Old Habits Die Hard Part Three, The old dog practices new habits Options

[Remko]

Gah, I was right, it was a NDE And Akatosh kept her from crossing the point of no return...... wow.
Loved the revelations in those last few installments Hautee

[haute ecole rider]

@D.Foxy: I’m glad you like this Baurus! I do too!

@hazmick: Ah, either that book or Edward the Imperial!

@treydog: Again you quoted my favorite passage in that segment. As for scary folk, well, I love ‘em scary!

@SubRosa: I’m glad you picked up the history of the ninth cohort of a legion - when I was researching Roman legion structure, I came across this tidbit, and Julian was whispering in my ear: That’s exactly what I used to do . . . When I thought about it, it made perfect sense considering the person she is.

@Acadian: I think the fact that she lost her family to goblins just adds a certain - drive - to Julian our Goblin Hunter; but that career ending injury put an end to that motivation, IMHO. Now she’s got bigger game to deal with.

@mALX: I’m glad you enjoyed Martin and Baurus in this segment - I loved them both as I wrote them.

@Boxee: Ah, I actually appreciated the compliment! In a way I’m sad it didn’t work out, but Bruce is pretty darn memorable in his own way!

@Destri, Destri, Destri: That is why you’re not a Blade!

@Remko: Thanks!

Julian returns to work as Hero.

******************
Chapter 16.1 Oblivion Approaches Bruma

Ferrum and I sparred with each other, while Fortis and Pelagius coached from the sidelines. The knee brace had come off two days ago, and I had lost no time in resuming the Way of the Crane and taking up the Sunbird Dance. Cirroc had shaken his head, but I could tell he was pleased with the way my knee had healed. He did warn me to keep casting my healing spells. Refusing payment for himself, he accepted the drakes I pressed into his hand as a donation to the Chapel of Talos.

Now Ferrum and I circled each other, engaged in a deadly dance with sharpened blades. Instead of the battered leather cuirass, which had seen its last days in that last Oblivion Gate, I wore Savlian’s mail cuirass, which was a little heavier, but provided me with additional protection. Besides, I couldn’t stop carrying the Kvatch Wolf, only I now bore it on my chest instead of on my left arm. I had decided not to select a new shield, for my struggle in Fort Grief had taught me it would be preferable to keep my left hand free for spellcasting.

Sweat rolled down my healed nose, and my breath came in hard puffs in the icy air. Ferrum, on the other hand, was barely winded in the heavy Blades armor, and his face was dry. Still, I looked for ways to push him, to probe his defenses without dropping mine. The sun shone down on us, alternatively blinding Ferrum, then I as we moved around the practice sands.

A faint roll of thunder broke my focus, drawing my attention south. My heart sank as the sudden wind brought the smell of sulfur and fire, the roar I knew all too well. Ferrum took advantage of my distraction to charge me, but I managed to dodge his attack and step out of the practice area.

“What is it, Julian?” Fortis, my coach, moved to me as I turned to face south. I couldn’t see more than sky over the gate wall, which rose higher than the plaza, but what I could see was discouraging. A clot of red and black thunderheads collected in the otherwise blue sky, just visible past the east watch tower. Fortis, Ferrum and Pelagius followed my gaze in time to see Achille, standing eternal watch, turn from his post in the east watch tower and shout for Captain Steffan.

Sheathing my blade, I followed the Captain along the walkway above the gate wall. I stopped as soon as I could see the walls of Bruma below. The orange flicker of an Oblivion Gate glimmered just past its northeastern corner.

Damn! Jearl and Faram are dead! Who opened that damned Gate? “Ferrum,” I said to my sparring partner, who had followed me, “Go find Grandmaster Jauffre, quick!” Without a word, he spun away and ran for the Great Hall.

Captain Steffan turned at the sound of my voice. “Julian,” his command was unmistakable. I winced, thinking I had overstepped my bounds by sending Ferrum for the Grandmaster. I should have waited for orders from my Blades Captain. I entered the watch tower to stand before him.

Instead of berating me as I expected, he pointed at the red glow. “Is that one of those -?”

“Yes, sir, it’s an Oblivion Gate,” I answered. Frantically, I searched my memory for what Savlian had said. “It’s a small one -”

“Small!” the single word was a muted explosion. “That’s small? That thing is higher than Bruma’s walls!”

“The Great Gate at Kvatch is easily a third again as tall, sir,” I replied. “They’ll need to open three of those smaller Gates before they can open the big one.”

Captain Steffan stared at me wordlessly, his jaw clenching. Then he whirled away from me and stalked to the front of the watch tower. “If they open that Great Gate, what will happen then?” his tone was icy calm.

I took a deep breath to match his composure. “They’ll send a siege engine to break the city walls,” I answered. “That’s what they did at Kvatch.”

“What’s going on?” Jauffre’s voice reached us. I stepped aside to let him by, but his eyes were on the portion of the Gate visible above the city walls. “What in Oblivion -!”

How appropriate, considering that’s Oblivion down there, the thought crossed my mind. Silently I listened to Captain Steffan brief Jauffre, telling him what I had just said about the Gates.

The Grandmaster spoke quietly to Captain Steffan, who swung into action. “Ferrum, man the west watch tower! Cyrus, Belisarius, close the gates!” Striding back to the plaza, Steffan’s blue gaze fell on me. “Julian, Grandmaster wants you.” Then he passed me, shouting more orders as he placed the fortress on combat footing.

Moving to stand beside Jauffre, I watched him while he studied the Oblivion Gate. “Julian, you’ve closed six of these Gates,” he said softly. “I know you’ve just recovered, but I think Burd’s Guard may be overmatched for what’s in there.”

“I can close it, sir,” I volunteered, though I hated the thought of entering yet another Gate. “I have my shock bow, and a new Daedra Slayer. I’m ready for those clannfears.”

“Julian,” Jauffre stopped me with a hand on my left arm. “You can’t keep closing Oblivion Gates, not while more keeps opening up all over Cyrodiil.” He shook his head. “That’s not the task Uriel Septim laid on you. I want you to take Burd and his men in there, show them how it’s done, so they can take care of any further Gates themselves.” He shook my arm firmly for emphasis. “Martin is getting close to identifying the other components of the ritual needed to recover the Amulet. You need to be free to help him.”

“Yes sir!” Jauffre’s strategic thinking became clear to me. “I’ll offer to help Captain Burd, but will he accept?”

“He likes you well enough,” Jauffre responded. “I think he will be glad of it.”

“I’ll leave as soon as I get my gear, sir,” I turned to run for the armory. Jauffre’s hand, still on my arm, stopped me.

“Julian,” he said quietly, “you’ve just recovered. Let Burd and his men do the heavy lifting. You be the brains of that operation. For Martin’s sake you need to stay alive.”

“I won’t fail you, sir,” I answered.

[hazmick]

You've done a great job here, Julian seems calm under-pressure and the Blades have jumped into action to protect the temple. You have also described the Oblivion gate very well, the red sky has really 'brought the fear' rather than bringing the sense of annoyance that we feel in-game. I have a feeling that the next chapter will be quite exciting.

[mALX]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOT !!!!! Julian in the Battle for Bruma !!!!! I don't know why it didn't occur to me that I will get to read about her doing that !!!! I CAN'T WAIT !!!!!!!!!

[Destri Melarg]

@Destri, Destri, Destri: That is why you’re not a Blade!

Ha! Reason number six hundred and forty-two!

Things are hotting up in Bruma, literally! After adjusting myself to the rhythms of Julian's reflective convalescence, the advent of new action came as quite a shock. That is the hallmark of good writing! I detected a hint of, I don't know . . . fatalism perhaps in Jauffre's tone as he surveyed the Oblivion Gate. To my knowledge this is the first one he has seen. Now he sees first hand what Julian has been facing while he reads in the library! Maybe he will curb his condescension from now on (but I doubt it).

“Julian,” he said quietly, “you’ve just recovered. Let Burd and his men do the heavy lifting. You be the brains of that operation. For Martin’s sake you need to stay alive.”

“I won’t fail you, sir,” I answered.

Yeah, like that's going to happen!

An excellent, heart-pounding chapter! Excuse me while I go catch my breath.

[Acadian]

It was wonderful to see Julian don the Kvatch wolf again, albeit in different form.

No shield, so she can cast with her left hand. I love how that address this! With a bow in her left hand all the time, Buffy has to continually choose whether to fill her right hand with the tail of an arrow or a spell. We envy the flexibility Julian has wisely chosen - to carry a blade in her right hand and keep her left hand free for spell casting. Spoken like a battlemage - and likely just as deadly. No wonder Julian is on her way to great things!

“I can close it, sir,” I volunteered, though I hated the thought of entering yet another Gate. “I have my shock bow, and a new Daedra Slayer. I’m ready for those clannfears.”

Send me in, coach! Seriously, Jauffre's counsel is wise. Julian is the best and only gate closure in Cyrodiil. The Empire is well served by having her share what she has learned with others. And I suspect there are few better qualified than Julian to train others.

[SubRosa]

As expected, our Dragonguts Julian is not one to sit around and just smell the roses. Instead she is out of bed and working out with the boys. I could almost hear the theme for Rocky in the background as she practiced with Ferrum.

Julian is showing her expertise as well. When it comes to Oblivion Gates, no one outside of the Mythic Dawn knows better than her. Likewise, Jauffre shows why he is a leader by instructing Julian to show Burd how to close the gates, so that he can do it rather than her. His observation that she has to be held back in reserve for more important things is spot on. Pawns move first, and Julian is no longer one of those, but rather a knight.

[treydog]

I thought my doggie ears had detected a sound of thunder from over the horizon! (And for once it wasn't Princess Juneipurr galloping through the house.)

Several things here to love- Julian's pushing herself to get back into condition; the reactions of the Blades to the Gate versus Julian's instant threat-assessment; her reverting to the Pilus of old- and then realizing this isn't her command; Jauffre's admonition to "use her head."

On that last, I imagine she will strive to obey, but... Dragon-claimed indeed, for she always goes where the fire is hottest.

[haute ecole rider]

@hazmick: Julian’s calmness just underscores the fact that old habits die hard. I’m glad you liked my touch with the red sky/clouds. I know what you mean about the annoyance in-game - Oh, no, not again! The time inside the Gate will take up quite a few segments in this chapter.

@mALX: I think you’ve got your quests mixed up. The Battle of Bruma doesn’t come until much later; this is the Bruma Gate.

@Destri: I felt it was time for a change of pace, and so did Julian! As for Burd and his men, I took some liberties with the pair that accompanies us in-game - I’m sick and tired of the two lame grunts that are pretty useless (running into harrada vines, impaling themselves on the claw traps, getting slammed by fire towers, etc, not to mention dying before we actually get to the tower).

@Acadian: I almost posted without an explanation of why Julian no longer carries a shield. The way I have visualized the Sunbird Dance in my head, no shield is necessary. Not to mention all the cool swordfighting I’ve been seeing in the historical dramas I’ve been watching . . .

@SubRosa: Good thing I didn’t have liquid (or solid) in my mouth when I read your comment about the Rocky theme! Yes, I figured it was time she got promoted, but old (and new) habits do die hard . . .

@trey: It’s amazing how much noise a little cat can make running through the house, isn’t it? My three-legged con artist is incredibly loud! Julian will heed Jauffre’s orders, but will find it difficult to observe them to the letter.

Hi ho, here we go again . . .

********************
Chapter 16.2 Into the Bruma Gate

The Oblivion Gate stood near the edge of the cliff, south of the Silver Road and Bruma’s East Gate. I spotted several yellow surcoats working on temporary barriers, much like the ones at Kvatch. Burd, distinguishable from the others by his height and bare head, moved from one barrier to the other, speaking to his soldiers. As he turned away from the Gate, he spotted me standing beside the road.

With a wave in my direction, he stumped across the rough ground toward me. I met him halfway. He had the same grim set to his jaw as Captain Steffan, the same hard look in his level blue eyes. “We’re kind of busy right now,” he said curtly. “What is it you need?”

Looking up at him, I knew what to say. “Grandmaster Jauffre sent me to see if I can be of assistance, sir.” I tilted my head at the Gate beyond Burd. “I’ve closed six of them so far, counting Kvatch, sir.”

“Six?” Burd’s brows climbed his forehead. “Well, I don’t see you limping anymore,” he raked his gaze up and down my frame, “and you look like you’ve filled out since I last saw you.” He turned and scowled at the Gate. “Well, that’s more than we’ve managed to do.” He turned back to me. “Any advice?”

“You’ll want your sneakiest men and your best archers in there,” I answered. “I can’t tell you what you’ll find in there - every time I’ve entered a Gate, it’s been to a different part of the Deadlands.” I shrugged. “Grandmaster thought you might want someone along to show you how to reach the sigil stone, where to watch for claw traps, fire towers, and bouncing bettinas, and how to deal with the scamps, Dremora, and clannfears you’re likely to find in there.”

A barely visible wince flickered through Burd’s steady gaze. He considered my words while I watched the Gate for the appearance of daedra. “Well, Julian,” Burd’s quiet voice was barely audible over the roaring of the Gate, the rolling thunder overhead. “You’re here, you may as well show us the way.”

“I’d be happy to help, sir,” I unshouldered my new enchanted bow, Akatosh’s Fury, and strung it. “I’ll be your scout in there.”

“All right, thanks,” Burd seemed distracted, already planning ahead. “Bor, Soren, Senarel!” he shouted to be heard over the thunder. Two guardsmen and Burd’s second in command came running over. Burd gripped the Imperial lieutenant’s shoulder firmly. “Julian’s taking us in that Gate, she’s going to show us how to close it,” he shouted at the three men. “Senarel, you’re in charge out here. Don’t let any daedra get by you!” Senarel nodded curtly and returned to the barriers.

Burd shifted his gaze to the two guardsmen. I eyed them. Young. Scared. Barely more than tironii. But they’re ready to give all they’ve got. I could see the grim determination behind the fear in their eyes. “Bor, Soren, you’re with Julian and me. Listen up, this skinny Redguard closed six of these gates by herself. You’d best listen to her, and listen well!” He clapped me on the back with his other hand, nearly unbalancing me. “Believe me, I certainly will!” Now he shook his finger at them. “For the duration of this exercise, she’s in charge! Am I clear?”

I glanced at Burd, startled. Exercise? Me in charge? I swallowed against that now-familiar shifting in my gut.

“Yes, sir!” the two young guardsmen shouted. “Ma’am!” they saluted me crisply. As I eyed them, I decided to take on my old mantle as pilus prior.

“Which of you is Bor, and Soren?” I asked. The young Redguard raised his hand.

“I’m Soren, ma’am,” he pointed at the gangly Nord next to him. “That’s Bor.” I repeated their names, looking each in the eye.

“All right, men,” I could hear my command voice coming back. “Are you sneaky?”

“Sneaky?” Soren repeated, and both young men glanced at Burd. He only cocked an eyebrow at them. “Yes, ma’am, we’re sneaky!”

“How do you think I closed six Gates by myself?” I challenged them. Again, they glanced at each other.

“By being sneaky?” Bor offered hesitantly. I felt the right side of my mouth quirk upwards.

“Listen carefully,” I leaned towards them, pleased to see all three mirror my movement. “Every one of them is different. What I’m going to do is show you the tactics. The environment in there is nothing like anything here on Nirn. It’s all blood, fire, and hostile creatures. There are traps waiting for the unwary. I’ll teach you how to get yourselves oriented, how to move through the environment, how to identify the traps and dodge them, and how to fight the creatures you’re going to find in there.” I regarded them, and all three of them nodded their comprehension.

“You don’t go in there running, slashing and smashing,” I continued. “That’s been tried before, and it didn’t work.” I thought of Matius’s men. “You go slow, you keep low to the ground, you keep your eyes open, and you be as sneaky as you can be.” The two guardsmen nodded uncertainly. “Engage them from a distance whenever possible, and avoid getting yourself mobbed.” I held their gazes steadily. “Above all, identify the sigil keep, because that is where you must go to get the sigil stone. Once you have it, the Gate will close and you will return to Nirn.”

Looking from Soren, to Bor, to Captain Burd, I held each man’s gaze long enough for them to nod their understanding. “Then I’m ready whenever you are, Captain.” He may say I’m in charge, but technically he outranks me.

“Give me a moment, to speak to the rest of the Guard,” the tall Nord strode to the barricades, the three of us following him. We stepped through the barricades, then Burd stopped and faced his gathered Guard, nodding at Senarel.

“Atten-SHUN!” the lieutenant’s command voice was respectably loud in the face of Oblivion’s roar. The guardsmen shuffled to stand in a crisp line behind the wall of spikes. Spotting Brugels among the gathered men, I nodded at him when he recognized me.

“Men,” Burd shouted, his voice carrying well over the clamor from the Gate behind us. “We’ve got to close that Gate now,” he started stalking parallel to the barricades, making eye contact with each man. Though most of them were young, like Soren and Bor, and probably scared, each man straightened up under Burd’s steady gaze. “If we don’t close it,” Burd continued, “Bruma ends up a pile of smoking rubble like Kvatch. That won’t happen,” he stopped before the center of the line, facing his men, his feet apart as if straddling all of Tamriel, “while I’m Captain of the Guard!” he jabbed a stiff thumb at his broad chest.

Now he turned partially away, keeping his face towards the guardsmen, and gestured his thumb emphatically towards the Gate beyond. “Now the four of us are going in there and closing that Gate. I’m counting on you to hold the line here,” that thumb indicated the barricades, “and kill every single damned daedra that comes out of that Gate!” He paused, again looking each man in the eye. “Are you going to do it?”

“Aye!” the men chorused, the ringing of drawn weapons momentarily drowning out the sound of the Gate.

“What?” Burd cupped his right hand at his ear. “I can’t hear you!”

“AYE!” the response was a roar that almost matched the fury of Oblivion. The men pounded their hilts on their shields. Beside me, Bor and Soren did the same. Again, I felt the right side of my mouth quirk up. Burd makes a good commander, but I wonder if he’ll let me be in charge. He certainly got their blood up - he’s got mine up!

“That’s more like it!” Burd drew the great claymore from its back sheath and swung it down so its tip touched the ground, then back up so its blade was in front of his face, saluting his men. Then he turned away from them, and caught my eye. At his nod, I turned and led the small group across the rough ground towards the Gate.

Scamps and clannfears appeared out of the Gate, snarling and hissing. Pausing to notch an arrow to my bow, I targeted the nearest clannfear. “Leave the clannfears to me!” I shouted. “Watch the fireballs from the scamps!” Calling on Cieran’s teaching, I drew and fired the arrow at the hulking reptile. The missile, charged by the shock enchantment on my bow, hit my target with a white flash, followed by a boom. Gods, that was loud! So much for sneaking! Already, tactics shifted in my mind while I lined up a second arrow on another clannfear.

The scamps ran out of their magicka one after the other, and charged the men. Though the creatures were fierce, they could not withstand the sharp blades of the guardsmen.

One of the clannfears turned and ran for Burd. As I tracked it with Akatosh’s Fury, I held my fire when one of the guardsmen ran between me and Burd’s attacker. The Nord Captain braced his feet and waited until the last minute to dodge the clannfear’s charge, dropping the claymore in an overhand arc onto the creature’s back. Unlike my lighter katana, the heavier blade smashed through the tough hide into the reptile’s spine. The beast crashed to the ground, flailing in agony from the paralyzing blow. Burd wrenched the blade out of the clannfear’s spine and dashed towards a scamp that was attacking two young Guardsmen.

I turned away from the Captain, who obviously could take care of himself, and started targeting clannfears again before they got too close to the more lightly armed guards. Akatosh’s Fury lived up to the name Ferrum had given it, knocking clannfears off their clawed feet and stopping their attacks with lightning and thunder. Around me, guardsmen were tangling with the scamps. Soren and Brugels stuck close to me, keeping scamps away from me, leaving me free to focus on the clannfears.

After what seemed like an eternity, the daedra lay dead, and the guardsmen stood panting, looking at each other. Burd cast his glance at them, his eyes ticking off each guard. They’ve been blooded, I thought, following his gaze. They still looked young and scared, but now I could see a grim determination in most of their faces.

Burd walked up to me, nodding at Soren and waving Bor to join us. “Ready when you are, Julian,” he said quietly to me. I nodded and stepped before the Gate. I had referred to it as a small Gate, but standing in front of it, I felt dwarfed by its immense fire and rage.

“Touch it, to enter the Deadlands,” I suited gesture to words, and my fingertips brushed that fire -

[hazmick]

Julain is back in action! She resumed the role of pious excellently and the fighting scene was awesome. Good Job! I can't wait to see how Burd's Bruma Bruisers handle Dagon's realm.

[Remko]

Yeeehaaw!! Go Julian!

[Acadian]

Several moving parts here, and you handled them well.

I enjoyed how you portrayed Burd's use of his claymore.

Nice to see Julian with a good bow. Those melee guys are handy to have protecting you, but they can get frustratingly in the way too.

[SubRosa]

Centurion Julian is back, and in action at her peak, throwing around lightning and thunder as if she were Zeus herself. Whoo Hoo!

“and you look like you’ve filled out since I last saw you.”
Did Cirroc give Julian breast implants too?

I held my fire when one of the guardsmen ran between me and Burd’s attacker.
Don't you hate when they do that? No situational awareness at all.


nits:
“Grandmaster thought you might want someone along
This sounds a little odd. Did you mean The Grandmaster? or Grandmaster Jauffre?

I'm not sure if you remembered, but Clannfears reflect damage, so Burd's deathblow should have put a hurt on him as well. Unless you are changing things from the game. Or unless he has an absorb health on his sword (very handy for fighting clannfears, it cancels out what they reflect back at you).

[Destri Melarg]

Bouncing bettinas? Is that the technical term?

Most people rehab slowly after knee surgery, but not Julian! She strengthens her repaired knee with a leisurely jaunt through the Deadlands!

Usually I have to worry about Julian and her tendency to go toe-to-toe. But with her standing at range laying down the proverbial smack with Akatosh’s Fury, I find my concern shifting to Captain Burd. Don’t worry; I am still eager to see how Daedra Slayer performs. But, in the meantime, SubRosa and I had the very same thought. Tell Burd to be careful with those clannfear. They reflect a portion of the damage aimed at them. After such a rousing speech, and given the way he swings that claymore around, I would hate to see him felled by his own enthusiasm.

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Sep 17 2010, 08:18 PM

[treydog]

The meeting with Burd was classic Julian- she definitely knows how to manage the delicate sensibilities of officers, especially those who are under duress. And his response is a brilliant bit of understatement:

“Well, Julian,” Burd’s quiet voice was barely audible over the roaring of the Gate, the rolling thunder overhead. “You’re here, you may as well show us the way.”

Since you just happened to come along, and just happen to have closed six of these….

Excellent name for a bow- particularly Julian’s bow.

But the guard captain shows he knows what he is about with the orders he gives to his men.

I wanted to quote the entire scene as Julian sizes up her “helpers” and their responses- but I restrained myself. Consider the whole passage QFT.

A rousing fight, with good tactics- so far.

And a cliff-hanger- ARGH! I shall simply have to press my dachshund snout against the base of the door until Julian returns.

[mALX]

I hate any of the quests where I am responsible for other NPC's due to a marked inability in melee - I get tired of hearing - "Hey, I'm on your side!" or seeing, "Your killing has been observed by unknown forces." I have a feeling Julian will handle melee with the same calm she faces everything - and emerge victorious and with her full crew!!!

PS - I knew this was the "training gate" - but still it just occurred to me at that last chapter that Julian will be handling the Battle For Bruma - AND I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT !!!!!!!!! YEAH !!!!!

This post has been edited by mALX: Sep 17 2010, 08:38 PM

[haute ecole rider]

@hazmick: Yes, it’s time Julian got back into action. She’s never one for sitting still for long.

@ Remko: Hi Ho Silver is right!

@Acadian: Burd is a natural for that claymore! He definitely has the shoulders for it.

@SubRosa: I couldn’t resist putting that bit in about having to hold your fire because of the stupid guard!

@Destri: You know, I never noticed that reflect damage in those clannfears. I guess it’s because after my first encounter I decided that those were better put down by sniping. I believe it’s the only one Burd encounters, so he would shrug off the hurt that thing put on him and keep going. Typical berserker Nord. As for bouncing bettinas, I was trying to come up with something for those mines, and I kept thinking of Bouncing Betties of Vietnam fame.

@treydog: Burd can’t show how glad he is that Julian came along! That would be unseemly of an officer! I’m glad you liked his speech to the men - I took the in-game dialogue and embellished it a bit.

@mALX: Well, Julian wouldn’t be a pilus prior of the Ninth Cohort in the Sixth Legion if she wasn’t good at getting green recruits through Oblivion and back relatively intact, would she? As for the Battle of Bruma, it hasn’t yet been written, so I’m not sure if you should hold your breath waiting for it. Instead, I humbly offer you the Cheydinhal Oblivion Gate in Chapter 18. Huzzah!

This was one of the more frustrating Gates for me, second only to the Cheydinhal Gate. Huzzah! We all know how stupid followers in the game can be - I usually tell these three to wait in place while I sneak ahead and clear the path for them. Even so, the idiots manage to get zapped by harrada root, fire towers, et. al. So I’ve taken some creative license and gave these guys some brains and common sense. Enjoy!

****************
Chapter 16.3 Showing the Ropes

- and I crouched down as the heat washed over me again. The roar of the Gate nearly drowned out the gasps from the three Bruma men on either side of me.

“Down!” Burd’s voice snaked through the chaos behind us. In the corner of my vision, I watched Bor and Soren drop into low crouches. Glancing over my shoulder at Burd, I noticed he had already done so.

“Always take a moment to look around, first,” I said to the men. “First find the sigil keep.” I scanned the area, and spotted the tall tower across an inlet of lava to our left.

Bor shivered beside me. “Gods, it’s cold,” he exclaimed. “I thought it would be hot, but -” The blood left my face when I realized the implications of his words. We each bring our own Oblivion to these Deadlands.

“Cold?” Soren repeated, his gaze already scanning the horizon around us. “It’s burning hot!”

“That’s not important,” my voice snapped through the rolling thunder. “See the sigil keep?”

“There,” Soren pointed north, at the tower across the inlet.

“Good, now look closely at it,” I turned to face the two men, including Burd in the lesson. “Sometimes there’s more than one keep. The sigil keep is the biggest, but sometimes it’s hard to tell which one. Always look for the one with the yellow fire in it,” I pointed at the narrow streak of yellow that marked the top of the sigil keep. “That’s because the sigil stone focuses the power of the Deadlands. Inside there, you’ll find a pillar of fire shooting up through the heart of it.” Now I pointed at the wide path that led eastward away from the Gate.

“Look before you walk,” I warned them. I had already spotted the movements of at least three enemies about ten meters away. “Let me scout a little, but watch what I do.”

In a low crouch, I eased forward, keeping my eyes on the horizon. In a chaotic environment like the Deadlands, I had found that maintaining soft eyes, on the distance, allowed me to see movement further in my periphery and count my enemies. Now, I was able to confirm my initial count of three - two scamps and one clannfear. Kneeling in the red sand of the path, I drew my focus in and scanned the ground around me, still keeping track of the three enemies.

No traps here. Broken bridge up ahead, past these three. Probably another one or two on the bridge itself. The structure in question jutted out over the lava towards the north, another twenty meters beyond the three creatures. It was too far away, and the atmosphere too turbid with heat and smoke, for me to see it clearly.

The three creatures were scattered across the path, one down in the weeds near the inlet, one pacing in the road almost directly in front of me, and another appearing and disappearing among the tumbled boulders forming the right side of the path. My gaze on their movements, I targeted the clannfear in front of me, then loosed the arrow. I didn’t wait for the flash, but moved immediately to the right, into the boulders, which would give me cover. This forced the scamp on my right to enter the path to reach me. Two arrows later, the two scamps lay spread-eagled in the red sand, near the crumpled clannfear.

I crept back into the road, kneeling next to the nearest scamp. After a quick scan of the area revealed no new enemies, I turned to wave up the three Bruma men. My hand open, palm parallel to the ground, I moved my arm up and down to signal low and slow.

“The best way to move through open areas like this,” I said as soon as the men had huddled around me, their eyes darting around the Deadlands, “is to clear one area at a time. Always know your cover.” Pointing at the scamp next to my grounded knee, “These are scamps. They’re fast, as you saw back there, and they like to shoot fireballs from a distance. The nice thing is, those fireballs are slow, and you can dodge ‘em if you see ‘em coming. Just be sure of the ground around you - there tend to be traps.” Now I pointed at the weeds to the north of the path. “Those are mostly harmless, but see the clumps of tall grass?” At their nod, I showed them the fine scars on the back of my right hand. “They’re bloodgrass. They’re sharp, like razors, and slice through your skin. Their sap burns in the cuts. They’re not disabling by themselves, but they are distracting.”

“Now, I’m going to move ahead,” I continued, pointing out the bridge fragment ahead. “There are usually something on those structures, so check them out before you get close.” I locked gazes with Burd, who seemed to be listening as intently as the young men. “I’ll keep scouting ahead, and you follow behind. But keep your distance in case I trigger traps.” Now I looked at Bor and Soren. “And cover my back, guys. It’d be nice for a change.” They nodded grimly. “One last thing, keep your eyes open and your hearts true,” I gave them the Blades proverb.

Back on the path, I sidled over the bodies and crept forward, arrow nocked to string. One step at a time, I kept my eyes on the horizon. As I expected, movement on the bridge indicated a scamp running in my direction. The lightning and thunder of Akatosh’s Fury brought another clannfear out of the leafless shrubbery hiding a second broken span to the south. Again, my bow made short work of it. As I started between the bridges, claws appeared out of the ground in front of me. Spinning around, I saw Burd yank the Guardsmen back from the black talons. They looked along the barrier, as did I, and spotted a gap in the weeds near the foot of the bridge. I shook my head at them. No, there may be more traps there, or deadlier plants.

After a few moments, the claw trap sank back into the ground, and I gestured for them to follow me - quickly. We reached the far side of the trap before I signaled a halt. “The thing about traps,” I said to them, “if you’re moving slowly, they trip before you get into the danger zone.”

“That one was clearly for those following the leader,” Burd commented, his voice quieter now that we were away from the howling Gate.

“Or it was meant to keep me in one place, sir,” I responded, pointing at the bridge fragments on either side of the path, now behind us. “There was a scamp on that side, and a clannfear on the other. This trap was meant to keep me in their combat zone.”

Burd’s gaze gained new respect as he considered my words. “I never thought of it that way.”

“You’ve never been in the Deadlands, before, sir,” I turned east again, signaling the others to remain some distance behind. As the path dropped down a steep slope, I looked ahead to see more clannfears. After I picked them off, I followed the road as it turned north to spiral towards the sigil keep. I noticed we were now on the main part of the island. The road swooped up over the crest of a hill, passing between two stone spires. The gnarled fingers of harrada vines draped the bases of the spires facing the road, and I stopped and waved the men up.

“See those?” I pointed out the roots. “Those are lethal. Wait and watch,” I advised them. I sidled up to the right hand spire. As I drew within two meters, the roots darted up and swept across the path with a rattling of dry wood. They missed. I turned as they kept whisking, and moved to the far side of the spire, into the weeds. I looked for spiddal sticks, for they liked to grow in clumps of grassy plants, but I didn’t see any.

I waved for the men to follow in my footsteps, avoiding the harrada vines and leaving the path. Crouched to keep my outline below the top of the ridge, I peered over, signaling the men to do the same.

Two scamps paced the valley floor on the other side of the ridge. Beyond them, I spotted the segmented pillars of the fire towers. Partial walls rose on either side of the road, near the banks.

“May I, ma’am?” Bor unshouldered his bow, stringing it. I liked what I saw in his pale blue eyes and nodded. Moving back a bit to give him room, I notched an arrow just in case. His arrow, a bodkin point, sank deep into the nearer scamp’s chest as Bor sighted another arrow. From my angle, I couldn’t be sure which one he was aiming for, but seconds later the other scamp went staggering back, arrow through its scrawny gut. Bor did not stop, but shot the nearer scamp again before it could heal itself. The creature crumpled to the ground, and Bor raised his bow again. This time, I placed my right hand on his arm to stop him.

“Don’t waste your arrow,” I said.”Watch.” The staggering scamp had stumbled away, blood dripping black from its belly, directly towards the nearer of the two fire towers. As I anticipated, the head of the structure started spinning, sparks wafting off of it like sparks from a bonfire, then a fireball slammed out and engulfed the slow-moving scamp. The whirring sound reached us as the fire tower became inactive again.

“By Talos!” Soren breathed, his eyes wide.

“Did you hear that sound?” I asked him. He nodded. “When you hear it, backtrack fast. It means you just tripped one of those things.” I pointed at the burning scamp. “Mark that body, that’s the outer edge of its fire zone. Their zone is a fairly wide circle about ten meters out from the towers.” Now I pointed out the second tower, just past the first, on the opposite side of the road. “Their zones don’t quite overlap, or the scamps wouldn’t be able to get by them. You can picture their zones, and the safe path that lies between them,” I sketched out a diagonal line that slipped between the towers. “See the wall over on the left? Use that for cover from the fire towers.”

I’m starting to sound an awful lot like old Carius.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: Sep 19 2010, 07:16 PM

[SubRosa]

Interesting thing about the title of the segment, I was watching Horatio Hornblower a while back and the dvd extras had a section on naval slang from the era. There were thousands of ropes on a ship of the line. A midshipman had to learn the name and function of each one before he could become a lieutenant. Hence the phrase: "learning the ropes". It is amazing how much of our modern slang comes from the same source.

First off, right off the bat an excellent touch of personalization. Soren experiences bitter cold rather than blazing heat. Perfect for a Redguard, whose home is the blazing sands of the desert. I love it!

Second off, this whole segment is a wonderful introduction to the Deadlands. By showing it to us through the eyes of the experienced Daedra Sage that Julian has become, you really hammer home how (3 alliterations ftw!) just how incredibly dangerous the place is. You tend to forget how inimical to life it is after the umpteen-hundredth gate dive in the game. Julian's patient tutelage brings it all home just like the first time.


nits:
There are usually something on those structures
I believe you want is, as the subject is singular.

You described Bor as using a bodkin arrow. Unless you meant an iron arrow (bodkin points were made of iron) you might want to rephrase that.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Sep 20 2010, 12:29 AM

[Destri Melarg]

I agree with SageRosa. Bor experiencing bitter cold instead of warmth gives us an interesting glimpse into the personalized nature of Oblivion. Isn’t it ironic then that he would wind up as a city guard of Bruma?

Julian combines scouting and briefing effortlessly, as befits the former Pilus Prior. Having Burd accept her assessment and acknowledge it with respect told volumes about the professionalism of both characters.

The use of the word ‘turbid’ was another of those interesting choices in Julian’s vocabulary. I confess that I found it a bit confusing, coming as it did. When they stood together they could all plainly see the sigil keep in the distance. As Julian scouts ahead, she remarks that she kept her eyes ‘trained on the horizon’ to discern movement from the three targets on the path. Was her visibility impaired by the lava flowing under the bridge? If so, wouldn’t that have compromised Julian’s aim?

This post has been edited by Destri Melarg: Sep 22 2010, 12:38 AM

[Acadian]

Wonderful job of driving home the experience that Julian has garnered within previous gates. She is doing a good job teaching and taking care of her 'followers'. Ugh, that is hard, isn't it?

I can hear Julian now: "Well, the good news, guys, is that the clannfears aren't poisonous!" Lol.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Sep 20 2010, 12:45 AM