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

[SubRosa]

liliandra nadiar: You are right, for once Teresa's fury did not erupt at a socially awkward moment!


Acadian: I have found myself trying to use written-world comparisons whenever I can rather than simply saying "ten feet", as the latter tends to sound sterile. The first is evocative, at least I hope so.


Grits: I never thought of a zombie movie. But you are right. The mining outpost has all the look of a zombie city. Everything is in a shambles, blood and entrails all over, everybody is dead, etc... I did go with the less is more idea with the arrow-shot miners. Like you said, I was hoping it would stir people's imaginations of what that scene must have been like.


Silver Dreamcatcher2525: Hi Silver Dreamcatcher! Welcome to the TF. I know it is a huge monster to try to read all of it, but I am glad to hear you are enjoying Teresa's tale.


King Coin: Of course Teresa is more upset over the dead animals than the dead people! To her animals are people too. But people who often cannot defend themselves, or run away. So to her the crime is all the more horrific against the horses in the stable than the miners. Funny you mentioned the smell, because Teresa is about to get a nose-full.


McBadgere: I have always like invoking divine parts. One of my favorite is "By the Iron D**k of Thor!" which I think was in a Neil Gaiman comic.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Yesterday's episode was preempted by work. So TotFS will air today instead. In our last episode Teresa used an invisibility potion to go down and scout out the mining camp. She found it in a shambles, with all the bodies of the miners gone (except for the corpses she had already seen on posts outside the mine entrance). She did find two goblins however, whom she killed without remorse.


Chapter 43.12 – Hand of Fire

With the last of the outpost cleared, all that remained was the mine itself. Teresa expected that the goblins would have lookouts placed at the entrance. They had in the only other goblin lair she had seen, long ago on the City Isle. Slipping through an alley between buildings, she moved down to their back walls, away from the mine entrance. Once it was completely blocked by the structures, she darted beyond the protection of the burnt wall that warded the western side of the outpost.

Moving behind the blackened tree trunks, she trusted them to keep her hidden from goblin eyes. Making her way back toward the mine entrance, she halted when she came to the ridge. There she paused to think.

There were no goblins in sight. But the interior of the mine was dark, and she knew anything might be lurking within the gloom. She could use her night eye goggles, but the brightness of the sun overhead would be blinding. If she only had the right ingredients, she could brew up a potion to detect life. But even if she did, that would take more time than she imagined Pappy wanted to wait. She had already taken long enough to clear out the settlement. She would just have to get in close and deal with whatever was there. Best to give herself whatever edge she could.

Raising one fist into the air, she thought of Raven. Pouring her magicka into that image, she opened her fingers and let the energy spill forth. A disc of blue light sprang to life before her eyes. It fell to the ground, and a sleek black bird took shape in the air behind it. The raven flew around her, then landed upon her shoulder a moment later.

Teresa looked at the bird. She wished that he could speak. Then he could fly into the cave, and see how many guards were there. As if bidden by her thoughts, the raven leapt into the air with a raucous cry. A moment later the sleek bird vanished into the blackness of the mine, and the ragged screech of a goblin came to Teresa's pointed ears.

By reflex, she drew an arrow from her gorytos and set it to Ravenfeeder's nock. She had drawn it back to full extension when her raven appeared once more. He flew only a few feet from the entrance of the cave however, and landed upon the hard-packed dirt with a flurry of ebon wings. His head turned from Teresa, and then back to the mine. He cried out once, and then a second time, as he stared into the darkness of the cave. Then he turned his gaze back to the wood elf, and waited.

So there were two of them, Teresa thought with a faint smile. That meant she would have to get off two shots before they could raise an alarm. She bit her lip. She was not sure if she could do that. She would have to be very fast. Or get her first shot off with complete surprise.

She knew just how to do that. She released the tension on her bow and drank another invisibility potion. Then she drew a second arrow, and crept forward along the side of the escarpment. She took her time, minding the numerous loose stones under her feet. She stopped at the entrance of the mine, and prayed to Raven that the goblins did not have enchantments to detect life.

She waited there for long moments as her eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom within the mine. Still, she was able to smell the goblins before she saw them. Unlike the deep, comforting musk of an animal, their scent was foul. It reminded Teresa of rancid meat, and when she finally did see them, she learned why.

The smell was coming from the untanned skins the pair of goblins wore. The loincloths lacked the thick pelt of fur that one would see on an animal hide. Rather the skins were smooth and olive-toned. Like the that of a Nibenean…

Teresa fought the urge to vomit as she took in the two monsters. Aside from the bloody human skins that covered their nether regions, neither wore clothing or armor. Each carried a wooden spear tipped with chipped flint. Given the sparse equipment, she imagined that they must have been very low in the goblin hierarchy.

She looked down. She knew that she would have to set down one of her arrows to get a good grip on the stave of her bow. But if one of the goblins saw that arrow appear after she let go of it, the invisibility from her potion would fail. Years of living with Methredhel - whose birthsign allowed her to turn invisible - had taught Teresa the curious the ins and outs of how invisibility worked. For example, she knew that it did not make her truly invisible. Rather it played upon the mind, and prevented people from realizing someone was there. So long as she did nothing to make the goblins suspicious that they were not alone, like picking something up in their view, or opening or closing a door, they would never sense her. But once their minds were convinced that someone else must be present, the illusion would fail.

She needed a distraction. A glance back to her raven provided her that. The bird leapt into the air with a loud cry, and flew into the mine entrance. He circled around the heads of the goblins, who flinched away even as they flailed awkwardly at him with their spears. Teresa wasted no time, and leaned one of her arrows against the wall of the tunnel while they were distracted.

Her other missile was on the nock of her bow an instant later. She took a second to aim at the nearest goblin, and loosed. Without waiting to see if it hit, she scooped up the arrow she had staged and set it to her bowstave. The first goblin fell to the dirt as the second arrow leapt into the air. A moment later it made itself a home in the second goblin's head.

Teresa drew a third arrow and pulled her bow back to full extension. Her gaze flicked from one goblin to the next. Yet neither stirred. The raven landed upon one, and began pecking at an eyeball. Teresa eased back on her bow, and moved past it to the second monster. From the way the feathers of her arrow grew from its face, she knew it would stir no more either.

She took a deep breath, and eased the broad-headed arrow back into her gorytos. Stepping back into the light of day, she motioned to the others on the ridge above that all was clear.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 23 2012, 03:20 AM

[King Coin]

I suppose my surprise at Teresa’s stronger reaction to the horses was the miners were tortured for fun before being killed. I suppose the goblins did the same thing to the horses too. I’m not complaining though. She just thinks differently from me, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
~~~

The interaction with the raven was very cool. I wonder how difficult it would be to make a mod. I was already thinking of trying to make a hawk companion, and having the ability to scout ahead with it.

Ugh, human leather. Not much of a surprise from the goblins, but still horrific. Interesting explanation of the workings of the invisibility spell (or in this case, potion). The Raven is up to the task again! I see it settles down for a well-deserved meal!

[Grits]

Raising one fist into the air, she thought of Raven. Pouring her magicka into that image, she opened her fingers and let the energy spill forth. A disc of blue light sprang to life before her eyes. It fell to the ground, and a sleek black bird took shape in the air behind it. The raven flew around her, then landed upon her shoulder a moment later.

I love this part! Teresa’s summoned raven is so neat. What an excellent teammate. And hungry too, it seems.

I also really enjoyed Teresa’s thoughts about the limitations of invisibility. That was a great explanation.

The goblins’ skin clothing was gross, and a hint that things in the mine might be grosser. Yikes, here they go!

[Acadian]

‘Yesterday's episode was preempted by work.’
Whew! I was beginning to twitch from missing my Saturday dose of TF! Hope the work stuff went okay and doesn’t get in the way of goblin killin’!

‘Teresa expected that the goblins would have lookouts placed at the entrance. They had in the only other goblin lair she had seen, long ago on the City Isle.’
Nice nod to the perpetual pair of goblin guards outside Fatback Cave on the southern tip of Imperial Isle.

Wonderful stealth operations by our forester. I was delighted to see how close she and Raven have become and the way Teresa can call the bird to her and communicate. Raven provided a great distraction – just what our scout needed to sink her arrows into the pair of guards.

Human skin loincloths and pecking at goblin eyes. Yikes! Just the gritty images to match the horrors around that mine.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 23 2012, 01:57 AM

[ghastley]

I find myself thinking "a summoned bat would be more useful in a dark cave" - I must restrain myself from a new mod!

"Go for the eyes, Boo"

[McBadgere]

Ew...Skin loincloths...But then again...I suppose a bear might think much the same...Or it might not...I do not know...Robert is just saying...Is all...

But aamywho...Brilliant stuff...

Loved the conjoured Raven...Also loved the telepathic thing between them...Which makes sense...They're connected by magic, so why not by thought too...Excellent!! *applauds*...

Oh yeah, I also loved the meditation on invisibility thing...Always cool when we see how the magic in the various worlds work...

Another brilliant chapter...

Loved it!!..

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[SubRosa]

King Coin: The hawk companion might be doable. But I think it would take a lot of work. Have you seen the hawks up close? Bethesda did not do a very good job on their model or textures, because they were only meant to be seen from a distance. Their animations are not very good either. They look fine from a distance, but are clunky and robotic when you get close enough to really see them. I think they would need to be completely redone from scratch.


Grits: Now that Teresa is finally using invisibility herself, I had to come up with an explanation for how it works, and does not work. I spent a while mulling it all over in my head. Since it is an illusion spell, I decided to go with the idea that it works on the mind, rather than actually physically bending light around you (or stop it from reflecting off of you, which is really how we see things). The old Vampire: The Masquerade P&P rpg had a wonderful power for the Nosferatu clan called obfuscate that worked the same way. People could physically see you just fine, but their brains just would not acknowledge that you were there.


Acadian: It was good to once again show Teresa in her natural element here, sneaking around and relying upon her wits and a few tricks up her sleeve. A while back I started working out how summoners command their conjured critters, and decided that the spell creates a telepathic link between them. Not necessarily on the conscious level though. Rather the summoning just knows that the summoner wants them to do, and they do it. That is how I have been trying to portray her summoned Aedra as well.


ghastley: Perhaps a summoned Bat-Man?


McBadgere: I see I am not the only one who can imagine how a bear or wolf or deer might feel about someone wearing buckskins, or wolf armor. That is assuming that said animal had the mental processing power to think so abstractly, which thankfully I do not think they do.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa faced with the conundrum of how to kill the two goblins guarding the entrance to the mine, without them raising an alarm. With a little help from her summoned raven, and an invisibility potion, so was able to manage it. With the above-ground areas of the mining camp clear, she ended the segment by signaling the rest of the guild that it was safe for them to enter.


Chapter 43.13 – Hand of Fire

Now it was Teresa's turn to relax while the others went to work. She remained within the darkness of the mine shaft and stood guard. In the meantime the rest of the guild set to the task of fortifying the settlement outside. Her summoned raven kept her company, although Teresa had to recast her spell numerous times in order to prolong his existence. Teresa knew the latter was good practice, and vowed to start spending time doing so every day. Otherwise she would never become skilled enough to summon more powerful animals, such as wolves or bears.

The sound of hammers rang in the distance, and Teresa hoped the noise of their work did not get the attention of the goblins deeper in the mine. At Pappy's prompting, she had made a brief exploration farther inside. She had found several twists and turns in the tunnel as it led down to a natural cavern far below. That was where the rest of the goblins were camped, in a haphazard village spread amongst the rocks and tucked into the walls of the cave. Teresa prayed that they remained down in the main chamber, and did not venture up the tunnel. So long as they did, she doubted they would hear the work outside. But she knew it was only a matter of time. She hoped that the others worked fast.

She could see little of what the other fighters were doing. Most of it was out of sight, in the alleys between buildings. But she could plainly see a barricade that they had created across the road at the far end of the settlement. It was partly made of wagons they had overturned, and partly from wooden hedgehogs they had constructed from the stakes they had brought with them. They were simple affairs, each consisting of a long horizontal pole with rows of sharp stakes protruding out in four directions. It sat upon the lower two sets of stakes, and presented the other two up and out, into the breasts of any who would try to pass.

Time dragged by, and Teresa was certain that a goblin would appear at any moment. Finally the others tramped back into sight. Most filed into the mining office, which was nearest to the tunnel. She noted that Riveus climbed to the roof of the same building, and lay down out of sight. Then her eyes rested on Pappy, who walked to the tunnel.

"We're ready kid," the Colovian declared in a quiet voice. "Head down there and make the biggest ruckus you can. We'll be ready when they come out."

"Just be sure that battlemage is ready to get me out," the wood elf said, "old man."

"She'll do her job," the guild commander insisted. Then he lowered his voice, and leaned his head closer. "But keep your scrolls handy just in case."

Teresa's hand drifted down to her pouch of scrolls. One would summon a sylph. The nature spirit could lift her up and fly her to safety just as the Dunmer's Winged Twilight could. She hoped she would not need it.

Pappy clanked away in his legion and orcish steel. Teresa renewed her summoning, and pulled her night eye goggles down over her face. The tunnel sprang to noon-day brightness as she slinked into its depths. Out of habit, she took her time and moved with caution. Not a sound betrayed her presence, and she came to the main chamber of the mine without encountering a single goblin.

The large cavern was a different story however. It teemed with the monsters and their homes. Made of hides supported between sticks and bones thrust vertically into the ground, each goblin house was simply a collection of the little walls arranged in a circle, with a space left open to enter or leave. There were no doors, or roofs, and the crude enclosures littered the rough, uneven ground. Numerous smaller cave entrances gaped in the walls of the chamber, all shored up by stout timbers. Thanks to Maesa and his description of the mine, Teresa knew that those were passages dug by the miners, while the cavern itself had been naturally formed.

According to their new battlemage, the rank and file members of the tribe would live in the main chamber. The shaman, her apprentices, and the male leaders would live in the side passages. There too would be their skeever corrals and mushroom farms. Teresa wondered if they would have had time to create either of the latter? If so, she imagined that she might be able to harvest some potion ingredients.

Her eyes were drawn to a pyramid of skulls piled up near the center of the chamber, that rose up to at least the height of a goblin. Teresa saw not only human and mer heads there, but even a few of Khajiit and Argonians as well. Scattered among the sentient remains were also the skulls of deer, wild pigs, birds, wolves, dogs, horses, and other animals. All thoroughly denuded of flesh and polished until they gleamed.

The forester's eyes went from the gruesome trophy mound to the stretched hides that formed the walls of the goblin homes. Some of those bore the thick pelts of animals. But like the loincloths the sentries wore, many were smooth and olive toned…

Teresa drank a potion to shield her and increase her magicka regeneration. Then another to protect her from shock magic, and finally a third that would ward her against both physical harm and lightning. Between all of the potions and her armor, she hoped that she could take anything the goblins could throw at her.

Ready for anything, she crept out into the open. She pulled out an arrow and staged it in the dirt at her feet. Rising to her full height, she set another arrow to the nock of her bow and drew it to full extension. She cast her eyes across the goblins, and set them upon one that carried a spear. She aimed low, and her arrow buried itself in its leg a moment later.

The goblin screeched loudly as it fell into the dirt. Her second arrow drove into the belly of the goblin beside it. That one dropped with an ear-splitting scream as well. Fanged visages turned to stare at Teresa, as everyone in the lair locked eyes upon her willowy frame. The cavern filled with an eerie racket of high-pitched screeches, and the wood elf turned to flee.

The whoosh of flame drowned out the cries of the monsters, and Teresa dove to the floor. The heat of an oven rolled over her, and bright light filled her night eye-enhanced vision. She sprang to her feet when the light died away, and raced from the chamber as fast her feet could carry her.

Fire, she thought. The goblins had attacked with fire magic, not shock. It was just as Tadrose had suspected. This tribe was different from most.

There was no time to mull that over any further, for she heard a score of goblin feet pounding on the rock and dirt behind her. The trip uphill was harder than the way down. But her daily runs around Bravil stood her in good stead, and she had barely raised a sweat by the time the light of day filled her goggles. Pushing them back up onto her forehead, she raced out into the comfort of Magnus' rays. Her summoned raven cawed beside her, and swept down the street in front of her.

Teresa did not stop until she reached the mining office. There she turned to look back, and waited for the goblins to appear. After long moments, they burst from the darkness of the mine, snarling and screeching for her blood. She smiled faintly at the sight, and once again ran for it. Her feet took her down the length of the main street. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw that each alley she passed had been blocked off by hedgehogs and overturned wagons, mining carts, and even furniture. Finally she came to the barricade that sealed off the end of the road as well, and stopped.

A glance up revealed the white-haired Dunmer battlemage on the roof of one of the buildings at the end of the street. Teresa did not see the Winged Twilight at all. The forester turned to look back the way she had come from. The street was filled with goblins. There had to be at least two dozen. Most carried crude, stone-tipped spears or knives, though some bore no weapons at all. One wore a vest of horizontal bones, and clutched a sword of human steel in both paws. Teresa imagined that had to be one of the berserkers. He was plainly the leader of the assembled goblins.

It was the berserker that led the way as the monsters closed in on her. Rather than continue their headlong rush, they slowed to a cautious walk as they drew nearer. Green faces ringed Teresa, snarling and hissing from all sides. Her raven swept into them, grasping for their eyes with his claws. That caused them to back off as they jabbed their spears and knives skyward.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 29 2012, 12:53 AM

[McBadgere]

Aw hell yeah!!...Peter Jackson, eat yer heart out!! ...(no, not really...Get back to work...Third film indeed....)

Loved the description of the mine again...Fantastic stuff...

The night vision goggles are well cool...Kinda Tank Girl-ish... ...

The skull-pile and the skins were a gruesome image... ...Well done!!... ...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

[Acadian]

I’m enjoying the continuing evolution of Teresa’s skill at summoning her Raven.

So Pappy has set his trap and sent Teresa in to bait out the quarry. Well, they say the Guild of Fighters is good work if you’ve got the stones for it. Once again, Teresa demonstrates she certainly does.

She makes it back to daylight with a flaming horde of angry greenies in hot pursuit. With her back against her own fighters’ barricade now, and surrounded by elf-eating goblins, I’ll bet she’s getting pretty nervous and wondering where her darn air power is. Saya don’t fail us now!

‘But her daily runs around Bravil stood her in good stead, and she had barely raised a sweat by the time the light of day filled her goggles. Pushing them back up onto her forehead, she raced out into the comfort of Magnus' rays.’
Yup, all that joggin’ is paying off now! Not a criticism, but just a personal observation – when I was SCUBA trained by the Navy, we were taught to pull our goggles/facemask down around our neck instead of up onto our foreheads so they could not get knocked off and lost. Similarly, in the desert, we pulled our sand goggles down around our necks for the same reason when not in use. I figure Hollywood likes to have their actors push ‘em up onto their forehead ‘cuz it looks cooler.

I love the depth and richness you've given this wonderful 'TF Fighters Guild Quest'!

Nit: ’… and finally a third that would ward her against both physical harm and lighting.’
I may be confused so I ask your forgiveness if that is the case, but I’m wondering if you meant lightning instead of lighting here?

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 29 2012, 12:47 AM

[King Coin]

Hmm, perhaps when they are done with their fortifications, they could make a nice big smoky fire in the cave’s mouth and smoke ‘em out! And then they’d have to crawl through the flames too!

Ah, Teresa’s going in to draw them out. Yikes! I don’t envy her!

She’s making a hell of a lot of noise. No outright killing shots, nasty and painful wounds that may lead to the goblin’s demise in minutes or even an hour. Teresa’s getting her revenge.

They’ve got a nice trap set up, though I imagine they will have to go inside after the shaman. Teresa's ringed in now by goblins, where's her ride out? This could get very tense if it's late!

[Grits]

Teresa knew the latter was good practice, and vowed to start spending time doing so every day. Otherwise she would never become skilled enough to summon more powerful animals, such as wolves or bears.

How neat to see Teresa thinking about the future, and improving her summoning. I really liked this.

Pappy clanked away in his legion and orcish steel. Teresa renewed her summoning, and pulled her night eye goggles down over her face. The tunnel sprang to noon-day brightness as she slinked into its depths.

I love this contrast between Pappy and Teresa the scout. Teresa has awesome gear now. I still had clanking Pappy in mind when she drank all those potions that she made. Teresa is such an asset to the FG!

Teresa did not stop until she reached the mining office. There she turned to look back, and waited for the goblins to appear. After long moments, they burst from the darkness of the mine, snarling and screeching for her blood.

Ha! She was really hauling tail. The image of Teresa and her raven standing in the empty street waiting for the goblin horde to catch up made me smile.

Um, hello, Saya? Winged extrication, please?

[liliandra nadiar]

Saya's going to pull a last minute rescue, isn't she? -_-

What is it with Dunmer and arriving in the nick of time? (RE: Tadrose at the end of Hunter's Run ) I hope Saya knows the Winged Twilight-in-Shining-Armor routine won't score any points with Teresa. She already has a Noble-in-Armor at her (near) beck and call.

Teresa's really been putting those points in Athletics, hasn't she? Outrunning an angry tribe of Goblins is no simple feat. (/chance: but it is a fast feet)

[SubRosa]

McBadgere: I was going for a Peter Jacksonish moment when the goblins all closed in slowly at the end. I could picture the same scene in Moira, just before the Balrog made his appearance and scared all the goblins off.

Teresa's goggles have always been a part of her kit, way back from the very beginning. There is a mod that adds them. Actually, there are a couple of mods that do. I ended up combining them both so I could use the goggle model from one, and the scripting for the night eye effect from the other.


Acadian: It would be hard to imagine the Teresa we knew in the early chapters doing what she did last episode is it not? She has indeed come a long way since then. Especially thanks to Pappy's tutelage.

I think I will use that pushing up/down issue in the future. It would be a good thing for someone to point out to Teresa in the future. Or perhaps they will be knocked off her head at some point and she will learn the hard way?


King Coin: I see you picked up on the reason why she shot for the legs, rather than the chest. Just as you said, she wants them to scream and make a lot of noise.


Grits: I want to keep Teresa's use of summoning magic alive and well. As others have pointed out in the past, perhaps some day she will put her bow aside altogether, and become a pure magician?

Once again it was good to show how the differences between Pappy's iron mongery and Teresa's silent as a ghost gear make her a special part of the guild.


liliandra nadiar: Maybe all those old westerns where the cavalry show up in the nick of time are popular in Morrowind. It was good to show the benefits of Teresa's morning runs around Bravil. She has turned herself into quite the athlete. I often wonder about sports in Tamriel, and what kind of team games they might play? Hand ball, jai lai, rugby? I could see the FG being having a team and being part of a local league, in something.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode found Teresa standing guard at the mine entrance while the rest of the guild built barricades across the alleys between every building of the settlement, and across the main street at the far end. This has turned the entire outpost into a cul-de-sac, whose only way in or out faces the mine. Then Teresa went inside the goblin lair and got their attention. She raced out of the mine and down the barricaded street with a horde of goblin warriors hot on her heels. Now finds herself trapped between those goblins and the same barricades created by her guild.


Chapter 43.14 – Hand of Fire

Teresa was reaching for her scrolls when the sound of her raven was drowned out by the noise of much larger wings. A shadow spilled across her, and Teresa glanced up to see Kireteki swooping down upon her. The Winged Twilight's taloned feet reached down and grasped her by the shoulders. Then Teresa felt herself drawn up into the air, and she looked down to see both the goblins and the street fall away beneath her.

The crackle of lightning filled the street below, and the sparkling energy burst into a wide ball that engulfed the goblins. The creatures screamed and lurched in pain. Few fell to the ground however. Teresa imagined that for the spell to affect such a wide area, it had to sacrifice some of its potency. Still, with the goblins trapped as they were, it was only a matter of time before they were all killed that way.

Teresa turned her head away as Kireteki slowed, and found the roof of one of the outpost's buildings rising to meet her feet. The Winged Twilight let go of her when she was only a foot away, and Teresa dropped the rest of the distance. As Pappy had taught her, she let her legs collapse under her and tucked into a roll that would absorb the impact of the drop. Springing to her feet, she raced to the edge of the roof and drew forth an arrow.

The far end of the street lit up with another lighting ball. The goblins who could, turned to flee back toward the mine. Once more, that was directly toward Teresa. Thankfully this time she was up and out of their reach. She saw Riveus standing upon the building across from her. Below the Imperial Forester, the rest of her guild raced out into the street and formed a line of steel across its breadth. Now the goblins were trapped.

A glance back to the mine entrance revealed Mad Josse, bow in hand and fingers glowing with magic. If any goblins slipped through the guild, or managed to climb the barricades ringing the street, Josse would prevent them from retreating to the mine. Likewise, he was their rearguard, against any more goblins that might issue forth.

Teresa paid the old man no more heed, and turned back to her own task. Raising her bow, she took sight on a goblin darting for one of the alleys across the street. Her arrow sank into its side, and it fell to the dust. Her eyes picked out another clawing at the boarded up doorway of the mess hall, and she buried a swallowtail in its back.

Across the street from her, Riveus did the same, shooting any goblins that might try to escape through the barricades on Teresa's side of the road. Wherever the goblins clustered in the middle of the street, a ball of lighting erupted in their ranks. Finally, Kireteki swooped around the outer edges of the outpost, ready to scoop up any that manage to escape.

The lightning stopped as the remnants of the goblins met the line of fighters in the road. There was a loud clatter of stone on steel as shields and breastplates turned aside the goblin's weapons. The noise was followed by gangrel screams as the monsters fell beneath the weapons of her guild mates. Teresa could not resist spending just a moment watching the fighters as they stood and traded blows with the monsters. Just like in drill, they did not waver or break their line, not even to advance upon those goblins that shied away. They remained in formation though it all, presenting an impenetrable wall.

Individual bolts of lightning from Saya reached out for the retreating goblins. Teresa and Riveus added their arrows to the deadly rain. That persuaded the remaining goblins to once again throw themselves upon the fighters in the street. That ended the same way as before, and soon more goblin corpses littered the ground in front of the line of fighters.

The distant sound of flame came to Teresa's ears. The forester turned to see Mad Josse reeling away from the entrance of the mine, smoke rising from the leather armor he wore. Several goblins stepped into view, clearly female. All were much larger than the other goblins, and their torsos were draped in human and animal hides. Most carried daggers, but one was unarmed. Its fingers danced with flames, and Teresa wondered if it might be their shaman?

The forester drew an arrow from her gorytos and thrust its head into the jar of poison that hung from her waist. She had not needed of the latter since she had gotten Ravenfeeder. The bow magically poisoned every arrow she set upon its string. But she had a special brew in the flask, that would silence one's ability to use magicka.

She set the poisoned arrow to her string and drew her bow to full extension. She knew that she was too slow. The other goblins were moving in on Josse, and the magician was readying another spell.

But Josse had not been idle. He raised his hand in a fist, and when he opened it, a spriggan formed in the air between him and the goblins. The forest guardian's inhumanly long fingers reached out, and a head rolled across the dirt.

The spriggan burst into flames a moment later, as the goblin mage turned her magic upon the forest spirit. Teresa's lips formed a hard line as she stared at the goblin, and sent her arrow across the space between them. The mage recoiled with the missile buried in its stomach, and Teresa cursed. She had been aiming for the chest after all. Still, the goblin fell to the dirt, and the magic instantly died from its fingers.

Mad Josse drove another arrow into the mage a moment later. The spriggan lifted one hand, and a grizzly bear roared to angry life in the mouth of the cave. After that the nature spirit stretched out her arms, and a white light suffused her burnt frame. As the glow died away, Teresa saw that the blackened and scorched bark of her body had been replaced with healthy brown wood, green moss, and blooming pink flowers.

Teresa held her fire as the bear went to work upon the remaining goblins. The mine entrance was just too crowded now for her to risk another shot. Since Josse appeared to have things well in hand, she turned back to the street to see the last of the goblins there fall with one of Riveus' arrows in its back.

Teresa wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. They had won their second battle against the goblins! Her eyes danced across the figures in the street below, and settled upon Tadrose. The Dunmer warrior was unharmed, and she looked up to meet Teresa's gaze. Tadrose flashed a smile, and the wood elf felt her heart soar. Thank Mara she was not harmed!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 5 2012, 02:24 AM

[McBadgere]

Aw hell yeah!!...

Amazing fight!!...Dammit!!... ...

Whoa!!...I knew Uncle Mad Josse was my fave character!!...Damn that was sooo cool...Forest Guardians rock!!...Loved that bit when the Spriggan renewed/healed itself, absolutely brilliant idea...

Brilliantly done as ever...

Love it!!...

Nice one... ...

*Applauds heartily*...

[King Coin]

I bet Teresa was thankful for her armor, getting hoisted around by the Twilight. The trap is sprung and the slaughter shall begin. In Teresa’s position, I would have a difficult time not sparing a moment to watch the fighters as well.

The shamans of the tribe appear, and Teresa and her special bow are needed now. Mad Josse has an interesting summon, though ill-suited against fire. Teresa’s ‘miss’ still put the mage out of play. I couldn’t help but grin when the spriggan healed herself and pretty flowers bloomed.

Now, was that it? Or are there more in the cave? Liked the ending, both elves confirming the other was unharmed.

[Acadian]

Old business: What a brilliant idea to have someone like Pappy or Tadrose point out the wisdom of Teresa pushing her goggles down instead of up within the story!

’As Pappy had taught her, she let her legs collapse under her and tucked into a roll that would absorb the impact of the drop.’
A superbly executed parachute landing fall after a timely rescue!

Wow! All of Pappy’s planning and preparations come together as the trap is fully sprung and his guild holds firm like an iron phalanx – just as he trained them.

I loved the spriggan summon, her bear and your entire description of her from appearing out of the air to healing and blooming pink flowers! Old Josse must know our friend Morcant!

Having T&T’s eyes search each other out after the fight was just the perfect ending to this heart pounding and exciting fight.

You and I have not mentioned it for some time, but let me compliment you on your consistently outstanding management of both post length and frequency. I quite love your once a week posting schedule and average episode length of about 1500 words. I know it can be a challenge, but you clearly realize it is easy to overdo a good thing.

[ghastley]

I'm thinking we might have seen the Shaman, but not the War Chief. There's still work to be done inside the mine, and they haven't been able to prepare the arena there. Teresa has scouted the area, so at least they know the lay of the mine, and can do a bit more planning before they go in.

And they don't need to be in any hurry, provided there isn't a back way out. Presumably they'd know that from the details of the contract.

Nice embellishment of what the Spriggans always do just when you think you've won! Teresa needs to talk to Josse and learn that spell!

[Grits]

It was fun to see the plan working! Mad Josse and the spriggan + bear were my favorite part. As others mentioned, the spriggan’s healing complete with pink flowers really made me smile. I could almost hear that maddening giggle. Of course here it would be music to her allies’ ears!

Teresa wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. They had won their second battle against the goblins! Her eyes danced across the figures in the street below, and settled upon Tadrose. The Dunmer warrior was unharmed, and she looked up to meet Teresa's gaze. Tadrose flashed a smile, and the wood elf felt her heard soar. Thank Mara she was not harmed!

Yay! A sweet moment after the blood bath. I’m sure that Teresa is the only one who will notice that her arrow went a hand’s span south.

I wonder what Pappy has planned next!

[haute ecole rider]

This has been an exciting and exhilarating romp through the lovely hills of the Western Niben Basin. I've loved everything from the departure from Bravil to this latest installment.

I agree with Acadian's suggestion that Teresa learn to pull her goggles down rather than up from her eyes.

And this line:

Teresa's lips formed a hard line as she stared at the goblin, and sent her arrow across the space between them. The mage recoiled with the missile buried in its stomach, and Teresa cursed. She had been aiming for the chest after all.

Made me smile. It made me recall the wonderful scene in The Magnificent Seven where James Coburn shoots the bandit from his horse from an impossibly long distance, and young Horst Bucholtz admiring aloud that was the best shot he'd ever seen. Coburn says *disgustedly* The worst! I was aiming for the horse!

Loved the spriggan and the bear. Always felt irritated that those forest creatures always wanted to kill you in the game. Nice to see them on our side for a change!

[SubRosa]

McBadgere: Amazing fight it what I was hoping for. I had given a lot of thought to Mad Jack Josse using illusion magic, namely command spells. But he just did not strike me as the type to go around mind-controlling others. So I went with the nature summons instead, which I think fit in with his Mountain Man background rather well.


King Coin: I was thinking that same thing about the armor, and the Twilight's claws. Even when she is not trying, I bet those would draw at least a little blood when she picks someone up like that.

We have all seen those Spriggans do that heal animation of theirs (and groaned inwardly every time). I wanted to show some details on exactly how her body was healing. Since appear to be made of wood and bark and such, I emphasized the moss returning, and flowers blooming to show it returning to full health.


Acadian: I knew the fighter pilot would recognize the parachute landing. I am sure you have done plenty of those in your time. I imagine that Pappy has leapt out of many second story windows in his life, with angry husbands in pursuit. Developing that skill to land without harm has doubtlessly kept him alive all these years!

I see you noticed the post lengths. The original way I broke up this chapter was with longer posts. But I did not like it, and decided to go back and break it down into smaller pieces. Like you said, I think it makes for easier reading, especially when there are so many other excellent stories here that we all want to read as well.


ghastley: That spellcaster did not have a staff, so it was not the shaman. She still lurks below. Likewise the war chief was that big, armored fellow Teresa saw back at the roadside ambush. Being top dog, he would have wanted to be in the place where he could get the most glory (else he might not stay the top dog).

Like you said, now they have the goblins trapped. Thanks to this being Lady Scaurus' mine, they know the layout and can presume that the goblins have not been able to make any major changes, since they moved in only recently. There would be air-shafts to the surface however, but being vertical, I doubt any goblin could climb out of them. They would need a levitate spell, which we all know is illegal in Cyrodiil.


Grits: I love it when a plan comes together. So does Pappy. I never quite understood why the Oblivion Spriggans giggle, it seems kind of odd for a plant-like creature to do. I find I like the Skyrim version's swarm of bees sound much better.


hottie collie rider: Scenes like that one in the Mag Seven are exactly the kind of thing I was trying to channel with Teresa's slightly errant arrow. I think there was a similar one in Quigley Down Under? I have to watch that movie again. I wanted to show that in spite of how far she has come, she is not perfect all the time. I never liked how the Oblivion animals were so homicidal either. Hence my mod to make them friendly of course. They do them better in Skyrim, where they have a specific distance you have to get to them before they become aggressive. So you can often just walk around a bear or pack of wolves, than have to fight them.


Previously On Teresa Of The Faint Smile: Our last episode saw Teresa now trapped against the barricades as the goblins slowly closed in. Kireteki swooped down and flew off with our heroine at the last moment however, depositing her to safety on a rooftop. In the meantime Saya plied them with lightning balls, and the rest of the Fighters Guild marched out into the street to block the only unbarricaded route out of the outpost. The battle was on, with the goblins trapped between the guild's melee fighters and Saya's magic. At the entrance of the mine, several female goblins attacked Mad Josse, who was standing guard there. One was a magician. However, a silenced arrow from Teresa stopped its magic, and Josse's conjured Spriggan (and its conjured bear) then made short work of the goblins. Soon, all of the monsters on the surface were dead, with no casualties among the Fighters Guild.


Chapter 43.15 – Hand of Fire

"Form up, we're going down into that mine!" Pappy barked. "First file is up front with me in a double line. Second takes the rear. Archers in the center."

Teresa fell into formation with the others facing the mine, effortlessly stepping into place in the middle of the column with Riveus at her side. Half of the fighters formed two lines in front of her, with Pappy in their second rank. The other half did the same behind her, led by Tadrose. Saya stared dumbfounded, until Teresa grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the center of the armored column.

Mad Josse waited behind. Teresa could see the mountain man was fuming. But Pappy had won out the latest argument with the Breton. Josse went to work taking down dead miners from the posts upon which they hung near the entrance of the mine. Teresa wondered if his nephew was among them? His summoned spriggan lent her claws to help with the task, while her own bear simply lounged in the sun. Teresa was glad for the two summonings being there to guard their only way out, along with Josse. She had to admit that for all of his bluster, the mountain man was no slouch in a fight. If any goblins still lurked outside, they would have their hands full trying to get past those three!

Josse's mule Number Seven also stood nearby, and stared at the fighters as they marched into the mine. In the meanwhile Lady Scaurus' agent - Laberius Maesa - vanished into the mining office. Teresa imagined that he might be going through all of the paperwork that still survived.

"Little prick is probably looking for a count of how much gold the mine's supposed to have," Vincent grumbled, "so he can blame us if its short."

"Put a sock in it meathead," Pappy growled. "We all have to do our jobs. Just keep your mind on yours."

Those without night eye enchantments drank the potions that Teresa had provided to see in the darkness. At Pappy's word, they followed with more potions to armor themselves against magical and mundane harm. Teresa only wished she had the time to brew some potions to resist fire, since these goblins appeared to favor that over shock. If wishes were dragons, she thought, everyone would fly…

They marched down the sloping tunnel, deep into the bowels of Nirn. Like the others, Teresa braced herself for the inevitable goblin attack. They were walking into the very heart of their lair. Pappy said they had probably killed all of their warriors. But their females still remained, and by all accounts, they were even more dangerous than the males. Worst of all, their shaman still lurked somewhere in the depths ahead. For the magician they had killed at the entrance had not possessed the shaman's staff. That had been but an apprentice.

"We're almost there." Teresa said to Pappy as they approached a turn in the mine shaft. "It opens up not far after this curve."

The guild commander called for a halt, and turned to look back. He said something to Vincent, and the Breton dug through the commander's pack. A moment later the younger man produced a bottle, pulled the cork out with his teeth, and took a long swallow from it.

"This is it you meatheads." Pappy took the bottle from Vincent and knocked back a long guzzle from its depths before passing it on to Chance. "We clear them out of this main cavern, and it will just be mopping up after that. That means we're gonna have one big fight on our hands. Stay in formation, follow commands, and we'll win this."

"That shaman's our biggest threat," the commander went on. "She's your responsibility Saya. I want you to hold back and wait for her to show herself. No magic until you see her. Then you pour on everything you have and don't let up 'till she's dead."

"But my lightning balls can clear out the cavern," the Dunmer mage insisted. "I can finish them all with just a few blasts!"

"And that shaman can do the same to us," Tadrose said from the rear. "You do not lay your trump cards first. You do it when it will win the game. That is precisely what you are going to do for us."

"Our vice-commander took the words right out of my mouth," Pappy agreed. "Teresa, Riveus, you two keep your silence poison ready too, just in case. If you have a shot at any mage, don't wait for my say so, you take it. Otherwise fire on command."

Teresa nodded as the bottle came back to her. She saw by the label that it was flin, thirty years old if the label was correct. She took a tentative mouthful, and winced as the fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. She wished Pappy had gotten a bottle of Tamika's instead. But she imagined that was not manly enough for the Colovian soldier. She could not wait to hand the bottle to Riveus.

"No quarter," Pappy continued. "Don't forget what these little fetchers did to the men outside. Remember those skins they're wearing. I am not gonna let a single one of you end up the same because you got some stupid ideas of honor or mercy in your head. These aren't people, they're monsters. And we know what to do with them, don't we? These fetchers have had their way with miners and farmers long enough, now let's go get some payback!"

"Oorah!" the fighters all shouted in unison, Teresa among them. She did not know how to feel about shooting a mother goblin, or her child. But she did know what to feel about them eating the people outside, and wearing their skins as clothing. She vowed that would never happen again.

They marched forward once more, and in moments the tunnel opened up beyond the ranks of fighters before Teresa. At a command from Pappy, his file advanced just into the cavern. They spread out into a single line that was anchored at the walls to either side, forming a slight bubble with Teresa, Riveus, and Saya behind them. Tadrose in the meanwhile, remained out of sight back in the tunnel with her half of the guild.

At Pappy's command his fighters went down to one knee. That gave Teresa a good view of the chamber, where goblins swarmed to and fro. It reminded her of an anthill that had been kicked over. She drew forth an arrow and set it to the nock of her bow. Her questing eyes looked for anything that might be a shaman, but none of the goblins she saw carried a staff.

"Archers, fire at will!"

At the guild commander's word, she and Riveus raised their bows and began shooting into the goblins. Teresa did not think about what she was doing. She simply loaded, aimed at the shapes in front of her, and fired. It was just like practice.

"Incoming!" Teresa tensed at Vincent's shout, and went down to one knee behind the Breton. A wave of heat washed over her, and her vision filled with flames. She held her breath while the fire licked all around her, and gritted her teeth against the pain that washed across her body. She prayed that Aldariel's enchantments would protect her from the worst of it, and simply endured.

"Did anyone see where that came from?" Pappy's shouted as the fire died away. All around fighters groaned and cursed, but none answered. Teresa dipped an arrow in the poison jar at her hip, and rose to her feet. Her eyes scanned the chamber, but as before, there was no sign of the shaman.

"To the right!" Ancondil called out. Teresa followed his pointing hammer, only to see a fist-sized ball of fire roaring toward them. With no time to aim, she simply loosed her arrow in that direction and hoped for the best. Then she was down on her knees again, just as the ball of fire blossomed into an inferno that engulfed them all once more.

"We're sitting ducks sitting here!" Chance coughed through the smoke as the flames subsided a second time.

"He's right," Pappy grumbled. "Fall back! Archers first, fall back!"

The fighters rose to their feet as Teresa, Riveus, and Saya backed into the entry shaft. Before them the fighters also stepped backward, collapsing into a double line once more. At Pappy's command, they retreated to the next turn in the tunnel, where Tadrose's file opened their ranks, and allowed Pappy's to march through to far end of the column.

"We form a new line here," Tadrose declared. "If that shaman wants to use that magic against us now, she'll have to get up in our faces. Now stand ready, they'll be on us in a second."

The sound of clawed feet scrabbling on rock and dirt reinforced the Dunmer's words, and the new front rank of fighters readied their shields. A moment later a wave of female goblins poured from around the corner, and leapt upon them. There was no coordination or attempt at teamwork between the creatures. They simply cast themselves right onto the guild members and stabbed with knives or clawed with their fingers. Some even hurled rocks, or tried to bite the fighters with their teeth.

Valerius, Morghak, and Storm-Tail held firm under the assault however, and did not waver from their positions. The goblins came in so close, that the swords and axes of the mercenaries were of no use. So they just held their shields up, and did their best to shove the smaller creatures off of them. Tadrose stood just behind them, and stabbed at the goblins with her longsword. She held the greatsword with one hand on the hilt, and the other half way down the blade. Teresa knew that by halfswording that way, it not only made the Dunmer's blows more powerful, but also far more precise.

Teresa stepped up as well and stood just inches behind Storm-Tail. Whenever a goblin leapt onto the Argonian, she leaned forward and braced him from behind. She held a mithril dagger in one hand, and it sank into the flesh of all the creatures that beset him. Out of the corner of her eye, Teresa saw Riveus doing the same, standing behind Morghak and lending his strength - and dagger - to the Orisimer's.

Teresa was not sure how long they fought that way. It might have been just a few minutes, but it seemed to drag on forever. She tried not to think. Rather she simply did what Pappy had taught her to do in their daily training sessions. Her knife was slick with blood when the whoosh of fire once again filled her ears.

"Goblin mage!" Valerius shouted. A stream of fire roared upon his shield, only to evaporate harmlessly upon its meteoric glass surface. Teresa peered beyond Storm-Tail's elven helmet, and saw a large goblin standing a few feet in front of their line. It held out one hand, and the flames seemed to pour from its fingers, as water would from a spout.

Then another goblin leapt upon Storm-Tail. The monster's stone knife skittered harmlessly off the Argonian's elven panoply. Its head dove for the young fighter's throat, and its long teeth gnawed at the mail that guarded his scaly skin. Teresa ignored the mage, and sank her dagger into one of the goblin's eyesockets. She held on tightly to the hilt as Storm-Tail shoved the creature away, and was thankful that the goblin did not take her dagger with it as it fell to the ground.

The crackle of lighting filled the air, and Teresa had just enough time to see the dazzling energy slam the goblin magician into one of the walls of the cave. Standing at the other end of the blast was Tadrose, who had stretched her arm out beyond Valerius to aim. As Teresa watched, the vice commander fired another blast into the mage. With that the monster lay still, now a blackened lump of roasted flesh.

The remaining goblins fled after that. The guild stood their ground however, and at Pappy's command Saya went to work with healing spells on those who had been injured. In the meantime his own file marched forward, and took the lead once more. When they were finally ready to move again, he led the way back toward the main chamber.