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

[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.

Screenshot

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.

Screenshot

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!

Screenshot

"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?

[Acadian]

This was fabulously heart-pounding! Another statue, and another step closer to that home! That Thieves Bag continues to be a blessing from Mara Simplicia.

'She had just killed three skeletons, in hand-to-hand combat! Her worst nightmare, and she had overcome it, three times!'
What a wonderful job Teresa did with her dagger blocking and using her burning hand spell. Thanks, Pappy! It feels good to face and overcome those nightmares.

'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.'
What a magic moment this was! Perfect!

I think it was so neat that Teresa decided to call it a day at Culotte without insisting on clearing the whole thing, for exactly the reasons she quoted to Chance. Speaking of Chance, he certainly did a great job and I know Teresa was very glad he came along.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Mar 21 2011, 01:01 AM

[Winter Wolf]

Mmm, dungeon diving in Culotte. It has literally been years since I have paid a visit to that crypt. The Upper Niben is a place I rarely travel to for some reason, especially the right hand side. I must take my lastest character (Salacious) across to there and check it out....

You certainly love the undead, dont you? But it is with good measure, of course, they are heaps of fun and allow plenty of action and atmosphere. The ending was lovely, with the calm reasoning of Teresa winning the day!

Cool energy washed through her body like cleansing river.
You always have a lovely way to describe the healing potions. This is another gem.

[ghastley]

Looks like Chance is starting to come out of his father's shadow. He's performing well as a team player, and not looking over his shoulder all the time. Perhaps the confirmation that he's dead has taken off the weight, as well as giving him a purpose. He just has to avoid it becoming an obsession.

Teresa's getting some confidence in her trained-in techniques, too. Let's hope she also knows what works against the next ones.

Culotte's a nice simple dungeon, and I like the way it all breaks loose on the way out - even if I don't like the fact it's always those Dread Zombies when I do it, and usually just before I have a Cure Disease spell to counteract the Astral Vapors!

minor nit in the same bit Winter Wolf quoted
Cool energy washed through her body like {a} cleansing river.

[Grits]

I love this episode!! Waiting with Teresa for the skeletons to move, chilling! The swords sound beautiful.

Who could say what ran through the minds of the undead?

Maggots, maybe? Though I suppose they wouldn’t be running.

Stunning acrobatics from Teresa, and Chance managed to keep clanking along with her! Teetering on the edge of the collapsed bridge was particularly exciting. It was fun to watch Chance with his new mace, and even more so to watch Teresa’s Burning Hand.

Interesting discussion about the possible source of the undead. I wasn’t sure if Chance would follow her out. The very last paragraph might be my favorite. Teresa may not have a witty remark in the middle of the battle, but here she seems quietly and naturally in charge.

[Thomas Kaira]

Action! Lots of fun action here!

And another Ayleid Arimer Ancestor statue, too! We've got a payday coming that would have Maglir (the little fetcher) out the door for the Arena in a heartbeat. Oh, and there's also the shiny septim Umbacano is paying for those statues.

[SubRosa]

Olen: Thank goodness you escaped the greedy jaws of Real Life! I do enjoy writing the Teresa/Simplicia scenes. As you say, Teresa gets so exasperated at the older woman's quest to get her a good husband.


haute ecole rider: I had not thought of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but you are right, it would be perfect! These were your standard skeletons, which in the game only have 20 hit points. Although the TF version had swords with a Damage Health enchantment. In keeping with the rest of weapon damages being generally higher in the TF than the game, her touch destruction spell was more than enough to fry a skeleton in one boom. A zombie would have taken several uses however.


Acadian: Teresa does indeed show the value of her joining the FG here. Not only with having a companion like Chance this time, but especially in what she has learned thanks to Pappy.


Winter Wolf: I do love undead. They are my favorite monster to fight. There is no second-guessing if they are friendly or not. Just see them, and kill them.


Sir Graves ghastley: You need to do it lower levels! Then you will only get regular zombies, or the one-armed sort.


Grits: I was not sure if Chance was going to go back to the boat with Teresa either! But as you said, Teresa's leadership does indeed win the day. Whoever would have thought?


Thomas Kaira: Payday! Teresa has a knack for finding those statues, thanks to Raven. Or is it finding undead...


Next: Teresa and Chance braved the ruin of Culotte and discovered an Ancestor Statue. Since it was rather obvious where they were going afterward, we will skip ahead, and once more find Teresa back in Bravil.


Chapter 33.1 - The Blessing

21st-23rd Hearthfire, 3E433

"Well, I am halfway through the book already," Teresa said to Tadrose as the pair of women made their way through the corridors of the Fighters Guild hall. "Decius sure is a pompous s'wit. His friend Barbatus seems like a very kind and amiable man though. I can see why Juno likes him. It's too bad he doesn't pick his friends better though…"

"Oh just wait," Tadrose said as she opened the door to the bath chamber and held it open for Teresa. "Remember, so far we have only seen Decius from Euphemia's point of view, and she has her own share of prejudices that color it. Just like with real people, there is far more to him than what she imagines."

The large room was dominated by a massive tub of cedar, so tall that a wooden steps curled up one of its sides to enter it. Its bottom was made of copper, and Teresa could see the glow of the heatstones that spread along a tray that ran underneath it. Low benches of wood were spaced along two of the walls, and several mirrors were set into a third. Metal racks held sponges, soap, razors, and jars that contained everything from animal fat for shaving, to Teresa's own hand-made mixtures of body wash and hair gel. A metal grate was set into the center of the gently sloping floor, and was flanked by several buckets filled with water.

"Well, there isn't much more to Vincent than what I see." Teresa found the words spilling from her mouth as she stared at the Breton, who was still in the bathing room. The other fighter wore nothing but a loincloth, and stood with his back to the door. Teresa's eyes widened. Not so much from the sight - naked men did not shock her like they used to before joining the guild - but from her own statement. It was exactly the kind of witty barb she might find in a book, not think of herself!

"Hey, hold your horses you two!" Vincent exclaimed as he hurried to pull his breeches up to his waist. "Us men are still in here!"

"Yes, and we are so overcome from the sight of your bare flesh that we cannot contain ourselves." Tadrose's rolled her eyes as she sat down on a bench that ran against one wall. She began taking off her shoes as Teresa joined her. In the meantime the Breton took his time gathering up the rest of his clothes.

"Hey, there are plenty of women who can't wait to get their hands on the Breton Buck!" The male fighter now turned, proudly displaying a gigantic bulge in the crotch of his trousers. "What do you think about that?"

Teresa felt her eyes goggle, yet she noticed that Tadrose merely shook her head. "So that's where all our cucumbers went!" the dark elf exclaimed. "Or have you been playing with Teresa's alchemy kit?"

"Why don't you come and see," the Breton grinned, motioning to his crotch with both hands. "You won't be disappointed."

"I was disappointed the moment I stepped in the door," Teresa murmured. Again, she found herself stunned by her reply.

"You laugh now," Vincent declared with his nose held high and stepped to the door. "But I know that deep inside, you both can't resist me."

Teresa found herself looking to Tadrose at the same time that the Dunmer looked back at her. Then they both cast their gazes back at the foolish Breton.

"We can resist," the two women said in unison.

"You say that now. But late tonight, when you're trying to sleep, you'll be thinking about what I could do to you!"

A moment later one of Tadrose's shoes was flying at Vincent. Yet the Breton was too quick, and shut the door behind him as he scampered out of the room.

"I am sorry about that Teresa," the guild smith sighed as she stood and stripped off her tunic. "That is just part of working with men. Vincent has been a prankster ever since Bruma. I think it helps him cope."

"I'm no delicate patrician, like one of Juno Austenius' characters," Teresa said as she too began stripping off her clothing. "I grew up on the streets after all."

"Sometimes I do forget," the older woman pulled down the loose pants she wore for workouts and hung them over a peg in the wall. She followed with her underclothing, and then began washing herself with a wet, soapy sponge. "I've seen how the streets make people dead inside. But not you. You can be so kind sometimes."

Now Teresa felt her cheeks turning warm as she stripped off her own underclothes, and carefully removed the cloth pad that was secured between her legs. It was red, she saw, probably as red as she imagined her face was. She had felt a little bloated for the past two days, especially in the breasts. Thank Dibella she had started wearing her pad the other night!

"Oh is it your time?" Tadrose mentioned as she looked at the blood that stained the cloth. "I use a sponge when I get mine. You put it right up inside, and you can almost forget it is there."

"Really?" Teresa said, trying not to stare at the naked Dunmer. "That sounds a lot better than these cloths."

"Indeed, especially when you are exercising," the dark elf replied. "Talk to Nilawen, she sells them. I get mine on the solstices, so I just start using one when they draw near."

"Mine always come near the equinoxes," Teresa said as she set down the pad and reached for a small razor on one of the shelves."It's never very bad though. I don't get cramps, or headaches, like I know some women get."

"You are one of Mara's blessed," the dark elf observed, and for a moment Teresa thought she meant because of the lightness of her periods. "You have your courses during the planting and harvest times."

"I do?" Teresa wondered. It took every ounce of her will to not reach out and touch Tadrose's wet, naked body, let alone kiss her. The dark elf's form was girded with lean muscle, and bore more than one scar. Yet Teresa had never seen a woman so beautiful. Raven, give me strength, she thought. "I never really thought about it."

"Yes," Tadrose said. "The fall harvest begins tomorrow. That is why Gaius wanted everyone to meet back here after lunch. We have a contract to bodyguard the priestesses as they bless the fields."

Teresa let her eyes linger over the Dunmer's frame as she ascended the steps and slipped into the tub. Only after Tadrose had submerged within the steaming water was she able to draw her eyes away. Lifting each arm in turn, she shaved the depression underneath.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Tadrose said, nodding her head to Teresa's handiwork. "There is cream in the jars you know."

"I thought the same thing when I first saw someone else do it." The wood elf finished her arms and then sat back on the bench. Spreading her legs apart, she began to carefully work the razor in between. "It's really no bother at all though."

"Does that someone else shave there as well?" the Dunmer asked.

"As a matter of fact, she does," Teresa smiled faintly as she thought of Nerussa. "You should try it. It feels wonderful. It makes other things more enjoyable too."

Tadrose coughed, but Teresa could see that she was smiling. Please Dibella, Teresa silently prayed, let her be smiling because she's thinking of doing those things with me!

"Why Teresa, you are full of surprises!" Tadrose's red eyes glimmered through the steam that rose from the surface of the tub.

"Like you said, there is more to people than what we imagine," Teresa breathed.

* * *

"So how is it coming?"

Teresa tried to ignore the voice as she stared at the powdered bog beacon that was sizzling away on the calcinator before her. There, she thought as the granules turned a dull grey, that was just about right. Using a pair of gloves enchanted with resist fire, she lifted the calcinator from the heat stones which it sat over. Stepping further down the marble counter at which she worked, she spooned the hot material into the water that already bubbled in her alembic. Afterward she sealed shut the lid of the oddly shaped glass bottle, then double-checked that the long, slender tube that trailed down from the top of it was firmly set into the collection flask sitting beside it.

Finally she turned her head from the mixing table to the door of the guild's alchemy workshop, eyes still aglow with purple light from her Analyze Alchemy spell. There she saw Pappy, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded across his chest.

"The healing potions are over there." Teresa nodded to a cluster of small glass vials that sat atop a side table. Each was filled with pink liquid, and was decorated with the raised impression of two serpents coiled around a staff. "I am working on the shield potions now. I've added a little something extra that the regular ones don't have."

"Is that what happened to my Nordic whiskey?" The Colovian grinned, and stepped further into the room. After glancing over the stack of finished potions, he looked to the alembic. Already an amber liquid was dripping from its long neck and filling the collection flask. "Here I thought you didn't like the stuff."

"When it comes to poison, I prefer nightshade." Teresa rolled her eyes as she pulled the enchanted leather gloves from her hands. "Although I might be able to make a frost poison with it. Give me a bottle and I'll see what I can come up with."

"Oh no, not with my Mímisbrunnr! You have no idea how hard it is to get that stuff down here." The guild commander squinted down at the drops of liquid collecting in the flask. "So did you add something to make it taste better?"

"My potions taste just fine gramps," Teresa wrinkled her nose at the older man. "For your information, I combined the shield effect with one to restore magicka. Unlike the regular magicka potions that instantly fill you with energy, this one will increase how quickly you regain it instead. So you drink it before you start throwing spells, and you can keep at it for longer."

"Well I'll be a spotted snowbear, combination potions," the Colovian whistled as he looked from the alchemical apparatuses scattered across the table to the wood elf. "We never had a potion-slinger here in the Bravil chapter who could do those."

And I never knew how to make them either, Teresa thought, until meeting Ardaline. Looking at the calcinator and alembic, she could not believe how far she had come from her days of living in the Chamber Pot, where she had only a wooden mortar and pestle that were both chipped and dented from use. Now she could afford a set made of marble. Perhaps someday she might even have one of meteoric glass, like the one Ardaline used in the Mages Guild.

"Remember, we still need seven cure poisons for tomorrow too," the Colovian now set his hands on his hips. "One for each of us. I don't want anyone leaving this guildhall without a proper loadout."

"I was just about to start those now, while the magicka/shields distill," Teresa said. "You can help if you want. I have the ginseng right over there. After that I'll finish up with the cure disease potions."

"And deprive you of all the fun? I wouldn't dream of it." Pappy smiled at the shorter wood elf, and walked to the door. There he stopped to look back. "Just remember, be armed and armored before dawn. We've got a big couple of days coming up with these harvest blessings."

"I know, I know," Teresa nodded her head. "I'm not Vincent, you don't have to tell me twice. I'll be ready when the priestesses get here."

"By the way, I heard back from Alaine Retiene," the guild commander said. "He wanted to thank me again for giving him such a good bodyguard."

"I hardly did a thing," Teresa said. "Just took him up the river so he could take sketches of the mountains. It's not like I fought off a tribe of goblins or anything."

"Exactly," Pappy said. "That's what good bodyguarding is. Avoiding trouble to begin with."

"So when do I get paid for it?" Teresa asked pointedly.

"He said once he's done with the first painting, it's yours. The guild gets the second."

Teresa nodded. She had seen the Breton's artwork. He was no Rythe Lythandas, but she would still rather have one of his originals in place of a few septims. The painting would go very nicely with Simplicia's new home in Silverbridge. Once she managed to scrape up the money to buy the farm house from Decimus of course.


Note: I originally used the term Retort because in the game it increases the positive effects of a potion. Even though what I was thinking of was more of an Alembic IRL. After Olen's comment, I decided to go back and change it to an Alembic. As another side note, I will not be using Retorts at all in the TF, as they are practically the same thing as an Alembic IRL.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 22 2011, 11:49 PM

[haute ecole rider]

Back in Bravil already?

Just as well. I'm not fond of Umbacano myself.

So Teresa managed to read just half the book, though? It sounds like me, though. I have tried reading Jane Austen several times, but just couldn't get into it. The language puts me off. Still, I accept she's a gifted writer.

And a heavy dose of chickness. Maybe you should have put up a warning beforehand for those of the opposite persuasion!

Just one nit: .

"I grew up on the streets after all.

The closing quote is missing here. Probably dived into the tub when Teresa started shaving!

[Olen]

I might follow that quote into the tub. 10/10 for realism but there is such a thing as too much information That section aside...

Good part, the jabbing between Vincent and the girls at the start was good, as was the somewhat distressing romantic scene at the end. I suspect Tadrose does know Teresa interested, but could it be that she too is a bit shy?

animal fat for shaving

Ewwww!

The alchemy section was great, more insight both into her increasing skill and the mechanics of it. More good banter between her and Pappy too.

One thing which stuck out as a bit odd, though is more carried over from the game than just here, was her distillation with a retort. Unless alembics are absent from TF I'd have expected her to use one of them as they are designed for the job while retorts are more for dry distillation, decomposition and gas collection. They can be used for distillaton though, it's just air cooled stills are a right faff.

[ghastley]

The practical difference between the use of a Retort and an Alembic is which liquid you want to keep. If you want the lighter one, the Alembic captures it, and leaves the heavier one behind. The implication is that all poisons are the lighter liquids, and all potions are heavy, but if you consider an alcohol/water mix it's not a bad approximation. The Alembic will capture the alcohol, and the Retort will just boil it off and leave a more concentrated result (if concentrated water makes sense!)

But since the Alembic is all about separating, you can decide which to keep afterward, so using it in place of a Retort certainly works.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Mar 22 2011, 09:19 PM

[Thomas Kaira]

Tadrose takes no whipper-snapping from Vincent! Teresa was also delightfully witty throughout the exchange. Make sure he gives that cucumber back, Tadrose!

We then segue into some potion-brewing, as well. Hopefully Teresa didn't forget the incense, calcinators have a tendency to leave an acrid smell in the air, from what I've heard.

Sounds like we have quite the event coming up. Let's hope it goes well (which knowing the TES universe, it won't).

Nit:

"Does that someone else shave there are well?" the Dunmer asked.

I think you meant "as" here.

[Acadian]

This was a delightful time at the guild! Some nice humor, then some girl talk and a bath.

Oh, that Teresa would shave is a given. My goodness, we can't exactly go around advertising that she is not a natural red head! Besides, shaving is probably easier than dying extra places with henna.

What a wonderfully long way Teresa has come with her alchemy! Such a neat lab she has set up all bubbling away and everything. Very neat.

[Destri Melarg]

First thing’s first:

Of course I don’t mind you using Lattia’s name! I had a blast seeing her name mentioned. I confess to being more than a little proud of her, regarded as a great mage in 4th Era TF.

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

Spoken like a woman. What your gender never seems to understand is that the ‘Silence’ is just as important as the other two!

Now, on to the comments:

WARNING!!! WALL OF TEXT FORTHCOMING!!!

Through A Nightmare Darkly

Thanks to your opening screenshot, I can’t get the image of Teresa as Father Merrin standing on the threshold of little Regan’s house in The Exorcist out of my mind! Through a Nightmare Darkly has to rank as my least favorite quest in the game. How does my retrieving all of Henantier’s faculties help him escape from his self-imposed prison? Shouldn’t that be something that he has to do for himself? I swear that quest would have made a lot more sense if Henantier had to go with you as a companion, or even if your consciousness was transferred into his body for the duration of the quest. But the fact that he just sits there doing nothing while you traipse throughout his subconscious never fails to tick me off. . . even when I’m just writing about it, apparently.

With that said, I can’t compliment you enough on your rendition of that quest. It has to rank right up there with the Battle of Bruma and stands as yet another towering achievement in the TF!

BTW cute butt, Teresa!

** As an aside, I really enjoyed the discussion that you and TK had concerning the Daedra. I have always enjoyed the amount of thought that you have given to the ordinary Tamrielic attitude toward the Daedra. I am of the opinion that the Daedra serve their own ends. Concerns of the relative ‘good’ or ‘evil’ intent of their actions simply do not apply because they are ascribed to them through the prism of mortal perception. If the collective insects of the world decided that certain humans were ‘good’ or ‘evil’ would that matter to the humans in question? **

The awkwardness and vulnerability that Teresa displays in her fumbling apology to Ancondil is just fantastic. The fact that she feels the need to apologize at all is not only perfectly Teresa, it is perfectly female. Given Ancondil’s sensitive nature, it is a wonder that the two didn’t bump into each other in their zeal to be the first to genuflect!

And dont’cha know it, by the end of the chapter Ancondil graces me with his first ‘rapscallion.’

By the time they finished, her body felt drained, yet ate the same time she was strangely exhilarated. As if while taxing her muscles, the exercises had somehow imparted her with more mental focus.

Well, not in the way one might have hoped, but it appears that Teresa has at long last discovered the addictive nature of endorphins! I thought Nerussa would have taught her about that.

It never ceases to amaze me how much women worry over whether getting into shape will have a detrimental effect on their love life. I know that it won’t mean anything to Teresa coming from me, but I know that I am not alone in saying that there is nothing sexier than a woman who can kick my a$$!

EDIT: I guess that is a lesson that is brought home to Teresa when Tadrose joins her in the tub!

If she was going to survive, she had to learn to fight hand to hand.

Would Teresa please impart this nugget of wisdom to Buffy?

So now Ancondil has channeled Frost, Eliot, and Tennyson! I see some Keats or some Shelley in my future.

Whoops! You know the writing is good when you get so lost in it that you forget to stop to make a comment! All of the segments in the Day In The Life chapter are amazing. Even after already reading it once before I find myself getting lost in the Bravil Guild all over again. The dinner that they share in celebration of Teresa and Ancondil’s official entry into the guild was just perfect. I also like that you used it as the moment to introduce Vincent Galien (fresh from a galleon, I presume).

Now, on to chapter 30!

There is a reason that Vols has become one of the central characters in the TF, and this chapter is the perfect illustration of it. The others already pointed out everything about his gruff exterior masking a heart of pure gold. My favorite thing about the way you handled this is that you gave Vols the sense to know that it was a choice that Brekke had to make for herself. When he stood there waiting, I held my breath right along with him. And when she stepped forward I suppressed far more than just a faint smile!

I loved Calindil’s lesson on magic the first time I read it, and time has not soured the taste. Though it embarrasses me to admit it, I found myself rubbing my hands together along with Brekke. Like I said after reading this in version 1.0, between Vols and Calindil I genuinely feel sorry for the next bully that takes a poke at Brekke.

Now, at long last, on to Chapter 31!

Chapter 31.1

Here’s something that I don’t think has been touched upon: Teresa remarks to Julia that she could not think of herself raising one child, let alone four. Yet Julia and Marcus have a son named Quintis. Could one infer from this that they lost a child at some point? If so, then that is an incredibly subtle way of hinting at the harsh realities of life as a farmer outside the protection of the city gates.

Chapter 31.2

Teresa: Oh, that is playing at the Globe, isn’t it? Why don’t we go see it tonight after dinner?

Tadrose: I think that would be wonderful. I did not know you enjoyed Juno Austenius?

Teresa (beaming from ear to ear): Who?

And what can I say about the re-introduction of Destri? He was Chance’s father??!! Oh great, now I have to start paying more attention to Chance in this story! I know it may be sacrilegious, but Jalbert was a necromancer. Perhaps Destri is still out there, wandering with Nolquinn and Lorien.

I think I’m going to enjoy this.

Chapter 31.3

Aleron’s part in the TF gets fleshed out a little. The idea of a man with gambling debts bartering his services to the Fighter’s Guild for fighting lessons is just excellent! I am a bit surprised that Ancondil didn’t make the trip with them. Nothing says back-up like an orc who specializes in percussion instruments.

Chance’s memories of Destri are interesting considering all that he said about the pressures of living under a father’s shadow. I guess we never realize how important things are to us until we are faced with the prospect of losing them.

And I wonder who is hanging out at Culotte? Could it be an opportunistic Imperial?

Chapter 31.4

Cheapside is a fantastic invention! So is the Chamber Pot. I imagine the more blustery individuals who haunt the Waterfront could make quite a living, being as full of cacat as they are. I wonder if Chance will have the chance opportunity to avail himself of the, ahem, establishment where Adanrel plies her wares. Of course, that’s probably the last thing on his mind right now . . . but still.

Something else that occurred to me; I don’t imagine that Pappy will be very happy with this excursion that Teresa and Chance have set upon. I don’t believe that he would begrudge Chance the knowledge of his father’s fate. I think that he would be angry with them for venturing into a ruin as dangerous as Vilverin without more adequate back-up.

Chapter 31.5

I think it was more than simple commerce that prompted Jensine’s attitude toward parting with the mace. We saw her haggling with the Altmer woman when Teresa and Chance walked into the shop. I don’t believe that she was haggling with the two of them over the mace. She deliberately tried to price the thing outside of their ability to pay. I suspect that Jensine really does see that mace as her good luck in tangible form. She killed a clannfear with, after all. I imagine that for a merchant, even one that hails from Skyrim, killing a clannfear is the type of thing that one could point to and say, ‘see, I mattered. I did something!’ The weapon that allowed one to do it would be given a sacred position amongst all of one’s possessions. Losing it would almost be like denying the thing ever happened, and that would make Jensine just a lowly merchant again.

Of course, I might be reading too much into it.

Chapter 31.6

That was a nice, quiet interlude between mother and daughter. I can’t wait for Teresa to ask Methredhel about Simplicia’s story. I also seem to remember that Vols still thinks it was Teresa who saved him in the mausoleum. Man, will his head start racing when she tells him that it wasn’t.

I have a feeling that Bag of Holding is going to become a mainstay in Teresa’s growing arsenal.

Chapter 31.7

Your summation of the political situation in Hammerfell was very interesting. So the age old rivalry continues into the 4th Era? I’m sure that Casnar will hate to hear that. It appears that he and Destri share a similar fate. Both are betrayed by a king for whom the appeasement of Forebears was the only expedient action. It’s just a shame that both men came to such tragic ends. However, all is not lost. I have great hopes that the Hero of Kvatch can redeem Casnar, and I suspect that Destri’s redemption now bears his mace.

Chapter 32.1

Sailing south from Vilverin late in the afternoon, Teresa, Chance, and Aleron spent the night in Sideways.

Now that sounds vaguely pornographic!

A conspiracy of ravens and a murder of crows . . . think the black birds are trying to tell us something?

Teresa had no idea what the Redguards had against magic.

I suspect it goes back to Yokuda and the Hiradirge. The Ansei had been marginalized after Randic Torn’s Sword Hunt. For a commoner, even possession of a weapon could cost you your life. When the Ansei rebelled the resulting wars were devastating. In the aftermath, a reeling Yokuda was set upon by the Hiradirge who used magic to destroy the entire continent. That resulted in the mass migration to Hammerfell, and contributed to the mind-set that magic was not to be trusted.

Then again, it could be because the people at Bethesda (in their infinite wisdom) decided to make Redguards stupid to start the game, thus giving them a low magicka score!

Chapter 32.2 & 32.3

I think, as angry as Pappy might be at them for going into an Ayleid ruin alone, he couldn’t help but be proud of the way that they acquitted themselves within that ruin. He would also be proud of them for having the sense to adhere to Pappy’s Rule #3.

**Memo to Teresa: I know you got paid and all but one raven is good. A conspiracy of ravens is not to be trusted!**

Chapter 33.1

WARNING!!! ESTROGEN OVERLOAD!!!!

I guess after the fireworks of the last two chapters this chapter was inevitable, eh? It seems that Tadrose might be responsive to Teresa’s advances after all. I wonder where that would place Nerussa? Teresa has changed a lot, but I still don’t see her as the ‘woman in every port’ type.

Well, I’ll be. I’m all caught up!

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Mar 24 2011, 08:53 AM

[Grits]

Love the P&P discussion between T&T. Vincent’s antics are the perfect foil for Teresa’s newly expressed wit. And then after the Breton Buck departed, chick overload!

Chapter 33.1, the TMI episode! The Blessing indeed. It seems that a Bravilian wax may be in order. Is there a day spa near the Fighters Guild? Seriously though, I am pleased to see the subject addressed as naturally as hair conditioning or caring for one’s teeth.

"Why Teresa, you are full of surprises!" Tadrose's red eyes glimmered through the steam that rose from the surface of the tub.

"Like you said, there is more to people than what we imagine," Teresa breathed.

A very promising exchange, and a great demonstration of the common experiences building up between these two. I’m taking Teresa’s faint smile as she thought of Nerussa combined with no report of meeting her on the last trip to the IC to mean that Nerussa is a very pleasant part of Teresa’s past.

Excellent alchemy lesson in the story, and in the comments that follow.

[SubRosa]

haute ecole kitty: I figure Teresa for being a slow reader, and really not used to reading books for pleasure (until now the only books she has read have been on things like Daedra, alchemy, and Arimer history). A novel is well, novel to her!


Olen: Animal fat was something I dug up from history. It was the old-fashioned shaving cream. If you cringed at the wimmen's bits already, you might want to skip the next two episodes, as they both revolve around menstruation.


ghastley: Gotta keep 'em seperated... So that is the difference between them? When I looked them up, I found pictures of the same device, and descriptions that seemed to say the same thing. So I just figured why bother having two different things in the TF?


Thomas Kaira: I would not want that cucumber back after where it's been!


Acadian: I never thought about shaving to conceal her natural hair color! But brilliant! The alchemy scene was difficult to write, as I am no alchemist IRL (although I do own a mortar and pestle), it took a lot of looking things up, and as you can see from the comments, I was a still a bit off on some things!


Destri Melarg: By Zenitor! That is a wall of text! Seriously, I am humbled by the amount of effort you put into your catch-up comments. It is very generous of you to take so much time and effort on behalf of my scribblings.

On the subject of silence, I was so tempted to link to a sound clip of a woman orgasming, but I was afraid I might be banned!

Teresa as Father Merrin! Yowzers! She wishes she could be that cool. I loved Stellan Skarsgard playing him in Exorcist: The Beginning, especially at the end when he throws down with the POG (Power of God).

I agree that the Daedra themselves do not care for mortal ideas such as good and evil. Rather it is just that when you are an ant, and see millions of your kind stepped on, it colors your view of the feet you see above you.

Nerussa has indeed introduced Teresa to the lovely cocktail of endorphins. But our wood elf is not used to experiencing them from exercise!

You know, thanks to my John Wayne fest over the past few weeks, I am coming to see Vols as more like the Duke now. I guess when he starts saying "That'll be the day!" it will clinch it.

I never really thought of Quintis as meaning child number five. But since you mention it, I think I will have to go with it!

I am sure Ancondil would have went, but I think the dory would have sank if he climbed in with the other three. Especially if he brought his armor with him!

I actually got the Hammerfell politics from the 3rd Edition Pocket Guide, which is dated 432. I was in fact thinking of Casnar's straits when I wrote of Destri's past. As you said, both pledged themselves and their honor to a king, and both were betrayed when they were politically inconvenient.

I hope you have enjoyed how I have used your namesake in the TF. This is what I had in mind the entire time. I just could not say anything because it would have spoiled the surprise. It has certainly added a great deal more depth and history to the character of Chance.


Grits: T&T, I have to remember that! The subject of menstruation is one I have been looking forward to tackling at some point. This chapter was perfect, as the following episode will reveal. Given that we in the West live in a patriarchal society, even acknowledging that it happens unsettles most people. But other, more female-friendly societies are not so squeamish, and see menstruation as a gift that women have, a time of magical power. From the earliest days it was associated with the power of creation, and is why many cultures would smear the dead with menstrual blood, or failing that other red substances like ochre. The idea being that it would insure one's rebirth. Thanks to this, menstrual blood has always been high on the list of magically powerful things.


Next: Our previous episode found Teresa enjoying daily life at the guild, putting her alchemy to use, and experiencing the start of her period. Next we find her setting out the next morning on an important contract.


Chapter 33.2 - The Blessing

Magnus was peeking over the horizon when the cart bearing Teresa and her charge trundled out of Bravil's north gate and across the wooden bridge that spanned the Larsius. A tall horse with a thick, barrel frame drew them forth. A deep bay in color, her lower legs were hidden by thick white feathers, and a white blaze ran the length of her face. The burly horse strode forth across the bridge with such little effort that Teresa would not have even imagined that she was pulling the two-wheeled cart. That came as no surprise to the forester, for it was obvious that the Shire weighed far more than the cart did, and that was including herself and the priestess beside her!

Turning her head from the heavy horse, Teresa glanced at the woman seated on the vehicle beside her. A skirt of dark cream wool that was stained from dirt hid the other woman's long legs. Above that she wore a blouse of worn green flax with the sleeves rolled up above her elbows, and whose V-shaped neckline barely contained her generous chest. Her brilliant auburn hair was gathered in a braid that was bound up in a tight circle behind her head, leaving only a few errant locks to spill across her temples. Her features were full, complemented by ruddy cheeks and plump lips. Her entire body was somewhat plump in fact, and full of curves. If not for the copper medallion she wore depicting Mara holding a bundle of wheat in one hand, and a sickle in the other, Teresa would have never imagined that she might be a priestess. Even with it she hardly looked the part. Rather she appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary plebeian.

Screenshot

"I wonder what they are building over there Olava?" Teresa took her eyes off the living saint from the Benevolence of Mara and nodded to the wooden framework that had sprung up in the open field north of the city. "I saw people working there yesterday when I got back into the city."

"You haven't heard?" The other woman turned her head from the road to Teresa. "That's for the Tournament of Archers. It's being held here in Bravil this year. It starts in about a week."

"Tournament of Archers?" Teresa could not prevent a single eyebrow from arching as they passed by the skeletal construction of wood, which she now imagined might be the beginnings of an amphitheater. "I didn't know there was such a thing?"

"Of course!" the Nord priestess smiled. "It's held in a different county every year, but it's always at the beginning of autumn. It doesn't get as much attention as the tournaments the knights have in the summer - especially the big one at the Imperial City - but people still come from all over Cyrodiil to see it. It's mostly for plebeians though. Since shooting a bow isn't as genteel as bashing someone's head in with a mace."

Teresa allowed a faint smile to creep past her lips at the sarcasm in the priestess' tone. Olava obviously felt the same way she did about bloodsports. "Is that why it's after the harvest," the wood elf observed. "So all the farmers have money in their pockets?"

"Oh, you are a sharp one," the Nord winked as she turned her eyes back to guiding their horse along the road. "In spite of what the patricians might like to believe, civilization is not created from stone, marble, and gold. It's made from good, tilled nirn. Without the Three Sisters, there'd be no Bravil."

"The Three Sisters?" Teresa asked, afraid that she had touched off a sermon from the holy woman.

"Corn, beans, and squash," Olava said, sparing a moment to glance at Teresa. "It's the foundation of all farming here in the Nibenay Valley. Has been since before the First Age. There's the winter wheat of course too, and some smaller crops of things like carrots, cabbage, and cucumbers, but without the Sisters, everyone would starve."

"So why those three?" Teresa asked. "Why not just wheat?"

"It's companion farming," Olava explained. "Each plant helps the other to grow. The corn stalks give the beans a structure to grow on, so you don't have to put down stakes. The beans actually enrich the soil. The squash covers the ground and chokes off weeds. The leaves are prickly and help keep pests away, plus they give you a mulch after the harvest."

Teresa nodded. It reminded her of how Pappy described a team of fighters as the fingers on a hand. Acting in concert, they were stronger than their individual parts. She had certainly seen that with Chance in Culotte. Neither of them would have survived alone. She had never imagined that the same could be true for crops though!

"For a priestess, you certainly know a lot about farming," Teresa observed.

"You spend too much time around city-folk," the other woman chided. "They think Mara is nothing but the marriage bed. They're cut off from the land, and the natural rhythms of life as the seasons turn. Mara is the moist, black soil beneath our feet, and the green growing things that sprout from her fecund bosom. A good priestess isn't afraid to get her hands down in the dirt. That's where they belong! It's where all life comes, and where it all goes back to in the end."

"Now I see why you are the living saint of Bravil." Teresa felt as if a weight had been drawn from her shoulders. Here she had been expecting endless lectures on Imperial morality as she shepherded the other woman from village to village. She never would have imagined that a priestess could be so pragmatic, so ordinary and down-to-nirn!

"Pfft! Living saint my rosy bum!" Olava chuckled. "I just do that needs doing, and count my blessings."

The Nord frowned for a moment then. Squinting her eyes in what Teresa thought might be pain, she reached a hand down to her pelvis.

"What's wrong?" the wood elf asked, hoping the other woman was not ill. That would be the last thing they needed, before even starting their rounds of the villages!

"Just cramps is all." Olava moved her hand away and concentrated fully upon the road, which now turned to skirt around an apple orchard. "They can get pretty strong around harvest and planting."

"You're having your courses too?" Teresa blinked.

"Naturally," the priestess replied. "I always get them for the blessings. I have to! Else there wouldn't be much of a ceremony."

"What do you mean?" Teresa said under furrowed brows.

"You don't know?" the Nord asked. "You have spent most of your life in the city. You have heard of the Red Wine of Life haven't you, that flowed from between Mara's legs to create life on Nirn? The blessings I perform on the crops require it. Not a single ear of corn can be cut until Mara's red blood has sanctified the ground."

"So you have to use your…" Teresa's eyes widened. The priestess had been right. For as much as she had explored the wilderness since the spring, she could see that she still had much to learn about the nature of life in the country. She knew how to live on her own in the forest; to live off the land and befriend the animals that lived there. Yet for all the farms and pastures she had passed by in that time, she still had no idea what life was really like for the people on them.

"Not simply my blood," the Nord explained. "But Mara's blood. The ceremony transfigures it, transforms it into the goddess herself. That is what makes the blessing. The words do not matter. I can do it all without saying a thing in fact. Her blood is all that matters. It's the source of all life."

Teresa thought about that. It was so… raw and visceral. When she thought of the Nine and their clergy, it was always of dignified folk in immaculate basilicas like that of Zenithar's. She always imagined them as polite folk who lived in halls of polished marble and gold leaf. Places where everything was so perfect and neat that one was afraid to touch anything lest it break.

But Olava's goddess was no marble statue gazing serenely upon a congregation of gentle folk. She was a deity of blood and dirt. Of calluses, hard work, and sometimes pain. She did not elevate people to a higher level of consciousness. Rather she was the foundation upon which life in all its grubby, tenacious forms grew, flourished, and eventually died.

The forester wondered what Morcant would think of Olava? She had the impression that the Witch would like the priestess. Teresa knew that she already did.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Mar 25 2011, 02:11 PM

[mALX]

GAAAAAK! ... never ... eat ... corn ... again ... URG !!! Love the research you put into this - finally got some free time to catch back up !! (and just in time to see Teresa in the tourney !!! WOO HOO !!!) Awesome Write, as you always do, SubRosa !!

[D.Foxy]

Obviously, my dear MalX, you have not heard about the Hell's
Angels order of the Red Wings. I gained my Wings donkey's years ago