing a sword silently. The steel in her hand gave her some confidence. She knew Kayla was behind her, with magic and that bright sword of hers. If something happened, she wasn’t alone.

The door wasn’t locked when she tested it. Her body coiled like a spring, she eased the door open slowly, ready to leap aside.

A sickly odor emanated from the house, and Aravi’s tail bushed out.

She pulled the door shut and backed away. “There are dead in there,” she said to Kayla. "What do you want to do?"

This post has been edited by King Coin: Feb 17 2014, 03:00 AM

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Kayla looked upset. Her stomach tightened at the stench, and Aravi's face and words confirmed it.

"Count them, then dig graves. No matter who they are, they deserve burials. Did you see anything else? Odd shadows, anything out of the corner of your eye?"

Vampires are masters at disguising themselves as shadows. And they're too quick for us to see sometimes.

"Did you...smell any vampires? Can you do that?"

[King Coin]

Aravi would have preferred to just leave, right now. They would get to Windhelm and spend the night there, and leave early in the morning. They would tell the guards of what they found here of course. Now whether or not they would investigate on the words of a Khajiit and an Altmer is another matter…

“No I didn’t see anything, and my nose is no better than any other Khajiit’s. All I could smell was death.”

The door opened, a thin Nord man stood, bracing himself against the doorframe.

A deep voice that must have boomed at one time, merely sounded shallow now.

“You should leave this place now. A great fever has taken us all. Go now before you get it.”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

OOC: Wat



-



Kayla frowned, the pull in her gut turning into a dreading feeling.

"A fever? Sir, I'm an alchemist. I have many remedies in my bag, and can brew up more. Please, let me help." She took a step towards the man, her right arm outstretched with her palm upwards.

[King Coin]

OOC: It's a plague!

--

“NO! Stop! Don’t come near! We've tried potions, this is beyond them. It only slows it down. Do you have a priest of the Ni-Eight? ”

Aravi grabbed Kayla’s arm. “I’m protected. Let me bring them any potions.”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Kayla looked uncertain. "Pray to your gods-all of them," she said to the man. She didn't mention she was raised as a NOrd, as that would have little comfort for the man at the moment. She handed Aravi several cure disease potions and other remedies, as well as salves and ointments.

"This one," she held a small jar up, "Is for any blisters or boils you might have. It numbs and pulls the infection out. Wipe it off with a wet rag once the ooze is out. And this one," she held out a different bottle, with a thin, clear liquid in it. "If you're in pain, take it. It'll put you to sleep for a few hours. The rest are cures. How many are in there?"

[King Coin]

Aravi collected the potions Kayla produced. The beast blood would protect her from any disease, even the dreaded vampire’s disease.

”How many are in there?”

The man answered. “There are seven of us. Four have gone to Sovngarde, and one is nearly there.”

Aravi asked, “Have they been buried?” She already knew the answer from the smell at the house.

The Nord’s face fell. “No, I’ve tried, but strength has fled my limbs.”

Aravi looked at Kayla. She kept her voice low, “I could get the bodies out, if we can convince them to let me in.”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

Kayla nodded discreetly at Aravi. "Plagues are spread through the bodies of the infected dead as well as being around the infected while alive. I'm resistant to disease, but if you can't get infected, I've got a strength potion for you to use."

[King Coin]

OOC: We'll go with Aravi's idea unless Kayla thinks of something more convincing. And if you want you can jump us to after Aravi's brought out the dead. I have a solution in mind, but they can't do it here.

--

“Right. Thanks, I will need the potion.” She added it to the collection Kayla already showed the miller.

“We just need to convince them to let me in. I have this Amulet of Mara,” she lifted it out of her shirt so that it rested on her chest, “Do you think they will believe it will protect me?”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

"It might. I can't think of anything else to try short of force."

[King Coin]

Aravi frowned. “I’ll try this. I could probably force my way in, but I would much rather avoid that. Find a shovel and start digging the graves please.”

Ultimately, it was the man’s remorse for the dead and Aravi’s forceful attitude rather any true belief that Aravi was protected that allowed her inside the house.

She couldn’t help but cringe at the terrible smell of the dead and human waste. Urns and buckets were emptied regularly, but not everyone seemed to have made it. At least she could remove the dead. She dreaded mopping up the mess.

She looked around inside as well, and took note of their firewood and food stores. Both were dwindling.

There ought to be plenty of firewood outside, we could just bring some in. Food is another question. We could buy it in Windhelm, or hunt.

She passed out Kayla’s healing potions, and drank one of strength for herself. Then she proceeded on dragged the bodies outside as gently and respectfully as she could while Kayla dug out graves. Two of the disease’s victims were only children.

When the bodies were outside, Aravi returned to the house and cleaned up the various messes. She resupplied them with firewood, and built a much stronger blaze in their fireplace.

She went back outside to Kayla and told her about the food problem. And she had an idea of someone that may be able to help them.

“In Dawnstar there is a priest of Mara. He has a temple in an old tower, just outside of the city. It’s out of our way to Winterhold, but perhaps he could help.”

[Grits]

The Palace of the Kings loomed like some bitter old mountain under the cloudy sky. The walk from Winterhold to Windhelm had been invigorating. Now Channah had a pouch full of ice wraith teeth to trade.

She hoped the Stormcloak guards would let her through without recruiting her or arresting her for being only half Nord. So far she had gotten a lot of crossed arms and blank stares, but no hassle. Actually she couldn’t really evaluate the stares. They just felt blank because of the guards’ closed helmets.

Channah took a deep breath and walked through the massive doors.

Blue carpeting and banners decorated a long, high hall. Jarl Ulfric’s throne stood at the far end. Channah could see his Thanes and she assumed other members of court clustered around him. With luck she would escape their notice.

The door guard crossed his arms. “No lollygagging.”

“Which way to the court wizard?” Channah asked him.

“Upstairs down the South Corridor.” The guard illustrated his remark with a nod.

“Thanks.”

“But you won’t find him there. Bastard necromancer’s rotting in the dungeon.”

Channah felt a chill race over her skin. She had been told that she would meet her end in a necromancer’s lair.

I hardly think this will be the one. She pulled off her gloves before her palms could sweat too much. “Can I go see him?”

The guard nodded toward the right. “Suit yourself.”

In the dungeon Channah found an old man in a hooded robe standing in one of the cells. The robe was blue trimmed with gold. She supposed he kept his skull-head attire for wearing in caves and the like.

“Were you the court mage, necromancer?” She asked him.

“I am the court mage. I am a member of the College of Winterhold. I am not a necromancer!”

I bet that’s what they all say. “Well, do you have a Fury spell tome you could sell me? Or a scroll? I have some ice wraith teeth to trade.”

The mage tugged on his beard. “Do I look like I’m open for trade? You should be worried there’s a murderer on the loose! Has the whole city lost their brains?”

Channah watched him for a moment as he paced his tiny cell. “So, is that a yes or a no?”

[Elisabeth Hollow]

OOC: I am so, so sorry, y'all. My computer isn't connected to the internet anymore. I need a new computer now.

--

Kayla dug up the graves, wiping sweat from her face once in a while. She kept her emotions in check until she got to the children. While Aravi was inside, cleaning, she grabbed a few flowers and set them on the graves. By the time Aravi came back out, her face wasn't red from tears anymore.

She nodded, an unsure look on her face. "If you think we can make it, let's go. I'll give them the rest of my rations, and we can hunt on the way up there."

[King Coin]

Aravi sensed the other woman had been in tears. She pretended to not notice. If Kayla wanted her to know, she would have showed it.

Aravi looked to the west. Magnus was still high, but quickly sinking to the Nirn. Orange already tinged the afternoon sky.

“I don’t think we can make it there before nightfall,” she said gloomily. That leaves Windhelm. A knot formed in her stomach. It wasn’t always safe there for other races, and Khajiit seemed to be almost universally despised. If there was an altercation, she would surely be taken to the jail just for who she was.

And if Kayla was correct, she might be turned away at the gate. She was able to get in before, but that was nearly a year ago. A lot can change in a year.

And if she didn’t find shelter somewhere, she would freeze to death.

[Elisabeth Hollow]

"Windhelm it is. Listen, before I ever go in, I'll make sure you have somewhere safe to stay. The beast races there stick together and look out for each other. And if there's a caravan there, you're even more lucky. I've heard they'll take in travelers, especially their own race."

Kayla stuck the shovel in the dirt next to a grave and looked briefly at the smaller graves. She took in a deep breath, and let it out shakily.

Hold it together...

She cleared her throat and swallowed. "Worst comes to worst, we make a snow cave and spend the night together again. And you know I'm good at making those." She gave Aravi a weaker version of one of her grins.

[King Coin]

Aravi was grateful for the other woman’s loyalty. She returned the forced grin with a smile of her own.

Then she looked at the fresh graves. Kayla had been quick about getting them covered. Aravi expected to help with the last one. She was relieved.

She didn’t know these people, and she didn’t shed any tears for the dead. She hadn’t known them. She felt sympathy for those grieving though. Is that strange?

“Let’s go.”

--------

Magnus had just slipped behind the mountains to the west when they arrived at Windhelm. To Aravi’s disappointment, there was no Khajiit caravan camped outside of the walls. Fresh tracks suggested they had been here the day before, but have since moved on.

She exchanged a look with Kayla.

They both proceeded over the bridge to the city gates. Guards stood in front of the gates, blocking entrance.

“You should do the talking…” Aravi said nervously as they approached. She fell half a step behind Kayla.

Maybe they won’t notice me back here…