The Gweden report, A story of the story of the stories. Options

[mALX]

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Rock Milk Cave is my favorite in the game! LOVED the discussion of the shopping! "Mr. Bones" had me rolling! And Lex looking for the Gray Fox at the end, ordering people to stay in their houses - ROFL !!! A really fun chapter, Great Write!


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[ghastley]

@Acadian: The "zombies" bit is a quote from their dialog. Either one may randomly say it when the dungeon contains undead.

@Grits: Not, not his Bare Bosmer (I think), unless she was in the city at the time.

@mALX: You know, I think this is the first time our reporter has got less then he was expecting.

We left the two sisters in Chorrol, while the reporter paid a visit to the City, now he's headed back.

-----------

Return to the Island

The sisters had had the chance to sleep in their own rooms, in their own beds. He wondered if that luxury had affected them, and they'd want to keep doing that. He wasn't expecting the reaction he got.

Diablita told him they wanted to go back to the island. They hadn't slept in separate rooms before, and it had just made them homesick.

"What about with the sailors?" asked Angeline "You went off into a cabin with yours."

"I don't recall doing any actual sleeping," Diablita replied, "and I'm pretty sure you didn't either."

That had been when they lost their virginities. Their mothers had picked the lucky men who were to assist. They weren't necessarily the highest bidders, but the sisters were sure there was some trading involved. There were at least a couple of crates behind the beach hut afterwards that hadn't been there before.

After that, it had always been in the hut. Their parents had always been worried that they might go off on a ship and had forbidden them to board another.

They'd stowed away in the hold of a ship when they left the island, so they hadn't slept apart then either. They knew they could have revealed themselves to the crew, or simply asked for passage in the first place, but they also knew what they'd have to do in return. "One sailor's fun, but a whole crew is just too much!"

He wanted to know how going back to the island was going to help them sleep in separate rooms. Angeline told him that they had unfinished business on the island, and that they couldn't move on to their new life. "We need to go back and find our parents' bodies, and give them a proper burial," she declared. "and if they're already buried under the rubble, put up a gravestone, or something."

That meant finding a ship that was going in that direction. Very few came up the Niben these days; the river was almost blocked by silting up at Leyawiin. Any cargoes were unloaded at Senchal, and made the rest of the trip by road. The best bet would be Anvil. It would probably cost them plenty too, if the sisters didn't like the idea of working their passage.

---

Down in Anvil, there were only two ships in port. One of them was locked, and smelt of sheep dung anyway. The other had a worried-looking Altmer woman pacing on the deck.

Varulae was the owner of the Serpent's Wake, but she didn't have a crew. Or rather, she had one, but they were dead. No, make that undead. Their spectres were haunting the ship, and she couldn't go and get her crystal ball from the hold. "If you can get it back for me, I'd be glad to have my ship take you to the island. Of course, I'll need to hire a fresh crew before that can happen, but there are always sailors looking for work here."

Frost resistance was a useful thing when fighting ghosts, and they already had a few potions for that. But the reporter knew that ghosts were unaffected by normal weapons, so he took a look at what the sisters were using. Angeline had silver arrows, so she'd do all right, but he needed to find something else for Diablita. Her steel and dwarven weapons would be useless. A trip to Varel Morveyn's shop produced a silver warhammer, and they were in business.

He wasn't sending them in and staying safe on the dock, either. He'd learned how to make use of invisibility when he'd gone to Fort Black Boot with Freija, and he was coming in to look for the crystal ball. Varulae had described the chest it was in, so he didn't have to reveal himself until he found it. At that point, he'd just have to hope the spectral sailors were too busy to notice him.

The first one was in the captain's cabin, opposite the door to the deck. It spotted them as soon as they entered, and drifted over to attack them. It wasn't the usual wraith, it had a cutlass in his hand, and it swung it at Diablita. The reporter had to duck quickly, as he was invisible in between them!

Angeline stepped in with a damage health spell as Diablita blocked. The spectral form recoiled and flung a Silence spell at Angeline to stop her doing that again. But that gave Diablita a chance to use her pitchfork and send a fireball his way.

Down on the floor, the reporter caught the wash from the fireball, and wished he'd brought some fire resistance potions with him. He couldn't heal himself until the ghost died, either, or his invisibility would be lost.

Fortunately for him, Angeline's silver arrow ended the first battle, and the wraith dropped its cutlass. Right on top of him. He cursed, and stood up to cast a few healing spells on himself. He saw the sisters laughing at him. "What are you laughing at?" he asked. Then the blob of ectoplasm he'd just stood up through started to drip down his face, and he understood.

It took a few minutes to get it all out of his hair, and into a vial. It would be another useful ingredient for Diablita. The cutlass was probably worth keeping, too.

The captain's body was lying on his bed, with wounds that looked like they'd been made by claws and teeth. Either there had been a wild animal in here, or some summoned creature that acted the same way. They found a key on his body that fit a chest in the cabin, and another that opened the doors. The chest contained the captain's valuables. They left them there for now; none of it would help them fight the other ghosts.

---

The trapdoor to the next deck was just outside the cabin. The reporter recast his invisibility, and after Angeline had opened the hatch, he went first to scout. There were two ghosts down there, and they'd be coming down between them. Each one armed with a cutlass as before, so they could expect the same spells too. After reporting that to the sisters, he went and ducked into a cabin to stay out of the way. Since they couldn't see him, he was more worried about friendly fire than anything the ghosts did.

One of the dead sailors was in the cabin. The same marks were on the body, and the wraith had his cutlass.
The sisters stood back-to-back and used their ranged attacks until the ghosts closed in. By the time they reached them, they had been weakened enough that Angeline's spell, and Diablita's new warhammer were enough to finish them. They'd both got nicked by the cutlasses however, and he was pleased to see them casting healing spells on themselves. He didn't have a "heal other" spell. He should get one.

This wasn't the deck that Varulae had described, so there must be another below it. He looked around for another hatch, and found it around the corner near the bow end of the ship.

It was likely that the chest with the crystal ball in it was right below, and he could just go down and grab it. The ghosts would see him open the chest, but he'd be back up the ladder before they could do anything to stop him. Diablita reminded him that they needed to clear out the ghosts so that they could use the ship. The ball was just part of the deal.

This time it made sense for the sisters to go first. They knew there were two more ghosts, because Varulae had told them that she had a crew of five. But was whatever killed them down there as well? The reporter didn't think so. Wild animals don't use ship's ladders, and anyone who summoned creatures to do his dirty work would not stay with the ghosts afterwards. Diablita went first with her pitchfork at the ready. That seemed to hurt the spectres more than Angeline's arrows did, and if they were close together, she could get both at once.

They got lucky. The first fireball knocked a barrel over and it rolled into the gangway down the middle of the deck. It appeared that the wraiths couldn't move it out of the way, so it became a ranged battle with the sisters holding the trump cards. The silence spells the spectral sailors started with were futile, and they didn't have the magicka to throw frost spells very frequently. Diablita's pitchfork was almost fully charged, and she did most of the damage.

They took the crystal ball from the chest, where it had survived the battle safely. Or rather two battles, as there must have been an earlier one that killed the sailors, and they noticed a lot of disruption from that. There were broken crates and barrels all through the hold, as well as a few scorch-marks on the planking.

Varulae was overjoyed to get her crystal ball back intact. She explained that it let her communicate with the crew when they were off on a voyage. She had another just like it and they had each been enchanted to show what was around the other one. So she could see her crew, and they could see her, even if they were miles apart. They couldn't hear anything, but they could write messages on a slate and hold them up for the other to read. Casting a simple light spell near one end would make the other end glow, so they'd know there was a message coming.

She gave them an enchanted cutlass as a reward, and promised that her ship would take them to the island. She hadn't seen the state of the inside yet. When they showed her, she added "In a week's time, that is. At least the hull's intact, so it's just a matter of cleaning up."

---

A week later, Varulae sent them to see her new captain, a Khajiit woman called Zishara, on the refitted Serpent's Wake. Zishara had Calban, one of the new crew, show them down to their cabins on the next deck. Alois, the only other member of the crew, went to cast off the ropes, while she went up to the wheel.

Angeline and Diablita had sailed a small fishing boat before, so they were able to help the crew a little, but once they were at sea, their help wasn't really needed and they joined him in his cabin to pass the time.

They woke early the following morning and went up on deck. The ship was at anchor, but not at the island. Zishara explained that they needed to wait for the wind to turn a little, as it wasn't easy getting through the narrow entrance to the bay. She recommended that they go back to the cabin and wait.

A few hours later, they heard the anchor being raised and felt the ship start to move. But by that time, he needed a nap. The sisters' idea of passing the time left him drained.

The next thing he knew was a knock on the cabin door and Calban announcing that he'd row them ashore if they'd just come up on deck. They scrambled to collect their gear and rushed up to see the sisters' island.

The ship was anchored near the mouth of the bay, where the water was deep enough. The jetty near the beach hut was in shallower water, so they'd have to take the rowboat. Calban rowed them across, and settled into the hut to wait for them. When they were done here, he'd row them back again.

The first thing the sisters wanted to do was go up to the top of the volcano, where the house had been. There was a path up the side, leading to the lowest point of the rim, and it wasn't a difficult climb. But the inner sides of the crater certainly would have been. The lava rock was glassy-smooth, and almost vertical. They could see down to a pile of rocks and rubble at the bottom. That was where the house, and the girls' parents, were buried, but they couldn't reach it from here.

They walked back down the path, and circled the base of the cone, looking for any cave entrances that might lead in. They found nothing, except a few strawberries to cheer them up a little.

Back on the beach, they noticed a new shipwreck on the other side of the bay. That hadn't been there before they left, or their father would have taken it apart for the timber. They decided to investigate.

There was a big hole in the side of the hull, where it had been torn open by the rocks. They entered the middle deck, and found most of it flooded. The end above water had a ladder up to the top deck, so they went up.

There were two Argonians living in the captain's cabin. The female introduced herself as Kaleen, and named her mate as Sand-in-his-Ears. She was upset at him for some reason, and he explained why. They'd arrived on this ship, and survived the storm that drove it onto the rocks mainly because they didn't drown like the rest of the crew. They were able to swim away from the foundering vessel and so avoided being crushed by the impact on the rocks.

They'd found it to be a pleasant enough place to remain, as there were fish and clams in the bay, and fruits growing around the volcano. Argonians didn't need fresh water, so the lack of it was no problem to them. But Slaughterfish had moved in and eaten all the smaller fish that they depended on. It wasn't safe to gather clams either, and that was the cause of the domestic unrest. Kaleen thought he was being too cautious. Clam-gathering was his job, and she was keeping them alive picking fruit, and resented him being idle.

They didn't ask why he wasn't helping with the fruit harvest, that would just have started another argument. Sand-in-his-Ears asked them if they could help him by killing the Slaughterfish. He had no weapons or armor, and was helpless against their teeth. He did have a chest full of water-breathing potions, which he never used, of course.

They had spare weapons for him, but naturally fighting wasn't his job any more than fruit-gathering. He did offer to show them something useful beneath the bay, if they did this for him.

The reporter drank one of the potions, cast his invisibilty spell, and went down to look. Only to come back up again in a great rush as he discovered that the Slaughterfish were detecting him anyway. Presumably they didn't hunt just by sight.

Well, at least he'd brought them over to where the sisters could find them. They did have armor to protect them, although he was worried about Diablita's exposed parts. He was fond of those, and didn't want anything bad to happen to them. Angeline's armor covered her better, although it was lighter and not so durable.

In a few minutes, there were half a dozen Slaughterfish floating belly-up on the surface, and no sign of any more. Sand-in-his-Ears was delighted, and Kaleen grudgingly approved too. "Now you'd better deliver on what you promised," she told him, "and bring some clams back when you're done."

Sand-in-his-Ears had them each drink another potion, as he needed to lead them under the water. They dived in a little closer to the beach, and swam down to the bottom, where he showed them a door in the rocks. It opened into a long water-filled lava tube that lead towards the bottom of the volcano.

The reporter signed to Sand-in-his-Ears that he'd fulfilled his part, and he hurried off to look for the clams for Kaleen. The three swam into the cave, hoping they wouldn't find any more Slaughterfish hiding in here. Soon there was an airspace above their heads, and they could breath normally again. Just at the end, the floor rose out of the water too.

Around a corner, they arrived in a chamber where piles of rocks and broken furniture and pieces of house wall lay jumbled up. Two huge rocks had jammed together above their heads, leaving a space beneath them that was relatively open. They picked their way across the space and found some broken shelves that had obviously come from the house. There were a couple of torn books, and a small jewelry box that had miraculously survived the fall. In it were two necklaces, and a note.

---

Silencer

You have two targets this time, in the port of Senchal, in Elsweyr.

They are Angela and Diabla, foreigners from the Southern continent, and unlike anyone you've killed before. Both are witches, so be wary of the spells they can cast, and the creatures they might summon.

When you have completed this task, your next orders will be in a sack beneath the rocks near the Anvil Lighthouse.

Serve me well, Silencer, and there's no telling just how far you might advance.

---

The reporter had seen notes like this before. He'd reported on the death of a member of the Dark Brotherhood, who'd failed in his assignment. This was typical of them, and the title SIlencer was further proof. The victims it named were the sisters' mothers, but it wasn't apparent whether the Silencer was their father, or someone he'd killed to prevent their deaths.

He debated whether to show it to them, but Diablita had seen it before anyway. She'd recognised the box, and knew what he was reading. She had something to show him. She took his arm and led him over to a corner where three skeletons protruded from the rubble.

One of the skulls had horns just like hers.

They dug out the skeletons, and confirmed that there was another female, and a male. This had to be the parents. The only way out was back through the lava tube, so they each put one body's bones in their backpack, and swam back out.

The sisters knew just where they wanted to bury their parents. They led him up to a level area overlooking the harbor. There were several large flat stones piled up there, big enough to be used as headstones. Angeline pointed down to a corner of the beach. "There's another pile down there," she said. "That's where we buried any sailors that washed up dead from the wrecks. Usually we just found their bones on the beach. The mudcrabs don't take long to strip a corpse."

"Our parents knew they'd die eventually, too, and they'd already picked this spot for where they'd like to be buried. That's why these stones were put here, to mark the right place."

The reporter picked the best stones, and carved the names Diabla and Angela on two of them. Then he realised that they'd never told him their father's name.

"Jak'l was what our mothers called him. I don't know if that was a real name or a nickname, but it was all they ever used," said Angeline. That was what should go on the stone, then.

The ground was light and sandy here, so it wasn't hard to dig three graves. The sun was just setting behind the volcano as they finished erecting the last headstone. They planted a red flax on Diabla's grave, a yellow one on Angela's, and a blue one on the center grave for Jak'l.

They sat silently in the rowboat as Calban took them back to the ship.

A soon as they were aboard, Zishara signalled to Alois, and he began to haul up the anchor. They could catch the tide if they left right away.

The sisters were subdued that night in their cabin, and clung to him as they slept. However, in the morning they were their usual insatiable selves again, and they were all late getting up to the deck. They found the ship was just entering Anvil Harbor, and they could see Varulae waiting on the dock. Of course, she'd been in contact with Zishara through her crystal ball, so she knew just when they'd be arriving.

She had a sealed message from Taminwe for the reporter. He opened it and read it. She'd like Lathenil moved from Gweden up to the city. They'd keep him at the Red Dragon Club, and she'd be able to question him herself. She could hold out the carrot of Ocato's ear, if the Altmer had anything he'd want to know. Since the reporter had reinforcements, this would be a good time to do it.

Taminwe could certainly work on the wizard in ways he couldn't. The fact that she was an Altmer herself also opened opportunities for lines of inquiry about his attitude to the other races. It sounded like a good idea to him.

---

Tsarrina wanted to recruit the sisters for the Gweden brothel. She had every other race here, and that was a major draw for the customers. He pointed out that there weren't any male .... whatever they were, so her argument had no merit. When she accused him of wanting to keep them for himself he just agreed with her and closed the conversation. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but she couldn't come up with anything else to say.

She also wasn't happy that he was taking away one of her best customers. Lathenil was just moving to the Champion's other brothel, he reminded her. She could have him back when Taminwe was done.

He went to get Lathenil. As he expected, the wizard was with Silanu, getting a mild whipping as a preamble to a more vigorous workout. "We'll let them finish what they've started," he thought. "I hope she's not planning anything too elaborate."

Freija approved of his choice of bodyguards. It was flattering to her that he'd felt it necessary to have two of them. Having one with blonde hair, and the other with Nord-sized assets just confirmed that he'd been thinking along the right lines. Horns and hooves, though? Prizna leaned in and reminded Freija firmly that horns were sexy.

He talked to Darwen, too, and told her about Uzgash taking her old "job" at the Tap and Tack. She got a real chuckle out of his description of the Orc princess negotiating with Olaf. "Now there's a woman who could really do some damage when she dances," she remarked.

He could hear Silanu from the floor below, and it sounded like she was nearly done with Lathenil. After all, it would be her decision, not his, when things were complete. When it went quiet again, he headed for the stairs.

Lathenil was helping Silanu back into her robe. Her leather gear hung over the foot rail of the bed, and her famous riding crop lay on the floor. He broke the bad news to Lathenil, but it appeared that Silanu was taking it harder than he did. Once again, he had to promise she could have him back when Taminwe was finished with her questioning.

[mALX]

the sisters were sure there was some trading involved. There were at least a couple of crates behind the beach hut afterwards that hadn't been there before.

SPEW!!!! I'd have had to look in those crates and see what my hymen was worth, it could have been a Sheo-type thing with yarn and lettuce, ROFL !!!

they also knew what they'd have to do in return. "One sailor's fun, but a whole crew is just too much!"

Unless they were on "The Raging Queen" (SNL skit where two beautiful half-dressed women and one young male named Miles were shipwrecked and rescued by the above pirate ship - and all the men only wanted to "comfort" poor Miles in his trauma).

Varulae was the owner of the Serpent's Wake, but she didn't have a crew. Or rather, she had one, but they were dead. No, make that undead.

ROFL!!! I love the way you put that! That is usually my first quest of the game, then hurry over to the store and put some Septims in my pocket, lol.

The whipping ... SPEW !!! ROFL !!!

Great Write !!!


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[Acadian]

Nice adaptation of the Serpent’s Wake quest. It was fun to see Diablita using her staff of pitchforkery. And the Reporter got slimed! Oh well, who ya gonna call? Clever use of crystal balls.

A nice little voyage and they arrive at the island. Uh oh, looks like the DB’s been involved in some foul play.

This was quite a long story with two distinct portions. It would have lent itself very nicely to the telling over two episodes.

[ghastley]

Aaaagh! It was supposed to be two, but I copied over too much. As you pointed out, the part on the island should have started a fresh episode/chapter/thing. I'd even considered putting the last little part at Gweden with the next one, and completely missed the other break.

I'm spending too much time with the invisible headless dead sheep.

[Grits]

Fun strategy against the wraiths, and I love how the crystal balls work. Especially the light spell alerting someone on the other side to pay attention, that’s great!

I just love the sisters’ island with the wreck and secret cave. The chest full of water-breathing potions in the shipwreck was brilliant. If only those sailors knew!

The Gweden scene was hilarious, especially after the poignant discovery on the island.

When she accused him of wanting to keep them for himself he just agreed with her and closed the conversation.

I love it!

[ghastley]

@mALX: Can you make a new (fake) hymen with yarn and a lettuce leaf (enough to fool a sailor anyway)?

@Acadian: That's one edit I'm not going back and fixing, but this time we're back to single postings.

@Grits: I'm just playing through this piece of the mod again, and I'm finding that even a chest full of water-breathing potions is no substitute for a piece of enchanted equipment (or being an Argonian).

Incidentally, my current test character is an Imperial called Clark Kent, who doesn't fight too well. His birthsign is of course the Lover. Majors are Speechcraft, Mercantile, Light Armor, Blade, Restoration, Mysticism and Sneak. I expect him to use a lot of Illusion (charm especially) but did not make that a major, or his Personality would be out of control.

Back to manageable pieces this time.

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Monument - part I

They delivered Lathenil to Taminwe, and set off across town. Before they went to the shack, they had a few things to buy and sell in the Market District. They cut through Green Emperor Way, instead of going through the Elven Gardens as they usually did. The sisters looked at all the tombstones around the lower level and were just in awe at the extent of the cemetery.

But one tomb in particular got their attention. At the very North of the graveyard, just before they reached the entrance to the Market District, was a circle of columns surrounding an obelisk. They wanted to know who was buried there. So they all walked over and tried to read the inscription. It was too weathered to make out what it said, but they were still impressed, especially close up with the columns soaring above them.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if our parents had a monument like this!" Angeline exclaimed. Diablita seconded that idea, and the reporter felt another quest coming on.

Well, the only way to talk them out of it was to do a bit of research and show them that they couldn't afford it. They were headed to the Market District, so they could ask there. Vinicia, at the Office of Imperial Commerce, was the one who should know, or at least be able to point them at the right person.

She knew several people who'd have parts of the answer. Damian Magius, at the Waterfront office of the Imperial Trading Company, would know all about pricing for the stone. They were the importers for all the raw stone used in city construction. But then they'd need a mason to cut it and she didn't know one of those. "But if anyone does, I'd bet it would be that Ida Vlinorman. She knows more about architecture than anyone else I know."

They'd start with Damian Magius when they went back to the Waterfront. Maybe he'd have a large number to quote them that would put it out of their range.

He did at first, but it turned out that most of the cost was shipping. When he heard that they wanted the monument on the Island, he cut the price in half. "That's close to the quarries in southern Valenwood. It won't be on the ship for very long, so it won't cost anything like as much to transport it."

Now he had to count on the mason. That would have to wait until the next day. It was getting late.

They unlocked the door to the shack and the sisters were surprised at the upgrades he'd made. "And where are we going to sleep now?" asked Diablita.

Just then someone knocked on the door. It was Carwen. She'd seen his door closing as she came through the arch, so she knew he was back in town. Then she noticed the two women behind him. "Oh, I didn't know you had company."

Carwen looked so disappointed that he had to do something. Maybe he could solve both problems at once. Carwen's place was much bigger than his. There would be room for them all to sleep afterwards. He just needed a bit of help to balance the numbers. Did Carwen know any sailors who could help entertain his sisters? He wasn't quite being untruthful in calling them his sisters. They were sisters, and they'd just about made themselves 'his'. They were certainly his problem tonight.

Carwen did a double-take. "Same father, different mothers" he explained, neglecting to mention that it just applied to the girls. She bought it.

Soon the sisters were happily entertaining a couple of sailors in Carwen's shack, while he took care of her in his own. And there was just enough room to get a night's sleep afterwards. He was glad she was a slender wood elf, and not a buxom Nord.

---

Ida Vlinorman lived in the Elven Gardens District, and they met her just coming out of her house. Yes, she did know a mason. Her next-door neighbor, Marinus Catiotus, was the brother of one. She suggested they go there and ask him where to find Terranis.

Marinus told them that his brother was working on some repairs for the Bruma Chapel. He'd be staying at the Jerall View Inn, because it was so close to the work. No, he didn't know when he'd be finished, and he might not be back in the city after that. His brother hadn't told him if he had another job lined up.

He knew nothing about mason's work himself, so he couldn't even hazard an estimate of what their work would cost. "You'll have to go ask Terannis," he told them "He's the only one who can give you a proper quote for the job."

---

It was getting to the point where avoiding the quest was as much effort as taking it on, so they travelled up to Bruma to see Terranis. Maybe he'd run into Uzgash, or Gudrun, or any of the Riders who were at the Lodge. It wasn't necessarily a waste of time.

They arrived on a Loredas evening, so they looked in at Olaf's Tap & Tack, expecting to watch Uzgash dance. But it wasn't her swaying in the corner. "Gudrun?" the reporter exclaimed.

"Can't stop now," she replied. "I'll explain when I'm done."

They had a job finding seats for the three of them, but eventually one of the men got up to move closer to the action, and they slipped into the bench in the corner. They couldn't see Gudrun from where they were, but they got a good idea what was happening from listening to the crowd.

After a loud cheer, everything quietened down again, and a somewhat breathless Gudrun came over to join them, wrapping a robe around herself as she sat down. "Uzgash has been teaching me to dance," she began. "And she's also been giving Timo a few advanced lessons in 'recharging'. She can only do that when he's not busy with one of the others. It just so happened that Timo's lesson was due on a Loredas this month, and she couldn't be in both places at once. So she asked me if I could fill in for her. It's good exercise, and with my office job I really need that!"

"Anyhow, I agreed before I found out that it involved taking my clothes off. Oh, well, at least Uzgash lent me some civilian clothes to use. I wouldn't have felt right using my uniform. And besides, you know how quickly that comes off! That wouldn't be any good."

The reporter asked if she was filling in for the rest of Uzgash's duties.

"Just the dancing," Gudrun said firmly. "A member of the Imperial Mountain Riders never charges for her services."

---

They'd booked rooms at the Jerall View Inn, as they knew the Tap & Tack didn't have accomodation for three. Hafid Hollow-leg may not have the drinking crowd that Olaf gets, but he does provide more spacious rooms. They needed to find Terranis, too.

Hafid asked them if they'd been to see the dancing at Olaf's. They admitted they had. "What's that Orc woman like, then?" he wanted to know. Before the reporter could stop himself, he'd told Hafid that it wasn't an Orc tonight, it was a Nord.

"Oh, there's two dancers in town, are there?" Hafid beamed. "That makes things different."

They quickly changed the subject and asked about the mason. Terranis was still working on the chapel, and he'd gone to bed early so that he could get an early start. He'd told Hafid that tomorrow was likely his last day before it was completed.

They missed him in the morning. He was up at the crack of dawn, and the threesome had put a good night's drinking in with Gudrun, so they needed extra rest. But they'd surely meet him over at the Chapel of Talos. He came down a ladder from the tower, brushing dust off of his apron. "All done," he told Cirroc. "Let me know if the frost cracks any more of those finials. I'm guaranteeing my work for the next five years, but the ones I didn't touch might not last that long."

Cirroc sighed. It was a never-ending battle against the elements here. And you couldn't work on the outside of the building at all in the middle of winter, with all the ice. Terannis was sympathetic, but he pointed out that getting the job done right made it last longer. "Whoever did the roof last was looking to come back soon to do it again."

The reporter was lapping this up. Terranis was obvious a Master Craftsman, who'd charge way more than they could afford, and it would all be put to rest. When Terannis turned away from Cirroc, he stepped up to him and asked about the sisters' proposed monument.

Terannis listened to his description of what they wanted. He knew the original on Green Emperor Way, as he'd done some repair work on that, too. "But you're telling me you want to build a completely new one, aren't you?" The way he said it made it sound even more costly.

Terranis wanted to know more about the Island. The reporter let the sisters take over, and tell him what the place was like. He listened to what they said thoughfully, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and made some calculations.

"I reckon it would take me about a month, assuming I had laborers to do all the moving and lifting for me. I'm a craftsman, and my job is cutting the stone and making it all fit properly together. Mostly, that's been replacing pieces that have broken or worn out, like I was doing here. And it hasn't been too comfortable working on a windy chapel roof, in cold Bruma."

"And now you're offering me a job on a warm tropical island, where I'm making it all new, and can take pride in doing the whole thing. It will be like a vacation for me. I won't charge you a Septim!"

The reporter almost went into shock.

"Mind you, I expect the laborers will want paying," Terranis continued. "And I don't have my own crew. If you can find some strong men, and a ship to get there, I'll do it for you." He smiled warmly at the girls when he said that, and they blew kisses back.

It would appear that they were headed for Anvil next. He could ask Varulae for passage again, and Newheim could always find a crew of laborers. Usually it was a ship's crew, who were waiting on a refit. There were plenty of caves and ruins on the way to check for treasure, so they'd undoubted have enough gold by the time they got there. They'd order the stone when they passed through the City, and that would arrive about the same time as the workmen. It was all coming together as if someone had planned it that way.

---

Varulae was happy to lend her ship again. All she asked in return was that they find her a copy of "Charts of the Southern Seas". Hers had been destroyed when the first crew were killed, and she hadn't been able to lay her hands on a replacement. There wasn't a bookshop in Anvil, and she couldn't leave her offices here to go look in the other towns.

Newheim knew just the crew for the stonework. They'd been on a vessel from Valenwood, and they'd handled stone cargoes before. Maybe on the same ship that was delivering theirs. As experienced sailors, they'd be able to help the Serpent's Wake's small crew on the voyage too.

So it was all happening. Terranis arrived in Anvil and the men boarded the Serpents Wake while the three set out to find Varulae's book.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jan 2 2013, 05:28 PM

[Acadian]

‘Nice work, if you’ve got the stones for it.’
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Off on another quest to avoid a quest that becomes a quest – fun and clever! Things are really coming together for the sisters.

‘He wasn't quite being untruthful in calling them his sisters. They were sisters, and they'd just about made themselves 'his'.
Love the reporter’s logic here!

[Grits]

Diablita seconded that idea, and the reporter felt another quest coming on.

Perfect. I liked learning some more about Clark Kent, Young Reporter.

This sounds fun to play, following all of the leads and seeing the plan come together. Plus, tropical island! I think that Terranis has the right idea!

Also: "A member of the Imperial Mountain Riders never charges for her services."

[mALX]

Answer: I sure can, I'm like MacGyver when it comes to restorative surgery on female bits anatomy, ROFL !!!

I agree with Grits, this mod sounds like a lot of fun to play! This is all new to me, erecting the monument for their parents - Love the idea! Great Write!

[ghastley]

@Acadian: Reporters are always good at making up stories on the spot. Especially half-true ones.

@Grits: Tropical island maybe, but they're not without their own problems.

@mALX: Playing it is fun, but creating all the dialog is a headache. Especially getting them not to say things at the wrong time. Like saying "I'm not sure I like this place" just outside their own front door, instead of inside a dungeon.

We left them going off to look for Varulae's book.

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

Monument - part II

Phintias' bookshop, the First Edition, was the obvious place to look. As the only book store in the Imperial City, he took pride in having a copy of just about any book you could think of. They browsed through his extensive collection, and found a few books on Alchemy and Mysticism that the sisters found useful, but no copies of the "Charts of the Southern Seas."

They paid him for the ones they wanted, and set off for Leyawiin. There was a shop in Cheydinhal that sold books, and another in Chorrol, but it made more sense to look in a port town, even if it wasn't much of one these days.

The owner of Southern Books was a grumpy Orc by the name of Bugak gro-Bol. "If I've got it, it will be on the shelves somewhere," he told them. "No I don't keep the inventory in my head, go look for it. And make sure you buy something, don't just waste my time!"

Phintias' books had been neatly arranged by subject, and author, so it was easy to find what you wanted. The books here had just been stacked randomly on the shelves with no discernable pattern. You'd find a romantic tale next to a manual of armor repair, or a catalog of alchemical ingredients.

"Are we looking for a large book, or a small one?" Angeline asked. The reporter guessed that charts would need to be fairly large to be useful, but that was no guarantee. Varulae hadn't mentioned size when she asked him.

"Found it!" exclaimed Diablita, but she hadn't. That was another volume in the same series covering the South-west. It took nearly an hour before he found it at the back of a shelf, behind a row of trashy novels. He found himself thinking that he should tell Ontus Vanin about those.

Bugak wanted an arm and a leg for it, but the reporter haggled him down to something more reasonable, and they left the shop with their precious find. They walked down the road to the Five Claws Lodge to celebrate with a cool ale.

"Is our island on those charts?" asked Diablita. He assumed it must be, as they covered the right general area. They didn't know what anybody called it, so they couldn't consult the index. They'd have to search every page, and see if anything looked right.

He opened the book up on a table in the room at the back of the bar. There were numerous small islands on every page, but none of them looked quite right. That cluster was almost the same as they remembered it, and the shape of the main island was correct, but the small islands to the west were missing.

"I remember vaguely when the furthest one came out of the sea," said Angeline. "We'd been used to seeing a column of steam rising from the western horizon. It seemed to be rising straight off the water. But then one night we could see fire, too. We all watched the glow at the 'edge of the world'. It was like a second sunset for a while."

"And in the morning we could see a little bump on the horizon where the glow had been," Diablita continued. "There was still a lot of fire and steam and smoke, so it wasn't easy to make anything out. After a few days it stopped, and we could see there was another lttle island out there, the same conical shape as our own, but smaller."

The reporter turned back to the front of the book, and looked at the date it was published. If the charts weren't all new when they were bound together, then it was likely that some, including the one they'd just been looking at, were older than the sisters. It was probable that this really was their Island, mapped before the newer volcanoes erupted.

But it didn't have a name. Just a note in the margin that there was safe anchorage there from storms. That suggested that it had been uninhabited when the chart was drawn, or they'd most likely have named it for whoever lived there. So it was reasonable to assume that the two magical mothers had only arrived shortly before they gave birth. A year or two at the most. Did they all arrive together? Did their father find them there?

They needed to go back to Anvil to deliver the book. The reporter remembered that an old Khajiit sea-captain called S'shani lived there. It was worth asking him if he knew anything about the island, or even their parents.

---

S'shani was in the Count's arms talking to Varulae about the island when they walked in. Talk about coincidence! He'd passed it many times, but never had to stop there for bad weather. He didn't recall hearing about anyone living there either, but it was twenty years ago now, and he wasn't completely certain of his recollections.

The names Diabla and Angela were familiar, though. He'd heard that they had a shop in Senchal, selling alchemical equipment and potions, and all sorts of magical stuff. He'd never met them, because that wasn't what he dealt in. It was all a bit too fragile, and he preferred cargoes of cloth or timber, and weapons and armor when it was legal to carry them.

Anyhow, there was another merchant in the city that dealt in the same goods, and the rumor was that he was determined to put them out of business, by any means fair or foul. Some had said that the Dark Brotherhood had been involved, but he didn't know any details. The next time he went back to Senchal, the two women had disappeared, and the time after that, the other merchant had gone, too.

"Did your mothers look like you?" he asked, even if it was a silly question. Girls always looked like their mothers. "I see that I missed a great opportunity back then." The way he said that, the reporter knew that their father hadn't been around in Senchal.

He saw two possible scenarios. Either Jak'l had been the Silencer himself, and he'd decided to keep the women alive, or else he'd killed the Silencer. Either way, it looked like Jak'l had killed the merchant, and probably fled from the law after doing so.

---

Now they'd delivered Varulae's book, they had nothing to do but wait for the monument to be finished. The Serpents Wake had returned to Anvil, leaving Varulae's crystal ball with Terranis. When the work was complete, he'd send her a message, and the ship could come and pick up the crew.

It was time to see if the sisters could sleep in their rooms at Arborwatch, so he sent them there while he returned to the city to check in at the Red Dragon Club. When he went back his Waterfront shack, he found Islief waiting with a note. "This came from Anvil," he told the reporter.

S'shani had remembered another detail after they left. There had been a fence he'd met in Senchal that brought stolen goods down from Leyawiin to sell in the bazaar. He'd often buy things from S'shani to take back with him. He was an Argonian named Dar-Jee, and he was only a youngster then. S'shani suspected he'd still be doing the same today. He might have known Diabla and Angela, too.

Now he wished he'd brought the sisters with him. He considered going to Leyawiin on his own, but if Dar-Jee did know anything, he'd want them to hear it first-hand. He set off for Chorrol to fetch them.

---

Dar-Jee remembered the two women in the magic shop. "Nice people to do business with, and everyone in Senchal liked them. Except for that Arvin Dereleth. He wanted them dead. In a big way. The only thing they sold in common was a few spells, but that was enough for Arvin to hate them."

"Normally his brother did all the dirty work for him. But he'd caught that Vampire disease, and we didn't see him any more. The word on the street was that Arvin had done the Night Mother Ritual, and called on the Dark Brotherhood to kill them." The Argonian paused and scratched his head. "I recall someone saying that they'd seen Slythe Dereleth, that's the one who became a Vampire, up by Nornalhorst. Maybe that's where he got infected, or else he went there to join them."

"I think someone killed Arvin, just after Diabla and Angela disappeared. He certainly went missing, and in Senchal, that was usually the same thing. Sometimes you'd find a body floating in the harbor, but most times, they were under a rock at the bottom." As an Argonian, he was more familiar with the bottom of the harbor than most.

That was at least a clue. Nornalhorst might provide some more answers to the mystery of Jak'l, and his two consorts.

The sisters had been in Ayleid ruins before, and found conjurers, and undead, and trolls, but they hadn't encountered Vampires. "Could we get that disease, too?" they asked. It was possible, but carrying some Mandrake root would mean that they didn't have to worry about it. They could just eat some of that after they came back out, and it would cure any infection they'd picked up. The Vampires themselves would be much more of a worry. They were unusually strong, although they were vulnerable to fire and especially sunlight.

Diablita was happy to have her pitchfork. Those fireballs would be just the thing for fighting Vampires, she hoped. Angeline dropped into the Mages Guild before she left Leyawiin, and made sure she had a fire spell, too.

Nornalhorst was quite a long way north of Leyawiin, between Bravil and Skingrad, near the Elsweyr border. They passed Fort Black Boot on the way there, and he told the sisters about Freija's performance, clearing out the conjurers. And about Aranxa, the huge Xivilai woman they'd met. She had horns, and didn't wear any clothes. He thought about that for a moment or two. Prizna had horns, and didn't wear any clothes. Did that explain anything about Diablita?

"I wear armor," she pointed out.

He took a look at the armor she was wearing now. She'd got some newer plate, and replaced the scale that she'd been using, but it still didn't cover what he thought it should. He decided not to argue the point, just appreciate the view.

They entered the Ayleid ruin through the usual double stone doors and moved cautiously along the corridors. He knew that Vampires used invisibility to surprise their enemies, and he had a detect life spell as a counter. It didn't reach far, so they were moving slowly.

The three of them working together were a formidable force, and they didn't have too much trouble with the Vampires. The traps were another matter. He almost walked into a swinging blade while he was scanning ahead with his detect life. And another room filled with gas when they entered, and they had to rush back out before they could breathe.

But the last Vampire put down his weapons when he saw the sisters. He walked over and said "It can't be them. They're too young!"

This was Slythe Dereleth, the brother of the Senchal merchant. He corrected the tale they'd been told. He hadn't disappeared here because he'd become a Vampire, that had happened long before. He was a member of the Dark Brotherhood, and the combination of the two was a great asset when his brother needed him to lean on someone. Usually they were only too happy to do what he asked.

No, he'd come here to retire from all that after Arvin had finally gone too far. He was always a little paranoid, but he'd become completely obsessed with the idea that Angela and Diabla were spying on him. That was the reason for the success of their business, at the expense of his own. The fact that they were a much friendlier pair of salespeople never factored into his reasoning, if you could call it that.

He'd asked Slythe to kill them, and he'd refused. He'd frighten people for him, but he'd only kill for Sithis. So his accursed brother had done the Night Mother Ritual, and he'd been given the contract.

"Sithis only wants someone dead. It doesn't matter who it is, and a Silencer has considerable discretion in that regard. I chose to kill Arvin, rather than let this continue any further. He'd become insane anyway. He was no longer my brother. My only worry was that Sheogorath might already have his soul."

"My contract only mentioned the two women, not the man. I had no way of knowing if there was another to kill him. It seemed likely. I took the note I was given to them and explained what had happened. My advice was to leave Senchal and disappear."

"You can imagine my surprise when I thought I saw Angela and Diabla again. I realise now that these must be their daughters. Are the mothers well?"

The reporter told him of the house in the volcano, and then the whole story of how he met the sisters.

"A sad tale, but I have something here they might like," said Slythe. "Over there in that cask are a crystal ball and an hourglass. I took them from the shop in Senchal when Arvin believed that they were being used to spy on him. When he saw that they couldn't do that, he wanted to destroy them, so he hurled them to the ground. They bounced! It was quite unreal to see glassware behave like that. Apparently they were just display items that had been enchanted so they wouldn't break. But Arvin was convinced that they must be something much more sinister, and wanted me to go find an Oblivion Gate and throw them in the lava."

"I think that's when I started to believe that he'd gone completely out of his mind."

It turned out that the crystal ball had belonged to Diabla, and the hourglass to Angela. Their names were engraved on the metal parts. That was the opposite of what the reporter had expected. Doesn't a mystic use a crystal ball, and an alchemist use an hourglass?

Well, yes, but that's why these were the ones on display in the shop. Diabla would be using her own hourglass all the time, and Angela wouldn't leave a regular crystal ball where anyone could knock it off its stand. And the ones on display got that a lot. You couldn't believe how clumsy some customers were. So that's why they were enchanted to make them unbreakable, too. It made them unusable for their regular purpose, but it was just right for a shop sample that stood on the counter all the time.

---

The two items were solemnly placed in prominent locations in their rooms at Arborwatch. They had amulets and rings that their mothers had owned, but the two women had tended to share those. These were the first items that belonged specifically to their respective mothers, so they were extra-special. It appeared that having them helped them sleep in their own beds, too. Not that he'd have minded the company.

The reporter lay in his bed alone, turning over the things that they'd found out. The investigative journalist part of him couldn't let go of the mystery that the sisters' parents represented. Now he knew that Jak'l wasn't the Silencer, and hadn't killed Arvin, who and what was he? And more important, what had he done to deserve two women, who apparently were happy enough together before he met them?

Perhaps what he'd done was what was asleep across the hall. If the women had wanted children, they'd have needed some help. But then why had he stayed with them? Was it just the timing of Arvin's attempt to have them killed?

And where had they come from? The Silencer's note said the Southern Continent, but there was no such thing. Pyandonea was just a large island, and the people there were Maormer, who looked nothing like these two. Angeline could pass for a Breton, if she died her hair, but Diablita was totally unlike any other race he'd heard of. He assumed that the origin there was just a guess on the part of the Listener, or maybe that detail had come from Arvin's deranged mind when he performed the ritual.

He made up his mind to do another search of the Island when they went back to see the new monument. That wouldn't be for a while yet, however. Didn't Terranis say it would take him a whole month?

This post has been edited by ghastley: Dec 3 2012, 02:17 AM

[Acadian]

A tale that spans quite a bit of Tamriel!

I quite enjoyed your depiction of Senchal. It is indeed quite a rough port, rife with pirates.

[Grits]

A quest to search every bookstore in Cyrodiil really warms my heart. Oh darn, it’s not here. We’ll have to visit another bookstore! I love the detail about the new parts of the island chain.

Lots of great history filled in by Slythe. The image of Clark tossing and turning over the remaining questions made me smile. He is going to need his rest!

[mALX]

I have to come back and read this after some sleep - been up two days, my husband fell through a roof on a construction site - URK! He is home and okay now. "I'll be back!" (said in Arnold voice)

[mALX]

*

Loved Bugak gro-Bol's depiction here - spot on, Maxical has had the same reception there! Lol. Also loved Dar-Jee here, the story about Slythe Dereleth becoming a vampire - setting the stage for a trip to Nornalhorst!

This chapter is really a series of treks, each with its own interesting parts! I like that Slythe would "frighten people" for them but only kill for Sithis - what a touch!

Slythe's story about why he killed Arvin was hilarious! ROFL !!!! (he must have lost his mind! SPLAT! ROFL !!!)

Great chapter! What a creative mind you have!


*

[ghastley]

@Acadian: I was disappointed to find that Elsweyr Anequina didn't include Senchal. I was seriously considering an addition to the Red Dragon Club arc of quests down there if it did. Riverhold already got a mention, but nothing happened there (yet?) Since Elsweyr secedes shortly after Black Marsh, it should be seeing some activity around this time (early fourth Era) and our man should be getting involved.

@Grits: The volcano stuff is mainly background for when they return there, but it adds to the timeline too. I still haven't decided the parents true story, so I think I'll probably leave a whole bunch of clues that could be true or false, and leave the reporter confused for a bit longer.

@mALX: There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" in the quests here, so it does become a bit of a question of doing multiple things on multiple questlines just to fill in the time, when you play it. Trekking across country does kill a lot of time! I'm trying to put that across in this account, without losing the thread, so it gets a bit choppy around now.

So to make it worse, I'm narrating another questline that neither the Champion, nor the reporter is much involved in. It needs to be completed for later events in the story, so I picked a character to do it, that we already met.

-----------

Monument - Interlude

The sisters may have been able to sleep alone, now, but that didn't mean they wanted to. And they still preferred to do things together. "I need to look after her, and she looks after me." Angeline told him.

Diablita put it slightly differently. "Nobody's allowed to harm my sister but me."

So that meant they either went off adventuring together, and he had nobody sharing his bed, or else they were both back, and he had as much as he could handle. And they'd got to know their way around without taking him as a guide, so he wasn't feeling very useful here in Chorrol, except in the evenings. That was nice, but he wanted to be part of the rest of their days, too. Maybe they needed some time on their own, so that they'd start to miss him.

He needed to get back to the Imperial City, or maybe Bruma. Anvil could wait until the month was up, and he really didn't have anything lined up in the other cities. He also should find himself another job as cover. "Adventurer" had appealed once, until he found out what it entailed. He'd leave that to the sisters, who seemed to be enjoying it.

Perhaps he should write a book. Casta Scribonia managed to make a living from it, as did Quill-Weave , her friend in Anvil. He'd want to write a novel, not guide books like Alessia Ottus wrote. He was sure most of the copies of those were bought by people who didn't read them, like inn-keepers who just wanted to put them on the shelves for their guests. He'd read one once, and didn't intend doing that again.

The Bear Riders would make a good basis for a story. They were glamorous, and adventurous, and dedicated. Not only that, but they wanted the publicity to help with recruiting. That was what Gudrun's job was all about, looking good and acting as a role-model.

He'd heard that the Champion of Cyrodiil had known most of them. And that he'd had a hand in getting the Lodge built. That angle was always good for an author. Famous names help sell copies, just as they did for the Black Horse Courier.

He'd need supplies, like notebooks, quills and ink. He'd be able to get those in the Market District in the Imperial City. He headed back to his shack there to make a shopping list.

---

A light knock at his door made him wonder if Carwen had come to visit again. But when he opened the door, it wasn't a Bosmer standing there, it was a Dunmer, Minx!

"Remember me?" she asked.

He remembered her, but he'd have a little fun before he'd admit it. "Perhaps. What were you wearing when we met?" he asked her.

"I'll show you," she replied, pushing him back into the shack and lifting up her skirt.

---

Minx had gone back to Leyawiin with the other gang members, Lynch and Wrath, when they got let out of jail at the end of their short sentence. Without Selene's leadership, they weren't much use as a gang, and they'd split up to make their fortunes separately. Minx had met an Altmer that liked the idea of tying her up, and she thought he'd be her meal ticket for a while. But he turned out to be a sadist that left her strapped to the bed for hours, and did nothing she considered fun. "I guess he cured me of that," she said ruefully.

She'd come back to the Waterfront to look for work, and one of the beggars had recognised her. She was directed to this shack, although they wouldn't say why. "I don't think they trust me all that much," she admitted. It turned out that she wasn't a member of the Thieves Guild. The Blackwater Gang had all been freelancers. She'd like to join the Guild, but she didn't know where to start. He didn't either, but Carwen would.

They put some clothes on, and went along the street to the "Bosmer shack", as he thought of it. Carwen remembered Minx from that night at the Bloated Float and welcomed her as an old friend. Even if they had only met once, that was an occasion to remember! Yes, it would be possible for Minx to join the Guild, but she'd have to prove herself first. "Go see Armand Cristophe in the garden at midnight," she told Minx. "He'll give you an initiation test - in thieving. He already knows what else you do!" Minx remembered Armand, and blushed.

They went together, even though the reporter had no intention of joing the Thieves Guild himself. He wanted to let them know he wasn't a informer. He may have been a spy, but he wouldn't report on his friends.

Armand knew his face, and probably remembered a lot more of Minx, judging by the big grin he gave her. He had another hopeful waiting to be tested for admission, an Argonian named Amusei. "Since I've got three candidates, I'll make it a contest," he began. The reporter pointed out that he wasn't here to join, but Armand continued anyway. "The first one to bring me the diary of Amantius Allectus will become a member of the Guild," he announced. "You may not kill anyone on this mission, we're not the Dark Brotherhood, after all. And if you don't want to join, just don't bring me the diary."

Minx and Amusei didn't know their way around the city very well, which was one of the reasons this test had been set. They'd get to learn a bit about the local geography, as well as having their burglary skills tested. The reporter had lived in the city a long time, so he knew exactly where to go.

Once Amusei had headed off towards the Elven Gardens, the reporter led Minx to the Temple District and the Allectus house. He waited outside and kept watch, while she picked the lock on the door and fetched the diary.

Then they went back to Armand and Minx handed it over. "OK, you're now officially a thief, with the rank of Pickpocket" he told her. "Amusei will have to try another task when he gets back, if he hasn't got himself completely lost."

He addressed the reporter. "And you're not a thief, but we will treat you as one of our own. I suppose that's what you wanted to hear?" Armand had the right idea. That's why he was the doyen, he was smarter than your average thief.

He turned back to Minx and gave her the induction speech, with all the rules of the Guild. He made sure the reporter overheard them, and understood them too. Minx kissed them both, and took the reporter's arm to go back to his shack.

He steered her towards the Bosmer shack instead. He wanted to ask Carwen to take Minx under her wing, and show her the ropes as a rookie thief. He didn't have that kind of training, and didn't know where to get it, but even he could see that Minx could use a bit of extra skill. Perhaps Carwen would know a Sneak or Security trainer.

Carwen insisted that Minx stay with her, and she could teach her a few things before Mandil or Othrelos took over. There was plenty of room in the shack without Adanrel and Methredhel. Minx wanted to know where they'd gone. Carwen told her about their steady boyfriends in the city. "They come back from time to time, but not together, so there's always a bed free."

When she said "bed" they both looked at the reporter. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Carwen asked Minx. Minx nodded her head, and flashed a wicked grin.

---

"Aren't you going to untie me?" he asked.

"Do you think he could manage one more time?" Minx asked Carwen.

"He might, but I don't think I could," she replied. "Let him loose if you're finished, I'm hitting my pillow anyway." Minx untied him, but went back with him to sleep in his shack.

---

He didn't see Minx for about a week after that. When she turned up again, she told him she'd been busy raising her status with the Guild by stealing things and fencing them, and then Armand had asked her to get the Waterfront's taxes back from Heironymus Lex's quarters in the South Watchtower. "I guess I was supposed to sneak in and steal them without being seen," she said, "but I got spotted going up the first ladder. Fortunately, the nice legionary who looked up and saw me noticed I wasn't wearing any panties. You can imagine how I paid the fine. I went up and stole the taxes back when he fell asleep."

"Then they wanted me to steal the bust of Lysatha Indarys from Cheydinhal. That took some real sneaking, but there was only the one guard, so it wasn't too difficult for me. It turned out that it was really all a plot to frame that Myrvyna Arano for the theft. She was spying on the Guild for Lex!"

The reporter was a bit alarmed at that. Myrvyna could have been reporting on him to the Thalmor, too. No, he was beginning to think like Lathenil. He had to stop that!

Minx couldn't stay. She had to go down to Leyawiin and see someone called Ahdarji. Another job for the Guild. He was glad to see her applying herself to something, even if it wasn't him.

He needed to apply himself to his book, soon. And the first thing was research. Bruma it was then. He could stay at Olaf's, if he was on his own. That would let him finally get to see Uzgash perform.

[mALX]

ROFL! The reporter getting caught being part of the Thieves Guild, lol. Love how you slipped in the reporter being tied up there, ROFL !! Great Write!

[Acadian]

I agree that Senchal would be neat to have in the Elsweyr mod, but Lliana did such a wonderful job with what she did provide, and her focus was on the Anequina portion. I found Corinthe to be a real jewel of a city that really speaks to me of the whold province.

‘And they'd got to know their way around without taking him as a guide, so he wasn't feeling very useful here in Chorrol, except in the evenings.’
Poor boy toy reporter. Lol, I think I’m going to join Grits in calling him Clark Kent.

Heh, I enjoyed Clark’s ‘endorsment’ of Cyrodiil’s city guide books and their authoress.

Minx! The name says it all. And it would appear she has quite the way with the Legion when caught with her panties down off.

[Grits]

Yay, Minx! It sounds like she was the first to teach Carwen a few things.

Off to Bruma for some novel writing! I think that Clark is going to be very good at thoroughly researching his subjects.

[ghastley]

@mALX: I'd already established that Minx is a bit into that when we first met her on the Bloated Float, and that she liked Clark our protagonist, so I'm making it her hallmark.

@Acadian: Corinthe was particularly well done as far as it went, but annoyingly incomplete. There are quite a few unused buildings with doors that just indicate "Corinthe House" because nobody lives/works there yet. The Rimmen area is part of the map, but there's only woodland when you go there, and Senchal's behind invisible walls, so you can't even go survey the site. Everything that's in the mod, I like, but I wish it was all there.

Still, I might think about a quest across into Riverhold, since that's quite well completed, and it's close to the border.

@Grits: He prides himself on the depth of his research. Of course he can't write about Uzgash, since they're both dead. Gudrun's becoming a better topic for his stories these days.

I may have to start calling him Clark myself, as he's not "the reporter" any more, even if I do keep using that.

----------

Monument - Interlude II

He stowed his travelling gear in the chest in his room at the Tap & Tack, and set the little crystal ball Varulae had given him on the table next to the bed. This one was cloudy, unlike the big clear one they'd rescued from the spectral sailors. So you couldn't see anything in it, but she'd told him to come back to Anvil if it glowed. He recalled Uzgash describing ones like this for calling her to Falkreath.

He changed his mind about leaving it there. He didn't really trust that Ongar didn't have access to this room. That man would steal anything that wasn't nailed down, even a low-valued item like this. He put it in his pocket instead. It may not be worth much to anyone else, but it was important to him.

He headed out of the city gate and up the road towards the Riders' Lodge. None of the Riders was in the bar when he arrived, and Timo wasn't to be seen either. That could mean he was busy with Gudrun, or else he'd gone into town for the day. Someone had told him that Lyra Rosentia had an occasional need for Timo's recharging services.

Gudrun's door was open, so he wasn't interrupting anything. But he couldn't see her for a pile of small boxes on her desk. She heard him come in, and came around the heap to greet him.

"These are all gifts from that Hafid Hollow-leg in town," she explained. "Ever since he found out that I'd danced at Olaf's, he's been trying to persuade me to do it at his place. He sends flowers, wine, sweetrolls, all sorts of stuff. All with a little note attached."

The reporter confessed that he'd probably heard it from him. "Oh, don't blame yourself for that," she said. "Everybody in town knows who I am, so it would have got around anyway."

"Has Uzgash been getting the same treatment?" he asked.

"No, I don't think Hafid is the kind who'd want an Orc in his place at all. He's always treated Bumph gra-Gash as if she didn't exist, so I reckon he'd want a dancer who wasn't an Orc."

"Plus, he has no idea where she's living. She appears out of nowhere at Olaf's every Loredas, and leaves the following morning. Everyone thinks she has a farm outside town somewhere, but she's not giving any clues. And most townsfolk don't venture outside the walls these days, not after that Draconis woman was murdered.
About the only one who goes out is Honmund, and I'd swear that man doesn't notice any woman except Alga!"

"Of course, it's my job to get noticed. That's one reason I didn't mind stepping in for Uzgash that night. I'd do it again, if she asked me to. But that's for her, not for Olaf, and certainly not for Hafid. He can promise me all the gold on Nirn, and it won't do him any good."

"But how do I get him to stop? He just won't take No for an answer!"

The reporter had an idea. She'd mentioned Bumph gra-Gash, who trained Heavy Armor over at the Fighters Guild. It made sense that Gudrun would know her, as that was an essential part of a Bear Rider's training too. It was said that she'd only train Fighters Guild members, but he wasn't sure if the Legion were an exception to that.

He'd met a couple of Orc brothers in Chorrol, who were also members of the Fighters Guild. Kurz and Lum gro-Baroth were as big as they came, and quite an intimidating pair until you got to know them. He wondered if Bumph knew them, and if they'd all like to help out a fellow Orc.

She didn't, but she'd like to. And his plan appealed to her sense of justice, too. She could send a message to Chorrol and invite them to visit, if they weren't busy on a contract. The offer of free training might help them make up their minds.

---

A couple of days later the three Orcs were enjoying an ale or two at Olaf's when the reporter came down from his room. He sat down at the table opposite them; the two brothers were either side of Bumph, and vying for her attention. He explained his idea to them.

They were going to pay a visit to Hafid and explain how his plans for a dancer of his own wouldn't be in the best interests of their Orcish cousin at Olaf's. "There's no need to mention a name. He'll know who you mean." And if it wasn't good for her, then it might not be good for Hafid, either.

"Hafid's got a big guy working as a bouncer. Logvaar's a good man, and we wouldn't him getting involved. He could get hurt if he tries to stop us leaning on Hafid." Bumph gra-Gash liked the big Nord. He didn't treat her like Hafid did.

"Don't worry about him. I'll keep him calm." The reporter demonstrated that he could cast that spell without being noticed, by using it on Alval Uvani, who everyone knew for his bad temper. "How delightful to meet you all!"

---

Hafid understood what he was being told. The stream of gifts to Gudrun dried up as swiftly as it had begun. But she was still concerned about Uzgash. "Even though he doesn't know who she is yet, Hafid's still a threat to her anonymity."

Just then, Uzgash herself came in to the office. She'd heard that the reporter was in town, and wanted to say hello. Not to mention catching up with all the intrigue she'd missed from the capital. "I could put up with being out of touch when I was on patrol on the Wrothgarians, because I knew I'd get all the news as soon as I got back to the Iron Fortress. Here in Bruma, nobody knows what's going on outside the city walls."

"I make a point of picking up the strangers in town, when they come into Olaf's, but they're not in the know either. I haven't heard a thing from Orsinium in weeks, and little of what's happening in Cyrodiil."

"I've trained Timo about as far as I can. He's enthusiastic, but not a great scholar of the art. Journeyman is about as far as he'll get."

"And the patrols I make are just enough to keep the bear exercised, not really anything useful. I thought I'd be able to settle in here for a few years, until it all blew over, but I'm restless already. I need my finger on the political pulse, and I don't have that here. I can't go back to Orsinium, not until my father calls me back. And I don't even know if he thinks I'm really dead!"

Uzgash would rather be in the Imperial City, where she could keep an eye on events. "I could take your old job," she suggested. "They need another reporter, don't they?"

Sadly, he'd already been replaced, by another Khajiit. A cousin, this time.

But the Red Dragon Club didn't have an Orc, or a dancer. He'd take her there, and introduce her to Taminwe. "And Gudrun can take over at Olaf's. She was a rousing success when she performed, and she tells me she needs the exercise." The reporter ducked as Gudrun threw one of the boxes at him.

She picked up another. But she didn't throw it. Her expression changed to a more thoughtful one. "You know, maybe it's not such a bad idea. It would serve Hafid right if Olaf still had the only dancer in town. I did enjoy doing it, even if I will have to stay in shape. I think I'll start riding the spare bear the rest of the week to exercise both of us. I assume you won't be taking him to the City, Uzgash?"

"I'd be happy to leave him with you, but you'll have to get a different outfit for riding. You know they can't stand plate, even as little as you wear." Uzgash pondered for a moment, while the reporter pleasantly imagined Gudrun riding naked. "I can leave you mine. If the stripper clothes fit you, then the uniform should too."

That accounted for all the clothes Uzgash had here in Bruma. Gudrun, on the other hand, had a full wardrobe from her shopping trips to the city office, so she let Uzgash try some on, while she checked out Uzgash's outfit.

They let him watch.

---

Of course he had to repay their kindness, and to make matters worse, Uzgash wanted to leave Bruma before daybreak, so that nobody but the guards would be about. He was still yawning as he collected his things from Olaf's and met her out on the Silver Road. "Why is your pocket glowing?" she asked him. In the half-light, he could see it too. It was Varulae's signal ball, but this was way too soon!

Well, he'd have to pass through the outskirts of the city to get to Anvil, so it didn't make much difference to the first part of his journey. It just meant he'd not be able to stay after he dropped her off at the Club. He wouldn't be able to get to Chorrol first, either, to pick up the sisters.

He explained to Uzgash what the glowing ball meant. That in turn required him to tell her all about Angeline and Diablita. By the time he'd finished the whole story, they were crossing the Talos Bridge.

Taminwe welcomed Uzgash to the club, and the two women went off planning how to add dancing to the entertainment in the bar. Enilwen was getting interested in that idea, too. Perhaps it was a Bosmer thing?

He hurried to get back on the road. Varulae wanted him down in Anvil early, and he had no idea why.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Jan 2 2013, 06:02 PM