The Saga of Laprima Donnaugh Options

[Renee]

Hello. It is Sunday and cloudy outside. Still pretty cold in Maryland. I anticipate after today's chapter there will be two more chapters (10 in all) before it starts getting too warm for me to enjoy Skyrim. But good news is, if I stop playing Skyrim, I'll return to Vicious / Fallout 3 and Joan of Arkay. Both of their stories are unfinished.


@ Acadian-- Ha that's great. Glad you enjoyed Radiant Raiment, I had fun writing that. I agree, those two snooty ladies are annoying. You don't know how bad I've had characters in the past want to bump them! Maybe some day Laprima will do just that.

Laprima is a rather unique person, from my perspective. Most characters I roll start off poor and weak, for instance. Laprima is weak, but unlike all my others, her game started with a good bit of money.


@ 'Rosa-- Elisif is definitely a helicopter parent, except that helicopter doesn't fly too far away.

So far I have dumped a lot of clothing mods into my game, I think I'm up to 10 so far: Colovian Noble Clothes, Fine Imperial Clothes, Maiden Dresses of Norway (that's where her blue dress came from) and so on, so shopping at Radiant Raiment means a lot of menu scrolling in the Apparel section. Despite this, Laprima is pretty finicky. She definitely has a certain style she's going for.

Cripes, I haven't even gotten to ghastley's clothes yet!


@Lopov -- The cool thing about Elisif the Fair is a lot of the dialog she says is from the base game. "Lucky for you, I have a forgiving nature" is one of these sayings. "Don't buy discounted armor" is another, although I substituted clothing for armor.

Ah, so you have had an Elisif for a boss. Sorry to hear that!

I've got a bunch of pictures to post by now, I'll put links up some time this week.

[Renee]

.
___________________


Chamany LaCroix

His name was Chamany LaCroix, and when Laprima first noticed him, she realized it was actually he, who had noticed her first.

Though he spoke their language, it was obvious Chamany was from somewhere else. His voice had an accent. He occasionally got his wording wrong. He was from High Rock. Or ... Hammerfell. Hmm. Some said he was from Solstheim. Wherever he was from, he came to the Imperial City early in the Year 199. And when he first arrived to attend classes at the city's Aristocratic District school, Chamany LaCroix quickly became the talk of all its higher-education students.

The boys, some of them idolized Chamany, while others were jealous. They idolized because he had seen the world, and had participated in heroic ways outside the city's walls, or so the rumors went. They got jealous because suddenly, most of the school's female pupils turned their attentions toward him.

He was handsome, he was dashing. He was pursuing an education in Merchandise, a rather stodgy choice for schooling. Laprima could have seen her own father taking those same classes, for instance. But this also meant that (unlike a lot of the Imperial City gothics) Chamany LaCroix was ultimately interested in commerce, and commerce ultimately meant money. Not just money, a steady income of money.

And so the story went: Laprima, Siouxsie, and about a half-dozen other gothic lasses all took turns imagining themselves being with him, as in, getting scooped up to live the rest of their lives in his gorgeous castle. Or traveling the world by his side, upon two steady steeds. Or getting hot under the collar with the man behind the mausoleums of Green Emperor Way, while guards and citizens walked meters nearby. Because that was another thing, Chamany LaCroix was a man. Not some boy, not some lad.

His eyes wandered a bit, but ultimately became interested in Laprima Anne Donnaugh over all the others. She'd heard about him several days before she actually saw him, and when she’d finally first seen him in the Market District, Chamany was already walking toward her. Especially flattered, was she. He introduced himself to her with a flower in his hand. And from that moment on, Laprima and Chamany quickly became a pair.

Though he was studying to become a professional merchant, he did not come from money. His family was poor, so he said, yet he was not interested in Laprima for her family’s wealth. He planned to make his own way into the world at some point, and gain his own wealth. Laprima’s father, ever the stalwart man of business himself, approved of this.

And with Reiley Donnaugh’s blessing, Laprima and her suitor began joking about marriage. That’s how it all began, as a series of jokes. They would do this and they’d do that, until finally one day that summer, Chamany surprised them all. He arrived at her house early one evening all dressed in royals, and asked Reiley for his daughter’s hand, that Chamany and his black-haired beauty would some day join in wedlock.

Laprima was ecstatic, suddenly abloom. After spending so many years as a miserable wretch, she now had some things to look forward to. Laprima and Chamany would both return to school that autumn, where they’d continue their studies. Once that was done, what could come next? ... Young Miss Donnaugh could only imagine good things.

Just as quickly as he’d appeared though, Chamany LaCroix was also gone. As school restarted in Hearthfire, he abruptly explained he'd no longer be attending. He had found a job, one which was too good to pass up. School would have to wait. Instead, he would head south to Bravil, where his first venture at being a merchant was to unfold.

“Eh, why do not you come with me?” he had asked.

And later, Laprima could not entirely fathom why she had not. But she hadn’t, at least, not just then. She had stayed behind in the Imperial City, back in her classes.

Chamany had promised to return soon, but after two weeks of no word from her man, she became despondent again. Saddened and bored, even her friends could not bilk the poor girl out of her slump. And that’s when her trouble with criminal matters had begun; all of which was a way to alleviate Laprima Donnaugh from her own, personal darkness. From destroying herself.

~~~~~~

Morndas, 25 Frostfall, 4E 201

Laprima awoke the next morning in a large, comfortable bed, unsure where she was. For about ten or twelve seconds, she struggled to remember. She'd been having a dream, and it had been a gripping one.

Finally, she recalled. She was in Solitude, inside its Blue Palace. Today would be her second day in Skyrim.

As far as she could tell, she was alone. Chamany had not shown last night, nor was there any sign of him being there at all. Not to worry she told herself. Nothing to get upset over. He has some very important dealings to attend to. All of this was true. She knew it was; she's the one who'd been helping along, after all. And now that she was here in town, she was to stay quiet while he got things sorted.

Laprima could stay quiet, yes she could. But this didn't mean she could stay content. She reached into her leather satchel, and removed the note given to her by the strange man the day before.

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

Dearest Laprima. I hope your journey to the cold world of Skyrim has caused to make pleasure in your heart. I am not in town as of now, as you may have expect. Please make way to the Blue Palace. I shall be there soon.

~Chamany~

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

"How soon is soon?" Laprima asked her empty room. Chamany was not here yet. What was she to do all day? Certainly not stay inside the palace! Laprima imagined spending more time with her aunt Elisif, and groaned.

She was hungry, so she reached into her satchel, and grabbed a green apple. Walked to a nearby chair, had a seat, she munched her breakfast. By the way sunlight was slanting through her room's windows, she guessed it was late morning.

She began to daydream, as she gazed about her room. Sturdy with stone it was, but also quite drab. Too much like all the other chambers in the Blue Palace. Its walls, ceilings, and floor were a series of yellow, slates, and grays. Not a whole lot of blues, which she found ironic. This would have to change, if she were to continue living here. Perhaps she would hire a couple of painters once she got situated, and her funds became--

And there he was.

"Greetings to you, Laprima." Chamany walked into the room. She'd been so lost in thought that for a split second, she hadn't even realized.

"Chamany!" She nearly stumbled off her chair. "You have arrived!"

"Well, look who is here," he said with a smile. "Laprima, you did make it to Solitude. How was your journey?"

"The journey was lovely." She mirrored his smile with a grin of her own. "The seas were a little rough, I suppose."

"This is good, this is good."

They neared each other. But before they could embrace, Laprima could not help but ask. "And the shipment..?"

"Eh, the shipment is already, eh, delivered," he said. "It has made its way, away from port. Eh, do not fuss, do not worry. Soon, we have the wages we seek."

"Alright. This is good."

"And now I have you. So grateful I am, Laprima."

He smelled of good things, like flowers and sandalwood, she noted. "And now, look at you..."

For the next hour or so, Laprima and Chamany engaged in activities which this writer is declining to describe, other than to say, she is glad for her creation, glad for the moment, at least. During their tryst, Laprima worried a couple times that perhaps her aunt might burst into their chamber. That she'd interrupt, without knocking. Her aunt would walk right in, and then she'd announce they'd all be spending the rest of the day with her, to visit the town's 'facial restorationist'. Or go for a tour of Castle Dour. Or something else just as disturbing and melancholy.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort occurred. Surely Aunt Elisif was aware of what they were doing, Chamany would have walked right by the court at some point, while the queen was in attendance. If so, this meant that Elisif was aware. But also respectful. Or maybe just busy, with all sorts of administrative, courtly details.

"So, allay my curiosity," Laprima said later, as she and her fellow were a-lay on her bed. "What exactly was in that shipment?"

She knew the answer might shock and surpise her. But she didn't know it would also disturb her.
.

[Acadian]

A delightful delve into what Laprima knows of Chamany and his mysterious background. A wonderful job of describing his ‘not from here’ language/accent, then showing us perfectly in the note from him that Laprima read to us.

I might be mistaken, but I grow a bit concerned that there is so much that we – and Laprima – do not know about Chamany. Not just his past, but also the details of his current business dealings. I hope he’s not selling filled black soul gems to daedric cultists or some such. Ahah, it looks like we may learn much more about that soon as you leave us with a cliffhanger.

[Lopov]

And there he arrives...the mysterious man of Laprima Donnaugh. I like the fairly detailed backstory of how they met and just as Laprima is deep in her thoughts, there he is, standing before her. He was an anticipated guest for a long time but as it's customary for this story, his arrival opens up even more questions and mysteries.

So what did they do at the end, I don't get it? Can you explain it in a more thorough way, possibly with pics?

[SubRosa]

Chamany has an ominous last name. I wonder if a certain profession runs in the family?

Wow, a whirlwind school romance and marriage! Then off to Bravil on business, but without the Prima. I think that might be a mistake on her part. He is going to get up to shenanigans on his own. Smuggling? Assassination? Something is up.

And there he is, acting kind of sus about this "shipment". Uh oh, a disturbing shipment? Is he selling draugr on the black market?

[Renee]

Thanks Acadian, you are so kind. And your instincts are right to be concerned about the newcomer. Something wrong with that picture right?

Ha ha funny you mentioned cultists. We were just talking about cultists, right Lopov?

So what did they do at the end, I don't get it? tongue.gif Can you explain it in a more thorough way, possibly with pics? laugh.gif

Hey, I love gaming, but I hate the fact that some of my toons have a better love life than I do! I roll my eyes during love scenes in movies. Sometimes I fast-forward them.

Actually SubRosa, her boyfriend's last name of LaCroix was borrowed from Absolutely Fabulous, that British TV sitcom, darling. I needed a name, and first thing which popped was that AbFab designer brand.

And there he is, acting kind of sus about this "shipment". Uh oh, a disturbing shipment? Is he selling draugr on the black market?

[Renee]

.
_____________

Revelations
_____________


"Skooma?!"

Laprima shook her head, unbelieving her fellow's answer. "You are saying I rode to Skyrim on a ship packed with skooma?" Her brow furrowed. "No. This cannot be. The crates, I glanced on them. I took in their scent from time to time. They smelled of tea. And you said to me..."

She looked to one of her room's walls, puzzled, nibbling at one of her fingernails.

"...And I was told..." she said slowly.

Finally, it dawned. The crates smelled of tea because the skooma would have been packed within layers of tea. This was a way of hiding the smell. She little about the drug, but one thing she'd heard is skooma had a distinctively sweet odor. But if it were packed within pounds of aromatic herbs ...

Now it all made sense. Chamany's abrupt departure from school two months before. He'd been claiming he'd found the ideal job, a job which promised enormously grand piles of riches, with not a whole lot of work. Bravil would be their departure point, Bravil, the place where skooma and a variety of other moon sugar products were an everyday commodity.

Also, there was the way she was chosen, appointed really, to be the one designated to ride along with the shipment. -- Watch over them, Chamany had told her. And especially, you must try avoid your other shipmates, that they do not, eh, tamper with the goods.

At the time, Laprima had assumed the shipment of 'tea' she'd been tasked to look over would net them a few hundred gold, maybe a thousand. Because it was just tea. They couldn't make much money from shipping tea unless a lot of it was moved, and Chamany was moving quite a lot. So, a few hundred gold, maybe a thousand. Not so bad for her man's first stint of employment. Everybody had to start their business somewhere, after all.

But now, rethinking it, she realized there had to be a lot more currency involved. Much more than a few hundred gold, maybe a thousand. There were a lot of crates, after all.

Laprima laughed for a moment, mostly at herself. How daft have I been, all this time?

When he'd first arrived in her room over an hour ago, Chamany had brought a rucksack with him. Now, he reached for it. "Ah, 'tis alright, Laprima," said he. "I am sure you have many curious thinking about the shipment. Hmm. Best way is to just show you, I suppose."

He grabbed something out of his sack. "Take a look and here, this is for you." He handed her a small glass phial, which was dull reddish in color.

"Is this what I am thinking it to be?" she asked.

"And what is it, do you think?"

Laprima uncorked the phial and sniffed. She'd never smelled the stuff before. There was a pungency which wafted out of the small bottle which was unmistakably unique, strong and sweet.

"The sight of you brings joy to me," she said to her man. "I am glad we have finally reunited, you and I. But I do not understand this, this skooma. Is it in such great demand, here in Skyrim?"

"Ah, but this is not just any, eh, typical skooma for the every day," he explained, "this is very best skooma on market. Straight from the swamps of Black Marsh, did it come."

"Black Marsh?"

"You see, the skooma that is here in Skyrim," he wagged his finger in the air, "is not so good. They make in Skyrim skooma, yes, but is very .. eh... what we say? Is very weak. They water it down. Not like this brew, from the Black Marsh."

"Chamany, but this is not legal!" Laprima clapped her hands to her face. She smiled, but smile trembled a little. "I am now a smuggler! I have brought into Skyrim, a mixture forbidden by the laws of our lands!"

"Yes you did, Laprima."

"But what if my aunt Elisif should discover this? After all the promises I've made to straighten my path! After being caught heisting Red Diamond Jewelry, and getting locked in jail! I cannot now be involved with these pursuits!"

"But it is not like this, Laprima," her fellow said calmly. "Your aunt, she will not know. The skooma you make delivered, it has moved by now, far away from Solitude. And because of your bravery, we are going to be very rich."

Chamany looked like he was going to say something else, but instead he paused. Put three fingers to his lips.

"Well, I am going to be rich. You are already so. But I, I did not come from such means."

Laprima said nothing, unsure of how to answer.

"And as I say when we meet last year, I must gain my own. I must make my own way in this world, and have, eh, make wishes come true."

"Mm. Well you have done so, surely," Laprima said, lost in thought.

In her head, she performed a quick bit of rudimentary mathematics, thinking of all those crates, each one packed with hundreds of small, reddish bottles, just like the one in her hand. How much did each of these bottles fetch? 20 gold? 40? She recalled that one of her classmates back in Cyrodiil had been a skooma sucker, or so he'd said. Like her, he had also come from wealth. Unlike her, he regularly bragged about his family's money, and also once claimed to spend quite a bit on his supposed drug of choice. 40 or 50 gold each, was her recollection, which seemed about right.

How many bottles were in each of the multitude of crates which had been on The Mongrel?

"But eh, let me show you why this skooma is better. I wish for you to try with me."

"Huh?"

"Here, I shall try and then you. You try. Eh?"

Before she could think or fathom or launch any sort of protest, Chamany pulled another bottle out of his sack, uncorked it, and downed the sweet brew, all at once. ... He then moved a half-step backwards. And sighed. His eyes glazed, while a large smile crept across his face. "You try it, eh?" he said quietly.

So she took her own bottle, and sipped a bit of it.

"Eh, no, no. You must quaff it," he encouraged.

"Quaff it?"

"Must drink it all," he explained, before lowering himself to sit on the floor. His face by now looked purely content. He continued to smile. He laid himself on a rug, staring up at the ceiling. He looked at peace to Laprima. No convulsions, and no other malevolent effects.

So she drank (she quaffed) the entire phial, just as he had.

Its taste was similar to its aroma, except a tad more bitter than sweet. As for the way it made her feel, this was something unexpected, entirely different from what she thought it might be.

When she was a youngster, her brother missing two years by then, she and her friends once tried some of her parents' liquor. There was a stash of Cyrodiilic Brandy along with plenty bottles of wine, and yes, they became tipsy after drinking some of it. But it took a while for this feeling to take effect. Maybe a half hour or so.

Skooma, on the other hand, affected the drinker right away.

First were the colors. Earlier in the morning she had been wanting to see her room changed to become more unique; she was thinking of having its walls painted blue. But now, her walls were blue. They were purple. They were any color she imagined them to be! ... And those colors were coming fast.

Her mind galloped, she struggled to keep pace with her thoughts. Time had absolutely no meaning. Neither did space, as her spirit seemed to free itself from flesh. She saw herself standing in her room, hundreds of feet above the water, and she, filling all that space. A sense of omnipotence, a sense of omnipresence. As if she was anywhere, and all places, all at once. Her entire life sped within her head. First memories, her childhood, the years of darkness. Laprima, back in the Imperial City as a child, playing with her pals in the city's streets.

Her heart, it pounded within. She took a moment to dance slowly across her room. Her body like air, instead of flesh; it was as if she ruffling on a cloud. She spun and twirled this way and that, and it seemed the whole of Nirn twirled and spun along with her.

She needed to sit, so she plopped upon the same chair she’d been on before. Eating that apple, which now seemed like it happened days ago. Acutely aware was she of placing herself on this chair. Pine wood and cushions, which rested upon a floor made of granite, which had been constructed upon a gigantic natural formation of rock, high above the Sea of Ghosts. Laprima Anne Donnaugh, rays of sunshine all around, just as supreme as one of the Gods.

But just as quickly as the brew had taken mighty effect, it also succumbed. The colors went mostly away, except for a dim pinkish hue. Her vision became blurry. She stood from her chair, walking around her room, nearly stumbling a couple times. By now, Chamany had joined her, rising up from his place on the floor.

"Cham-an-ay," she breathed slowly into his shoulder.

"See what skooma can do for you?" he asked.

"What is this?" She realized she was numb, wobbly, and faint. "Oh, we must lie down."

Slowly she rolled onto her bed, feeling the richness of its sheets and blankets and pillows. Here she and Chamany laid and sighed, until Laprima's stamina waned, and she eventually fell asleep.

~~~~~~

Four hours later...

Laprima awoke, bleary and wasted, unable to entirely focus. Her tummy made a small noise. Very hungry, she realized she was famished. Hungrier than she'd perhaps ever been. As she moved out of bed to check her satchel for an apple, she realized that's all she had eaten so far this entire day. An apple. One green apple!

She checked her room's windows, and they were dark. "Oh my! Were we asleep?" she asked Chamany, who was standing bedside. "Has day turned into night?" They had spent the entire day inside her room.

"Is good, yes?" he answered. "Those Khajiit. They know well, how to do it," he winked.

"Hmm. Well, I do not know about this," she replied, recalling as much as she could about the afternoon. The lights. The colors. The magnificence of it all. "I cannot deny it was quite a journey. I saw many things. It was as if my very soul was ... revealed today. But now," she rubbed the side of her head. "Now, I feel insipid. I am queasy, Chamany."

"Ah. It was your first time," her man said, holding her. "Here, you must now take, and eat," he said, handing her some purple flowers.

"Oh. And what are these? Not skooma, I am hoping? I cannot partake of more skooma."

"No skooma. These are alkanet flowers, from Cyrodiil. As the skooma is used, always eat the alkanet after is all done," he suggested. "For the skooma, it does great things, but the mind, it suffers greatly, as well. For those who do not, eh, follow skooma with alkanet, they become dull-witted."

"Chamany, we have no need for this!" her voice rose. "I do not intend to partake of that foul brew, ever again!"

"Yes, yes, is alright," he said, kissing her forehead. "You need not partake, if you, eh, choose not to. Is alright."

Laprima smiled a small smile. "Thank you."

"But now, I must grant you your reward."

"My reward?"

"While you did sleep, our payment was delivered," he explained. "For the shipment. Is just over seven thousand gold."

"Seven thousand?"

"I split even. Seven thousand for me, and seven thousand for you. Please check inside the dresser," he said, pointing to one of the room's wardrobe cabinets.

So she did. And goodness, there they were: several dozen pint-size bags full of coin.

Today had been a day full of surprises, amazements, and disturbing information. Now, at the sight of her earnings, Laprima did not know what to think, and how to react. She was awed by the sight of so much coin, right inside one of her room's dressers. And this coin, it was hers. Perhaps this money had been earned through non-legal ways, but she had to admit she did feel rather astonished to see her wardrobe full of riches.

But she was also spent, as the events of the day (and all its revelations) had been draining. So much had happened these past two days. There was her first experience with a moon sugar product, but there was also her confusing arrival, during which she'd witnessed an actual execution. There was meeting her aunt after so many years, and then dealing with her aunt's confounding, but subtle, demands.

And now, there was gold. Lots and lots of it, too.

Long ago when she was a lass, she had discovered the place where her father kept a lot of his funds, which was in their home's cellar, under a pile of ragged sacks. If a thief broke into their home, under those sacks would be the last place to look, the premise for his hiding place seemed to be. Back then, Laprima had laughed about this. How ironic, to spend so much time making a living, only to hide it all into some dark, dingy room full of miscellaneous junk.

But now, the noblewoman realized. As well-off as she'd been raised, she had never earned one piece of it, herself. Well, this had certainly changed.

She looked over to Chamany, but he was already in bed, and already snoring lightly. Her tummy rumbled once again. Time for that second apple. But two apples in one day would not be enough, so Laprima decided she'd go walking through the palace, looking for something more substantial.

She left her chamber, and walked into the room she shared side-by-side with Sybille Stentor, the palace's court wizard. To her right was Sybille's bed, and nobody upon it. To her left, a wooden bench, with a robed and hooded figure sitting right there. Sybille Stentor, the Blue Palace's court wizard, and Laprima's new neighbor. But the wizard was facing the opposite way, so that Laprima was viewing the back of Sybille's hooded head.

Laprima approached the magician, walking around the far side of the bench so she could view Sybille's front. The pair of ladies then stared at each other for quite a few seconds, grim-faced and forbidding, A minute passed, it seemed. Laprima's tummy rumbled again.

"Why hullo there, Laprima," the court wizard said in her low, slightly raspy voice. "Aren't we up, stirring and about at the witching hour, hmm?"

Something about her, the newcomer from Cyrodiil mused. There was a bench, opposite to the one Sybille sat upon. Laprima sat on this opposite bench. She stared some more, before coming to conclusion.

"I know now what you are," she finally said to the wizard. "And do not concern yourself with worry. Your secret is safe with me."
.

[Acadian]

Oh, this is likely to not turn out well. A dealer who uses is doomed to failure methinks. I hope Laprima swears off both the dealing and using right away before the logical and predictable consequences of continuing occurs.

And Chamany does not acquit himself well at all, misleading Laprima regarding those crates and now pushing skooma at her.

Yet another cliff hangar now as Laprima discovers something compromising about Sybille?

[SubRosa]

I love how you are using the old trick of packing your drugs in coffee to throw off the drug-sniffing dogs.

Laprimma was a drug mule!

Laprimma is tripping balls! It kind of makes me think of acid, from the hallucinations and sense of euphoria. Hopefully she will have a good trip, and not a bad one.

Laprimma is now rich! I wonder what she is going to do with her ill-gotten gains?

And Sybille... Wow, Laprimma figured it out? I hope she can indeed, keep a secret.

[Lopov]

Uh oh, Laprimma may be rich, but I'm not sure if Chamany is a good company for her.

Regardless, she had her own contact with the "dark side" in the past and it sounds like she does like the ka-ching sound of 7,000 septims - well, it's hard to blame her.

Another cliffhanger, this time with Sybille - did Laprimma figure out her true nature? But what if Sybille overheard Laprimma's and Chamany's conversation?

[macole]

Dear Laprima, be sure to travel with a competent Sky Pilot or a trustworthy Straight-man. Chamany sounds like neither.

[WellTemperedClavier]

This certainly took an unexpected turn.

I started reading this and was getting an expectation that the story would mostly be about court intrigue and second chances--only for it to suddenly veer into Breaking Bad! But I like that. It's clear that Laprima's in way over her head here. The kinds of petty crimes she committed in Cyrodiil won't prepare her for stuff on this level. Her aristocratic background gives her some protection, but I have no idea how much.

Her interest in architecture is also a good detail. In a good game, you can tell something about a place just by the nature of its architecture, and Solitude says quite a lot. The grand buildings and lofty perch sell the idea that this is an important place with a lot of authority--exactly how the Empire's showcase Hold should look. Likewise, it's great that Laprima noticed the Blue Palace's interior being rather bare compared to the exterior. Solitude is focused on image to project Imperial power--but some of this is superficial, perhaps reflecting the Empire's precarious state.

Also I like how you managed to tie goth subculture into Tamrielic history. For any goth in any reality, making friends with Siouxsie is quite a coup.

[Renee]

Spring has sprung in Maryland. The weather is really nice lately. This means two things: 1). I'm going to be outside more often and 2). this might be the last Laprima of Spring 2022. I stop playing Skyrim when it starts getting warm. So maybe this'll be the last one, or maybe there will be one more, we'll see.

@ Acadian-- YES!!! Yes, exactly. Drug dealers never seem to use their product. The ones that do screw things up. I'm not saying this will happen to him, but yes... astute observation, there. Chamany also misled his girlfriend, and got her involved in something she'd normally not consider. Tsk, tsk.

@SubRosa -- Beverly Hills Cop. Axel Foley discovered the cocaine was packed in coffee! Which he'd seen before in his home turf of Detroit. (Pretty sure he was in Detroit.)

The skooma scene is a combination of speed and acid. We had pink hearts in high school in the '80s, really bad stuff for a teenager to be dealing with. They'd pick you up, and you'd be UP, but then they'd also let you down just as fast. That crash was horrible! .. Laprima just dealt with a crash. And yes, the visuals were LSD or shroom-inspired.

@Lopov -- From her perspective, Laprima is torn about her money. She's delighted, because she's going to realize she doesn't need to mooch off her relatives anymore. But the money is also "dirty". So she doesn't know what to do about it, yet. But I think she'll keep it.

Because from my perspective, it'll be fun to have a rich character!

But what if Sybille overheard Laprimma's and Chamany's conversation?

Whoa.


@macole-- Sky Pilot! Just you wait and see, sir.


@WellTemperedClavier -- Ah thanks. And glad you have joined us in Fan Fiction, and can't wait to read your story as well. Daria's a doll.

I rolled Laprima in 2017, and over the years came up with a bunch of ideas for her story. But the problem was, I couldn't get to her because I hadn't finished Skyrim's main quest yet! I really wanted to get the MQ done first. But I'm a slow gamer. So this didn't happen until last year, January 2021, by then I had dozens of Laprima ideas written on a Notepad page.

So yeah, some of the ideas come from all that time, but others (like her interest in architecture) show as I'm writing.

The grand buildings and lofty perch sell the idea that this is an important place with a lot of authority--exactly how the Empire's showcase Hold should look.

I know, right? Have some cake, Clavier.

Next story should be up in a few...

[Renee]

.
_______________

Visions Unveil





"You are a vampire."

Laprima stated this quietly, hoping if anyone was awake at this hour and within earshot, they'd likely not hear. For her words would surely cause Sybille Stentor some distress, should anybody discover the court wizard's secret. At best, Sybille would lose her status. She'd lose her comfortable existence within the palace's walls. She'd be shunned and banned and forced to leave. At worst, she would be killed. Just like that man who'd been executed in Solitude's public square the day before.

"I am not so deeply trained in magics," Laprima explained, "but I have always had a talent for viewing the auras of others, especially if these auras are magical." She nodded slightly. "I can see your aura now, and it is indeed tinged with mana. But its coloration is discrepant. I could not perceive initially, what exactly is the nature of your being. But now I know. And as noted, I shall keep your secret."

The Cyrodiilian waited for some sort of reply from Sybille, but the wizard did not speak.

"Long ago and in my province, one of our counts of Skingrad was also discovered to be just like you, although it took quite some time for his, uh, secret to be disclosed. Until then, he was able to maintain his court through the processes of underlings. Those who sought him were told he was an extreme recluse, or currently ill, or some other such untruths. He did then appear here and there, although only upon nightfall. But you... you are present and able even during daylight," Laprima said with wonder. "How can this be?"

The wizard did not reply.

"How long have you been able to uphold this veiling, Sybille? Are you somehow clouding the minds of others so that they cannot discern?"

Half of Sybille's head was covered by her hood, so that Laprima could not read the woman's facial expressions so well. But the magician's jaw did seem to adjust in some small way. Going somewhere with this, we are.

"Not that this is any of my concern, but if we are going to be rooming next to one another, I thought it'd be prudent I reveal my thoughts."

"Did you now?" the wizard finally spoke.

"I did. You ... are a vampire. A fathomer of night. Although somehow, you are able to exist amongst the rays of sunlight."

"And you ... are a smuggler," the wizard replied rigidly, also keeping her voice low. "You are a smuggler of illicit substances."

"No ... I, no!" Laprima denied. She tried to keep her face neutral, while steeling herself against a flash of anger. Chamany!

"I know this because I am a seer," Sybille replied, ignoring her collocutor. "It is my livelihood to know all that concerns. It is the very reason I am allowed my place within the Blue Palace."

Now it was Laprima's turn to stay silent. She'd stay silent, in an effort to determine all she could for the moment. How did Sybille Stentor know? How did she find out? Had she been listening at Laprima's door somehow, earlier in the day, to the conversation between Laprima and her man? ... Or maybe she had been in the room with them, when Chamany had spoken about his trade, and his dealings. Vampires could make themselves invisible, after all. Had Sybille had been in Laprima's room the whole time?

"I can see my words disturb you, Lady Donnaugh. Even now, you are searching for some explanation of my knowledge. Well, here it is. I can only say that I have gleaned these things even before Chamany did arrive. He arrived, and he has managed to evade discovery as he's plied his wares, and dealt with his cohorts."

Sybille the wizard/vampire raised a mug to her lips, and took a sip. Whatever it was she was imbibing, Laprima did not want to know.

"And then you came. You, a noble woman who rode aboard a common freight ship instead of a vessel befitting of your stature," Sybille chuckled. "I may play dumb on occasion, such as, that whole Wolfskull Cave debacle which occurred yesterday. I attempted to keep them away from that wretched place, as mortals have no business dealing with the forces of Daedra. But do they listen to their own seer? Hah! ... Such nonsense, Laprima. Your own aunt is to blame, after anyone gets harmed while they deal with what's inside the cave. And some sorry fellows and matrons will get harmed. This I see, this I know. Hah!"

Laprima decided to bluff. She decided to not respond to the wizard's accusation. What sort of proof was there of wrongdoing? The deal was done, the money collected. If Chamany was right, the skooma itself was long gone. "Do they know of your vampirism?" the Cyrodiilian asked, attempting to lead the conversation's focus astray.

Sybille smiled, then laughed quietly for a moment. "They know not of my being. Of the many years I have lived an un-life, right under their noses," she sipped her mug. "It is not easy, of course. I must occasionally make myself gone from the palace, if I am to ... maintain my well-being."

With the pressure of impending trouble turned away from her, Laprima felt triumphant. "And as I said, this will stay our little secret," she winked. "For I shall never tell."

But her success at steering their words was short-lived.

"You have nothing to worry from me," Sybille said firmly. "Listen, I know what you have done. You and Chamany have brought a large shipment of illicits into Skyrim. I know these things. My appointment within the court is to assist the lives mortals daily. This is my livelihood. But here's something which you might not already know, Laprima; I care little for the lives of mortals. What you and your lover do to further your ambitions here in Skyrim is not of much interest to me."

Laprima made no reply. Defiant she was, but no longer angry. Still, the questions remained: How could she know? How did she find out?

"Besides, were you to reveal to your aunt what I am, I could make the rest of your days here in Skyrim, or anywhere else, very unpleasant. I can do many things to those who choose to slight me. Or my court. So know this. And behave and beware. And I shall perform the same gratitude."

"As I said," Laprima replied, refusing to acknowledge the wizard's threat. "I do promise to not reveal your secret, Sybille. But I am no smuggler. And neither is Chamany. He is a man of business, who founded a mighty deal on a shipment of foreign teas. And I am his soon-to-be wifely assistant. I was tasked with riding upon The Mongrel as an additional precaution, so that those aboard the ship might think twice, if they were to try to pirate some of our brand for themselves."

Just then, she paused her words, to suddenly ponder a thought. Sybille did know, Laprima realized. She knew about this from the very moment I walked into court yesterday. She knew, yet she'd told the court I'd arrived on a freight ship to avoid the flourish and attention I would have received had I been on a noble's ship. She had spoken for Laprima, perhaps in an effort to help the royal newcomer avoid scrutinization.

But still, the lady from Cyrodiil remained defiant. "I am no smuggler," she repeated. "What sort of proof have you of this, anyway?"

The vampire looked down to her mug, at whatever liquid it might still contain. "As stated already, I know because I am a seer. And I can see many things. I do not need to prove the things I already know."

Laprima said nothing. Her tummy rumbled for the fourth time.

"You'd better attend to your nascent hunger there, woman," Sybille suggested. "But before you go, I have one more thing to say to you. Well, two more."

"Oh? And what have you in mind?"

"I highly suggest you follow your aunt Elisif's advice. About your appearance. Especially if you are to continue a life of smuggling, and other such wanton behavior. It might be worthy of you to obey her wishes, for then you shall be able to ... ehm ... blend in with the masses a bit. As of now, you look rather tawdry. So obey your aunt. Not doing so is near-impossible, anyway," Sybille said knowingly. "Lady Elisif always gets what she wants."

Laprima felt another flash of anger, but gave the vampire nothing. "You mentioned two things? Well, what of the other?"

"There was someone from your past. Somebody close to you. A loved one who I'm seeing has vanished, or deserted your life."

The noblewoman blinked.

"You have lived many years unknowing of what happened to him," Sybille continued slowly, drawling her words a little. "Whether he met his demise..."

"Elijah!" Laprima nearly screamed, eyes immediately watering. "Yes! Elijah! My brother!" By now she was openly crying, unable to hide her emotions from her vampiric neighbor. "He disappeared when we were children! What is it you see about Elijah?"

"In my scrying, I have determined that Elijah, he is not deceased. That you and he shall someday again cross paths. That he may even be searching for you, here in Skyrim, and at this very moment."

Laprima sat dumbfounded. "Well, where ... where do you see him?" she wondered in amazement. "Is he well? Is he within a loving circle? Is his mind also filled with darkness, as is mine since the age of ten?"

Sybille Stentor smirked, before finishing her mug, and standing from her bench.

"As you stated yourself, 'What sort of proof have I got of this, anyway?'"
.

[Acadian]

A wonderfully done game of cat and mouse between the two ladies. Laprima, the novice to court intrigue versus Sybille who likely has centuries of courtly experience augmented by supernatural abilities. That Sybille emerges with the upper hand here is no surprise. Damn that Chamany! Nevertheless, an uneasy truce may prevail. It will be interesting to learn more of the mysterious fate of Elijah.

[WellTemperedClavier]

Huh, so I somehow never found out that Sybille was a vampire!

Sounds like she's a potential ally for Laprima. Both of them have their secrets, and neither would really benefit from revealing the other. And as vampires go, Sybille seems reasonable... at least so far. Though one wonders if she has an ulterior motive.

(I say this not because Sybille's a vampire, but because she's a fixture in court, and people in those positions always have ulterior motives)

Certainly hope there will be more to this!

[Lopov]

What a thrilling and wonderful conversation at the same time, I think that I read it in one shot without even blinking. Phew, awesome, really! I had a hunch that Elijah might be mentioned or even appear again, because he deserved a prominent place in Laprima's backstory.

So now that the secrets of girls' are known to one another, they better remain at friendly terms. Oh women!

[SubRosa]

Well now, we are all getting to know one another, the vampire and the smuggler.

Now Sybille is sounding like my mother. "You look rather tawdry." ugh.

Laprimma certainly has a lot of men of mystery in her life. First Chammy, and now her brother Elijah.

[Lena Wolf]

The skooma scene is a combination of speed and acid. [...] And yes, the visuals were LSD or shroom-inspired.

I got surprised by that scene, I must say. Going by the effects assigned to skooma in vanilla Oblivion, it is more like Speed or Cocaine or a similar stimulant, not a hallucination-inducing substance. But of course you are free to imagine whatever you like there! So then skooma from Black Marsh makes you see things...

I'm enjoying your story, even if I don't comment every time. Others beat me to it, and I don't feel like repeating things...

[macole]

Now that's the Sybille I know and love; dedicated to her court and always 10 steps ahead of everyone. I think their little face-to-face went well. Maybe, Sybille went rather easy on Laprima but I'm not betting a red nickel on Chamany.

This post has been edited by macole: Apr 19 2022, 04:36 PM