Old Habits Die Hard Part Six, some old habits never die Options

[haute ecole rider]

Hello all, and welcome to the final thread of Old Habits Die Hard. Those of you who are familiar with the Main Quest know that we are fast approaching the end game. Only three more artifacts to obtain, then we can recover the Amulet of Kings and light those Dragonfires and see Martin to the Dragon Throne at last. Right?

For those who are coming late to the party, here are the links to the other five threads:

Chapters 1 − 7: From the Prison to finding the Path of Dawn.
Chapters 8 − 13: From Dagon’s Shrine to Bravil.
Chapters 14 − 18: From Sheogorath’s Shrine to the start of the Grand Tour of Cyrodiil.
Chapters 19 − 22: From Leyawiin to Skingrad.
Chapters 23 − 25: From returning home to Anvil to the final Mages Guild recommendation.

Here in this last thread we will see the Main Quest through to its tragic conclusion. Some questions will be answered, including who is the man Julian loves? Other questions will be raised, including what’s next for Julian? Those of you who have suspected a second story in the making, you are correct.

After a year and a half of writing this story, I am happy to bring this to a close, yet I am sad to bid it adieu. Hopefully I won’t let any and all of you down as we wrap up.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Jun 26 2011, 01:10 AM

[haute ecole rider]

And so we begin Part Six of Old Habits Die Hard. After completing the Grand Tour of Cyrodiil rounding up reinforcements for Countess Carvain of Bruma and obtaining the final recommendation needed for entry into the Arcane University, Julian finds herself with one more task to complete before she can return to Cloud Ruler Temple.

Chapter 26.1: The Golden Hill

Blanco clip-clopped carefully down the flight of granite stairs. I was glad to see him taking care, since we were above the timberline here, and the stones around us were slick with melting snow. Fat flakes drifted down around us in the grey afternoon light. Our breaths created tiny banks of fog floating past our shoulders.

As the steps ended at a terrace, I drew Blanco to a halt and peered ahead. The faint outlines of skeletal walls appeared in a wide dell below us. That has to be Sancre Tor. Gods, that’s a huge place! I could only see the northern and western margins of the ruined city. The further reaches were out of sight in the gloomy afternoon.

Screenshot

Blanco tossed his head and pricked his ears ahead, sweeping his gaze and muzzle from left to right and back again. I dropped the rein on his neck in a signal to stand and swung my leg over his rump. As I slid to the stones, Blanco bumped my shoulder with his nose.

Our return to Weynon Priory yesterday afternoon had been uneventful. Blanco had enjoyed the rest of the ride back to the stable, and even helped me scare off a bandit that had considered ambushing us.

Teekeeus had been happy to receive the book. “You have no idea how dangerous this iss,” he hissed in relief. “To imagine Earana with ssuch a tome iss frightening! I shall keep it ssafe from the likes of her. And be assured, I will ssend your recommendation, along with this book, to the Universsity. Congratulationss.”

Earana had been understandably peeved when she found out I had given the book to Teekeeus.

“How dare you! Traitor!” Her piercing shout drew the attention of several around the plaza, including three guardsmen and the Altmer hunter Honditar.

“Traitor?” I repeated. “I never told you I would bring you the book. Only that I would get it.” I spread my hands expressively. “And when I realized it was a daedric volume, I decided it was better off elsewhere than in your hands. I don’t trust you with its power.” I walked away, leaving her spluttering beneath the Great Oak.

I shivered in the chill. Brother Piner had given me a fur-lined tunic, warmer than my quilted tunic and enchanted to resist frost. Still the damp bitterness and the falling snow made me feel colder, especially when I thought about Anvil’s warm sun I had left behind less than ten days ago. Already it was almost as cold as Cloud Ruler Temple had been when I left it back in early Frostfall.

It’s going to be downright freezing there when I get back. But it would be good to see Martin again. And oddly enough, I miss Grandmaster Jauffre. I just hope I don’t return the way I did last time, falling into their arms like that. I crouched down at the edge of the terrace, surveying the ruins a few moments more. I’m glad we didn’t encounter any more Oblivion Gates so far. Let's hope I never see another one.

I squinted against the falling snow at the overcast sky. Late afternoon. We had left the Priory before dawn, since I wanted the chance to scout out the ancient ruins while it was still daylight. From what I could see of the immense site, it had been a smart decision. It’ll take me at least an hour to scout it. More than a simple ancient fort, Sancre Tor was nearly as large as Anvil. I could just make out traces of streets running through the complex.

I recalled the conversation I had had with Brother Piner last night after dinner about the High Road.

“What do you know about that back road over the mountains?” I sipped at the steaming mug of cider.

“The High Road to Bruma?” Piner lowered his wine goblet. “If you can call it a road, that is. It’s not used much at all anymore, mostly by outlaws.”

“And Blades moving secretly from one end of Cyrodiil to the other, right?” I remarked softly. “It would be a great way to reach Cloud Ruler Temple unseen.”

“Touché,” Piner’s grin gleamed in the firelight. “Not very often, but sometimes it’s essential. But it’s not a safe path to travel. There are no patrols, no maintenance. In places it’s barely more than a deer track.”

“What sort of danger can one expect to see there?” I asked.

“Mostly wolves, bears, some lions,” Piner replied. “But there are ruins along the road that harbor lesser demons, undead, and goblins. The eastern half of the road runs near a couple of bandit camps. Then there’s Sancre Tor.” His tone hushed on the last two words.

“Sancre Tor?” I repeated. “What about Sancre Tor?”

“There are reports that it’s haunted,” Piner shrugged. “It’s a large town, and the road sort of runs right through it. It’s mostly ruined now, but still very dangerous.”

“Isn’t that the city Tiber Septim took from the Nords and the Bretons back in the Second Era?” I tried to recall my ancient history. Piner nodded. And the place where four Blades disappeared years and years ago, according to Jauffre. “Is it passable for horses?”

“Depends on the horse,” Piner replied. “Mountain-bred horses should do fine, but ones from the lower altitude will have a difficult time. Paint could pass over the road, but I hear he’s not well.”

Briefly I filled Piner in on Paint’s misadventure. “But Blanco’s High Rock bred, and I’m told he grew up in the Wrothgarian Mountains.”

“He should do fine, then,” Piner nodded emphatically. “Stairs shouldn’t faze him.”

“Stairs?” I topped off my cider from the flagon at my elbow. “There are stairs on the High Road?”

“Yes, some wooden ones a little ways north of here, and a set of stone ones just west of Sancre Tor. The wooden ones may be rotten, but Blanco should handle them fine. The stone ones may be icy this time of year, you’d want to go down them only during the day.”

I touched the stone beneath me. Already the moisture was turning hard and slick. Piner was right about that, and everything else so far too. The road had been still clear to Cloud Top, but we had encountered a wolf after passing that ancient path. Blanco had quickly convinced him of the futility of stalking us, and the animal had ghosted back the way he had appeared. As the way climbed higher, Blanco had proven adept at detecting trouble on the road ahead. I had become skilled at reading his signals. Even more than Paint, he could indicate to me the nature of the threat ahead or to the side. For the wolves and the lions, he would turn and face them. But the bear we had encountered elicited a very different response from him. Blanco had stamped his feet hard on the cobblestones, snorting and belling loudly until his voice echoed off the mountainside, and had braced for the bear’s charge. He had fallen quiet only when the big animal turned and ambled away instead of attacking. I had been grateful that we didn’t have to deal with a couple hundredweights of angry bear.

“Let’s get down these last steps,” I rose to my feet and signaled Blanco to follow me. I remained to one side of the stairs as he followed me gingerly down the final flight. At the bottom, I gave the Legion hold signal. “Stay here until I whistle.” I wanted to clear the ruins without worrying about him. It still made me nervous to have him so close to potential danger.

I took both the plain katana and Daedra Slayer. After a moment’s consideration, I opted to take Akatosh’s Fury as well, in case I had opportunity for sniping. However, I doubted that I would have much clear room for it in those tumbled stone blocks. Blanco whickered softly as I left him standing at the base of the stairs and made my way down the rough slope toward the ruins.

On my approach to the fragmented outer wall, a growl from the rocks to my right warned me of a wolf. I drew my katana and spun to face him. He stalked toward me, head low, hackles spiking his topline, legs stiff. He paused as I set my feet and tilted the weapon in anticipation of his attack.

A dry rattling sound caught both our attention. As the wolf’s gaze shifted past my left shoulder, I glanced around in time to see white bones topped by a round pate slouching past a gap in the wall. The skeleton carried a shield and an ancient sword that shimmered in the grey overcast. I ducked down against the wall to avoid being seen by the creature and turned back to the wolf. Only tracks in the snow showed he had been there. I barely caught the last glimpse of his tail as he disappeared between the boulders.

My heart in my mouth, I listened to the chattering of the skeleton’s progress. Have to get rid of him. But how? Then I remembered. Bones! My left fingers twitched, and my own summoned skeleton appeared in front of me, near the gap. He stood quietly for a moment, then alerted to the other and bolted in shambling chase.

Clattering and banging erupted in eerie silence, then my summons disappeared in a swirl of yellow smoke. I cast the spell again, and a fresh Bones took his place against the skeleton. This time, my summons won the encounter. I watched him as he returned to a patient slouch that indicated no other enemies nearby.

In this manner, I worked my way through the ruined complex. Bones proved his worth as I cast him over and over again against the other skeletons that seemed to infest the ruins. A couple of them were archers. When they gave their positions away firing arrows at Bones, I took advantage of their distraction to close on them from behind. Well-placed blows with the back of my katana blade demolished them before they had a chance to turn on me. Using the sword in this manner also preserved the keenness of the blade. Akatosh only knows when I might need a sharp edge.

It was full dark by the time I cleared the central tower. I spotted the door tucked away in the outer bay of the curved wall. Using my starlight spell, I brushed the accumulated grime from the plaque set into the ancient wooden door. Sealed by authority of the Grandmaster of the Blades, 36th Year of the Reign of Tiber Septim.

This is it. Time to bring Blanco in. I cast a detect life spell to make certain the area was clear, then walked out of the central keep. I made my way to the northwestern corner of the site and peered through the thick-falling snow. The temperature had dropped, and I shivered again in the cold. I had to rub my hands together before I could fit numb fingers into my mouth and send a piercing whistle into the night.

After a few moments, the sound of hoofbeats reached me, and Blanco appeared like a ghost out of the white snow. He picked his way through the ruined walls toward me and nudged my shoulder. Took you long enough, he seemed to say. Let’s get someplace warm. I smiled and rubbed his nose.

“Yes, let’s get someplace warm.” He followed me as I walked back to the central keep. The best-preserved structure in the entire town, the tower seemed like the safest place to spend the night. I would enter the interior in the morning, after I had rested. Blanco would stand guard in the tower while I searched for the armor of Tiber Septim.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: May 25 2011, 02:16 PM

[Captain Hammer]

I always loved this quest. Huge ruined city to clear out filled with undead? Check. Lore-heavy backstory involving the first of the Septim Emperors? Check. Service to perform for your brother Blades of 430 years ago? Check.

Oh, and Finger of the Mountain is a Shock Spell. A horrendously over-powered shock spell, but still a shock spell. I grab it because, with mods, and a few custom made potions of Fortify Magicka and Restore Magicka, I can spam cast my way through Oblivion gates (and use Wizard's Fury for those annoying Storm Atronachs).

Glad to see Julian let somebody else do the heavy lifting. Guess that old legionary is getting comfortable with her new habits.

[Olen]

Ahem: YAY! Julian is back! And for a good quest, and one which may prove challenging I suspect, undead bashing is a different business to daedra slaying.

Filling in the backstory was well done, I was in need of a bit of a refresher and what you provided was just right to get the memories coming back. It got moving quickly too, already we're bashing skelitons outside Sancre Tor (I must have done it at a higher level becuase I remember about a million lichs) and sleeping the night (rather her than me) before going in. Might want a nice hot coco to get to sleep...

Only tracks in the snow showed he had been there.

I liked this, several things have thought better than attacking her which is a pleasant change from the game. In this case the wolf shows good sense when a skeleton rocks up, as I suspect one would.

Nits: I shivered in the chill. Brother Piner had given me a fur-lined tunic, warmer than my quilted tunic and enchanted to resist frost. Still the damp chill and the -- Although not that close together I found the similar sentence structure and repetition of the somewhat unusual word a bit jarring.

back in the Second Era?” I tried to recall my ancient history -- Ancient seemed a bit misplaced here, the battle of Sancre Tor was only 478 years before the events in Oblivion - history certainly but maybe not ancient, it is being rather pedantic though.

Anyway great piece and I'm delighted to see it continued.

And Hammer - Fingers of the Mountain is grossly overpriced magic-wise, you can buy or make ones which require far less.

[SubRosa]

Julian returns!

I’m glad we didn’t encounter any more Oblivion Gates so far. Let's hope I never see another one.
I expect Julian is used to disappointment by now...

I loved the dual encounter with the wolf and skeleton. The wolf's decision to walk away was wise, given that he was outnumbered two to one, and neither of his enemies had much meat on them! Julian's decision to use her skeleton against that of the ruin was irony in action.


nits:
Even more than Paint, he could telegraph to me the nature of the threat ahead or to the side
Given that telegraphs do not exist in the setting, you might want to go with something more generic, like warn.

[Grits]

I had such a vivid sense of the cold, lonely quiet in the ruins. I love the description of how Bones’ posture indicates that the battle is won. Using him to find the archers was a great idea. Yay, Julian!

The increasingly heavy snowfall adds to that creepy Sancre Tor feeling. It’s a good thing Blanco is so formidable, I don’t have to worry about him with skeletons and wolves about. He chased off a bandit and a bear! The Mages Guild would do well to come up with a “Summon Blanco” spell!

I’m so pleased to have more OHDH to savor.

[Acadian]

A warm welcome back and congratulations on this sixth thread of Julian's journey! I'm so pleased you got things going well on your PC and even treated us to a wonderful screenie of Julian and her pal.

This episode was very well written with, as Olen said, just the right amount of 'catching us up'. Rich atmospherics as you helped us feel the snow and bone chilling cold and the overcast. Some wonderful tricks as Julian gets more comfortable using her summons.

Wonderful teamwork with Julian and Blanco. Woohoo! A camouflaged snow horse!

Gosh, something tells me this is gonna get scary!

This post has been edited by Acadian: May 24 2011, 12:36 AM

[Thomas Kaira]

We begin once again! Welcome back, Julian, hope you enjoyed your break!

I can't wait to see what happens inside the ruins of Sancre Tor. This is without a doubt one of the better Main Quest locations. It's a shame Bethesda didn't do more with this place. But hey, that's where Reclaiming Sancre Tor (a mod) is going to come in very soon (I hope)!

Even though Julian may have some old habits that die hard, at least she is using her brain. Very nice touch with taking the skeletons apart with the blunt edge of the katana, it shows Julian understands that skeletons are more vulnerable to crush damage than slash damage, and as you said in the story, it keeps the edge keen and sharp (and she is definitely going to need it in there).

[haute ecole rider]

@Hammertime: You’re right about the Fingers of the Mountain - I don’t know why I keep thinking it’s frost. Obviously frost wouldn’t char a corpse the way shock would. And this old legionary has a few new habits to learn in the future. But that’s another story --

@Olen: This will prove challenging in more ways than one, as I’m sure we will see through this chapter. I wanted to convey that wolves are pretty smart creatures, and lone wolves are experts at sizing up risks and benefits. After all, there are no buddies around to help them should they get hurt. Thanks for pointing out the nits. I fixed the one, but left the other. “Ancient” history is relative, and it certainly feels pretty ancient to her!

@SubRosa: Yes, Julian is used to disappointment. But it doesn’t stop her from hoping regardless. I’m glad you appreciated the irony of using a skeletal summons to combat skeletons. Thanks for pointing out the nit.

@Grits: Bones is awesome for luring out hostiles from hiding and keeping them occupied long enough for Julian to finish them off. It’s a good thing she’s very pragmatic about her summonses - otherwise she would feel so terrible using Bones like that. And a ‘summon Blanco’ spell? Uh, no. She’ll stick with the live horse and the Legion signals for now thank you very much.

@Acadian: The very first time I came to Sancre Tor, it was snowing and dark. That made the surface ruins even scarier because you couldn’t see those darned bones - talk about perfect camouflage! I’m glad you liked the screenie I took of the two of them.

@TK: Yes, I think Sancre Tor is one of those places Beth didn’t expand on to its fullest potential. Of course, there are a lot of places in TES IV like that, which is good for modders. And you’ll see Julian continuing to use her brain (though not always well) throughout this quest.

@All: Thanks for the welcome back.

Chapter 26 has been the most difficult chapter to write. There is little here that I can truly call mine. In addition to Bethesda for providing the storyline, I’d like to thank two others whose contributions to this chapter have been considerable, and without which I could not be able to move on.

Destri Melarg, for the excellent characterizations of the Four Greatest Blades evah in Interregnum. It was a challenge making a connection over 400+ years between the two fictions, but I like to think we’ve been successful.

And Dee Foxy, combat expert extraordinaire, without whose expertise I could not do these four men the full justice they (and Destri) deserve.

Chapter 26.2: Into the Keep

The growing light of morning woke me from a frozen slumber. I opened my eyes and pulled the edge of the blankets below my chin. In front of me the fire glowed dimly beneath its own blanket of coals. With a stifled groan I rolled onto my back, still swaddled within the woolen fabric. Blanco’s muzzle hung over me, his dark eyes blinking slowly at my sleepy befuddlement.

Sancre Tor. The sudden recollection of where we were bolted me out of the blankets into the frigid air. “Gods!” I exclaimed involuntarily, grabbing for the woolen fabric. “It’s cold!” My voice echoed around the stones of the empty keep. Blanco tossed his head as if in agreement. Moving quickly against the cold, I checked the collapsible bucket and found it empty of water.

A few moments later the fire crackled merrily again, a fresh bucket full of melting snow next to it. Already I had the pot of klah warming over the flames. Blanco watched as I tidied the camp. Last night I had set up beneath the stairs leading to the ruined upper floors of the keep. It provided shelter from the cold, and a semi-enclosed space that warmed up well with the fire. Even now, with the fire low, the stone blocks still gave off some warmth which was noticeable only when I stepped out into the chill of the keep’s open courtyard.

I shook out the blankets and packed them into the saddlebags, tucked away with Blanco’s tack beneath the stairs. He wore only the woolen horse-blanket that Piner had loaned us. It was fortified with resist frost to keep him warm. In spite of his short stay in Anvil’s warmer climes, Blanco possessed a decent winter coat. However the high altitude and our need to travel light meant that he would have to forage for himself. I did have a few handfuls of grain, and I fed him one now. It would provide him the energy he needed to stay warm while I searched for the Shrine of Tiber Septim beyond that sealed door.

The klah not only warmed me, it also softened the waybread so I could eat it quickly. The cheese added extra energy. As I ate, I mentally reviewed the spells most likely to serve me well here. Bones. Maybe Domina Incendia. That new soul trap spell to fill the empty gems I have. That blessing I obtained at the doomstone outside Skingrad. I found the plain silver ring I had enchanted with one of the sigil stones. It enabled me to detect life within sixty feet. The other new spell I learned in Chorrol - Choking Grasp - will drain the health on touch. I now had enough destruction experience to use the strong spell. Blanco and I shared a couple of apples, then I patted his neck. “I don’t know if you can find anything to eat here,” I murmured. “But stay close and listen for my whistle. I’ll be back.”

I crossed the courtyard, feeling the falling snow on my face as I approached the sealed door. I rubbed at the lockplate, then tried the ornate key Grandmaster Jauffre had given me so long ago. Finally I get to use this key. The lock turned so stiffly that the key bent, and I could not recover it. But the door was now unsealed. A soft hissing rose as I cracked it open, and dust floated out around it. I stood back and pulled on the panel, its hinges groaning loudly in the quiet morning. I hope there isn’t too much bad air in here. Otherwise this is going to be a very short search, and Blanco will have a very long wait.

A dark passage greeted me, its shadows strewn with cobwebs, with piles of unidentifiable moldy material scattered along the floor. The air was dank and heavy with the odor of decay. I found myself shivering in spite of the frost-resistant tunic and the hot cup of klah still warming my stomach. Perfect place for ghosts. Ahead of me, the passageway turned right. I waited for my eyesight to adjust to the new dimness. Am I going to need a torch? I hope not, I hate not having my hands free for combat.

A few steps within, my new ring picked up a floating pink glow just around the nearby corner. At the same time, I heard a spectral moaning that sent chills up my spine. Ghost. Cacat. I moved immediately to the right hand wall and placed my shoulder against it, drawing Daedra Slayer. Its fire enchantment would be devastating to these creatures.

After a few moments’ waiting and watching, I saw the glow move further away from the corner. Readying the new soul trap spell, I slid to the bend and peered around. The greenish glow made it difficult to identify features, but I could tell the specter faced away from me. In a low crouch, I managed to sneak close enough to the spirit to feel the icy cold emanating off of it. It became aware of my presence just as I lifted my hand to send the soul trap spell into it. My left fingers trailed purple through its cold core as Daedra Slayer rose to strike from the right. I stepped back as fire trailed the path of my blade. The frost spell it sent my way fizzled ineffectually against me, its damage entrapped and dispersed by the enchantment of the tunic.

The ghost struggled to gather enough magicka between its hands to strike again, but my sword was quicker. Golden-red flame engulfed the specter before the ball of frost damage could leave its hands. The eerie moaning trailed off into a thin wail as the spirit coalesced into a glob of shimmering gel on the stone floor. Something sang softly from my belt pouch as the energy was drawn into an empty soul gem.

I regarded the remains of the ghost at my feet. Ectoplasm. The thought crossed my mind and I knelt beside it. Yes, I can gather it later. I have the wax parchment in my saddlebags for alchemy ingredient collection. Relas made certain I have plenty of it. But right now I had a more important goal in mind - find the Shrine of Tiber Septim.

An hour and four ghosts later, I entered the second large room. Again the detect life ring showed a pink flare on the platform high above me. I couldn’t see what it was, since the bulk of the stones blocked my view. But I could tell by its shape and the way it moved that it wasn’t another phantom. A human? Or a skeleton? The immense room was quiet, lit only by spectral fires that cast flickering blue light which did little to eliminate the shadows in the corners.

I paused, my gaze on that pink glow, and held my breath to listen. At first I heard only my own heartbeat, but before long the distinctive clatter of a skeleton reached my ears. Good. I can use Bones now. I moved to put my left shoulder against the solid side of the platform and followed it to the right. Moving widdershins, I rounded the structure and found the stairs leading up.

A check of the pink glow revealed its position to be near the top of the flight. It couldn’t see me, nor could I see it, as the line of sight was blocked by a wide, square pillar that supported the left side of the stairs. When the undead being turned to walk away from the steps, I glided forward, mentally visualizing Bones and his heavy mace in my mind. Using that square pillar as cover, I reached the top of the stairs and crouched against its bulk.

Bones materialized in front of me, and almost immediately sprang to attack the other. Unable to resist watching, I peered around as the two skeletons closed on each other. I felt my eyes widen at the sight of the other skeleton. Unlike those in the ruined town, who carried silvered weapons and steel shields, this one wielded a slender blade as familiar to me as my own. Instead of the bald pate of Bones, the blue-and-gold enameled helm covered the other’s skull and hid its face. The round blue-and-gold shield clinched the identity.

I leaned my shoulder against the pillar, breathless as Bones struck futilely at the other, his blows effortlessly blocked by the shield. The other slipped beneath my summons’s attack, smashing him down with a single, brutal chopping blow from his katana. That’s a Blade! One of the missing four? What in Oblivion happened here? Is he cursed? Are they all cursed?

The rattle of victory drew my attention back to the combat. The Blade skeleton flung his arms wide and chattered his teeth triumphantly at the ceiling. Of my Bones, there were no sign. Lightning reflexes, superb timing, not a move wasted. Akatosh, but he’s strong! I’ve seldom seen combat like that in the Legion. This is more Ferrum’s and Pelagius’s style.

This time, I watched the next encounter more closely. The second summons did not fare much better. The Blade let Bones make the first move, an overhanded attack. As the mace descended, the undead stepped back and feinted to the right. At the same time, he moved left and smashed home a backhanded side-slash into Bones’s unprotected right side. As Bones shattered into nothingness, I automatically assessed the skeleton’s tactics. Economical effort, maximum destruction with minimum risk to himself. Undead or not, he’s no reckless risk-taker.

Screenshot

The third Bones I summoned gave the undead Blade something more like a duel. My summons’s mace blurred as he made three attacks in quick succession. The skeleton easily absorbed the first overhanded attack on his shield. The second attack, a low onslaught from the left, was deflected aside with the forte, the strongest part of the katana blade nearest the hilt. Bones’s third attack followed on the heels of the deflection, circling around to strike at the undead Blade from the high right side. The skeleton raised his shield to block the mace and stabbed beneath it with his katana. As Bones disintegrated before this counterattack, I considered the triumphant Blade. Its empty eye sockets searched the shadows draping the walls of the large chamber before settling on the top of the steps where I hid.

He knows how to use both sword and shield. He can both slash and thrust depending on the situation. And he has superb timing, and knows how to maneuver without taking undue risk. Not only that, but he knows those were summons, and he is looking for the conjurer.

After three summons, the undead Blade showed no signs of damage. As I leaned back behind the broad cover of the stone pillar, I considered my depleted magicka and stifled a sigh. I’m going to have to take him on by myself. It’s not impossible, Julian. It’ll be just like sparring with Ferrum. But Ferrum isn’t trying to kill you, my sensible side stated flatly. I closed my eyes and listened to the clattering of the skeleton as it restlessly patrolled the edges of the platform.

“The key to the Sunbird Dance is to avoid reliance on any one style of fighting,” Jelin’s voice whispered in my memory. “If you get stuck fighting one way, then when you encounter an opponent that fights differently, you’ll be at a disadvantage. Fighting is like dancing - you have to be ready to change when the music changes. Yet a Sunbird Master sets the rhythm, not the music or the opponent.”

Akatosh! I hope I remember what I need to remember! I considered what I had seen of the undead Blade’s fighting skill. Both offense and defense are excellent. I don’t have a shield, that leaves me vulnerable. What advantage do I have over him? As I pondered the question, I recalled a practice session I once had with Jelin. He didn’t carry a shield - he seldom did. But the particular session I remembered was not the usual Legion strike-and-parry. Instead, Jelin had wielded two swords, both of which could be used both offensively and defensively. He had blocked my longsword with the slender blades with a fluid ease that had left me panting.

I retreated down the stairs as quietly as my mail would let me once the Blade was at the far side of the platform. Crouched in the shadows at the bottom, I unshouldered Akatosh’s Fury and laid it gently on the stone floor. The fletching on my arrows rustled softly as I laid the quiver next to the bow. I paused and listened, but heard no change in the sound of the skeleton’s patrol. I waited until he was moving away once more, then drew my plain katana left-handed, careful to minimize its song.

Quickly I scooted back up the stairs and took cover again behind the stone pillar before the undead Blade made the return circuit. As he walked past the other side of the pillar, I held my breath and closed my eyes again, seeking my center. The nerves I always felt before an anticipated clash threatened to shake my resolve.

In an attempt to calm my tremors, I took a deep breath and reviewed what I had just witnessed. This isn’t going to be easy. He’ll match the rhythm of his attack and defense to mine. Twenty-plus years of experience as a Blade has not been dampened by four hundred years of isolation in this sealed tomb. I felt my resolve begin to falter.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: May 27 2011, 04:04 PM

[Olen]

Exciting stuff, you managed to bypass the less interesting fights with the ghosts to focus on a single more important one, which is good. And quite a fight it promises to be. It seems like a while since Julian fought an opponent who was every bit as skilled as she is. She does have one other advantage though, which might prove pivotal: she's had an awful lot of experiance recently while the undead hasn't don'e much for a few centuaries.

still gave off some warmth which was noticeable only when I stepped out into the chill of the keep’s open courtyard

I liked the part with Blanco at the begining, it set up the rest well and this line really caught how cold it is. Little observations (which are so true) really bring this piece to life.

It was fortified with resist frost to keep him warm. -- out of interest how cold do horses cope well with IRL?

the energy was drawn into an empty soul gem -- another point of interest rather than anything else: how close is this to necromancy? Given that the ghost was a human, and is now in a soul gem...

I look forward to her attack, from behind I hope

[SubRosa]

The other new spell I learned in Chorrol - Choking Grasp - will drain the health on touch.
So Darth Julian has learned the old Force choke? Seriously though, her inventory of spells and powers beforehand was pretty impressive. It shows just how much of a magician she now is. Quite a dramatic change from her days as a pilus prior in the Sith Sixth Legion!

Julian shows her experience as she uses her skeleton to evaluate the first undead Blade. Where others would just charge in and start swinging, she takes her time and uses Bones to probe his abilities. Very nicely done on her part.

So Julian is going to take a page from the book of Miyamoto Musashi? Good for her! One of the things I missed in the vanilla game was the ability to use two swords, like the old swordmaster himself. Or Mark Ryan (playing Nasir in Robin of Sherwood)


nits:
its shadows strewn with cobwebs, {and} piles of unidentifiable moldy material scattered along the floor.
I am not sure, but I think you may have wanted an and where I inserted it above?

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 25 2011, 06:28 PM

[Acadian]

A cliffie!

You captured the cold outside the ruin beautifully and I loved Julian's camp set up details.

Good to see that Julian has amassed some more magical skill and trinketry.

'An hour and four ghosts later, I entered the second large room.'
This turned out to be an excellent economy of words as we began to realize the ancient bony Blade that Julian was up against. Very good thinking to scout him out with Bones, then back off and conjure up a plan. So, it will be dual wielding? Hee! I think mine would have been to go find Blanco and ride south!

I love Julian's respect for the ancient Blade, even if she must try to take him out.

What in the world has Jauffre sent her into? Gulp!

This post has been edited by Acadian: May 26 2011, 01:12 AM

[Grits]

The details of Julian’s routine at the campsite drew me right into the scene. Brrr! I felt like I was right beside her when she opened that door.

I was enthralled from her first step into the passage. The Blade taking Bones apart over and over was absolutely fascinating. When he looked around for Julian, I got chills. Then when she drew her second katana,

I am in awe of how much character you have given a skeleton. I’m halfway rooting for him! Well, since it's Julian, less than half.

I can’t wait for more!!

[D.Foxy]

Grits, all I will say is this - YER AINT SEEN NUFFINK YET.

Just you wait! It gets better - and better!!!

[haute ecole rider]

@Olen: For me Sancre Tor is about those four Blades. Believe me, on my first time through, after fighting the last one, I almost left the fort without the armor! I was heading for the exit when I had a facepalm moment - WAIT! I forgot something! The only reason I even went into this fort to begin with! So whenever I think of Sancre Tor, I think of those four guys. Everything else is just inconsequential. Of course, if I had left Sancre Tor without the armor, I’d be dealing with a very disappointed Emperor on my return! As for horses and cold, they are evolved for cold weather, so they’re very well-adapted. The modern horse appeared on the Siberian and Mongolian steppes, so cold, wind and snow are nothing to them. Desert sun and jungle humidity, not so good. They don’t stay as healthy in warmer climes as they do in colder. Blanco probably would have been fine without the blanket, but Julian would have felt guilty leaving him like that.

@SubRosa: You know, I’ve looked at a couple of dual wielding mods in the TES Nexus. I couldn’t find one I liked. Either they used the off hand weapon as a shield (no offensive actions with the left hand), or you had to purchase special weapons for the off hand - you couldn’t just use the vanilla weapons you already had. I did find one mod that does just that, but reading the comments I saw that it was very buggy and not recently updated to address those bugs, so Pass. Nit is fixed, though I went with ‘with’ instead of ‘and.’

@Acadian: Would you have stopped long enough to change greaves before getting on Blanco and heading south? Yes, what in Nirn indeed!

@Grits: So you were rooting for that skelly, huh? I don’t blame you - talented swordfighters are always cool. For you, it’s the scent of rank male sweat. For me, it’s the skillz with blades. Just too bad his lack of a boner makes him useless in other departments.

@Foxy: You’re absolutely right, they haven’t seen NUFFINK yet!

Once again, I couldn’t have written this without the invaluable input from Destri Melarg (his characters from Interregnum are the foundations for Rielus, Casnar, Valdemar and Alain in this one), and Dee Foxy for his combat expertise. Many, many thanks to both of you for your help and input here.

Chapter 26.3: The First Guardian

Unbidden, Jelin spoke in my ear again. “When going against a seasoned fighter, his very experience can be used against him. An old Blademaster, Black Fox, used to say ‘The weak fight as the strong, and the strong fight as the weak. The ignorant know what they do, and the experienced fight as bumbling fools.’ Veteran fighters usually evolve two distinct styles of fighting. The first is effective against the tironii, such as you, Julian.” He pointed his finger accusingly at me. “These use economical one-stroke kills. The second style is reserved for other veterans. Strategy, tactics, and fieldcraft become essential. If you were a veteran,” here Jelin paused, regarding me skeptically, a distinct bulge moving beneath his left cheek from his tongue, “if you were a veteran, you’d want to deceive the experienced fighter into thinking you’re just another tiro. Then, just maybe then, you’ll get him to take undue risks. If he does, you need to be ready to exploit them. But you’ll only pull it off once. Make it hurt!”

Thank you, Jelin, I whispered silently. I hope I can live up to your teachings today. I considered again what I had seen of the undead Blade’s tactics, and planned my choreography. Let’s hope I can make it hurt.

Finally I screwed up my courage and clenched Daedra Slayer tighter in my cold-numbed right hand. When the Blade turned and resumed his endless patrol of the platform, I slid out from the column and moved behind him. As I thought it would, the slither of my mail gave me away before I could strike him. I darted my katana toward his knees, but he sprang away instead of turning into the strike. I skipped back before he turned fully around to remain far out of reach of his ancient weapon. My two swords rose before me in the classic en garde pose that took all the strength in my arms. While I didn’t need it with the distance separating us, I held the pose, knowing it made me appear untried in combat. Believe that I’m a tiro, not an old soldier. Believe.

We faced each other for a eternally short moment. Those empty eye sockets beneath the helm moved over my swords. Then he lunged explosively toward me, his weapon darting to my left with a shoulder-shrug feint to the right intended to distract me. Good move versus a novice. But not against me!

I parried the strike near the tip of his sword with the forte of my own katana and used the leverage I now possessed to deflect it away from me. At the same time I feinted with my right, spurring him to raise his shield reflexively. As Daedra Slayer flared against the blue and gold round, I spun toward him, bringing the plain katana in a backhanded slice across his right side. My cut slipped past his reach and chipped splinters from his hip bone. Then I danced back before he could shorten his sword-grip to retaliate. Advantage to me. Hope this slows him down a bit.

He stepped a full two paces back, his empty eye sockets somehow conveying a sense of reflection.

I did not expect what he did next.

With a controlled, deliberate motion he lowered the tip of his sword to the stone floor, then lifted it up. His wrist moved higher than his breastbone, until he stood at attention, hilt in front of his skeletal grin. My eyes widened at the Legion salute. My imagination provided the flicker of a ghost smile across the front of his skull. He knows what I did, and acknowledges it. No more risk-taking. This isn’t going to get any easier.

With his katana in high guard position, he moved forward with the same deliberate speed, then circled to my left with an eerily fluid grace. I matched him move for move, my two weapons loosely weaving in the rhythm of his stalk. Any moment now. Let’s see his opening move.

With explosive speed he darted forward. Rather than striking through my guard as I had expected, his katana flicked left then right, striking each of my two blades in quick succession. Before I could respond, he feinted left, sidestepped right and feinted left again before backpedaling, all with that same uncanny grace. His skull tilted to one side, then he raised his shield and tapped his left arm with his right.

Again I felt surprise. Akatosh, he’s damn good! Now he knows my strength and reflexes, and he just told me he knows I’m left-handed, even though I’m trained to fight dexter! The greatest swordsman I’ve ever met, all right. Better even than Jelin.

But now his rhythm and strength was familiar to me, thanks to his exploratory movements. I mentally reviewed the Sunbird Dance and selected the tempo to match his. With subconscious purpose I began circling widdershins. The undead Blade matched it with a slow spin to keep his face to me. I picked up the pace and began to move faster, forcing him into a whirl as he kept turning to face me. Do skeletons get dizzy? Only one way to find out.

Once I had him attuned to my rhythm, I launched a sudden attack to his left side, smacking his shield when he blocked my strike. I sprinted to my left again before he could recover and launched another attack, again against his left side, and again, and again. Daedra Slayer trailed blurred flames with each hit. I kept him turning to face me, turning and blocking in an even tempo. Is he settled into my dance now? Now.

I feinted forward, then slammed my feet to the floor in a dead stop. My thighs and calves protested briefly as I jerked myself backwards. For the briefest of moments this caught him out. Instead of facing his impenetrable shield, I faced his sword, just now coming up to guard.

I dropped to a crouch, my two blades blurring. My plain katana knocked his sword aside, while Daedra Slayer flashed toward his now exposed knee.

More splinters flew from the bone, and flames licked up and down his right leg, but he still launched a counterstrike. Before I could disengage, he brought the edge of his shield down on my right forearm. The steel struck sparks from my mailed sleeve as the rim skittered toward my wrist. Only the reflexes from long years of training and battle enabled me to ignore the pain for the moment, and his follow-up slash whistled past my temple with about a hand’s breath to spare.

My right arm bones throbbed madly, still intact thanks to the enchanted mail. I managed to hang on to Daedra Slayer and bring the katana in my left hand up in a slice across his right arm. The skeleton chittered angrily at me as he shoved me back with the shield. In the corner of my eye I caught the glimmer of a golden amulet at his neck, tangled in his upper ribs and collarbone. Is that enchanted? What will happen if I were to remove it? Better to finish this fast. The longer we fight, the more he’s learning about my skills, and the more he’s adapting to my style.

Once again I returned to the attack first. Daedra Slayer flashed in a low swing intended to slip beneath the other’s shield, and I wasn’t surprised when he dropped the cover to deflect my right attack. Before he could counter, I brought my left hand high before my face and swung the tip of the katana toward the other’s neck. The blade caught the chain of the amulet and snapped it into two. The pendant dropped within his rib cage until the broken links became snarled between the ribs and breastbone.

The undead Blade hissed and swung his weapon overhand at me. I deflected the strike with my plain katana, his blade sliding along mine with a screeching shower of sparks. Rather than bear down behind his sword as I expected, he backed off and struck again. It took all my skill to parry each and every blow without getting my fingers sliced off. Each time a strike landed, I felt the shock of the impact all the way into my shoulder joints. I’m slightly faster, but he’s much stronger, and he knows it!

The next few minutes were a flurry of strikes and parries that drove me back step by grueling step toward the iron railing that encircled the platform. Suddenly my heel struck an unyielding surface and I found myself falling backwards. Somehow I managed to cross both blades above me in time to block the descending weapon that flashed toward me.

I sat down hard on the old chest just as the Blade’s katana struck my pair. The impact sent fire flickering along his blade and thrummed through my arm bones, aggravating the pain in my right arm. I resisted the downward thrust momentarily, then brought both of my feet up and braced them against his pelvis. This shifted my center of balance, and I fell back suddenly. I took advantage of the situation and kicked upward with both of my feet, sending the skeleton up and over me and headfirst into the wall behind us. Something tinkled to the floor beside me as the bones scattered behind me, losing their cohesiveness along with the violet glow that signified the energy that had bound them together for unknown years.

Panting with nerves, I rolled sideways off the chest and staggered back, valiantly bringing my weapons up en garde. But the pile of shattered bones were immobile, the shield slowly spinning on its rim to a clattering stop. I took a few more steps back, then glanced around the chamber. At the opposite side of the platform, a bridge led to the only way out of the room, other than the way I had come in. No other pink glows manifested themselves.

But a whooshing sound behind me spun my katanas back to the remnants of the ancient Blade. A ghostly figure of a man crouched on one knee over the bones. I slipped the enchanted ring partly off my finger to eliminate the pink glow and readied for another attack, seeing the full Blades armor the other wore. Where in Oblivion did he come from? First a skeleton, now a ghost?

The phantom rose to its full height and turned toward me. The ephemeral sword he carried remained sheathed, and the shield rested at his left hip. I managed to stand my ground and hold my bladder tight as he stepped toward me.

“At long last,” his wispy voice held the subtle persuasion of the Imperials, “you have freed me.” He bowed his head to me. “I can now complete my lord’s last request.”

Cursed. He was cursed. But who is he? I glanced at the pile of bones and Blades armor behind him. “Who are you?”

“I am Rielus.” He raised his right fist in a salute to me. “Loyal Blade of the Emperor Tiber Septim. I do not know how long I have been here. It feels like an eternity.”

I did a rapid mental calculation. “The Emperor you served passed away about four hundred years ago,” I managed to regain my breath. “Long enough to feel like an eternity I suppose. Can you tell me what happened here?” What am I doing? I can’t believe I’m speaking to a ghost!

“My three companions and I were sent here by the Emperor Tiber Septim to discover what evil had defiled the holy catacombs of Sancre Tor.” The phantom shook his head. “We did not know that the Underking, who once was Zurin Arctus, had risen to take his first revenge upon his former lord. The Underking defeated us and ensnared us in evil enchantment. He bound us here to guard forever the desecrated Shrine of Tiber Septim.”

A thousand sextets of ants’ feet crawled up my back beneath the fur-lined tunic at his words. I glanced around uneasily. “Is the Underking still here?” If he is, I doubt I can defeat something so powerful.

Again the phantom shook his head, a gesture so strangely human in one so long undead. “No. He left us long ago.” He pointed toward the bridge. “But his evil will remains, blocking all who wish to pay homage at the Shrine of Tiber Septim.” His shoulders straightened in an expression of determination more real than flesh and blood. “Over the uncounted years of our slavery we have considered, no, studied our defeat. I now believe that the four of us can undo the evil Underking’s legacy. But in order to do that, I beg a favor of you, hero.”

“I’m no hero,” I answered automatically before I could stop myself. “But I am a Blade sister, and you have but to ask.” A sense of pride moved through me. Yes, I am a Blade sister, and yes, he can ask a favor of me.

“Free my brothers,” Rielus whispered. “Together we may be able to lift the Underking’s curse. Farewell! I go now to complete my duty. I shall wait for you to complete yours.”

I swung my katana vertically before my face in the Legion salute. “I shall not fail you, brother.”

He paused beside the old chest, looking down at something gleaming on the floor. “Take the amulet,” he gestured toward the golden pendant that had finally dropped from his bones at the end. “It was a gift from Casnar. Wear it if you like, or return it to Cloud Ruler Temple.”

[D.Foxy]

Gods, reading this, I remember how much FUN we had discussing and writing this together!!!

DESTRI! Whereforth art thou???!!???

[SubRosa]

The problem with the dual-wielding is that it is just not built into the game engine itself, so as you saw most just use the second weapon in place of a shield. I used Nicro's Dreadweave Axes for my spellsword Morrigan. I wanted to use a weapon and fight in melee sometimes, but did not want a shield. I found the offhand axe worked quite well to parry with for her.

The ones that try to use it as an actual weapon are causing the game to do some serious acrobatics that it was not intended for. So crashes are not at all surprising.

Very nice work with Julian's reflections on strategy, and making herself appear to be a novice in order to deceive her opponent into making a reckless move. Here you do not just tell us that she is an experienced fighter but show us. Too bad he survived her one good shot before figuring it out. Likewise, you continued to show it in the following battle, with her use of the Sunbird Dance and sudden reversal of momentum, and finally with her recognizing the amulet as something important, and using a bit of wrestling (if it can be called that) to ultimately remove it from him. Even if the latter was not planned, it was still pulled of wonderfully.

I managed to stand my ground and hold my bladder tight


“I’m no hero,”
Sounds like a certain red-haired Bosmer.

Yes, I am a Blade sister, and yes, he can ask a favor of me.
This was the strongest part of the episode for me. Here the weight of Julian's becoming a Blade really comes down. She is not just someone doing a favor for the Emp and his spymaster. She really is a Blade, and this is what it means.


nits:
Cursed. He was cursed. But who is he? I glanced at the pile of bones and Blades armor behind him. “Who are you?”
The bolded parts feel redundant. I think you can delete the leading But who is he? without losing anything.


“My three companions and I were sent here by the Emperor Tiber Septim to discover what evil had defiled the holy catacombs of Sancre Tor.” The phantom shook his head. “We did not know that the Underking, who once was Zurin Arctus, had risen to take his first revenge upon his former lord. The Underking defeated us and ensnared us in evil enchantment. He bound us here to guard forever the desecrated Shrine of Tiber Septim.”
There seems to be a continuity issue here. If Tiber Septim sent them, then that would mean he was still alive. But if they were defeated by Arctus and used to guard the place, how did it become a shrine where Tiber Septim was later buried? Rielus and the others would have killed everyone who entered to try to create a shrine, not to mention entomb Talos. I do not recall if it was like that in the game, but you might consider changing it to them being sent by Tiber Septim's successor.

Edit: Reads Captain Hammer's post. Ahh, never mind. Now it all makes sense.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 28 2011, 03:27 AM

[Acadian]

Wonderfully done, and powerful atmosphere here!

'We faced each other for a eternally short moment.
Love the imagery here!

To borrow from and add to SubRosa:
“I’m no hero,”
Sounds like a certain red-haired Bosmer.
'I managed to stand my ground and hold my bladder tight.'
Sounds like a lesson for a certain blond-haired Bosmer.

“At long last,” his wispy voice held the subtle persuasion of the Imperials, “you have freed me.”
An amazingly effective description that the ghost was an Imperial. Wow!

“But I am a Blade sister, and you have but to ask.” A sense of pride moved through me. Yes, I am a Blade sister, and yes, he can ask a favor of me.'
Julian is associated with the Legion, Mages Guild and the Blades. It is the Blades however that I have always seen as her truest fit. It is a tribute to both Julian and your writing that this passage moves a sense of pride through all of us who have the pleasure to read it.

[Captain Hammer]

Great sequence with Rielus the Undead Blade. Watching a pretty spry 400+ year-old skeleton take out a summons and then go toe-to-toe with Julian of Anvil was a very well written piece.

You do amazing work with Julian's combat techniques and mentality. And speaking from experience, I do know what it's like to train your weaker hand for combat. Though I'm a righty, I've utilized mirrored training drills to strengthen my left, and have on occasion been mistaken for a southpaw and gained some small advantage.

While I must argue that Julian would be much better off with a sword-breaker (a dagger-like weapon with notches on the forte designed to catch the edge of a slender blade like a katana), she did very well with what she had on her. Maybe this experience will teach her the value of throwing fire around like it was candy the way sorcerers, spellswords, and battlemages do.

@SubRosa: The shrine of Tiber Septim contains only the man's armor, not the body itself. It was placed in Sancre Tor to celebrate his victory there and those that fell during the attack, probably around the time Talos Stormcrown became Emperor Tiber Septim. In-game, there's an inscription that pops up if you attempt to open the doors without the key Jauffre provides stating that it was sealed in Tiber's 36th year as emperor, meaning sometime in 3E 4-5. This would be about the same time the Underking first re-emerged following the consolidation of the Empire and the first destruction of Numidium.

This post has been edited by Captain Hammer: May 28 2011, 02:17 AM

[Thomas Kaira]

Dee Foxy Reynard the Blademaster, you have outdone yourself this time! that was an intense fight, made all the better by Hautee's interdiction and interpretation! I salute thee!

With a controlled, deliberate motion he lowered the tip of his sword to the stone floor, then lifted it up. His wrist moved higher than his breastbone, until he stood at attention, hilt in front of his skeletal grin.

I did not expect that, either. That was something else! What a great touch!

If the next three battles are anything like this one was, we are going to have a chapter for the history books here! I really cannot wait for what happens next!