I got lucky because I was starting to think something was wrong with the game. He boosted the disp. of the first two monks somewhere between 75 and 85, yet they were still denying information. The third guy gave it up though. I can't wait to see what happens next.

If there's any sort of combat, Kahreem might have to go back to Cheydinhal for awhile. His armor & club are pretty beat up, and I don't want to see him get pwned or anything.

@Renee - I essentialized Brandy as soon as Oberon got it, if developers cheat by making essential NPCs and horses, so can we, right?

@Acadian - since Snowdrift Manor is part of Better Cities, I wasn't too sure whether an Oblivion gate could potentially open in its place. Fortunately that location isn't meant to be as a spawning point for gates, though.

@Grits - let's hope the young mage comes up with something meaningful regarding Oberon's alter ego. Though I imagine it must be rather difficult to find the meaning behind some things that happened two hundred years ago.

--

XIII
Subtitle: Not a chance, Mr. Lachance

I took my sweet time getting allies for Bruma. Partially because it felt good that the destiny of entire Cyrodiil depended on me and partially because I get distracted way too easily, whether it was a Daedric shrine hidden in the forest, a remote inn, a long-abandoned Ayleid ruin and because when I sometimes think of my name, it's only a game.

Since I was famous and capable, most Daedric Gods (or Goddesses, if you prefer it that way), found me worthy enough to talk to me but if it was possible, I cheated them in return, like I did with Clavicus Vile. He wanted me to kill Umbra and fetch her eponymous sword for him – at first I intended not to kill the girl but she was the one that didn’t allow me to leave in peace so I was forced to remove her, yet I didn’t return Umbra to Clavicus. If he at least had something useful to offer me in return, not some ugly mask which for some reason would boost how I look like, despite being as ugly as a scamp’s bottom. No sword, no mask, but I kept the sword so I successfully cheated the Daedra.

Shortly after my dealings with Clavicus, I discovered a small yet cozy village called Pell’s Gate. Conveniently there was a small shack by the river for sale and it was so cheap, I couldn’t resist buying it. It was nothing compared to my Snowdrift Manor but it’d serve me as a great place to spend the night whenever I’d be in that area. Not to mention marvelous sunsets.

My second night in the Riverside Shack was disturbed first by cold air, followed by a visit from a Speaker of the Dark Brotherhood. Ooooh! It seemed I accidentally killed someone who wasn’t supposed to be killed, that is, if I correctly interpreted the man in black's words. I think it must have happened in Fort Homestead north of Pell’s Gate, there was a fight between some people – I assumed they were all bandits – and so maybe I accidentally brought down the wrong one.

I let Lachance speak for a while but when he mentioned that he’s a part of the Black Hand, the ruling body of the Dark Brotherhood, I merrily told him that the Hand was just about to lose a middle finger. He got my message and the battle began – I lured him outside the Riverside shack because I didn’t want his corpse to litter my newly-bought estate once I’d finish him off.

He was quite a skilled fighter, not to mention that I was fighting him in my loincloth and with some crappy blade he gave me as a welcome gift, so I wasn’t really at my best. Nonetheless, I brought the man in black down and hid his corpse close to some cave a distance south of Pell’s Gate, in case his dark brothers or sisters came looking for him.

--

"Hmm...nothing of particular importance in this entry except the death of infamous Lucien Lachance," muttered Urag as he finished reading entry XIII. "Only two more left, from what I see. We're getting close to the end of the Oblivion Crisis."

He looked over the counter at the young Dark Elf whom he sent in search of other books about the Champion of Cyrodiil. He returned a few days ago with a backpack full of books, most of whom unfortunately proved to be worthless, though there were a few, that required thorough reading and Urag appointed the Dark Elf to study them.

"Any hints about alter ego?" Urag asked.

"Ermm...not really. I mean...not directly," answered the Dark Elf.

"What is that supposed to mean - not directly?" Urag asked, clearly annoyed because of the unclear answer.

"One of the books which I found, lists titles of almost every painting made by Colla Gius for Oberon. And..."

"Aaaand?"

"...and one of these pics features Oberon standing in some tavern, according to the title it's in Rosana's Tavern, which was an inn in the Waterfront."

"And what does any of this have to do with alter ego?"

"You see, master..." the Dark Elf stood up and brought the book closer to Urag. "The title of this painting is Alleri Boreno."

"Hmmm..." Urag wrinkled his forehead, "clearly an anagram of Lariel Oberon. But what does it mean? And why would he need another name?"

"I don't know", said the Dark Elf.

"Neither do I," said Urag. "But...there is one sentence in the latest entry which says 'when I sometimes think of my name, it's only a game'. Maybe this is another Oberon's hint at something...I don't know at what but it's something. Some thing."

"So we assume that Alleri Boreno was the Champion's alter ego?" insecurely asked the student.

"Perhaps. Perhaps it was vice versa. Not that this brings us any closer to the solution of the riddle. New assignment, student...what's your name, by the way?"

"Methis, sir."

"Well, Mathias, your new assignment is to find out more about Alleri Boreno! Off with you now, duty calls."

Too bad Umbra had to be taken out – she can indeed be both cantankerous and rather inflexible when you first meet her. One of the highlights of Buffy’s OB playthroughs is her self-imposed task of ‘rescuing’ her sister Bosmer who has been cursed by the sword Umbra. This involves disarming her without harming her (that is the big challenge). Then returning her safely to her hometown of Pells Gage and disposing of the evil sword in a daedric lava pool somewhere. Here’s an old screenie of Buffy [url=Too bad Umbra had to be taken out – she can indeed be both cantankerous and rather inflexible when you first meet her. One of the highlights of Buffy’s OB playthroughs is her self-imposed task of ‘rescuing’ her sister Bosmer who has been cursed by the sword Umbra. This involves disarming her without harming her (that is the big challenge). Then returning her safely to her hometown of Pells Gage and disposing of the evil sword in a daedric lava pool somewhere. Here’s an old screenie of Buffy delivering her newly salvaged friend to Pells Gate.

Anyway, poor Oberon is then awakened by Lucian LaChance – giving him the middle finger seems appropriate. Cute how he took care that Lucian’s ‘permacorpse’ would not trash his new little Pells Cottage. And Urag + apprentice debate the ‘alter ego’ mystery. Hmm, the only possible clue that I (normally pretty clueless when it comes to mysteries) see is that the painting was made in the Waterfront – home to the Thieves Guild. . . . We shall see!

Anyway, poor Oberon is then awoken by Lucian LaChance – giving him the middle finger seems appropriate. Cute how he took care that Lucian’s ‘permacorpse’ would not trash his new little Pells Cottage.

And Urag + apprentice debate the ‘alter ego’ mystery. Hmm, the only possible clue that I (normally pretty clueless when it comes to mysteries) see is that the painting was made in the Waterfront – home to the Thieves Guild. . . . We shall see!

So, Kahreem is about to steal the stone, Oberon has killed LaChance and Acadian made a weird post. Got it



Loved that pic of Cyrodiilic Buffy! I so remember it from long ago!

Wow holy [censored], Oberon killed Lucien? You go brother. I've only heard this sort of thing in legend. I think at least one of mine (probably Eradi~Kate) has tried to bring him down, but he's way too quick. I am glad to hear Oberon did not just cater to that daedric lord. Ha hah....

And then that's pretty neat about the anagram bit. Mystery! ...

mirocu: Chances are Kahreem will go to Cheydinhal first. His gear is pretty beat up. I have no idea what's about to happen, but I'm guessing some sort of confrontation. So chances are he'll go back to Cheydinhal, which means he'll go to jail of course. But at least he'll be alive. He won't just get smashed by whatever we're assuming is in that temple.

Acadian: What's Buffy smiling about in that pic? She appears to be looking at something, or someone.

I like to think she just thought of me...

I don't know why Buffy is smiling but I certainly know why is Lenwin.

I just figured she was smiling at one of the Pells Gate residents. . . but now that I think about it, I bet mirocu is right.

Thanks all!

@Acadian - a nice to approach to solving Umbra's problem in Buffy's case! I expected for Oberon not being able to calm her down so I changed her stats in the CS, making her easier to defeat.

--

XIV

I acquired help from all Counts except Anvil's because closing the Oblivion gates was getting on my nerves by that time and I always chose the shortest possible route to get through the demonic realm. When I closed the gate threatening Skingrad, though it wasn't really a threat because it's been located far away from town walls, I didn't feel like riding to Kvatch or Anvil to get two soldiers more, besides Savlian was better off protecting the ruined town and watching over its survivors.

Before returning to Bruma, I ventured deep below Miscarcand, another haunted Ayleid Ruin, where the Great Welkynd Stone was held - an artifact required to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise. So now we had almost everything, only one more item was missing and that was the Great Sigil Stone which could obviously only be obtained from the Great Gate, that type of the gate that was responsible for the destruction of Kvatch.

Martin was the intelligent one, he had a solution to everything and he didn't disappoint this time either. His plan, known by entire Tamriel by now was to let the Great Gate open outside of Bruma and while Blades and all soldiers which were sent to aid Bruma, were busy fighting Daedra pouring from the gates, I rushed right in the Great Gate, in search of the Great Sigil Stone. It was more or less a race against time, were I to fight every Daedra that attacked me, the Siege Crawler, the machine responsible for ravaging Kvatch, would made it out of the Gate straight to Bruma and destroy it just like it destroyed Kvatch.

So with a horde of Daedra running behind me, I made it atop the Sigil Tower and removed the Great Stone, closing the Great Gate and allowing Martin to open a portal to Camoran's Paradise in the Cloud Ruler Temple. The Paradise was lovely to look at but that's all there was to it - the stupid High Elf kept talking in my head how what I see, is the vision of the future, but watching deers being chased by Frost Atronachs, Daedroths butchering fallen Mythic Dawn members, didn't appeal to my kind of the future.

I met Mankar Camoran and his undying children for the last time in Mankar's Palace. Not that I'm bragging while in fact I am, but I expected more from the Old and Ugly himself. Of course my entire set of chainmail armor was enchanted with powerful magic resistance but still, the Camorans went down almost too easily. As the Palace began to crumble I tried to take the Amulet from Mankar's body but it just wouldn't unsnap! So I had no other option but to hold it firmly waiting for being teleported back to Cyrodiil and when it finally happened, I was standing in the middle of the Cloud Ruler Temple, holding Mankar's robe and staff in one hand and the Amulet of Kings in another.

I gladly returned the Amulet to Martin, actually he was now Emperor Martin Septim, the only person around whose neck the Amulet wouldn't unsnap, but I kept the robe and the staff as souvenirs from the forsaken Mankar Camoran's Paradise.

Renee, I laughed at hunter/trapper Rossgard’s offer of rat fur. Then I kept laughing. Kahreem was hilarious!

Lopov, great job of Oberon killing the middle finger and disposing of the corpse. Jerric met Lucian once and killed him. Lucian should know better than to wake some people up so rudely. Congratulations on retrieving the Amulet and restoring it to a Septim neck! Oberon’s observation that Martin’s Bruma Gate plan was now known to all of Tamriel made me grin.

Acadian, I love that picture of Buffy and Lenwin. I have never had a character manage the feat of removing the sword and restoring her sanity. Maybe some day.

Oberon’s logic about the cities makes sense when it comes to pursuing help from Anvil and Kvatch. Poor Kvatch needs to be left alone at this point and, after all, the rest of Cyrodiil was not exactly wetting itself to rush to Savlian’s aid when he needed it. That leaves Anvil too far away for too little gain.

Nice to see Oberon’s modesty and homage to the wisdom of Martin. Yes, the Champion of Cyrodiil is a hero, but so is Martin Septim.

Good job indeed both saving Bruma and enabling the opening of a portal to Paradise. Good riddance to the Camorans.

All that remains, it seems, is to crown Martin as Emperor! What could possibly go wrong?

I am SO glad that siege engine did not get a chance to ravage Bruma, good job Lariel.

This episode is very visual. You describe the events which took place well. And I am glad Martin is the one who has the Amulet of Kings. You never know, maybe Camron would have melted it down or something.


Grits: Thanks hon. I think it's funny too, but I'm way past my peak at this point. I'm not as funny as I was 2-3 years ago, but I try! So thanks.

@Grits - good to hear that Lucien no longer wakes clueless people up in Jerric's world either.

@Acadian - Oblivion's approach is unique in regard when it comes to our PC being the second-hand of the only man, capable of truly ending the Oblivion Crisis. In both SK and MW our PC is more or less the only person capable of restoring peace while Oblivion requires some teamwork, to speak figuratively

@Renee - the machine made it far into Cyrodiil and at first I thought that it's because Oberon closed the Gate in the last minute. Then I read on the UESP that no matter how quickly you close the gate, the Siege Crawler partially makes it to Cyrodiil.

--

XV

The final battle didn't take place outside Bruma or inside Camoran's Paradise, but in the very heart of the Empire - the Imperial City. Oblivion gates opened all over the town, Daedra poured out and this time their boss was walking alongside them - the Lord of Destruction himself came to ravage Cyrodiil.

Though some impressive paintings have been made of him, many people have been asking me over years how he actually looked like. As I wrote, he's accurately depicted in paintings but imagine a humongous four-handed red-skinned Orc with yellow teeth and earrings, wearing some skirt-like armor. He may have looked funny but in that time nobody laughed at him, not even me. Not to mention that when he stomped, entire ground shook and we all felt it. And I really mean this - when Dagon stomped, we felt it and we fell.

He was standing outside the entrance to the Temple of the One and while Martin knew that he had to get there he didn't know how to get inside. On the other hand, I didn't know why Martin had to go there but I knew how to get inside. A perfect couple, that's what we were! Most paths were blocked either by Oblivion gates, ruined trees or Daedra but the narrow street leading behind western and southern wall, past the All Saints Inn, was unguarded. I hastily led Martin to the Temple and we managed to get inside just in time when Dagon spotted us. And he immediately let us know that he spotted us because he crushed the roof of the Temple and barged inside.

My farewell with Martin was short and in that moment I had no idea that my friend is going to be lost forever. From what I understand, his blood joined with the blood held in the Amulet of Kings and the Emperor of Cyrodiil transformed into a giant dragon, the avatar of Akatosh. Dagon could swing at him or punch him as much as he wanted but Martin Akatosh had the last laugh by sinking his teeth straight to Dagon's neck, thus defeating his Tamrielic form, sending him back to Oblivion and closing gates all over Cyrodiil. I wished Martin and me would say more to each other but now when I think of it, maybe it's better how it was. Though we never said it openly, we both had a deep respect for one another.

Thus on the 7th of Sun's Dusk the Oblivion Crisis ended and Martin now stands in the Temple of the One, his soul entombed inside the big Dragon Statue, standing ever-vigilant over the Empire. Or perhaps he's sitting beside one of the Nine Divines high up in the sky, that's the least what he'd deserve for his courage. Chancellor Ocato proclaimed me the Champion of Cyrodiil and told me that he ordered a special set of armor to be made for me - like I cared! I have just lost a friend and the last thing I could care about, is some set of armor made especially for me. And I didn't even need it because my magic-resistant chainmail set served me just fine.

I didn't feel like staying in the Imperial City so together with Jauffre and Baurus we departed back north, they returned to the Cloud Ruler Temple while I went home to Snowdrift Manor. We exchanged a few words on the journey but most of the time we were silent, each of us a prisoner of his own thoughts, both good and bad.

I believe I have written about most memorable events from the Oblivion Crisis. Besides, I think that writing about too many details can do more harm than good and I don't want to bore readers any further. Maybe a few words about me for the conclusion.

I still call Cyrodiil my home and I don't intend to return to High Rock, though in fact I don't hail from there. Snowdrift Manor is my beloved home where we spend most of the time, occasionally traveling to the small shack in Pell's Gate during warmer seasons. By We I mean my wife Dynari and my daughter Martina - and every day, when I look at them, I see that staying in Cyrodiil was a wise decision.

Dynari and Martina are the only people that know my deepest secret - my name is not Lariel Oberon. And I'm not Alleri Boreno either. I'm not an agent and I wasn't born in High Rock and I certainly never worked for the High Court of High Rock.

Neither was I imprisoned because of drunkenness but because I had to paint Caula Voria, the late Emperor's wife yet because she was ugly as a troll, I couldn't picture her as a pretty lady. When she saw the portrait, she had me thrown to jail without her husband knowing. So in case it's not clear yet, I'm a painter by profession and my name is Colla Gius. But since Colla Gius always insisted on painting his "victims" while wearing a mask, only a few people know how he truly looked like. So when the Emperor marched into my cell a few days after my imprisonment and asked for my name, I had no idea what to say - should I say I'm Colla Gius, the same man who portrayed his wife (as she was) or should I lie?

Thinking about what to say, though it actually all lasted for a few seconds, I glanced to the right and in one of the blocks someone carved: Lariel loves Oberon. That's how Lariel Oberon was born. Anagrams were made up later, just to confuse some people, just like my entire backstory was made up to make the Champion of Cyrodiil more interesting - I have quite a vivid imagination. What makes me laugh the most, is all the jokes I made up that supposedly happened between Oberon and Colla Gius and how Oberon rarely liked his paintings. People've been asking me how exactly could Colla Gius paint events from the Crisis in such a detailed way if he was never present in any of the battles. I just shrugged but the answer was clear of course: he was there all along.

I did have my own expertise from my youth when I was a soldier, else I wouldn't be able to save Kvatch or Bruma, I assume, but even during the Crisis I often returned home to Snowdrift Manor to paint events which just occurred to make sure they don't slip from my mind by the time it'll all be over.

I've been keeping my true identity hidden successfully during most of my lifetime but later, when I pass away, I want it to be revealed.

With these words I bid you farewell and may Akatosh watch over you,

Call me anyhow you like but I'm still the Champion of Cyrodiil,

Snowdrift Manor, 11th of Sun's Dawn 4E 17

--

"I'll be damned!" Urag exclaimed. "He was a painter!"

"Who was a painter?" asked Methis, the Dark Elf who was helping Urag in revealing the secret meaning behind Oberon's alter ego.

"Oberon! I mean Colla Gius! I mean both! The Champion of Cyrodiil! He was a painter!"

"Oh, you didn't know that?" Methis asked.

Urag looked at the Dark Elf, confused.

"What is that supposed to mean? You knew it?"

"Well, the Champion of Cyrodiil insisted that he wants his true identity revealed after he passes away, right?" said Methis and crossed his arms.

"Right."

"And what was the name of the mage that brought you his memoires?"

"Huh...I really don't recall him anymore. He just placed the book here and left. I've never even seen him."

Methis smiled mysteriously. "Maybe it was a Dark Elf then."

"You? You brought me the book?"

"One has to honor his great grand-father, right?"

"By Azura! A Dark Elf! I would never have thought! You are..."

"I'm just Methis. Martina Oberon married a Dark Elf and they had a son - a half-Dunmer who married my mother, another Dunmer. I'm a fruit of their love and I'm currently the last in line of the Keepers of Oberon's Memoires. Now that I fulfilled his final wish, my mission is done and I can go home. It's been my pleasure, master Urag. Fare thee well" Methis humbly bowed, picked up his small satchel from a table, pulled his mage hood on and left the library.

"I'll be damned!" Urag exclaimed. "What a story!"

Wow WOW holy [censored]. WoW LOpov. World of Warcraft Wow. The painter guy wrote the book AND did the adventures? I'm like giggling over here. [censored] !!!

It all makes sense now. I kept getting confused because I think you dropped some hints here and there I think, about the painter in Oberon's story, and I kept thinking how would the painter wind up in the story?

Here you go, Thor & Jaegermeisster. Ahh, so smooth. I need a shot after that ending!

I agree that having you be the ‘sidekick’ of Martin instead of the primary hero was a very nice touch. As you point out, that didn’t happen in Skyrim’s MQ but, thankfully, did happen in the Dawnguard DLC where you are a sidekick to Serana and just one (admittedly important) of many brave knights of the Dawnguard who ‘save the world’.

*

What a magnificent story with a wonderfully clever and ironic twist!

Then, at the very very end even one more twist as we also learn who Methis is!

Gosh. . . well done, Lopov!

Yes, I also can't stress Acadian's sentiment enough, that was an awesome tale and WE didn't see those twists at the end coming, right?

My camera's batteries are

8:19 pm, First Seed 12, 3rd Era 434

Days Passed: 198

Level: 8

Kahreem enters Temple of the Moths. Place seems deserted. He was supposed to have gone in to the temple with one of its priests, over a week ago, but instead he rode back to Cheydinhal. And wound up in jail, no surprises there. And jail hadn't been so bad in Cheydinhal, matter of fact, Kahreem's official opinion is that Cheydinhal's jails might just be his favorite. Warm air, but also mountainous air, free of humidity and much of the insects one might find in Leyawiin or Bravil. Bruma's jail? Barren and cold. COLD. Not very much fun.

Chorrol? Had Kahreem ever been inside of Chorrol's jail? He cannot remember. Skingrad is also nice, compared to Cheydinhal, but in Skingrad the jailors could be so snooty. Perhaps it's because they've been dealing with Kahreem since he was in his teen years.

"I'm not liking this. Let's just get this done."

He crouches down, and explores the inside of Temple of the Ancestor Moths' entrance area. Candles on the left, and some sort of non-magical altar on the right, and a set of stairs leading deep into the mountain in front of him.

"Something is not right."

He presses onward, straight down the stairs. The next room he enters is a chamber, probably a tomb. Sarcophagi line its walls, eternally restful. He comes to a door.

"Fokke."

The next are he finds himself in is dark. DARK. Should he risk his torch? ... Kahreem had become skilled enough at sneaking around to know if somebody else's awareness had been piqued. Always listening for small footsteps, gentle padding upon floors. Kahreem stays in darkness, creeping forward. This seems to take a long time. And time has no real meaning, when you're in a tomb.

Where is this fokkinge stone?

He can't risk his torch. Just .... something doesn't feel safe. So he crouches along, staying in full darkness if he can. It seems like three days go by as he creeps.

I'm a thief, dammit. And a good thief! ... I am good at my chosen profession.

He thinks he hears a voice. And yes, he hears somebody eating something. A door opens from somewhere far away, and footsteps follow. Another door opens close by, and to the Redguard's right, and a white-robed man with a mask enters the room Kahreem is in. A Moth Priest. The man walks by, and does not see Kahreem hiding in shadow. Not that he could, of course, he's supposed to be blind after all.

The Weet Bandit now scuttles to his right rather quickly, feeling along the wall for the door the Moth Priest had entered through. He closes this door now. If the Moth man opens it later on, Kahreem will now have an automatic alert to warn him. He skirts into some sort of alcove. Listens. The door behind him opens now--that was quick. The Moth Priest has already finished his meal. The alcove Kahreem is in is actually a passageway, and the priest uses this passageway now, walking right by the Redgaurd, literally centimeters.

He scuttles backward now, the way he came, and makes a right. Finds himself in a large room, with a set of tables, and chairs set at their ends. **

"Moth's blessing upon you."

The priest, an Imperial, says this and Kahreem's heart does a flip. But the man says this (apparently) to another priest who's just entered the room. The other priest does not answer. These men aren't so keen on entertaining themselves. Kahreem thinks.

"WHAT'S THAT?"

The Redguard virtually bumps into one of the priests. How many fokkinge priests are there now in this room? Luckily, Kahreem is not discovered. These men know magic. ... Kahreem finds another door, and creeps into a curved hallway. As he moves along slowly, and then bursts with a bit of speed, another priest opens the door behind him, and (again) walks right by. Small amounts of phosphorescent mold grow upon the walls of the next area, and Kahreem can make out shapes and things a little better. Still no obvious, magical stones though.

I'll know it when I see it, I guess.

But after a few more twists and turns, the Redguard realizes he's lost. He has no idea where he is, in reference to the initial door he'd found. This place is a maze. He feels like he's going in circles. But the good news is as he moves and sneaks around, he grows some confidence. These guys do not know they have an intruder in their midst. ... there was a time not long ago when some blunder would have caused him to be discovered, and now here he is, sneaking around wearing a fur armor suit.

He lights his torch just once, and only for just a moment. I'll never be like Dyan phor a'Cauz or that Saga elf lady. I'm horrible with crypts. Give me a badly-lit home to break into, not some sacred crypt full of weird monks.

Finally, he hears a rat, somewhere up ahead, and this is good because he hadn't encountered any rats so far, which means he must be headed toward somewhere new. He pads forward, and finds himself standing right alongside the rat. He could kill it easily with his club ... WHAM ... but chooses not to do so, because the sound of this rat is now another 'reference' for him.

"Nothing to worry about I guess. Just my eyes, playing tricks on me."

He finds a set of stairs going downward, and then a double door, locked with a three-tumbler. Piece of sweetcake. With 41 lockpicks on his person, this lock has no chance for the siege it's about to face.


The next set of rooms & halls he wanders into seems devoid of life. Crates and barrels and beds and tables are everywhere, but no monks, and no rats, and just ... nobody. He finds another locked door, another 3-tumbler. He'd massacred the first door he'd found, but now he breaks four picks in a row trying to pick this one. A set of stairs, and now there's another door FOKKE!

Now, he's in a cave. Darkness. It seems like the Moth Priests might never wander down this far. He hears the distinct sound of rotted sinew upon bone. Skeletons! ... Some skeltons could be easy to defeat, but some, Kahreem knows, can be very tough. But as he moves along forward he catches a glimpse, and this set of bones is just a common shambling weakling. Kahreem grabs his club, as the skeleton approaches. Kahreem changes his mind, and swings his weapon at the skeleton. Oops. this one is not a 'common weakling'. Good thing nobody else is nearby; it takes the Redguard over a minute, bashing with his stupid, wooden club, before it finally falls apart.

More hallways, and finally he is noticed. It's a ghost who notices him. This ghost throws its freezing magic, and all the Redguard can do is dodge. He knows his weapon is useless, and he hasn't got any silver to counteract. So he rushes forward, while the ghost falls behind. Kahreem finds yet another set of stairs, which go to yet another door. This one has FOUR tumblers. He hurries and breaks a few picks, but he does it ...

... and finally finds himself in the room with the stone. Savilla's Stone. Right there in front of him. He crouches down, in a large, rectangular chamber. Across this chamber, the ghost appears. But it has no idea where the intruder wearing fur armor could be, so it eventually turns around.

"You're MINE!"

He grabs the stone, but finally makes a mistake, and steps out of his crouch position. *shink* a weapon unsheathes, probably a blade. "OW, FOKKE!" he takes a blow, but cannot see who deals this blow. Time to run. The Redguard

Lopov - I read your latest part and it was really good. I imagine the rest is on par with that. Nicely done


Renee - Losing inspiration happens to all of us, but I´m glad Kahreem is still making progress

Thank you, mirocu, I know his tales are a bit too long for you to read, but thanks for reading the last part.

Renee, as usual I like your latest Kahreem's entry, it's more adventurous than previous ones but it's good and has some interesting details like Kahreem closing doors behind priests as a marker, and leaving the rat alive. It's actually neat (from a reader's perspective) that he got lost. Good story, and I'm sure you'll finish the last sentence too.

Since I'm still in a mood to play Oblivion, it's time to introduce my new character, featured in the screenshots thread a few days ago - Manuin, the Bosmer Acrobat. First entries are about as long as Oberon's, while later are shorter.

_____

The personal bodyguard of Count Caro of Leyawiin knew no mercy for those that dared to intrude in Lord’s private quarters, especially not at night when his Majesty was asleep after a strenuous day of calmly sitting in the County Hall for eight hours. As soon as he heard someone picking the easily locked door leading to his Lordship’s quarters, he was standing ready to jump on anyone that’d enter. Were it not for his pointy ears, the bodyguard would assume the dark-skinned intruder was a Redguard yet ears were a clear sign that it was in fact a Wood Elf. As soon as the trespasser peeked from behind the door, the bodyguard shouted the well-known arrest phrase, so very dear to his ear.

"Break the law on my watch, will ya? I'll be confiscating your stolen goods. Oh, and no gold to pay your fine, hmm? It's off to the lockup then!"

“I…I didn’t mean…I mean - shouldn’t you just warn me first?” The Wood Elf grinned shyly, albeit knowing that it’s off to the lockup.

“Hope you rot, criminal scum!”

And to the lockup it was.

...

It was supposed to be simple – get in the Castle, take as many valuables as you can, especially from the Count’s private bedroom, get out of the Castle, get back to the ship and off to Valenwood we go. But the plan obviously fell through.

Manuin, the Bosmer Acrobat, arrived to Cyrodiil with his two accomplices this very evening. They docked their vessel, the Unowned, on a small island east of Leyawiin. The trio called themselves the Merry Hoppers and they certainly hopped well, especially when it came to jumping from high windows of manors, mansions or castles, carrying bags full of valuables. They preferred being called acrobats but in other words they were thieves, sailing with the Unowned along the southern Tamrielic coast, dropping anchor wherever they sensed riches.

Their latest exploit before heading back to Valenwood was to rob Castle Leyawiin and while his two accomplices would wait for him on the Unowned, Manuin would break in the castle at night, clean the place inside out, and return before dawn. It was said that guards in Cyrodiil warn you before arresting so he was convinced that he should get at least one warning before being branded a trespasser. But it obviously didn’t work like that, especially not around midnight in the Count’s private quarters.

‘The jailor said I’ll be in for only two days. But what if Flawless Felix and Jumps-To-The-Other Side leave without me? They have gold and goodies while I have nothing and we didn’t go along well lately,’ concerned Manuin asked himself, leaning on the iron door of his cold cell in the Castle’s dungeon.

“Evening, friend! How does the night greet you? There's a key at your belt. Can I have it?” Manuin asked the patrolling jailor, grinning broadly.

“No talking. And, by the way, we execute escaping prisoners. Just a friendly reminder."

“Good to know,” Manuin muttered, then crawled under the light blanket. “But that guard really should have warned me.”

Awesome, glad to see you're continuing some Oblivion! The more, the merrier. Manuin sounds like quite the trickster. Glad to see we'll be doubling up our stories again, just like in the old days.


Thanks man! Means a lot.

Although I did not write this part, later on when he was in the second part of the temple (where are the crates & barrels are) he did get noticed by one of the priests. And from that moment, all hell broke loose. This meant that ALL of the priests were now after him.

He did manage to escape, and (again) this was me not looking at the map, so it was not easy to get out of there. We had to keep running around in circles, noticing little details each time, until we noticed something, some passageway or whatever, that we hadn't taken before, only now it was much more intense, of course! And one of the priests followed him all the way almost to Cheydinhal! But once night fell, Kahreem eventually found a boulder he could jump upon, and since he was wearing his new Ring of Shadows, and his Sneak is now 71 or 72, the priest guy eventually gave up, and walked back to his temple.

Kahreem went in to Cheydinhal, and I was RPing that he was pretty tired by this point, and was worried the guards would accost him once again. But nobody bothered him. He's last been seen in Newland's Lodge, downing a bottle of Cheap Wine and then falling asleep almost immediately.

That priest guy saw perfectly well for someone supposed to be blind.

Renee – I think it is fun that Kahreem knows both Dyan and Saga. And that he recognizes that his thieving expertise isn’t optimized inside a dungeon full of dudes with swords. Good thing that Kahreem is a fast runner.

Lopov – Great to see some words to go with your new woodster after your teaser screenies. Yup, hard to hide those big ears! Merry Hoppers indeed! Gosh, it didn’t take Manuin long to land in jail. Maybe the jailors know Kahreem?

Oh my gosh, Lopov, not one but two twists at the end! That was a lot of fun. I’m with Urag, “What a story!”

Renee, with Kahreem’s knowledge of Cyrodiil’s correctional facilities he could consult with Quill-Weave on her stories of outlaws and lowlifes. This update was full of that tense excitement of creeping through the dark, wondering how you’ll find your way back out. Neat to see Kahreem’s advanced sneak skill in action.

Lopov part 2, I love Manuin’s spirit. He sounds like he is going to be fun!

Thanks Grits!


Cool I was hoping somebody'd catch this! It's like he knows of them, and knows of their better adventuring skills, and feels like he'll never compare to them. And he doesn't!

Thanks for a warm welcome to Manuin!

Now let's see what was going on with him after being released...

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Lovely Countess Alessia Caro enjoyed her evening strolls through Leyawiin under a watchful eye of her bodyguard. As befits a dutiful Countess, she first paid a visit to the chapel, then enjoyed a small talk with priest Avrus Adas about how the Emperor’s death is a thing to be worried about, afterwards it was to Mahei and Numeen’s house for a glass of Tamika’s – she didn’t really like Argonians but Mahei and Numeen were of noble birth and as such they were worthy of lovely Countess’ presence.

Ever since her visit to the chapel Alessia Caro had someone following her and not even watchful eyes of her bodyguard spotted him. Manuin, the Bosmer Acrobat, may have failed to steal from the Count’s private quarters but stealing from his lovely wife would be even more challenging, and as such, Manuin decided to empty the Countess of whatever she had in her pockets. As soon as she left Mahei and Numeen’s house, walking behind her watchful bodyguard, Manuin silently ran behind her and swiftly put his hands into her fine silk pockets. Before the Countess could even react, Manuin’s hands were already out of her pockets, holding more than just a few septims.

‘Much obliged, Countess’ whispered Manuin, bowed humbly and disappeared in shadows between upper class houses. ‘This should be enough not just for a bed at the Five Claws Lodge but for a supper as well,’ Manuin realized after counting his night yield – 25 septims. ‘Since my friends abandoned me and took my goodies, one has to make something for a living, right?’

Earlier this day, when Manuin was released from the prison, he made haste to the island east of Leyawiin but just as expected, the Unowned wasn’t there anymore. His accomplices sailed onwards without him. And while Manuin suspected that Jumps-To-The-Other-Side might wait for him, Flawless Felix definitely wouldn’t.
While feeling angry at first, Manuin by now thought that maybe it was for the best. He’s never been to Cyrodiil before and on the first glance, many houses were just waiting to be robbed. Besides, he already gained attraction of someone called the Gray Fox who wanted to meet him in the Imperial City. Manuin didn’t know who this individual is but he heard rumors about the guild of thieves operating in Cyrodiil.

He kept the Gray Fox’s note but he didn’t intend to rush to the Imperial City. As long as each noble’s pockets were as full as those of Alessia Caro, he could sleep and eat for free at the Five Claws Lodge for quite some time.

I see Manuin's jail time did not reform him. Indeed, he wasted no time getting intimate with Countess Lovely's silk pockets.

Manuin's still miles from reforming. As can be evident from what followed...

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“Come quickly, we’ve got a burglar!”

“A burglar? Most certainly not, Sir. I’ve merely been inspecting your… fine armor. Handcrafted?”

But Jeetum-Ze, the Argonian battlemage of the Blackwood Company, certainly didn’t believe the grinning Wood Elf. Not a word. He spotted the visitor (as the Wood Elf called himself), with his hands in his pockets!
“I’ll be leaving now,” said Manuin, because the situation was getting difficult – all Blackwood members were slowly walking towards him. He hurried past them down the stairs and out of the guildhall. However, once outside, he grinned even more, when he looked at the brand new silver shortsword at his belt.

"Just call me Manuin, beauty,” he said after giving it a few swings.

An hour later Jeetum-Ze realized that someone replaced the silver shortsword in the hard-locked display case with a common steel dagger.

“Grrr…that Bosmer!”

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“By Azura! Can’t a man have some privacy in his own house?!”

Tun-Zeeus didn’t like what he was seeing – some Wood Elf which lately appeared in the town, was silently walking through his bedroom. It was only four o’clock in the morning but Tun-Zeeus was an early riser.
Without a word, the Wood Elf made haste out of the Argonian’s house.

“Bosmeri these days,” said Tun-Zeeus, shaking his head while locking the door behind the night visitor.

__

“We have a burglar! Guard your purses!”

Before Gundalas could properly stand up, Manuin already jumped down the stairs and rushed outside. ‘Such a shame. I bet that the key in his pockets would open the heavily locked cupboard on the ground floor. At least he didn’t notice that some armor’s missing. Will come in handy for what I have in mind.’

Since Manuin was getting a bit too acquainted with shopkeepers and some other residents of Leyawiin, he decided that it’s better to leave the town once he brings the cursed Sheogorath’s staff to the Darkfathom cave. Normally, he doesn’t help damsels in distress unless they’re pretty but he was promised a valuable ring from Rosentia Gallenus for getting rid of four everlasting scamps.

A nighttime crime spree! Lock up your silver swords!

I think Manuin's 'time to leave Leyawiin now' instincts are sound.

I like that he swapped some cheap weapons for that silver one. See, he is a trickster, just like I said!

I'm confused though. So he started in Leyawiin, and then walked north, got thrown in jail (Cheydinhal) escaped to Bruma, but got locked up again for several months. And now he's back in Leyawiin?

It is fun playing a thief in this game. I think Wyrd said awhile back that he couldn't play a thief in TES4, it's too sunny and cheerful. But I like RPing a thief because it's sunny and colorful.

Sounds like a neat quest, that she can now actually serve guests. I figure that none of your other characters stayed in one place as long as Sarah does.

Regarding Manuin - there's always a huge time delay between what's going on in my game and what's going on in his stories. The stuff we talked about over PMs (his arrest in Cheydinhal, followed by the one Bruma) hasn't been yet posted on Chorrol.

@Acadian - nighttime crime sprees can be fun, there's completely different vibe in cites at night when all streets are devoid of any life except occasional patrolling guard. It feels good playing a thief for a change, and just as Renee says, I think that RP-ing a thief in Cyrodiil is very interesting.

Manuin heard about this once-to-be-build-settlement from a group of settlers camping by the Crest Bridge. But their tents were occupied and as much as Manuin liked rain, when there was too much of it, he sought shelter as well. But the peace in the house under construction didn’t last long. He spotted some figures running through grass, first there were just two but more were running in the direction of Cropsford from behind.

Then he remembered – goblins! Settlers warned him about them but now it was too late to hide – they spotted him and the first pair which consisted of archers, attacked Manuin from both sides. They weren’t hard to bring down, neither was a mace-wielder that followed them, but the last one was more than a mere goblin, he was a war chief and as Manuin soon knew to his cost, he lived up to his name. He left a few cuts on Manuin’s chest and face and made his burlap vest even more tattered than it already was, but when he leaned a bit too forward, Manuin took advantage of war chief’s inattention and shoved his silver shortsword straight through the chief’s neck.

Cropsford obviously wasn’t a safe place to stay so Manuin decided to seek shelter from rain in the goblin cave, it had to be somewhere nearby. He picked up an iron bow and matching arrows from fallen goblins and went searching for the cave.

Renee, I’m so impressed by your quest-making! I can tinker around the edges with mostly cosmetic stuff in existing mods in the CS/CK but that is about it. So when you said Sarah can ‘serve’ the customers, I initially wondered if you were talking about a prostitution mod.

Lopov, Yup, I figure resting up along those goblin trails crossing Cropsford is probably not a good idea. At least Manuin’s putting that new silver sword to good use! And a new bow! Going into a goblin cave for shelter. . . well, that is a course of action I guess. Maybe they got stuff to steal. If he survives.

This was side-splitting! Hilarious!

It was more than a mere goblin, eh? Hope his eyes didn't shoot mere glances. I can totally see Maniun shooting a bow... he is a sneaky / trickster-looking sort. Damn, he's getting around Cyrodiil, that's for sure.

Acadian: Yeah, I don't know why but I really love quest-making, just simple stuff though. If I wanted to I could hunker down and make a waitress/roleplay mod. I could put it up on THE Nexus. It'll never happen though. I'm learning how to make quests for Skyrim too, so I can make some things happen for my new Bjorn guy. The CK has different rules though, and uses an entirely different "language" (Papyrus) than the CS does. Kind of annoying because I'm already so used to CS-speak, but I'm starting to get the hang of Papyrus too.

mALX: Aww thanks!

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Fredas, 8:09 am, First Seed 15, 3rd Era 434

Days Passed: 201
Days Jailed:62

Kahreem awakes and rolls out of his bed, tossing aside his soiree of bed sheets. Remembers what's happened over the past 24 or 48 hours, maybe more. And then smiles. Savilla's Stone is still in his night-sack. He must have some sort of bounty by now, but no guards had bothered him when he'd arrived to Cheydinhal, the night before. And nobody awoke him in the middle of the night.

...And he still has a bottle of Cheap Wine, ready to go. Life is good. As he takes his first sip of the day, a calm comes over him. He won't stay in town any longer than he has to. The Grey Fox has promised him payment, after all. So off to Bruma it is.

8:43 am
With typical fashion, the Weet Bandit just cannot leave Cheydinhal without making a grand announcement. Today's 'grand announcement' involves 'borrowing' a black horse. He waits until the dark elf stablehand has turned away from him, and this is when the moment of truth occurs. Good. She doesn't see him, and neither does today's guard. Off to Bruma.

11:28 am
Two bandits spot the Weet Bandit, and give chase. Ha! Maybe they know who he is, that he was once one of them. They both grab their weapons upon seeing him riding toward. But this situation is easy.

Bandits, like most enemies, were desperate for gold, in these difficult times. But it was really quite easy, no more than trying to figure a methodical puzzle. If Kahreem'd use himself and horse as bait, he could lure these two ladies (both bandits are ladies) all the way to Bruma. But things would never go that far. Pretty soon he'd come across a soldier patrolling the road. As the Redguard rides up, being chased by two outlaws, it'd be the outlaws who'd lose, and Kahreem wouldn't have to bother fighting at all. The soldier's horse would then be up for grabs; trained not to go anywhere when dismounted.

Spic and span.

12:22 pm
And all of the above is precisely what happens, though by the time the soldier is found, he has to deal with four bandits, not two.

Kahreem sits a moment, watching the guard tussle with the bandits. Always love a good fight.

3:00 PM
Roxey Inn. Can't resist. And yes, they have beer, ale, and the very cheapest of wine.

5:39 pm

"THIEF! You won't get away with this!"

Long story short: he'd met up with a marauding orc, her dog, and an imp. All three of these enemies were chasing him. After finding another road patrol, he'd tried his horse-swapping trick once again, since the horse he'd ridden upon had taken some damage. His plan had originally been to spend the night outside of Sercen, but this plan would obviously no longer be viable.

The sun begins to set, as Kahreem of Weet climbs the big, old hill toward Bruma.

Aw, it's Sarah!






Uh... ???

Kahreeem getting methodical all of a sudden?

How nice that his horse theft has gone unnoticed for a change. And now he has his very "own" black horse.

Kahreem better not touch the house by the East gate in Bruma, or there will be..... trouble



I love how he continues to switch horses like that

Kahreem seems to have taken a lesson from the old Pony Express - ride the horse till it almost drops then hop onto a new one.

How did it happen that Manuin’s imprisoned in Bruma? Let’s see what occurred a few days ago – Manuin was traveling to the Imperial City but since he was often accosted by highwaymen and other perils of wilderness, he figured that he’ll get sooner to the town if he commits a minor crime, and even better, he’ll get to jail under protection of the Imperial Legion. The plan worked only at half – he was arrested for being caught pickpocketing a bottle of Surilie’s Wine from a passing legionnaire at the bridge south of the Imperial City but instead of taking him to the capital’s jail, the legionnaire led Manuin to Cheydinhal.

Though his bounty at that moment was very low, Manuin didn’t feel like spending another night in jail, so he snatched the dungeon key from a patrolling jailor and made his way out of the cell, but as soon as he made it to the barracks, three guards jumped on him and he had no any other option but to silently return to his cell – his bounty increased to 6,000 septims which meant that he’ll be in prison for two months more.

Manuin didn’t like this option – he tried to steal the dungeon key once again but this time the jailor caught him. Manuin made haste out of the castle, not forgetting to pick up his belongings from the evidence chest, hurried through Cheydinhal, evading killing blows of a plethora of guards running behind him, and jumped on some paint horse, conveniently stabled right outside the main gate.

He managed to lose his pursuers in the Jeralls and found a hideout in the servant quarters of Lord Rugdumph’s Estate. Not for long, though. When the night fell, Manuin sneaked into the Rugdumph’s manor to “meet” owners of the property but as he was borrowing some stuff from an upper class chest, two Cheydinhal guards barged inside and they didn’t come to visit Lord Rugdumph.

Manuin was breaking the law on their watch and the Wood Elf figured that even if he escapes again, he’ll be caught. Again. But much to his surprise, they didn’t drag him back to Cheydinhal, instead handed him to the first legion patrol which then led him to Bruma. For a series of jailbreaks, resisting arrest and theft of the paint horse he got altogether a little less than six months in prison.

Sounds like Manuin aspires to live the life of Kahreem

Gosh, Manuin is really giving us a tour of the Cyrodiilic jails! Hmm, maybe he should try farming?

@mirocu - living like Kahreem is a dream of every bandit.

@Acadian - farming? Nope, too much hard work for Manuin.

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Manuin spent the night with the woman he was supposed to kill. Arnora Auria. While being a guest in the Bruma dungeon, he met her ex-boyfriend Jorundr, who told him a story about his girlfriend and their crime spree all over Cyrodiil which ended with Arnora killing a guard and blaming Jorundr for it. But he tricked her as well – he hid the gold stash from their robberies and Arnora had no idea where to search for it. As revenge, he asked Manuin to kill Arnora and bring him her amulet as a proof, and in return he would reveal the location of the gold stash.

Arnora’s story differed from Jorundr and to make it even more believable, she invited Manuin to her bedroom. He didn’t complain, especially not after spending five months in jail, but he still believed Jorundr more. Arnora gave Manuin her amulet as a fake proof and in return she’d share gold with him. But Jorundr promised more – if he kills Arnora, he can keep entire gold for himself. No need to share it with anyone.

Manuin’s never killed before, at least not as part of some scheme. As Arnora was sleeping soundly next to him, he thought that he’d probably get away with her murder and she wouldn’t even feel a thing…

…later…

Arnora Auria was lying dead in the pool of her own blood. Manuin was standing beside, regretfully looking at her lifeless body.

“Maybe you deserved that…or maybe you didn’t. In any case, the one who killed you, is dead as well.”

And so it was. When Manuin earlier this morning lied to Jorundr about Arnora’s death, she was in fact alive and he showed him her fake amulet as a proof. Jorundr in return revealed him the location of the gold cache but there Manuin was ambushed by Tyrellus Logellus, Bruma guard who wanted to claim the gold as well and thus killed Arnora to ensure that gold needn’t be shared with anyone.

Manuin got rid of Tyrellus, grabbed Jorundr’s gold and ran to Arnora’s house to check whether Tyrellus spoke the truth. Turns out he did.

'Kill 'em all and let the gods sort them out!'

Well, seems like he's got a full coin purse now.

I wonder if Manuin will get a visit from the guild of assassins now?

I thought I maybe didn't write it clear enough. He didn't kill Arnora, Tyrellus did. And killing Tyrellus doesn't trigger the DB questline because he attacks first.

Oh, thanks for explaining. That all does sound a bit more like Manuin.

Yeah, though he had occasional thoughts about killing Arnora, he decided not to cross the line. I guess he's going the stay just an acrobat.

Yes, I'm glad you explained that, at first I also thought Maniun was her killer. Yikes. But at least it sounds like he did some hard time. Yuck. Bruma's jail is the worst, in Kahreem's opinion, and I think I agree.

Lopov, Manuin’s antics are so entertaining! I love his plan for a safe guard escort to the Imperial City. Wow, that’s a lot of jail time for a wood elf. Good thing his cellmate sent him straight to his lonely ex-girlfriend’s bedchamber. I was glad to read that our grinning acrobat didn’t kill Arnora after all.

Renee, I am so impressed by your quests for Sarah. How awesome to have her really able to do her thing in the game! I love that Kahreem’s idea of a good fight is one he watches from his stolen horse.

First Seed 12, 3rd Era 427

"Good evening marm."

"Thank you. Nice to see you. And how are they?"

"Oh you know, rambunctious as usual. Couldn't keep them quiet during nap-time. Well, most of them, anyways."

"I trust that Gracie kept her finger out of her nose?"

"Yes of course, marm. I've got her ... I mean we've got her .. ahh... 'nosing' habits under control."


.... the chitchat began between the two ladies, here in Honorhall Orphanage, located in the township of Riften, and southeastern Skyrim. Two guardians of children, intent on sharing accounts, comparing the various facets of their charges, making sure their boys and girls were relatively safe, and relatively well-behaved. It was their job to make sure their formerly homeless youngsters would not wind up as miscreants, befouling Lady Mara, running around Riften without clothes on, or dinner for a troll, or ... worse.

"And what of Bognod the orc?"

"The orc? You mean the one with green skin?"

"Very funny, Charlotta, you know, you are a bellyful of laughs."

"Sorry marm," Charlotta replies, sheepish. "Bognod was raucous as usual. Playing his usual tricks upon us, but after one visit to the closet with no lunchmeat? Well that set him to rights."

"I see. Unfortunate, but you know how orcs are. We can only try our best."

"Yes marm."

"And what of her?"

"What of her? .. sorry. Who?"

"Her, over by the fire. With the red hair. She is new, is she not?"

"Oh! My. Yes! Where has my mind been, marm? ... Yes, she is new. My apologies. She's been so quiet all day, you see. Merely forgot she was even here," Charlotta had said, as she began to gather her things.

"Well? What is her name? Where did we scrounge her up?"

"Sorry marm. Her name's Sarah. Well, so said the note we found upon her person this morn. 'Sarah Phmm' said this note. Not much to go by, I'm afraid. Typical waif. No elders accompanied her, she was all by her lonesome when discovered. Sarah was found over by the chapel, staring into the sky. Hasn't spoken a word, marm."

"Not a word, eh? Wouldn't it be nice to infect the others with whatever's holding her tongue, eh?"

Charlotta had giggled over that one. So rare for her boss to make any sort of joke. But then the moment had passed.

"Well ahm ... Sarah has just been sitting there all day, as I said. She stares and stares into that hearth. Practically had to hold her hand just to feed her supper."

"I see. And how about Trellis the youthful mage? Any sort of--"

"MARM, BY THE NINE!"

"I ... what?"

"IT'S HER! SARAH. GRAB HER OUT OF THERE AT ONCE!"

"SARAH, by Akatosh, my child!"

"She's IN the fire, DO SOMETHING!"

Flames had licked and singed the clothes upon her. Smoke curling in air, the other children stirring from activities. A guileful look of curiosity upon her face, as the two elder orphanage guardians rushed to grab and save her from a certain, burning death.

"Urrgh!" Charlotta got there first, pushing the red-haired girl with necessary force, while making sure her own hands would not bear any burnings, for Sarah's ankle-length skirt and half her blouse were now engulfed. "Are you alright? Are you HURT? ANSWER me, child, ANSWER ME!"

But six year-old Sarah Phimm could not do so, not just yet, and not for many days. Why did you push me away? she might have asked, if she could speak at that point. It's only fire. It's only warmth. Do you not crave such warmth? Do you not crave such fire?

"What are we to do with her marm? What can we do?"




Can it be?

Another Note?

Matilde's Request