Does this thread belong here?, pieces of quest Options

[ghastley]

My understanding of the TES world is that magic is part of everyday life. So women will be using Illusion and Alteration to make themselves look younger, and enhance their shape. (Men will, too, but not admit it). Statistically, half of them aren't really as big as they look, and the other half aren't as heavy as they should be if they were "original equipment".

The few who got theirs the old-fashioned way need help to carry them around, and they'll use magic to assist. A feather enchantment on the bra, for example. There are undoubtedly ways to use magic to make it more comfortable than it looks, as well as looking skimpier than it really is.

Since the rules of the game allow enchantments to contribute more defense than the plain physical armor will provide, I assume the people are aware of that, and use magical defense whenever they can afford it. Steel is still cheaper than a shield spell, but it wears out in use, and it's heavier, and gets in the way of spell-casting. The Legion needs armor in bulk for its troops, so it uses cheap physical armor for most uses, and only applies magic in special cases (like the Bear Riders, there's only a few of them). They also use weapons that don't use up a charge, but can still affect etherals, being Silver (cheaper than Daedric!)

The trade-offs will be that enchantments stay with the item, so that they go away if it's unequipped. Spells cast on the person have a limited duration and must be cast again, except that spells can be used in conjunction with training to obtain permanent effects more easily (drain before you train).

That's why everyone's in such good shape - staying fit is a lot less effort on Nirn. There are presumably ways to finesse "optimum" growth with Alchemical or cast-spell assistance, so that everyone's as intelligent, full-bodied and strong as they can afford to be. They won't always be able to stop at "enough", especially if they neglect Willpower!

"Larger than life" women in skimpy armor are just a natural consequence of the existence of magic.

[mALX]

(Men will, too, but not admit it).

BWAAHAA !! I love this !! Enhancements via magic - the feather enchantment on the bra (and I'm picturing BBB of course!) ROFL !!! This had me rolling !!

[ghastley]

I just noticed that I'd never put up the final(?) chapter of this story. This was written even before I'd finished packaging the mod. Better late(!) than never.


Kaneh's Tale

Aurmazl Kaneh was confused. She'd come back to Brellach much sooner than she'd expected. When she died at Cylarne, as she always did at this point in the Greymarch, she expected to remain in the waters of Oblivion for some time before the chimes called her to return.

Not only was she back early, but the Realm was intact. Everything was still alive and growing. The obelisks were all shut down, as if the Greymarch had never started. What was going on?

Then she had been sent here, to a mysterious archway filled with flame, halfway to Cylarne. She had orders to guard it, and kill anything that emerged from it, but to wait for the Madgod before she entered. Only he would know how to deal with it.

Two figures emerged from beneath the mushroom trees and strode towards her. She recognised one as the adventurer she'd met at Cylarne, when Lord Sheogorath sent him to collect the Flame of Agnon. He'd taken part in the battle, and shown fighting skills that had impressed her.

She didn't know the woman who was with him. She was almost as large as herself, larger in places, if not quite as tall. Her armor was plain steel, not golden like her own, or black like the infernal Mazken wore. She carried a claymore on her back, and wore no helmet, so her pale flaxen hair showed. Probably a Nord from Tamriel, she guessed.

The man came over and announced that he was the new Lord Sheogorath, and that the Greymarch had been stopped. He had defeated Jyggalag, and the new era would be different from before.

"What did happen before, anyway?" he asked.

Kaneh described what had happened in the earlier eras. When Jyggalag became Sheogorath once more, he would wander a dead wasteland until the gnarl emerged from the Fountainhead, and then he knew where to rebuild New Sheoth. As the gnarl cultivators started to replant the Realm, he'd search for the ruins of Brellach and Pinnacle Rock, and use the chimes there to summon back the fallen Saints and Seducers. "I don't understand why he'd want the Mazken back, but that is his will".

The landscape would be bleak at this time, with only small saplings sprouting here and there. The first baliwogs would possibly have hatched, and some scalons might have emerged from the seas. There was little for them on the land yet. The surviving Elytra would stay in their deepest burrows for the same reasons.

The Aureal and Mazken would see to the shutting down of the obelisks, and destroying any remaining knights of order that still roamed the Isles. The priests, too, although they'd shed their robes and hoods. Any mortal still in the Isles could only have been one of Jyggalag's traitors. The forces of Order would have slain anyone else.

In time, there would be a few new arrivals from Sheogorath's shrines in Tamriel. If one proved capable of operating Xylarne, the resonator would bring more. Eventually another would be able to help Relmyna make a Gatekeeper and the Realm would return to its usual state, if not exactly "normal".

But a fiery Gate wasn't usual or normal, and they had to do something about it. Now he was here, she and her two cohorts could do something about it.

"What is this other mortal doing here?" asked Kaneh.

"My name is Heidi, and I've closed an Oblivion Gate before," she said. "I can help."

The Madgod hadn't known about that, so she told them all the story.

"I was just arriving from Skyrim, headed for Bruma," she began. "I was walking down the trail past that farmhouse, Applewatch isn't it? Anyway, I saw this big fiery arch on the hillside behind it, just like the one here. I hadn't seen anything like that before, and I didn't know what it was, so I went over to take a closer look."

"As I got nearer, I heard sounds of fighting, but that stopped before I got there. When I arrived, there were several Daedra lying dead on the ground, and one dead Bruma guard with them. I realized that the other men had gone through the flames into the Gate, and they were now a man short."

"I picked up the dead guard's sword and shield. I took off my dress and put on his boots and greaves, too. The cuirass wouldn't fit because I was too big for it, so I cut the front to make room for my breasts. I think I cut a bit too much.

Captain Burd and the rest of his men were just inside fighting some more Daedra. He thanked me for joining them, even looked me in the eyes when he said that! Mentioned something about improving the men's morale, as well."

"I soon swapped the guard's sword and shield for a dead Dremora's claymore. With my big breasts hanging out of my cuirass, I was doing big swings whether I wanted to or not. It made sense to be using an appropriate weapon."

"By the time we reached the Tower, it was just Captain Burd and myself. I pointed out to him that he'd been losing men because they couldn't heal themselves. He said that they probably hadn't learned, because they always had the Castle healer at hand in their normal duties. He'd been a Legion patrolman before he got the guard job, so he'd needed the skill."

"Burd told me that you were the one that showed him how to close the gates. The one we closed was the last one near enough to Bruma to endanger the town, but there were others he'd heard about near the trails in the mountains. He said if I really wanted to help, I should apply to join the Legion, maybe the Mountain Riders? There was a recruiting Captain at the Lodge just outside the town."

"Of course, Captain Gudrun wasn't at the Lodge when I went there, she was in the Imperial City opening the new office. So I followed, and that's where we met."

"And I didn't find that Mythic Dawn agent you left me looking for in the city, because he'd come here to the Shivering Isles. I suppose he was the one that helped open the gates here. As I understand it, Dagon couldn't open them from his realm, they needed someone on this end to do it?"

"Well, the agent's dead now, so I suppose there won't be any more opening up. We still have to close that last one, though," Heidi reasoned.

Kaneh agreed with that assessment. They all followed the Madgod into the gate.

---

Kaneh didn't like the deadlands. They reminded her of the Isles after the Greymarch, with destruction everywhere, and little growing. Worse, there was lava where there should be water, and fires burning all over the place. The red sky was just ugly!

A creature looking like a scalon without fins attacked them, spitting a fireball in their direction before it charged. The new Madgod identified it as a Daedroth, one of Dagon's creatures.

Most of their opponents however, were humanoid Daedra called Dremora. They all appeared to be male, and they were all dressed in the same reddish obsidian armor, and carring swords and shields of the same material. Some of them wore no helmets, and she could see they had horns. They all had the same arrogant belief in their own superiority that she so despised in the Mazken. And with less justification; at least the Seducers were almost the equal of the Aureals, or they'd never have given her any problems at Cylarne.

The Dremora, however, were no match for the Golden Saints, and the party soon arrived at the Tower and climbed to the Sigillum Sanguis. The Madgod was about to take the stone and close the gate when Heidi stopped him. "I have an idea," she said.

"Now you're the new Sheogorath, you've also got some of Jyggalag's power, haven't you? At least as much as his priests had. So couldn't you "Order" the deadland, and show Dagon a lesson?"

The Madgod had a Heart of Order with him, and Heidi suggested replacing the Sigil Stone with the Heart, to see what happened. There was certainly an immediate effect. The red sky turned grey, and the fire column changed from orange flame to a blue-ish purple. They all remained in the chamber, rather than being transported outside the gate, as usually happened when one closed.

As they left the Tower, they could see Crystals of Order starting to push up across the landscape. The fire towers had shut down, there was an Obelisk near the path back to the gate. And was the lava starting to cool?

As soon as they stepped through the gate back into Mania they heard a crunching sound as crystals replaced the flames in the arch, sealing the gate. Was that it? Was it all over?

Haskill and Dyus didn't know either. Syl might have been able to find something more in her crystal ball, but she was ... a bit distracted ... as usual. They'd have to ask her later.

Kaneh wanted to know more about what had happened, and why the Gates had appeared. Dyus explained all about Sheogorath's scheme to give his power away before he became Jyggalag. Kaneh had never known about him. She was always in the waters of Oblivion awaiting recall when Jyggalag walked, so she'd never seen him, or the destruction of the Isles. She'd only seen the results, when she returned after it was all over.

Without the full power of the Madgod, Jyggalag had failed this time. The man Sheogorath chose to hold the throne had succeeded against all odds, and had broken the cycle. This same man had also helped defeat Mehrunes Dagon's attempt to invade Tamriel. That was why Dagon had attempted to seek revenge by opening Gates in the Isles.

Kaneh was still confused. Was that man truly the Madgod?

"He holds the Throne of Madness, and therefore he has the power associated with it," replied Haskill. "Doubtless when Jyggalag resumes his normal form, he will return to ask for it back. That was his plan all along. Whether the present office-holder hands it over or not is up to him. He is of course a mortal, and I assume that even with the Madgod's power he will not last forever. He has, however, thoroughly deserved his current position, for as long as holds it"

Dyus recalled Arden-Sul. The first time Sheogorath attempted the strategy, he'd become the Duke of both Mania and Dementia, but had succumbed to the madness in each. His personality was just as divided as Sheogorath's - perhaps one reason he was favored for the task - and he'd left contradictory suicide notes in Bliss and Crucible. When the new populations arrived, they'd found them and instituted the two rituals of succession. Arden-Sul hadn't survived to see Jyggalag, he'd predictably taken his own life before the change.

"I had calculated that the same would happen again. That Sheogorath was incapable of devising a plan that he could not himself defeat as Jyggalag. But I was wrong. Because Sheogorath himself underestimated a mortal's abilities, I did likewise."

"Jyggalag has never known defeat before, so he is bound to be affected by the experience," Haskill offered. "This may really have been the last Greymarch. It remains to be seen whether the previous Sheogorath returns, or something else. Without his customary power, he may not be able to return in the same form."

[mALX]

GAAAAH !!! I'm totally out of sync with this mod now, have my head in the Red Dragon Club !!! Urk !!! The writing is great as ever, but in order to connect it I'd need to re-read the previous chapters. Anyway, Great Write !!!

[Acadian]

What fascinating take on the whole SI thing from the historical perspective of a Golden Saint. It was very wise of the Champion to bring the Big Guns (Heidi) to the gate closing party. And how clever to replace the sigil stone with a heart of order. I really enjoyed the result.

[ghastley]

There was one more quest in the mod that never had a tale attached to it, the main reason being that it was another one around Ystrel, and I'd already given her her own story. And there was Pala, who'd been mentioned in Svana's tale of the Lodge construction, but hadn't had one of her own. So I bent things together a little and let her tag along with the Hero on this one, even though she normally doesn't.

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


Pala's Tale

"'Gudrun, come quickly" cried Pala. "Ystrel's bear came back without her!"

Gudrun leapt out of bed, dressing quickly. This was bad news of the worst kind - almost. Ystrel wasn't dead, or the bear wouldn't have come back at all. It would hunt down the person or creature that killed her. Then it would stay with her body, to guard it until someone came to collect it. The bear wouldn't have come back for help if there was anything else it could do for her. That must mean she was trapped somewhere the bear couldn't go.

Ystrel had been following a rumor of someone moving in to Valus Passage, the old smugglers' tunnel through the mountains to Morrowind. The tunnel had collapsed a long time ago, and it wasn't thought safe to try and dig it back out. That left a section at either end that led nowhere, but could still offer shelter to anyone who was up there.

Bandits weren't interested in it, as the area was hard to reach, and just about deserted now that the smuggling route was cut off. About the only thing that made any sense was that one of the religious cults had taken it over and put a shrine in there. The Daedric cults especially liked obscure locations for their shrines.

Gudrun checked the bear, and found no sign that it had been in any fights recently, which made her feel a bit better. It seemed agitated, as you'd expect with its rider missing, but that was all.

"What's up?" asked a voice behind them. The Hero of Kvatch had come by the Lodge and seen them all gathered around the bear. Pala quickly explained.

He'd go look for Ystrel, and Pala insisted on coming with him. Even if it was her time off patrol, she didn't want to stay at the Lodge while her colleague could be in danger.

Valus Passage wasn't easy to reach, as there aren't any trails that high up in the Valus Mountains. One reason, of course, for the smugglers using it in the past. They arrived in daylight, and they looked around the entrance for signs of a struggle. They really didn't expect to find any, as Ystrel's bear would have been involved in anything outside, and that fight would have been a lot more than anyone bargained for.

The door was clearly too small for the bear to have followed Ystrel inside. So their assumption was that she'd gone in, and was still in there. They should expect someone to be watching the door, so the Hero put on his Ring of Shadows, and told Pala to wait outside while he scouted the entrance.

He came back out only a minute later, with blood on his sword, and a red hood in his hand. "Mythic Dawn" he told Pala. "The same ones who killed the Emperor". There had been only the one guard in the small entrance chamber, but he wasn't sure if he'd raised an alarm before he died. They should assume he had, and move quickly in case Ystrel was still alive.

Chameleon's not useful when you're fighting as a team. You're much too likely to get hit if your partner can't see you, so he left off his ring when they went down the trapdoor in the chamber floor. Nobody was waiting beneath it, so perhaps the guard hadn't raised the alarm after all.

The passage down had many turns, and they were expecting to find more Mythic Dawn around each corner, but they reached the end of the tunnel without encountering anyone. That made no sense, so they backtracked, looking for any hidden entrances they'd missed. Pala noticed a handle in a corner that they hadn't seen before. When he nodded, she gave it a turn, and a section of the rock wall slid down ... noisily.

Shouts from the chamber they'd just revealed made it clear that the cult knew someone had come to visit them. Weapons drawn, they stepped through the opening into a medium-sized cave where three acolytes with daggers and summoned axes charged at them. Either Pala or the Hero could probably have taken them all solo, as they had only their robes for armor, and they weren't particularly skilled at fighting. But they pressed the fight anyway, and soon paid for their fanaticism.

"It won't be this easy further in" the Hero told Pala. "Expect the guards to summon armor as well as weapons, and know how to use them."

There was only one other exit from the cave, and they followed the tunnel to a locked door. A side-passage just before it revealed another acolyte hiding at the end, and they took a key from her that fit the lock.

This time, there was nobody waiting when they opened the door. Pala was sure this was a good thing, as whoever had Ystrel didn't know they were coming.

The tunnel past the door was just as twisting as the first part, but not as empty. This time, they did meet Mythic Dawn as they progressed, and armored ones, just like the Hero had predicted. They hit another dead end, and backtracked a little, but soon they saw they were approaching a larger chamber. They could see a raised area at the end, and several guards rushing towards them.

Desperately hoping they weren't too late to save Ystrel, whom they still hadn't found, they engaged their foes, aided by a Clannfear the Hero summoned. The fight was short and loud, and if Ystrel was anywhere close, she must have heard them. Why didn't she call out?

The raised area they'd seen as they entered held a statue of Mehrunes Dagon, just like the one at the Lake Arrius Caverns. There appeared to be an altar in front of it.

When they climbed the stairs to the platform, they saw Ystrel lying on the altar, naked, and surrounded by several nasty-looking implements that revealed the Dawn's intentions. Pala nearly fainted when she saw the small spiked club and figured out how they were going to use it.

Ystrel was unresponsive when the Hero tried to wake her, but she wasn't dead. He cast dispel on her, and she opened her eyes. He'd guessed correctly that she'd been under a paralysis spell. That was a a favorite with torturers, as it didn't stop the victim from feeling any pain, just from reacting to it.

Pala discretely hid the spiky thing, so that Ystrel wouldn't see it. Ystrel got up quickly from the cold stone slab, and went over to the brazier nearby to get some warmth, so she didn't notice any of the other knives, hooks and tongs lying on the altar with her. Pala moved in front of them, and the Hero picked them up.

"Have you seen my armor and things?" asked Ystrel. "It's cold in here." While they were looking around, she told them what had happened.

She'd been hit with the paralysis spell as soon as she stepped through the door. The guard had called the others, and they'd carried her down here. Some of them had argued that she should be killed immediately, but the others didn't want to waste a potential sacrifice to Dagon. There were so few people that ventured this far up into the Valus Mountains, they might not get another chance for months.

So she'd been stripped, and laid on the slab. She could hear discussions on how the sacrifice should be performed, and she was glad that none of them had survived. She'd have done to them what they wanted to do to her, and she wasn't sure she could live with herself after that.

A chest at the base of the platform held the armor and claymore they were seeking, and soon Ystrel was back in uniform. The Frost Shield enchantment on her armor drove away some of the chill she felt, but it wasn't all physical, so she was still shivering as they left the cave.

Back at the Riders Lodge, Gudrun sent her downstairs with Timo to get warm. She told Pala that she'd get a bonus for her part in the rescue, including extra days off to make up for what she'd missed. But she wasn't authorized to reward the Hero, unless he was a member of the Riders. With a wink at Pala, she asked if he'd like to join them, as an honorary Rider.

When he asked what his duties would be, she rolled her eyes, and the two women dragged him downstairs to show him. As they passed Ystrel's door Gudrun called out to her."Give us an hour, and its your turn to rescue him!"

This post has been edited by ghastley: Apr 11 2012, 09:39 PM

[Acadian]

Whew! Glad Pala and the Hero got to Ystrel before any of those knives or tongs or spiky things did! Loved how Ystrel's enchanted armor warmed her up after the ordeal – but not completely. Timo will take care of that!

And our hero gets his just deserts for a good day’s work. Perhaps a bear hug?

[Grits]

It must be fun to have a bear rider as a follower! Scary times at the shrine, but everyone gets a happy ending back at the lodge.

[mALX]

I love these ridable following bears, I've seen them in Skyrim along with ridable sabertooth tigers, lol. Great Write !!