Blood on the Moon, A Journey of Discovery Options

[treydog]

Pictures! I figured out how to do pictures! Run for your lives!

First, the crashed airship:




Followed by the attack of the white wolf (action shots are a little harder to get):




And finally, a more restful view of lovely Solstheim:

[SubRosa]

Athlain with his back to the wall, beset by a score of foemen, determined to sell his life at too high a cost for the enemy to pay. A rousing battle!

Rather than quote the same thing Acadian did, let me point out this instead:
There is no time to uncap and drink a healing potion, so I crush the vial in my gauntleted hand and drip the soothing liquid over the wound.

What, Athlain could not stop time while he casually rummaged through his inventory and drank 4 potions? Every Oblivion character can do that! Seriously though, an excellent bit of not only reality, but also an inventive solution on the part of Athlain.

Finally, my favorite red-maned Wolf Queen herself! Yay!

[haute ecole rider]

I echo everyone!

Too bad this forum doesn't have the :twirl: emoticon as seen on BSGF - it would be most appropriate here!

Man, I felt exhausted after that battle! I know the feeling, believe me!

[Black Hand]

In Morrowind, SubRosa, there is no limit to the amount you can drink.

AWESOME update trey! I especially loved the "What do you know? The blasted thing works!" comment.

[Olen]

Woo updates

And Athynae returns to the rescue again, that girl has some sense of timing. A cosy ruined airship in the middle of nowhere, only a few corpses and moderatly nasty injuries... I shan't ask.

I echo what the above have said as regards the brilliant lines and good battle sequence (Athlain seems to be getting rather tough these days).

[treydog]

@Acadian- Thank you, paladin. I chose to write the battle in that way because I find my skill for writing fight-scenes to be lacking. In the falling snow scene, I hoped to evoke Captain Jodoin’s journal, Athlain’s own weakened state, and memories of Athynae’s visit to Uncle Sweetshare’s cabin.

@SubRosa- Oh, yes, potion abuse and changing your entire armor ensemble in the middle of a fight are possible in MW… I wanted to convey urgency and realism, so conceived the idea of applying the potion topically.

@haute- Happy to please. If Athlain keeps getting his legs sliced, he will join Julian on the medical discharge roster. And I shamelessly stole the concept of her signature move as a motivator for Athlain’s stand. How ironic would that have been- to get ham-strung by a wild boar?

@Black Hand- Welcome back! And that line was one of my favorites as well. I could just see a befuddled Athlain blinking owlishly at the Amulet and Athynae and saying those words.

@Olen- We will find out a bit about that sense of timing shortly…. Glad the fight worked for you- riekling raiders are some of the most formidable opponents on Solstheim.

And now we get some interesting news and some bad news. Good news- that will have to wait awhile.

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

When I next awoke it was to see her stirring something that smelled wonderful in a small pot over my fire. She glanced at me and repeated her earlier question about my last meal. I was too tired to give a clever answer, even if I could have thought of one. “I don’t know- probably when I was at the fort….”

She gave vent to an exasperated sigh, one that sounded remarkably like Mother’s reaction to one of my “explanations.” Without further comment, she knelt to rummage through her pack, seeming to address herself to the contents as much as to me.

“And why,” she muttered as she scattered vials and packets on the snowy earth, “Did that seem like a good idea?”

“I wanted to finish the Skaal Test of Loyalty. I needed to find each of the Stones and perform the rituals.” Defensively, I added, “And the Story of Aevar didn’t say anything about him stopping to eat or rest…”

She fixed me with a glare that should have incinerated me on the spot. Shaking a piece of dried guar at me she replied:

“Oh. I see. And did it say anything about him being a COMPLETE IDIOT who shouldn’t be allowed to wander around without a keeper? Or about why, as any COMPETENT alchemist knows, it is a BAD IDEA to try and live on nothing but restorative potions? And should I also assume that someone had to come and save him from his own stupidity, AGAIN- in this, this… STORY?”

She had jumped to her feet, shouting and waving her arms, kicking supplies everywhere as she stormed around the clearing.

“Um, ‘Thyna?”

She rounded on me, “WHAT?”

I pulled myself deeper into the bedroll, in the vain hope it would provide some protection when her fury turned physical instead of verbal.

“Could you please not kick snow into the fire? And how did you find me, anyway?”

I waited for the next spectacular explosion with a fair amount of dread, but it never came. Instead, Athynae stopped where she was and began to cry softly.

Despite being raised with two sisters, I still had no clue as to how to deal with a crying woman. Telling Athynae what I usually told Mae or Cai, to “dry up,” did not seem terribly wise in the circumstances, and I was afraid if I tried to hold her she would hit me. But before I could think of a plan or even open my mouth, she had wiped her eyes and handed me some berries and scrib jerky, mumbling,

“Here. Eat first, and then I’ll have a look at you.”

She refused to say any more, ignoring me while she gathered her possessions and stowed them away, then tended to the stew she was cooking. Hot food was a treat following my days of cold camps and short rations, so much so that I ate whatever she offered, not even commenting on her tendency to add too much salt to everything.

When I was finished she gave me a cursory examination, making sure that I wasn’t “about to drop dead,” as she bluntly put it. When she was satisfied, she said,

“Sleep now and I’ll keep watch. When you wake up, we’ll talk.”

I did not need any encouragement; a full stomach and warm fire had made me drowsy. Not even the sight of Athynae staring pensively out across the snowy landscape was enough to keep me awake.

The forgetfulness of sleep passed quickly, and I woke to see her still in the same place, with the same troubled expression on her face. Hearing my movement, she turned her luminous eyes upon me and said quietly,

“You want to know how I found you? It will be easier if I show you rather than try to explain. I will close my eyes and count to 100, and you go any direction you like and hide. You can even levitate so as to not make any tracks. Just try not to fall in a hole or stumble into the middle of a reaver camp.”

“But, Athynae, I don’t understand….”

Still not looking at me, she responded, “I imagine you don’t. Please just do as I ask. It will be… better that way.”

Seeing that she would not be swayed, I agreed to her terms, including imbibing a borrowed levitation potion. I was mystified, but if playing this strange game was necessary to get her to talk, I would do it.

The spell allowed me to move quickly without having to struggle through the snow, so I turned south and crossed a wooded hill. Once on the other side, I floated down to the riverbank and found a place to hide among the rocks. While I waited, I wondered if this was just some elaborate trick so she could disappear again. But that made no sense; Athynae was mercurial, but she was never mean-spirited. So I kept quiet, filtering my breath through a thick cloth to avoid sending out clouds of vapor. My precautions made no difference; within a few moments, I heard her voice from just a few feet away:

“You can come out now. You’re just behind the boulder shaped like a sleeping guar.”

When I tried to ask her how she had done it, she just shook her head and indicated that we should return to the ruined airship.

This was an Athynae I had never seen before- completely different from the girl who barely stopped talking long enough to breathe. Unnerved by her distracted silence, I peppered her with questions:

“Is it a new spell? Does it have anything to do with the scarf you gave me? I still have it, you know. Or is it something Aunt Serene taught you? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

When we arrived at the campfire, she placed a quelling finger on my lips and said seriously,

“Hush. This will be hard enough without interruptions, so just let me tell it.”

It was not easy, but I reined in my curiosity and waited for her to explain. She folded her arms and looked away toward the mountains, then began to speak in a low voice:

“Have you ever had the feeling that you were being watched?” She laughed without humor. “Of course you have; you’ve been out in the wilderness long enough to have experienced that.”

This was something she had brought up before, when we were at Thirsk, but I honored her request to just listen. She shuddered and hugged herself more tightly before continuing:

“But what if you felt that way all the time; and what if it was like the watcher was inside your head? Ever since I was little, I have known that someone was…” she waved vaguely behind her head, “there. And it seemed as if any number of times, when I was hurt or scared, Mama just sort of- appeared. And sometimes, she even showed up right before I was about to do something dangerous. I just thought it was ‘mother magic;’ that everyone’s mother could do it.”

When I shook my head, she glanced at me and smiled briefly, then went on with her story: “But- they can’t. And when I turned 14, I noticed something else- I could suddenly tell exactly where Mama was, even when I couldn’t see her.”

She took a deep breath and went on: “And after that night, the night Aunt Baria had the party for you when you came home on leave… after I kissed you… after that night, I could always tell where you were, too.”

She turned to face me fully, and her eyes were lavender pools that seemed to have no bottom. I reached for her hands but she warded me off, taking a step backward and forging ahead with her explanation:

“Distance makes it more difficult; I imagine that if you went all the way to High Rock or Summerset Isle, it would just be a vague sense of- something missing….”

As she said those words, she bit her lip and began to cry again.

“But it doesn’t matter, not anymore. Because… because you have to stop doing this; because I can’t keep saving you from your own stupid stubbornness. There are reasons why I can’t see you anymore- not like this, at least- out here in the wilderness, alone together.”

My head was spinning, which was no new experience during a conversation with Athynae, but I began to add various clues together and a vague suspicion grew more solid. Fearing the answer to my question, I could not ask it straight out; instead, I approached the issue from an angle.

“Athynae? Why were you asking that writer at Thirsk about marriage contracts?”

Her despairing look sent my heart plummeting into my boots as she answered: “When I was in Ebonheart, looking for information about Carnius Magius, I found something else.”

She swallowed and whispered, “They want to marry me off to Duke Dren.”

This post has been edited by treydog: Aug 14 2010, 02:06 AM

[haute ecole rider]

Ah! The mystery of the note quite a few interludes back (yes, I remember it!) is suddenly clear!

I wonder who 'they' are, the 'they' that intend to marry Athynae off to Duke Dren (now why am I thinking of Firen and Tear burning? ). I am a patient reader and will wait for all to be revealed (after all, I've read too many spy novels!).

“Oh. I see. And did it say anything about him being a COMPLETE IDIOT who shouldn’t be allowed to wander around without a keeper? Or about why, as any COMPETENT alchemist knows, it is a BAD IDEA to try and live on nothing but restorative potions? And should I also assume that someone had to come and save him from his own stupidity, AGAIN- in this, this… STORY?”

Typical p.o.'d woman! If anyone has any doubts of Athynae's feelings for Athlain, they can just put it to rest now! Her fury and ravings make it very clear that she loves this particular idiot.

And a bit of a plot twist! This story just keeps getting better and better! :twirl:

[Acadian]

Trey, this is positively cruel! To cliffhang us with this? Argh! We shall have to cling desperately to your words: 'Good news- that will have to wait awhile.'

I waited for the next spectacular explosion with a fair amount of dread, but it never came. Instead, Athynae stopped where she was and began to cry softly.

They are amazingly complex creatures, aren't they, trey?

“But what if you felt that way all the time; and what if it was like the watcher was inside your head? Ever since I was little, I have known that someone was…” she waved vaguely behind her head, “there.

Buffy said, "Don't worry, Athynae, I know how that feels."

Her despairing look sent my heart plummeting into my boots as she answered:

Here is the problem with a story that is so endearingly immersive. I have to go dig my stopped heart out of my boots as well.

[SubRosa]

Athynae has not changed a bit I see! You really have a wonderful way of writing her. She is so very real that I feel as if I can reach out and touch her (and wish I could ).

I have been waiting for you to drop the bomb about the marriage. I am glad you decided to use it. This really adds some tension to the story. Killing beasties and stopping unearthly evil is one thing, but when it comes to love, that is something else entirely! Athlain may have to call out the Duke and smite his ruin in order to secure the hand of his lady!

And did it say anything about him being a COMPLETE IDIOT who shouldn’t be allowed to wander around without a keeper?
This had me laughing out loud!

My head was spinning, which was no new experience during a conversation with Athynae


This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 14 2010, 04:23 AM

[D.Foxy]

Hey Athlain...stop being Hamlet, and just march off to that Goddamm Duke and kick him in the british boat and use a nutcracker on his ... nuts .... until he screams "ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! YOU CAN HAVE HER!!!"


(The Typical Foxy Method)


Otherwise I am going to lose all respect for you!

[Olen]

Hmmm... Now if I recall Athynae's mother has certain abilities and it appears she's inherited them. Interesting. And a certain note makes some sense and suggests that perhaps they have more helpers than they think. It's grand stuff.

Some great lines there, they're both solid creations who are incredibly believable, and now with plotting like this I'll have to say that this really is an exemplary piece, I've paid good money for pleanty of published books which weren't a patch on this.

I liked the potions comment - it always strikes me as odd that in game you never have to eat (or sleep), though the divergeance from the game mechanics is very well handled (and sympathetic) in this.

More?

[minque]

O_o....this was both expected and unexpected! I'm not surprised Athynae has inherited some abilities from Serene, and it pleases me very much how you develop Thyna, she's entirely your creation, and you describe her interactions with sweet Athlain so wonderfully. An yeah I do have a very soft spot for that young man, and I bet Serene has too!

Now the twist with the marriage contract will be extremely interesting to see what it leads to...will she really go for a thing like that? We'll see won't we?

[treydog]

@haute ecole rider- If I had it to do over again, some of those Interludes (or some of the bits within them) would occur in a different order. That’s the sort of thing that happens when my characters grab the pen from my hands and start writing their own stories…. The mysterious “they” will be revealed below- at least as Athynae perceives things. And evil author that I am, I had to come up with something to keep our red-haired Imperial/Dunmer elven princess on the move. Can’t let her get too comfortable- if I allowed her to solve all Athlain’s problems for him, they would already be back on Vvardenfell! Men only think they are the ones who follow the shortest path to their goal.

@Acadian- See “evil author” remark above. And I must admit to taking inordinate glee in these particular cliff-hangers, as, for the first time in a long while, I actually have more installments written and waiting. As Athlain is discovering, women are an unknown country and all the maps are wrong. “Here there be dragons,” is the best advice I can give him… I imagine our blonde and red elves would have quite a conversation about voices in their heads and archery- and, of course, shoes. I also imagine Athynae would give Buffy the following advice in re a certain Kvatch guard officer: “Just whack him a good one on the head to make sure you’ve got his attention; after that, it’s easy.”

@SubRosa- Your endorsement of how Athynae “reads” is particularly gratifying. It has been a challenge for me to write a female character who is believable and alive. Fortunately, I have had many excellent examples to guide me, living as well as written. For the literary ones, I have to look no further than Athynae’s mother- and certainly your wonderful Teresa. Yes, surviving the wilds of Solstheim is a picnic compared to navigating the path of true love.

@D. Foxy- That is the approach Trey would have taken- but he has always been less respectful of authority. Athlain will reveal in what follows that he can be devious, as well, just in a different way.

@Olen- You are remembering correctly, in regards to special abilities AND to unseen assistance. I am so glad these two come to life for you as they do for me… And a thousand thanks for the compliment on my plotting- I have had to go through some contortions to avoid glaring plot holes. Potions- I very much wanted to introduce the idea that relying on potions in game is similar to trying to subsist on caffeine and aspirin for any length of time in RL.

@minque- Without Serene, there would be no Athynae. Well, yeah- but you know what I mean. As I write her, I think about what sort of daughter Serene would raise, what values and life-lessons she would try to teach.

All- The course of true love is rarely smooth, mostly due to sadistic writers who have a lot of material to get through before there can be any hope of a happy ending. And then we have to wonder “whose happy ending?” But in the meantime, there will be magic, monsters, mead, and even some singing (although not yet). As to the proposed marriage, Athlain has a plan… so what could possibly go wrong?

-----------------------------------------------
I stared at her, struck dumb by her words. Her ability to locate me unerringly over distance I could take in stride; that was just magic, after all. But this marriage idea was impossible. No one in possession of their faculties could imagine pairing this lovely girl with the Duke. He had to be at least 200, which wasn’t all that old for an elf, but still…. Shaking my head, I asked numbly:

“Who does?”

Her reply was muffled as she covered her face with her hands, “Mama.”

This was becoming more fantastic all the time. Serene could be as strong and ruthless as leadership of a Great House required- but this was her daughter! I only knew bits and pieces of Serene’s history, usually fragments overheard from my parents’ conversations. But some things I knew with absolute certainty- Athynae was the first child born on Vvardenfell following the end of the Blight- and Serene would give up all she was or ever hoped to have to keep her safe and happy.

“I can’t believe it. Aunt Serene would never do something like that. Tell me what you found- exactly.”

She sniffled and shook her head, in negation of what, I could not tell. “There were notes the Duke’s clerk had made. They said the Duke accepted Mama’s proposal regarding my m- m- marriage!”

The last word was a wail and the soft crying became full-blown sobbing. Awkwardly, I put my arms around her. For once, I did not try to say anything, just held her until the storm passed. When she had quieted, I spoke with conviction:

“I still think there’s something we aren’t seeing. But it doesn’t matter; if you’re this worried, we have to act as if it’s true.”

It was my turn to take a deep breath. What I was about to propose could be construed as treason- it would certainly be defiance of the head of my Great House. And I was going to involve others in that defiance, as well. That was serious enough, but I also had to tread carefully to avoid suggesting a course Athynae would feel was dishonorable. She might hate the idea of marrying Duke Dren, but she would go through with it if she thought her honor required it. She had already said she could not stay with me, and I understood all too well what she meant. Her closeness was intoxicating and… but I could not think about that. Neither could she go back to Sarethi Manor; as soon as she was informed of the contract, she would be duty-bound to accept it- and the gods-bedamned marriage.

What little I knew of marriage tumbled through my head in a welter of images and words as I tried to see a way out. Priests, ceremonies, temples…. And then it came to me- the only chance we had- and I said the word aloud: “Sanctuary.”

Athynae gave me an uncertain look, but I drove forward, my words almost running over one another in my excitement.

“You can cast Almsivi Intervention, right?” She nodded. “Good. From here, it will take you to the old temple at Gnisis. Go there, but don’t stop and don’t speak to anyone. Keep your head covered. Get to my house and talk to Mother. Tell her that you request sanctuary, and when she agrees, tell her everything else. She’ll let you stay as long as it takes to sort this out.”

Athynae looked at me with hope and doubt warring in her eyes. “But if Mama insists- as the Arch-Mistress of Redoran…?”

I smiled at her. “Trust me. Sanctuary is an absolute right. It would be dishonorable for any good Redoran to try and get around it. And that doesn’t matter anyway, because Mother wouldn’t give you up if the Emperor himself demanded it. Not for something like an arranged marriage. She… let’s just say she knows a bit about that sort of thing.”

For the first time since she had found me, Athynae treated me to a genuine smile, one that wasn’t tinged with bitterness or hurt.

“You know,” she said teasingly, “If you keep sending me away, I might get the idea you don’t like having me around.”

Before I could protest, she added, “Oh, I know better than that; a woman can always tell.”

Then a new thought occurred to her, and she said enthusiastically: “You could come with me! It’s been a long time since you were home, and I’m sure Aunt Baria is worried about you…”

She trailed off as I shook my head.

“Athynae- I can’t. I have to finish this business with the Skaal, because if I don’t, Gaea Artoria will attack them, and they didn’t do it. But they know something about Captain Carius that they aren’t telling, because they don’t trust me enough, because I’m in the Legion. And I have to find him, because he’s my captain, and I have orders- even though I think I outrank Gaea Artotia, anyway I’m pretty sure I do, so there’s a question as to whether I have to obey her orders or not. But I still have a responsibility….”

I got no further, as Athynae crushed me in a fierce hug and said, “Of course you do. You must do as honor and duty require.”

She released me and punched me solidly in the chest as she added, “But don’t you dare get yourself killed. You have a duty to me, as well.”

There was no response to that, so I wisely refrained from answering.

There was little left to say, or rather, too much. Athynae had an Almsivi Intervention amulet that would transport her to Gnisis, only a short distance from my home. The sight of the enchanted stone reminded me of something else, and I gave her the leather pouch containing the Amulet of Infectious Charm.

“Please. Could you make sure this gets to Louis Beauchamp in Ald’ruhn? He’s staying at the Ald Skar Inn. It’s- another promise I need to keep.”

She agreed and then, at her insistence, we ate a quick meal. With a full stomach and a good night’s rest behind me, I was inclined to linger, but Athynae moved purposefully, almost as if she feared pursuit. She gave me the greater part of her supplies, noting that she wouldn’t exactly be camping at Indarys Manor, at the same time extracting my promise to not depend solely on her potions to sustain me. When I made a casual remark about the provisions likely being enough to see me through the completion of the Skaal ritual, her eyes flashed dangerously and she warned me in a low voice:

“Don’t even think about it!” Poking my chest with a stiff finger for emphasis, she continued:

“You can go to Thirsk, or to the Skaal village, or maybe back to Raven Rock…. No, wait. You can’t go to the colony, that Apronia baggage is still hanging around there- and you’d better just stay away from her if you know what’s good for you.”

She muttered something I couldn’t quite hear; it sounded like: “Oh that Athlain; he’s so brave and good-looking. And such a gentleman, too,” spoken in a mocking imitation of an Imperial accent.

In a louder tone and with an air of finality, she said:

“So, it’s settled; you’ll go to the Skaal to rest up and talk to Korst Wind-Eye. Then you can finish the Ritual.”

With that she shoved my now-bulging pack at me and almost immediately caused me to drop it again when she seized my head with both hands and kissed me soundly. The moment was all too brief; she released me and said, a little breathlessly:

“After that, you can come home. To Indarys Manor- and to me.”

Then she spoke the most magical words there are, “I love you;” grasped her teleportation amulet, and vanished into the Aether.

Alone next to the ruined airship, I thought of Louis Beauchamp and his obsession. It was still incomprehensible to me that the silly man had gone to so much trouble and expense just to make himself attractive to women. But then I looked at Athynae’s footprints, already filling with snow, and considered that I came all the way to Solstheim to find the love that had always been right there in Ald’ruhn. And I concluded that the journey had been worth it, because it was the distance that had revealed the truth of our love.

[SubRosa]

Another good segment, and Athlain has a plan that is not that bad! Unless of course he has completely mistaken his mother (like if she is part of the entire thing...)


“Oh that Athlain; he’s so brave and good-looking. And such a gentleman, too,” spoken in a mocking imitation of an Imperial accent.
Yup, Athynae loves him alright!

because it was the distance that had revealed the truth of our love.
Awwww. One of the things I like about BotM is the way that vision-quests are so central to the story. Athlain's quest to find his own destiny, separate from the looming shadow of Father. The whole Aevar quest he is doing now. And finally of course, that to find his love. Just like Dorothy in Oz, it is the journey that forces one to look down at what is really inside, and brings out who we really are in the end.

[haute ecole rider]

As to the proposed marriage, Athlain has a plan… so what could possibly go wrong?

Oh great. Now all sorts of things are going to go wrong!

I too am concerned that Athlain's mother might be in on the whole marriage thing. One thing that could go wrong, you know.

Loved this installment!

[Black Hand]

....from the mind of Sethyas: "Great, now there are two blasted mind-readers?...."

[Olen]

Oooh more parts to this, please do keep it up . As ever more plot development (you certainly don't go in for breaking step) and more complexity. I suspect Baria will do a fair bit to sort things out, though exactly how will be interesting to see as I can't see it all being simple. With the lure (threat?) of singing in the distance I can't wait for more.

She… let’s just say she knows a bit about that sort of thing.

I can't exactly recall the background to this but it did occur in the original Trey right? Or is it new? It's been a while since I read Trey.

There was no response to that, so I wisely refrained from answering.

There was little left to say, or rather, too much.

These two are both brilliant bits of writing, often the observations between dialogue say much more than the words. The first has Athlain's dry humor which always brings a smile too.

[minque]

....from the mind of Sethyas: "Great, now there are two blasted mind-readers?...."

YESSSSS yes isn't that hilarious?? Of course Thyna will be a mind reader! Why not??? Ohhhhh I love this, but as Hautie said....if Athlain has a plan....well its just predestined for any kind of trouble!


yayyyy

[Acadian]

Whew, I feel better now. At least Athlain has a plan; and perhaps a better course than the Foxy proposal. This chapter was a stellar example of why, when I grow up, I want to be able to write like treydog.

Each of the three following passages (in addition to those already quoted above) struck me - each in its own wonderful way:

But it doesn’t matter; if you’re this worried, we have to act as if it’s true.”

Athynae looked at me with hope and doubt warring in her eyes.

But then I looked at Athynae’s footprints, already filling with snow, and considered that I came all the way to Solstheim to find the love that had always been right there in Ald’ruhn.

[D.Foxy]

I scan a Man with a Plan in his hand on Norse Land!!!

But will it Stand?

Dang! Trey - explain all to your Fans!