Buffy the Bowgirl, Book 1, Thread 4, Do You Know the Way to Kvatch? Options

[Grits]

The improvements that you made in this quest’s logic are most welcome. I like how Buffy exhausted every possibility of getting out before she scouted the ruin.

My distracted and clipped reply was tinged with anger. "Fine."

I think Aleron earned the f-word more than anyone!

Before long, two of the glows disappeared into the lower level of the fort. I began stalking the one who remained on the upper level. A poisoned armor-piercing arrow penetrated the hunter's steel back plate with a tiny puff of orange magic. The impact drove him to the ground as sparks from Slayer's enchantment arced and danced around him for a moment. He managed to struggle to his knees, only to collapse again from my poison.

One shot from an enchanted bow with a poisoned, armor-piercing arrow, archers are scary. One could sit next to Buffy on a barstool while she chattered away and have no idea.

We had some tense moments in the ruin, but Buffy gave us a brilliant display of her hunting. My worries still lurk outside. Kurdan and his tight-lipped archer friend, and the need to protect the hapless Loche. Actually, it’s mostly Keeneye that concerns me.

[mALX]

Buffy's long time acquintence with Ursanne and Aleron is very evident in her interactions with both - loved this chapter!!! My fave line:

I wheeled around to face Aleron and snapped, "You're sorry?!? How many lives are you trying to ruin with your stupid gambling? If we get out of this and Ursanne doesn't kill you, I will!" My anger was quickly betrayed by tears as I dragged a sleeve across my face.

Buffy at her Buffyest !!! Awesome Write !!

This post has been edited by mALX: Jul 4 2011, 01:32 AM

[hazmick]

Magnificent! That's the hunters dealt with, but the worst is yet to come. There's hardly enough room to swing a Khajiit in that courtyard, it would be a terrible place to get attacked by a massive orc...

[ghastley]

Actually, it’s mostly Keeneye that concerns me.

Buffy could well end up "conscripting" him. I've found that he's usually guilty of friendly fire, so I often just let him help unintentionally.

The way the game plays this out, you can't help Aleron, and you have to be in talking range of Kurdan to advance the quest to the fighting stage. But since Acadian has already permitted himself to improve on the standard fare, all bets are off, and anything could happen.

I'm wondering if she'll take the Shadowbanish wine home?

[SubRosa]

A nice little break from the game's version of the quest, having Ra'jhera explain the rules of the hunt to Buffy. Her first reaction was smart, try to find a way out. but of course if there was one, the hunt would not work. Likewise, her anger at Aleron is quite realistic. If not Kurdan, it would have just been some other Hutt he would have gotten himself into trouble with.

The rat - with its disease - was yet one more good example of Buffy's mixed parentage. While she lacked her mother's resistance to diseases, her father's extra magicka certainly made curing it easier!

Also, a refreshing bit of common sense in the disposition of the hunters. Rather than sitting down in the tunnels for days (or months?) waiting for someone to come by, you have them come to the fort after Buffy gets there. Then she hides while they pass. Then it was time to go hunting, and Buffy showed the skills she has worked so hard to attain. I think Jabba is going to be in for a big surprise when he sees who comes out of the fort...

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 6 2011, 03:02 AM

[Khajiit_Thief01]

Great chapter! I particularly liked this part:

As the trio passed by their hidden and frightened prey, a feeling of calm confidence began to wrap itself around me. I recalled the exact moment on the Planes of Peryite when, instead of cowering in fear from clannfears, I realized I was stalking and hunting them. So it was now, as the hunters became the hunted.

That part really speaks to the growth of Buffy, in both her skills and her overall maturity. She understands now that the best way to overcome fear is to confront it, and confront it often. She trusts her skills in combat and is leaving less of the outcome to chance.

One personal criticism--I can't help but feel that the disease part was a missed opportunity. While it makes perfect sense that she would be easily able to heal herself given her Bretonic heritage and skill in Restoration, I thought that having the disease during the course of the quest would have been a great challenge for Buffy to overcome, and reading about how she would have gone about dealing with the hunters even as the disease hampered her limbs would have made the chapter even more enjoyable. Again, it is a personal preferance--I enjoy putting my own characters in unexpected situations and seeing how they react to and handle them, but of course that is my style and I don't expect everybody else to feel, or write, the same way.

Again, great chapter, and as always I look forward to more!

[MyCat]

The most dangerous game! But I also share Khajiit_Thief01's fears that Buffy is becoming too powerful. She dispatched three hunters in two paragraphs. Hopefully that is just building up to the showdown with Kurdan and Keeneye.

[Khajiit_Thief01]

I don't think Buffy is necessarily becoming too powerful--she dispatched the hunters using stealth and poison, which has always been her way. I was just merely commenting, from a personal standpoint, that adding the disease dynamic to the battles would have made for a very interesting read. Like I said before, personal preference.

I have no doubt that the battles with Keeneye and Kurdan will be difficult. They are tough foes who are not to be taken lightly. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out!

[Acadian]

During Episode 118, Buffy familiarized herself with Fort Grief. When the boat transporting hunters to the island returned, Buffy directed Aleron to remain in the outer bailey while she returned to the fort's interior. She managed to dispatch all three hunters, but none of them carried the key to freedom promised by Kurdan's Khajiiti henchman.

Doommeister- Did you know that Buffy actually has a lovely singing voice? Well, anyway, it is certainly music to our ears to hear that she has had some influence over your wonderful decision to share the story of your battlemage.

ghastly- Buffy can deal with single, isolated foes by sniping; it is groups that cause her to rely on the 'mind control' family of illusion spells. As you can probably tell, the big pieces and even outcome of this quest will certainly line up with the game, but we continue with many liberties on the details. Heh, most of those changes stem from Buffy asking me questions that usually start with, "Why would. . .?"

Rider- Thank you so much for the endorsement of the 'Buffy' changes we have applied to this quest. I quite like the quest, but was surprised how many tweaks it took to have some of the rough edges make sense. I know I simply loved the way you 'Julianized' the quest for our dear Redguard hero.

KC- Thanks. I think the hunters' flaw in thinking was believing their foe would either hide in terror, or try to fight like they do.

Grits- Thank you for your kind words on our changes to the quest, Buffy's futile attempts to escape and, of course, her use of the 'F' word. Your premonition into the upcoming hazards is spot on.

mALX- Thank you for focusing on Buffy's relationship with Ursanne (and Aleron). We displayed some of that when Buffy accepted the quest, and will show more depth/history when she reports back to Ursanne with (you guessed it), bad news.

hazmick- Perfect analysis, my friend! The worst is indeed yet to come.

SubRosa- As ever, I love your insights and observations. Thank you for a couple things in particular:
1. Another display of the pros and cons of Buffy being a half-breed. She was truly born to be neither archer nor mage but, rather, a mystic archer.
2. The fact that the hunters did not arrive until the prey was in place. Like you, I was not buying the game feature that those hunters would just sort of live down there waiting to be fed 'prey'. I view them more as high roller wannabe 'big game hunters'.

Khajiit_Thief01- Thank you for endorsing Buffy's reminder to herself that she is indeed a potent hunter and her memory of how/when she made that transition.

I so appreciate your suggestion that Buffy could have been hampered by her disease. Unfortunately, I was trying to make several pieces work together here: A reminder of her mixed racial abilities. A flaw (albeit a small one) in what was a pretty elegant performance. Evidence that her skill in restoration has reached the rather lofty milestone of curing disease by spell. To have her linger with the disease would have precluded that last objective. Spending more time with her pondering the impact of the disease if left uncured could have been interesting to explore, but I was also concerned about maintaining focus on the hunt and managing episode length. Please know that such helpful observations surely do factor into our longer term planning and crafting of future episodes.

MyCat- The concern I had with this episode was exactly the one you mentioned: Buffy was quite elegantly lethal, almost flawless in dispatching the hunters. I believe the only real solution would have been to combine that episode with the balance provided in her next fight; but that would have generated an excessively long episode. I so appreciate your trust that her smooth performance was indeed intentional to set the stage for a much more dangerous final showdown with Kurdan.

* * *

119 The Tournament of Archers, Part 35- Freedom Isn't Free

As I emerged from the darkness of Fort Grief, my attention was drawn to two pink glows standing near each other in the outpost's sunlit bailey.

"Well, I'll be a stuffed slaughterfish!" boomed Kurdan gro-Dragol. "So, the bite-sized knight survived." As my eyes quickly adjusted, I could see the orc held his warhammer in one hand. With the other, he grabbed nearby Aleron Loche by the back of the Breton's shirt. As he pulled the small man in front of him, Kurdan warned, "Any arrow or spell from you will hit Aleron, not me."

The orc apparently saw me glance at the fort's outer gate, because he then added, "Yeah, while you were in the fort, I slipped into that locked room just inside the door and closed the gate. I got the only key, so you ain't getting out of here."

"Let Aleron and me go," I demanded. "I played your game and I won. No one else has to die."

"Wrong," said Kurdan. "Aleron was just a piece of bait to lure worthy prey out here, but I don't need him now and he's seen too much of my operation to live. You're a different problem. My customers pay a lot of gold. If they get killed by the prey while hunting, they can't exactly rave to their friends about the fine entertainment I provide out here, now can they?" Not waiting for my response, Kurdan continued, "You're too good at the game, and I don't need you alive to coax another victim out here. When you've been missing for a couple days, I figure someone like Daenlin'll be pissing all over himself to fetch my nonexistent axe in exchange for the empty promise of getting his little protégée back. Yeah, maybe he'll be the next prey."

I snarled, "You never planned to let us go, did you?"

"You're wising up, twig, just in time for me to kill you." He took a cautious step closer.

As my right fist spiked the air, Kurdan stopped and wielded the frightened Breton in front of him like a shield.

A ghost materialized beside me. Thankfully, the spirit was wise enough not to target Aleron and quickly floated to one side of Kurdan. While my summon formed a blue globe of magicka in its ethereal fingers, I nocked an arrow.

As the orc faced a potential crossfire, I saw indecision in his eyes. He threw Aleron to the ground, raised his warhammer with both hands and charged my ghost.

Thankful for Kurdan's error in judgment, I immediately loosed my armor-piercing arrow into the side of his cuirass.

Aleron had barely hit the ground when an arrow from above us pierced the Breton's back, extinguishing the glow of his life. After a moment of shock and confusion, I cursed myself. I had not only forgotten about the orc's henchman, I had failed to scan above me for life signs.

Kurdan was wounded, but not mortally so. As his hammer passed harmlessly through my ghost, I looked up. Sure enough, the archer's pink glow was hidden on the stone ledge above the courtyard. Hoping that my summon could occupy Kurdan for now, I cast a shroud of invisibility and sprinted up the stairs.

I found myself on a circular ledge that overlooked the bailey below. Looking down, I could see Kurdan and my ghost, trading harmless hammer swings and weak frost attacks. Ra'jhera the Keeneye was across the bailey on the far side of the same ledge as I. I wanted to control the cat's mind with an illusion that would cause him to attack Kurdan. Surrendering my invisibility, I loosed a swirl of emerald magicka at the archer.

The nimble Khajiit easily dodged my slow-moving spell and reached toward his quiver.

I magically disappeared again, then sidestepped to my left.

The cat responded by diverting his paw into a pouch worn at his waist then quickly quaffing a potion. He had barely dropped the empty bottle when his eyes snapped toward my invisible form. "This one can see the glow of your life. The prey cannot hide from Keeneye." He nocked an arrow.

I dove behind a pillar then heard his arrow strike the stone wall nearby. Shielded from further arrows for the moment, I remembered Kurdan almost directly below me. I bought myself some more time by replacing my ghost with a fresh one. I was relieved to see the spirit float down into the bailey and engage the orc.

I then returned my focus to Ra'jhera the Keeneye. With his detect life potions - and I assumed he had more of them - I couldn't maneuver for a hidden shot. I ruled out distracting the archer with a summon because my helper was badly needed to hold off Kurdan. The Khajiit was quick enough to avoid my spells. There was only one thing fast enough to strike with. After poisoning an arrow, I nocked it and slipped out from behind the safety of my stone column.

Ra'jhera, with his own arrow nocked, engaged me in a deadly dance of cat and elf. We both moved rapidly and unpredictably from side to side, silently teasing and flirting for a lethal opportunity.

With Kurdan still alive below me, time was not on my side. I stopped, knowing that Ra'jhera would pause to take a shot as well. Pulling silk to cheek, I loosed my arrow then leaped for the safety of the closest pillar.

Our arrows passed each other in flight and a blinding pain struck my hip as I cried out. My body was spun about by the impact and knocked against the unyielding wall of the fort. I then collapsed to the stone ledge. A panicked glance toward the Khajiit revealed he was down too, but his life force still glowed. In agony, caused by the arrow protruding from my right hip, I managed to regain my feet. Battling the pain that threatened to steal my consciousness, I tried to bring magic to my hand. Thankfully, my poison then extinguished Ra'jhera the Keeneye.

Relief was shattered by an orcish roar and the rattle of armor plates. My head snapped toward the top of the stairs to see the nightmare of a charging orc, his warhammer raised high.

I struggled to override the screaming pain from my hip and focus my magic. Kurdan managed to cover half the distance between us before I finally convinced the dancing cobra to leap from my hand.

The emerald snake swirled into its target, unleashing a full measure of magical venom. The massive hammer's weight caused the helplessly paralyzed Kurdan to fall to his right, as if in slow motion. After clipping the stone ledge, he continued over the edge. A moment later, I heard a loud clatter as the heavily armored orc met the ground of the bailey below.

The throbbing that radiated from my hip overcame my ability to focus, or even remain upright. I slid to the hard gray surface at my feet. Through the stone ledge, I could see the glow of Kurdan on the ground below. His groans filled the air and I could no longer repress my own.

Disoriented, I tried to watch the orc's glow for any sign of movement as one hand fumbled into my pack. The healing potion I managed to find eased enough pain for me to think more clearly and struggle back to my feet.

Grasping the deeply imbedded arrow that protruded from my hip, I coaxed destruction magic to travel through the missile until it completely dissolved. I then channeled powerful white magic into the wound until the pierced flesh was knitted closed and my pain melted away. Another glance through the stone ledge beneath my feet revealed Kurdan's pink glow was still not moving.

I cautiously made my way down the steps to the courtyard below. Kurdan's right leg was bent at an impossible angle, confirming at least one broken bone. Either his movements or the fall had snapped the shaft of my arrow, no doubt leaving the slender head imbedded within his chest. His armor bore reminders of the frost damage done by my faithful ghosts.

The orc's eyes met mine. He was breathing hard and blood trickled from one corner of his mouth. "You got to heal me, kid. I can't move my legs. I'll make you a full partner and cut you in on my action."

I responded by reaching over my right shoulder. Selecting a broadhead arrow, I set it to the nock.

"I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams, Buffy," said Kurdan, his tone becoming more urgent. "Please."

I closed to within three paces of the orc, applied partial tension and aimed.

His dark eyes opened wide as he bellowed, "No!" Tiny droplets of blood and spit seemed to hang in the air, as if the moment was frozen in time by the echo of his last word.

I fully drew the silk bowstring and released it. Instantly, my feathered shaft blossomed from Kurdan's left eye as his head snapped back against the ground and his glow extinguished.

A search of the orc quickly located his key to this prison. His heavy coin purse, which now belonged to Ursanne Loche, made its way into my pack.

I sat down a few feet away from the dead body of Aleron. "I will ask my friend Gladius Maro, or perhaps Gaius Prentus, to come out here in the guard boat and bring you home to Ursanne."

Drawing up both knees and hugging them to my chest, the tears finally came. As my small shoulders shook, I could feel the shattered lives that Kurdan had left behind. Every victim of his game that now rested in the bowels of this fort had a tragic story to tell. After a long time, I ran out of tears.

I rose to my feet and thought about the beautiful spirit of Ursanne Loche waiting in the Great Chapel of Mara for good news that would never come. Finally, I spoke, "If you are kind to me, I will love you dearly." Turning my gaze to the body of Kurdan gro-Dragol, I added, "If you are a threat to me or my friends, I will likely kill you."

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 7 2011, 03:39 PM

[haute ecole rider]

First the nit:

"Let Aleron and I go," I demanded.

I think you meant me - as in "Let me go."

Now the good stuff. I really loved how Buffy used a ghost to distract Kurdan. The idiot is too stupid to realize that an unenchanted weapon is no good against those spirits! For her Keeneye is the more dangerous foe, and rightly so. I really liked the tactics, and how the cunning Khajiit countered her usual tricks. This was something that kept me holding my breath throughout!

In the game, for all his bulk and bluster, Kurdan was a joke to fight. Keeneye was much much harder to deal with, as is typical of experienced archers. I really appreciated how you played that up here.

And Buffy's post-combat reaction is perfectly drawn, as she stops to think about her friends that have been drawn into this deadly game.

[King Coin]

Buffy barely survived that fight! Keeneye was quite a challenge for Buffy and she had to take a terrible risk to end him. Cobra's Dance has saved Buffy so many times over the course of her travels.

Even though his death was expected, it is too bad Aleron died. You can't save everyone.

Kurdan is was a fool to think Buffy would heal him.

Fantastic chapter Acadian!

[Captain Hammer]

Biggest problem with this quest: the impossibility of giving Kurdan what is really his. Well, not entirely impossible, but it does require some inventiveness on the part of the player.

I really appreciate how you dealt with Kurdan's final seconds upon this mortal realm. Hunting down Kurdan's hunters is one thing, but that d@mn loan-shark has a real way of making it personal, and you capture it perfectly.

Not a nit, per se, as much as a request for clarification:

As my right fist spiked the air, Kurdan stopped and wielded the frightened Breton in front of him like a shield.

Is Kurdan capable of lifting Aleron off the ground with one arm (outstretched or curled, or anything in-between) or is he just shoving the poor gambling addict around like a bad puppet?

[hazmick]

A very intense fight! Buffy did the same thing Haa-Rei did in not immediately noticing Kurdan's feline henchman but Buffy had the quick idea of using a summon to distract the awful Orsimer. The battle between the two archers was brilliant with each archer scoring a hit, fortunately Keeneye does not share Buffy's poison making skills.

I also liked the way Buffy got injured...don't judge me but it showed us that she is still a delicate little Bosmer Butterfly and it also gave us a chance to read another amazing description of her magic usage.

I don't envy Buffy having to give Ursanne the bad news

[SubRosa]

the bite-sized knight
Another line to remember!

Again, you portray Kurdan as being not only memorable, but also with sound motivations. Of course he cannot allow either Buffy or Aleron to live, for all the reasons he stated. He even tried using Aleron as a meat shield to keep from being shot. As Buffy noted, his only mistake was going after the ghost.

I was just wondering about Ra'jhera when the feline's arrow answered my question. Again, a delightful change from the game in having him be to the one to actually kill Aleron. His quaffing the detect life potion was another excellent divergence from the game.

a deadly dance of cat and elf
an excellent turn on the old phrase!

Boderi's training paid off here, as Kurdan was certainly not going to stop because Buffy was having a bad day. His falling off the second floor was a wonderful surprise, and certainly likely given the state of those forts.

Using destruction magic to disintegrate the arrow rather than pull it out was a nice touch. I always like seeing writers put magic to regular-everyday use outside of the simple shoot-and-kill you see in the game.

Buffy's finishing Kurdan off was pure Buffy. No monologues, just straight to business. As Eli Wallach said in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: "When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk."

Last of all, you show us that there is more to the bite-sized knight than slayage, in her tears for Aleron, Ursanne, and the untold number of other victims of Kurdan's game.

[ghastley]

I liked the selection of the ghost to distract Kurdan. It fits his character perfectly to have him flail uselessly with a big warhammer against an opponent that it doesn't affect. He's just like Grommok at Xedilian, can't believe that he could lose a fight.

I've usually done this fight the same way, go up and take out Keeneye first, but Kurdan rarely follows, and it's easy for an archer or spell-tossing mage to take him out while he just paces up and down below. Your version explains why he doesn't make the climb!

[Thomas Kaira]

A most unfortunate ending to this short tale.

But all is well in any case (well, besides Aleron's untimely end, that is), the evildoers have received their just desserts, and Lady Loche will finally be rid of her debts.

Smart of Keeneye to quaff a Detect Life potion. He really did live up to his name, good show!

[Grits]

Wow, this could have gone either way. Keeneye couldn’t have known that Buffy had forgotten him, and he gave himself away by shooting Aleron. She was occupied with Kurdan, possibly giving him a fatal shot at her. How smart of Keeneye to use detect life, that’s in my mind every time Buffy disappears. She has a variety of lethal options and the planning to take advantage of them, but she is still sometimes one silence curse or detect life effect away from disaster. Keeps things lively.

This episode was heart-pounding throughout and a joy to read. I am especially impressed with Buffy’s quick action in the face of the unexpected. No pee in the greaves, no Alawen to save her, and not enough time for Acadian to coach. Buffy noticed that her ghost was weak against Kurdan even though it distracted him, I wonder if this fight will spark a road trip.

Here’s what I thought when Kurdan attacked the ghost. Even though in the game it can seem that every boulder conceals a bandit hedge wizard, real bad guys wouldn’t go around attacking each other unless there was profit in it. Sensible folk without enchanted bows would stay away from ghosts. So Kurdan probably wouldn't know how to fight a ghost, or even that he should swat the butterfly who summoned it instead.

"I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams, Buffy," said Kurdan, his tone becoming more urgent. "Please."

Where are your insults now, Kurdan? He shows composure of his own, which I would expect from a successful usurer. Though I imagine he heard a lot of people say “please” in the course of his work.

Buffy’s sorrow over the victims and those who are missing them was all the more beautiful for being simply expressed. Really, I could quote this whole episode as my favorite part.

[mALX]

Holy Cow! That was a very powerful ending, following a chapter filled with action - made all the more real by Buffy's failability when she was injured and became disoriented. Like Grits, I especially liked that the enemy availed himself of the "Detect Life" and thwarted her easy time of it! Awesome Write !!!!!

[MyCat]

Too bad she killed Kurdan, I was kinda hoping for a few episodes of her hunting him down like Earana. (My Bosmer archer's enchanted bow is powered with a black soul gem. The bow is named Earana. Inspired by Buffy.)

Others have already made my comments. My favorite part was her grieving over the victims.

[Zalphon]

I liked Kurdan