gpstr, I love how delivering the Amulet led Elenin to a destiny that seems quite separate from the Amulet’s destiny. Elenin’s adjusted robe looks nice, congrats on tackling Blender!

mirocu, it’s always amazing when Lothran discovers a new place. Congrats on the find!

Renee, the refugee camp is closer than I would have guessed Kahreem would get to Kvatch, but I expect after the Altmer’s panic he won’t readily venture even that far again. Unless someone has a rumor about Kvatchian Cheap Wine in peril. I could imagine his rapid exit from the camp perfectly.

Callidus, a warm welcome to Sal! I like the potion twist so you can skip the whole Amulet situation.

I loaded up a PS3 game for a few minutes last night out of curiosity. Darian! He is traveling with Benirus, Maglir, Erthor, and the Jemane lads. I forgot how fun his game was. He is such a likeable guy. Plus the music coming through the sound system is just magic. They’re headed out to rescue Dar-Ma. It should be a riot. I really hope they don’t get her killed!

@mALX - good job with the Shetcombe farm, particularly with the basement.

@gpstr - I really liked the part where Elenin begins to realized what might be her destiny.

@mirocu - looks like Lothran will never run out of new discoveries in Cyrodiil. Trumbe doesn't sound familiar to me either, I'd definitely remember a name like this.

@Renee - "his elf told Kahreem that "daedra were coming", and advised everyone to run, but nobody did so, so neither did Kahreem"

@Callidus - something's positively unique about Sal's face, it just seems slightly different than that of other Argonians. Good to see him back, hope you stick to him for a while.

--

It's been a long break, namely from November 2013, but I knew that eventually I'd find my way back to Cyrodiil again. Since my modded Oblivion was lost when my previous disk crashed, it took me a while to find some essential mods but I'll definitely be adding new ones as I'll discover things which bother me. Though I must say that I use only a handful of mods in Oblivion when compared to Skyrim.

My new character is Redguard Komotai, a 25-year old girl, a rogue by class and by heart. Here comes a short introduction, similar to the one in the Skyrim Characters thread.
_______________________________________________________________________

Name: Komotai

Race: Redguard

Birthsign: The Lady

Date of birth: 2nd of Heartfire 3€408

Place of birth: Stros M'Kai

Class: Rogue

Attributes: Personality, Speed

Skills: Alchemy, Athletics, Blade, Block, Illusion, Light Armor, Mercantile

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Short backstory:

Komotai is a no-nonsense Redguard rogue, born on the island of Stros M'Kai in 3€408, who like many others couldn't resist the call for adventure, so she already left her home island at sixteen years of age. In her life she was a pirate, a relic hunter, a tomb raider, a bodyguard, a merchant and everything in between, but most of all, Komotai has been a rogue adventurer.

She doesn't mind living a dangerous life, for she thinks that life without walking on the edge isn't worth living for. She dislikes any kind of law or authority and has been a host in several jails in southern Tamriel. By reading this you might get an impression that she is evil, which is probably true to some extent, because she mostly cares only about herself, but there have been instances when she helped those in dire straits, whether because of her momentary kindness, gold or because she just wanted to experience another adventure.

In the Last Seed of the year 3€433 Komotai was aboard a small ship sailing from Elsweyr to Black Marsh, when one day a sudden storm overturned them. She managed to save herself from the sinking vessel at the last moment but her entire equipment was lost underwater. Not having much choice, Komotai began swimming to the shore...

_______________________________________________________________________

Her backstory is intentionally rather vague, because at this point I'm not sure whether she'll remain a roguish adventurer, will she with time become a better person or will she step to the dark side.

After surviving the shipwreck, Komotai made it to the shore with nothing else but her underwear and her fists to serve as her weapon. The first shelter she came upon, was Tidewater Cave but after seeing a troll wandering inside, even bold Komotai figured that facing it wouldn't be a good idea. She swam to the opposite shore and found a shelter from rain behind some tree. Exhausted from the extensive swimming, she leaned against the trunk and almost immediately fell asleep.

It's raining Redguards in Cyrodiil!

Grits, it's good to see Darion again! Best of luck to he and his posse in the great rescue Dar-Ma caper.

Lopov, welcome to Komotai! Poor thing's been in the water so long, I'm sure she's exhausted. Hope she gets a dry night's sleep.

Welcome back into the game, Lopov!

Thanks. I expect she'll be back in shape soon.
Thanks. It felt good fiddling with the character creator, and seeing Blackwood again.

Great to see you back playing Oblivion Lopov. Looks like we've got the old band back together

Time to get back to Sal, since I left him rather abruptly.


Tonight, in Cyrodiil:

Sal clung to the ladder with one hand, using the other to gently raise the grate overhead. It was dark, but he didn't know how late it was, and didn't want to be seen climbing out of the sewers. He tilted his head, climbing to the next rung on the ladder so that he could look around. Seeing nothing, he slid the grate to the side and climbed out, taking care not to make too much noise. The heavy fabric of his robe deadened most sounds he made, but his tail was itching to be out in the fresh air once more. After gently setting the grate back in its place, he looked around, and found himself beside what looked like a well, with trees and bushes growing around it. To one side he saw a footpath, and on the other an arch leading to an open area.

Crouching, hissing a muted curse about the robe, he crept awkwardly to the arch and looked out. There were crates opposite him, and he ducked out of sight as a light approached, passing by accompanied by the rattle and clank of armoured footfalls. Old instincts returned; a childhood of thieving and scrounging, and he snuck forwards, keeping one hand on the wall for balance. Now that he was out of the sewer and needed to move faster, and free of the effects of that potion he'd been given, he was having a hard time keeping his balanced with his tail caught in his robe. But the cloth was too thick to tear, and he didn't have a blade. Leaning out of the arch, he found himself lit by torches on either side, placed to illuminate signs. He smiled; the cold, reptilian grin of a predator. If these were shops, then those crates he could see must contain all manner of useful things.

A brief glimpse both ways revealed no guards heading his way, so he darted out, as fluidly as he could manage. Sticking to the shadows, and thanking Nocturnal that his robe was a good dark colour, Sal pried open the crates one by one and rummaged through them, dropping back whenever armoured footfalls approached. He had to rush, but still managed to find plenty to pilfer; a few changes of clothes, some food, a pewter pot he could use to cook in, and a pitcher, as well as a sturdy looking pack to load his goods into and even a bedroll. He'd found a few other things, less useful to him until morning when he could sell them back to unsuspecting merchants. Stuffing his robes into one of the crates, he adjusted the ill fitting trousers; like the robes, not tailored for Argonians, and made his way back to the sewers. He didn't like it, but wandering around the city at night would lead to trouble. While he'd been searching the crates, he'd heard one of the guards roughing up an elderly woman, a beggar by what he'd overheard. Sleeping in the sewers was better than being beaten and maybe hauled back to prison. In the morning he'd see about getting out of the city, maybe finding a way back to Vvardenfell.

Tonight Lothran wandered the immediate area around Anvil and upon coming back to the gate by the docks, he saw a dead ogre laying on the steps! No idea how it got there since they´re never in that area to begin with. But there had been a fight; one of the guards had been hurt and the ogre had six arrows in it.


And thanks to a friend, Lothran has finally convinced Wilbur and Maenlorn to stop following him around...

@CT - looks like Sal has some problems with his tail. He found quite a few useful things in crates of what I assume, is the Market District.

@mirocu - an Ogre in Anvil? Maybe he escaped from Lord Drad's Estate.

--

"Well met, adventurer. A moment of your time if you please," Lerexus Callidus greeted the Redguard woman that passed him at the west gates of Leyawiin.

Komotai stopped and examined the young legionnaire from head to toe. She disliked lawmen but she badly needed some gold and a weapon better than the iron dagger which she picked up in the Forsaken Mine, so she could as well listen to what the legionnaire had to say. Hopefully it'll be worth her while.

"What do you want?"

"Perhaps you'll be able to assist me. I'm after some skooooma dealers," seriously said Lerexus and nodded to confirm the truth of his words.

"So?" Komotai shrugged her shoulders.

"A small group of skooooma dealers led by a Dunmer named Kylius Lonavo is holed up in the Greyland Settlement just up the road. I've been trying to catch Lonavo for months,..."

Komotai couldn't help but to laugh inside, thinking of how inept must have been Lerexus.

"...but every time I approach the place, his lookout sees me and he goes running."

"No wonder if you go there clanking in your armor. They probably hear you first and see you second."

Lerexus overheard the unnecessary remark and went on:"I need someone to go in there and put a stop to those fetchers. I don't care what it takes. We must get that poison they're selling off the street. Bring me Lonavo's ring as proof he's... been dealt with... and I'll give you the bounty on him."

"The bounty better be worth it."

"Be vigilant. Lonavo is a snake," cautiously said Lerexus.

Komotai knew the way to Greyland, it was crates outside this small house, from where she borrowed some blacksmith pants and a flax tunic the night before. She didn't know that she had been so close to "snake" Lonavo back then.

Perhaps he might be uncatchable for the Imperial Legion but Lonavo didn't represent any real threat for Komotai. His girlfriend, a Nord-wielding marauder was tough to bring down but a well-placed stab to Lonavo's back was enough to kill the "snake".

Komotai took his enchanted claymore and put it on her back, contented that she finally found something worth wielding. Now all that remained was to return to Lerexus and show him Lonavo's ring as a proof of his death.

"You've done it! I can't even begin to thank you enough. By the Divines, I salute you in the name of the Legion," Lerexus exclaimed.

"One doesn't get rich from salutations," cynically remakred Komotai.

"Here is your well-earned reward." Lerexus handed her a small coinpurse. Komotai expected to get a much more fatter coinpurse so she hastily opened it, only to find only twenty gold inside.

"Seriously? Twenty gold?"

But Lerexus was already merrily marching to Leyawiin, a satisfied expression on his face, because he played an important role in bringing down the serious criminal. Not to mention he even paid the adventurer for her services AND saluted her in the name of the Legion.

For a moment Komotai wanted to slap Lerexus but figured that getting arrested so quickly wouldn't be a good idea. At least she got the enchanted claymore and a free bed to sleep in Greyland, which wasn't so bad for a start.

CT – So Sal’s skulking around the IC gathering some survival items. Mebbe he can find a dagger and cut a tail hole in his ‘new’ pants. Anxious to leave the city he is.

Mirocu – That’s one reason I avoid using an open cities mod. The cities in the Elsweyr mod are open and I’ve seen a lion play create a real mess in the market district of Dune. Thankfully in Cyrodiil, those guards and gates do a good job keeping the wolves and ogres at bay. Neat find though. Wow, you know a real modder? Can you get her autograph?

Lopov - What a lucky break for Komotai! Raid on Grayland was perfect for her - a bed, roof, claymore and even a small jingle in her coinpurse. She's off to a good start in Leyawiin.

I agree. It's awesome and perfect that we're all here playing one of our all-time favorites. You don't know how much I'm grinning right now as I read y'all's stories.

Lopov I laughed so hard at "20 gold, seriously?"

mirocu: A friend? Who's this 'friend?'

Lopov - Maybe he did It was interesting to find that ogre there, that´s for sure. Let me quote Lily Aldrin: "After all this time, we still have firsts" cause that certainly was a first


Someone who sometimes turns green, rips shirt and grows to giant proportions..


I´ll try to get her autograph for you, Acadian..

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

And now the Dunmer is resting at the Fighters Guild in Skingrad. I originally just planned for him to go to Brina with a Black Horse Courier paper but as it turns out, he was done with Anvil for now and did not want to return to Anvil but rather press on to Imperial City and the Waterfront.

Turdas, 6:25 PM, Heartfire 26, 4E, Year 5

Level: 13
Birthsign: The Lord
Class: Ranger

Days Passed: 397
Active Quests: 31
Quests Cmptd.: 30

Fame 24
Infamy: 18
Days Jailed: 29

Gameplay: 457:51:37



"How goes it?"

"I have been in research, Maglir."

"Is that so?"

"I affirm this is so. And in my researchings, I have made positation that the final and remaining Ayleid statue rests somewhere deep within the eastern areas of Blackwood."

"Looking for action?" Maglir tries to change the subject. "Think about the Fighter's Guild."

"For the hundredth time, naught I say, Maglir! I will not make joinings amongst a posse of ramblant ruffians, to have somebodies else kiting for my attendings. For I have preferring of my own directings and followings within Cyrodiil." Lady Saga explains, trying to hold on to her patience. "I pay gold to you to make such followings amongst my company, and have much appreciatings. But I will not and have not such interests toward this 'Fighter's Guild'. Are we of understanding?"

"If you say so."

"Blackwood. 'Tis where the final statue must rest. And we are to traverse toward, but first I have desirings to make visitation of Bruma."

Why Bruma? Aerin of Valenwood doesn't quite know. But the air in central Cyrodiil had been hot and muggy as of late, and a good dose of chill seems to be all Saga wants to experience. It's been awhile since she has been there.

Budding freshly into adulthood, and highly successful in many of her ventures, Aerin had become well-known throughout the land of Cyrodiil. Not as well-known as the man who had conquered Mehrunes Dagon some seven years ago, but certainly the most famous archer of her time. This was a position which she took no gloating within; never would she bask within some sort of public glory, for instance. When recognized, Saga merely ignored those who might gush, or might give this person a silent sort of nod. Yes, it is I, which you have made recognition of.

Overall, she feels a lot more comfortable in Cyrodiil than she used to be, long ago back in the Third Era. It helps, of course, that she's finally got some people to join her, now that the Oblivion Crisis is long gone. Once she finally locates the final statue, she does believe that she might perhaps return back to her homeland, although this could happen months into the future.

"Pass another mead, would you?"

Maglir does so, as his boss's tongue continues to unwind.

So Saga is close to the full set of ten? Nice


Oh, while in Bruma, can you ask her to check up on Lothran´s house and make sure Pepper (tmar´s girl) hasn´t wrecked it..?

Ha ha ha will do sir!

Seems Saga is close to complete Umbacano's collection.

Just curious, why is her infamy so high?

Tonight was a bit special because tonight Lothran and I went back to Vilverin - a place we haven´t been to since he got out from the prison in the early 2007. At least I don´t think we´ve ever been back.. Maybe we have peeked in once but I´m pretty sure we haven´t explored it fully since then.


We actually came across a small room in the first section we missed the first time through! It´s the room with the pile of Welkynd Stones and the Dirty Scroll. That scroll alone was worth the entire revisit

Wait, huh? Details!

Nothing more to say, really. It´s the room to the far right in the first section of Vilverin that contains that scroll that´s like a diary. I was surprised when I saw all those Welkynds laying on the floor because back then I picked up everything. Then it hit me I must have missed that room back in 2007

I know that room. It is way off to the right, when we first come down those steps. And yes, there is some sort of note there about mining Welkynds or something. There are a few interesting things in there.

That's neat, mirocu! Buffy enjoys Vilverin and would clear it often. I'm sure it must have been pretty special for Lothran since he had not been back there for so long.

Yes, finally I got the history of the ruin everyone´s been talking about for all these years!


It brought back a lot of memories so it was interesting to see it all again


Btw, Lothran left both some enemies and treasures intact in case Buffy decides to come down from Skyrim and have a go at it again..

Did he find a green robe and the matching hood too? Or did he already find it before?

I remember that many of my characters missed this robe.

He didn´t see that this time so either it´s well hidden or he picked it up in 2007. I think he has that robe and hood but I must check it up to be sure.


Oh btw, he´s in Cheydinhal again now. No particular reason this time


How your gaming coming along, btw?

I have a new character and I'm taking screenies and writing stories but I'll post them with a slight delay because I want to test the game some more to see that this time everything works as it should. Besides, I'm still adding minor mods as I explore Nexus though not any big overhauls except Fran's mod. I became a n00b in modding Oblivion after being away for so long that's why I made some mistakes when modding it at first, and it was better to drop my first character instead of trying to fix that mess.

Hope you'll like my stories...but they'll be a bit longer.

ow, you and your Fran's


They better be !

I am...

Stunned

Confused

Kinda pissed off

And rather upset.

Sal was making his way down towards Leyawiin. Normally my characters run straight for Chorrol, so I didn't mind the change. But Sal never made it to Leyawiin. Two thirds of the way there he veered off the road, and crossed the river, heading east. He charged into the swamp, and kept on going, getting faster and faster, his gait shifting to suit the terrain. He reached the border of Cyrodiil and Black Marsh, and disappeared.

I didn't have a clue what had happened, until I remembered about some of the npc chatter. Isn't there a bit going around about Argonians being called to Black Marsh? I guess that's what happened to Sal. All I know is he won't be seen in Cyrodiil again


Edit: Having pondered this a little, I've worked out what went wrong; it was his backstory. He never wanted to come to Cyrodiil, he had no reason to stay in Cyrodiil, so why wouldn't he leave when the opportunity, and the impulse, presented itself.

Additional: There is currently a Dunmer sitting in a prison cell in the Imperial City. I don't know his name yet, nor his goals. But I do know he has a skillset that I've not seen before...

Maybe it's better not too put too much emphasis on a backstory and instead discover it (or not) as you game. The same goes for character's goals and motives. Hopefully you stay with your new Dunmer longer.

--

A heavy storm was raging over Blackwood, when a guard stationed at the east Leyawiin gates spotted a hooded man in grey robes approaching the town. The man’s thick robes offered a good protection from the downpour, but the same couldn’t be said for his cheap braided sandals, hence his feet were wet and muddy. The man came to Cyrodiil fifteen minutes ago by a small fishing vessel that dropped him off in the Topal Bay a distance south of Leyawiin. After checking a weathered road sign that the town in front of him is indeed Leyawiin, the hooded man continued on, towards the eastern gate.

“Good evening,” the gate guard greeted him. He wondered what anyone would do outside in such a downpour. Ah, but perhaps he is looking for a shelter.

“Good evening,” responded the young stranger. “Perhaps you can help me. I’m looking for a place to rest.” The gate guard wondered why the stranger doesn’t refer to “places to rest” as inns as most other folk. Unless he is too poor to pay for an actual room. Judging from his shabby robes and sandals this wouldn’t be a surprise. But nonetheless, he was here to serve and protect and right now his code dictated him to point the stranger towards any of the two inns in town.

“There are two inns in town, north and east of the chapel.”

“I see…thanks. And the chapel is…?”

“Orc named Mazoga says she's a knight. I doubt it. The Count wants it looked into. Why don't you talk to him?” said the guard instead of answering the stranger’s question. The Count was known to give a raise to any guard that successfully directed travelers to his direction. Why even bother finding a chapel when I just arranged him a meeting with the Count himself?

“Emm…I see…but…”

“The Count appears for audiences in the County Hall near the throne weekdays between 8 AM and 4 PM.”

“No, not interested. Thanks anyway.”

The guard shrugged his shoulders as the hooded man opened the large gate and entered Leyawiin.
Visibility was really poor because of the storm and except a few guards, nobody was outside. The man walked on, trying to find the chapel and thanks to lightning he suddenly spotted a tall tower ahead of him, most likely belonging to the chapel. Getting closer, he saw a wooden building on his right, probably “the inn east of the chapel.” From its looks, the inn looked cheap which was perfect for the current state of his coinpurse.

"Welcome, stranger, to the Five Claws. Food and beds, cheap and good, but most of all, your hostess promises, always clean! Witseidutsei gives you her guarantee! Everything, clean, always, or you do not pay!" the old Argonian enthusiastically greeted the new guest. She knew that the part regarding “not paying” wasn’t true, because she always demanded gold before letting guests to actually see their rooms, but since she kept her humble lodge clean, she never had complaints about bad service.

The stranger put off his hood, revealing bedraggled brown hair underneath. He bought a bottle of mead, some food and rented a room for ten septims. There were two Argonians and one Khajiit guests in the inn, each of them sitting at their own table. After a quick meal, the stranger asked Witseidutsei for a bowl of hot water, and then went to his room. He sat on the only chair inside and as he began thinking about the only subject that currently occupied his mind, he felt his heart pounding strongly.

Why? Why did I even come so far? It’s because of this letter, I know. Maybe…maybe it’s still not too late, maybe I can go back to High Rock. But I can’t do it! Not now, not after I came this far. This letter…it’s more than just a letter…it’s a legacy. And an order.

The stranger opened a small satchel beneath his robe – there were some healing potions inside, two apples, three books namely: Modern Heretics, The Book of Daedra and Darkest Darkness, and next to them was a letter. The bloodstained letter. His fingers shaking, the stranger unfolded it and began reading. He knew what was written, he knew every word by now, but he felt like he has to read it again.

Letter

As Gaspar finished reading, not only his fingers, but his entire body was shaking. It seemed like the note had a magical effect upon him, one that instilled him with fear and with…something else, which Gaspar couldn’t precisely describe.

Of course he heard of Greywyn, the black sheep of their family - the Blenwyth family. Though his late father Edwin forbade talking about him, Gaspar discovered a lot about his uncle’s dark past, be it from old diaries, neighbors or folk tales.

Two weeks ago he received the letter from uncle Greywyn himself. From the man who intrigued him the most but whom he feared the most though he never met him in person. But it was more than just a common letter, it was Greywyn’s legacy. Thinking back, Gaspar found it odd that he departed for Cyrodiil immediately the next morning, leaving behind his job as a mage’s apprentice. Like the letter had some sort of control over him and he had no choice but to obey. Or was it just because of my curiosity?

As Gaspar lay to his clean double bed, he felt like having a storm inside his head, much worse than the one outside. But despite many unanswered questions and fear of what is about to happen, he slept calmly until the early morning.

You edited that letter? How?

Gaspar. Nice to meet you. Good luck, sir.

So...

That Dunmer. Turns out he's a tight-lipped bugger, at least when it comes to talking about himself. He was very talkative when the Blades turned up, spent a minute or so leaning against the doorway taunting them before moving to the back wall.

He says his name is Orvas, though he won't tell me his family name. He's similarly reticent where his past is concerned. All I've managed to get out of him is that he's an Enchanter, though when he described his skillset to Baurus he sounded more like a Sorcerer. He went through the tutorial in heavy armour, throwing flares, but wasn't afraid to go in swinging his dagger. Not quite sure what to make of that. At one point he looked to be considering switching to a shortsword, but apparently decided to stick with the dagger.

Mirocu – Thanks for leaving some goodies in Vilverin for Buffy. Her magic bag of holding and the secret for conjuring forest critters from the saddle were both found there (mods). I hope Lothie enjoys Cheydinhal – I hear there’s a nice Dark Elf bar there for him!

CT – Aww, sorry to hear about Sal. Lizards can be darn hard to catch when they run! And hello to Orvas, the tight-lipped magical Dunmer.

Lopov - It was a dark and stormy night when the hooded Breton, Gaspar Blenwyth, arrived Leyawiin in search of his dark legacy. . . .

@Renee - I didn't edit the letter in game, I only changed its text a little. That's how vanilla letter looks like. But if you mean, how I made it as a pic, I wrote it in Word then used PrintScr to take a picture.

@Acadian - You summed up the introductory update very good.

--

Whether was it customary in Cyrodiil for people to barge in rented rooms that didn’t belong to them, Gaspar had yet to find out, but it certainly seemed so. As he was waking up, he heard someone loudly munching in his room. As he stood up, he saw a bald Nord in a blacksmith’s apron eating a breakfast at the table.

“Excuse me but…”

"I'm Eitar. Say. Did you hear what that Argonian said?”

“What Argonian? Look, I want some pr…”

“What's-his-name? You know who I'm talking about!” Eitar went on, determined to finish his tale to the man in loincloth.

“Look, I have no idea who are you talking about but this is my room, sir…”

“HE said any Argonian can kick any Khajiit's butt to breakfast any day of the week. You believe that?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, now would you…”

“I think he's wrong. I KNOW Khajiit can kick Argonian butt. Any time. Any where. And you can tell everyone I said so.”

Gaspar sighed. Trying to explain Eitar that he was in the room, for which he paid ten septims, was in vain. It looked like the price didn’t include privacy.

He got dressed, had a quick breakfast and then left Five Claws. The storm was gone but the rain persisted. He spent the morning in Leyawiin, asking occasional citizens about the place called Deepscorn Hollow but not only didn’t they know about it, they also told Gaspar a whole other lot of information that he wasn’t even interested in. It wasn’t really surprising that nobody heard of Deepscorn Hollow, since his uncle Greywyn probably didn’t make the location of his haven a public knowledge.

The most memorable event in the morning included his visit to the Mages Guild of Cyrodiil. The guild leader Dagail almost convinced Gaspar to join but he rejected her offer, knowing that joining any kind of organization would slow down his search for Deepscorn Hollow. "Perhaps I’ll come back in the future but right now I…I’m too busy with other things,” he excused himself and left the guild hall.

Gaspar figured that he won’t get much helpful information regarding Deepscorn Hollow in Leyawiin, besides it wasn’t wise to ask too many questions about his uncle’s lair. Rumors were spreading quickly and he didn’t want to listen about himself in the latest rumors as “Did you meet that young Breton stranger searching for some odd place?”

After buying some food from the chatty Khajiit at the Three Sisters Inn, Gaspar followed vague descriptions on the backside of his uncle’s letter. According to the map, Deepscorn Hollow was located on some island southeast of Leyawiin. Since he didn’t have any better landmark to begin with, Gaspar decided to take a walk by the coast, searching for any islands.

Surprisingly, he didn’t have any troubles finding the correct one and that was because there was in fact only one prominent island along the Topal coast. As he was walking over a wooden bridge linking the coast with the island, Gaspar sensed that he had found his uncle’s lair. His heart was pounding strongly as he set his foot on the small island, where once a house stood, but now only its ruins remained, most of them underwater. There was a well on the island and remains of what was probably a dock a long time ago. But there wasn’t any kind of door or a hatch, at least not in plain sight.

Did I arrive too late? Is all that remains of Greywyn’s home, this ruined building? Or am I in the wrong place and this isn’t Deepscorn Hollow at all?

But Gaspar knew that he was in the right place, he felt the same unknown fear which he felt when reading the letter. His fingers were shaking and he felt cold sweat running down the back of his neck.

Did I come this far just to gawk at this ruined house? There must be more it! There must be!

Gaspar once again thoroughly searched the entire island but didn’t find anything that could serve as an entrance. The only possibility which remained was that the entrance was inside the house but since most of the house was underwater, so was the entrance.

I’ll need some scrolls or potions of water breathing to explore the sunken house. I think that Alves had some in stock. Fine. I’ll return tomorrow then, better equipped for underwater exploration than today.

As he was walking back to Leyawiin, Gaspar pondered whether he really wants to find anything under the ruined house or was it better if he found nothing. He felt torn… there was one side of him which wanted to board the first passing ship and return to High Rock or just take him anywhere else but there was another side of him, the curious side, which wanted to explore his dark legacy.

Only in Leyawiin for a day and already being drawn in to the Khajiit - Argonian wars. Yes indeed, renting a room in Tamriel does not include privacy. Heck, in Skyrim, they don't even bother with doors on tavern rooms.

Well, the good news is that it seems Gaspar found his newly-inherited lair. The bad news is that it appears to be submerged! Hopefully, returning with the right magicks will let him explore deeper.

So... a bit burnt out from wrangling over monetized mods, I was in the mood to spend some time with someone simple and straightforward, so last night I traveled a bit with Rydri the Redguard spellsword. Or Rydri Bear-bait, as I've come to think of her.

Rydri, as a refresher, is the one who encountered a (mod-added) brown bear when she was level 2 and managed to defeat it after a couple of hours of plinking away at it with Weak Fireballs. As it's turned out, that wasn't her last odd encounter with bears. When she happened on the farm out in the West Weald with the bears around it, she was swamped with them. I've had characters (Belladonna just recently as but one example) who had to spend a fair amount of time wandering around there just to finally find six bears to get the reward. Rydri encountered eleven bears while she was there. I wouldn't have even thought that was possible. And of course there was the time she encountered a brown bear in the lobby of the Tiber Septim Hotel...

Setting aside bears though... I just really like Rydri. She started out just as a Redguard spellsword, and that was about the extent of my idea at the time, save one detail - I wanted her to end up wearing the Iron Maiden armor. (I didn't know until just now, getting that link, that there's an updated version of it...) It's a heavy armor, a bit over the top but quite nice, and I wanted to use it on someone, and I had been sort of itching to start another Redguard, and liked the idea of a Redguard spellsword, and that was that. And, as is so often the case (and the reason I generally don't bother to plan at all), she ended up going her own way. Since the armor's a bit too powerful, I had to put her in something else first, and I ended up using the iron version of the Exnem Warrior armor. And somewhere along the way - between the bears and the rough and rusty armor and the dreadlocks (which is another whole story), she grew into a tough, straightforward, no-nonsense kind of a gal whose only quirk is that she's a Redguard who happens to like magic (and she has somewhat pointy ears, which ties in, but is another whole story yet). There's no way in the world that the character she's become would wear something that showy, so I still don't have anyone to wear that armor, but I do have a character who's just a pleasure to be around. Even if she does seem to attract bears.

So - she was parked outside the AU, having just checked out the Orrery - now operational after she recovered the stolen artifacts. And the thing that's most engaged her attention at the moment is this whole business with Umbacano and the Ayleid Statues. So, with nothing else pressing, she decided to go check out one of the ruins that Umbacano had pointed her toward - Wenyandawik.

It was a pretty straightforward trip down, though it took her a while to find the ruin itself. She was a bit disappointed to find it full of undead though - she doesn't find them to be much of a challenge and they generally have poor loot. Between her custom on-target fire and her cherished sword Ursula (the she-bear), she cruised right through the place and sure enough, there was a statue there. It couldn't have been easier.

It was evening by the time she got out of the ruin, so she decided to spend the night right there.

The next morning (which was when that first screenshot was taken), she set out for the Imperial City. She was a bit dissatisfied though - Wenyandawik has been too easy and she hadn't found anything of any real value - so she kept her eye out for another dungeon to loot. As she was approaching Pell's Gate, she remembered the Ayleid ruin upriver a ways from the town... what was its name? That's right - Sardavar Leed. So off she went.

That was more like it. It was a huge ruin - some undead, some daedra and a few conjurers (and, of course, their undead and daedra summons). She had a ball in there. She still didn't find any really valuable loot - one decent spell tome for an on-target shock spell that's a bit more powerful than the one she was using and a training book for hand-to-hand, which does her no good at all, along with the usual rubbish - but the dungeon was just so huge and complex that she had a great time exploring it.

When she was done, it was mid-afternoon, so she finally made her way back to the IC. Coming into the IC. She went to Umbacano's and delivered the statue, then went to the Market District and sold off pretty much everything she'd accumulated along the way. Then I took her out onto a point southeast of the Arcane University, where I'm considering building her a house, and where she's now parked.

Awful lot of background and not much story in that post...

After a couple of days in Cheydinhal and a brief stop in his Waterfront shack, the Dunmer known as Lothran is now cozying it up in his Bravil home

Iron Maiden? Excellent! Sorry, I always think of that when I hear Iron Maiden. And I am actually a Maiden fan. Have been since high school.

Maybe I should get Lothran a nice set of Aces High or Hallowed Be Thy Name armour...

And just like that, Run to the Hills is looping in my head.

Yeah - I didn't mention any of that, but... yeah.

Killers was released the summer after I graduated high school, and, along with Saxon's Denim and Leather and Def Leppard's High 'n Dry, served as the soundtrack for a lot of that year...

Lovely story there, Lopov, and sometimes I wonder how you can bear things with your Redguard, gpster *ba-dum*. When all else fails, I always find it best to grin and bear it. X-)

Sorry. I'm looking forward to playing some Oblivion this weekend, so stay tuned.



Fly .... on your way .. like an eagle!...

Gaspar found his legacy. He found Deepscorn Hollow.

He reached it by unlocking old wooden door in the submerged house, then swam down a short underwater passage, at the end of which he emerged in what seemed like a common cave. But it turned out to be much more – continuing down the only passage leading from the cave, Gaspar found the “heart” of his legacy, a surprisingly well-lit stony cloister with several small rooms, most of them filled with broken crates but there was also a big room which judging by its dusty double bed, served as Greywyn’s bedroom. Cobwebs and dirt proofed that it’s been a long time since anyone walked these gloomy halls. There wasn’t a trace of his uncle but Gaspar found his journal with the last entry written in 3€421. Reading it shed more light on Greywyn’s life, and though some things were still unclear to Gaspar, it seemed that his uncle wasn’t just an assassin but a vampire as well. Greywyn supposedly heard voices of Sithis and wanted to purge the Dark Brotherhood, replacing them with his own followers, called Crimson Scars. However, his plan didn’t work, since he was betrayed by one of his own Scars, and Greywyn had to escape, that was when he returned to Deepscorn Hollow.

And what happened next? My uncle was probably hunted down and killed, which explains why diary entries abruptly end twelve years ago when he was just about to purge himself of vampirism. But if he was dead, how did he send me the letter? Or did someone else send it in his name?

The journal mentioned another Scar that survived, someone named Rowley Eardwulf that was responsible for furnishing Deepscorn Hollow in Greywyn’s name. Supposedly Rowley was located in some inn west of the Imperial City…

…but that was twelve damned years ago! He probably isn’t there anymore, if he’s even alive. Huh…I was hoping to understand more of Greywyn’s past but now I’m even more confused. A lot of things don’t make sense. Why was I chosen as the owner of this…this hideout? I don’t think I can do much to restore it, not only because I don’t have enough gold and because Rowley the furnisher is who knows where but because I don’t have any use of this maze at all. Or do I? Am I missing something? Uncle Greywyn wants me to honor Sithis by killing the virtuous but…

For a few seconds a vision struck Gaspar, he was walking through tall grass, a stranger in heavy armor walking in front of him. He was clutching a dagger in his hand and was just about to stab the person in the back…Gaspar quickly shook his head, and the vision was gone instantly but the unpleasant yet tempting feeling remained.

Disturbed, he put the journal aside and went on to explore the rest of the lair. Deep below he found some shrine with a statue, presumably of Sithis, and a Daedric dagger was placed in a small wooden box beneath the statue. Gaspar slowly lifted it and felt vile magic emanating from it. The dagger was a powerful and wicked tool, no wonder belonging to his uncle. Holding it made him feel guilty and influential at the same time. He wanted to give it back to the box but his own hand didn’t obey him and as he tried to lay it down, he felt a burning sensation in his skin.

“Fine, then!” he shouted at himself and his voice echoed all over the shrine. He put the Crimson dagger in his satchel, but oddly enough he didn’t have any unpleasant sensations, when compared with giving the dagger back to its wooden box. “Like if this dagger can sense that I wanted to get rid of it.” Despite he tried to convince himself that daggers don’t feel and aren’t capable of controlling beings, Gaspar didn’t truly believe himself. This night he didn’t feel like walking all the way back to Leyawiin, so he shook blankets to get rid of the dust and then lay in the double bed in what used to be Greywyn’s bedroom.

It’d be better if I left and never return but knowing myself, I won’t do this. Not until I find out more about uncle Greywyn…or about Rowley the merchant if he’s still in that inn. If he’s not, perhaps someone there can point me in his direction. And I can’t deny it to myself…there is something inside me, something tempting and sinister, something that seems hard to control. I had such feelings before in High Rock but over past few days they’ve gotten more and more intense…I better not think too much about it. I need to make some gold…buying the potion of water breathing, which I didn’t even need, cost me a fortune, and if I don’t find some gold, I won’t be able to pay for lodging at Five Claws. I should consider Dagail’s invitation; see what benefits the Mages Guild has to offer. Maybe I earn some gold this way.

As Gaspar fell asleep, all torches slowly stopped burning one by one, until utter darkness prevailed in Deepscorn Hollow, as if old walls sensed that their old master came home again. Blood is thicker than water, after all.

Goodness, you're carrying the Oblivion thread this weekend at the moment. We need more writers!

Just kidding. The story of Gaspar reminds me of another story I read long ago, though I can't remember which one. Especially at the end. He seems to be grinding his way into madness, and I think I know who really sent that letter.

Well, I never got around to writing this weekend, so here's my lame 'update' on Lady Saga. She cleared Capstone Cave of bandits, and gathered her posse from Applewatch (which includes Maglir and a Imperial legion guy at the moment) and headed to Bruma. Once in Bruma, she did her usual shopping around, perusing stuff to buy. Her eyes swept many rooms.

Anyways, I think she is done with Bruma for now. She wants to head toward Leyawiin, where she believes the final Ayleid statue lies, deep inside some ruins. She will (of course) take the long way from Bruma to Leyawiin.

Gpstr – Rydri looks very pretty! I like her hair and armor very much also. I think a spellsword is a fun choice for her!

Mirocu – So nice to hear that Lothie is settled in to Bravil for a time. Ask him to say hi to Kud-Ei and ‘her girls’.

Lopov – Gaspar’s story is getting very eerie. Seems he is indeed his uncle’s nephew and, as you say, perhaps blood is thicker than water. Eeep! Maybe Dagail can help him – sounds like a good plan.

Renee - Good luck to Saga and her gang as they continue statue hunting down south.

I'm sorry, but these days every time I see that name I think of this. Oh well, comes with the territory, I guess.

Sounds like Deepscorn wouldn´t tickle Lothran´s fancy. Gloom and doom? No thanks



Said Dunmer is now close to finish the quest he conjured up two winters ago; collecting one of every town cuirass. Only Leyawiin is left...

I think Buffy's got one around somewhere. One of those nice guards gave her his surcoat after she ended up mysteriously naked during one of the Countess' dinner parties. They never did find out who was behind the mischief.

She better keep it in case it happens again...



Not sure what to do about Kvatch actually. Lothran got a cuirass a long time ago that was enchanted, maybe he wants a "clean" one? We´ll have to discuss this

thanks! ... And by the way, I have a feeling that if (and that's a rather BIG IF) she finds that final statue and returns it to Umbacano, this won't be the end of her adventures in these forums. Heh heh heh....

Ooh, the Umbacano questline - one of my favorites!









Is that for his collection? The Kvatch one is an honor memorabilia; not part of the collection I would think - or maybe what inspired him to collect the others.

That´s a good point - since it´s enchanted it can´t be part of the regular collection. Thanks, mALX. Now Lothran has a reason to visit Kvatch again


If only the fires would stop and the place rebuilt after all this time, it´d be even better..

Acadian got a mod for that, something like "Kvatch Rebuilt" but don't quote me on that. I know he loved it.

I have a new character, his name is Vion Terentius and in case the surname sounds familiar, you are on the right track; he is the younger son of Count Regulus Terentius of Bravil. Twenty-year-old Vion had enough of his manipulative father and his skooma-addicted brother, so he decided to leave Bravil and fulfill his dream to become a knight. To become someone to whom Men and Mer will look up to, to help those in need and to contribute his share in making Cyrodiil a safe land.

--

His first day outside city walls was quite hectic, partially because of his inexperience and partially because of his too high self-confidence. He wanted to explore Bloodmayne Cave west of Bravil but came running out of it faster than a deer, chased by a Will-o-the-Wisp. No matter where he ran and where he hid, the wisp found him but stubborn Vion refused to run back to Bravil because his father would immediately hear juicy rumors about his 'brave' son.

So he sought help from two traveling legionnaires, walking down the main road to Leyawiin, but unfortunately the wisp killed both of them. Desperate because he lured servants of the Empire to their death, young Vion plucked up his courage and picked up a silver longsword that belonged to one of the legionnaires, finally wielding a weapon, capable of damaging the deadly wisp.

The battle was very tough for the young noble but with help from the Nine and from his healing spells, he managed to kill the wisp. At the same time he learned that life in Cyrodiil, especially in wilderness, isn't meant to be taken lightly, and that he should consider his actions more in the future, because legionnaires paid for his mistake with their lives.

He wasn't strong enough to carry their bodies to Bravil but he dragged them from the main road to nearby grass and placed them in a more appropriate position, hoping that their comrades will take care of them when they pass through the area. After a short prayer in which he thanked them for trying to save his life, Vion returned to Bloodmayne Cave, where he's sleeping at the moment.