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> Serene of Cyrodiil, chapter 7, Comfort is given, Justice is taken...
The Metal Mallet
post Jul 11 2008, 07:55 PM
Post #41


Master
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Joined: 18-June 06
From: Kitchener, ON, Canada



QUOTE(Black Hand @ Jul 10 2008, 12:08 PM) *

Sweet! I know this fight is going to be good than, man Mallie, you just LOOooOOve offing the Archmaster, no?


What can I say? The guy keeps asking for it no matter who ends up challenging him. This version of Venim in particular certainly deserves it.


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minque
post Jul 11 2008, 11:10 PM
Post #42


Wise Woman
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Joined: 11-February 05
From: Where I can watch you!!



Next one, and it's dedicated to Mallie! Thank you so much!

Venim calmly pulled out his katana and strutted towards me. My own sword came easily to my hands, and I waited for him, poised on the balls of my feet, watching the point of his sword and his hateful eyes.

“Well, Serene, at least you have good taste in weaponry,” he said with an air of superiority, “I can’t say the same about your armor though.”

I began to circle my opponent.

“I don’t require ‘superior’ armor to hide behind. Unlike a coward like you,” I shot back, fixing him with a wry smirk.

The obvious insult enraged the Archmaster, and his ashen face furrowed into a distorted anger. Bellowing a war cry, Venim charged at me, his dai-katana pulled back to his side in preparation to land a vicious blow upon me. I stood absolutely still, my expression placid as I watched the towering Dunmer rapidly close the distance. It seemed that Venim was too enraged to realize that my behavior was odd. Rather than consider the fact that I merely waited, sword held in a guard position, he shouted another cry and swung the heavy Daedric blade towards me.

The force of the swing caused the air around the blade to sing in a high whisper, sounding like a demonic creature that desperately sought to spill my life force. It wasn’t until the last minute that I crouched to the ground and nimbly rolled away from the horizontal attack. Rising to my feet, I was surprised to find another sword swipe heading my way. He was faster than I had imagined! Still, I managed to get my own dai-katana up in time to stop the attack, pushing Venim back.

I backed away from the Archmaster, the crowd a distant buzzing in my ears. His speed with the sword was mind boggling considering how heavy it was. I now knew what the public said about Venim was true; he was an excellent swordsman.

Venim paused from the offensive briefly to gloat once more.

“It is not wise to make me mad, outlander scum,” he muttered darkly as he slowly circled me, “But since I don’t feel like practicing my technique today I’ll give you a choice. Throw down your sword now and I promise I’ll give you a painless death.”

I didn’t give his offer any consideration. I had decided to live as long as possible a long time ago. So, instead of giving him an answer, I launched an attack of my own. My move took the Archmaster by surprise, but he still managed to deflect my blade. What would have been a killing blow crashed against his pauldron, knocking him backwards.

Venim stumbled to a stop. He glanced at his pauldron and a shocked expression crossed his face. The ebony pauldron was cracked clear through, like a brittle pane of glass struck by a rock. The crowd roared their approval of the clash; they did not seem to care who won, only that blood be spilled. Venim´s eyes swept across the stadium, flaring in anger. It seemed he didn’t enjoy being embarrassed in front of hundreds of people. He pointed his sword at me.

“No more games. I gave you a chance for an easy death, but now…” he trailed off. I could literally see him shake with rage! “Now, I’m going to make you suffer and beg me to take your life!”

With that, Venim heaved his dai-katana above his head and charged. I followed suit, driving straight at him. It was a dangerous move, making a direct challenge to his greater strength. I wanted to fight with a cool head, not with my heart on my sleeve. We brought our blades down at the same moment, and they crashed against each other with such force that it sent both of us recoiling across the sand. I recovered first and with a battle cry I swung my blade diagonally. The Archmaster intercepted this strike and knocked my sword aside. He then went for a horizontal slash, which I narrowly dodged by sucking my middle in. The effort of the swing caused Venim to lose his balance, which I took advantage of, scoring a glancing blow against his broken pauldron.

Shards of ebony sprayed across the sand. One shard caused me to gasp as it brushed against my cheek, instantly cutting it. Ignoring the thin stream of blood running down my face, I leapt upon my fallen opponent, seeking to cleave him in half with a downward strike. Venim expertly rolled away and rose to his feet quickly as he brushed away the few remaining chunks of his pauldron. The crowd again roared its approval.

Angry that I had missed my chance to finish the fight, I charged once more. Unfortunately, Venim was prepared and swung past my attack, smashing his sword into my back. The force of the blow was astounding, causing me to crumple to my knees. I desperately tried to catch my breath as I struggled to regain my footing. I did not stay standing long, as an armored boot crashed into my back, sending me face first into the sand. A plume of the stuff rose into the air, only to be carried away by the wind. I began to cough violently to clear my throat. I rolled to my back, thinking that Venim surely was planning to finish me off. Instead I saw him playing to the crowd.

“Is this truly the best my fellow House members can throw at me? It looks like I’ll have to run an intensive training camp once I finish dealing with this bit--” he ranted before I swept his legs out from under him with a kick of my own.

Laughter rang throughout the Arena we rose to our feet. Venim reddened in embarrassment and anger, his head swinging in my direction, his red eyes smoldering. Growling in rage, he rushed at me.

I had learnt my lesson after my thorough beating just moments ago. I needed to fight with a clear head in order to beat this mer. I patiently waited to see what form Venim’s attack would take. Once I knew it was going to be a simple overhead chop, I brought my sword up to block the strike. Our swords clashed, and the force sent painful waves through my arms and into my body. Venim grunted in exertion as he tried to use brute force to batter down my defenses. I held our blades locked and used my greater flexibility to kick him away, then attempted a counter-attack. He neatly smacked my sword away and caught me with an upward strike, which sliced through my Imperial armor as if was paper and cut my shoulder.

Crying out in pain, I backed away from Venim. Sensing that I was in trouble, the Archmaster charged in with a heavy flurry of thrusts and slashes. The attacks were sloppy enough that I was able to either avoid them or block them, but each parry or block left my shoulder burning in agony. I clenched my teeth, seeking to fight past the pain in order to win this fight. I dodged another chop by Venim, and the momentum of his blade spun him away from the engagement, giving me time to breathe.

My rest was brief, for Venim whirled around, his chest heaving. He seemed more tired than I was! Perhaps I could defeat him in battle of stamina. I had just spent the last weeks in intensive training, including twice-daily runs in full armor. He, on the other hand, had been drinking Cyrodiilic brandy and carousing for years. His fearsome reputation had kept him from being seriously challenged and his skills had withered just as his endurance had lessened.

I decided it was time to test that theory as I plunged back into battle, pushing a swift pace with a flurry of thrusts and slashes. Venim tried to smack my blade away, seeking to counterattack, but I kept my grip and control. Even as he gasped, I could feel my breath coming easily and my legs felt fresh and strong.

I hadn’t managed to break through his defenses, but Venim was fighting a completely defensive battle now rather than initiating any offense whatsoever. I abruptly switched my attack to a chop and our blades locked against each other once again. This was a battle of strength, which I seemed to be losing. I had to stop trying to match his strength and rely on my speed and stamina!

And stop I did, as I abruptly broke the lock and slammed my katana hilt right into his hated face. Venim staggered back, blood pouring out of his broken nose. Spitting out the blood that ran into his mouth, he cursed loudly. I guess he wasn’t happy with me ruining his “rugged” face. He was so busy snarling curses that he didn’t paying attention to my next attack. With all my might I swung my dai-katana and it landed flush upon Venim´s cuirass.

The blow sounded like a hammer striking a pane of glass, and Venim´s ebony cuirass shattered in much the same way. The force of the blow launched Venim off of his feet, his eyes a mirror of pain and surprise. A plume of sand erupted off of the ground as the Archmaster crashed to earth, briefly hiding him from me.

The crowd was completely mute, eyes trained on the cloud of sand, waiting to see the state of Bolvyn Venim. The first sign I noticed was a dry, raspy snicker. At least it started like that; it quickly developed into full-blown laughter. It was then that the dust finally settled and I saw Venim standing there, a gaping hole in his cuirass, his shoulders shuddering in mirth. The crowd clapped politely. I guess I was beginning to win some over.

Venim´s eyes glinted dangerously. “That’ll be the last strike you make,” he informed me as he readied his dai-katana once more.

I raised my sword into a guard position and closed the distance between us. I barely noticed that now encouragements were being shouted to both of us, rather than just him. My shoulder was a dull throbbing lump, and the arm felt like a dead weight. My cheek stung as blood and sweat mixed together.

Despite all that, I still felt I had the upper hand. I had just broken Venim´s protection. He had to feel vulnerable now. But he also seemed more determined than ever. No matter; it was time to end this.

I engaged Venim once more, unleashing a relentless attack of thrusts and slashes. Venim calmly defended himself before pushing me away. As I backed up, I stumbled. With my balance lost, Venim went back on offense. His attacks were many, and hard. Each blow sent waves of pain down my arms, but still I defended against them. Yet, my strength was waning, the battle and blood loss finally taking their toll upon me. My defense felt feeble before Venim´s strength. I saw victory slipping through my hands.

I was failing…



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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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Black Hand
post Jul 13 2008, 10:43 PM
Post #43


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Joined: 26-December 05
From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



Sorry for not commenting before, the uniqueness of the awesome battling actually made me go back and reread the one Mallet did for me!

So here is your ego-feeding comment that is actually genuine to boot:
Keep up the good work! S>G>M>!!!!!

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mplantinga
post Jul 14 2008, 07:49 PM
Post #44


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Joined: 20-September 05
From: Bluffton, SC



"I was failing..."

That can't be right, at least not in a permanent sense. Or perhaps I simply hope it isn't right. It does seem that she needs a change in strategy, as Venim does seem to have superior strength, and perhaps experience as well. Perhaps he was holding back, to give her an opportunity to reveal her strategy and style. I don't know if such a thing exists, but it would be very dramatic if she could suddenly recall something taught to her by the Ashlanders (or even the Legion) that would help her defeat him. Somehow, it would seem only fitting, giving his intense hatred of her just for being an "outlander."
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minque
post Jul 17 2008, 09:37 PM
Post #45


Wise Woman
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Joined: 11-February 05
From: Where I can watch you!!



The dedication of this goes, a third time to Mallie for his invaluable help, but also to Blackie for letting me use his great Sethyas Velas, which I really have done in this..


No! I couldn’t let that happen! Too many things depended on my victory! I held my sword vertically and stopped the blade that rushed towards my head. I kicked Venim in his exposed chest, knocking the air out of him. With a yell I swung my sword at him. He managed to block it but the force of the swing caused him to stumble backwards.

“I thought I wasn’t supposed to touch you again!” I shouted at him.

Venim glowered. “You will not mock me anymore!” With that he lowered his sword and charged.

This was it. The moment I sought. I lowered my sword into a low guard position and matched his charge. All I had to do was dodge his sword and pierce his heart. I knew I could do that. It would be simp-

Cold, Daedric metal pierced my body. I screamed in pain and surprise. I had never felt such physical pain as this. It was only then that I noticed that mine wasn’t the only voice that cried in pain. I opened my eyes and saw that my sword had driven itself into Venim as well. His eyes bulged, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.

Froth bubbled from Venim´s lips as he spoke. “Beaten… by an… an…. Outlander!” he said in an incredulous whisper before his eyes closed.

Wincing in agony, I withdrew my sword and then cried out in fresh pain as Bolvyn Venim collapsed to the ground and his sword pulled free. I slumped to my knees, unable to keep my feet. The crowd, silent before, erupted into cheers. The noise was deafening.

It was only then that I looked to the stands. I saw Sethyas Velas nodding his head in approval, a small smile on his lips,

I knew you’d make it, I never doubted it.

I saw Baladas clapping happily; his eyes glistening with unshed tears. And then I saw Athyn. His eyes were closed, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his face was the image of relief.

It was only then that I cried in earnest. I had won; the prophecy had come true.

What happened next I remember like a kaleidoscope of scattered pictures and voices; I was so tired…

Click: Athyn’s face close to mine, kissing my sore lips, holding me tight to his chest.

Click: My blood, continuously running from the wound, soaking his robe

Click: She’s dying! Someone get a healer! Ilmeni Dren’s crying voice

Click: Let me through, damn it! I’ll take care of her! I must have smiled, that voice I’d recognize anywhere

I was scooped from the ground; unable to move I just lay in strong arms and was carried out from the Arena Pit.

No stretcher?

This is faster, now don’t you dare die on me, do you hear? Athyn will not survive if you do!

I’m just so tired…

Being dead really is strange. But not entirely unpleasant, so quiet and calm. I just wanted to lie down and rest and that would have been possible if it wasn’t for that disturbing light…And the voices, the voices that urged me to go towards that irritating light. I wanted to close my ears, I did not want to listen, why couldn’t they leave me alone? I was fine, I just wanted to stay where I was, in that dark quiet nothing….

Two voices were stuck in my head, one younger and one older. The younger one cursed me, yelled at me, pushed me to move on, I flinched, tried to get away….

I can’t, I’m too tired, leave me alone, I want to go to sleep

Damn it, you pigheaded, crazy stubborn devil of a woman!! You will not go to sleep, you will come back here, and you will do it NOW!!

Someone hauled me forward, dragged me violently by my arms, I tried resistance but it was futile. I found myself nearer the light, the sharp tormenting light…

Serene, my dearest, come back to me, please my precious…come back!

A gentle voice, a familiar voice, but so faint, so faint…

I broke through! Into a white blurry world of pain and noise, where shadows slowly turned into faces;

“Renie, my love, say nothing. You came back to me; I love you,” Athyn’s voice broke and he kissed me.

My hands were stuck somehow. Athyn held one of them but the other I couldn’t get loose, I tried and when I moved my head a little bit to the right I saw Sethyas holding it tight to his face. His shoulders were shaking.

“If you pull that stunt on me one more time, I assure you I’ll kill you with my bare hands,” he muttered, not looking at me, just squeezing my hand.

“Now, now, no more talk about killing. We’ve had just about enough of that I think.” The nasal voice of Baladas Demnevanni caught my attention. “Here Serene, let me give you this to drink; I’m sure you’ll feel better.”

One of his famous purple vials came in sight and I downed the potion willingly, as the pain now had become overwhelming. My entire body was on fire, I didn’t understand, I remembered the final stroke from Bolvyn Venim, I remembered the feeling of cold steel piercing me somewhere above my left breast, but after that…blackness. So did I kill him? I think I must have…

But why wasn’t I healed? Baladas was there and he was the best healer in Tamriel…

“You were dead, my dear! Nobody can perform healing on a dead person, unless they know how to resuscitate, and I do not have that knowledge,” Baladas smiled. “The katana went right through your body, cut quite a few blood vessels on its way in and out, so we had to stop the bleeding the normal non-magic way,” he continued. “Then you faded away from us, but you came back again…”

Athyn looked at me, gently stroking my hair, the look in his face pure love. He had cried but did not try to hide it, Words were unnecessary. Sethyas still held on to my right hand. I knew he had shed tears as well, but did not want to show it. Not yet.

“Can I go home?” My voice was merely a whisper; the effort of just uttering those few words was almost too much. I did want to get home desperately; I wasn’t sure exactly where I was right now but I could sense the sour smell from old sweaty blankets so I was probably still somewhere at the Vivec Arena.

Then there was a discussion of whether it was possible to move me just yet or if my wound would start bleeding again and so on.

The matter was solved by a sharp knock on the door and a guard entering the small room;

“You still here, folks? She survived. Well, that means you Redorans’ got yourself a new Archmaster! Congratulations lil’ lady; I was almost certain you wouldn’t make it. But now I must ask you to leave; we need this room.”

I froze; I knew I was the Archmaster but somehow I’d suppressed it; I didn’t want to think about it, it scared me.

“Wrap an extra robe around her chest, and someone just carry her, that’ll do it,” Baladas stated.

“I’ll take her,” Sethyas let my right hand loose and stood up. His eyes were redder than usual, but he finally looked at me;

You nearly broke your promise, damn you

I bit my lip; I knew what he meant and my eyes filled with tears.

Ilmeni took off her thin delicate robe and wrapped it around me. Athyn helped out by lifting me up a bit. The slight movement made me scream from pain; it was like a sword of fire went through me. I had to rest a few minutes so the pain would diminish. Baladas knelt by my side offering one of his colorful vials, this time a red one.

“Painkiller, my dear, or you will perish when our strong grumpy hero here scoops you up in his arms.”

It may have been some mysterious mixture in that vial or just Brandy, but it made me feel very warm and relaxed, almost a bit absent. And it did its work because when Sethyas actually did lift me in his arms I felt drowsy and almost happy.
I only remember fragments of our journey back to Ald’ruhn. I was lying in Sethyas’ arms, he held me so tightly to his chest that I could hardly breathe.

“Be easy on her Seth; you’ll suffocate her,” Ilmeni said when I gasped for breath when we entered the gondola from Vivec Arena to Vivec Foreign Quarters. He just snarled in answer.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and whispered;

“Please don’t be angry with me. I did not let you down.”

“Too close it was, far too close! I don’t like to be frightened like that. I don’t like to once again nearly lose a woman that is close to me; it tears me apart.”

I had no answer to that, so I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift away.

It was late night when we arrived in Ald’ruhn, no people in the streets, just a few guards patrolling. I had slept during the rest of the journey and felt remarkably better. I could almost see the comic aspect of the situation; the new Redoran Archmaster returned to her realm, hurt, bleeding, almost unconscious in the arms of a Dunmer Assassin, and with her court stumbling beside her. I noticed Athyn leaning on Ilmeni Dren, Varvur leading a half asleep Vendrela and at the end of the procession Salyn and Baladas…

It felt good to be home and be the one everybody fussed about. My wound was thoroughly attended to by Baladas and Ilmeni. They even closed the cuts by stitching them together with cord or something. That was a new treatment and it seemed to speed up the healing process. Ilmeni had read about that somewhere and decided together with Baladas to try it out.

Three days I lay in bed recovering. Then it was time for me to claim my realm. I called for a council meeting.

As I entered the council hall, Athyn by my side, I felt proud and expectant. They were present, all of them; Brara Morvayn, with her hearty smile; Miner Arobar, looking content; Hlaren Ramoran, just his normal happy self; Garisa Llethri, shaking his head in disbelief; and Sethyas…my brother, my friend, whom I owed my life. He merely sat there, no expression whatsoever on his dark face. And I knew that if he hadn’t cursed me and yelled at me to come back when I was dying in that small room at the Arena, I would have given in to the ease of death.

“I greet you all, Redoran Councilors. Welcome to this meeting.” My voice was clear and steady…

The first day of the rest of my life had begun!




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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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Black Hand
post Jul 17 2008, 10:22 PM
Post #46


Master
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Joined: 26-December 05
From: Where the sun shines everyday in hell.



Awesome. Just Awesome.
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mplantinga
post Jul 17 2008, 10:34 PM
Post #47


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Joined: 20-September 05
From: Bluffton, SC



Very nice. I will admit that I can't make up my mind about whether or not I like the way the killing blow happened. On the one hand, it seems appropriate that, since she was feeling somewhat outclassed, her victory would be a near thing. On the other hand, it was so sudden; I had to read it several times before it sunk in that something had happened.

I must say that my favorite part was, in fact, the discussion of the look on people's faces at the end of the battle. Minque emotion-writing at its finest.
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minque
post Jul 23 2008, 10:51 PM
Post #48


Wise Woman
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Joined: 11-February 05
From: Where I can watch you!!



So after the battle there will be some normal life, it's inevitable. Now fear not dear readers, there will be more thunderstorms coming up, just not quite yet!

***************************************************************
“First I’d like to inform you about some news regarding the form of our meetings.” As I said that the door opened silently and Vendrela Aravel entered the hall, carrying a roll of parchment and a quill and ink. She sank down in the free chair on my right side.

“I intend to document our meetings from now on. We need to have written proof of our discussions and decisions. Vendrela has agreed to act as our scribe. I want one of you councilors to review the protocol afterwards.”

“Odd, letting the former Archmaster’s own daughter to attend to our meeting,” Miner Arobar muttered, shaking his head

I was about to burst out with some sharp answer but noticed Athyn slowly shake his head; he was right, no need to start out with an unnecessary argument.

“I think it’s a good idea to write a protocol, then there might be some order to these gatherings!” Brara Morvayn said dryly

I nodded and held my hand up.

“So I hereby declare this meeting open. We have only two items on our agenda today; one is to declare Trey of High Rock as Redoran Hortator, the other to decide which areas of improvement we shall concentrate on to make Great House Redoran the most prosperous of the great Houses of Vvardenfell.”

I felt almost out of breath after that sentence, and now I waited for the councilors to react.

“Let’s just make the decision here and now,” Athyn said. “All the Redoran councilors have already agreed on making Trey our Hortator, save the Archmaster, and since you have that position now, dear Serene, let’s hear your vote!” Athyn sounded almost playful and a faint smile quirked his lips.

I cleared my throat.

Damn it why am I so nervous?

No need to be, Renie, but understandable, we’re a bunch of old stubborn beggars…now speak it out, just like that!

Seth? My lips formed the word but no sound emerged. Sethyas just looked straight ahead, not moving a muscle.

“I hereby declare Trey of High Rock Redoran Hortator!” My voice was weak and not at all as powerful as I’d wished. I felt simply ridiculous.

A murmur of approval followed. I noticed Vendrela printing ferociously. Good. That was the first item on the agenda. I took a deep breath; sweat was running down my back; this meeting did take its tribute out of me.

The following discussions about how we could improve the prosperity of House Redoran were long and somewhat boring for me, not knowing so much about it. Still, I felt it had to be discussed and we needed to make some decisions for the sake of our House. We had to settle things in Caldera; the Ebony trade was ours and we intended to keep it that way. We had to stand up against Great House Hlaalu by all means. There were other things, but I don’t remember them all.

As I was about to close the meeting, Athyn rose to his feet saying;

“We have forgotten the most important thing, we need to acknowledge Serene in her rank as Archmaster of Great House Redoran.”

Everybody stood up, then bowed to me saying; “Hail our Archmaster, Serene Catraso!”

What prevented me from just bursting into tears was a firm grip on my neck; I don’t know who did it; Athyn and Sethyas were both standing close to me; it could have been either of them, and I still don’t know. But what I know was that these actions made me feel strong and invincible. I thanked my council and declared the meeting over.

I was Archmaster of Great House Redoran now, something I really had not wanted to be. That was not the main reason that I had challenged Bolvyn Venim’s and taken his life, it was just something that came with it. What I really wanted was to make sure Trey of High Rock was Hortator and to restore the honor of House Redoran.

I asked Miner Arobar to review the protocol; amusingly enough he seemed to be honored by it!

Being Archmaster was not easy; being a woman didn’t make it any easier, and finally being an Outlander made it almost unbearable. But somehow I endured my first month as Redoran Archmaster.

There was a never-ending row of people coming to visit me; either they had an actual errand or just showed up out of curiosity. Whispers and rumors spread throughout Ald’ruhn, Maar Gan and Gnisis; “She stuck him down, with one blow!” “ A woman you know…. incredible!”

I decided not to pay attention to all that. What was expected from me now was to learn as much as I could about my Great House and its history in order to be a good leader, because that was the main goal for me now. I spent hours in the Redoran Council Library, situated in the right wing of the Council Hall, reading ancient and recent books; The Red Book of 3E 426 and Great Houses of Morrowind were the most important to learn from. But I also took the opportunity to read about other things, such as the Morag Tong, the faction Sethyas belonged to. A book called The Black Glove was a fascinating read. Then of course there was the book written by my beloved one; The true Noble’s Code. Reading the last paragraph made me ponder about what I had got myself into; Whether born to the blood of House

“Redoran, or adopted into service of House Redoran by oath, those who seek to advance in the ranks of House Redoran must demonstrate their virtues by service and obedience. And only when one has mastered all the skills and virtues can one truly call himself a noble of the Great House Redoran.”

I wasn’t sure I had mastered all the required skills and virtues…especially not the virtues!

One afternoon as I as usual sat in the Library, my nose deep in a book about Queen Barenziah, I had visitors. It was Neminda, companying her was another dark-skinned woman, who I almost immediately recognized; Elone! The woman in Seyda Neen who was Neminda’s sister. Elone knelt in front of me;

“Sera Archmaster! I’ve come to express my gratitude to you for reuniting me with my dear sister. I’m so happy about it and I wish to thank you very much.”

The woman stayed on her knees, not looking up, which made me feel uneasy.

“Elone, please get up, you do not need to kneel in front of me,” I said, somewhat embarrassed.

“Oh yes, she does,” Neminda said dryly, also kneeling. “It’s custom to fall to your knees to the Archmaster, so I’m afraid you have to get used to it, Serene.”

“Maybe that used to be the tradition, but from now on it is not necessary. I won’t have it,” I replied, taking them both by their hands and making them rise to their feet.

I asked Neminda to bring us some hackle-lo tea and the three of us had a nice afternoon together, except for one thing; the gruesome story Elone told me regarding my old friend Thavere Vedrano, the lighthouse keeper.

“About two and a half months ago, Processus Vitellius, the tax-collector, was found dead not far from the city. It turned out he was murdered, but the case remains unsolved. Everybody is covering up for each other, and nobody says anything,” Elone sighed.

I had just met the man once and he did not make a very friendly impression on me, but Thavere! She took me in when I arrived at Seyda Neen, alone, homeless and poor. She was the fiancée of Processus and surely did not deserve to be left alone.

“She is taking it very hard,” Elone answered my question. “She has aged ten years the past year and never ever leaves the Lighthouse. Eldafire brings her food and other necessities; she won’t speak to anybody else.”

I felt sad for Thavere and decided to go and see her at first possibility. I had some odd feelings that I might be of help in this case. A vague memory swirled through my mind but I couldn’t grasp it. There was something…someone.

That night I made a list, a list of places to go because I realized I had to travel around a bit to visit the main Redoran cities. Then I could also take the opportunity to visit old friends from the past.

It sounded like a good idea at the time…



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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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Black Hand
post Jul 23 2008, 11:45 PM
Post #49


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Ahh, Serenes getting some of her own time back, mopping up Venim's mess, and still feels nervous running a Dunmer Great House as an Outlander. She'll be fine!
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mplantinga
post Jul 24 2008, 05:27 PM
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Well, whether or not she wished to be Archmaster, she now is, and I'm glad to see that she is taking her new responsibilities seriously. It seems that she has the support of everyone on the council, which is very good considering the violent manner in which she took over the reins. It's also good to see that her emotions are as close to the surface as ever, and that her humility has not been reduced by her new lofty position. I'm looking forward to seeing how she resolves the situation in Seyda Neen; Serene is absolutely correct that Thavere, at least, deserves better.
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Kiln
post Jul 25 2008, 03:23 AM
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Very good, I like the description and crisp dialogue in this update. Especially when concerning the meetings...its also interesting to see Trey still being woven into the story as well.

This post has been edited by Kiln: Jul 25 2008, 03:23 AM


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The Metal Mallet
post Jul 25 2008, 07:46 AM
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Good stuff. The death experience was a nice addition to the aftermath of the battle and the recovery period was interesting. Seeing Serene in her new role was also fascinating. I look forward to reading about any other changes she might make.


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minque
post Jul 31 2008, 06:49 PM
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Last update until end of August! I'm going on vacation tomorrow!.


I think you need to have it in you to be a good leader. To put it another way, you have to be born to it. Some people develop that skill and do become excellent kings or Archmasters; others just never make it. As the time went by I discovered I had it, I just had it! It felt natural for me to make decisions, to judge wisely in matters of dispute. It’s mostly about common sense and the ability to listen and to really hear what they’re trying to tell you. I had good advisors in the Councilors, especially Athyn, who knew the Redoran Community so well. Also it’s important to recognize people who are under you in rank, to tell them they’re doing a great job, even if they sometimes don’t.

I was good at that! I treated my people as I treated my servants, with courtesy and kindness, but also with a steady hand. I didn’t take any guarshit, or lies. I won respect from my council and from my staff. And I started to really enjoy being Archmaster of Great House Redoran.

I knew the time would come when I had to encounter the leaders of the other houses. I must admit I feared that. They had all experience and knowledge, which I lacked. Instead I had a heart, compassion, but that might not be enough.

I did as I planned; I went on a trip to the cities on my list, starting with Seyda Neen. By doing this I unfortunately missed the appointment to make Trey of High Rock Redoran Hortator, but Athyn performed that ceremony with greatest finesse.

Seyda Neen hadn’t changed much since I had lived there at the time of my arrival in Vvardenfell, except for the small sign outside Arrille’s telling he was offering rooms for rent. I smiled, and went inside. Arrille didn’t recognize me; maybe because it was a long time since we last met, or maybe because I had made great efforts to disguise myself prior to this trip, completely on purpose.

I had cut off my waist-long hair to shoulder length and washed it several times with a mixture I made myself; crushed heather and willow anther flowers mixed with a bit of fire-salt and ash-yam. This made it darker than it was before, with a distinct nuance of red-violet. I also borrowed clothes from Varvur’s closet; a pair of baggy black trousers and a worn brown shirt. Atop it I wore a dark grey robe with a hood. I did not want anyone to be aware of who I was because then I wouldn’t be able to get the information I wanted. After all, there was a murder case to solve here.

“Afternoon, what can I do for you Sera?” Arrille didn’t look healthy; in fact he had gained so much weight he barely could move without getting short of breath. Maybe the obvious improvement of business wasn’t all that good for him.

“I’d like a room, please, for three nights,” I said and tried not to stare at him.

After freshening up I went to see Thavere. The beauty of the lighthouse stunned me; it had undergone a total restoration since I was here last. I could very well guess who paid for that!

Thavere on the other hand turned out to be just as Elone told me; she really looked terrible, her red hair was dirty and disheveled, her skin had an unhealthy grayish tone and her eyes were dull and sad.

Upon recognizing me she immediately fell to her knees.

“Oh, Sera, Archmaster!” she stuttered. I took her hand pulled her to her feet and looked right in the eyes;

“Thavere! For you I am Serene, just Serene, nothing else! And I’ve come to see that justice is done here.” I embraced her warmly, she was, after all my first real friend in Vvardenfell.

“By the way, I’m a little surprised you recognized me.”

“Those eyes of yours…Once you see them you never forget them. Serene, you can never disguise yourself to people who know you.” Thavere put her hands around my face and slowly shook her head.

“You were the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen, and now you’re even more beautiful. I’m so glad you’re here” Thavere couldn’t hold back her tears anymore and we fell into another’s embrace.

I don’t know for how long we stood there embracing each other, but I eventually asked Thavere if she could make us some tea.

“We need to talk, Thavere. I need to ask you some questions, and I must warn you they may tear it all up again, because I’m here to investigate the tragic death of your fiancée.”

She nodded. “I’m out of tea, but I do have some comberry-wine, I could warm some up for us, it’s a very nice drink”

It was, in fact it was quite delicious and I decided to remember that for the future.

“He had spent almost a week here with me, back about two or three months ago. We had such a good time; he said he was successful, that the Seyda-Neen-ers were good honest people, they paid their taxes in time, except for…” Thavere stopped; she took a deep breath, wiped away a couple of tears and continued;

“They had an argument people say, Processus and that rude fisherman who lives by the waterfront, Foryn Gilnith. I didn’t know; I was here, cooking supper!”

I took Thavere’s hand. This was painful to her, to try to remember what happened, but I had to know.

“The local tax-collector! He’s not very liked here, he’s going to end up beheaded one of these days.”

Eldafire’s words on the very day I arrived in Seyda Neen. That prophecy had in fact come true. Even if the poor man did not get beheaded, he certainly was not amongst the living anymore.

I decided it was time for me take a walk around town to see what could be found out. Thavere asked me to come back in the evening.

“I’ll make you dinner, my dear. You’re far too skinny,” she smiled at me.

I headed first to the Census and Excise office. Socucius Ergalla did in fact not recognize me at first, but when he did, he was exalted with joy to see me again, so I spent about half an hour talking to him. He was very interested in what I had been up to during the years and oddly enough he hadn’t heard I’d become Redoran Archmaster. I did not tell him; I didn’t like the way people changed behaviour when they found out.

He was worried about the tax collector’s death; a murder in little Seyda Neen was not a thing that happened every day.

“Yes, yes he was murdered all right, his throat was cut from side to side, there’s no doubt about it,” he answered my question about how the man actually died.

I also asked carefully how his relations were with the citizens, well except for Thavere of course. It turned out Processus Vitellius wouldn’t win any prize in a popularity competition, but in general people endured him, knowing his job was necessary, yet not pleasant. When I asked about the argument he might have had with the fisherman Gilnith, Ergalla just shook his head;

“Oh I don’t know anything about that, I’m afraid.”

Of course, nobody would tell Ergalla about it if it were true. I realized I would probably have to question someone else. My mind slipped to Eldafire, or perhaps Fargoth, that was, if I could find them and if they would wish to speak to me!

Eldafire was rather reserved as I approached her outside her house and I didn’t blame her, the Altmers didn’t usually speak to a complete stranger, especially not if that stranger is an outlander. I decided to reveal myself to her.

She looked both surprised and happy when I told her I was the same girl who had tea with her that stormy evening quite some years ago.

“But? Aye, ye look good, lassie, but…but, ain’t ye the…Archm….” I put my hand over her mouth, giving her a sign to shut up.

“Yes! But please, don’t say anything. Could we go inside and talk?” I whispered, as I grabbed her hand trying to prevent her from kneeling in front of me.

“No! Please don’t,” I hissed.

Inside the house Eldafire started fussing around trying to find something to offer me. I had to stop her; it was a talk with her I wanted, not food or drink. Finally she got hold of a bottle of comberry wine and we could be seated. I never say no to comberry wine, it’s delicious and it also loosen one’s tongue…

“Yes, they ‘ad an argument, Foryn and the fine tax collector. That fishin’ man is bad news, e’s so rude and he ‘ave such a bad temper, I saw them go inside ‘is old shack, oh aye I did.”

“Did you see Processus leave Foryn’s home? And did you hear anything strange? Some noise or anything?”

Eldafire shook her head. Apparently she had just seen the two men arguing, and then going inside Gilnith’s shack. After that…nothing.

I sighed. It was time to narrow the search, it was time to confront Foryn Gilnith, and I did not at all look forward to doing that.

















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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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Black Hand
post Aug 1 2008, 10:55 PM
Post #54


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Hmm. Renie taking on the task of Death of a taxman, a very nice gesture of the new Archmistress. I knew she'd grow into the role, the woman is like water! she takes the shape of any dress, I mean, situation she is in.
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mplantinga
post Aug 6 2008, 04:34 PM
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Her compassion for others is turning out to be her strongest qualification for her new position. I'm curious to see how she deals with Foryn, since he has such a bad temper and is obviously prone to violence, having killed Processus over something as unavoidable as taxes. Regardless, I'm sure she'll make the best choice she can.
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minque
post Aug 21 2008, 10:26 PM
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From: Where I can watch you!!



Any kinds of negotiations on an empty stomach are bound to fail, so I decided to have something to eat before paying Foryn Gilnith a visit. At Arrille’s on the upper level, Elone still had her establishment, though she wasn’t there at the moment. But there was a young girl standing behind the counter, and her Dunmerii features appeared Ashland-ish to me.

“Greetings, Sera, what can I do for you?” She asked very politely. I smiled at her, asking her for some bread and tea. There weren’t any customers at the moment so I started talking with her. She told me that Elone was in Ald’ruhn, visiting her sister, and had been there for the last four weeks. In the meantime she looked after the bar.

“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself; my name is Kausha, Kausha Mantashpi.” The girl stretched out her hand to me with a hearty smile.

“Mantashpi? That sounds almost like an Ashlander-name.” I responded. The girl went pale and bowed her head.

“Ehh…yes, in fact…I…I am …Originally,” the girl whispered, apparently feeling awkward.

“But that’s wonderful!” I burst out, telling her I had spent over a year with the Ahemmusa Tribe. Then she stared at me with utmost astonishment; her jaw dropped and she went pale and red at the same time, and then kneeled before me, stuttering;

“Oh Sera! Oh, the Legend, what an honor! I never thought I’d actually meet you…”

I took her hand, raising her to her feet. I had not yet, and I doubted I ever would appreciate the habit of people kneeling in front of me. And the fact this young girl called me a Legend did puzzle me.

“Kausha, please, I’m no legend, I’m just Serene, and I’m darned hungry by now,” I pleaded.

“You are Serene, the Outlander who Azura brought to the Ahemmusa, to save them. Those are the words amongst the Wise Women of all the Ashlander Tribes in Vvardenfell.”

I didn’t know what to say; in my opinion I had not done that much to actually save the Ahemmusa, that was Trey’s doing! I merely showed the native Tribe that Outlanders were not as bad as they originally thought.

Eventually I got the admiring girl to give me something to eat, and along with that she told me her somewhat sad story about how a young Ashlander girl had ended up as a barmaid in Seyda Neen. I told her to look me up in Ald’ruhn if she ever needed a friend, or ended up in a situation she couldn’t handle.

Foryn Gilnith’s shack was really in great need of restoration. It looked as if it would fall apart in the next storm. I felt somewhat sorry for the man, but suppressed that feeling immediately; he did kill a man after all, or so it seemed.

I knocked on the door. Nothing happened. I knocked again, harder this time.

“Foryn Gilnith! Are you there? I want to talk to you”

Then the door flew open with a bang and a skinny Dunmer rushed at me with a big nasty dagger in his hand, ready for a downward thrust that would have most certainly beheaded me if I hadn’t managed to grab his arm.

“'M feinedd balf fferrir” I hissed, and watched him grow pale as my grip turned his arm to a frozen piece of meat. Just like in Dagon Fel at the Inn, when that Nord tried to rob me.

Foryn yelled in pain, but I held on to him till the dagger fell from his frozen hand and I could kick it aside.

“Easy now,” I pleaded. “I’ve come to talk to you, not make threats.”

“Bah! You’re an Imperial, and you’re just a scum like any other of your kind,” Foryn spat out, saliva flying from his mouth. “You just want me rotting behind bars in some damp old prison.”

“Not unless you give me a reason,” I retorted, letting go of his arm.

The process where his arm regained its normal temperature caused him a lot of pain; I could see that, but he didn’t complain, he just stared at me with anger and fear in his narrow red eyes. He sank down on a ragged chair, still staring at me.

“Start talking then,” he muttered.

I sighed. I had no experience of interrogating people, no experience of solving murder cases, and I had absolutely no idea how to do this. Should I start asking him some not so relevant questions first, and then narrow it down to the point or should I just blurt it out and get it over with?

I decided to get to the point; stupid or not, I didn’t want to drag this any longer.

“Ok, Foryn, I wonder if you know something about the unfortunate fate of the tax collector Processus Vitellius? I’ve heard that you might be the last one to have seen him?”

That was about the stupidest thing I could have said. Foryn literally exploded in front of me. He didn’t touch me; maybe he was a bit frightened by my magical skills, but he threw a mug right in my face. It hit me on my eyebrow, which caused blood to gush down my face; I could hardly see a thing. Before I had a chance to get away he continued throwing items at me- a plate that barely missed me, a jar that hit me on my shoulder. I flung myself over the table to try to get hold of him but he jumped backwards, grabbed a lamp, which he threw in a perfect arc right at the opposite wall. The lamp broke and burning liquid flowed over the sacks and fishing nets that were lying in a heap on the floor. The stuff caught fire immediately, and thick gray smoke filled the shack.

“He asked for it, the darn scum!” Foryn yelled, “He threatened to go to my mother and force her to give him the money! My mother is sick; she has no money, and I promise I’ll kill anyone who threatens my mother!!” Foam was forming around his mouth, the smoke made us both shed tears, and I realized we had to get out of the shack immediately, or we would be barbecued.

I managed to get to my feet again, when something came flying through the air and landed upon me. Too late I realized what it was; a fishing net! I was quite immobilized and engulfed with raging fire. I had no idea where Foryn was…

Is this how it’s going to end? Will I die here?

“Use your head, silly woman! Think, for Nirn’s sake! “


I heard his voice in my head, as clear as if he had been there, and then I knew what to do…




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Chomh fada agus a bhionn daoine ah creiduint in aif�iseach, leanfaidh said na n-aingniomhi a choireamh (Voltaire)

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Black Hand
post Aug 22 2008, 07:13 PM
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Ver nice! SGM. Yeah that Foryn can be a challenge at any level huh?
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treydog
post Aug 22 2008, 08:19 PM
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From: The Smoky Mountains



And yet another cliff-ra... um cliff-hanger stopping place. My penance for introducing that staple of serial novels seems to go on forever....

This chapter has yet again showcased your strengths as a writer- the ability to add dimension and life to all of the characters, and to make even the "supporting cast" breathe and live in our imaginations. And, though you seem to doubt your own ability, you have also written a tense, compact action sequence that works quite well.


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Bolzmania
post Aug 22 2008, 11:07 PM
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And yet another cliffracer? haha laugh.gif


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mplantinga
post Aug 25 2008, 05:31 AM
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Superb; a cliffhanger. Just what I always wanted.
/sarcasm

On a less sarcastic note, it seems that Serene could use a crash course in diplomacy and being aware of her surroundings, one that perhaps involves fewer things crashing into her head. The voice in her head was, perhaps, the best line of the entire installment. Extra points for that priceless gem.
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