Redemption., Cause being evil sucks. Options

[jack cloudy]

You're right, Griff. I might not have screwed up too badly yet, but I will if I continue this way.

Point is, both characters are rather mysterious in their backgrounds. Only I have to decide which one gets third and the most mystery. The Altmer probably wouldn't work anymore if I go through his work in first person. The Bosmer would loose some in first person herself, but she would be a better choice. So from now on, it's the Altmer that gets third person.

Oh, and we get our first name! Finally, one of the main characters got a name! Wooh! Bring out the fireworks!


Chapter 3.2


Cyrodiil, Waterfront.

The Redguard sailors were entertaining themselves with a song while unloading a shipment of crates. The song went about a sailor whose ship crashed. He was saved by a nymph who succumbed to the man’s charms and the story proceeded in a predictable manner.
,,Excuse me!” A voice shouted from the dock. The cargomaster signalled the crew to keep working before he leaned on the handrails flanking the deck. Belwo him, he saw an Altmer in a blue robe standing next to the unloaded crates. For a moment the Redguard worried about his cargo, but he saw to his satisfaction that a Legionnaire patrol was nearby. There was no risk.

,,Yes, can I help you, sir?!” He shouted back. The Altmer waved and gestured at the crates.
,,I just noticed that sleeve sticking out from under the lid. Would you happen to be shipping clothes?” He asked. The Redguard nodded.
,,Hold on, I’m coming down.” He shouted, waited for a pair of sailors carrying a crate to pass, then walked over the plank himself.
,,Yes, we are shipping clothes. May I ask you for the reason of this interest?” He asked at a more conventional volume now that he was standing right next to the Altmer.
,,Always be polite to people in robes. You never know if he’s a fireball-happy mage.” He thought to himself.

The Altmer touched the sleeve sticking out of one of the crates.
,,Yes. My master, who works at the university, has run into a slight problem. He was conducting some experiments in his lab, with unfortunate results. I have been sent to aquire a new garb for him.” He explained as he inspected the silk. The cargomaster scratched the stubble on his chin.
,,Ah, right. Did you check the market? This shipment is meant for a clothesstore there.” He commented.
,,I already tried, yet the store is still closed at this hour. My master prefers to have his new garb before breakfast, when he must show himself to the apprentices. In his hurry, he sent me off without the means for a monetary compensation.” The Altmer said.

,,I see. That’s a bit of a shame. Now I suppose you want a set of clothes from these crates?” The Redguard asked.
,,That would be correct.” The Altmer replied with a nod.
,,Hmm, now don’t get me wrong. I would be pleased to help you out, but I can’t just do it without getting anything in return. I’m sorry, but I’m not the captain of this ship, only the cargomaster. That, and there is still a quota we must reach.” The cargomaster answered.

The Altmer thought it over for a moment.
,,Then perhaps, may I present you an offer?” He inquired. The Redguard shrugged.
,,Please, go ahead.”
,,Beyond being the master’s servant, I am also an advanced apprentice at the university. While I cannot vouch for my talents to be as sophisticated as that of a master, I am willing to give this ship my protection, in exchange for a single set of garb. I am quite certain that rarely does the actual number of items shipped equal the number of items in the quota.” It didn’t take long for the Redguard to make up his mind. He was almost surprised himself at how quickly he accepted the offer. Almost.
,,A fine deal. We always carry extras in case we lose a crate during a storm. Agreed.”

The Altmer waved his hands into a multitude of aracane gestures as magicka whizzed about him in a mad storm. Then the particles streamed off and seeped into the hull, the sails, the ropes, the mast, even the lanterns at the bow and stern. Visibly, the ship rose at least half a metre out of the waves.
,,I have lightened your vessel. With this, it will sail faster than before, and be able to carry more cargo before sinking.” The Altmer spoke. The Redguard gestured at the crates.
,,Please, all yours. Let me pop the lid.” He said.

The Altmer selected an exquisite robe of white linen, with a matching said sash and decorated by sewn in figures of golden threads. He then gave his thanks and walked away in the direction of the university with his precious load.

Lake Rumare, fisherman’s shack.

,,And who might you be?” I opened my eyes with a snap. The shack’s owner stood bent over me. He was a guy, which would have worried me after the last few days. Only he was old where the others were not. The fire in his blood had been extinguished by the years.
,,Ah, I’m really sorry! You see, I was really wet and so I thought I would go in and ask if I could borrow a towel. Only, you were asleep and I figured it would be rude to wake you up. Really sorry!” I apologized. I looked down at the blanket I’d wrapped myself in. It wasn’t wet, more like moist. The old man smiled friendly.

,,No need to fear, my dear. If you’re wet, nothing’s better than a warm blanket, a crackling fire and a good old bowl of fish-soup. It’s a shame you had to miss out on two of these things.” He said. I gave him a smile of my own and cast off the blanket.
,,Thank you! If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask! I can cook, I can clean, and do various other household chores!” I offered. His face paled and his smile fell.
,,Excuse me?” I mumbled. The old man recomposed himself but he’d taken his distance, and his voice was a lot more collected when he talked to me again.
,,Say, you wouldn’t be willing to tell me where you got those manacles, would you?”

I didn’t answer immediately, instead choosing to stare at the wooden boards that made up the floor.
,,I’d rather not. It’s kinda embarrassing.” I whispered. I then realized why he was so interested. He thought I was a murderer! Why else would I be wearing those things, I did got chained to the wall with them once. I blamed my lack of experience with prisons and criminals in general for not picking up the context in a heartbeat.
,,You see, I was in this garden up in the big city. Nobody was around, it was late and it looked like a nice soft place to sleep. Next thing I know, this walking collection of Iron shows up and drags me to this cold place under the ground. It was really creepy there!” I nearly tripped over my tongue in my rush to explain.

,,Vagrancy? Is that all? You got arrested for vagrancy?” The old man seemed positively relieved.
,,Err, is that the word for sleeping in the wrong place? If so, that’s it.” I answered.
,,I see. Bloody Legionnaires, never had much love for them. Now don’t get me wrong, they keep all the real scum off of our streets, but sometimes they’re just a bit too eager to serve and protect, if you know what I mean. And they threw you out without giving your own clothes back and taking off those manacles, crazy. They’re really slipping. Back in my days….Oh my, now I really sound as if I’m some old coot with half a foot in his grave. Nevermind that.” He said.
,,Anyway, why don’t you stick around for a while? I’ve got some bread in the cupboard. Why don’t we have breakfast first? I’m sure you must be hungry. I’ve heard that prison meals are not very nutritious.”
,,Oh, thank you!” I answered. When I saw the bread, I was not so thankfull anymore. It was stale, very salty and it looked like green moss was beginning to grow out of places.

,,This sure isn’t how the baker makes them at home. Oh well, it would be rude to refuse now.” I thought and forced myself to eat a loaf and actually look as if I enjoyed it.
,,Ugh, this thing’s harder than a rock. Brings a whole new aspect to the etiquette lessons the teachers stamped into me. Never thought I would apply them while eating bread while alone some guy in a shack. Never thought I would be alone with a guy for that matter. If dad found out, he would raise a navy just to chop off his head. So I’m not going to tell him or anyone.” I thought while eating. The thinking was the real thing that kept me focussed. I barely tasted the bread. That was probably a good thing.

Once we were done, we sat down outside the door to warm up in the morning sun. The old man tied a line with a hook to a fishingrod and shoved the leftover crumbs into a bucket to use as bait.
,,You’re a fisherman?” I asked. The man had regained his smile. It was a good smile, made me feel all warm inside. Not in a romantic way, but in the same way I felt when my father smiled at me.
,,It’s what I do. It’s easy and I make enough money out of it to make a living. I won’t be a rich man, but there’s little I need to buy anyway.” He said. I shielded my eyes from the sun and gazed across the lake at the hills.
,,Need help?” I inquired after a while. He looked up from his fishingrod.

,,You’d like to fish? I only have one rod.” He replied.
,,Well, I learned how to fish back home. But I don’t need a rod for it.” I answered. Again he smiled.
,,Then what do you use? A spear?” I shook my head.
,,A net? They’re good if you’re after big loads, bigger than my boat can handle.” Again I shook my head.
,,With your bare hands?” This time, I nodded. He laughed.

For a moment, I felt insulted but I soon realized he wasn’t mocking me.
,,Ah, that brings back memories. I used to fish with my hands. Now, I can’t keep up with them and have to rely on a rod. So you want to fish?” He said. Again I nodded.
,,Well then, let’s get onboard and push off. I know a rich spot.”

He was stronger than he looked. The rowboat wasn’t exactly the lightest or the most streamlined affair and the paddles weren’t much to speak about either. But he still managed to push that, himself, the fishing equipment and me, all at a decent pace.
,,It occurred to me that we haven’t made the introductions yet. I’m Delmar Tunius, fisherman.” He said with that fatherly tone. My, I was really beginning to like him. Now that was a first for this continent. Oh, there was that gold-skinned one, but he was too cold to really like. And after he just slaughtered…I sighed and shook off the thought. I didn’t want to think about it. I smiled at him before he could read my thoughts.
,,Maorlatta Orgnum, merchant.” I answered and then bit my tongue. I wasn’t much of a merchant. No money, no decent clothes, no company or goods.
,,Though I guess I’m reduced to begging now.” I added.

Delmar shook a finger.
,,Let me give you a bit of advice, Maorlatta….mind if I call you that?” He stopped himself. I giggled.
,,Sure. Why not?” He resumed rowing again.
,,Never resort to begging. A septim a day can keep you alive, but without dignity, you’re nothing. Look at me, I’m barely better than a beggar, but I don’t beg. I fish, I make my living through that. I don’t sit in a corner and ask passersby for money. If you want to get anywhere in this live, you have to do it yourself. Don’t be a parasite. I’ve seen many beggars who could be fine workers, if they weren’t too lazy….Ah, look at me, going on and on. I think you got my point after the first four words.”

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 30 2012, 10:25 PM

[Olen]

Well we have a name... Yay! And a bit of background, she's from an important family then. I like the fisherman, he's a good character.

I assume the altmer was using some sort of illusion on the captain? Otherwise it seems unlikely he would swap clothes for some suggested piece of magic... Anyway pretty powerful spells again. I wander when we will get a second name (which will dispell a good bit of the mystery around him unless I'm mistaken).

[Gaius Maximus]

Hm... Seems like I missed some stuff.

You know, I must say I really like the fisherman so far. He seems like the kind of old, relaxed, simple person you won't see in fanfics frequently. Gotta love simplicity...

Plus, some background info on the Bosmer... And a tongue-breaking name, to top it off.

And, the Altmer seems to get more interesting by the second. I want to find out who he is, yet I want him to keep being mysterious at the same time...

Can't wait for the next update.

[canis216]

Ah, I finally put in the effort to catch up, and it was well worth it. One gets the feeling that this Altmer is a refugee from the Battlespire... but after that?

[minque]

yup....just catched up on this one! Good work Jackie! Since I've watched my son play OB on xbox I'm a tad more familiar with the settings in your story....and I must say I like it!

[Agent Griff]

Great last update with the re-change of tense in both stories but the only odd thing is, how exactly are you writing this if you haven't played Oblivion? Of course, the logical answer would be that you're making it up as you go but, still, when it comes to any specific quests that you'd like to re-enact how will you handle the task? You could always look at the UESP wiki because they have all quests there with a walk-through included but that would be a little weird. Writing about Oblivion without actually playing Oblivion. It just feels odd.

Also, I think I know where you got the name of the Bosmer. She's a Maormer right? You cut out the mer part and add in Latta and you get Maorlatta. Still, the Altmer is just as mysterious as he ever was. I'm starting to think he's the Hero of the Battlespire. Either that or a hero of a previous TES game since I can't justify his relationship to the Emperor otherwise.

[jack cloudy]

Well, it is odd but I do it practically all the time. I guess it has become second nature to me.

That said, I don't have any actual quests planned right now. Bruma probably won't feature, neither will Martin's escort to the priory and Cloud Ruler.

Oh, and one other thing I used the UESP for, is Latta's name. I liked the translation it gave. And yes, I just used the second part of her name as the shortened version. *not so subtle hint*

About the captain, it was the cargomaster who pulled the deal but he was indeed charmed with some good old mindtricks. 'These are not the droids you are looking for'. Oh, wait. Wrong story. Oops.

And one last thing, keep guessing at the Altmer, people.



Chapter 3.3


Cyrodiil, palace.

The Altmer examined his new garb for the last time as he leaned against the marble walls that encircled the palace. Admittedly, he could have simply maintained the illusion on his prison-outfit, but that would allow a margin of error he wasn’t going to risk. He could claim without any arrogance whatsoever that his skill at the art of deception was possibly among the greatest in the world, the source of legends. Yet, for all he was, he was not flawless. Wearing an actual outfit suited to the job was still preferable to an elaborate illusion.

He removed a loose thread and straightened out the last wrinkle when the sun burst over the walls. The Altmer took a deep breath and turned his eyes towards the golden doors of the palace. Now, the doors opened without the slightest sound and a dozen guards walked out, each wearing the stylized silver armour with the golden dragon-crest that was the mark of the palace-guard. The guards split up in pairs, moving out along the street. At regular intervals, one pair would stop and turn to face each other. They would raise their silver Claymores over the street as an arch. When the last pair had taken up position, the Altmer moved away from the wall.

An idle part of his mind observed the purely symbolic guards. They were no slouch in combat, certainly. In fact, they were rated amongs the greatest the continent had to offer. Their strength couldn’t be questioned either. They had trained years, just so they could stand perfectly still with their Claymores for six hours, not a simple feat. But still, their positioning was rather inefficient for a true guard. But that was why there were the normal guards patrolling the streets just beyond the ceremonial path. If there was trouble of sufficient magnitude to warrant their attention, a guard merely had to call and a dozen expertly skilled warriors would jump to his aid.

The Altmer remembered that the palace guards were Blades as well, high-ranking ones. The only reason why they weren’t wearing the lighter and more functional Blade armour was again symbolic. The perfectly polished plates reflected every last ray of sunlight, making the guards look less like mortal men and more like immortal dragons burning with devotion.

Just when the Altmer had begun to walk, a small group of pages dressed in white came out of the palace. Fear was evident on their face and in the way they had to force themselves not to run. As they hurried past him, the Altmer turned and began to follow. None of them noticed their party had gained a new member, so focussed were they on their task. The fact that he practically looked as if he was one of them helped. He had chosen his robe well.
,,Right on schedule.”

Lake Rumare

I dangled a toe in the water. Now that the sun was shining, albeit it still hung pretty low in the sky, the water had heated up considerably. It was almost comfortable now. Delmar stopped rowing and pulled the oars back into the boat. He then took the fishingrod and pierced a worm on the hook.
,,Alright, here we are. Now let’s go fishing. Keep an eye out for Slaughterfish.” He said. I carefully got up and rolled over the edge into the water. The boat barely rolled when I shifted my weight.

The water flooding into my nose was cold and I sneezed, which made a few bubbles shoot out of my nostrils.
,,Brrr…still cold.” I said when I resurfaced. Delmar had dropped his rod and leaned over the edge of the boat.
,,Just what are you doing?! You jumped in? I thought when you talked about using your hands you were going to grab any passing fish while sitting in the boat.” He stammered. I shrugged.
,,I’m used to swimming.” I answered.

Delmar picked up his rod again with a sigh.
,,But wasn’t the whole reason you sneaked into my home because you wanted to get dry?” He asked. Oops, should have remembered that. Well, too late now.
,,Sorry.” I whispered. The old guy shook his head and leaned back.
,,Oh, whatever. It is not as if I need the blankets myself. Just don’t go too far and stay away from the Slaughterfish. Those scaly bastards are really something.” He warned me. I waved and dove underwater.

I was about halfway to the bottom when instinct kicked in and I began to alter the water around me, splitting it into water and air. The air I would breathe while the water I spit out.
,,Ok, I can stay underwater for half an hour. Let’s see. Where is a nice fish? I need a big one, for myself. I can’t fish till I’ve taken care of this.” I thought and began to swim around in circles, using both legs and arms to push myself forward at a decent clip.

The water was crystal-clear and I would have been able to see all the way to the other side, if my vision wasn’t so blurry underwater. My eyesight was still good enough to see a vague bronze shape hiding among some weeds, though. Curious, I turned towards it and sped up. It too turned and sped up as well, incredibly so. From near motionless, it had gone to match my speed, and then even triple it! All in less than a heartbeat. I could see it open its maw and reveal a set of really long teeth.
,,Stay away from the Slaughterfish.” So this was a Slaughterfish? It looked worthy of its name. All muscle and teeth, and quick to boot. I knew I should turn away and get back to the boat or at least hide in the nearest patch of weeds, but I didn’t.

Instead, I kicked out with a foot and stopped. I couldn’t practically outrun it and at the distance it was, it would get to me in about five seconds, far too short for me to find a place to hide. There was no thinking going on in my mind, no feelings of panic or even a slight hint of apprehension. Instead, I felt…..hungry. And the hunger made me stop and wait for it.

Just as it was about to reach me, the Slaughterfish slowed down and shook its head from side to side in confusion. My body reacted naturally and pounced. One hand tightened around its tail, the other clamped that ugly maw shut. I gouged out its eyes with my fingers in the process. This wasn’t fishing anymore. This was simply about devouring or being devoured. In this case, I was the one who did the devouring, biting where its heart had to be. I gobbled a lump my mouth could barely hold and swallowed the whole thing without chewing, scales, bones, blood, half a heart and even a lot of water.

After that first bite, the fish died nearly instantaneously and I came back to my senses. A feeling of revulsion was the first I got, next was the more sober thought that I should swim somewhere else. With all the blood the Slaughterfish was leaking, I wouldn’t be surprised if another would come looking for an easy meal. I swam away and settled down behind a rock. My memories of what had just happened were rather blurry, but I still understood most of it. I’d gone too long without a real meal, and I had just felt the consequences. The rat I caught in the cell hadn’t been much. It had nearly been as starved as I’d been. I felt better now, though.

I looked at my hand, which seemed transparent. It was the reason why the Slaughterfish had gotten confused and slowed down enough for me to grab it. It was interesting, and scary, how much instinct could control my actions. I thought of taking on my natural colour again as a form of defiance but after a second I changed my decision. If my camouflage was good enough to fool one of those monsters up close, it was good enough to keep them hunting me in the first place. I blew out a few bubbles and left the rock. Finding some smaller fish to drop off at the boat was what I wanted to do right now. Preferably ones without any teeth.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 30 2012, 10:26 PM

[Agent Griff]

Hm, nice update. The Maormer (formerly Bosmer) is really starting to show off her skills. Nice deception you had going until now with us thinking it was actually a Bosmer. As far as I know, these Maormer have a pretty odd skin colour, right? They're rather like chameleons if I could compare them to an actual creature.

Anyway, I liked the description of the Ceremonial Palace Guards and how they took position. I think I know who the Altmer is now. He is...Ocato's brother! Wrong huh? Either that or Jagar Tharn's step-cousin twice removed on his mother's side. The former probably.

[Olen]

"And one last thing, keep guessing at the Altmer, people."

Are you sure? The key clues I'm going on are that the emperor recognised him, thought he was dead and was very frightened of him. There is also repeated suggestions that the Emperor trusted him once and that trust was betrayed. He knows a bit about the battlespire. He's a monumentally powerful mage. The title of this is redemption. He'd been in jail for a long time (a guard said since before he was born).

There I've said nothing that didn't appear in the fic, there were a few other things but I won't spill the beans (assuming I have the correct beans) unless you want me to.


Anyway sound update, nice twist with the bosmer being a sea elf. I'm fascinated to know how the altmer will take power.

[Lord Revan]

I think we have the sdame suspect, but I won't say anything. Keep going Jack.

[jack cloudy]

And I think you have the right suspect.


Chapter 3.4


Cyrodiil, Ocato’s office.

“Lord! Lord!” Ocato looked up at the sudden sound with an irritated expression. He instantly smoothed his expression down to one of stoic calm and scolded himself for showing weakness, even if it had only been for a mere moment.
“Yes? What matter would be so important that it is necessary to disturb a chancellor of the Council?” He asked in a dry monotone.

The pages all fidgeted about nervously and Ocato picked up a demeanor of considerate attention.
“Lord, we come here with important news.” One of them, an Imperial in his late forties, said. Ocato gestured for the man to continue.
“And what would this news be?” He asked at the same time.
“The Emperor, he is nowhere to be found within the palace. Servants are searching every chamber, but as of yet, they have not been succesfull.” The page continued after a short pause.

Ocato leaned back in his seat and glanced at the papers on his desk without seeing them.
“I see.” He muttered, addressing no one in particular. He looked up at the ornate clock hanging on the wall.
“Within the hour, the citizens shall flow to the palace to present their needs and issues to our liege.” He added. He calmly began to fold the papers and stack them into a pile which he then shoved to a corner of his desk. Once he was done, he stood up.
“Last night, men entered the palace with criminal intentions. The palace guard was, surprisingly, ineffective to prevent entry. As according to protocol in such an event, the Emperor was roused from his slumber and escorted to the Imperial prison where he would hide till the culprits had been caught and detained. You will find our liege there. Now go there and tell him that the threat has passed. I shall go to the palace and take his place till the moment of his return.” He ordered and watched the pages filter out of the door. Once they’d all left, he walked out himself.

Ocato had scarcely fled the office, or the air in a corner shimmered before settling into the form of a tall Altmer with grey curls reaching to his shoulders, dressed in a white robe similar to that of the pages, yet differing in the details. The Altmer leaned out beyond the doorway and peered down the hall before closing and locking the door. If any of Ocato’s houseservants came this way, they would find the door locked and assume that Ocato wished the room to remain undisturbed so that he could continue his work where he had left off upon his return. Or so the Altmer hoped.

He moved through the room slowly, with barely a sound. The first item he inspected was the stack of paper forms Ocato had left on his desk. It was about the organization of a festival next month, nothing that merited the Altmer’s interest. He placed the papers back in the position Ocato had put them, making sure he maintained the right order.

Next, he moved to a bookrack running along a sidewall. His finger skimmed over the titles till he found the one he had been looking for.
‘Financial report of private spendings. 3E 401 - 3E 431’
The Altmer placed the book down upon the desk and sat down. The first page confirmed what he’d expected. The numbers in it were about the money Ocato had donated to various organizations and individuals, on behalf of Uriel Septim VII. None of the numbers would appear in the official reports found at the palace.

He picked up an empty sheet of paper, as well as a new quill and bottle of ink. Ocato, the Altmer assumed, wouldn’t miss either since it wasn’t his task to look after the stock. The servants meanwhile, would assume Ocato had taken the items with him to the palace and would replenish the stock without a word. The Altmer allowed himself a smile of satisfaction as he began to take notes of the more noteworthy reports. Reports of unusual events, or those that stood out due to their regularity. It wasn’t long till a pattern grew.

3E 403: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Cluson Alkad’ 8054 septims
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Aran Geydar’ 531 septims
3E 403: Expenses for investigation regarding individual ‘Rajn Treesap’ 531 septims
3E 403: Outfitting of Blade operatives with forged Legion equipment. 3067 septims

3E 404: Financial gift to Thieves guild infiltrant, for the purpose of aquiring a decommissioned navy vessel through illegitimate channels. 5400 septims
3E 404: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 404: Financial agreement with individual ‘Redriz Valerus.’ 16807 septims.

The Altmer tapped the paper at the last line and whistled softly. That was a lot of money for just a single agreement. He continued running down the list.

3E 404: Mage-copy designated ‘Luper Alkad’, inserted. Original placed in stasis. Financial agreement with Dark Brotherhood for the silencing of individual Redriz Valerus. 6000 septims.

Again the Altmer paused. So this Valerus had apparently been a mage, hired by the palace to forge a copy of a certain person. Then after his work had been done, Valerus had been silenced.
“Something important is going on here, but I don’t know what. I should keep my eye on this.” He thought.

3E 405: monetary gift to merchant-vessel ‘Blue Serpent’. 2400 septims
3E 405: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 405: Expenditure at Cyrodiil quality arms. 1 Elven Claymore. 1750 septims

He rechecked to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake somewhere.
“A single Claymore? Odd.”

3E 405: enchantment-costs for Elven Claymore. 7080 septims.

Surprisingly, the next few years were devoid of anything interesting, except for the regular
gift to the Kvatch temple, which was starting to stand out. Then, at 3E 427, the Altmer found something interesting again, even moreso since he knew the importance of this date.

3E 427: Agreement with Mage guild for memory-wipe of individual ‘Luper Alkad’. New memories implanted. 25970 septims.
3E 427: Prison-files altered. Silencing money paid. 4500 septims.
3E 427: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

3E 429: Agreement with Dark Brotherhood for the silencing of individual ‘Luper Alkad’ 30000 septims.
3E 429: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

3E 430: Financial gift to Dark Brotherhood for base reconstruction in Mournhold. 3300 septims
3E 430: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.
3E 431: Payment to Dark Brotherhood to cease threats of murder Uriel Septim VII. Hunt for individual ‘Luper Alkad’ cancelled. 20000 septims.
3E 431: Gift for Kvatch temple restoration. 5000 septims.

The Altmer stopped writing. He had what he’d been looking for, pretty much. The Kvatch temple really stood out. Why, he didn’t know. What was more important, was the fact that there had been a noticeable peak in the number of Dark Brotherhood agreements in the year before. Then there was what he called the ‘Alkad’-case. He wondered what that was about. It seemed as if the matter had been resolved, pretty much. Though the amount of funds that case had siphoned over the years was incredible.
“To survive the Dark Brotherhood for two years and actually make the order so desperate it threatens the emperor just to have the hunt cancelled. I should keep an eye out for rumours regarding this man. He could be a threat.”

The Altmer folded up the paper, closed the bottle of ink and tucked everything he’d used in his pockets. He then unlocked the door, placed the key where he’d found it. Finally, he vanished into tin air.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 30 2012, 10:30 PM

[Marcel Rhodes]

And there I thought he was actually Ocato for a minute...

I still don't know who he is, but I'm enjoying the conjecture, and the material. Great stuff.

[Gaius Maximus]

Hm, interesting... I wonder what's going on with the Kvatch Temple. I'm already having some very odd ideas about that. And one very crazy idea, involving blackmailing the Emperor.

And, we have Luper... Yay!

[The Metal Mallet]

I think I have a good idea about the Kvatch Temple issue. Perhaps it's an agreement for the Temple to look after a "certain someone" ya know? Someone that should be close to the Emperor.

Very interesting update with this one. Makes me make a lot of speculations.

[Olen]

Good, one thing though: 'Financial report of private spendings. 3E 401 - 3E 423’ had entries for 3E431 as it reads. Not really an issue though.

Who is Lupar (I assume he appeared somewhere else?) or is that another one to guess at. Kvatch temple certainly suggests someone though some bits are intreging...

Keep it going.

[Lord Revan]

Luper is another of Jack's characters, from the Oasis stories.

[Agent Griff]

And besides Luper we also have passing mentions of Rajn Treesap and Aran from Jack's Corrupted Heart story.

[jack cloudy]

Ah, good job catching that, Olen. I'll edit it right away.

And yeah, this update was pretty much just my way of saying: ,,See? This story fits in my alternate TES universe."

And while I'm at it, there are some clues to things beyond the Kvatch temple one. Oh, and I doubt Luper is going to make a major appearance in this story. He's more likely to woop Mehrunes behind from Ald-Ruhn all the way to Sadrith Mora.

Hmm, with how my universe has developed, I feel kinda sorry for what the Daedric forces will be going through when they invade Vvardenfell.

[jack cloudy]

Aye, double-post! Ok, with half a month inbetween. Yeah, I've slowed down tremendously on these things.

For now, some short Latta stuff.


Chapter 3.5


Lake Rumare

The silvery blur tried to escape one hand but ran right into the other. I held on tight to keep it from escaping as I swam back to the boat where I dropped it into a waiting bucket. That was the fifth. Delmar pursed his lips as he looked at his own bucket.
“Just one here. I miss my youth. A rod just isn’t such a quick method.” He said and then grinned.
“Though on the other hand, I was one stressed out kiddo back in the days. Nowadays, I’m much more relaxed. Not a bad change.” He added. I could see he was still somewhat jealous though, despite his best attempts at making jokes. I dove back underwater without a word.

Two minutes of swimming later, I ran into another Slaughterfish. I steered clear of it and hid behind rocks as much as I could, despite the camouflage. Those buggers were starting to annoy me, really. I just couldn’t relax with those things around. I peeked up over the rock and saw that it was tearing through a school of frantic fish. It didn’t even kill just one. No, it tried to kill everything that moved and then only ate like two of the dozen dead fish. It made me mad, to see that waste. It also made me wonder how this ecosystem could possibly support such a stupid predator.
“Seriously. Everything else must breed like crazy just to keep up.”

I sighed and went the other way. Last trip, I’d noticed a school of fish just to the northwest, near the bank. It wasn’t the one that had been ripped apart by the Slaughterfish. I could tell cause they were different breeds. When I found the school, I settled down at the bottom of the lake near some weeds and waited for them to come. Judging by their swimming pattern, they probably fed on smaller creatures which in turn hid among the weeds, like the clump I was sitting next to. All I had to do was wait till they ventured over here on their own.

When the school arrived, I didn’t strike instantly. Instead, I kept waiting while trying to appear like just another rock, a trick made easier by turning my skin into grey with a gravely appearance. One fish went to investigate the cracks between my fingers. The moment it dipped its snouth into my cupped hands, I closed them and then waited till the rest of the school had moved on. Unlike the other predators around, I only took what I needed and allowed the rest to live and reproduce.

With the sixth fish in my hand, I made my way back to the boat, where I could see the hook of Delmar’s fishing rod floating in the water. It was still pristine. The worm hadn’t even been nibbled on. That was rather odd, considering the Slaughterfish I kept seeing everywhere. Then again, those big teeth weren’t really usefull for feeding on something as small as a worm.

As I looked at the dangling hook, I began to feel bad for some reason. I tried to ignore it but as I looked at the fish in my hands, I realized why I felt that way. I felt bad because Delmar had generally been nice to me and here I was, upstaging him at what he did best. Sure, it wasn’t really a competition, but it could be that he felt that way. He tried not to show it, but it made him feel uneasy. Maybe he really felt old, and considered it a bad thing.

I impaled the fish’s lips on the hook, closed the mouth around the worm and then gave a little tug before moving away from the boat. Making someone younger was beyond my abilities, but I could still comfort him, in my own way.

This post has been edited by jack cloudy: Dec 30 2012, 10:34 PM

[Olen]

Good to see more of redemption. I'm waiting for it all to kick off now.