The Saga of Joan of Arkay, A Morrowind Main Quest Story Options

[Renee]

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26 Last Seed (Day 11), 3rd Era Year 427

Location: Balmora

Joan spends the morning killing ... rats. Rat killing is Joan of Cheydinhal's first official duty as an Associate of the Fighters Guild. She's become the town's exterminator, apparently. Though such a task might appear to be beneath someone who has just joined one of the most prestigious guilds in Tamriel, this is the very first contract of her career, as an aspiring Knight of Holiness.

Many might complain about this, but not Joan. Whatever and whoever she might become in this strange land full of mushroom trees and gigantic flying creatures which resemble jellyfish, she merely accepts the contract. "We must all commence upon lowly turf from the onset," says she, as she makes her way toward the home of Drarayne Thelas.

Joan enters Drarayne's home and has a chat about the lady's problem: Rats! ... Rats have taken over her bedroom, and her storeroom! Drarayne complains about them nervously, fearing for her life, yet Joan stands vigilant. She enters the Dunmer's bedroom first, deals with the pests in there, then goes upstairs to take care of the ones which have invaded the storage area.

The rats are surprisingly tough! Joan must leave Drarayne's abode once just to heal up, the furry plague she's dealing with are quite vicious. But within an hour, the infestation has been eradicated. Miss Thelas is now free to clean and care for her massive collection of pillows, and Joan can now collect her first legitimate income outside of Cyrodiil.

After this, she begins her quest to find Caius Cosades.

She had been told to head to Balmora's South Wall Cornerclub, located on the east side of town. So she does so, and asks the first person she meets about this fellow named Cosades.

"That old sugar tooth?" asks Sortilde, a Nord lady who seems as though she might dabble in the sugar herself. "I'm not sure where he's living now. But ask Bacola Closetus, the owner... he'll know."

So Joan spends a few minutes looking for this Bacola fellow. Eventually, she finds him upstairs. "Old Caius rents a little bed-and-a-basket just up the hill on the north edge of town," Bacola says. "Go out the front door -- NOT the upper door to the terrace -- then right up the stairs, then left at the top of the stairs, and down to the end of the street." *

Joan wonders if she should be writing this down. Though she is unclear exactly which direction she should start heading for this 'bed-and-basket', she finally finds the hovel owned by Caius, which is all the way up the north side of the avenue. She knocks on the man's door, before walking right in.

"You want something friend?" he asks with his Colovian accent. Caius Cosades stands before Joan ... shirtless. Here's a man who seems to care little for modesty, especially considering the fact that Joan is an exact stranger. Then again, it was she who had just barged into his home.

"You are Caius Cosades? I am Joan of Cheydinhal. I was told to find you."

"Whaaat? Yes I'm Caius Cosades. But, what do you mean, you were 'told to find me?'" he asks, exasperated. "What are you talking about?"

Joan takes a moment to light the candle she had bought across town, for it is rather dim inside of the man's one-room home. "I have this .. erm.. package for you, sir. Was received by my person from a soldier within the quaint village of Seyda Neen, one week and one half ago."

"So. You say your name is Joan of Cheydinhal?" he seems to challenge. "And you've been told to report to me and deliver a package. Perhaps you'll let me look at it?"

"By all means," Joan said, gladly handing it over.

"Yes, very interesting," says Caius as he examines its contents. Which appear to be a series of pages. He reads a couple of these pages. "So. It says here the Emperor wants me to make you a Novice in the Blades."

Joan's jaw drops involuntarily. "A novi--- I--- But I..."

"And that means you'll be following my orders." Cauis's tongue is rough, but his manner of speaking is sharp. Very direct. Which seems rather out-of-place for someone who has no qualms about standing before a stranger, a female stranger, shoeless and half-naked. "Are you ready to follow my orders, Joan of Arkay?"

... And he hasn't taken the time to don a top!

This is what catches Joan off-guard the most. The man before her is odd, boasting a mixture of stern command and reposed nonchalance. Does any of this have anywhich to do with my choice of coming to Morrowind to exact within holy works? Joan wonders. "Ehm... but what are these orders?"

"Good. Welcome to the service," Caius says. "Novice, Joan of Cyrodiil. Now you belong to the Blades."

"I ... belong to the Blades?"

Though she does not say so, Joan's immediate reaction to the unabashed man before her is that he does not seem so grand. He does not seem to come from any position of power. Yet he claims to be a Blade? If so, this means he has to have attained some sort of rank. For Caius was known to the final Imperial guard who'd inducted her into Vvardenfell, back in Seyda Neen. It was not like this guard had told Joan to seek someone else. No, that guard specifically sent her here.

"We're the Emperor's eyes and ears in the provinces," he informs her, before making one of the most ridiculous offers a man can make to a virtual female stranger. "You can use my bed if you need to rest, but leave my personal belongings alone, unless I say otherwise."

Joan is taken aback, and actually hopes she's not blushing. "Not of any concern, sir. But ehm... your bed is your bed. I do have my own to lie upon by now, as across town, and within the Fighters Guild's lower confines do I currently rest mine head."

Caius nods, then continues. "If you like, you can improve your modest skills with our trainers. Or if you're in a hurry, I can give you orders right away."

"Orders?" Was this man sure he wanted her? "Well. What sort of orders have you in mind?"

Right then and there, Caius Cosades tells her she is 'new', and gives her 200 drakes. Two-hundred. "Go get yourself a decent weapon. Or spell..." Caius also informs Joan that she'll need some sort of 'cover identity', immediately making her a little nervous. But it's nothing to get nervous about. He suggests that she should join one of the town's guilds, Imperial Cult, or Imperial Legion. Joan nods dutifully, not bothering to tell him she's already part of a couple of those on his list.

But... a cover identity, hmm? The man seems to imply that perhaps it'd not be wise for her to go around telling people she is one with the Blades.

Finally, he gives her her first Bladely order. She is to talk to Hasphat Antabolis of the Fighters Guild. She should ask him what he knows about the Nerevarine secret cult, as well as the Sixth House secret cult. Information, and lots of it for Joan the new Blade. So this time, she makes sure to write all of this down in her travel journal. "You'll have to do Hasphalt a favor first," Caius says. "Probably an ugly favor."

"Oh my..."

"But do it. Then get the information from him and report back to me."

Joan is unsure whether she'll do so, unsure if the Imperial before her is really a Blade, and unsure if she'll even speak to Hasphalt Antabolis about any of this. It's all happening so fast. Too fast, perhaps. For the first time since coming to Vvarndenfell, she feels a little sad, finally missing home. Her sadness compels her to leave. She prepares to do so, packing away her journal, her quill, she blows out her candle.

As she takes one last look around the home of Caius Cosades, Joan spots a pile of moon sugar on the nearby nightstand. A skooma pipe lies under his bed.


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Joan lights her candle

Caius Cosades

A moment with the Aedra

Joan of Cheydinhal, now a member of the Blades

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Notes: * Note the directions given by the Cornerclub owner to Joan. For those who haven't played Morrowind yet, THIS is what it's like to follow quests in a game without Quest Markers!

I also wish I had gotten a pic or two of the rat extermination process. Sometimes I get too caught up in the moment when action occurs, and I forget about PrintScreen.

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 2 2021, 12:41 PM

[SubRosa]

Town rat catcher to Knight of Holiness. We all have to start somewhere...

I love the 'bed-and-basket' description.

It is interesting how the Blades are a throughline through the ES games. The Agent of Daggerfall was a Blade, you are one in Morrowind. You become one in Oblivion, and in Skyrim. I cannot remember if you were in the Blades in Arena.

Well Joan is now on a secret mission to find out what this Hat Fat guy knows.

[Acadian]

"We must all commence upon lowly turf from the onset," says she,'
- - Well spoken, Joan. Humility better suits a holy knight than hubris.

Given Joan's attitudes, I'd be concerned about whatever 'ugly' favor Asphalt might ask of her as his price for info.

[Lena Wolf]

It is interesting how the Blades are a throughline through the ES games. The Agent of Daggerfall was a Blade, you are one in Morrowind. You become one in Oblivion, and in Skyrim. I cannot remember if you were in the Blades in Arena.

Lena has never been to Daggerfall or Morrowind, but neither in Cyrodiil or Skyrim did she choose to join the Blades. They might try, but if she wanted to be surrounded by people who think themselves infinitely better than she, she could have just stayed in Mankar's Paradise. Of course there was no avoiding helping the Blades... and she didn't have to expect any gratitude, that much was clear... Now Joan's experience with the Blades just seconds Lena's as well as that of the other guy from Lena's world who's been to Morrowind but didn't get very far - Sarek or something... But it was when Lena was just born, so doesn't count.

[macole]

Cosades, a glance at the nightstand tells all one needs to know about how a once a highly respected Blade officer found himself assigned to the island of Vvardenfell.

I never thought of the Character as being a member of the Blades. Not even when he joined the Blades, which usually he didn’t. The Character was always thought of as someone independent, someone so shrouded in the myst and shadows that the Blades don’t even know who he is.

[Renee]

*under construction*

[Acadian]

Working with Renee, we've moved Joan's saga from the Morrowind Mischiefs thread in the Older Games forum to its own fanfic thread here.

[Lena Wolf]

Congratulations on getting your own fanfic thread, Renee! Looking forward to more adventures of Joan of Arkay!!

[TheCheshireKhajiit]

"We must all commence upon lowly turf from the onset," says she,'
- - Well spoken, Joan. Humility better suits a holy knight than hubris.

Given Joan's attitudes, I'd be concerned about whatever 'ugly' favor Asphalt might ask of her as his price for info.

Lol Cosades never knew how right he was about the favor being “ugly”. It’s probably one of the most god awful tasks in the game! Bethesda knew what they were doing.

This post has been edited by TheCheshireKhajiit: Oct 5 2021, 10:18 PM

[SubRosa]

It is great to see Joanie come adventuring in the Fan Fic forum. I hope you will bring your other character's tales over here as well.

[Lopov]

"Ehm... but what are these orders?"

"Good. Welcome to the service," Caius says.

I really enjoyed the first official FF-story, it made me laugh more than just once. The whole scene with shirtless Caius giving firm orders to surprised Joan, even allowing her to use his bed, and mentioning "ugly" favor that she'll need to perform, was just hilarious!

I really like the pic with the lit-on candle.

Things might have been happening too fast but I do hope that she'll follow Caius' orders.

[Renee]

Yah I decided to move Joan of Arkay's tale here, just because her story was supposed to be simple updates (my character is in X doing X) like I've been writing in Oblivion > General lately. But Joan's tales started with some imagination and fiction right from the getgo.

Have some cake, everyone. Maybe if everybody's munching I won't feel so nervous.

And thank you Acadian for moving all these tales here. Now that the Morrowind Mischiefs thread is bare, maybe I'll start posting my other two characters in MM. Their tales equate to simple updates, you see. My character is in X doing X. At least that's what I tell myself.

It is interesting how the Blades are a throughline through the ES games. The Agent of Daggerfall was a Blade, you are one in Morrowind. You become one in Oblivion, and in Skyrim. I cannot remember if you were in the Blades in Arena..

Hey, I never thought of it this way! That's right. We are part of the Blades, or assist them, in every game so far except Arena. Assuming your character does the Main Quest, of course. I don't remember what their role is in Arena, but there are Blades in that game, too.

"We must all commence upon lowly turf from the onset," says she,'
- - Well spoken, Joan. Humility better suits a holy knight than hubris.

Given Joan's attitudes, I'd be concerned about whatever 'ugly' favor Asphalt might ask of her as his price for info.

Yea, I love when she said that "We must commence upon lowly turf from the onset."

The favor has already been done, since my gaming is several weeks ahead of my storytelling. The favor isn't so bad. But it is quite a good Bethesda trick.

Cosades, a glance at the nightstand tells all one needs to know about how a once a highly respected Blade officer found himself assigned to the island of Vvardenfell.

I never thought of the Character as being a member of the Blades. Not even when he joined the Blades, which usually he didn’t. The Character was always thought of as someone independent, someone so shrouded in the myst and shadows that the Blades don’t even know who he is.

Ha, so you're saying Caius was once in a higher position, eh? Wow. Wonder what he did to get demoted. (Uh, don't answer if there's spoilers!)

I know what you mean about a character joining some guild or faction but not feeling entirely a part of it. In fact this is how Joan feels now.

Congratulations on getting your own fanfic thread, Renee! Looking forward to more adventures of Joan of Arkay!!

Thank you Lena! In fact you encouraged me a month or so back, when we were messaging. Miss Rosa also took a shot, and so did Acadian.

Lol Cosades never knew how right he was about the favor being “ugly”. It’s probably one of the most god awful tasks in the game! Bethesda knew what they were doing.

It's not really THAT bad, but it IS one heck of a trick. Some Bethesda devs definitely got their fill of nerdgasms laughing at all of us trying to figure it out.

We looked all over the place for that damn ... item. It's so easy to find, too.

It is great to see Joanie come adventuring in the Fan Fic forum. I hope you will bring your other character's tales over here as well.

Well I will be writing Laprima Donaugh's tale here, too. That'll be a Skyrim story.

Laprima will be interesting for me to game with because she's a noble. She's lived a posh life, and so she's not so combat-oriented because she's used to being surrounded by guards all her life. But over time, she'll be forced to learn how to fight, and defend herself. She basically comes to Skyrim to give her hand in marriage, and Queen Elisif is her aunt.

Stay tuned. <_<

I really enjoyed the first official FF-story, it made me laugh more than just once. The whole scene with shirtless Caius giving firm orders to surprised Joan, even allowing her to use his bed, and mentioning "ugly" favor that she'll need to perform, was just hilarious!

Things might have been happening too fast but I do hope that she'll follow Caius' orders.

Thanks Doctor Lopov. I knew you in particular would like that one, since you have fond memories of this game.

She is going to follow Caius Cosades's orders because she thinks she's being guided to do so.

Ciao.

[Renee]

This chapter's not so exciting, so you all don't have to comment much if you lack words. Next week is where things start getting more interesting.


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29 Last Seed (Day 14)

Location: Balmora



Last Seed 29 is a day of tethering lines, throwing lures out into the pond, to see if anything snatches them up. Joan busies herself all over town. By the day's end, she has several directions to go.

Eydis Fire-Eye, the Fighters Guild's Guardian and leader, wants Joan to head south toward an eggmine. There, she is to find a couple of egg-poachers, and kill them. Joan accepts the contract, but disagrees silently about the killing part. She wonders if she can -instead- find these poachers, and then discuss their wrongdoings in a peaceful manner. Maybe she can convince them to see the errors of their ways.

"From where do you hail?"

Joan then heads to the Mages Guild. Here she buys a Frostbite spell, which will become more practical against any enemies who are also dark elves. She already has a fire-based spell in her book, but dark elves are resistant to fire. Frostbite costs 60 drakes, leaving her with enough to buy a second spell. Frostbite is also a touch spell, meaning that she'll need to directly contact any enemy she needs to affect. Since there will be times she's going to also try avoiding such direct contact, Joan elicits the help of Estirdalin, the guild's spell-maker, to create a targeted version of her new spell. This new targeted spell costs just 42 gold. It takes a few hours for the elf to create it, and Joan to learn.

It may seem contradictory, an aspiring Knight of Holiness buying up Destruction spells. But here is where her past training lies. Here is where she must continue her magical horizons, if she is to succeed at whatever career she's got forthcoming. To succeed, she must first survive. She puts her faith in The Nine, but those aedra in the sky aren't always able to lend their assistance to mortals. Especially in an immediate sense.

"Adventure lies beyond the cities, friend."

Joan of Cheydinhal is not as good with Destruction spells as she is with Restoration, she knows this. Ultimately she hopes it is Restoration which will become the more developed of these two magical schools, with Mysticism supplementing on occasion.

"I thought I heard something."

By now it is mid-afternoon. Joan has a meal of bread and hackle-lo leaf before heading to the Fighters Guild. Finally, she finds and speaks to Hasphat Antabolis.

"Yes?" asks Hasphat, an Imperial wearing ordinary town clothes. His voice is cultured, his attire is clean.

"I am Joan, of Cheydinhal. I have been tasked with conversing you on the matter of..." she stops, suddenly unsure of what to say. "Ehm, Caius sent me."

"Good day, Joan," Hasphat answers. "So you're with Caius, eh? And Caius wants information? ... Of course, there is a this-and-that involved."

"A 'this-and-that'?"

"I require a favor first," he says, "and then I'll tell you what you want to know."

Joan fidgets a little. Caius had told her this 'favor' might be unpleasant. "Go on."

"There are Dwemer ruins nearby called Arkngthand," he says. "I need you to run over there and find me a little cube with a circular design and some symbols on one side. It's called a Dwemer puzzle box. Bring me back the Dwemer puzzle box and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Joan relaxes. Well this does not have the aura of things vulgar, nor the aura of menace. "You wish for me to locate this box," she says. "And where might these ruins be found?"

...At least he did not ask her anything too punishing. She was thinking she'd have to infiltrate a coven, or perhaps impersonate a spriggan to scare off some unsophisticated villagers!

... But it is nothing so horrid, or so she thinks. She agrees to head off to Arkngthand. She learns the place is located just up the hill from Fort Moonmoth, Not too far of a walk, and not too dangerous either.

By now it is late afternoon. Joan has dinner at Eight Plates before heading to Moonmoth. Since the journey is short and safe, she travels without her Imperial guard companion. Once inside of the fort she rests her hands upon the Imperial Cult's altar. She accepts her blessing for the night. Tomorrow will be another challenging day, thinks she.

[macole]

Oh, the Puzzle Box. I thought so. Could swear that I passed it by a dozen times before I saw it for what it was

[SubRosa]

Somehow I doubt those egg-poachers (poached eggs?) are going to be a cooperative as Joan hopes...

Joan is getting frosty in response to local conditions. Looks like she will be prepared for further Dunmer-entanglements.

Ah yes, the puzzle box. I remember this. It takes you to that neat dwarven ruin. Hopefully it is not this kind of box

[Lopov]

Oh, the Puzzle Box. I thought so. Could swear that I passed it by a dozen times before I saw it for what it was

Same here!

So keep your eyes open, Joan. Now that favor doesn't sound so bad, right? And she will even explore a Dwarven ruin, probably for the first time in her life since there aren't any in Cyrodiil.

[Acadian]

A quiet, but productive day in Balmora. Nice that Joan will use her own judgment regarding the egg poachers. Both a touch and ranged frost spell sound prudent. A Dwemer puzzle box! Buffy recently helped a friend find one of those in ESO.

[Renee]

macole-- the Puzzle Box is really easy to miss. I got lucky because I found it almost right away, it was getting to where the box is which confused me.

Rosa-- Poached eggs! Yeah, she is getting a rather frosty response in this town it would seem. Good thing is, she does get some kind words and respect here and there, as people try to be nice and help her acclimate. This sort of stuff doesn't really get written about as much, but it's there.

Lopov-- Arnkngthand will indeed her first Dwemer ruin. In her backstory, she has been to some Ayleid ruins near CHeydinhal such as Belden (edit: Belda), and also a couple forts. But she went with a group of others who were much more experienced. Her focus was to go to places housing undead, conjurers, or foul EVIL necromancers. She would have been young: somewhere between 14 and 17 when all that occurred. Just like the real Joan of Arc.

Acadian -- That sounds fun. So there's a Puzzle Box in the online game as well! I wonder what the significance is. Anyway, yes, Joan is going to try to handle these poachers in her own way. Let's see if she's successful.

This post has been edited by Renee: Oct 16 2021, 01:40 AM

[Renee]

30 Last Seed (Day 15) early afternoon

Location: Skulk Egg Mine


"I don't know if I can help, but I'll try!"

Joan arrives to Skulk Egg Mine, located a few miles south of Balmora, with her Imperial guard comrade. The journey goes smoothly and without incident on this pleasantly warm day. Outside the mine, Joan introduces herself to a couple of egg farmers who stand just outside of the mine. They inform her that indeed, a couple of former farmers reside somewhere within: one a male, the other a female. They have proved to be no good, and have caused nothing but trouble as of late.

"Sevilo Othan and Daynila Valus used to work here," says one of the farmers. "Not good people. Could be hiding anywhere within the mine."

Leave it to Stendarr, and leave it to Talos, thinks Joan in so many thoughts. These two Aedra shall guide her path as she calls upon some of their specific qualities: Stendarr for resilience, and Talos for courage. Once inside, she is pleased to see her guard companion lights a torch, so both of them can see better. The mine itself isn't so dark, but the presence of extra illumination makes her feel just a little more confident. Today's contract might not be as easy as fighting rats!

As they walk deeper into the mine, a giant creature lumbers toward them in the darkness! The creature makes a gurgling sound. Its exoskeleton is dark, and it walks on four legs. Joan readies her sword ... but her companion informs her that this creature is nothing to fear. Before them is a kwama worker, which would not attack unless provoked. "Only the foragers attack. And you've already seen a couple of those out in the wilds. Little worm-like menaces, easy to kill!"

Joan puts her sword away.

The pair search the entire first section of the cave, going deep underground. They encounter a dozen workers, several harmless scribs, and finally, a couple hostile foragers. The foragers down here are no tougher than those which crawl upon land, and are easy kills.

They search and they search, but Joan and her guard encounter no poachers. No humanoids at all, in fact.


Hours later
Joan and her guard continue their delve. Eventually they find the Queen's Chamber, which is the mine's deepest portion. In any eggmine, a queen a must thrive. It is the queen who breeds and bears and keeps the eggmine populated. Though she is limited in movement, she can be deadly aggressive, according to the two miners Joan had met several hours before.

Suddenly, something shifts before them in the dark. Shifts, and begins running toward them.

"You n'wah! Now you die!"

The intruders are immediately attacked by Davnila Valas, one of Skulk Mine's two poachers. Davnila (being not much more than a commoner, a former worker of the mine) is unarmored. Lacking any sort of proper weapon, she grabs, then swings her miner's pick at Joan, but the Fighters Guild's newest Associate easily sidesteps the affront. Joan's spirit is abruptly torn. She struggles with her thoughts, and struggles to unsheathe her sword. This is not how she wanted this to go!

"Please. Take one moment to stand down Daynila," she commands, "for we must..."

But before Joan can say much more, her guard steps in. Joan barely has time to attempt to stop him before he's going against their opponent. "Nooo!!!" With just a few swings of his poleaxe, the poacher is fallen.

This is not the way Joan had wanted things to go. Had this woman really needed to fall to her death just now? Perhaps it was my initial calling upon Stendarr and Talos which had apparently caused an aberration of process, thinks she in so many thoughts. Perhaps I shall call upon the personal fortifying aspects of Dibella as I arrive to meet Sevilo.

Sevilo Othan, the second eggpoacher. Joan looks around, checking to see if Sevilo is anywhere near. He is not. So she sheathes her sword, and puts a hand upon the shoulder of her guard. "Sir, might I ask. That you stay within that former section of mine, the one through which we just made passage? For it was my wish to forge an attempt at diplomacy, and pacify each poacher as I may with words."

"As you wish," her guard says, without complaint. He does as he's told, and moves back into the former area of the mine where all the workers and foragers reside.

"Many thanks!" she calls after him, before starting the search for Sevilo.

Earthen walls surround, with occasional flaming sconces to supplement her vision. There are more workers in here. Joan reminds herself that if she does encounter Skulk Mine's queen, she is not to bother her, even if the queen becomes aggressive and attacks. Fighting and killing a queen at Joan's level of proficiency might be darn-well impossible. Plus, it would cause all the mine's friendly workers to turn hostile as well. At least, this is what the outdoor egg farmers had told her.

Here in the Queen's Chamber she finds two initial ways she can go, once she has left the area where Daynila fell to her quick death: left or right. Joan chooses left. It does not take long before she meets Skulk Mine's second egg poacher. Like Daynila, he is Dunmer, and not very happy to see an intruder in his lair. He rushes toward her on sight!

"Sevilo! I am Joan, of the Fighters Guild. Might you and I broach upon the subject of--"

But the former eggminer hasn't got time for words. He brandishes his pick, starts swinging it from side to side, and begins a virtual onslaught upon her! He swings and he swings, cutting Joan's armor several times in a matter of seconds, for she cannot effectively block the man's weapon.

Fortunately, the exit to Skulk's entry passages is a wooden door, and it's just nearby. Joan rushes through this door, slamming it behind her. Joan's guard still stands here, and though she could call upon him for help, she chooses to heal herself instead. She then staggers back through the door, fully healed and confident.

Sevilo the poacher seemed satisfied that he'd scared her off, and hadn't bother to follow her through the door. But within a few seconds, she returns. "Give up thine wicked ways!" Joan calls to him, not bothering to pretty up her language with any attempt at negotiation.

Nevertheless, the poacher does not heed her newly-spoken, more aggressive tone of voice. It seems as though he's quite comfortable with his 'wicked ways', and is not of a mind to give them up.

The fight is brutal. Several times, Joan must dodge away from the miner's flailing pick, quaff down a potion or cast her healing spell, before going back at it. Block, swing! Bash! Parry! Several times as the battle commences, Sevilo seems as though he's going to win the fight.

She opens and slams the door one last time. Drinks down a potion which restores her mana, and then readies her Frostbite spell.

Once back inside the Queen's Chamber, she attempts to freeze the poacher with her spell. Fails to cast it, tries again (while Sevilo bangs her shoulder). Finally, the spell works. "Oogh!" the poacher bellies, bending toward the ground as most of his health falters at once. From this point on, Joan feels the battle-call of Talos. Diplomacy is gone, anger overtakes. Her silver blade moves in a flurry of swings, parries, and thrusts. -- This man, he had his chance! -- Finally, Sevilo the egg poacher is done for.

It takes a few hours to return to surface. Back outside, Joan and her guard are surprised to find the sky above starting to lighten. Soon, it will be daylight. Joan of Cheydinhal takes some time to eat and rest with the two farmers they'd initially met. Then, they head back to Balmora. Back in the Fighters Guild, Joan earns 100 gold for her efforts.

"Perhaps my choice of words to pacify Sevilo upon being assaulted were unwise," Joan mutters to herself before rolling into bed. She makes an aside, a promise to herself, and to the Gods, not to give in so firmly to violence. She'll need to try harder with words next time.

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

Encounter with some kwama workers

"Might I ask that you stay within that former section of mine?"

"You n'wah!"

Joan's attempts at negotiation don't go so well...

[macole]

It seems as though he's quite comfortable with his 'wicked ways', and is not of a mind to give them up.

That's the typical set-in-their-ways Dunmer for you.