Postcards from Tamriel, Stories and such that fall somewhere between a snippet and a thread Options

[Grits]

.

Appendix Four: Geography

Changes and Additions found in Jerric's Tamriel

Places that are in the same location but different from the games:


Brina Cross/Brina's Crossing: A market village at the junction of the Gold Road and the road to Sutch.

Fort Virtue: An operational Legion fort and naval station. Commercial traffic and public ferries use the adjacent docks.

Gnoll's Meeting Camp: A bare-bones way station operated by former bandits.

Kvatch Mages Guild: Specializes in Alchemy training.

Sutch: It's a real city.

Weye: A market town hosting wholesalers every Tirdas and Fredas.




You won't find these in the games:


Azura's Order of the Evening Sun shrine: A cavern-shrine and migrant camp located in the hills outside Blacklight in Morrowind.

The Broken Tusk: An orc-run tavern in Cheydinhal's western district.

The Colovian Rose: An upscale brothel in Skingrad, workplace of Servilla the Serpent.

Dawning Tower: Aerie of the Twilight Matriarch in Moonshadow.

Droathra: Village of house-banyans on the Silver Plain, Moonshadow. The local economy is supported by mushroom farming.

Evenfall Priory: Priory in Valparai, Moonshadow, home of the Order of the Evening Sun.

Far Withing: A market town in Moonshadow.

Hope Valley: A Breton kahve farming settlement in the high valleys north of the Orange Road and east of Hrotanda Vale.

The Jumping Perch: Corner club in New Ascadia, Moonshadow.

Mattapi: A Nord and Dunmer village in the mountains above Blacklight.

New Ascadia: Village of mostly Dunmer and Khajiit located in the Smoketree Desert. Primarily a farming community.

The Painted Posy: A low-budget brothel in Skingrad.

Pottersville: A village of clay miners and potters east of the Kvatch plateau.

The Riptide: A tavern located at the Anvil harbor's east end.

Rosehaven: A village in Moonshadow.

Silver Plain: Vast grassland in Moonshadow bordered by Rosehaven and Valparai, the banyan village Droathra is found there.

The Smiling Pigeon: A tavern location in Rosehaven, Moonshadow.

Smoketree Desert: Desert land adjacent to the Silver Plain. The village New Ascadia is located there.

Strawberry Fields: A place in Moonshadow between Rosehaven and Far Withing.

Tannertown: A settlement of leather workers northeast of the Kvatch plateau.

Troll Rock Lane: A dirt track connecting a series of farmsteads in County Chorrol including the Odiil Farm.

Valparai: City in Moonshadow, during the Oblivion Crisis houses an open Gate to the Azura Shrine in County Cheydinhal.

.

This post has been edited by Grits: Jul 15 2025, 02:14 AM

[Darkness Eternal]

Hmm. New places. Cyrodiil is never a small place, is it?

Great places and clever names! Look forward to more, Grits, seeing these places in the post in description, that is.

[Grits]

(Still adding to this...)

.

Appendix Five: A Timeline for Jerric's World Stories

3E403

Spring, Sonstra and Kjelling

20 Sun's Dusk, Jerric is born


3E414

Summer, Jerric and Rhano's Tides


3E432

Evening Star, Abiene's Home for the Holidays


3E433

Sun's Height, Jerric's Story Chapter One

25 Last Seed, Chapter Three, Imperial City

28 Last Seed, Chapter Four, Aleswell

3 Hearthfire, Chapter Five, Chorrol

4 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 1, Odiil Farm

7 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 2, Weye

12 Hearthfire, Chapter Six part 4, Skingrad

15 Hearthfire, Chapter Seven, Kvatch

28 Hearthfire, Chapter Eight part 4, Weynon Priory

6 Frostfall, Chapter Eight part 5, Cloud Ruler Temple

11 Frostfall, Chapter Eight part 6, Jerric begins to wander

20 Sun's Dusk, Jerric turns 30

4 Evening Star, Chapter Nine, Anvil

6 Evening Star, Chapter Ten part 1-3, Anvil, Jerric joins the Fighters Guild and handles a Rat Problem

7 Evening Star, Chapter Ten part 9-12, Anvil, Jerric helps out Norbert Lelles

8 Evening Star, Chapter 10 part 13-16, Anvil, Jerric and Darnand meet some Sirens

14 Evening Star, Chapter 11 part 3-5, Garlas Malatar Sewer

15 Evening Star, Chapter 11 part 7, Anvil, North Winds Prayer feast at the Mages Guild

24 Evening Star, Chapter 11 part 13-15, Anvil, Saturalia Eve

25 Evening Star, Chapter 11 part 16, Anvil, Saturalia hangover cure


3E434

4 Morning Star, Chapter 12, Kvatch

5 Morning Star, Chapter 12 part 9, The Sunken One

11 Morning Star, Chapter 13 part 1, The Atronach Stone

12 Morning Star, Chapter 13 part 2, Meridia Shrine

14 Morning Star, Chapter 13 part 3-4, Erthor's Rescue

17 Morning Star, Chapter 13 part 6-7, Howling Cave

26 Morning Star, Chapter 13 part 8, Sanguine Shrine

4 Sun's Dawn, Chapter 14, Imperial City

10 Sun's Dawn, Chapter 15, traveling to Chorrol

16 Sun's Dawn, Chapter 15 part 8-10, Chorrol, Hearts Day

20 Sun's Dawn, Chapter 15 part 15-18, Hrotanda Vale

28 Sun's Dawn, Chapter 16, Hope Valley

4 First Seed, Abiene's Interlude, Chorrol

7 First Seed, Chapter 17 part 2-7, Bruma

8 First Seed, Chapter 17 part 10, Maiden Spring Trail Gate to Oblivion

12 First Seed, Chapter 17 part 17, Jerric emerges in Morrowind

13 First Seed, Chapter 18 part 2, Imperial City, Lildereth and Darnand follow the Path of Dawn

19 First Seed, Chapter 18 part 8, Jerric enters Moonshadow

23 First Seed, Chapter 18 part 11-13, Lildereth and Darnand assault the Dagon Shrine

29 First Seed, Chapter 18 part 14, Lildereth and Darnand enter Cloud Ruler Temple

4 Rain's Hand, Chapter 19 part 11-12, Jerric emerges from Moonshadow, Gutted Mine





For quick reference, the Tamrielic Months and their Gregorian Equivalents
Morning Star / January
Sun's Dawn / February
First Seed / March
Rain's Hand / April
Second Seed / May
Midyear / June
Sun's Height / July
Last Seed /August
Hearthfire / September
Frostfall / October
Sun's Dusk / November
Evening Star / December

.

This post has been edited by Grits: Jul 5 2025, 01:48 AM

[Acadian]

As soon as I saw Jerric's birthday, I raced to the wikilore page to translate it to 20 November and put in in my calendar. Then I got to the end of your post and saw that you had already anticipated what I would do. Then I did a face palm.

Thanks for posting this little slice of JerricLore!

[Grits]

Thank you for being such a wonderful and supportive friend!

[SubRosa]

And if you want a quick reference of which birthsign corresponds to which month:

CODE

Morning Star    January        The Ritual
Sun's Dawn    February         The Lover
First Seed        March         The Lord
Rain's Hand    April            The Mage
Second Seed    May             The Shadow
Midyear        June             The Steed
Sun's Height    July            The Apprentice
Last Seed        August         The Warrior
Hearthfire        September     The Lady
Frostfall        October        The Tower
Sun's Dusk    November        The Atronach
Evening Star    December        The Thief

bah, it refuses to keep the formatting no matter what I try. If you quote the post you will see it all formatted.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jul 24 2014, 06:52 PM

[Acadian]

Oh I completely forgot about the birth signs. Jerric's an Astronaut of course so naturally he was born in Sun's Dusk. Just like Buffy = Mage/Rains Hand. And that means, I guess, that Methie (at least in TF) was born in Second Seed.

[Darkness Eternal]

Great stuff Grits. Peaked my curiosity.

Subrosa, are those birth signs and months correspondence Lin lore? Just curious.

[SubRosa]

Great stuff Grits. Peaked my curiosity.

Subrosa, are those birth signs and months correspondence Lin lore? Just curious.

Yep. I got it all off I the Imperial Library and the UESP Wiki. The wiki had the TES months and their Gregorian counterparts, and I think it was the IL that had the birthsigns by month.

Of course there is the Serpent sign too, which doesn't have a regular month. It can pop up at any time.

[ghastley]

Signs to months is in the in-game book The Firmament - you can't get any more canon than that. It's been in the game since Morrowind at least.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Aug 11 2014, 06:12 PM

[Darkness Eternal]

Hmmm. Can't believe I missed that. I've read it before. Thanks.

[Acadian]

* * *

My dear Jerric,

As Sun’s Dusk the 20th will soon herald the anniversary of your birth, I hope the courier carrying this letter and gift is able to find you for a timely delivery.

My gift to you is a small pale blue aetherial fragment that I have named ‘Jerric’s Stone’. It fully recharges your magicka – but unlike a welkynd stone, is not destroyed in the process. After use, however, the stone requires a full day to refill itself with magicka before it can be used again. You don’t want to know how I came by it, but the stone is a byproduct from the creation of Azura’s Star ages ago. Happily, an aspect of the reusable nature of the Star lingers within this fragment. My hope is that, as an atronach battlemage, you will find it useful. If Jerric’s Stone turns the tide of even one battle for you, then I shall know I chose wisely.

Superian and I are still traveling Skyrim. As I’m sure you know, winter arrives early and rides a harsh wind in this Nordic land. With every snowfall, I am grateful for the resist frost toe ring you so thoughtfully gifted to me several years ago.

Please convey my warmest regards to Darnand, Abiene, Lildereth and your stable of wonderful animals.

With great affection, Buffy

[Grits]

,

20 Sun’s Dusk
Whiterun


Jerric breezed through the Bannered Mare’s front door and headed straight to the bar. Hulda glanced up from her mopping. She did not look surprised to see him. “Hungry, tired, or just plain thirsty?” she asked.

“I’m two out of three, and you can guess which, I’ll wager.” Jerric shouldered in between two patrons and leaned on the bar.

“The usual, then?”

“Yep. A pitcher of ale and beef with bread and a side of horker loaf, with mead and venison stew while we’re waiting. And some Honnigbrew mead. And an apple. Two apples. Better make that three apples.”

Hulda raised a brow. “We? It’s not all for you this time?”

“Well, yeah. But I’m going to sit over there with my friends. They likely ate hours ago.” He gestured to where Lildereth sat at a table, a wine goblet at her elbow. The elf’s scowl seemed to be working. In the crowded tavern no one had managed to steal her extra chairs. “So we’ll be waiting for me to get my dinner,” Jerric finished.

Hulda started to turn away.

“Hold on a moment. I need to write a letter. Do you have some parchment I could borrow?”

Now Hulda’s other brow went up. “Borrow ? Write?”

“Uh, and some ink and a quill?”

The innkeeper gathered the materials and walked off to arrange his meal.

Jerric viewed the bar top. Crumbs swam in a sea of spilled mead and wine. Hulda’s efforts at cleaning could not keep up with the locals’ excesses tonight. This town knew how to celebrate Warrior’s Festival. He cleared the clutter off of a nearby side table and smoothed the parchment sheet.

Be careful, he told himself. Take your time so she can read it. He doubted that Hulda’s good graces would extend to more supplies if he made too many mistakes.

Jerric reached into his pocket for the gift Buffy had sent to him. Jerric’s Stone rested on his palm like a chip of pure sky. Magicka tickled his hand as it flowed steadily into the stone, refilling it. The tavern’s sounds and smells faded to the background as he thought of the little elf with dazzling blue eyes who had been so thoughtful and remembered his birthday.

He set the stone beside his hand and carefully dipped the quill.

Dearest Buffy,

Next time I see you get ready, because I’m going to hug you off your feet. The courier found me this morning right by the bridge over the White River. I got a chance to try your gift out right away because I was on my way to a job and as usual had about enough magicka left to heal a hangnail. I guess you know that spot’s a good place to find bandits. You would not enjoy the noise and mess my frost runes make, but they sure got the job done today. The road’s a little safer now at least for a few days and I didn’t even get my blade wet thanks to the magicka from Jerric’s Stone.

Buffy, this is the part that may sound womanish. You know how it is with the days like birthdays when some of the ones you love can’t ever be there with you again. I started off this morning fighting back that feeling. Then you remembered my magicka problems and thought of me on my birthday, and I don’t have the words for how much that means. I will use Jerric’s Stone every day even when something’s not trying to end my life, and each time I will think of you with thanks for your gift which is a true treasure. Even more precious is your kind heart and your friendship.

Now I think that’s enough of that kind of talk. I’m glad to hear you’re keeping warm. We’re staying in a little house in Whiterun this winter next to Adrienne and Ulfberth’s shop. You should come stay with us when you and Superian are passing through. There’s plenty of fresh air even with all of us in there breathing it on account of the gaps between the walls and the roof, and the gaps in the walls, and I’d guess also the gaps in the roof. Maybe that’s how the house got its name. But it has a big fireplace and we have piles of furs so it works out all right.

Everyone says hello right back to you. Darnand had a lot of questions he wanted me to ask you about Jerric’s Stone but I think we can skip all that and let him figure things out himself. We’ll raise a glass to you tonight, and I’ll drink a beer for Superian.

Thank you, Buffy. You made me grin so much it hurts.

Love from your friend,

Jerric

[SubRosa]

Happy birthday to Jerric, and his stones. When I was at the grocery story today I noticed that People Magazine voted him sexiest man alive.

[Acadian]

I'm simply delighted that Jerric both enjoyed the thought and is able to make good use of Buffy's gift. Our hope was to reduce the amount of Jerric Juice the big Nord has to schlep around all the time without making a gift that was overpowered.

I hope no one else made the mistake I almost did. You see, when I saw Jerric's signature on his letter in bold, I just took that as a way to make his sig stand out. For some reason, it didn't occur to me straightaway that it was a link. Happily I got myself sorted out. Buffy and I were treated to not only a fabulous shot of the sexiest man alive, but I am in awe of your skill with poses, photoshoot setup and especially that you actually crafted Jerric's Stone for your game!

It is wonderful to know that Jerric and Co spent his birthday safe and sound at the Bannered Mare - one of the very nicest taverns one could ask for.

As far as Buffy's reaction to Jerric's letter and picture. . .

[Grits]

Here is a postcard from Valdi in Rorikstead at the dawn of the Fourth Era. It doesn’t go anywhere or do anything, it just is. ESTROGEN WARNING: There are no werewolves in this story. If you are squeamish about female bodily functions, you might just give this one a miss.


Blood Moons

The sun went down behind the mountain before I heard his feet on the porch stairs. I could tell because the back windows had gone dark. He shouldered the door open with boots in one hand and grocery sack in the other. I felt my face get warm, and that tight feeling came into my chest.

“Hello, my love,” and he gave me that smile.

My tongue still got tied up in knots whenever we saw each other, whether it was first thing in the morning or after a time apart. Today it had only been a few hours. I’d tried not to think about him all afternoon, which made it seem like forever.

“Did you get some rest?” he asked. “It’s gonna be a late night. Pa says Jouane told him be ready for a raid. Don’t know how he knows, but he knows.” He dropped the sack on the side table and shoved his boots underneath. His axe went on the rack by the door.

Harvest time meant raiders until the crops had all been carried to market by the caravans. No matter how far he roamed, Erik liked to be home by autumn to defend his village. Our village, I kept telling myself.

My fingers were tangled up in work, cheesecloth and string and little wads of tundra cotton all arranged at one end of our big kitchen table. I emptied my hands and climbed over the bench, my eyes full of him. I didn’t say I missed you, or I want you, or any of the love talk that you hear on a Loredas night at the Frostfruit Inn. I just walked into his arms and kissed every bit of skin I could reach, and then I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him some more.

He tasted like Mralki’s Autumnfest ale and smelled of woodsmoke. I ran my hands up under his tunic and he yanked my collar to get at that spot on my neck. Next thing I knew I was laid on the table with my work scattered everywhere and both of us fighting with my belt. I should have learned by then not to wear trousers around the house.

There was a thump downstairs and something rolled. We froze. Then there was a noise like someone kicking at a door frame. Which was probably exactly what was happening down there.

“Dammit,” Erik muttered. “I forgot She was here.”

She was my friend, hadn’t been for long but we’d been through the kinds of things together that make you invite her to stay with you as long as she likes, as long as she needs. And then you remember that you should have checked first with your husband. Erik has my back in this like he has in everything else that has happened since the first day we set eyes on each other. That only makes me feel worse when my choices pain him.

Also, until recently, She had been a vampire.

Erik put me back on my feet as easily as he’d stack a bundle of kindling. I watched him toss tufts and string back into the basket while I straightened my shirt. I had been making little pouches of cheesecloth stuffed with tundra cotton. They’re good for soaking up blood.

He picked one up by the dangling string. “You’re making moon mice already? Didn’t you just..?” His eyes rolled up as he counted days. Erik is no scholar, but I ain’t either.

“Yes,” I said, holding out the basket. “I won’t have my time again for six weeks or so. Not until Masser is waning. These aren’t for me.”

He dropped the moon mouse into my basket, face blank.

“They’re for Serana,” I told him.

“Oh gods,” said Erik.

“She hasn’t had her cycle in a thousand years, I’d wager. I don’t know what they used back then, but I’m sure she hasn’t thought about what she’ll use now.”

“Oh gods,” he said again. “What makes you think..?”

Erik has a way of not saying the lady words but still getting the message out. I can’t blame him. His Ma died when he was born, and he grew up without a sister to torment.

“Women tend to cycle close together when they’re under the same roof for long,” I explained. “I just finished mine. I guessed that hers would start back up some day. And she’s been so snippy and tense. I mean, more than usual.” Serana’s transition from vampire back to Nord had not been easy on her.

Something broke against the stone floor downstairs. Something that had been glass.

“Oh gods,” said Erik. “Sweet Mother Mara.”

Folk always want to pin lady troubles on Mara, even though it’s Kyne who made us. The way it works with women and elven lasses I’ve always thought a male must have come up with it. The elves are lucky and don’t get theirs as often, but that means fewer elves. Some Nords say that’s also lucky. The elves seem to suffer more with it, though. At least Lildereth does. But then I don’t know a lot of elves, so maybe it’s just her. And once I think on it, it’s mostly the rest of us that she makes suffer.

“She might want a length of sheepskin instead,” I thought aloud, “with the fleece boiled clean and the hide side oiled against leaking through.”

Erik’s scars and freckles stood out like ink, his face had gone so white.

“Sorry,” I said, sort of surprised. Erik wasn’t shy about anything at all once the clothes came off, and a little moon blood had never slowed him down before. Probably because he wasn’t the one who washed the linens.

He sat down hard on one of the chairs we had drawn up to the fireplace. I don’t think he planned to. “Don’t be sorry,” he told me. “You’re the one who thinks of things and I’m the one who’s sorry. What if we have a little girl some day? We could have a pack of girls. You’ll be the best Ma there ever was, strong and kind, teaching them your way with sun-fire and a shield. And I’ll just be there to… What do I know about girls? I’ll be there to chop wood and scare the boyfriends.”

I sat down in the other chair before my knees gave out. What kind of Ma will I be? The kind who drags her brats through hideout and cave, always ahead of the law but always looking over her shoulder? I’d grown up wild. That was all I knew. I couldn’t even tell him he was wonderful, my mind was so full of how I was nothing.

We’d never had this talk before. I was still making my teas the way Abiene showed me to keep my womb empty, still counting the days in fear when my time was due, terrified it hadn’t worked. Had he been counting days too, hoping we’d made us a child?

“Erik,” I croaked. My throat was all funny. “Love.”

He took my hand and squeezed it. I could see he remembered about my family. “We’ll figure it out,” he said. His face was strong again. “When you’re ready, when we’re ready. Or when the time comes and surprises us. We’ll figure it out together.”

I could hear Serana’s hard heels coming up the stairs. It bothered Erik that she wore boots in the house, and now it bothered me, too. But I felt awkward saying something, and I know he never would since she was my friend. She was already breaking things. Maybe this was a good time to tell her.

Serana appeared by the shield rack. Her knuckles showed white on the stair railing. I could see that lust on her face, the same as in her vampire days when she thought I wouldn’t see her blood hunger. She had left her vampire appetites behind, but she sure was hungry for something now. And her human eyes were fixed on my man.

I was standing in between them before I knew I’d moved. What the hells is this? I drew a breath.

Serana bent her neck to look around me at Erik. First she hissed, then the words came out in a whine. “Did you go to the bakery? Did you bring back something sweet?” She paced over to the bookcase, her hands restless on her arms and lower back. “Gods, I want some iced cakes. What did you buy at the market? By Molag’s maul, I have to have something sweet!”

Erik was out the door before his chair finished tipping over. His boots still sat by the door.

“He’s going now,” I told her. “He’ll bring back something salty, too, I’ll wager.” I motioned for Serana to join me at the table so we could talk.

I wasn’t much for hugs and touching, but Serana relaxed as soon as I put my hands on her back. I wasn’t much of a smiler, either, but I couldn’t help it when I thought of Erik running barefoot down the street. He’ll be the best Pa there ever was, strong and kind, teaching them his way with an axe and bow. When the time comes we’ll figure it out together. And we’re going to be just fine.

[SubRosa]

Looks like I guess the meaning of Blood Moons had nothing to do with Werewolves!

She was not too hard to guess at either. I love how she is She. At least its not Valdi's reanimated sister in the basement (though an ex-vampire is close).

I don't have to guess what the tundra-cotton cloths are for either.

Hope they have plenty of chocolate at the market!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Nov 4 2015, 12:33 AM

[Acadian]

Gosh there was so much to like here as you explored a perhaps overlooked consequence of transitioning from Daughter of Coldharbour to Nordic woman with more than a thousand or so years of possibly pent up hormones.

The aspects of fertility that Valdi shared with us dovetail perfectly with previous glimpses into this area shared by Abiene, Teresa and Buffy. The elven implications were particularly close to home – fertility comes infrequently and more harshly. I also loved Valdi’s observation of what Buffy has experienced; indeed, every spring and autumn, she and her almost constant companion Superian come into ‘heat’ on the same internal clock.

Moon mice! Poor Erik!

*

And finally, let me comment on your current ‘Distracted’ screenshot of the month. I don’t know whether I envy Jerric or Lil more.

[mALX]

Aw, nice screen! ("Distracted") I didn't know you were doing that too! (like Acadian)

[Grits]

SubRosa: Yikes, no Clarissa in this basement! Serana may have been demoted to mortal, but She will always be a bit larger than life. Thank you!

Acadian: Thank you, Acadian! I love spending time with Jerric and Lil. Each seems to make the other even more who they are. How sweet that Buffy and Superian share a cycle.

mALX: Thanks, mALX!

This post has been edited by Grits: Nov 19 2015, 04:43 PM