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> The Goblin Lady
Renee
post Jul 7 2019, 12:43 AM
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Hey. So in this thread I will writing up stories pertaining to TES IV: Oblivion. Because I keep thinking of more an more ideas that occur within this game. All of these stories will be rather short, two or three months apiece, I think, rather than years and years. And the very first one shall begin in the post below.

So far there are three story ideas I've come up with: a former scholar, a monk, and a guard. All of this isn't just to write stories, it's to (as usual) enhance my gaming. Make it more interesting.



This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 14 2019, 02:53 AM


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Renee
post Jul 14 2019, 02:51 AM
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Like a whirling dervish
Spitting out the salty shells into the sea
She's making me nervous
She pushes to the brink

Thinks upon her feet
Thinks upon her toes
Laughed by all of her friends
Respected by foes


Now begins the tale of...

THE GOBLIN LADY


IPB Image

Location: Ebonheart, Vvardenfell

Date: Hearthfire 8, 4th Era, Year 4

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


"It happened so fast!"

That was what Angrus Tung realized first, as he explained to the Chief Ordinator located on Ebonheart's dock. The actual speed of their ploy had taken place in less than a minute. And within that minute, Angrus had lost all the money he'd previously had on his person. Two-hundred and siixty-five gold, saved up for a pack guar over the past seven months, gone. Just like that. How had he been deceived and distraccted so easily?

But it wasn't just their speed, it was also their delivery. They were good. They had plotted this out, for sure.. "They were good, they were slick," he explained. "They went about their scam seemingly without effort. As though they'd done this before."

Just one hour previous, Angrus had arrived to Six Fishes for his morning brew, where he was supposed to meet the man who promised to sell the guar. The sun was shining, without a trace of Morrowind's usual mist. Angrus had paid just one gold, then stood at the table while he imbibed his drink. Others were just showing up for breakfast, or for drinks like his own.

That's when he'd noticed her. The old lady at the table adjacent to his. The lady with the court-styled gray hair, tightly coiffed in such a manner that her temples and forehead were rather severe. She had an open face. She had looked straight at him, with a countenance full of some sort of desperation. Worrisome and vulnerable. He had cocked his head in greeting, and smiled. Top o' the mornin' to ya, he had said, before his own morning had not been so tops. And she'd then nodded in return.

Angrus Tung had seen her before, but when? And where? He joggled his memory. Couldn't quite get the pieces to fit. Had she been in Six Fishes on the previous evening? No, she had not. Angrus was sure of this.

"What happened next, sire?" asked the Imperial guard who'd shown up, and was scribbling notes upon a task-board. The Imperial nodded toward the Ordinaor who'd been first on the scene, some sort of unspoken notion passed between the two.

"Well I am afraid everything next happened in a blur," Angrus squeaked. "I am afraid what happened next might just be the most embarrassing moment of my life!"

A young Dunmer had come into Six Fishes, dressed in common tan clothes; another clever detail. Common clothes, common hair; he'd looked like a thousand other dark elves in Morrowind. He had moved into Six Fishes quickly. His eyes had swept the room, before locking upon the old woman. She'd seen him then, and her face had shown some sort of panic.

"You need not be afraid," the elf said. "Stay calm. Only fools earn my anger."

From somewhere near by, somebody whistled. But the old woman, she'd begun fidgeting, her court hair falling down. "I .... I haven't the money! Please!" she burst. "I haven't the money!"

"Your daliances don't fool me! Now, hand it over!" the dark elf shouted, causing the Six Fishes publican to drop the tan vase he was cleaning.

At that, Angrus had stood. Suddenly concerned, his morning drink losing steam. "I stood, and ... I did not know what I would do," he explained to the guard. "But as you can see I am a big man, and maybe my mere presence...." he trailed off. "Anyway, I began to walk toward them. When suddenly, a second Dunmer fellow, dressed much like the first, bumped into me, and then moved on."

"And then?" The Imperial scribbled.

And then Angrus had stopped, while the first Dunmer continued to accost the old woman. Angrus had stopped, then felt down to his man-purse, subconsciously making sure the gold he had saved for so long was still hanging from his belt. And it was. The purse was still there. So he moved forward again. But before he could act, the entire discourse was over.

"An Imperial guard showed up, much like yourself," Angrus said. "Dressed in full steel regalia. His mere presence caused the dark elf to scatter. But now that I think of it, BOTH dark elves left the Six Fishes! Both at once!"

"Both at once, eh outlander?" asked the Ordinator. Another unspoken notion passed between him and the Imperial, as they exchanged glances.

"What?" asked Angrus. "What is it? Do you know who the perpetrators might have been?"

"Uh, please continue, sir," said the guard.

"Well.. next, I turned to my table, then sat back down..."

Angrus sat back down, wondering when the man who was supposed to sell that pack guar would show up. Took a sip from his cooling drink. Turned his head to glance at the old woman. And she was gone. She was gone, the Dunmer were both gone, and so was the Imperial guard who'd bustled into the inn. And it wasn't until later, maybe one hour later when Angrus had gone to pay for a second drink, that he realized all the coin in his purse was gone.

"In fact, the purse itself had been replaced, with one exactly like it!" he cried out. "How can this be? How can they have done such a thing?! You must find them!" Angrus explained to the Imperial, and also the Ordinator. "I know your investigative task has passed into Imperial hands, but you must do what you can! ... Imperial or Ordinator, I do not care who succeeds in helping me, but I shall pay handsomely," he promised. "I shall pay handsomely indeed!"

The Ordinator nodded, and the Imperial dispatched his task-board, all the notes he'd need had been taken. Slowly, the brilliant morning sun began to hide behind Morrowind's usual cloudy, gray blanket.

But it wasn't until another hour later that everyone suddenly knew how desperate the situation had really become. A boat, a small schooner-for-hire, had reportedly left Ebonheart's dock two hours' previous. And on that schooner-for-hire were four procurious subjects: two Dunmer, a man dressed in full Imperial regalia, and one old woman, her face severe, her courtly gray hair pulled back upright, and deftly intact.

Standing on the dock, Angrus Tung smacked his prominent forehead, after realizing where he'd previously seen the old woman. Two days prior when he was consulting with an Imperial man about buying that pack guar, the old lady had been quietly loitering nearby.

This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 22 2019, 02:29 AM


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Lopov
post Jul 14 2019, 08:14 AM
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Nice introduction.

Final sentences wrap up the story really well, giving answers to some questions.

From Ebonheart to Cyrodiil, I assume.


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Acadian
post Jul 14 2019, 01:26 PM
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Very nice how we started in the middle of a scene and gradually sorted out what happened. A slick and coordinated heist indeed by the 'distract, bump and run' gang. tongue.gif


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treydog
post Jul 14 2019, 05:03 PM
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Very nice! Well- not so much for Angrus... but you know. The short form can be the hardest, because you have to get everything into a small space. You do it well. We come in "after the action" so to speak, but are given everything we need to know, and from the perspective of the victim- along with some interesting significant looks between the guards..... hmmmm...


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SubRosa
post Jul 15 2019, 01:53 PM
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Six Fishes is a great name for a dockside tavern.

That was quite a clever distraction to set up the pickpocketing. But how is going to pay handsomely if he has already been robbed? wink.gif

Looks like the thieves - Goblin Jane? - sailed way into the sunset as well!


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Renee
post Jul 21 2019, 11:12 AM
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Wow, I got comments. Now I gotta finish this!

Lopov: Yes, from Ebonheart to Cyrodiil. Small spoiler now: I used TU Starting Options to begin her game, and chose one of its "random" settings, which means.... well, I don't want to spoil.

Acadian & treydog: Tanks! ... I had some trouble going back and forth from past perspective to what I'll call past-past perspective (Angrus sat down versus Angrus had been sitting down). Maybe you can help me (provide nits ... gulp) in the future if I screw this up. which I probably will.

SubRosa: Just you wait and see. biggrin.gif This story has a lot of twists & turns, and a crazy finale idea that'll have me messing with the Construction Set in ways I hope I can accomplish.


I am going to provide my own errata now, because there are several areas where I got clumsy, and several things I forgot to include.

1). There was supposed to be a scene in which Angrus was sold a leather purse in his past. This purse would have been sold to him by one of the Dunmer some time before; the implication being that this purse had some sort of trick which allowed the thief to remove it easily, then replace it with a second purse full of flat, rounded pebbles.

2). I screwed up the timing of the pack guar. At the beginning of the tale, it's mentioned Angrus met the Imperial several months in the past, yet at the end of the story it's mentioned this occurred just two days prior. The second timing makes more sense. Because "several months ago" they would probably have been in some other location.

3). I used the word "gone" too many times. laugh.gif Especially in those final paragraphs.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Callidus Thorn, our restartitis-infected friend, wherever he is.

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

CHAPTER II: LOST



She awoke with a start. Stood upward in small panic. Thrashed around in a neat circle, and spat. Tried to stay steady on her feet, for she felt instantly woozy.

It was night time. Several shafts of moonlight fell through the trees. Forest sounds all around. Crickets chirping, katydids scratching, moody owls hooting, the sun itself gone to slumber. Where was she? Where were the others?

"Amal? ... Draculus?" she called out tentatively to the dark elves who'd virtually enslaved her several months ago. She would have called out to the Imperial man as well, the one who sometimes fancied wearing guard's armor whenever they'd pulled one of their heists, but she had never learned his name.

Well, at least her wrists weren't bound. At least her face was not hooded. These things were good. The others had been allowing her a little more of their trust lately, which translated to a little more latitude here and there. And over time, over several months, she had come to this conclusion: At least they weren't going to kill her. At least she was still alive! Though held within the party against her will, she apparently had plenty of value to them. The "fragile old lady" idea had become often a key feature of their attempts at foolery.

But that does not mean she became irrevocably compliant. When she gazed at that poor fellow back in Six Fishes with panicked emotion, this was not acting. She'd also tried escape several times in the past, but after these foiled attempts at freedom, she'd learned those lessons quick. As they'd moved from town to town in Vvardenfell, the group of brigands had struck many times. Balmora. Vivec's Foreign District. Suran. Pelagiad. Always one step ahead (or several, actually). Always days of plotting, which translated into quick moments of deception and Amal's expert abilities at sleight-of-hand. Always a trail of disgruntled authorities, and burgled citizens. Always a staggering amount of gold once the ruse was over. Always a plan to be somewhere else.

But she was still alive! She had somehow made it through.

Jayne Goodfall, once known in certain circles as 'The Goblin Lady,' sat down carefully, her back supported by a gigantic tree. An immense calm befell her as she realized the others were apparently not around.

She began thinking back, and yes, this seems to have been their plan. Little hints of conversation here and there, after they'd made landfall in Leyawiin. Last thing she could remember was sitting beside a fire at one of their makeshift camps. They'd given her some sort of candied brew. She'd tasted it with her usual caution, then drank several large swallows, for she was quite thirsty. And it tasted wonderful. Perhaps she'd been drugged by this brew, then somehow brought to ... wherever she was now.

"Oh. What is this?"

Jayne felt upon her hip pocket, where she discovered a small satchel had been placed. Inside was an apple, a small amount of gold, and a note. Jayne stood upwards again, gauged whether she was truly alone, then stumbled over toward an open area where moonlight was more prevalent so she could read.


-------------------------------------------------
Jayne,

please partake of something we know you hve been hoping for, for many months: Your Freedome. Take plesure, for you have served us well, Vic But now it is time for your casting aside. we have taken the luxory of giveing your share of the gold, and some of food. Do not try to find us, Do NOT contact the athorities for your querees will be met by only dowbt, and we will be gog long gone by the time you wake, any way.


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


The note was unsigned, of course. The Imperial who'd been leading them was all about minor details such as this. We are to leave no traces of our corruption! she could almost hear him snapping at the others. But what was of more concern to Jayne was the amount of gold they'd left her with. "Her share" should have been much more than the pittance they'd left behind. She counted them out then: seventeen gold in total. Not that Jayne wanted to be the swindler they'd forced her to be, but if they'd really divvied their Septims equally, she should have hundreds.

Jayne sat back down against that same tree, wondering if she should try to walk. But this idea seemed foolish. Too dark to go anywhere; it'd be safer in the morning. She'd be able to see her shadow upon the ground by then, and would hopefully be able to strike out in some sort of consistent direction. Maybe find a road.

But for now, she hunkered down next to her tree, slowly realizing her newfound fate, which was both good and bad. Good, because she had definitely been released from them. Bad, because now Jayne had other concerns to worry about. In fact, her future in Cyrodiil might just prove to be just as trying as her past in Morrowind.




This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 29 2019, 03:47 PM


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treydog
post Jul 21 2019, 03:05 PM
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An excellent addition to what we have seen already. With some things revealed and many others left hidden. All of which makes for a story that will keep me reading.

QUOTE
Several shafts of moonlight fell through the trees. Forest sounds all around. Crickets chirping, katydids scratching, moody owls hooting, the sun itself gone to slumber.


Wonderful descriptive writing there. You quite effectively put me into the place where Jane finds herself.

Now for the "other". Just a few places were the tense shifted and one spelling variation.

QUOTE
But that does not mean she became irrevocably compliant. When she gazed at that poor fellow back in Six Fishes with panicked emotion, this was not acting.


"did not mean" and "that was not" to maintain consistency

QUOTE
slight-of-hand


In this form, "sleight-of-hand"

QUOTE
She began thinking back, and yes, this seems to have been their plan.


"that seemed"

As to when you actually do want to switch between past and present- for example, if someone in the present is telling a story about something that happened earlier.... my way of indicating that is to switch to italic for the "past" part as a way of distinguishing it. I hope that works for the reader- it helps me keep things straight, anyway.

Happy to see you continuing and I look forward to more. Well done!





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SubRosa
post Jul 21 2019, 04:10 PM
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So the Goblin Lady was an unwilling participant in the string of crimes. And now she is free!

So what is next for Goblin Goodall? I am hoping to see Jayne living with a tribe of goblins. smile.gif


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Lopov
post Jul 21 2019, 06:51 PM
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Nice, I didn't expect her to be enslaved by the other guys.

Well, maybe she only has 17 septims but at least she's alive - better this way than the other way around.

Hopefully her captors don't make a comeback, but one can never know in a Renee's story.

Now we also know the name of the Goblin Lady.


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Acadian
post Jul 21 2019, 07:59 PM
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Ahah, I see how this ties right into the beginning of Jayne’s game now – a fun surprise. Welcome to Cyrodiil indeed!

With an apple and seventeen gold. laugh.gif

I wonder where she is and if we'll learn the story behind her name.


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Grits
post Jul 23 2019, 05:19 PM
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Whoop, Renee stories! *happy dance*

I love that in her pocket Jayne found an apple, some gold, and a note. It's a classic NPC pocket package!


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Renee
post Jul 28 2019, 01:40 AM
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Saturday night is usually the only time I have enough time to write, edit, and post, it's been this way for years. smile.gif Next chapter is not ready yet though so hopefully it'll be next week.

I am doing something interesting with Goblin Lady's game. I wrote the beginning to two different chapters, either one will definitely happen at some point. But depending which scenario happens first, I will continue that chapter. Sort of like a game quest. Some quests can be done several ways, you see? We can meet not just one person, but maybe more than one, and depending which one we meet first, that is the direction the quest and story will go.

Grits: Aww, thanks! It's been too long, right?

Acadian: Yes, all shall be eventually divulged, especially about her name.

Lopov: I actually did not know about her being enslaved either, literally until a day before I wrote that chapter.

SubRosa: Yes! Jane Goodall. Yes!

treydog: Thanks so much. I saw sleight-of-hand after the story was already up, didn't have time to catch that one, yikes!

This post has been edited by Renee: Jul 28 2019, 09:08 AM


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Renee
post Aug 4 2019, 03:40 AM
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After that there were no more incidents of hostility, and the Goblins tolerated my presence, so long as I kept a respectful distance from their females and offspring. Occasionally a warrior would bark at me, but I simply replied by making the hand-rotating "intelligence" gesture next to my head, and the warrior would shrug and go back to his business. ~ An excerpt from Sacred Rites of the Stonechewers, Submitted to The Imperial Library by Pilaf The Defiler

... And it is of utmost importance that I point out our own foibles in this matter. That we, as the inclusionists we purport to be, have accepted all manner of mer and even beastfolk into our own society, and make merits toward treating these as one within Cyrodiil, allowing them to run our bookshops, deliver our news, and even maintain positions within our Council. Yet we continue to banish, main, and eradicate the various goblin tribes as though they were only slightly-more-intelligent creatures, rats and mudcrabs. Well I have been face-to-face with these, formulating scholastic measures amongst them. I can fairly tell all who take the time to pore over these lectures my contrary opinions. Fearsome and regardless they seem, but for those who choose to take the time, we might discover that these 'fearsome and regardless' beings are really quite intelligent, quite societal, and quite similar to ourselves. ~ Jayne Goodfall, excerpt from An Account on Goblin Society


~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Chapter III: Drakelowe


IPB Image


"You are saying you know nothing? Nothing about a band of brigands who might have come through these woods, to place me upon that hill over yonder?"

"As I mentioned before, all's I saw were a bunch of colored lights," explained Melisande, the Breton owner of Drakelowe Farm. "Perhaps early last evening, just after nightfall. I was out here in the garden, minding my calves, and just happened to look up. There they were. Lights of green and red and yellow, flashing between the trees. As though some wizard might have shown up, then cast some colorful spell. And I may have shuddered. As you can see, I'm not exactly surrounded by the safety of civilization out here."

"I see."

"As for some band of outlaws, I saw no one. The lights were there, I wondered who might be casting them, but then, nothing else happened."

The morning was cool, tainted lightly by fog. After awaking in the forest, Jayne had stayed alert and terrified the rest of the night. Every sound was analyzed. Every shadowy movement, she'd skulk nearer to her tree. Fortunately, daybreak had arrived quickly. She'd then begun her search for a road or a footpath. There was nothing of the sort near to where she'd awoken, but her captors had to have made their way into wilderness somehow. After maybe a couple of hours of wandering, she hadn't much success. But then, she'd spotted Drakelowe from a distance. Which was interesting. Interesting that they would place her in the middle of nowhere, but also near to guaranteed safety.

"I wouldn't worry about them if I were you," Drakelowe's owner continued. "From what you're saying, it sounds like they wanted to be long gone. And they certainly succeeded at that. Like I said, must have had some deft wizardry going on, from what I was seeing."

Jayne Goodfall looked to the ground, and considered this. All along, she'd suspected at least one of the outlaws might be adept at a variety of magics; it would certainly explain how they'd always located her when she had managed escape. It would also explain how they'd pulled off some of their more dastardly capers. That magistrate up in Balmora for instance ... how could he have not noticed the scoundrels as they'd casually cleaned out his finery cabinets of a variety of jewels, and in plain view of his associates?

If so, if one or more of them were skilled in these matters, they'd certainly kept this facet of their organization a secret from her. Because ... magic. It was the only thing which made sense. She'd been teleported out here perhaps, teleported to the middle of the Niben. Because it made sense to get rid of her. What better way to hide the most knowledgable witness to all their crimes, while still keeping her alive?

"You know, you should really consider yourself lucky," Melisande attempted. "As you explained earlier, as soon as you were on that boat, your greatest fear was that they were serious, when they said they were going to push you off into the bay."

Jayne Goodfall, once a respected and prominent member of Imperial society, made a small whimpering sound.

"Come inside. And fear not, milady," the farmer said with confidence. "I've got tea, and plenty of herbs which can soothe. Those thieves and roustabouts, whoever they are, obviously are not interested in returning out here. Else, why would they not simply commandeer my entire property for their own?"

Jayne nodded and smiled briefly. Gathered her wits. Sighed. "Yes, I suppose you are right. I am so lucky to have... at least been placed near a welcoming location such as Drakelowe. Grateful, I am." She paused. "Anything you need. Anything. Your crops need picking in the morn? Your cow needs milking, Melisande?"

"You do me too much honor, Miss Goodfall, and there's no need to worry about such matters. Now please, come inside," the farmer said, sweeping her arms grandly. "Come inside, where all shall be made well. You can stay, as long as you like."

Jayne smiled broader now, and shuffled her feet a little. "Oh, just one more thing."

"Surely. What's on your mind, Imperial?"

"It has been awhile since I've traveled the Niben. Are there still goblin lairs out here that you know of? Near, in fact, to this property?"

"Goblins? Blecch!" Melisande grimaced. "I hate the things!"

Jayne Goodfall started to say something, her face forming a bit sternly, but then she bit her tongue. Now was not the time for sharp retorts. Her new host had been so gracious to let her stay, after all.


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

Finding her way

Stealing crops (Jayne was hungry, and didn't know what the farm's owner would be like!)

A welcome hovel

This post has been edited by Renee: Aug 5 2019, 05:29 PM


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SubRosa
post Aug 4 2019, 05:44 PM
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Neat link to that article about Sacred Rite of the Stonechewers. I had no idea that even existed.

Drakelowe farm sounds inviting, even though it seems the owner is none to keen on the Goblin folk. It seems Jayne is already quite interested in Goblins, and intending on making contact with the nearest tribe.


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Acadian
post Aug 4 2019, 07:53 PM
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I quite like the premise you seem to have going on here that goblins are worth a look/study. Given Buffy's lack of height and long ears, she could not help but notice the same in goblins and has long wondered if they were some form of rather primitive cave mer. Can't wait to learn more about them from Jayne!

Ahh, some refuge for a time - most welcome I'm sure as Jayne gets her bearings.


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Lopov
post Aug 5 2019, 06:13 PM
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An interesting continuation, you used quite a different style this time, even opening the story up with paragraphs from various works.

I wonder what Jayne'd say, if she didn't bit her tongue.


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treydog
post Aug 10 2019, 02:57 PM
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Somehow missed this when you first updated- but happy to have discovered it. The goblin commentary adds tremendously to the story- and makes us think a bit more about the "mindless creatures" who nevertheless have clear societal structures, as well as the intellect to use magic.

I admit to having some suspicions of Melisande, but that is probably just my ingrained paranoia.

Most excellent addition to this intriguing story.


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Renee
post Aug 11 2019, 04:11 PM
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Comments and questions in this post, and I'll put this week's chapter in the next post later on. Easier for me edit the story this way. Because for some reason I always catch stuff once it's posted here at Chorrol, which I can't see in Notepad.

treydog: Melisande actually attacked my poor Jayne, so your paranoia is not unfounded! ... I have a mod in her game called Oblivion Jobs which is supposed to allow the player-character to pick crops for a small amount of money (and do all sorts of other menial tasks like cook food, smith weapons, pick grapes in Skingrad, etc.), On the Drakelowe property, Jayne could harvest crops and get paid by Melisande, and the mod author also gave the PC his/her own bedroll. But then something went wrong. sad.gif Out of nowhere, Mel decided to flip on Jayne for whatever glitchy reason.

In roleplay terms though, this actually made sense, as shall be seen.


Lopov: Yes, what would Jayne have said, if she hadn't bit her tongue? wink.gif

Acadian: I've been thinking about Buffy here and there, especially in this next chapter. Because I do remember she's got some experience dealing with goblins and all sorts of nasties, but is also open-minded to the fact that not ALL of them are horrid. Buffy also is quite resourceful about finding all sorts of items in the wild, and making them useful. I seem to recall she makes her own toiletries, for instance.

SubRosa: I decided to do a little research, typing "goblin" into The Imperial Library website, and quite a few results came up. smile.gif That Stonechewer book was submitted by somebody playing Elder Scrolls Online. I'm not sure if it was written by a dev, or by somebody playing the game in real-time. It fits though.

All: Melisande is part of the Vampire Cure quest, which I didn't know until I did a little UESP'ing. ohmy.gif So the part when Mel says "come inside, I've got lots of ingredients which can soothe...." yeah, she really means this!

This next chapter coming up is actually a half-chapter. As I was writing I kept getting more and more ideas, to the point that I was getting overwhelmed! To post the entire thing at once would provide more of a "flow," but then I'd have to wait until next week, and we don't want that. smile.gif

Have some cake. cake.gif

This post has been edited by Renee: Aug 11 2019, 04:20 PM


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Renee
post Aug 11 2019, 05:25 PM
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Chapter IV: The Goblin


She spotted him from a distance. A stocky warrior, standing maybe fifty feet away. The warrior was distracted by something on the ground. He hadn't caught her scent.

Though well-versed in many goblin affairs, Jayne Goodfall (at that moment) was glad to have seen him first, not the other way around. She crouched behind a bush for some time, studying the warrior's movements. She could see that he was relaxed, not agitated. Which was good, of course. After studying the symbols upon his breastplate, she could also see he was from the Cracked Wood tribe, meaning that she'd made decent progress through the forest. She had to be on the western edge of the Niben. Hopefully, she was somewhere near to Cropsford.

Cropsford, that small village which had been decimated, then slowly rebuilt, at the end of the Third Era (and into the Fourth, she hoped). Though her memory was foggy, there had been some sort of trouble with goblins in the area, The Black Horse Courier had published a story about this. Two tribes at war, if she recalled correctly. One of Cyrodiil's numerous Third Era adventurers had managed to resolve the dilemma, as she recalled, and the tale then ended happily.

Jayne gripped the small wooden stick from her belt, looking at it doubtfully. She had fashioned this stick two days before, but was now unsure whether the warrior would even acknowledge her efforts. This stick was actually a bundle of several vines and twines, bent and tarred carefully around a central stake of oak, then secured in place with several small iron tacks. Jayne had found all the wooden parts herself around Drakelowe, while Melisande had provided the metal. It had taken several hours for Jayne to construct.

To most folk, her stick might appear to be a rather elegant accomplishment, perhaps an art piece of some sort, for it was too short to be a walking cane, too flimsy to be a weapon. But to Jayne, this 'art piece' could literally become the difference between her life, or her death.

It's a totem Jayne had explained to Melisande several days before, after she'd carefully begun dipping the newly-shaped item into a small pot of hot, black, gooish substance.

A ... totem! Melisande had squeaked. How very lovely! And whatever is this totem for?

And thus began the conversation, which caused the actual rift, which soon developed into the full-blown argument between host and guest back at Drakelowe Farm. ... GET OUT! Melisande had eventually screamed. Get OUT of here, before I CALL THE GUARDS!

Jayne shuddered at the memory. Drakelowe's owner had quickly gone from being mild and friendly to quite menacing, throwing spells at Jayne, even summoning an atronach of fire! Jayne hadn't foreseen how things could have gone so wrong! She definitely shouldn't have tried elucidating the woman about her past.

But of course, Jayne Goodfall now had more pressing concerns. Her totem, for instance. Had she done it right?

Unarmed and unarmored (but hopefully not too unprepared), the next few moments would make all the difference. Brimming with anticipation, Jayne began to sweat. She looked down to her clothes, the same coarse linens she'd been wearing for days, and was suddenly glad they were a bit scuffed. No longer freshly-laundered. She'd smell of the forest around her, meaning that the warrior would be just a little more open to her presence.

She thought it all through one more time, then stood fully. The warrior saw her. "Yargh!" he called, throwing his arms to the sky, readying his mace. He began to stomp quickly toward her. Before she knew it, Jayne was fumbling her totem, hoping it would make all the difference.


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Paper Doll'd

Swimming -- (Mel was chasing her by now. Wish I had gotten pics of her going batty. She really went overboard)

Jayne's got a totem! -- (An SI mace actually. We'll have to use our imagination because I couldn't find something equivalent)

City in the distance

This post has been edited by Renee: Aug 11 2019, 11:51 PM


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