Teresa of the Faint Smile, Adventures of a Stringy Bosmer Options

[Destri Melarg]

I have to go all the way back to Chapter 25.2 (pg. 41) but I'll be back with my wall of text!

[SubRosa]

Rihanae: Hi Rihane and Lissa! Welcome to the TF. It is funny that you mention Simplicia. In the TF 1.0 over at the Beth forums, I was never satisfied with my portrayal of her. It just lacked depth. One of the top things on my "To Do" list for 2.0 was to really flesh her out and bring her to life, as she is such an important person to Teresa.


haute ecole kitty: Yep, Trepanning goes back to the stone age, and often worked. That is why I went to it for Jensine's broken skull. It would probably work for her too, especially with magical healing to back it up. But the idea just sounds awful when someone explains it to you! Kind of like putting maggots on a wound sounds like barbaric torture, when actually they save people's lives by eating up the necrotic tissue, preventing gangrene.


Acadian: Oh noes! Teresa shopping with a bag of holding!

I just loved working in that not a hero part. It was just so perfect, to direct it right back at Teresa.

Good eye on the nit. I wanted to say "too late to cure"


TheOtherRick: I hope the website does make it a bit easier to catch up. That was big reason for me mirroring the TF there. The entire first chapter is brand new for Chorrol, and I think works much better to introduce Teresa, and the events of the crisis, then the original opening in what is now chapter 2.


The Return of Destri Melarg: Yaay! Destri is back! I think you will like the current chapter (31) quite a bit, as it was inspired by you.


Next: In our previous episode Teresa had a nice sit-down with Simplicia. In our next, and final segment we find her back on the lake with Aleron and Chance, headed for Vilverin.


Chapter 31.7 - Inheritance

"Can you believe that?" Chance said, turning back from his position at the prow of Aleron's boat. "No calisthenics, or morning drill? Those guys in the Imperial City chapter have it made!"

"They're a bunch of idiots," Teresa fumed. She could still remember the way the defacto leader of the chapter - the Guild Champion Moderyn Oreyn himself - had looked down his nose at her and Chance.

"We don't just hand out contracts to amateurs here in the Imperial City," he had said when she asked if there was any work headed back to Bravil. "You have to prove yourself first. Vitellus might run things fast and loose where you come from. But we are professionals here."

"Idiots?" Chance said. "They are brilliant! Talk about living easy."

"Yeah, easy until you're dead," Teresa declared. "Do you think Pappy has us working out three hours a day just because he likes yelling at us? He's making us tough, and teaching us how to work together to survive. Would you want one of those Imperial City minstrels next to you in line, or one of us?"

"Well, I guess you got a point there," Chance admitted. "That reminds me, I never got the chance to thank you. Not just for paying for the mace, but for coming out here, and everything. You're a real stand-up man, erm woman that is."

"You're welcome Chance," Teresa said with a faint smile. "If more people in this world would lend a hand when someone else is down, then it would be a better place to live in."

"Well, I don't forget who my friends are," Chance said. "When you need it, you can count on me being there. With both hands."

Teresa turned from the Redguard and stared at the coast of the City Isle as it languidly slid past her left shoulder. She had done as much for Methredhel and Adanrel the day they met, when she had saved them from the merchant that had been chasing them. The wood elf still had no idea which of the three Verus brothers it had been. Methredhel had certainly repaid the favor ten-fold since then, she mused. Adanrel on the other hand… She looked back to Chance, and wondered which he would take after?

"How about you Aleron?" Chance called out down the length of the boat. "How was the Arena?"

The Breton grumbled under his breath, and shot the Redguard a glare.

He must have lost money, Teresa thought. She had only been to the Arena once, when she was a child, but she knew that people went there to gamble as much as to watch the gladiators. It still boggled her mind that anyone could enjoy such a thing. She knew that most matches did not end in death, but it still made her sick to think of it. Was there not enough violence in the world, that so many people had to go looking for more?

The rest of the day's journey passed in relative silence. Chance was an odd mix of smiles, frowns, and pent up energy. Teresa knew that he was happy to get his father's mace. It obviously meant a great deal to him. It was more than just a simple weapon to him, that was plain. She never had any family heirlooms, no history to bind her to the generations before her, or following her. She imagined that must be a very powerful thing. Like a little piece of shared immortality.

On the other hand, she could also see that the news of his father's death weighed heavily upon the Redguard's mind. Gods forbid that happen to Simplicia, Teresa prayed. She did not know what she would do without the old Imperial. It was hard enough just living so far away in Bravil. She could not wait to save up enough money to buy Decimus' farm…

They spent the night in a farming village on the eastern shore of the City Isle, and set out across Lake Rumare once more in the morning. Teresa was familiar with the shore once they passed Sideways and Urasek, as she had walked up and down either side enough times in the past. As they neared Vilverin, she guided Aleron to a quiet spot on the coast. There she and Chance changed into their armor and readied their weapons, just in case the ruin was no longer abandoned.

In the meantime Aleron took down his sail and broke out the oars. He rowed them back out into the lake, and once more Teresa noted that while his gut was soft, his arms and back were not.

The guttural cry of a crow came to Teresa's ears, and she turned from Aleron to look forward. She found the sleek, black bird sitting at the prow of the dory, just inches away from Chance. The Redguard shooed at the bird, which took flight with a loud squawking. Then a moment later it sat right back down on the leading edge of the boat.

"Damn bird is crazy!" Chance exclaimed.

"No, he's my friend," Teresa said. "Leave him be. He's here for a reason."

Raising her eyes from the crow, she saw the walls of Vilverin rise into view. Only these were not broken and cast into the dust. Instead the gleaming ivory walls of the city rose tall and whole, stretching the length of the shore before turning inland to encircle the city from either side. Before the defenses, a line of stone jetties ran out from the shore. There long ships with delicately curving prows bobbed on the gentle waves of the lake.

The docks were lined with Imperials, Khajiit, and Argonians clad in worn sack cloth and bearing metal collars around the necks. They carried barrels and crates from the ships and loaded them onto wagons on the shore. Some of these already trundled their way through the open bronze gates that pierced the city walls and vanished within.

Elves with skin as white as cream prowled among the slaves. Some wore armor and carried swords. Others were dressed in velvet, silk, or fine linen. A whip cracked out when one of the Khajiit was slow, tracing a red welt along the feline's back. None of the others reacted. Rather they kept their heads down and continued their work in silence.

Teresa bit her lip in empathy for the poor wretches. Then the city was gone, with only a few crumbling stones rising into the sky like broken teeth where it had stood. There was no sign of the docks where the slaves had toiled, or the wall that had ringed the city. Only the ghosts of a few tumbled down rocks hinted that it had once stood along the shore.

"I heard someone say these places are four thousand years old," Chance said as the dory slid onto the beach in front of the ruin. He leaped into the waves along the shore, Ncharcasti in hand, and stepped inland with a wary eye. Teresa followed with her bow in one hand, and the other on the arrow-bag at her hip.

"That's about right. This one was sacked by the Empire in three hundred and seventy two of the First Age, then finally destroyed for good a hundred years later, at the end of the Third Ayleid War." Teresa turned to Aleron. "Stay with the boat. If you see any trouble, head out into the lake. You should be safe out there."

"What about you two?" the fisherman asked.

"We know how to handle trouble," Chance said, gripping the haft of his mace tightly. Teresa wondered if he hoped there was a fight waiting. She imagined that would be easier to face than his father's corpse…

Still, the Redguard waited for Teresa to take the lead, and stalked behind her as she made her way inland. Teresa found no signs of anyone. No voices on the breeze. No fresh footprints on the ground. No smell of a fire, or line of smoke in the air from one. Vilverin was the same tomb she had left months ago.

The crow flew before her, once again cawing as it went. The wood elf followed, and in moments she found herself standing before the body of a skeleton near the lake. Looking up, she saw the entrance of the palace directly inland, and atop it the glowing fountain of a star well. To the right of that she could see the torn canvas of the bandits' pup tents laying flat on the ground, now partly covered in dirt and leaves.

"This is him." Teresa looked down to the skeleton at her feet. His skull was split open, and several empty potion bottles lay scattered in the grass around him. His bones, bleached white from the sun, lay scattered as well. As Teresa looked closer, she saw small marks on them. Teeth-marks, she realized, probably from mudcrabs.

We eat them for dinner, and they eat us, she thought with a frown.

"Damn," Chance's voice was harsh in Teresa's ears. He fell to his knees with a clatter of steel, dropping his Dwemer mace into the grass beside him. Teresa saw that he was staring down at a leg bone. A raised line of growth made a ring around the middle of it, just like a scar would on flesh.

"When I was little, my father broke his leg playing harpastum." The Redguard's voice quivered when he spoke, and Teresa was thankful that she could only imagine what he must feel. "My mother was so furious with him!"

"So how did he go all the way from Sentinel to here?" Teresa asked.

"Like I said before, he was a warrior in King Lhuton's service." Chance's eyes stared off into space. "When I was thirteen he was sent to Dak'Fron, this town in the desert. It's the only water for miles around. But it's a Crown city too."

"Crown?" Teresa puzzled with furrowed eyebrows.

"You don't know much about Hammerfell, do you?" Chance looked up at her now, his eyes focusing once more. When Teresa shook her head, he continued. "Back there you have two kinds of people. You have your Crowns, who are hard-line traditionalists that hate the Empire, and want to keep everything the way it used to be in Yokuda. Or at least how they think it used to be. It's not like there's anyone left who really knows. Then you have the Forebears, who are the opposite."

"Well Sentinel is sort of in the middle," Chance explained. "It's the only Forebear city in the north. So King Lhuton tries to appease the Crowns by keeping up with the old traditions while still embracing the Empire. They call us Lhutonics, not really Forebears like in Taneth or Gilane, nor Crowns like in Elinhir or Skaven."

"Sentinel controls just about all of the Hammerfell side of Illiac Bay. After the city of Totambu seceded and went over to Elinhir, the king sent more warriors to Dak'Fron, since it looked like the same thing might happen there. About a year after he was sent there, my father was standing guard at the main well when a mob of Crowns came and started haranguing him. More Sentinel warriors saw it and came to stand with him. Then the mob started throwing rocks, one of the warriors fell, and things got out of control."

"When it was all over, thirteen of the Crowns were dead, and twice that were laid up in the temple for healing." Chance scowled, and looked back down at his father's mace. "That is when King Lhuton showed his true colors. To appease the masses, he put my father on trial and found him guilty of the massacre. He used him as a scapegoat."

"Well, my father's friends knew the meaning of loyalty, even if the king did not." Chance spat in the grass. "They broke him out of prison, and gave him a camel and enough food and water to get across the desert. That was four years ago, and since then we'd get a letter from him once and while. The last one was posted from the Imperial City in Second Seed."

"So you decided to come find him," Teresa said.

"Aye," Chance replied. "I turned eighteen last month. My mother and I had a huge argument about it. She didn't want me to leave Sentinel. I can't see how she can stay, with the way the king betrayed us, and how my father's name is dragged through the mud. But I guess after all the work she put into that tavern - and the money she still owes on it - she just can't up and leave. I'll tell you one thing, I'll never get so tied down to one place or thing that it becomes more important than justice. Never!"

Teresa nodded. What was there she could say? "I'm sorry Chance." She laid what she hoped was a comforting hand on the young man's steel-clad shoulder. "I have no idea what this must be like. I just wish you didn't have to find out like this."

"Better it come from a friend than a stranger," the Redguard said, then looked back down at the bones of his father.

"Come on," Teresa said. "Let's go back to the boat and tell Aleron were still- here." She had meant to say 'still alive', but stopped herself before stepping on her tongue. "Then we can come back and bury him."

Chance rose to his feet, lifting his father's mace in his hands. He turned the bronze weapon one way and another, seemingly entranced by it. "You said a necromancer did this. I swear by Ruptga, Leki, Onsi, Talos, Akatosh, and every other god and monster, that I will find that fetcher and kill him! If it's the last thing I do!"

"And I will help you do it," Teresa breathed.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 14 2011, 05:21 PM

[haute ecole rider]

I really loved this segment - the return to Vilverin. Aleron's grumpiness when asked about his day at the Arena, the discussion between Teresa and Chance about the caliber of leadership at the Imperial Chapter, and the quiet voyage up the east side of the Lake.

"When you need it, you can count on me being there. With both hands."

I'm not so sure I like that offer. Lord knows where those hands (and other body parts) may have been, or where they may end up!

The return to Vilverin and Chance's reaction to finding his father's bones was quite powerful. The raven adds a note of foreboding portent (why would the bird be there unless danger lay ahead? It's like Akatosh's presence for Julian).

The story Chance tells of his father's exile adds an extra dimension to your Redguard Errol Flynn, and makes him more than just a ladycharmer.

One nit:

To the right of that she could see the torn canvas of the bandits' pup tents laying flat on the ground, now torn, dirty, and partly covered in leaves.

You have torn twice in one sentence. Maybe drop the second torn completely?

Overall just wonderful on so many levels.

[Thomas Kaira]

Chapter 31.6: Old habits really do die hard, don't they, Simplicia? Hmm, I seem to have paraphrased someone... I wonder who it could be?

It's nice that Teresa is not so quick to judge others as her mother. Simplicia strikes me as a woman who's opinions are easily colored, and this chapter was very befitting of her. Of course, it may be the many years of prostitution and poverty speaking...

Nit:

"But how did Vols got involved?"

Perhaps you meant "get?"

Chapter 31.7: I very much enjoyed Teresa's vision of the Ayleid city coming back to life! Maybe not the slaves toiling away at the docks, but everything else was beautiful.

Some very nice backstory for Chance's father, as well. It adds a lot to Chance's plight, knowing that his father was once a hero, but was demonized by a puppet ruler and had his reputation demolished. That's harsh.

Time to go necro-hunting! This time, Teresa, you kill him dead!

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Mar 14 2011, 09:21 PM

[Grits]

"Well, I don't forget who my friends are," Chance said. "When you need it, you can count on me being there. With both hands."

and

I'll tell you one thing, I'll never get so tied down to one place or thing that it becomes more important than justice.

The Chance Doctrine comes into view, and there’s more to the unrepentant charmer. Although I did giggle thinking he had to specify both hands since he seems to use one to lead himself around by the Johnson.

"And I will help you do it," Teresa breathed.

Yay! Looks like we’ll get some more Chance, and that teamwork Teresa was talking about in 31.6. Very exciting!!

[Acadian]

The glimpse into the IC guild hall was a fine affirmation that Teresa and Chance have chosen well in Bravil.

'Methredhel had certainly repaid the favor ten-fold since then, she mused. Adanrel on the other hand… She looked back to Chance, and wondered which he would take after? '
Here you show us aspects of what I suspect may be forming Teresa's doctrine. This is most effective because you do so using TF characters that we know well.

Raven was most welcome, as was the breathtaking glimpse into the Arimer ruin that stepped through thousands of years to reach Teresa's eyes.

The leg bone bearing evidence of an old break was effective confirmation of the skeleton's identity. Teresa again, shows her empathy here - toward Chance this time.

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: That is my swashbuckling blackguard, tearing up the place twice in one sentence! I never thought of Chance as being a Redguard Errol Flynn, but it does fit! Captain Chance Blood!


Thomas Kaira: Get indeed. Simplicia is indeed someone who jumps to conclusions about people, often negative ones, and holds on to those ideas. Something that thankfully for Vols, Teresa did not inherit from her.

The massacre at Dak'Fron was inspired by the Boston Massacre. The only real difference is that where the British soldiers had a Patriot lawyer like John Adams to acquit them, Destri did not.


Grits: I don't think Chance leads himself by his johnson, rather it leads him, and he hangs on for dear life! Plenty of that teamwork coming up in this next chapter, especially in segments 2 & 3.


Acadian: I was originally going to have a scene in the guild hall, but decided against it as it would have detracted from the main thrust of the chapter too much - that of not only Chance and his father, but also of parents and family in general (which we saw with Teresa and Simplicia, and of course Decimus and his family in Silverbridge). So I took a page from the h.e.r. book and just presented it in a brief flashback and dialogue.

The broken bone was also something I needed to clinch the identity of Destri. I needed something that would be conclusive, but still be visible on corpse that was months old. The idea of the mended bone jumped out at me, thanks to seeing several dinosaur bones like that, which were broken and healed (btw. A T-Rex legbone has been found like that. Meaning that in order for it to live to heal, another T-Rex must have hunted for it and brought it the kills to eat).


Next: Teresa et al. sail back to Bravil, but take a little detour along the way.


Chapter 32.1 - Culotte

8th-10th Hearthfire, 3E433

Sailing south from Vilverin late in the afternoon, Teresa, Chance, and Aleron spent the night in Sideways. In the morning they set out southward for Bravil. Teresa was tempted to leave them and head back to the Imperial City. She never had the chance to meet Methredhel, Volsinius, or Nerussa during their brief stop a few days before.

But she had come this far with Chance in his journey to find his father. Something in her told her that she owed it to him to see him the entire way back to Bravil. She knew it was a silly thought. He was no child, and could certainly hold his own if there was danger. Possibly better than she could! Yet she could just not shake the feeling that she would be deserting her guild mate.

So she stayed, and soon found herself longing to see the smile of Tadrose Helas. She had bought a copy of one of Juno Austenius' books from Jensine - this one named Pride and Prejudice - and had already begun to read it on the voyage home. Tadrose had been right, it was very witty, and was quick to point out the ironies that filled stuffy patrician society. She could not wait to surprise the vice-commander with her knowledge of the book. Perhaps they might even see that play together after all…

On their third day out from Vilverin the ruins of Culotte rose from the water, now to Teresa's left as they sailed south. As she stared, a conspiracy of ravens winged above the ancient city, croaking loud enough for her to clearly hear them from the main channel of the river in which they sailed. After whirling around in the air above Culotte for several long moments, they settled down atop the broken stones. Even though they were only tiny specks in the distance, the forester had the distinct impression that they were all looking at her.

Screenshot

That was all the prompting Teresa needed. Chance or not, she had to go. She hastily stowed her book away in her Thieves Bag, which hung securely from her belt by the slits cut into it. Then she drew forth a flax string for her bow, and bracing the stave against the bottom of the boat to lend her more leverage, she set it to the nocks.

"What's wrong?" Aleron's voice rang out behind her, and Teresa thought she detected a hint of worry in his tone. "Are we in trouble?"

"No trouble," Teresa calmly replied. "I'm getting off here. You two keep on for Bravil. I'll walk the rest of the way."

"What!" Chance's eyes goggled as she stared at her from the prow. "Are you crazy? You'll drown in all that gear before you even get near the shore."

"I can breathe underwater," Teresa said with a faint smile. She rose to her feet with care, lest her motion tip the boat. "I'll be fine."

"Wait!" Now it was Aleron's turn to cry out. "Are you mad? Where do you think you're going?"

"Over there." Teresa pointed to the Arimer ruin that slowly drifted past on the eastern bank of the river. "There's something in there, something waiting for me."

"Have you gone madder than Emperor Pelagius?" the Breton fisherman replied. "Those places are nothing but bad luck. We're making good time now thanks to the current. We'll be back home tomorrow morning, maybe even tonight. If you really want to kill yourself, you can come back later."

Teresa looked from Aleron to Chance, then finally back to the ravens waiting patiently in the ruins. She did not like leaving the Redguard, not after all they had been through with his father. But if she had learned anything from Raven, it was never to ignore him.

"Sorry." She shook her head. "I can't explain why. I just have to do this. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm in the Fighters Guild after all."

"Damn right you'll be fine," Chance declared, "'cause I'm going with you."

"Chance you don't have to-" Teresa was cut short by Aleron's response.

"Are you daft too!" the fisherman now stared at the Redguard. "Come on, let's just go home!"

"No." Now it was Chance's turn to shake his head as he stared at Teresa. "I meant what I said before. I'm here to back you up. My father's friends did not forget him, and I'm not about to forget you. Where you go, I go."

"Chance it doesn't mean that-" This time it was the Redguard's upraised hand that cut Teresa short.

"Yes it does. If you're going, so am I. That's all there is to it," he declared. Then his gaze turned to the water between them and the shore. "Although I don't know how I'm going to get there…"

"Alright, alright," Aleron grumbled. He leaned on the tiller, bringing them into a hard turn that took them east. "Though you're damned fools…"

Chance began pulling on his armor as best he could within the boat. After a few moments Teresa leaned forward to help him. Plate armor was certainly excellent protection, she thought as she strapped one piece after another onto the Redguard's body. But it sure took a long time for someone to get into and out of.

In the meantime Aleron had pulled down the sail, and was now rowing for shore. As they neared the riverbank, Teresa saw that a circular colonnade rose from the waves. Its roof was long gone, along with the stained glass that she imagined once filled the spaces between columns. They sailed past without a word, and now Aleron had to slow the dory in order to navigate through more broken pieces of stone that jutted from the water.

Screenshot

"This is close enough," Teresa said, holding up one hand in front of Aleron. "We can wade in from here."

Before the Breton could answer, she was over the side. Sliding gracefully into the water, she found it was only waist-deep. She reached out with one hand to steady the dory and bring it to a halt. A moment later Chance was splashing loudly into the water in front of the craft, Ncharcasti gripped in one hand, and a small, kite-shaped shield in the other.

"Stay here," he said, turning back to face Aleron. "It'll be safer."

The Redguard waited for Teresa to take the lead, and then the two fighters made their way onto the beach. Drawing a mithril-tipped arrow from the bag at her hip, Teresa set it to the nock of her bow as she stepped lightly onto the strand. Her head was on a swivel, looking in every direction for signs of danger.

The ruin was quiet and still however. The only sounds were the lapping waves, the clanking of Chance's armor, and the occasional caw of a raven. Looking down at the ground, Teresa found a long, wide drag-mark leading from the water. Around it were several sets of footprints that went off deeper into the ruin.

"Here's where that boat landed." She pointed to the tracks so that Chance would see. "The one we saw when we came up from Bravil."

"Well, whoever they were, they left in a hurry," Chance replied. Leaning down behind a broken stone, he lifted an arming sword in one hand. Its long, double-edged blade tapered to a sharp point, and glinted brightly in the afternoon sun. "They took care of their steel too. Not a speck of rust on it."

Teresa moved deeper inland, into a maze of crumbling white stone. A star well glowed before her, the fountain of its magicka reaching back into the sky from whence it originally came. Nearby the well rose a circular building that was still mostly intact. The broken columns that once formed a colonnade ringed its peak, surrounding a statue of an elf being carried aloft by a great eagle. A double-sided door of typical Arimer design sat at ground level, both sides closed.

Screenshot

Teresa crept to the star well and thrust one hand into the geyser of magicka. She instantly felt the energy rush into her, filling her with power until it seemed that she would nearly burst from it.

She motioned for Chance to follow suit, but the Redguard shook his head. A look of distaste crossed his features, and once more Teresa remembered what he had said about magic the first day she had met him: "A Redguard warrior does not practice eastern magic!"

Teresa had no idea what the Redguards had against magic. Of all the things to be prejudiced against, magic had to be the stupidest one! she mused. Not using magic when you could was like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Yet if she had learned anything as a Bosmer on the streets of the Imperial City, prejudice had nothing to do with reason, or even self-interest.

Scanning the area beyond the well, she saw no sign of enemies. Giving Chance a hand signal to show that all was clear, she made her way back to the round building. She saw that there were fresh footprints in the dirt at the entrance, going both in and out. She pointed that out to Chance, and then without a word opened the doors.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 17 2011, 03:44 AM

[haute ecole rider]

Once again you enchant us with beautiful descriptions and lovely screenshots. Culotte is one of the more hauntingly beautiful Ayleid ruins. The fact that the surface ruins are rarely inhabited by anything other than woodland and shore creatures just makes it all the more lovely. Unlike Vilverin, Sercen and a few other places that have been claimed by bandits or other mortals, Culotte looks like it did when the Ayleids left it for the last time (except for the effects of time and weather, of course).

The argument Teresa and Chance have in the boat is winsome, too. I liked how he got all manly and chivalric on her, though I'm sure that's just his nature to back up a friend and guildmate (which is probably how he sees her, not as a romantic/lusty conquest). Seems to me that it would stick in his craw to let her go in there by herself. Score one for the buddy system! Julian's nodding her head in agreement, though I've reminded her that she's gone into plenty of Gates by herself!

A double-sided door of typical Arimer design sat {at} ground level, both sides closed.

Seems to me that a word is missing here, where I've suggested at.

Out of all the delightful images that this chapter evoked in my mind, this has got to be my favorite:

Then his gaze turned to the water between them and the shore. "Although I don't know how I'm going to get there…"

"Alright, alright," Aleron grumbled. He leaned on the tiller, bringing them into a hard turn that took them east. "Though you're a bunch of damned fools…"

[Thomas Kaira]

How fun, an adventure! Teresa gets to explore more Ayleid Arimer ruins again! Maybe this one is where that dastardly necromancer has taken up residence in? I sure hope so, Chance deserves his vengeance.

Also, if you wish to delve deeper into Ayleid Arimer magic, I understand that they were well practiced at Geomancy, or rather the art of harnessing the magicks inherent to various stones and crystals. Welkynd and Varla stones are their crowning achievement here, but with study (and the right resources) you might be able to coax that same power out of ordinary valuable gems.

Let me know if you are interested, because this will mean a giant leap in terms of gameplay for you.

EDIT: That makes 400.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Mar 17 2011, 12:27 AM

[Acadian]

Hauntingly ominous! The approach to Culotte here is scary more for what we don't see than what we do in this well-crafted episode.

I'd listen to Raven just like Teresa did, but I sure hope she (Raven) knows what we're doing. Gulp!

In the discussion between Chance and Teresa in the boat, you really 'showed' what it means to belong to the Bravil Guild of Fighters. Here you have two fighters - and neither will abandon the other. Beautiful.

I look forward to the possibility that you might show us a touch of what our archer can do when she has a tank of steel to afford her a safe firing perch. And similarly, how well she can protect her tank by attriting approaching attackers.

Nit?
"Though you're a bunch of damned fools…"
This is much more of a question actually and perhaps no change is indicated. Aleron was talking to Teresa and Chance. This would suggest consideration be given to the words 'pair' or 'couple' as opposed to 'bunch' of fools. Now, if your intention was for Aleron to be referring to the whole crazy crew that comprises the Bravil guild of fighters, then 'bunch' is certainly appropriate. Simply take a peek and see what you think.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Mar 17 2011, 12:47 AM

[Grits]

Yet she could just not shake the feeling that she would be deserting her guild mate.

I love to see that she feels this way, because then Chance shows her that he does, too.

Floating down the river reading Pride and Prejudice, aaah. Now I'm excited to see what’s behind the door. Will we hear battle music?

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: Score one for the buddy system indeed. This is Chance's chance to show what he is made of, and he is not going to pass it up.


Thomas Kaira: Geomancy is exactly the kind of mod I never use. I am more interested in using less spells and extras, rather than more. The mods I use (and create), are ones that simplify gameplay, or add new clothing, weapons, or armor (basically for the looks).


Acadian: This chapter does indeed show the measure of the Bravil FG. Both from Pappy's training, and just his much more picky Post-Bruma eye when it comes to hiring people on.


Grits: Maybe Teresa should have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! Battle music coming up!


Chapter 32.2 - Culotte

As Arimer doors always did, the stone portals slid aside as if they were light as parchment. A stair led down into darkness, and Teresa drew forth her night eye goggles in order to see. Then the air behind her was lit with the soft light of a glowstone, and Teresa gave Chance the signal to halt. She knew that he had to see, but she also knew that his light would reveal her if she was too close to him.

Moving on, she scouted ahead alone. Soon she came upon a circular arcade, exactly like the one near the entrance to Vilverin. A column of stone ran up through the center of the chamber, and a staircase turned around it in a circle to her right, dropping ever deeper into the bowels of Nirn.

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The sound of cloth scuffing on stone came to Teresa's ears. Then she smelled it. The sweet, putrid stench of recent death. Slinking to one side, she climbed out along a ledge that jutted out over the stairwell and set one hand against the cold stone of the central column. Peering into the grey world of night eye, she found the author of both the smell and sound.

It had been a human, a Nibenean from its jet black hair. It was dressed in leather armor that was torn open in the torso, and bore dark stains all along the front of its body. She could see its ribs exposed, and now she noticed that its chest did not rise and fall with breath. It seemed oblivious to her presence, and shuffled behind the columns of the arcade with that stiff, awkward stride of all zombies.

Teresa waited until it shambled out of view, and then carefully sneaked back to the entrance. She found Chance just inside the door, and stepped into the light of the glowstone that dangled from his belt. Holding up a single finger on her hand, she signaled him that there was one enemy ahead. Then she signaled that he should hold his ground, and that she would lure it back to him. He nodded, and Teresa silently thanked Pappy for their training.

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Reaching into one of her belt pouches, she drew forth a shield potion. Pulling the stopper, she lifted it to her lips and knocked it back. A golden disc formed above her, only to fall to her feet a moment later. As the yellow light faded into her body, she re-corked the bottle and tucked it into her Thieves Bag. There was no sense wasting the glass after all, she thought.

Then Teresa melted back into the darkness and returned to the arcade and stairwell. Setting an arrow to the nock of her bow, she waited until the zombie stepped between columns. Then she quickly drew the string back to half tension. Releasing half the breath in her lungs, she sighted in on the shambling monster. Then the feathers of her arrow were caressing her cheek, and an instant later it was in flight.

The zombie lurched as the missile drilled into it with a meaty thump! A deep, disturbing murmur escaped its throat as it stopped to look around itself. How on Nirn could they make those sounds? Teresa wondered. They didn't breathe, and she could see that half of this one's lungs were missing in fact.

She had another arrow in her hand by the time the zombie's glassy eyes latched onto her. It lumbered forward with surprising quickness, and met the arrow as its feet reached the steps atop which Teresa stood. Drawing a third arrow from her bag, Teresa did not take the time to string it and shoot. Instead she whirled and sprinted down the hallway from which she had come, where the light of Chance's glowstone shone like a beacon.

Teresa stopped half-way through and readied her bow. She knew the light would silhouette her in the center of the hall. But against a zombie she did not care. It was not something that could hurl magic at her, as a ghost could. As soon as the monster rose into view, she sent another arrow to greet it. Yet still it plodded forward at a run.

Those zombies take a lot of killing before going down, Teresa mused. No living man would have been standing with three arrows in him. She knew it was wearing armor, but against her mithril points, the leather might as well have been parchment.

Teresa turned and fled down the hall once more. Now Chance moved up, stepping in front of her. He waited coolly as the zombie lumbered up to him, and let it reach out to claw at him. Once it was committed to its attack, he used his shield to push the monster's arms aside. A moment later Ncharcasti smashed its skull into a pulp. The corpse flopped down motionless on the floor, and Chance followed up with several more blows to the torso.

Better safe than sorry, Teresa thought as she watched the Redguard pummel the remnants of the zombie. When it was plain that it would never get back up again, she finally spoke.

"That must have been one of the people who came in the boat," she said quietly.

"Yeah," Chance grimaced, doubtlessly from the smell wafting from the corpse. It was even worse now that he had mangled it further with his blows. For a moment Teresa wondered if this was the first time the Redguard had ever killed. If putting down a zombie could be described as such. "But what did this to him?"

Teresa shrugged. "We'll find out." She did not say what she was thinking however. It was just like Vilverin. Did that mean a necromancer? she wondered. There had been zombies in Nagastani as well though, but no death-mages. So perhaps not.

Then she took the lead once more, and they continued into the depths beyond the arcade. Teresa found that the winding stair led down to a stone walkway that rose over a pair of corridors that ran to either side. Rusty chandeliers hung from the ceiling here, suspending large glowstones within their metal cages. Each corridor ended with a line of stone niches that ran from the ceiling to the floor, yawning empty in the gloom. The wood elf wondered if that was a good or bad as she continued forward.

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Eventually she found a stair that led further down, and curled back in the direction from which they came. She found herself in a hallway that bisected the corridors that she had seen from above, running parallel to the walkway overhead. She moved with care, as there were many corners around which anything might lurk. After finding one zombie already in the ruin, she knew there was likely to be more, and no telling what else.

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Once again, she smelled the next zombie before she saw it. Setting an arrow to her bowstring, she peeked around each corner that she came to. Finally she found herself staring face to face with a Khajiit that was missing one arm. Like the first zombie, it too wore leather armor that was stained with dried blood.

It saw her at the same time she saw it, and lurched forward with a deep-throated groan. Teresa leaped back out of reflex and raised her bow. There was no time for careful aim. She simply pulled the string to her cheek and loosed. Thankfully she was close enough that it was nearly impossible to miss, and the mithril point of her arrow buried itself deeply into the monster's chest.

The zombie lurched under the force of the point-blank shot. Then it stumbled forward once more, its single hand reaching out greedily for Teresa's flesh. The wood elf turned and fled back the way she had come. Turning a corner, she found Chance waiting with weapon in hand.

"Zombie!" she gasped, "only one."

The Redguard looked around, then nodded to the end of the hallway from which Teresa had just come. "Bait the trap," he said, "and I'll catch our mouse."

Teresa smiled faintly, instantly understanding what the man had in mind. Stepping back into the hallway, she saw the zombie shambling closer. Pulling open the mouth of her Thieves Bag, she slid her strung bow into its depths. Simplicia had been right, she thought, the weapon did fit with ease into the magic bag.

Backing up to the end of the hall, she drew her mithril parrying dagger in her left hand. When she felt hard stone at her back, she called up her magicka in her right hand. Focusing on the image of her Burning Hand spell, she could feel the energy bubbling under the skin of her fingers.

In the meantime Chance stepped up to the corner with Ncharcasti held behind his head, and waited just outside of the zombie's view. It continued down the hall, completely intent upon Teresa. It stepped past him, single arm reaching out for her. Then Chance burst into action, mace crunching deeply into the zombie's hip.

The monster was driven into the wall opposite Chance, and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. It thrashed at Teresa, but could not rise with its pelvis shattered. The wood elf slid away along the back wall of the corridor, moving further out of its reach. In the meantime Chance stepped closer, and sent another blow to the base of the zombie's neck. The creature's vertebrae snapped like kindling, and its head flopped down like a wet noodle. The Redguard followed with another blow to its head, but by now the zombie had ceased to stir.

"You were right," he said, turning to Teresa. "I'll never complain about drill again. We'd have never been able to do that without all those hours on the practice field."

"And I'd rather be here with you than anyone from the Imperial City chapter," Teresa said honestly. Sheathing her dagger, she pulled her bow from her Thieves Bag and drew another arrow. Then she turned her gaze to the dead Khajiit at their feet.

"This one is fresh too," she observed. "Another of the visitors."

"Aye," Chance sighed. "Let's just make sure we don't end up like them."

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 18 2011, 05:10 PM

[haute ecole rider]

An excellent summation of how the buddy system works! Too bad I can't get the NPC's in the game to be this useful!

I'm sure those with experience of the buddy system in combat will find nits to pick, but I found it all very believable. And Chance is proving himself with these stinky opponents! I see our conversation so long ago about dead bodies continue to pay off for you.

[Grits]

I love that the zombies are easily recognizable as what they used to be. It makes them horrifying for what happened to them, not just what they can do. Teresa really kept her composure during the zombie chase. It’s fun to watch their training pay off.

[Thomas Kaira]

How fun! We're fighting zombies of former ship mates... left 4 dead no doubt.

Teresa's and Chance's teamwork was great! I wasn't too sure about Chance at first, but now he really is growing on me. He seems like a very loyal friend to have. I'm glad he has such honor.

What lurks deeper inside the ruins, though? Hopefully no wraiths... I don't think Chance would like those much. I'm still speculating that a certain necromancer might be the cause, but we'll soon see.

[Acadian]

'she re-corked the bottle and tucked it into her Thieves Bag. There was no sense wasting the glass after all, she thought.'
I got a smile from this. As many potions as Teresa makes, this is very prudent. Reuse those vials!

Excellent teamwork between Teresa and Chance! Running back to the safety of her tank is a wonderful feeling for an archer. Then Teresa and Chance went on to display some 'Pappy training' by setting a trap for the bag of cat bones. Well done!

That new Thieves Bag really comes in handy!

Gosh, there's clearly something going on here in this ruin. The suspicious boat on the way up to the IC, a call from Raven, and now fresh zombies. I'm looking forward to learning what lies deeper in this Arimer ruin.

[Destri Melarg]

Okay, here we go:

Beginning with Chapter 25.2, Teresa’s meeting with Carandial was an enjoyable interlude before her entry into Bravil. Between Carandial, Elante of Alinor, Irlav Jarol’s Mages Guild expedition, and several orc adventurers those ruins are starting to get mighty crowded. Good thing there are a lot of them.

One of the things that I have always enjoyed about your work is that your description always trumps the screenshot that you provide. I don’t know if that has ever been better illustrated than in your description of Bravil’s main gate, the surrounding countryside, and Marius Helvius standing watch near the bridge.

So the Globe Theatre is in Bravil? Will we see a performance of The Lusty Argonian Maid by the Lord Chamberlain’s Men?

And is it any wonder that Teresa would spend her first moments in Bravil befriending Wretched Aia?

*Okay, if I keep stopping to comment then this post will be as long as the TF by the time I catch up. I’ll try to control myself . . . but no promises.*

After Teresa pauses on the threshold, she makes the fateful decision to go inside the Bravil Fighters Guild. I love the fact that she remains unconvinced that she is doing the right thing. And I agree with Acadian, the wanted posters are (and were) an excellent idea.

“You sound like exactly what we need Teresa. Or at least what I need. You have no idea how much male posturing goes on around here…”

Tell Tadrose that if she wants to see some female posturing, she should just travel down to Anvil!

“Vigdis! Fighters Guild!”
“Llensi Llarum. Fighters Guild, through and through.”
“Huurwen of the Fighters Guild. Health and fortune.”

Vigdis and Huurwen’s skills are highly overrated, and not worth the gold spent training with them. Llensi won’t train you at all, even though she is supposed to!

Hooray for the return of Pappy to the TF!!! The screenshot of Robert Conrad almost knocked me from my chair with laughter. If memory serves we haven’t seen him (Pappy, not Jim West) and Tadrose since they were perforating Dremora up in Bravil. Now we’ve got Pappy training the star-crossed Aleron Locke. Hopefully Pappy’s training does more for him in the TF than the fate he is consigned to in the game. The atmosphere inside the guildhall perfectly fits the sense of melancholy and loss that we know the Bravil guild has suffered.

I also liked how you changed Teresa’s first interview with Pappy. I seem to remember Teresa storming out the door in version 1.0. I daresay that Teresa has softened that hard-line a bit. Then again maybe her storming out comes later, and if so I am going to feel like an idiot typing this now. Ah, what the hell! It’s 3 in the morning where I am so I think I can be indulged a few premature assumptions.

And of course it takes me a mere two posts to get to the part where Teresa’s rage makes her storm out of the guild! I knew I should have kept my big mouth shut! Of course the good news is that she passes my favorite orc rapscallion on the way out the door! I’ve missed Ancondil.

*BTW, why do you and mALX feel this need to pretty-up the orcs? Personally, I like them much better with the snouts.*

Why was she crying? She did not feel sad. She had been so furious just a few minutes before. How could her emotions go from one such extreme to another?

Uh . . . woman!

She had felt so certain of it, how could she have been wrong?

Uh . . . human!

I also remember that Ancondil is the T.S. Eliot of the TF universe. It is nice to be reminded again.

It also seems to me that a certain Khajiit has a flair for ineptitude that has made her famous (or is that notorious?) over several threads. Here’s hoping that Maxical and Ancondil never put their heads together over a mortar and pestle. The resulting explosion would probably level all of Tamriel!

Wonder of wonders!! Lattia’s name is mentioned in the company of Galerion and Arctus! I think I can speak for her when she says that she is flabbergasted and flattered, albeit undeserving. I think that she and Teresa share a becoming modesty. That leaves it to others to comment on their greatness.

I just loved the way that Teresa learned something new about herself and the art of alchemy through her conversation with Ancondil.

Men were so complicated! she thought.

So very true! Just as complicated as women sometimes! -huff-

No we aren’t! Chris Rock distilled us down to our essence in three words: “Food! Sex! Silence!”

It seems that Teresa has encountered a kindred spirit in Ardaline. Isn’t it just like our modest bosmer to fall flat on her face while trying to dodge a compliment? Incoming!!

I also liked the way that Teresa found herself on the other end of the conversation so soon after gently deflecting the orc’s advances. What’s good for the goose . . .

Oh, and I didn’t know that barbarians wrote regional alchemy guides. Grognak?

Well, that’s it for now. I am about halfway caught up. I can’t wait to read Chapter 31!

[SubRosa]

haute ecole rider: I wish I could get the companions to be useful in the game as well. But the sad truth is that you are better off alone, or with a summons. They actually do work better in Fallout 3.


Grits: Those zombies are only a few days old, so they had to be easily recognizable. Besides, it only brings home the threat faced by Teresa and Chance. They could easily end up the same...


Thomas Kaira; Actually only left 2 dead. I guess it is a prequel.

Funny you should say that about Chance, because writing these last two chapters with him has not only brought him to life in my mind, but also made him a much more likeable character than I had originally pictured.


Acadian: This chapter really showcases everything that Teresa has learned from her time in the FG. Plus how handy a mother who is not afraid to blackmail people is!


Destri Melarg Rides Again: I hope you do not mind me borrowing Lattia's name. I wanted to throw around a few names of famous and powerful magicians, and aside from Galerion and Mannimarco, there are not that many in the lore (who are not also gods at least). If you liked Lattia (Miss I won't summon the Daedra Lord to Nirn, but instead go to his realm to talk to him) just wait until you get to chapter 31! We will be seeing exactly what is playing the Globe in chapter 31 as well. Perhaps Teresa will too, maybe even Tadrose?

I like orcs better without the snouts. Mainly because they hide the uniqueness of their faces. It is just the first thing you see when you look at them. I find it much easier to make a distinctive orc with the regular bone structure. Not to mention a more pleasing one...

The essence of men in three words? That is one too many!

I went with Grognak for the alchemy-guide guy simply because that is usually reserved for a snooty elf person. Rough and tumble barbarian explorers deserve some props too. Besides, who better to know the plants of the wilderness than someone who lives there?


Next: In our previous episode Teresa and Chance delved into the upper reaches of Culotte. Next, they make their way rock-bottom in the exciting conclusion of chapter 32.


Chapter 32.3 - Culotte

As before, Teresa led the way deeper into the ruin. The passage through the hall and its bisecting corridors was silent and uneventful. At the end Teresa found that the last side corridor did not stop after a dozen paces, as the others did. Instead she could see that it opened up into a much larger chamber.

Teresa slinked forward, and soon discovered that the corridor became a raised gallery that ran through the middle of a great vault. A lattice of rusted metal cast in the form of curling vines closed off the walkway at either side. Looking below, the wood elf saw rows of stone biers lining the floor to either side of the gallery.

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Laying atop each was a skeleton. Whatever clothing or armor they had once worn had long since rotted to dust. Yet the long, double-edged swords which they clutched looked quite serviceable. With vine-etched blades that thinned in the center, then widened again at the tip, Teresa imagined that they were made for chopping, rather than stabbing. The hilts of the weapons were white as ivory, and seemed to be formed in the image of a hawk, with outstretched wings forming the crossbar, a feathered body creating the grip, and finally a pair of taloned feet holding a shining globe making the pommel.

Teresa stared at the skeletons. Did one of them move? she wondered. Or was it just her imagination? She waited there on the gallery, listening for the rattle of bones, the scuffle of walking feet, or the clink of a sword against stone. Yet the only sound that came to her ears was that of Chance's breathing behind her.

Moving forward again, she found that the side lattices opened up in the center of the chamber. Looking down, she saw that the gallery actually became a bridge at that point, joining both halves of the chamber below with a small corridor beneath her feet. Stepping lightly across the stones, she continued down the gallery without a sound.

She was nearly to the end of the upraised walkway when she heard the ominous rumbling of stone behind her. Whirling around, she saw Chance fighting for balance on the bridge. Long cracks had appeared through its stone surface, and as Teresa watched, fist-sized pieces of it broke free and plunged to the floor below.

The forester raced back the way she had come, knowing that she would be too late to help the Redguard. She watched helplessly as he wavered on the collapsing stone, then breathed a sigh of relief as he regained his balance just in time to leap forward. His armored feet came to rest on solid stone just as the remainder of the bridge crashed to the ground behind him. A cloud of dust rose in the air, and the Redguard brushed it off as Teresa came to a stop before him.

"Guess I ought to lose some weight," he said with a wink and a grin.

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That brought a faint smile to Teresa's lips. Glancing to either side, she saw that the skeletons remained still in their resting places, adding to her relief. Surely even the dead could not have slept through that! Now confident that the bodies would not get up and attack, she turned and once again led the way deeper into Culotte.

The gallery ended with another stair that led down and curled back. A moment later Teresa found herself on the floor of the great burial chamber, with the stone gallery rising up to her left. From her lower vantage point, she could see that except for the broken bridge, the rest of the walkway was supported by solid stone. Looking to the end of the room, she saw a doorway yawning open there and stepped toward it. Chance clanked into the room behind her, and his voice split the gloom.

"Hey, what's that glowing over there?"

Teresa turned to follow where he pointed with Ncharcasti, but saw nothing in the grey world of night eye. She wondered if the Redguard was seeing things, then remembered her goggles. They blinded her to most color. Sliding them up from her eyes, she instantly saw a faint purple glow coming from between two of the stone biers deeper in the room.

Teresa readied an arrow, and stepped forward toward the light. Coming around one of the rows of biers, she found that the author of the glow was a metal statuette. It had four spines that rose from a wide, circular base. These were linked by horizontal bars in the center, meeting at a slender purple crystal. The gemstone swirled with energy, and lent its glow to the surrounding room.

An Ancestor Statue!

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"What in Ruptga's name is that?" she heard Chance breathe behind her.

"That my friend, is one hundred gold septims," Teresa smiled. Walking forward to the statue, she stopped just a few feet short when she realized that she was standing in a pool of dried blood. Looking down, she found a dismembered arm laying on the floor. It was sheathed in leather, and ended in a furred hand whose fingers bore short, hooked claws.

"I found the rest of the Khajiit." Teresa wrinkled her nose at the grisly sight, not to mention the smell.

Chance stepped up beside her. "So if it lost its arm down here, how did the rest of it wind up topside?"

"Maybe it lost the arm down here, ran, and died up there?" Teresa wondered. "Or maybe it died down here, then wandered up there afterward?"

The forester shrugged. Who could say what ran through the minds of the undead? All that mattered was that she had found another of Umbacano's statues. More importantly, she was now one step closer to making Simplicia's dream of a home in the country coming true.

"How much did you say that thing is worth?" Chance asked as Teresa lifted the Ancestor in her hands. The metal of the statue was cold as the grave, and filled the wood elf's body with its chill the moment she touched it. She quickly tucked it into the Thieves Bag at her hip, and was thankful when the coldness subsided.

"One hundred septims," Teresa said. "That's a thousand drakes. After the guild gets its cut, that leaves four hundred drakes for both of us."

"Damn!" the Redguard grinned. "We're rich!"

The sound of rattling bones deflated his smile however, and the Redguard turned in time to see a skeleton rising from the bier beside him, sword in hand. The monster set its feet on the floor and raised its sword. But Chance was quicker, and his mace drove down through its skull and shattered its breastbone. The remnants of the skeleton fell into a heap of bones on the floor.

"They're all getting up!" Teresa gasped, looking at the rising army of dead all around them. "Quick, run for it!"

She took a moment to tuck her strung bow into her Thieves Bag. Then something hit her hard in her side, and the yellow light of her shield enchantment flashed in the darkness. Pain flared through her chest, brilliant and hot. The feeling reminded of her when she was too slow in dagger practice, and Pappy connected with his wooden sword. Only this was much harder than the Colovian had ever struck her.

Looking down with a wince, she saw one of the hourglass-shaped elven blades pulling back from her torso. Its steel gleamed in the dim light. Without her goggles on, Teresa could see it was a soft red in color. She knew that meant Destruction magic, thanks to Pappy.

Relief flooded through her like the Niben when she saw that her leather armor was still intact where the sword had hit her. She thanked her shield potion for that. Without it she doubted the leather would have stopped a sword. But with it, she was armored as strongly as if wearing plate. Still, her side ached where the blade had struck her, and she hoped that none of her ribs were broken.

Looking up to the skeleton that clutched the sword, she acted out of reflex drilled into her from Pappy's training sessions. Leaning in closer, she thrust her right hand against the skeleton's breastbone. Concentrating on the image of Burning Hand, she unleashed an explosion of flame into the monster. It collapsed in a heap of blackened bones, and Teresa turned to race for the stair.

She heard Chance utter a long, eerie war cry behind her. It was a strange sound, rising and falling in pitch, and sent a shiver down her spine. "Alale!" was the nearest she could put it to words. Following it came the sound of his Dwemer mace shattering more of the monsters.

Drawing her dagger in her left hand, Teresa fumbled for a healing potion with her right. She guzzled its contents, and tossed the bottle aside. Cool energy washed through her body like a cleansing river, and took the pain away with it.

Turning to the entrance, she found her way blocked by two of the skeletons. They crowded one another however, and Teresa found it relatively easy to leap onto a bier beside them without being hit by their blades. They tried to turn to face her, but again, got in one another's way. The forester hopped down behind them and thrust her hand into one of their backbones. Fire burst from her fingers, and once more a skeleton dropped to the floor.

Teresa thanked Raven that they did not have the resiliency of zombies. Otherwise she and Chance would never have a chance. Even as it was, she knew that they had to get out of the ruin before the skeletons overwhelmed them with sheer numbers.

Now that its brother had been destroyed, the other skeleton was now able to turn. It brought its sword down at Teresa's head. She reacted without thinking. Stepping to her right, she raised her parrying dagger in her left hand. The skeleton's sword caught between her dagger's mithril blade and curving crossbar. Rather than trying to stop the blow directly, the forester instead pushed it away to her left. At the same time she stepped forward. Now breast to breast with the skeleton, she put her hand against its chest and burned it to a cinder.

She blinked, and stared down at the remnants of the undead at her feet. She had just killed three skeletons, in hand-to-hand combat! Her worst nightmare, and she had overcome it, three times!

"Come on!" Chance's shout tore her from her reverie. The Redguard stood before Teresa, eyes aglow with excitement. He moved quickly for a man in full armor, and pushed her toward the exit. Teresa's feet sprang into motion. Once again another of the skeletons blocked her path, and she dove onto the bier beside it. Sliding headfirst across the catafalque, she fell to the floor in a nimble roll and sprang to her feet on the other side. She turned to dispatch the skeleton with her spell, but Chance smashed it to bits with Ncharcasti first.

A skeleton's blade came down upon his back then, and the Redguard staggered. He remained on his feet however, and pushed himself forward, away from the undead gathering behind him. Teresa turned away, and once more sprang to the door. Again she was forced to use her dagger to deflect an oncoming sword, and her Burning Hand felled the monster that held it.

Thank Raven for the star well outside, she thought as her feet hit the stairs. Without it she would have completely drained her magicka after just two uses of the spell. Yet thanks to the fountain of energy, she still felt more of the power sizzling under her fingers.

She paused on the steps and moved to one side. Chance came up a moment later, a skeleton just seconds behind. He raced into the passage leading up, and Teresa leaned out to place her hand against his pursuer's chest. Once more flame erupted in the gloom, and the skeleton collapsed in a heap.

Looking up from the shattered monster, she saw that the chamber behind it was teeming with more of the monsters. There was literally a small army of them, and all of them were now staring at her with murder in the empty sockets where eyes had once shone.

That was all the prompting Teresa needed to turn and flee up the curving stair. She quickly caught up to Chance, and passed him before they came to the collapsed bridge. She did not hesitate as she planted one foot at the edge of the gap, and leaped out into space. For a moment she hung in the air. Then solid stone was once more under her feet, and she rolled to a halt at the far side of the bridge.

Springing back to her feet, she found Chance just a few paces behind her. With less nimbleness than she had shown, the Redguard jumped forward. Yet his armor weighed him down, and the wood elf feared he would plummet to a certain doom in the skeleton-filled chamber below. His leading foot landed upon the edge, and for a moment he tottered there in space. She reached out and caught hold of one of his arms. Pulling with all of the weight of her body, the two of them collapsed onto the gallery floor in a heap of leather and steel.

"I know you can't resist me!" Chance winked as he pushed himself to his feet, "but let's wait until we get outside."

Teresa wanted to say something equally witty. Yet as it often did, her tongue had become a stone in her mouth. Rising to her feet beside the Redguard, she looked back with him to see the first of the skeletons reach the broken bridge. It stopped just in time to keep from going over the edge. Then the undead behind ran into it, shoving it out into space, only to crash to the floor of the main chamber below.

Teresa would have laughed, if not for the fact she might still die at any moment. She turned and raced for the exit, the noise of Chance's armor loud in her ears behind her. Yet no more undead threatened them on the way out, and after long minutes they reached the surface, and stood once more under the light of the afternoon sun.

"Whew!" Chance exclaimed between gasps for breath. "You certainly know how to show a man a good time! Next time I think we should try the theater instead though."

Teresa did chuckle then, and felt the familiar post-combat tremble come over her limbs. She found that while she was winded, she did not have to gulp for air as Chance did. Still, her brow was beaded with sweat, as were the palms of her hands beneath her leather gloves.

"Let me see your back." Teresa bit her lip, thinking of the sword blow that she had seen fall there. But when the Redguard dutifully turned, she found that his armor merely bore a slight dent, without a sign of blood. A surge of relief flooded through her. If he had been killed for her sake…

That reminded her of something Pappy had said during one of their training sessions. "Never hack away at plate armor. All you'll get is a dull blade. Always use the point, and then only in a joint between pieces." She thanked Raven that the skeletons did not have as good a teacher as the Colovian guild commander.

"We should go back inside, and finish them," Chance said, turning to the open doors behind them. "There's none in the upper chambers. You can just pick them off from the bridge."

"We don't know that for sure." Teresa shook her head. "We never saw where that last doorway went to. It might lead to a hidden door in the upper halls. They could come out of that and surround us. Remember Pappy's Rule Number Three: Don't push your luck after you've won."

"But there might be a necromancer down there." Chance's hand tightened on the grip of Ncharcasti. "Maybe the same one who…"

Killed your father, Teresa thought as the Redguard's words trailed off. "If there is, that's all the more reason for us not to go back. Then we'd be facing magic as well as an army of skeletons. But I don't think there is one. We'd have seen them during the fight. At least by the end."

"So then what made all those undead down there?" Chance waved his bronze mace in the direction of the open double doors. "They didn't just get that way on their own."

"I don't know," Teresa said. "I've found undead in other Arimer sites, with no one around to create them. Some folk say that if you die in one of these ruins, you're doomed to become one of its guardians. Let's just get out of here in case they do find another way up here."

With that Teresa turned and made her way to the shore. After long moments she heard the clanking of Chance's armor behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had not been sure if the young man would follow her, or try to go back into the tomb on his own.

"Thank you for coming with me Chance." She turned to the Redguard as she stepped up to the lapping waves of the Niben. Waving to Aleron, the pair waited as the Breton rowed his boat to the riverbank. Teresa saw the arming sword the previous adventurers had discarded, and picked it up. "I never would have made it without you."

"Hey, I'm in the Fighters Guild. It's all in a day's work ma'am." The Redguard smiled and made a mock bow. Then he winked. "Now about that statue…"

"I have a buyer in the Imperial City," Teresa explained as the dory reached the strand. She hefted the sword in her hand and looked at the Breton manning the oars. "This has got to be worth two hundred drakes. I'm sure Aleron won't mind taking us back in return for it. Would you Aleron?"

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 21 2011, 05:26 PM

[Olen]

Wooo, lots of parts. And all brilliant. Sorry for the lack of reading, RL tried to eat me.

Seeing Simplicia again was great, she's a good character in the middle of this but we keep seeing more of her. She keeps developing, and Teresa's horror at the blackmail was hilarious:

Mother!" Teresa gasped. "You blackmailed him!"

"Well of course I did," the old Imperial said.

That pretty much sums her up. But she doesn't seem particularly worried about Teresa joining the fighter's guild, if fact she seems far keener that Teresa finds a man. It fits with her character so well and Teresa's exasperated silence says a lot.

Her not having time to meet Methy, Vols, Nerussa et al was a good touch, with her also looking forward to returning to Bravil. It shows how her guildmates are becoming as close as the Imperial City people and that she thinks of Tadrose in the same thought as Nerussa... well...

Then the contrast into chapter 32 which was a mixture itself. The sadness with them finding the skeleton turned into tension and anger neatly. You built the tension well with the couple of zombies and then paid it off with a great fight. the skeletons was the best fight scene yet I'd say, having two of them there worked very well.

its head flopped down like a wet noodle

I loved this line, funny and a good eyeball kicker.

Chance's desire to go back in was in character, if not quite sane. Still it's amazing what the promise of money will do. And now I suspect more grumblings from Aleron and perhaps a meeting with Methy? And then back to Bravil and a certain person?

This post has been edited by Olen: Mar 20 2011, 07:16 PM

[haute ecole rider]

"Guess I ought to lose some weight," he said with a wink and a grin.

Cue the Raiders of the Lost Ark march!

And the subsequent scene was right out of the best of the Raiders series. I quite enjoyed it, and liked how Teresa got in close and used her Burning Hand on these skellies. It must be quite strong, since the fire spell Julian is currently using doesn't seem to faze them much. Of course, she just faced off with the four Blades in Sancre Tor, and they are admittedly stronger - much stronger - than the standard skeleton.

"I know you can't resist me!" Chance winked as he pushed himself to his feet, "but let's wait until we get outside."

What a lovely second bookend this is to Chance's previous comment!

And now back to Imperial City and our dear Umbacano, right?