Haa-Rei the Marsh Ranger Options

[hazmick]

@Acadian & SubRosa- I'm glad you liked the re-write.

@SubRosa- we'll be seeing more of Amusei later

@Destri- Yep, Haa-Rei arrived in Leyawiin straight from Black Marsh. He met lots of his friends there.

@Trey- Thanks dawg, such wonderful praise is most welcome

@mALX-YEAH!!! I'm busy reading through maxical's adventures so I hope I will be able to return the praise.


Chapter 2.0


I looked at my reflection in the waters of Lake Rumare. The purple and green scales on my face were a pale grey. I looked awful. How long had I been in those sewers?

The white stones of an Ayleid ruin were reflected in the deep azure, giving the illusion of an underwater city. I looked towards the ruins that stood on the far side of the lake. The once grand structure had been reduced to rubble. White stones were now grey and weathered after years of disuse. I’d never been in an Ayleid ruin before, too dangerous. I smiled inwardly and marked the ruin on my map.

I set off at a brisk walk, following the walls of the city. The gate wasn’t hard to find and I arrived a few hours later. Much to my surprise, the guard smiled and let me through. I had half expected them to arrest me for my recent prison escape. That Redguard must have said something to the watch captain.

The streets of the Talos plaza were full of people, most were merchants headed to the market district. I took the road to the Temple district and then on to the Waterfront. I had some people I needed to see.

The Waterfront wasn’t nearly as busy. A few people carried supplies to the various ships that were moored in the harbour. The brothels were closed during the day so guards had no reason to be here.

I walked across the bridge and through to the housing area. The tumble-down wooden shacks were arranged in two lines of five. People who were unemployed and thieves lived here. Most of my friends in the city lived here.

“Me children will thank ye’ fer ye’ help,” The figure clad in rags grabbed my arm.

“Methredhel, you don’t have any children. A good actor though,” I said as the Bosmer stood up and grinned.

She took off her rag cloak, revealing a set of leather armor. An iron mace hung at her left hip.

“I thought it was very convincing,” She started giggling.

“Just stick to thievery,” I smiled “Where’s Amusei?”

“He needs to steal a diary from Amantius Alectus for the thieves’ guild test.” She reached into a bag at her shoulder. “This diary,” She laughed again.

“Hmmm,” Was my reply as I walked over to pack up my bedroll. “If you see him, tell him I’ve gone to Chorrol.”

“Chorrol?” She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s hard to explain, I’ll tell you when I get back.” I wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the Emperor yet.

I said goodbye and set off, allowing my feet to take me through the crowds until I reached the city gates. A guard looked me up and down.

“Going far this evening?” The guard's question had surprised me. It didn’t end with the word ‘Pondscum’.

“I’m heading to Chorrol,” I stood up straight. I like to think the guard felt intimidated.

“You won’t make it to Chorrol tonight, there is a small village called Weye at the end of the imperial bridge where you can stay.” The guard smiled and opened the gate.

I spent the next half hour travelling across the imperial bridge, the stones hurt my feet and I was desperately hungry.

The village of Weye was small, consisting of the inn and a few stone houses. A small vegetable patch was next to the stables. Several horses were munching hay in their stalls.

The smell of wine and ale welcomed me as I stepped into the inn. The rather attractive Altmer innkeeper sold me a room for the night along with some cheese and bread. I now had no money at all. That’s more like it.

There was an empty table in the corner so I sat down with my meal. The bread and cheese made me thirsty but I had no money for a drink. A voice to my left interrupted my thoughts.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” It was a Bosmer. He was dressed in tan robes and carried a bottle of wine.

“Not at all,” I motioned to the empty seat.

“My name is Gaeleg, pleased to meet you,” He smiled and poured me some wine. His bronze skin was framed with thick brown hair. His eyes were a strange yellow colour, he reminded me of a khajiit.

“Well met Gaeleg. My name is Haa-Rei,” I took a sip of the wine. I’ve always liked Wood Elves, such kind people.

The next few hours were spent drinking wine and chatting to my new friend. He was also on his way to Chorrol and convinced me to visit the Mages Guild with him. He talked about his home in Valenwood and listened as I talked about Black Marsh. After the wine had been finished off I went to bed, Gaeleg would meet me for breakfast.

After wrestling with my leather armor I decided on a bath. I heated the water with stones from the fireplace and carefully slid my body into the copper tub. The water soothed my burned shoulder and I could feel the dirt and grime washing away. Sleep took hold and I drifted of into dreams of my home land.

I woke up fully submerged in the cold water which had gone through a distinct colour change. After looking in the small mirror on the bedside table, I found that the purple and green scales on my face were back. Much better.

Gaeleg had already ordered breakfast and was tucking in to a plate of eggs and ham. My stomach growled to announce my arrival.

“Hail friend, you sound hungry.” He smiled and waved to the seat next to him. “Please, help yourself,”

Without hesitation I sat down and tucked into some cooked ham. “Thanks Gaeleg, remind me to buy you lunch one day,” We both started laughing.

After our hearty breakfast we set off for Chorrol. I stared open mouthed at the trees of the great forest whose branches interlocked like a roof above us. Deer skipped through the undergrowth as we passed. Gaeleg said it reminded him of Valenwood.

Just over an hour after we had set off from Weye, we reached the gates of Chorrol. Gaeleg immediately said his goodbyes before heading off to the mages guild. I agreed to meet him there later on. I went to ask a nearby guard for directions.

“Can I help you, sir?” The guard was dressed in full chainmail armor; the great oak of Chorrol was emblazoned on the cuirass.

“Oh, I’m looking for Weynon Priory,” I explained.

“It’s just south of the city. Take the road until you come to a fork, head left and you can’t miss it.” He nodded before turning back to his patrol.

Fifteen minutes later I arrived at the small settlement of Weynon. The priory house was directly in front of me, flanked on either side by small vegetable plots and cottages. Several people wandered around carrying various food stuffs to the chapel and the Priory house. A Dunmer dressed in the attire of a blacksmith walked over to me.

“Greetings, how can I help?” He sounded friendly enough.

“I’m looking for Jauffre,” It was at that moment that I realized I knew nothing about this Jauffre fellow, thankfully the Dunmer did.

“He’s in the priory house, probably reading.” I gave the Dunmer a nod and walked towards the settlement’s central building. It didn’t look that important. Who was this Jauffre anyway? A warrior? There was only one way to find out.

This post has been edited by hazmick: Sep 6 2010, 01:49 PM

[haute ecole rider]

First let me apologize for not posting sooner. I have been reading this, honest!

Now I see the vast improvement between the first post and the subsequent chapters. Taking your time to describe the environment (both internal and external) and to develop the characters, as well as edit your rough draft, is really paying off here. It is here in this post that your story is beginning to seize my interest and hold it. I'm getting a distinct 'taste' of your character, and of the world he lives in.

Keep it up! I'm liking the direction you're taking this very much!

[Acadian]

This is fabulous! I love that you are taking the time to develop our scaly friend. Gosh, there's so much to like here -

I’d never been in an Ayleid ruin before, too dangerous.

Yep, smart lizard! I agree.

Great description of the Waterfront and what a clever way to run into Methredhel and learn what Amusei is up to.

“Going far this evening?” The guards question had surprised me. It didn’t end with the word ‘Pondscum’.

Two comments here. First, it is brilliant in what seems to be your superb ability with quietly stated dry humor. Secondly, you want to edit guards to the singular possessive form - guard's.

I loved everything about the bath and Haa-Rei's copper bathtub/bed - how very wonderfully Argonian!

How neat that he met a Bosmer - and likes him! Seems like a nice friend. I look forward to perhaps learning more regarding his later link up at the Chorrol Mages Guild.

[mALX]

I have to agree with Hauty, your descriptions are wonderful and bring the story to life visually to the reader! Great Write!

[treydog]

Still reading and still enjoying your story. One of the things I especially like is how you make things new through Haa-Rei's eyes. And the small touches, such as sleeping in the tub and checking the color of his scales, really make the story your own.

[SubRosa]

I thought that was a good touch when Haa-Rei looked at his reflection and found his scales were grey. That is an excellent way to portray the health of an Argonian.

“Methredhel, you don’t have any children. A good actor though,”


Gaeleg was certainly a friendly fellow. And surprisingly sane, considering he is a male Bosmer! Sorry, could not resist the barb, considering how high-strung that Bethesda tends to portray them.

Falling asleep in the tub was an excellent touch. I really enjoy seeing the extra bit of effort you are going to in writing an Argonian character, by playing to the differences in physiology. It always seemed odd to me in the game how they and the Khajiit are so much like everyone else (wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, keeping the same schedules, etc...). For example, if Khajiit are anything like cats, then they would be sleeping about 18 hours a day. Likewise, if Argonians are like crocs and other reptiles, they can sit absolutely still for extremely long periods.

nits:
The white stones of an Ayleid ruin were reflected in the deep azure
Did you mean to say "deep azure waters" perhaps?

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 28 2010, 10:30 PM

[hazmick]

@Haute: I'm glad you like it, good to know you're reading this.

@Acadian: Thanks, I'm sick of annoying male Bosmer so I decided to take a stand. Female Bosmer aren't as weird.

@mALX: Thanks mALX!

@Trey: thankyou very much, I'm glad you are enjoying it.

@Rosa: I'm glad you and the other expert writers picked up on the Argonian-ness that I'm trying to show, the game makes them more human than lizard si I'll do the reverse.

@ALL: There may not be another update for a while, I'm starting college next week so I'm gonna be a tad busy.


Chapter 2.0


“Greetings, are you here to see Jauffre?” The old Breton was dressed in black robes and sat next to the door of the Priory house when I arrived. The inside of the Priory was richly decorated with tapestries and carpets. A fireplace warmed the room and food was spread out on a round wooden table.

“Yes, I…” Should I tell him about the amulet, or the Emperor? He could be a spy. Monks don’t wear black robes, do they?

“Another mysterious stranger,” He winked at me, “If you would take a seat, Jauffre will see you shortly.” He turned and walked up the sturdy wooden stairs. I found a comfortable chair next to the fire and sat down.

My gaze drifted to the walls. Rich tapestries depicted great battles and heroes. Several weapons adorned the hearth. There’s more to these monks than meets the eye.

It was an hour or more before the black-robed monk entered the room, he motioned for me to follow him. I paused at the top of the wooden stairs. The room to my left contained several beds, four desks were arranged against the right wall. Monks dressed in white and brown robes sat around reading or scribbling on parchment. One monk sat by the window, staring out over the farmland towards the great forest.

I turned and hurried after my guide. We walked past the kitchen where the smell of fresh bread and succulent lamb drifted throughout the building. I was escorted past another bedroom full of monks, smaller than the other, on our way down a large hallway. The black robed Breton smiled and opened a large wooden door to our left, he then turned and strolled down the hall.

I entered the room to find another monk, in a brown robe, reading at a large wooden desk. His face was wrinkled and framed by thinning grey hair. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He placed his book on the large shelf to his left and turned to me. The room was like an office with lots of books and pieces of parchment. I found it secretly fascinating-if Amusei knew I liked to read I would never hear the end of it.

“I’m brother Jauffre, what do you want?” he asked sharply.

“The Emperor sent me to find you, he told me to give you this,” I warily took the large red amulet out from my ragged cuirass. The monk’s eyes widened quite dramatically.

“Who are you? What do you know about the Emperor’s death?” He demanded.

“I was there when he…” My heart was in my throat, I struggled to continue. “…I was there when he was murdered, he gave me the amulet and told me to tell you to find his son,” I breathed deeply to calm my self, not the best start.

Jauffre gave me a quizzical look but continued in a calm voice, “I believe you, don’t worry. I will dispatch some Blades at once for Kvatch for that is where the Emperor’s son is living. You have done well for yourself, please take this.” He dropped a large purse into my open hand.

“Blades?” I stuttered, although my eyes were glued to the glorious silk pouch in my hand.

“The Emperor's personal guard and agents of the Empire, I am their Grandmaster. This chapter house is home to the Order of Talos, it is where retired Blades come to live in peace and to worship Talos.” He smiled and adjusted his robe, revealing a gleaming sword-the Emperor’s bodyguards in the prison had the same weapons. “Prior Marborel will see you out, good day.” He smiled again.

I turned around to find the black-robed Breton monk standing in the doorway. Presumably this was Prior Marborel. He led me back through the priory house to the front door where he waved goodbye as I walked back to Chorrol. I tried to register what had just happened in my head. Monks. Books. Blades. Money. Kvatch.

I examined the purse Jauffre had given me. There were nearly one hundred septims! Usually I was lucky to have one or two coins in a week. My stomach growled to tell me that I was hungry and my feet ached to tell me I was rather tired. I decided to go and find Gaeleg at the mages guild, they would have food. Then I needed somewhere to sleep.

The mages guild hall was at the north end of town. Like all the other buildings in Chorrol, it was made from sturdy wood from the local area. A mighty oak tree, the symbol of the town, sat in the centre of the northern courtyard, guild halls and expensive houses surrounded it. People dressed in mages robes and armour milled around chatting to each other. I recognised one of the mages.

Gaeleg was in deep conversation with an Argonian; both were dressed in blue robes. The Bosmer smiled and waved me over. He introduced me to the Argonian whose name was Teekeeus; he was the head of the Chorrol chapter. The important thing was that Teekeeus allowed me to join them for lunch in the guild hall.

After having lunch with Gaeleg and Teekeeus I went to visit the chapel. The healer managed to fix my shoulder but said I would have to rest it for a week or so which was fine by me. My armour was still torn and now close to disintegration, I needed to visit the smithy.

Rasheda gasped when she saw my armour and gave me a lecture on how to keep it in good condition, along with a strange mixture that smelled like honey. It turns out that getting hit by the enemy is something most people avoid.

“This leather is almost completely destroyed,” The Redguard shook her head “I can’t fix it but I can give you a new set.”

I paid her for the new armour, it was supple and light with a strange emblem of a boat stitched onto the front. The leather helmet was swapped for a lightweight leather hood. I also purchased a new steel longsword with the money I got for selling the battered steel shortsword I had been using. The smith also recommended visiting ‘The Archer’s Paradox’ in Bravil; she gave me a note for the owner.

“Give this to Daenlin, he’ll understand.” The Redguard smiled at me as I left her shop. The parchment in my hand had one word written on it. Sap.

I didn’t really understand. Sap from a tree? Maybe it was a Redguard thing, or a Bosmer thing.

It was dark by the time I left the smithy. I decided against joining a guild and rented a room at ‘The Oak and Crosier’.

A friendly looking Khajiit greeted me as I approached the bar. She introduced herself as Talasma and sold me a room for the night. I also ordered the dish of the day as I took a seat by the fire.

“Here you go, sir,” The Khajiit was carrying a large bread roll on a plate. She set it down and removed the top, revealing a thick broth. “Chicken broth in a bread bowl, now what will you have to drink?” She smiled and took out a piece of parchment and a quill.

“"Just water please,"” I wasn't too keen on wine and this place looked too fancy to serve tea.

The Khajiit nodded and withdrew back to the bar; her long blue dress flowed behind her like a spring waterfall. I shook my head at the thought and focused on the flames in the hearth, silently devouring the logs and coal. It wasn’t long before Talasma returned with a jug of water and a tall silver glass. After paying the reasonable sum of eight septims I greedily tucked in to my meal. Sophistication was never one of my strong points but I heard Talasma chuckle from behind the bar, I took that as a sign that she didn’t mind and carried on. The broth was thick and creamy with small chunks of chicken and vegetable. The clear water sated my thirst after the meal.

On my way upstairs I thanked Talasma again for the meal. I noticed a small sign above the hall to the bedroom area, it read ‘To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep’. I believed this to be good advice and continued down a short hallway to room number four. The room itself was small, but comfortably so. A thick red carpet covered the wooden floor, heat rising into the room from the bar area below. I took a long bath before going to bed. It occurred to me that I had only ever slept on a bedroll. The warm, crisp sheets on the bed enveloped my body, it was a strange feeling. As I began to relax my mind whirled at the recent events and I eventually slid into the strange world of my dreams.

This post has been edited by hazmick: Jul 25 2011, 08:07 PM

[Acadian]

Female Bosmer aren't as weird.

I'm sure that Teresa and Buffy appreciate that!

This continues to be lovely, and a joy to read. Haa-Rei is so easy to like!

Monks dressed in white and brown robes sat around reading or scribbling on parchment. One monk sat by the window, staring out over the farmland towards the great forest.

I liked how you briefly but effectively brought the priory to life.

I also like how you short circuited the Main Quest (or at least appear to have). I'm delighted to see that Haa-Rei may simply be a bystander or perhaps play a small role. Regardless, well done.

It turns out that getting hit by the enemy is something most people avoid.

A fine example of what seems to be your wonderful gift for understated humor that hits the mark.

The leather helmet was swapped for a lightweight leather hood.

It is so nice to see that our Argonian fellow has some fashion sense. Those helmets are. . . ewww.

I'm curious about Rasheda's note and advice to see Daenlin. I look forward to hopefully learning more about this.

The Oak & Crosier. What a wonderfully cozy and friendly inn with a warm fireplace. Ahhhh.

Lovely ending to this chapter.

Well done, hazmick. Best of luck as you head for school. Take all the time you need with this gem of a story. We'll be here looking forward to more of it.

[haute ecole rider]

I'm glad to see you taking the time with developing the scenes and the characters. Sights, sounds, smells and touch are all present in this chapter. As a result, if feels so much richer. So Haa-Rei loves books, huh? That's good - knowledge is the great equalizer.

Your writing is showing the result of you slowing down and taking your sweet time to review your writing and edit where necessary. I didn't see any nits, and I felt the story flowed a lot better. I didn't get the sense that I was missing something.

Maybe it was the chicken soup in a bread bowl . . .

Best of luck in college - it's going to be a hectic couple of weeks while you settle down. Be sure to focus on your studies, and we will wait here for your next installment in Haa-Rei's story. Do not feel obligated to throw something here every so often - all of us here know about real life and understand that some things are more important than our stories. After all, it's college! It's your FUTURE, darn it! Just don't forget about us, or Haa-Rei.

One word of advice: you probably already know this, but keep a small notebook with you at all times. If an idea, a phrase, a scene from your story pops into your head in the middle of a dull, dull lecture, write it down! You won't remember it later, trust me. Many's the time I wished I had done just that! I'm much older now, wiser and use my laptop for just the same thing!

Oh well, that's me, contradicting myself in subsequent breaths.

[treydog]

You did a good job with the “hand-off” of the main quest- I really wish such a path had been made available in-game. Your descriptions brought the priory and its inhabitants to life- especially Jauffre, who is quite believable as the over-worked Grandmaster of the Blades. Sure he is rather terse- the bloody Emperor has just been assassinated for Talos’ sake!

And an even better bit of character-building- Haa-Rei’s interest in books.

My stomach growled to tell me that I was hungry and my feet ached to tell me I was rather tired.

Wonderfully dry and understated- and yet another window on the character.

The communication between Rasheeda and Daenlin is a good bit of world-building. I wonder what her one-word note means….

The scenes at the Oak and Crosier were restful and pleasant- excellent description again.

Nits:

I will dispatch some blades at once for Kvatch…

You want a capital “B” there, as you have elsewhere.

“

The Emperors personal guard and agents…”

“Emperor’s” possessive.

On to other things- I agree with everything the wise haute said. Do concentrate on getting off to a good start with your studies. Time can really get away from you. But- do keep a "Haa-Rei" notebook handy- even a brief sentence or phrase may grow into an entire chapter when you have the leisure to flesh it out. Best of luck with school and drop by to let us know how things are going. (The Coffee Shop thread is there just for that reason.)

[SubRosa]

Starting college and going to be busy partying?

if Amusei knew I liked to read I would never hear the end of it.
This was a delicious little insight into Haa-Rei's nature, and perfectly conveyed to us.

I see you jumped off the MQ train, at least for now. That is much more believable than how the game runs. I also saw you made Weynon Priory a much larger place than in the game as well, making it a real monastery filled with monks.

It turns out that getting hit by the enemy is something most people avoid.
That's crazy talk!

Haa-Rei got himself a blackwater cuirass I see! Good for him.

And finally a nice, relaxing soup in bread dinner. I had that at the local Ren-Faire a few years ago, and have loved it ever since.


nits:
The old Breton was dressed in black robes and was sat next to the door of the Priory house when I arrived.
was sat does not sound right. I think you either meant to say was seated, or you could just delete the was altogether.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Aug 31 2010, 04:45 PM

[mALX]

I can't say enough about your attention to detail in your descriptions - it feels like being there and seeing it happening! I got thirsty for a glass of water, too. - AWESOME WRITE !!!!!!!

[hazmick]

@ All: thankyou for your praise and good-luck-giving for my college start. The 'Sap' mystery will be revealed in good time and I hope you all enjoy it, Haa-Rei certainly did. This chapter is going to be quite short, kind of like an interlude-it will start Haa-Rei on a mighty quest for a mighty special book.

Chapter 2.1

A rasping, guttural voice echoed through my mind. The words were those of a strange language that was unknown to me. Images of humanoid statues and objects danced in a circle around a worn, dog-eared book.

Everything went dark for a moment and suddenly I was in a large library. The shelves of books seemed to be endless, spanning in all directions. The books themselves had identical black covers with no titles and pages of the mysterious writing floated through the air on a wind I could not feel. Blank humanoid shapes floated between the stacks of books, flicking through the endless pages as if searching for something.

The voice spoke again, this time I could understand the words. Answering my questions of what, who and where.

“This is the place of hidden things. Who am I? You will find out, with time. Some know me as the ‘Woodland Man’; others know me as the sibling to the spider.” The voice paused for a moment. Questions buzzed like fleshflies in my head.

The Woodland Man continued in his convoluted tone. “I have selected you because of the skills you possess, they are those of my followers, use these skills to find Casta Flavus. He has the details of your task.”

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

The library quickly disappeared and the well lit walls of my room in the Oak and Crosier appeared, as did several people with worried looks on their faces. I recognized Rasheda and some people from the chapel, as well as some mages.

Talasma was the first to speak as she thrust a steaming cup into my hands. “You're awake, drink this.” She stepped back and shooed some people from the room. Talasma, Gaeleg and Teekeeus were left standing there. “Talasma will leave you now.” The Khajiit flashed me a smile and also retreated downstairs.

I took a sip from the cup. Nightshade and Milk-Thistle tea. Teekeeus’ face was set in the traditional Argonian passiveness but his eyes told a story of worry…and knowing.

“Talasma sent for me, you were having some sort of fit. You were shaking and writhing around like a leviathan full of rats. There was a large magicka presence just before you woke up. What happened in your dream?” Teekeeus’ eyes were now stern.

I took another sip of tea before speaking, “I’m not sure; there was a strange voice in a library full of pages of strange writing. The voice said their name was the ‘Woodland Man’.” A sharp intake of breath from Gaeleg drew my attention. Teekeeus shot the Bosmer a quizzical look.

“N...nothing, it’s nothing.” Gaeleg’s face reddened and he turned away, he was hiding something but neither I nor Teekeeus pursued it further.

After making sure I was alright, Teekeeus headed back to the Mages’ Guild hall. Gaeleg stayed for a breakfast of eggs and ham. Apparently my dream had lasted all night; it only felt like a few minutes in that endless library. I almost wished to stay there forever.

Talasma surveyed me from the bar, making sure I ate everything and had several more cups of tea before I was allowed to leave.

I didn’t ask Gaeleg about the ‘Woodland Man’ but instead agreed to travel with him to Leyawiin. I could stop off at Bravil on the way to deliver Rasheda’s note to Daenlin. First, I needed to visit the bookstore. Estelle might have a book about this ‘Woodland Man’.

This post has been edited by hazmick: Sep 7 2010, 05:27 PM

[mALX]

ARGH! It's Hermaeus Mora!!!! Oh this is going to be AWESOME !!!!! Great Chapter - and CLIFFHANGING!!!! (hint hint) - MORE!

[Acadian]

Oooh! A mystery. And some nice development of some of the supporting cast. Talasma, Teekeeus, Gaeleg. Even in this shorter chapter, I like how you provided some wonderful descriptions. This sounds like it will be fun!

A couple nits:

“Your awake, drink this.”

You're (the contraction for you are, of course)

I could stop off at Bravil on the way to deliver Rasheda’s note to Baenlin.

I think you mean Daenlin (of Archer Paradox fame).

[Remko]

Loving the development in this.



This post has been edited by Remko: Sep 6 2010, 01:58 PM

[hazmick]

Loving the development in this.

I didn't quite understand this sentence:

The smell of wine and ale welcomed me as I stepped into the inn. The rather attractive Altmer innkeeper sold me a room for the night along with some cheese and bread. I now had no money at all. That’s more like it.

How can he buy food and a room when you state he had no money at all?

Thanks for pointing that out. I've fixed it so that Baurus handed him some coins in the sewers.

[Remko]

My bad, I overlooked the word "now". I thought he was broke before he even entered the inn but it seemed he had little money on him before after all.

[treydog]

Interesting update- especially as this is a quest I have never played. And we get a nice "show-not-tell" moment when Haa-Rei decides to look for a book about the Woodland Man. And the Bosmer knows more than he is saying...

Somehow, it seems that our Argonian's thirst for knowledge has drawn someone's attention.

[haute ecole rider]

I really like the direction this is going.

I understand Haa-Rei's fascination with the mysterious library. I have the same fascination with bookstores!