Luckily for you, Buffy has her own Superian, and does not have to worry about the behavior of each new horse she's got, because she thoroughly knows her steed. All good.

I just made it to Post #1000 I think! Craziness.



Frostfall 22, early evening

"Good evening Sarah, and how are you?"

"Farnacas," Sarah stirred from sleep, slightly embarrassed. "You have awoken me again. I am fine. Has nightfall come yet?"

Awoken by Farnacas again, yes. Sarah had chosen to sleep in Summitmist Manor's newest bed, the one which had been placed before the hearth, on the place's second floor. Though she rarely chose this bed, it seemed as though it was the one she'd been awoken from most frequently by him.

One of the advantages to being on Summitmist Manor's first or second floors was the ability to see the avenue outside. Sarah could stay here while looking outside the place's windows, to try to gauge whether or not it was still daylight out there. Summitmist's top floor (where most of the living quarters were located) had windows mostly covered by shades. Still though, it seemed as though Sarah would often misjudge what was going on outside. She'd look out the manor's lower windows, think the sun was down, rush outside, and her skin would then softly burn.

"Nightfall has come," Farnacas smiled. "And I am sorry to awake you at this hour, although I notice you've spent a little extra time sleeping-in this time. Usually you are awake earlier, no?"

"I suppose."

"Well please awake now." His face grew more serious. "I have some things to discuss."

"Oh, yes. My new bird and my new cat. I apologize," Sarah started, referring to the two animals she'd recently adopted. The cat, she'd picked up in Anvil, and her bird (a raven with the amazing ability to understand a few simple commands) she'd found in Chorrol's graveyard, after Khul Peppa explained to her where this bird could be found. "Have my animals been causing some consternation?"

"No, they have not," Farnacas smiled. "And you are quite welcome to keep them here. This is legally your home, after all. No, I have three things to discuss with you, and they involve three different subjects, including Tayka Byite."

"Tayka? Hmm. Well, what of him?"

"Well firstly, how has the life of the evening been taken by you?"

Sarah did not answer, and could not think of an answer. She merely gave a little grin of her own.

"I want to apologize for my absences," Farnacas replied, "which you no-doubt have noticed. Although I must admit you yourself are quite difficult to track down. Which is strange. I figured during my nightly routines I'd be bumping into you at odd places here in Skingrad. Where do you go at night?"

Sarah looked away, to the floor, hoping her senior would not be able to see any sort of guilt upon her face. I cannot let him know....

"Ah. No matter now. You can live as you wish, and be as you are. I have no constraints about your night-time activities, and I apologize if I've displeased you."

"I..."

"As long as you are safe. And ... well-fed. And you appear to be both."

Sarah looked to Farnacas now.

"My lovely lass fidgets. 'Get to the point', your demeanor now says, though I am not as much of a mind-reader as some think I am. Very well. I have come to discuss three things with you, Sarah. The first one is something I'm sure you'll quite appreciate, and it involves currency."

"Currency?"

"As a non-mortal, I imagine your previous life of work is now over. Indeed, you may not even desire such a life anymore. But what of your nightly living expenses?" He paused. "Whatever it is you do at night, I imagine at some point you'll need to partake of some form of currency. Septims, they've been calling their coinage for the past-odd hundred years or so. You cannot just go about at night without them, can you?"

"Well, no. I suppose."

Sarah had tried to shrug her shoulders, as though the subject of money was no concern. Truth was, she had already had to deal with her sudden lack of monetary inflow, and more than once. There was the time she found herself in the home of some debutante in Chorrol, hiding in the place's cellar because she was too poor to rent a room at the Oak and Crosier. Even when she had found some form of wealth or gold in some of the homes she'd snuck into, she was reluctant to steal these items.

As if reading her mind, "You'll need to frequent an inn on occasion, yet find yourself gold-less. You'll need to buy yourself a new dress. Or new shoes. You may need to even pay somebody trustworthy, to hide you somewhere safe, for a spell."

Sarah's face portrayed a slight bit of confusion.

"And for all these reasons, I want to share with you my treasures."

"Treasure?"

"Before hte closure of Carmala, I was able to have a good deal of my wealth delivered here, to Summitmist. In fact, once you're down in the cellar, have a look at the white coffin next to the shelves down there."

"Yes, I have seen this coffin."

"It is full of gold," Farnacas explained seriously. "And various gems and pearls and amulets, and so on. I want you to feel free to share amongst my trove, if you will, and maybe even add to it, on those rare occasions you manage to compensate yourself, somehow. I feel that though we do not know one another so well yet, I can trust you in this matter, yes?"

"Farnacas. I .. I am speechless."

His face clouded over, however. "Now the second thing I wish to discuss, you may not find so pleasant. Starting tomorrow, we are going to have a sort of house-guard. An orc, matter of fact, and he is a non-vampire. I know this orc though, I've known him for some time. And we can trust him."

"And orcish house-guard? But why?"

"Why? Because we need to have some form of security, Sarah. Though it may not seem so, we are vulnerable during daylight, even in this locked old mansion. We'll both sleep better knowing he is here. Neither of us can stay up all day, making sure. We need one who will do so."

Sarah nodded, unsure.

His face went from smiling to serious again. "And now, the final, and most difficult matter to discuss. Tayka Byite."

"Oh."

"I must educate you here. Firstly, his true name. You are to know that his true name is NOT Tayka Byite. And for now, I am not going to tell you who he really is. Tayka is merely a civilian name he adopted, to hide his true nature. And do not worry, I have reasons of my own for leaving you in the dark on this one.

Sarah nodded again. So many things to suddenly ponder.

"I want you to know that his confrontation shall come soon. That he and I have been in a sort of temporary, and amicable, speaking situation, as two chiefs of war might come to some sort of truce."

"Oh? Well that is good, is it not?"

"Pretty soon, he has agreed to come here, to Summitmist, for a sort of ... meeting of the minds, I suppose," Farnacas told her. By now, his face had become so full of tension, he looked as though all of this was causing a lot of strain. "When he comes here, I am going to want you to be here, Sarah. I want you to witness our meeting. For it may not be quite as ... err....violent as I'd been hinting at before. That he and I might even come to some sort of overall agreement. Do you see? Can you see this?"

"If you say so, Farnacas," Sarah said, sounding mousy and shy. "You .. you know him better than I. I hope for our sake that the two of you can come to terms. I sincerely hope this."

"Good. Anyway, that is all. I bid you farewell for the evening. Say, would you like to accompany me to Castle Skingrad?"

"Castle Skingrad?"

"Hmm. On second thought, perhaps you are not ready for the castle. I can see this. Too much for one night, all of this information, eh? ... Well I would like you to know I often go there for a nightly visit. And stay many hours, in fact."

Sarah could not think of any sort of reply. Farnacas goes to the castle at night? .... But why?

"Well. Farewell. And we shall discuss this more later," he said, smiling again, handing her a key. And before Sarah could make any sort of reply, he was out the front door, leaving Sarah Phimm suddenly curious about that white coffin in the basement.

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

Another Farnacas Cameo

Farnacas gives great "face" (his face is so expressive, it's fun watching it change as he delivers his lines)

He leaves abruptly after informing Sarah of new changes to come...

Including that mysterious new coffin in the cellar

Quest Update

Sarah will never be poor again

Sarah's new flying pet


...The bird was added by Maigret's Raven Companion. And the ironic thing about that treasure coffin is there's all that stuff in there, including 20,410 gold pieces, yet Sarah felt guilty only taking a few dozen pieces. At first. And then she took more and more, but still left over 20,000 in there. She's currently headed to the Imperial City, where she plans to stay in the Market District, hoping she'll be able to somehow do some clothes shopping.

Hey, I'm in Sarah's game!

This wonderfully continuing story does have a Dark Shadows feel to it. I think TocToc (the raven) and a cat are perfect familiars for Sarah! She's rich!

That indeed sounds like mirocu.

Farnacas reminds me of my history teacher at gymnasium. He looked almost the same except red eyes.

So who is this Tayka fellow? What is his real name? Almost every Sarah's story opens up new questions.

Oh, you do me too much honor


Congrats to 1000 posts btw, Renee!

Ha ha I didn't think of that raven = mirocu. The funny thing about her new bird is it can't really fly very well. It's modeled after an imp's behavior. When Sarah flies into the sky on her broom, the raven falls far behind, since it can't fly any higher than a meter or so.



Sundas, 8:53 am, Second Seed 19 3rd Era 434

Level: 13

Days Passed: 266
Days Jailed: 91
Bounty: 500

Ingredients Eaten: 733
Diseases Contracted: 0 (...WHAT???)



On this warm spring day, Jaston Boiber, one of the Imperial Legion's newest soldiers, could not believe his eyes. The most notorious Redguard thief of the latter part of the Third Era stepped right in front of Jaston's horse. Apparently this Redguard, whatever his name was, had spent the night in Aleswell, and was now making his way somewhere. Getting an early start. The Redguard had initially been heavily blurred, just another Aleswell resident so far as Jaston could tell. But then he'd removed a ring, and put it in his shirt's pocket. And became easy and plain to see.



The guard's face was a mask of shock as he ran roughly twenty feet. Heavy footfalls and labored breathing, for unlike most road patrols he was fat and out of shape. Too many days spent looking for the infamous green bear which had been seen multiple times, living somewhere along Lake Rumare.

Either way, Jaston clearly had no aspirations beyond a guard's duties. "Stop ... stop!" he blundered, dismounting his horse, and then trying to remember the standard road soldier's writ. "Uhmm....ahmmm." Good thing no other guards were around (or citizens, for that matter), at this particular moment Jaston felt mighty embarrassed.

"Oh. Let me help you, sir. Now... take a deep breath, and then let it all flow from the chest. "'STOP! You violated the law!' you're supposed to say. See, I've had some practice at this. 'Pay the court a fine or....'"

"Enough!" the guard erupted, suddenly remembering the rest. "You can pay the court a fine, or go to jail. The next move is yours. Pay your fine, or I'll haaaul you away."

"[SIGH] I don't know, sir. What would you do if you had to travel several miles without a horse, but did not request the Legion's assistance?"

"Then PLAY with your blood!" the guard roared, readying his sword of silver.

"Huh? Play?..."

The chance, the opportunity, was right there. Yet another horse, ready for riding, while the fat, clumsy guard began swinging. The Redguard did a mock-turn back toward Aleswell, jumped over the village's corralled vegetable garden, alerting the Orc who tended this garden. Though Jaston could not see this orc, he'd become well-aware of the plight of Aleswell, and knew all its residents. The orc gardener was clearly not interested in getting in the middle of this.

Wearing only a set of belted trousers, a coarse linen shirt, and what looked to be an ordinary steel helmet, the Redguard sprinted with much greater ease than the grey-skinned soldier. When the Redguard jumped over that fence, he stayed mid-air for what seemed to be an absurdly long time. The guard didn't know it, but the Redguard's boots were extremely magical, and extremely rare.

"STOP! I command you to STOP!"

The Redguard doubled back onto the road, jumping again, this time over Aleswell's animal fence. He then leapt just as he landed on the fence's far side, spending a grand total of seven or eight seconds, all without touching the ground. Jaston's horse was right there and ready, while Jaston himself slipped and fell in some animal slop. He cursed the invisible Khajiit whose job it was to tend to the animals, for not keeping their pen more tidy.





8:44 pm
Hours later, and the Weet Bandit is now in Cheydinhal's jail. He'd made it this far, once again, by wearing his magic Ring of Chameleon, which made it seem as though the horse he was on was simply a riderless bay returning to his stable. The guards weren't fooled though. Several of them had sighted and cited. But they were also too busy doing their other job, keeping the roads safe from boars, wolves, and lately, a sudden scourge of giant hooved & horned beasts. Rumor had it, these beasts (known as minotaurs) had overpopulated themselves out of the forests in which they usually dwelt.

"Fokke."

Kahreem had made it as far as Cheydinhal's stable area. He'd then dismounted the horse, crouched down, and then attempted to sneak into the town. But he'd been noticed. Fortunately, he hadn't been carrying any stolen goods at all when he'd been caught, all his writs were for horse-theft.

But it would still take five days before he was free. Cheydinhal's jail was not as bad as some, but five days is five days.



9:52 pm, Second Seed 24

"Go away," says a guard.

"I don't know you, and I don't care to know you," says some sort of captain of the guards.

"I trust your home life isn't all that you thought it would be," Kahreem answers, then suddenly turns away doubtfully. Now what kind of lame insult was that?

After having a late supper at Newlands Lodge: rice, potatoes with garlic sauce, and best of all, a bottle of the very cheapest, Kahreem is ready to face his boss. Outside, it is now raining.

"I'm your relief."

"It's about time!"

He walks past Imperial Bridge Inn, and past the guilds. "I've killed far worse than you!" threatens an orc with a large bow on his back. Finally, across from the town chapel, Kahreem finds the house he's looking for.

"The Grey Fox seems very anxious to see you," says Ganredhel, the house's owner. "Go inside."

How long has she been standing out here? Kahreem asks himself. Maybe since I was released from jail. They must know I'm here afterall.



"Have a seat," the Grey Fox offers, once Kahreem is inside.

"Hey look, I've got a helmet too this time! Although my helmet isn't as nifty as yours." Kahreem does as the man suggests, and has a seat. But one of the place's dogs is in his way at the time, blocking his path, so that he winds up too far away from the Fox. Awkward. He stands up, and sits down again. Still too far away. "How about I just stand?"

"I assume you found Springheel Jak's tomb?"

"You assume correctly, sir. And even though I spent the last five days in the lockup, they apparently missed these magical boots."

"Do you have the boots?" the Grey Fox asks.

"I do," Kahreem says reluctantly, handing them over. "These boots are very fun to have, sir. I can jump like Lady Saga while wearing them."

"Capital!"

"Yes! Exactly the word to describe what it's like to wear them."

"This may be the last piece of the puzzle. I need to spend more time with Savilla's Stone first, though. I am truly indebted to you. If all goes well, I may call upon you for one last task. The danger will be great, but the reward will be greater."

"The reward will be greater? Sign me up! Capital!"

"For now..."

"Yessssss?"

"Here is your reward."

"Oh, will you look at that," the Redguard says, trying not to drool. "More gold for me."

"For now," says the Grey Fox. "Let us leave Ganredhel's house and go our separate ways. We have overstayed our welcome."

"No...you have overstayed your welcome, I just got here, remember? I've been in that fokkinge dingy jail cell, eating rancid cornmeal and hoping for a slab of salt with my swill. I think I've probably spent more time in jail than any other Thieves Guild associate, what do you think?"

The Gray Fox does not answer, so the Weet Bandit makes his way back outside, where it's still raining, no longer warm like it had been earlier in the evening. Not so "capital," in Kahreem's opinion.



Note: I'll have to remember: Kahreem needs to make a new quota, a thousand gold of stolen items, before the Grey Fox contacts him again. He has several options now so far as fences go: he can go to Bruma, Chorrol, Bravil, or anywhere else that has a TG fence. I'm opening the floor to you guys. Where do you think he should go next? Cast your votes! And if nobody votes, I guess I'll roll some dice.

Kahreem pursued by fat Justin Bieber! Hilarious!

Mr of Weet nicely tricked him from his horse, then took it for himself.

Kahreem is hurling quite some insults at the guards.



Bruma!

Aye! Bruma!


No rest for the Bandit. I wonder what he will do once the Fox no longer needs his help?



"Fat Justin Bieber"

Everybody wants Bruma, ha ha. Well alright Bruma it is. That should be okay too, because summer is getting near in his game. It might be good to get away from the heat for awhile. Then again, maybe he'll wind up with a different kind of heat, lolz.

This is another ambitious Sarah story which wound up being quite a project to get running, but it all turned out okay.

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

Morndas, 8:33 pm Frost Fall 29, 4th Era Year 5

Days Passed: 64




"My sleeping beauty."

"Farnacas! Again, you startle me from my favorite bed."

"Good evening, and how are you?" Without waiting for an answer, Farnacas Collins began to say what he had to say. "So sorry to disturb you, but I have many preparations to attend to, and must get an early headstart. The sun, it has not sunk, yet here I am, already up and about. What I have to tell you now, has to deal with Tayka. Are you ready?"

"Why yes, I suppose. How are things coming along with him? Amicable, I hope?"

Farnacas's face, however, anwered her question in a sort of way. The words only fine-tuned his reply. "He will be here in two nights' time, Sarah; for I was able to stall his arrival. Now, I need you to do something very important for me during this time."

"Why sure. What is it? Anything?"

By now, Sarah Phimm was trying to keep her face from betraying. Over the last few days, she'd burned through at least two thousand of the Septims Farnacas had hidden in his white coffin. Most of this money had gone to new wardrobe choices, as she'd flown on her broom to the Imperial City Waterfront two times already. And here, she'd discovered a dashing new clothing store, one which contained some outstanding material most any girl would want. She'd lavished Farnacas's gold on several items: long skirts and blouses mostly, plus one pair of purple-colored shoes. Best of all, this store was open all night! She'd never have to worry about getting destroyed by the sun, as she hurried to Colovian Traders, Radiant Raiment, some other such shop. Merchants always closed up before the sun went down.

While she hemmed and hawed, hoping he wouldn't bring up that subject, Farnacas paused for a moment. Luckily for Sarah, he had other things on his mind than wasteful spending.

"What do you need from me?" Sarah asked again.

"Well here it is. I need you NOT to feed."

"What? Not feed? But why not?"

"Precisely what I said. I need you to reign your desire for blood during these next two upcoming days. The reason, should you not have already intuited, is that I need you to be stronger when Tayka is here. Just as a matter of precaution."

"Stronger?"

"As you must know by now, your powers and abilities increase significantly, during times which you do not partake. You know this?"

"Well yes, of course, but..."

"Tayka...can be somewhat of a trickster," Farnacas's face remained stollid. "He's a clever man, and very underhanded. Unlike myself. I have always been straightforward. And though Tayka has promised to put aside his war-axe, so to speak, I must use prudent care not to become too lax in my assumptions. He's betrayed me in the past, you see."

Sarah said nothing, but began to fidget. She'd become quite good at finding her victims now that she had a way to get around quickly. In fact, she'd even fed on one of the monks who lived in Chorrol's Weynon Priory. What would it be like though, to put all this night-time activity aside?

Farnacas was smiling now. "Besides that piece of advice, you are free to do as you wish. Just make sure you are here, in two nights' time."

"Yes... but Tayka. You mentioned some discourse about his true name? His true nature?"

The man's smile vanished. "Yes. To put it shortly, his name in Magyar-speak is Malle Volance." Farnacas waited a moment, watching Sarah's face. "And I can see, you have not heard of this name."

"No. Never heard this name before. Should I have?"

"My mind... the time.... it all slips away so quickly, Sarah. In my day as a mortal, Tayka chose to do some sort of bidding amongst the Daedric gods, Molag Bol or Mehrunes himself, most likely, and wound up becoming as non-human as I am, though he is not also a vampire. I am at a loss what exactly he has become. Suffice it to say, mention of Malle Volance where I was from, and in my day, would have men scurrying for cover. And so it is no wonder he has not even explained to his conjuring cohorts who he really is."

Sarah nodded, unsure if she should continue questing for more information. Farnacas suddenly had an air about him, breaking eye contact.

In fact, Farnacas abruptly turned awy form her without explaining any more, and was headed toward the front door in a hurry, headed toward whatever he did at night, up in the castle.

"He did not even compliment, nor notice, my brilliant new dress," Sarah pouted.




Sun's Dusk 1, early morning
Sarah Phimm awoke from a rather dreadful dream, one which she could not remember. The sun was still shining outside, though she could see through her shaded window that it was losing its daily battle, and night would soon overcome.

She rose cautiously, listening for any wayward sounds, and heard nothing, other than the papery whisper of her raven's wings, flapping nearby. Sarah cast a spell which would illuminate the room around her, then decided to change her clothes. Since this meeting between Farnacas and Tayka would require some sort of formality, Sarah decided on one of her new, expensive dresses, a red one, in fact. She donned this outfit, casually tossing her cheaper clothes aside.

She spent a moment searching for her raven, found it, and decided she'd better leave it behind. The animal was frail, yes, but it had a bit of a temper, she had noticed. When Sarah had flown to Sutch two days before (not feeding, but checking the place out for any unlocked doors) a wolf had shown up and attacked some farm animals. Sarah had tried to stay out of this, but the bird had gotten involved, and even began attacking some guards! No, this would not do to have an aggressive raven about.

As she began her descent downstairs, she could feel the presence of others.

"Ah, Sarah is here," Farnacas began as she rounded onto the floor. "Shall we begin our discourse?"

In front of Sarah was a second man, wearing monk's robes, his face covered by an innocent-looking green hood, the type of hood the wine-pickers sometimes wore. Perhaps this was Tayka's disguise; a way of getting into town without facing arrest.

"That we shall," answered Tayka. "Hello Sarah," he continued, without looking at the redhead, but keeping his eyes on Farnacas. "Remember me? Remember the one who was kind enough to give you the keys to this house?"

Sarah did not answer, her face grim.

"First, ground rules," said Farnacas. "All gloves are off, and there'll be no violence tonight. We are here to decide what to do about Sarah. Shall we firstly agree that we can share her little gift?"

"SHARE? Who said anything about sharing? I am here to claim what's mine, you fool!"

"NO, you're the fool," Farnacas retorted. "I knew of her long before you did, you were only fortunate enough to not have to deal with sunlight. And ... shall I add, I do not like your tone of voice, Malle Volance. How dare you renege on your promise. On the other hand, I should have known better."

"Ha! It was never my intention that you, and you alone, should claim Sarah Phimm for your own, Farnacas. Now, prepare thyself!"

"It will be your death sentence, Malle. Ground rule: no casting of summons, eh? This shall be between you and me alone. Clear?"

"In your dreams, Farnacas."

"You see that, Sarah?" Farnacas paused. "Underhanded he is. Underhanded. Now... Tayka ... Malle, whatever your name is ... prepare to DIE!"

"I apologize Sarah, for getting you involved in all of this," said Tayka Byite, again he kept his eyes locked on Farnacas, just in case. "But this has been a long time coming, this showdown between me and the vampire scum you see before you. See that bottle at your feet Sarah? When you pick it up, that shall be the sign for us to commence."

Sarah looked doubtfully at the two men, both of them armed, but neither of them armored. "I agree," Sarah said, and picked up the bottle of wine. "Commence."

Immediately, Tayka / Malle grabbed his sword, and broke Farnacas's ground rule by summoning a flame atronach. First mistake. Although Farnacas was susceptible to this being's attacks, Sarah was not. The two men traded blows in a flurry of parries, swings, and thrusts from their swords. The action was difficult to follow, but Sarah kept her distance, not being much of a fighter herself.

"Ha! You shall die, Farnacas!"

While the men fought, Tayka's atronach couldn't decide who to fight. It initially started on Farnacas, burning the well-dressed vampire and distracting him wildly, but at some point, the atronach made an attack on Sarah. Pointless really, she merely shrugged its firey flames as though she'd been splashed by a glass of water.

Though both men fell at least once, it was Farnacas who lost his consciousness sublimely. Tayka then turned to Sarah Phimm, properly dressed in her evening-wear, and assumed he'd be able to also knock her down, drug her, and then arrange to have her moved to Fort Istrius. That was when the turnabout came.

"You think you can take me down? You menace!"

Sarah had followed her housemate's orders, and had managed not to feed for the past two days. Because of this, all her powers and increased indeed.

"FALL BEFORE ME, vampire!" Malle Volance countered.

With one swipe of her hand (as Tayka closed in on her) she managed to paralyze the former Magyar priest, completely catching him off guard. "You.... no!!!" And within a second or two, she focused her mind, and then delivered a flash of vampiric essence, all of her magic powers focused toward Malle, boiling most the blood in his body, just like that. "Argh!" He was down, and for good. Just like that. Down, and smoldering on the floor. Several centuries of existence over, just like that.

Sarah sheathed her daggar, noticing how useless this piece would have been without all her magic. She rushed over to Farnacas, suddenly realizing that the orc they'd hired to watch Summitmist during the day had been killed at some point. Apparently, Malle had managed to sneak in during daylight hours and killed the Orismer man.

But Farnacas had not been killed. To Sarah's relief, he quickly got up from the floor, and dusted himself off.

"You.... you are living!"

"Yes Sarah. To kill a vampire such as I, one cannot just swing a few swords, and walk away. One cannot! ... Had Tayka ... Malle ... had the both of us been alone, he would have been able to take the necessary precautions. Offing my head, stake through the heart, burnt my body, and so on."

"Oh no!"

"But you were here to save me, Sarah. Because you listened to my advice, you saved me, and saved yourself. And I have you to thank. Your loyalty to me has been entirely proven. Thank you."

"I ... you are most welcome, sire," Sarah said, doing a little curtsey sort of move. "Most welcome."

"Well, I must make my way to the castle now. Cannot keep them waiting up there. You look lovely in your new dress, by the way."

Sarah blushed. Farnacas had finally noticed.

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

The Video version (note: it's pretty sloppy! But I had to do many retakes of this one, just like some scene in a movie, stuff kept going wrong).

I enjoyed the movie, quite interesting. Forgot to bring the popcorn though

Undead are fighting for Sarah! Great battle scene - Tayka shalt bite no more.

Is there vampiric love in the air between Farnacas and Sarah?

Sarah closed mirocu in the room.

Shopping at the Goddess Store!

Open all night for your vampiric convenience and only a short broom ride from Skingrad!

Yes, poor Mirocu can't join in the battle. He gets locked away.

Acadian: yes, that's Goddess Store indeed. For a long time I didn't have that one installed in her game, but the truth is I haven't found anything else which offers such a broad selection, and is open all night.

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

Loredas, 4:00 pm, Second Seed 25, 3rd Era 434

Days Passed: 272

Kahreem of Weet leaves the Newlands Lodge, wondering if there ever was an 'Oldlands Lodge.' Why have a new lodge, if there isn't an old one out there, somewhere, right? He wears a plain steel helmet, a battered old shirt + trousers, his new mithril boots, and still is wielding his dwarven mace, along with a plain steel shield. He checks his pack to make sure he hasn't left behind his Dark Brotherhood robe + hood combination. And no, he hasn't.

Outside, it is rainy, and a little chilly too.

"Go away," says a guard.

"I am, sir. I am going far away. What will you guys do when I'm gone? Pretty boring shifts in your future, no doubt."

The guard doesn't answer. As Kahreem walks toward the stable, the rain suddenly begins to abate, as if on cue.

"Hello."

"Hello Mivryna. Say, can I give you something?"

"If you want to buy a horse, go inside and talk to Tovas."

Kahreem considers this, actually. He's got a lot of gold on his person. Just imagine...his very own black. He'd be able to ride it as fast as he could, and no guard could do anything about this. ... But then, what about his coin purse? What would it be like to have it sagging and empty again?

"Here, would you like some gold, for all your hard work around here?"

"Certainly."

"Here's a fat handful for you. Enjoy."

"Every little bit helps."

"Of course it does. Now, do me a favor. Can you look away from your stable for a moment?"

"Good day."

"That's my girl. You know, some time, we really must have dinner at Newlands. It's a dark elf bar, did you know this? You can curse and spit as much as you'd like, did you know this?"

Mivryna does not answer though.

"Fokke. Shot down again. Well, here goes."

"Stop! Thief! How dare you take from me!"

"Hey, you were supposed to be looking the other way!"

The horse Kahreem has stolen moves quickly away, of course. There's simply no catching it, meaning that poor Mivryna will have to explain to Tovas (again) that the infamous Redguard charmer who'd stolen more horses than any other in Cyrodiil had just robbed yet another. Again.


10:33 pm
Kahreem arrives to Roxey Inn, looking forward to an easy night of wine and boar's meat. The black he had stolen was fast, indeed. It had managed to out-maneuver two minotaurs plus another creature he'd never seen before, this one a very large animal, on four legs. Kahreem couldn't see it very well, but he was sure the animal was some sort of giant cat.

"STOP! You violated the law. Serve the court a fine, or pay your sentence."

"Hey, don't I know you? Yeah, you're that guard from before, up in Aleswell. So, you want to say 'PAY the court a fine and SERVE your sentence,' sir. Pay and serve, not serve and pay. You are getting better at this though."

"Then PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD!"

"Yes, pay, not 'play'. Very good."

The fat guard got riled up, while Kahreem noticed another horse nearby. A bay. Very good. Because the black he had stolen was already walking fast away. And maybe that large cat he'd seen before might be lurking somewhere in those shadows. He makes a split decision, and steals the bay standing near Roxey Inn. Fokke. He'd really been wanting to stay here tonight.

"Stay where you are, thief!"

Where to go now? Back to Aleswell, that's where. Bruma is way too far away to travel to at night, and Kehreem figures another stay with a group of invisible people (while invisible himself) might just be the best sort of disguise.


2:35 am

"Have you talked to Ancotar yet?" asked the inn's invisible innkeeper, several hours later. "Can he make us visible again?"

"Ah fokke."

It's always good to have gold on one's person, eh?



Too bad she didn't look away as she was supposed to though...

Oh wow, that brought back memories. Buffy spent every single septim of her life savings to buy Superian from that stable.

I thought Kahreem might actually buy the horse but, alas. Probably better that he did not - for both horse and Kahreem. Lol.

Being the horse thief that he is, Kahreem is better off with the ever so much more practical stay-when-stolen bays.

Aleswell it is - nice place to stay out of sight.

Khareem, buy a horse!

Hey, don't fix it if it ain't broked!

And have somebody steal it? If I can't stash it in my backpack ...

Yah, for a few moments I imagined he'd buy that horse. I wonder what that would be like. Five + years of gaming with Kahreem, and he's never owned a horse.

Aw, that is touching. I had no idea Superian once had a stable.

This is gonna be weird, writing without Lopov around. I wonder if I can do it? Lopov and mirocu have been around from the beginning. Matter of fact, originally Lopov and I had our own Redguards way back when both of us began writing Oblivion tales. Lopov's Redguard (Eldar the Nose) died within a few weeks, but that's because he has Fran's in his game, which put a lion in some dungeon, while Eldar was way too weak to face this animal.

I hope you come back, pard'ner. I'll game with Kahreem tonight, but maybe I won't write, unless I get really inspired.

Heck, I'll guess I won't write tonight. Maybe tonight I will just share one of my favorite Lopov stories, from back in the day. This story involved Raven, who was a witchhunter, and in this story, we're looking at one of Raven's early tales, from when he was still doing MG recommendations.

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

"I shall take my leave now," silently said Raven, not wishing to interrupt sisters Phebe Jeanard and Angrond during their daily prayer at the Gottlesfont Priory Chapel..

"Oh my, you're already leaving?" said sister Phebe and stood up. "Wouldn't you stay for a day or two?"

"I've stayed longer than I had planned," said Raven, "and now it's time for me to go."

"Have you gathered some Lady Mantle's leaves, son?" asked sister Angrond and stood up as well,"and steel-blue entolomas? And some other ingredients? There are also some freshly picked Cinnabar..."

"Thank you, sister Angrond, thank you. I've picked some ingredients around the Priory. I've never carried so many different mushrooms with me in my entire life."

"Lady's Mantle Leaves are helpful in healing wounds, whether applied directly or compounded in potions," said sister Phebe.

"Yes, I believe you've already told me that. Goodbye, sisters. We shall see each other again when I'll be passing through these forests."

"You're welcome here any time," said sister Angrond and opened the chapel door for Raven. "We'll never forget what have you done for us. Where are you headed, child?"

"Skingrad."

"Skingrad?" asked sister Phebe.

"Skingrad."

"Skingrad?" asked sister Angrond.

"Skingrad."

"We wish you good luck on your travels," said sister Phebe.

"And good luck with your recommendations," added sister Angrond.

"Thank you." Raven waved in goodbye, pulled his hood on and headed to the woods. Sun was slowly setting as his figure disappeared among the trees.

"Unbelievable," said sister Phebe," this man saved us! Saved us, sister Angrond. If it weren't for him, we'd still be pestered by that annoying marauders from Fort Wooden Hand."

"True, sister Phebe" nodded sister Angrond," no more will these marauders steal our potato! And pumpkins!"

"True, sister Angrond. And corn!"


-----

The same night Raven arrived to Skingrad. At the entrance he was approached by an odd Bosmer that wanted to meet him behind the chapel, but Raven didn't have time for this nonsense and ignored him. He didn't have any difficulties locating the Skingrad Mages Guild Hall, but when he had arrived there, he was immediately disappointed.

Mages at Skingrad couldn't even compare to those from Chorrol, in Raven's eyes. Most of them were rude and clearly stated that they can't be bothered, while in fact the only information that Raven wanted was to find out the person in charge.

Druja, the Argonian battlemage, asked him whether he was there for training or just practicing his Cyrodiilic, to which Raven responded that he's just practicing his Cyrodiilic and ended the conversation.

Vigge the Cautious, the Nord mage, asked him whether he's sure that he's talking to the right person, to which Raven responded "Probably not" and left the room.

Adrienne Berene, the head of the guild, was a final letdown in Raven's eyes. Not that she didn't want to be interrupted, but she tasked Raven with finding a missing mage. Raven had no problems looking for him but he couldn't believe that nobody else at the guild didn't bother going out, to look for their missing guildmate. Either he was very unpopular and they just didn't care about him, but in Raven's opinion the guildmates should stick together.

The only friendly member that he had met, was Imperial sorcerer Sulinus Vassinus, who openly admitted not liking Adrienne, and turned out to be helpful regarding Erthor's whereabouts. As soon as Raven found out that he was apparently living at Bleak Flats Cave, he left the guild hall where he felt unwelcome and left Skingrad, heading northwest towards the cave.

He didn't have any troubles locating it neither did he have troubles clearing it of deranged zombies. At that point he thought that Erthor might have been a necromancer, practicing dark arts far from the civilization, but as it turned out, zombies were obviously a part of an experiment gone wrong and Erthor just didn't dare to leave the cave as long as they were around.

"Erthor?" said Raven as he encountered the obviously scared Bosmer deep in the cave.

"GASP!" shrieked Erthor. "Oh, I mistook you for a zombie for a second. Excuse me. But if you're here...they're all gone? I can leave the cave? Oh, thank you! I'm ever so grateful! You're heading back to Skingrad, aren't you? Could I... maybe come with you? It'd be safer, I think. So, what do you say?"

"You can come with me. But not now. I need to sleep first," said Raven and took his shoes off.

"Sleep?" asked Erthor, surprised. "But it's morning..."

"I sleep in the morning. And in the afternoon. Usually," answered Raven and lied down on Erthor's bedroll. "I have a light sleep so don't worry if there's any zombie still around. But just in case, wake me up if you hear any suspicious sounds. Good day."

Erthor just couldn't believe it - he was saved by a man that slept during the days! Was he a vampire? No, Erthor checked his face, and he wasn't. Still, why couldn't they just leave now? Like right now? But it was in vain. The Breton fell asleep quickly and he had no choice but to wait for his savior to wake up.

.....................

Raven woke up earlier as usual and late in the afternoon they were already walking back to Skingrad.

"I'm really glad you showed up," said Erthor, gratefully. "If it weren't for you, who knows what'd happen to me. I have a friend that saved me from the same situation before but I haven't seen her now for some time."

"A friend?" asked Raven.

"Yes, Lady Saga is her name. Perhaps do you know her? She's also an Associate in the guild."

"I haven't met her yet," answered Raven and they continued to Skingrad in silence.

By safely escorting Erthor to the guild hall, Raven earned his recommendation and Adrienne promised to write it as soon as she'll have a moment. Raven at least hoped that she'll write the recommendation before he's done traveling around Cyrodiil. After saying goodbye to Erthor and Sulinus, Raven left the guild hall. He didn't know where will he sleep, but that definitely won't be in the guild hall - he didn't feel welcome there.

As he went on a walk through Skingrad, he suddenly smelled a repulsing yet familar smell...the same smell that he sensed outside Fort Carmala, in Wendir and in Bleak Flats Cave. The smell of rotting flesh...the smell of zombies...the smell of death. He stopped and took a good look at the rich manor. As he got closer to the door, the smell became more intense. Raven could barely read the owner's name on the old wooden door. It was written:

Nerastarel

Raven took a quick look around to check if there were any guards nearby, and tried opening the door. Locked. He crouched and took a quick look through the lock, only to see that it was very complicated and that he'd need a lot of time if he wanted to break in. But perhaps there was another entrance, thought Raven, opened an iron gate at the side of the house and walked to the garden behind. Another door was there and judging by the lock, it would be very easy to get in. Raven didn't feel comfortable about breaking in unknown houses, but perhaps there was a necromancer's lair inside. And if that was true, he had to put an end to this! He crouched, picked the lock at his first attempt and sneaked into Nerastarel's house.




Note: Raven would eventually become Arch Mage, but right before attaining this title, Raven murdered one of the NPCs in the Arcane University. This NPC was added by Better Cities, and she was a necromancer, hiding in plain sight, so in Lopov's RP with Raven, this necromancer had to die. Since the Arcane University wouldn't do anything about her, Raven cast a spell on her, which caused this necromancer woman to do a "suicide by guard" sort of thing.

Because of this, Raven got kicked out of the Mage's Guild, but the ironic thing was--all of this happened just before Raven became Arch Mage. So in other words, the guy became Arch Mage (because the quest stage was right there), yet just after this happened, he got kicked out of the guild!

No writing about Kahreem??



-UNSUBSCRIBE!! UNSUBSCRIBE!!!!!




Oh, yeah, this isn't youtube...

Yay for Raven, saving the Sisters from pumpkin/tato thieving marauders then finding that little missing mage. How funny to get kicked from the MG right before becoming Arch Mage!

I like that conversation with Erthor, where he tells of not learning from his earlier mistakes. "Oh, yes, I get trapped by zombies all the time. I wonder why?"

Personally, I blame developers. And having bad AI as a chld.

Sorry man, I couldn't last night. I've been really bummed. Lopov may not be back, and he's like one of my best internet friends. It'd be like if you told me you're having some family problems, and then disappear for weeks.

Anyway, I really like that story because Lopov's peculiar sense of humor really shines in that one.

8:09 am, Second Seed 28, 3rd Era 434

Days Passed: 275
Active Quests: 21
Quests Cmpt'd: 14

Bounty: 1,600
Fame: 0
Infamy: 40

Days Jailed: 96
Items Stolen: 1914
Trespasses: 0 (what???)
Assaults: 12
Murders: 1

Horses Stolen: 19



The guards and Watch Captains smile, knowing that the most notorious thief in all Cyrodiil rests right in their cell. They smile smugly, and have plenty of comments and conversations about their captor. The list of crimes the man has committed is long, involving horse-theft most of all, but also petty thievery of food, random items, and (oddly) several complaints about the theft of the very cheapest of wines. Several assaults upon innocent, law-abiding citizens. And a very long list of things they thought the Redguard was responsible of, but could not prove. This unproven list stretched back well into the previous year.

Had their Redguard been the one to steal some tax records from the Waterfront district?

... Unproven. Not enough evidence, nor any witnesses. Only a few rumors.

Had he been the one to remove Llathasa Indarys's bust from the Temple of Arkay's undercroft area?

... Unproven. Not enough evidence. A female witness (a guard) had seen a Redguard down in the undercroft, on the day the bust was stolen, but had this Redguard been the one who actually stole the bust on this day? If so, he was never caught red-handed. Mysteriously, this bust had later appeared in the cupboard of a Waterfront dark elf. She was the one who had been charged. But had she been the actual perpetrator of the actual crime? Who cares. The Dunmer gotten caught, not any Redguard. Case closed.

Had this Redguard been responsible for breaking into Leyawiin's non-public areas, where he'd subsequently stolen a ring from Countess Caro?

... Very likely, yet never officially proven. Again, he'd never been caught red-handed. There were several witnesses who'd complained about a Redguard (maybe even several of them) who'd been seen in various places: loitering about town, lurking around the castle's public areas, rushing though some secret rooms throughout the castle, and (worst of all) seen sneaking in the Count's bedchamber several times. When Countess Caro's ring had been reported stolen, there had been a Redguard who'd fled the scene.

But that Redguard, whoever he was, had spoken in a high, foppish voice. The one currently in Bruma's dungeon is more of a baritone. There's always the possibility that he'd somehow changed his voice, and had also been wearing several disguises during his long stay in this southern town. But again, there was also the possibility that there'd been several Redguards working together. Who was to say?

The list of these larger, unsolved crimes went on and on. If indeed the man they had in custody was the same man who'd committed all those larger acts of crime, two things were for sure: he was very good at his job (in a creative sort of way), yet he was terrible at all of those smaller crimes. His frequent horse-thefts, for instance. At times, it almost seemed like he'd wanted to be seen and pursued, stealing some horse. Maybe these pettier crimes were even a further form of trickery and evasion. Like, how could such a terrible thiever of horses be the same man responsible for those more covert and daring attempts?

Considering all of this, it was odd how the decision had come down from one of Bruma's superiors, allowing the Redguard scum to be freed from his jail cell. Freed, but allowed to walk the mere perimeter of Castle Bruma's dungeon.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the Redguard asked, as one of Bruma's dungeon-guards unlocked the cell the Redguard shared with Jorundr.

"No talking!" replies this guard. "And by the way, we execute escaping prisoners. Just a friendly reminder."

"You mean I can just walk around? Out of this cell? Hey, thank you sir. I really appreciate this. Okay Jorundr, here you go. You can have your cell back. Seems you are always in this cell, every time I've been locked up here. Well no more. You have your cell, and I suppose I will have mine. What do you have to say about that?"

Jorundr glares, says nothing, while Kahreem walks out of the cell they shared, grateful to have more space to roam.

Too bad Lothran wasn't there anymore and on guard duty Then again, he is someone who takes his job seriously. And also someone who has a Life Detection spell...


Nice update, Renee! Glad you got your gaming and writing urge back

Can you imagine if Lothran was there? Hee hee I wonder if Lothran would annoyed by Kahreem, or would he get fooled by Kahreem's charm and wit? Ha ha...

Fredas, late afternoon, Sun's Dusk 9, 4th Era Year 5

Days Passed: 75
Necks Bitten: 29

Bounty: 70


"An honor to be sure."

"I haven't time for fools!"

Tilmo the stablehand greets one of the guards of Skingrad. Though Tilmo had never been regarded very highly by most guards (nor by a percentage of ordinary citizens), he was hoping the tale he had to tell would now be heard and listened to, without question.

"Did you see it? The other night? A phantom shadow rose into the air, and dashed across the sky. Some say it was a member of the Dark Brotherhood, a dark witch in fact. Or perhaps it was Mephala herself, come in disguise. Whoever she was, rumor has it that she flies .. by riding a magic broom!"

"A-ha-ha-ha-ha!" the guard laughed. "You're full of it!"

And there it was. Disbelieved again. His word not trusted. Tilmo the Stablehand, a man with a respectable job some would say, yet most of the time he'd barely garner any more respect than a common beggar.

"It was true, I tell you. True! She flies, she flies! She flies across the sky at night! I saw her with my own eyes! ... Look to the skies! ... Look to the skies!"

"Stop talking!"

And Tilmo did stop talking. But he knew what he had seen...

-----

..."A lady wearing brassy clothes, landed right outside the city walls!" said Jorck the Outcast to Istrius Brolus.

"Really?"

"Without question. Saw her with my very own eyes, though she did not see me," Jorck informed the Breton. In reality, Jorck had greeted Istrius coyly, hoping to gain a coin or two from him, but without asking for a Septim outright. And the perfect way to do this would be to greet the man with a diffent subject, one which any man would find interesting. "Flew across the sky from the south she did, and landed just outside the city wall, where the Oblivion gate once stood."

"Well that's fantastic!" Istrius replied, while wondering just how many drinks the beggar had quaffed so far this day.

"You think so? It is true, you know."

And it was. Every word. He knew what he saw, and he'd tell every one in Bruma if he had to. "Erm. Can ye spare a coin, by the way?"

"See you!"

Drats. Foibled again, thought the beggar. Maybe it's my mind, playing tricks on me. I know what I saw, and what I saw was real, but WAS it real?

"Be seeing you," Jorck the Outcast said, as the Breton began to walk away.

Before forgetting about what he had seen entirely, Jorck did one last thing, he walked to Jerall View Inn, and had a look inside. The lady who'd landed just outside of town had red hair, and had been riding a broom (as though a child might play, while pretending to ride a horse) which vanished moments after she'd landed. Jorck had followed her to the Jerall View Inn, and had watched as she'd rented a room. But all of this had happened the night before.

And today, after getting cold-shouldered by Istrius Brolus, Jorck had waited for hours, hoping to see the lady with the red hair. He'd waited just outside the inn's door, begging for change all the while, but really determined to see her again.

She had never showed. As day turned into night, the long process of forgetting what he'd seen (compartmentalizing this memory into that 'did that really occur?' area of his mind) slowly began.

Loredas, Mid-Year 22, Year 434

Days Passed: 300

Thief Quest Stage: Independent Thievery

"What do you want?"

The Imperial City seems mostly deserted on this muggy mid-afternoon. Kahreem of Weet walks the streets, from the Market District back to the Waterfront, seeing only a few guards, a few beggars, but hardly anyone else. People do live here, he thinks, but mostly they're locked inside their homes today. A soft rain begins to fall, then abruptly abates. Kahreem pictures all the people in their houses, as he walks by their homes.

"Come to bother me with a war story, Redguard?"

"Really? You want to hear one of my war stories? Well yes. There was this one time, back in Hammerfell, back before I was recruited here in Cyrodiil for the Legion, as the only Redguard guard. And you see--"

But the Nord who'd demanded Kahreem 'bother' him with a war story doesn't want to hear it. In fact, he's already walking away.

"Um, you there. You, the one who requested one of my war stories? ... Come back, you're about to miss the best part!"

The Nord misses the best part.



Sundas, MidYear 23, early morning

"Get yer Black Horse Courier here," cries a crier the next morning, right into Kahreem's face. **

"I would like to have one, please," says the Redguard.

"Vampire nest, right here in the city. Here, have a copy."

The day is pleasant, and not so muggy. Blue sky, puffy clouds. Ships rocking in water, here on the Waterfront.

"You have my ear, citizen," greets a guard, one of the few who doesn't know who Kahreem is. Kahreem's outfit today is rather foppish. With a scarlet-colored hood, fancy dark shirt, crimson-colored pantaloons, and green velvet shoes, he definitely looks more like a dandy than a notorious thief.

"You wear the shadows well, fellow thief," says an elf female, even though Kahreem stands in full sunlight.

"Hey. Carwen. Not so loud. Because finally, see that guard over there? He doesn't seem to know who I am. So ... a little discretion?"

"How are you?"

"I am fine. Listen though, I am waiting for some contact to show up here in the Imperial City. Somebody sent from the Grey Fox himself."

Carwen does not know anything about this however. "Shadow hide you," she announces.

[SIGH]

I always found that reading about your character's deeds from the BHC fliers was a great touch. The same goes for your deeds if you do the DB questline.

Shouldn't the agent show up as soon as you reach the required amount to fence?

I also liked those fliers talking about the character's doings. And yeah, Carwen could keep it down a bit and not rat on Kahreem like that...


-Hello, Lopov!

Lopov: Hmm, I don't know. It's been over a month since I've gamed with Kahreem. I think he may have met his contact already, and I just didn't write about it yet.

mirocu: Has Lothran been the feature of any of those fliers before?

I am going to now include the next Sarah chapter. It is rather dense with conversation, but the story shall soon build. And once again, you folks won't believe what eventually happens (if everything goes right. ha ha).



Morndas, Sun's Dusk 12, 4th Era 5



The night is calm and cool outside, as Sarah Phimm rises from one of Summitmist's many beds. She changes out of the clothes she'd worn the night before, and after pondering for a moment, decides she'll go for a brilliant red blouse + skirt combination, with a pair of pink-colored shoes. These clothes and shoes match and compliment her reddish hair, and pink-hued skin. Since she'd fed less than 24 hours ago (on a poor sailor in Anvil), her pallor is especially human tonight.

"Oh blime. What's this?"

It's a note, placed right upon the hallway rug.

"'Dearest Sarah. Come see me when you awake. I will be waiting for you in the downstairs parlor.' Well okay Farnacas. What is it now?"

She huffs downstairs, where her superior is indeed waiting. Sarah tries her best to appear nonchalant as she approaches him. "Good evening," she greets. She notices that Farnacas has a giant weapon strapped across his back, something he'd not been carrying until recently.

"Good evening," says her aged housemate. "And how are you tonight?"

"Rested. And complacent. You penned me a note, yes?"

"Ah yes, I did. And it was my way of cautioning you, that I'd like another discussion with you."

"Very well," she says.

"Well, tonight shall be an important night here in Summitmist Manor, and Skingrad in general," Farnacas's face glows with enthusiasm. "Because tonight, I want you to meet someone special; I want you to meet Count Janus Hassildor, leader of Skingrad County."

As usual, Sarah begins to feel stunned, and shies away from saying anything.

"He's been waiting to meet you for weeks, Sarah."

"He has?"

"Yes. And so, would you please accompany an old gentleman up toward the castle?"

"Why, I'd be delighted!" Sarah feigns some enthusiasm of her own. In reality, she's actually rather bashful of the idea.

"Splendid. And uhm... but before we go, there is something I think you should know."

"Yes, surely."

"Count Hassildor ... happens to be one of us, Sarah."

"He is ....... he is a vampire?"

"Yes he is. A vampire. The count of all Skingrad is a vampire, Sarah. The leader of this county for years now, is one of us. And he would like to meet you, which is saying something. Hassildor is very reclusive, as you can imagine. He does not just reach out to most."

Again, Sarah stands stunned. Unsure. But before she can make any sort of protest or excuse, Farnacas has opened the door for her, and expects an escort for his journey.

Well, it was not as if I had had anything arranged for the evening...




...around midnight
By the time the pair reach Castle Skingrad, Farnacas has handed Sarah a key, just in case she managed to get separated from him, and lost. Castle Skingrad is a grand affair for sure, Sarah notes. Once inside its great hall area, she immediately thinks the place is a lot warmer, and more colorful, than the Blue Palace up in Solitude, where she'd worked long ago as a maid. Soft music plays from somewhere unseen, and the place is carefully decorated with rugs and fire sconces. It takes roughly an hour for Sarah and Farnacas to find their way to what looks to be the place's main dining hall. A man dressed in similarly fancy (royal) clothes stands in the middle of the room, smiling slightly.

"Gracious, here she is," Count Hassildor greets.

"You .. you are a vampire too?" Sarah replies, unable to contain her words, for once. "Yes, I can see this now."

"Oh, you'd better believe what you hear. Yes indeed, I am just like you in this way. And don't you repeat it."

"I would not. For my own sake, and that of Farnacas, your secret is safe with me."

Janus explains to Sarah that he and Farnacas both partake in certain 'activities' whenever they meet. And then he begins to explain more exactly why she'd been invited up the hill. "I have somewhat of a proposition for you, Sarah. Somewhat of a job, and it involves your peculiar ability for fire resistance."

"It does?" she asks, not entirely surprised.

Count Hassildor then explains that for years now, decades in fact, he has been missing a couple of very rare items. One of these items (an amulet of silver and gold) possesses a very high resistance to fire, something any vampire would wish to have. This item had been crafted by a friend of Hassildor's, a high wizard of the Arcane University had given it to him as a present.

"And the other magical piece?"

"The other item is very unique indeed," Janus frowns, weighing some sort of decision. "Fact of matter, it is very old, and its ancestry has been lost to the ravages of time."

"I see. What pray-tell might this item be about?"

Janus hesitates. "The second item ... has the ability to change the weather, from sun to fog."

"From sun to fog???"

"Or sun to rain, it depends. Yes, and as I said, it is very unique. In all my years, I have never been able to discover another like it. And all the subject must do is don this item. He, or she, merely puts it on, and any sunny weather in the immediate area, shall change to drabness. As you can imagine, this item would also be quite of value, to someone like us."

"By the gods!" Sarah exclaims. "Its wearer can... escape the direct ravages of the sun!"

"Precisely that," Janus smiles. "Not much value to a mortal. Come to think of it, what mortal would want to don an item which causes rain or fog, and not sun?"

"I see!"

"Just imagine. You've been caught in some sort of early morning scuffle, miles away from shelter. The sun shall soon rise, and you haven't the time to return home," he says with a wink. "What to do? ... Where to run?"

While Sarah stands truly astonished, Count Hassildor then explains: if Sarah were to locate and retrieve the two items he had lost, she would be able to keep the weather-changing one, as a sort of reward.

"But why me?"

"We know of your abilities, Sarah. Your ability to withstand fire, for instance. It so happens that those who stole my amulets are, in fact, a group of fire priests, and these priests are known for surrounding their lair with flame atronachs. Most would sully their pantaloons at the thought of entering such a place, but we imagine you will be right at home."

"I see." Sarah looks to the ground, pondering.

"And it is not just your fire-resistance that is key, here. You have some sort of ability to travel great distances at night. Some say you can fly, matter of fact."

"No... but..." Sarah tries to laugh. "You cannot possibly--"

"Sarah. We know. Okay?" Farnacas chimes in. "We know because we have eyes all over Cyrodiil. Other vampiric types, as well as certain mortals, who know and assist us when we need it. You have been spotted in Anvil. In Sutch. In the Imperial City. In Bruma. And Bravil. And many a few places here and there, and in between. You cannot deny this, you see? We know."

At this, Sarah begins to fidget. Her secret is out! But it does not matter in the end. Before long, Hassildor begins to explain the steps Sarah Phimm would need to take in order to accomplish this set of feats. And her eyes grow wide with curiosity, responsibility, and anticipation.



Leaving Summitmist

Crossing the bridge

Janus explains

Farnacas exclaims

I like the opening pic, there's a lot of "red" in it - Sarah's dress, the rug and the inscriptions above the pic - all of it befits a vampire.

Nice reference to the Blue Palace.

Once again, you're creating interesting quests for Sarah. Looks like this time she'll 'hide' the Sun from Cyrodiil.



Hello 'rocu!

Pretty in Red is Sarah! Lovely dress.

Oh, brilliantly handy artifacts for vampires that Janus seeks. Sarah seems like a great choice to wade through flame atronachs without soiling her pantaloons.

Did you guys notice when Farnacas leaves Summitmist, he takes the long way up to the castle? All he had to do was turn left, walk through the gate, and the hill starts just across the bridge!

Kahreem up next weekend, I promise.

Sundas, late afternoon, Mid-Year 23, 4th Era 434

Days Passed: 301



"You won!"

"Yes. I sure did."

"Congratulations. Here are your winnings, my friend -- 200 gold pieces. Come back and bet on the matches as often as you like!"

Kahreem's eyes glaze over as the sound of clink clink clink can be heard as Hundolin, the Arena's gatekeeper, adds up the gold. And like a true gambler, Kahreem doesn't just go for the bit or the parcel; no, he bets it all. He bets BIG. 100 gold all the way, so that now he has 200 more than he had ten minutes ago. ...and just over 2,800 gold in total.

"Well you know what this means," he replies, really into the moment now.

"Ah, another happy spectator!"

"Yes, you could say I am happy. And what else?"

"You of course want to bet on a match!"

Kahreem smiles in an aww shucks sort of way.
"
"Who will it be this time, the Blue Team or the Yellow Team?"

The Redguard ponders a moment. He'd just bet yellow, but now (for some reason) he's feeling blue. "Blue team, Bosmer."

"All right then. How much would you like to bet?"

"I will bet the palace. The castle. Your maximum."

"All right, my friend. You've got 100 gold down on the Blue Team. Oh, and if you win, come see me for you payout."

"Yes. I mean, why would I not?"


7:01 pm
And it's another win. The fourth one in a row, matter of fact. Two-hundred more gold in his coffers, just like that, meaning that by now, he's got three-thousand and twenty to play with. Three .... thousand Septims.

"You won!"

"Yes. I sure did."

"Congratulations. Here are your winnings, my friend -- 200 gold pieces. Come back and bet on the matches as often as you like!"

Kahreem's eyes glaze over as the sound of clink clink clink can be heard as Hundolin, the Arena's gatekeeper, adds up the gold. And like a true gambler, Kahreem doesn't just go for the bit or the parcel; no, he bets it all. He bets BIG. 100 gold all the way, so that now he has 200 more than he had ten minutes ago. ...and just over 3,000 gold in total.

"Well you know what this means," he replies, really into the moment now.

"Ah, another happy spectator!"

The Redguard thinks for a moment though, and decides to pass. "Nah. I think I am done for the day," he says. "Luck only runs for awhile."

The rush of the moment contradicts this discourse, and for a moment Kahreem realizes that he could wind up betting again and again, at least three more times before the places closes down for the night. Could he go for four-thousand? ... Not tonight. The thought of losing even a Septim from his recent run of luck causes him to back away.

"And besides," he mutters to himself, heading to The Feed Bag to celebrate. "I must go see Amusei, that scaly liazard, to see what the Grey Bastard wants from me this time."



near midnight
The city is dark with a slight fog in the air as he leaves The Feed Bag. He'd spent several more hours 'celebrating' than he thought he would, downing two bottles of Cheap Wine while 'putting on the Feed Bag.' By the time he gets to Othrelo's house in the Elven Gardens district, he is drunk, but not disorderly. And this is a good thing, since Elven Gardens is swarming with bored guards. As Kahreem nears the Fox's latest location of hiding, a soft rain begins to fall. He notes a dark elf standing outside the place, holding a torch.

"Get inside! The Grey Fox is not a patient man," Othrelos demands impatiently, despite the fact he's in earshot of at least one of the guards. Kahreem does not reply, but wonders if the elf can be any more obvious.

"You again," he says, once inside.

"Are you ready for one last great heist?"

"I sure am, Grey Fox."

"This is the big one. This is the heist that will be written about, and talked about for decades to come."

"Do I get to remove your mask, revealing your true identity? Come on... just this once."

The Fox ignores the Redguard though, as always. "We are going to steal one of the Elder Scrolls from the Imperial Palace. Are you ready for this challenge?"

"WE, huh? We... as in me and you? Or did you really use the word "we" facetiously. Which means I am the one who does all the work, while you sit here and hide, even though your Dunmer host outside somehow is able to virtually announce that you are in here, and to every passing guard and legionnaire in the vicinity?"

Again, the fox ignores. "There is no buyer."

"No buyer?"

"This is for glory, not for money."

"Oh. No money. At all?"

"Our names will become legend," says the Fox. "I also have a personal need for this particular scroll."

"Uh-huh." Suddenly the idea of a career as an Arena gambler does not seem so outside the bounds.

"As for your compensation..."

"Yessss...."

"I ask you to trust me. If my plan works, you will get a reward worth far more than mere money."

The Redguard puts on a little show, rolling his eyes and such, shrugging his shoulders. "Can't help but notice you just went from "we" to "you", sir. In that, it's not 'we' who will be pulling this little heist, it is now just me. And you want me to do this for what? Some kind of legendary status, or something?"

"Will you do it?"

"Oh I suppose I will. What else am I good at, right? ... and I suppose this is the moment when you say..."

"CAPITAL! I have worked for eleven years planning this heist. Savilla's Stone provided the last bit of information I needed. The Elder Scrolls are kept in the Imperial Palace, behind a door that cannot be breached. Savilla's Stone has revealed a path around this door."

"Oh. Intriguing," Kahreem says, meaning it. "How the fokke am I supposed to "breach" this door then?"

"You will have to travel the Old Way. Once used as an escape route for the Imperial emperors, it has been forgotten for centuries. To unseal the entrance, you must sneak into the basement of the palace, and activate the Glass of Time, whatever that is."

Kahreem laughs. "Whatever that is," he says, realizing that he's still drunk, but not too drunk to take some sort of notes. For the information the Fox is dispensing does sound rather complicated, and mysterious. "Let me grab a quill and some paper. Need to write this all down. Ah, there we are. Go on."

"Go in the Imperial Sewers. Here is the key for the gate to that section of the sewers. I picked the pocket of Ocato himself to get it."

"You did? .... You did some actual pickpocketing? Nice."

"My scrying with Savilla's Stone has provided clues, but not the details. I know the tools you will need, but not the obstacles themselves."

"I see. Well, may I make a suggestion then. How about one of these ... uh ... 'tools' includes a small bagfull of gold. How about it? What do you say?"

Honestly, the patience I must have with this rambunctious Redguard... . "The boots of Springheel Jak will allow you to leap to an unreachable place. They will also protect you from a long fall. The Arrow of Extrication is the only way to unlick the final door. Take them both. Once you are inside the palace itself, you need to find the reading room. The blind priests will deliver a scroll to you there."

"Hey, I like all this. Blind priests. Leaping to unreachable ledges. Using a magical arrow to unlock a door. All this sounds so ... covert."

"I arranged for the notable Celia Cameron to want to read a particular Elder Scroll. Don't ask how. However, she will be .. unavoidably detained."

"By the Nine!"

"You will take her place. Do not speak to the priests. They are blindfolded and will not realize it isn't her unless you speak. As the guildmaster, I am demanding bloodprice for anyone you kill during this heist. However, I can't stop the Watch from putting a price on your head."

"Well hey, what fun is it, if there is no price on the Redguard-who-changed history's head?"

"I have written it down for you in this book."

"Ha! Now you tell me, after I've scribed up all these sloppy notes."

"I've chosen you because you are the best."

"I am? Capital!"

"Good luck."

"Absolutely! Capital!"

------------
Note: Kahreem actually did win three times in a row at the Arena, it was pretty fun!

I love such conversations! I laughed at the part where the GF mentions the non-breachable door and Kahreem wonders how will he breach it then.

Capital! Looks like the great heist will take place soon.

Yeah, that one is pretty funny! I enjoyed writing it, can't wait to see where the Thieves Guild quest will go.

This Sarah is pretty long. I was thinking of breaking it into two halves, but [censored] it, let's get all the dialog out of the way. Her next episode should be more... well, you'll see.


Sun's Dusk 14, 4th Era Year 5

Days Passed: 80
Days Jailed: 6
Bounty: 80

Ingredients Eaten: 208

Hours Slept: 952
Hours Waited: 81

Necks Bitten: 31




early morning
Sarah Phimm carefully put down her pen, placed her journal page upon a mantel (to dry its ink), and then sat down in her favorite spot, on a bench before Summitmist's fireplace. She reached into the purse she'd been carrying lately, and took out the two bottles of maiden's blood Count Hassildor had given her. Just in case, he had said.

"Well, such an imbibement could come in hand, I must admit."

She delighted at the thought of just drinking one of these bottles, right here by the the fire. Oh, what pleasure that would bring, like skooma to an addict. But then she decided maybe she'd better keep these bottles aside. Instead, she grabbed a slab of dried meat, which had been specially-cooked so that its raw insides had not been seared. She savored this meat instead. Since she would not be flying off tonight in search of victims, occasional portions like this one were often the next best thing.

Sarah finished her meal, and then begun one of her favorite activities; staring into her fire, and dreaming off into what some might think was some sort of trance.



At some point, she'd awoken, or had she? She was still sitting on her bench before the fire, but something had changed.

Sa-rah....

Sarah!

............ .... ssssaraahhhh


"Hello? Is anyone here?"

And somebody was. As she'd stared more intensely into her hearth, she began to notice a forming shape.


A face, in fact! "Who ... who are you?" Sarah asked the feminine voice she was hearing, while staring into the flames of her hearth.

I ... am the one ... who invited you here...

"Matilde? Aunt Matilde?" she became ecstatic.

Yessss. Aunt Matilde indeed... the voice called.

"My, I ... I am at a loss for words! Where are you? ... What has happened? Why are you within my fireplace?"

These are things.. for another time....

Sarah sat dumbfounded, could not speak. Another time? Her thoughts were racing, and Sarah could not arrange them fast enough to make them cohesive. "You... so it was not Tayka, nor Farnacas, who invited me here from Skyrim? Those bastards!"

Sarahhh. ... Sarahhhh.....

"Aunt Matilde!?!! NO... where are you going?"

Sarahhh ...... Sarahh..... Sarahhh...




"Sarah? ... Sarah? ... Are you alright?"

Sarah Phimm's mind suddenly snapped into the present. "I ... I... Where is..."

"You were asleep, and had a bad dream, by the look of it," replied Khul Peppa with a slight echo to her voice. Khul Peppa, the ghostly lady who had (once again) somehow managed to penetrate the locked doors of Summitmist.

Had I fallen into slumber?

Had she? It was difficult to tell. From her trance-like state, and back to fully being awake, there wasn't much difference. She was still sitting upon her wooden bench, the hearth before her was still crackling, and the journal she'd placed beside the fire was still placed wide open, its ink fully dried. The only difference, really, was the lack of a face, within her fireplace.

"Was there anyone else here? Anyone else I was speaking to?"

The ghost chuckled a moment. "Not that I could see, and if I can't see something, well... it was nothing but a dream, Sarah. And you are safe."

"I see," Sarah said reluctantly. "Well, how can I assist your presence, this morn?"

"How have you been? Enjoying your magic broom, and your raven?"

"Why yes. Oh, of course. Such delightful things to have. I must thank thee," she said, with an almost apologetic tone of her voice. "These things, my broom, my bird, have enriched, and delighted!"

"Swell," said the ghost. "Anything else?"

"Well. Um...Count Hassildor, I met him tonight, with Farnacas. Did you know he is ... he is like me?"

"Oh yes, Count Hassildor, he's a creature of the night. I know this, but had no reason to tell you, I suppose."

"I see."

"And what did he have to say to you, tonight?" asked the ghost.

"Many things," Sarah blushed. "He told me of his vampirism, how he became infected long ago, and how he's been able to live in virtual plain view, at night, anyways, by keeping some sort of rumor-mill about his constant daily absences from the throne."

"I see, Sarah. Anything else?"

"Well. He told me also of some possessions he has lost. A couple of rare and costly amulets. One-of-a-kind pieces, by the sound of it. And that these pieces had been poached by some brigand, and have fallen into the hands of a cave-full of fire priests," Sarah's face gained a rather frightened expression. "And that I am to go into this cave in which they dwell, and that I am to take back these items. Me! ... A vampire, yes, and a seraphim, yes, but not a fighter, not a warrior, not a mage, nor a conjurer!

"Me, who has menial training in only mundane affairs: cooking and cleaning, and anything else someone asks of me. Though my days of servitude are apparently long over. Oh, what am I to do, lady Peppa?"

"Again, I know of these things too."

"You do?" Sarah asked, slightly bewildered. "How could you know?" Suddenly she noticed a shaft of sunlight, which had managed to shove its way past the dark curtains Farnacas had hung a few days ago. Though this sunlight was halfway across the room and not a threat to Sarah at all, just the sight of it was causing her to feel uneasy.

"Yes, I know these things," the ghost answered. "I know he wanted you to retrieve some 'artifacts.' Sorry I never mentioned this before, but I just wanted to see if the information I'd heard matches what you would tell me."

"Oh."

"And this is why I came here, because I suspected you'd need my help, once again. I can see you have doubts about all this, and I don't blame you. But believe me Sarah, you can do this."

"I can?"

"You can go into this place where the fire priests live, and you can deal with them. In fact, you must do so, chances are Hassildor will have you imprisoned if you refuse."

"Imprisoned?" Sarah said in surprise. But he seemed so nice to me.

"Listen. All is not for wont, Sarah. As I said, you can do this, but you will need some help."

"Go on."

"There is a place, about a quarter-mile northwest of Skingrad. This place is also just west of Oranstad Township. and at the border of the Great Forest begins. Here, a small group of creatures live. They will be peaceful with you, as they have been communicated with by the spirit world. They already know and expect you. And though these creatures will not be violent toward you, they can be deadly to anyone who crosses you!"

"Really? So you are telling me that if I go to this place and find it, these beings, these 'creatures', will be there to meet me, and they also will assist me in my attempt to locate Hassildor's treasure? ... What exactly are they?"

"Um.. I'd rather not say. Maybe you've heard of them, and if I tell you now what they are, this would place too many connotations."

"I see," Sarah said, more confused than ever.

"The place to fiind them is called 'Shadeleaf Copse.' It might be tricky to find, but I shall mark its location on your map. If you go in the area just west of Oranstad, you might want to fly low over the trees. Look for a small body of water. A pond, I suppose. When you get there, you'll know from the place's magic that you've found it. Again, Shadeleaf Copse is its name."

"I...alright. I suppose I can have a look, then."

"Take care, and no more bad dreams. Oh, and here is a little note, from someone who cares."

Sarah said nothing as Khul Peppa the ghost then walked away, handing the redhead a short scroll. After the ghost had left Summitmist Manor, Sarah opened this note, and read it. It contained more information about the magical place she was to find.

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

Sarah dozes before her fire

And has a fiery vision

Sarrr-ahhhh!

Aunt Matilde, is that you?

But her vision is interrupted by her ghostly friend

The note... and more of it

She flies, looking for Shadeleaf Copse

Oh my....what is this?

Whoa, this one's probably the creepiest Sarah's story until now, beside the one when she entered the Summitmist cellar for the first time.

Love what you did with Matilde's face in the fire, when reading the story I didn't expect to see actual pics of the event.

I can understand why Sarah is nervous about her task - not for the flames she will surely encounter but for the combat that will accompany it. Looks like she'll have some help though in the form of 'Wispers in the Night'.

Yes Lopov, that one was pretty creepy, and thank you. The fire thing was inspired by a Dark Shadows episode from like 1967 or whatever. I wanted to link up to this on YouTube so I could show you, but they took all the DS stuff down, due to copyright BS.

Acadian, you will love the next episode! I think it's going to be intense. Those fire priests don't know what's about to hit them! ... Dang. mirocu is missing all these tales while he's locked up in his cottage, and the next few from both Kahreem and Sarah are going to be killer! Oh well.

The will o' wisps get added by a mod called Will o' Wisp Companion, by the way. Sarah walked around the West Weald for a bit after meeting these creatures...it's pretty fun watching them devour any enemies which try to bother her.

----------

Mid-afternoon, Mid-Year 24, 3rd Era 434

Level: 13

Days Passed: 302
Days Jailed: 116

Bounty: 0



"I'm so hungry!" says a beggar, who turns out to be Puny Ancus. At first, Kahreem of Weet does not really pay attention to this protest. He's standing on the causeway right in front of the Marie Elena, and the beggar's words go in one ear, and out his other.

But then, he remembers: beggars are the 'eyes and ears of the underworld,' or some such. After thinking about this, the Redguard rushes over toward the downtrodden Imperial. "You are hungry eh? Well here, let me help."

"I'm savin' up for some med'cine!"

"Mm hmm. 'Med'cine.' Yeah, sure. Well here, have yourself a fokkinge coin, beggar." *CLINK!*

"Thank you kind sir."

The reason for this rocky discussion between beggar and thief? Kahreem realizes that the 'notes' he took during his meeting with the Gray Fox are nothing but a jumbled mess. He'd written these notes while drunk on Cheap Wine, after all. On the other hand, the scroll given to him by the Gray Fox includes more detail. But it is still vague. By speaking to Ancus, Kahreem hopes to glean any sort of information he can, therefore.

"So, how's your day going?"

"Not bad."

"What do you know about some sort of passage in the Imperial Palace called 'the Old Way?' Anything at all? I am supposed to go in there, looking for this passage, and then using these boots I'm wearing to jump up real high, or something. And then use this fokkinge arrow to open some hidden door. The Gray Fox gave me this step-by-step list on what to do, but any information from you could also help."

"If you're looking for books, First Edition is the only place in the city to find them."

"Books. Yeah. Well, that helps. I can't get that coin back from you, can I? Hmm? How about it?"

"Blessings of Julianos upon ye!"

"Mm hmm. Sure. Julianos."

The day is hot and summery, and there's not really much to do until nightfall, so Kahreem heads back into the depths of his pirate boat, and sleeps the rest of the day.




7:17 pm
The Redguard begins his night by rummaging through his things, looking for that perfect outfit; something which will help him blend in as he enters the Imperial Palace. Though he plans to wear his Lucien Lachance robe and hood once he's deep into the place, his plan is to be wearing something which doesn't look so ... obviously devious. He settles on a full outfit of blue & gold; clothes tailored for a noble.

"This way, later on when people are questioning if they saw some man sneaking half-invisibly through the tower, the Redguard who'd passed through several hours before won't stand out."

Kahreem also gathers as many lockpicks as he can find, and makes a mental note to stop and visit Shady Sam, as well. The sky is rosy pink as he leaves his ship, but this effect quickly begins to fade as he makes his way off the Waterfront, and up the hill toward Sam.

"This had better be good!" taunts a guard as the Redguard walks past.

"I agree. I hope my presentation to the court goes well," the Redguard answers, attempting to get into some sort of role. Later, when the guards are all comparing notes, he thinks, the Redguard wearing fancy clothes, the one who was going to give some sort of presentation in the palace's court, will seem unremarkable. Quickly forgotten.

Um... yeah. Forgotten.


Near Midnight

"Please show your respect for the Imperial Palace by keeping your voice DOWN," says a palace guard.

"Who me? I didn't say anything. You're the one blabbing like an old woman."

Kahreem notes that the guard's armor is incredibly shiny, laced with golden material. Must be nice. He also notices that this guard's demeanor isn't nearly as abrasive as that of the ordinary Waterfront patrols. Maybe it's because this palace guard simply stayed in this area. He had probably never even met Kahreem before, although certainly he'd probably heard of Kahreem's exploits.

"Well, in any event, I am here to make a visitation to the court. Very important business, sir. Now, step aside."

Kahreem gets as far in the place as its inner double doors before another guard warns, "Remember, trespassing in the Imperial Palace is a serious crime! Do not venture beyond the first and second floors."

"Oh but see, I have permission, in the form of this written scroll," he says, flashing the page the Gray Fox had given him. "Chancellor Ocato's orders. Now stand aside!" he says, even though the guard is not in the Redguard's way.

Having no idea where to go, he tries the door immediately in front of him. Locked.

"Uh, been awhile since I've been here."

Decides to turn left, and begins to walk around a gigantic, curved hallway. He notices some music. Fokke, castle music! This music is soothing and welcoming to most citizens, he supposes. After several more warnings from several more guards about sticking to the first and second floors, Kahreem finds a doorway which leads downward. Is this the way to go? Who fokkinge knows. After changing out of the blue noble's clothing he'd worn into the place, Kahreem puts on the robe and hood he'd taken from Lucien Lachance. Dons his Ring of Chameleon, pickpockets a key from the last guard he'd passed by. Then breaks all the warnings he's heard so far.

I may be locked up in the cottage, but I did get permission to leave in order to read the last two Kahreem stories. And I sure will read the next!


Btw, as I read your updates, Renee, I always gets an urge to play the game myself. I just love the way you write!

Aw, hey thanks. That's the idea for all of this; I just try to document my roleplays in story form. Kahreem is based on one of my cousins, from when I was a kid / teen. He was a pathological liar, but back then us kids didn't really care much, he was fun to be around. I can still remember the time when he was trying to convince us that (1) he was a black belt in karate ... at age 14. (2) for awhile he was going around saying Carl Lewis came to his high school, and lost to my cousin in a foot race. Yeah. He would always say things like this with a straight face too, I don't know how he did it.

But most of all, I remember he was constantly talking to himself (while allowing us to hear his thoughts) and he was just so hilarious during those times.

Well, hopefully you won't be locked up in your cottage for too long. I got a new Fallout 3 character too, by the way. So Mirocu better get to Tenpenny fast to meet her.

How appropriate that Kahreem got rid of Lachance and claimed his coat, it'll come very handy in what's ahead of him.

Was just at Tenpenny but she wasn't there


And no new Kahreem of da Weet? Now that I have four weeks off you better cook something up for me, Renee!

No Kahreem yet, but I promise he'll be up next week. Believe me, I am just as full of anticipation. It was cool to take a break from writing though, this summer's been ... well, ya know. But Kahreem, next week, I promise!

For now, here is some Sarah Phimm. It's been over a month. Last we saw, Farnacas Collins and Count Hassildor wanted her to go to a place called Fire Cave, just north of Cheydinhal, so she could retrieve a couple of very rare artifacts. I wanted to write it all up tonight, but what you see below took about 4 hours to write up because I game in real-time, and write as I game. She didn't get inside Fire Cave yet, but NEXT time she definitely will.



Loredas, Sun's Dusk 17, 4th Era Year 5

Play Time:: 83:53:21

Days Passed: 83


The night was in the depths of its slumber, Dervera Romalen in the depths of her sleep, when a sheepish, red-haired anomoly, who'd formerly been both a scullery maid and a cook, broached her way into the Newlands Lodge, the rowdier of Cheydinhal's two inns. Dervera herself was awoken by this 'red-haired anomoly', annoying the Dunmer. But in the business of hostelry, one which Dervera had chosen many years ago, coin was coin, no matter the hour it was earned.

"Welcome to Newlands Lodge," she started, as cheerfully as she could. "The best place to drink in Cheydinhal, not counting the chapel ... ha ha. I'm Dervera Romalen."

"Pleased," said the red-haired woman, a Breton for sure. Dervera noticed this woman was wearing expensive golden armor.

"This is a dark elf bar," Dervera continued, making sure that all the rules and guidelines got laid down. "Cursing, spitting, and screaming? No problem. Fighting's okay with me, only the guard objects, and they'll fine you or lock you up. Not my call."

"Well, you shall be delighted to know, Dervera, that I plan to partake in none of these sorts of activities. I'd only like to purchase one of your rooms for the night."

Dervera was feeling irritated by this red-haired woman in expensive armor for some reason, and she knew it showed upon her face. But there was nothing she could do about this. Coin was coin. She realized the room around her seemed abnormally bright, as though the Breton had a light spell going, or perhaps she was wearing some fancy sort of amulet. Was it really necessary to create so much light?

"Just go AWAY!" she scream-whispered.

Coin was coin though, and Dervera only had to deal with her latest customer for mere seconds. After renting her a room, the dark elf was then surprised as watched the red-haired Breton, who merely plunked herself right in front of the Newlands Lodge fireplace, and then did not move for over an hour.


-The day before-

During the previous days, Sarah Phimm had pondered and wondered, what might become of her if she chose to simply flee?

If she did not go to Cheydinhal, instead getting upon her broom and flying to some remote location? ... Maybe an abandoned cabin somewhere? But that option seemed like a bad idea, no matter how she tried to figure it. For one thing, as a vampire she would need to feed, which would eventually send her back into populated areas. Another problem would be that she would soon get lonely. Although shy and retiring, Sarah had always liked being around lots of people. She also liked the safety that Tamriel's many walled towns offered, even as a vampire she still needed to feel secure, and protected.

Because of all these reasons, Farnacas and Hassildor would eventually find her. They apparently had eyes and ears, in many locations all over Tamriel. So she finally decided to just go with their wishes. Fly to Cheydinhal. Maybe with her will o'wisp companions (plus the Dunmer who she was supposed to meet) things would go rather smoothly.

She flew to the Imperial City first, spent the night in Tiber Septim Hotel. Though Farnacas had cautioned her not to feed for several days, Sarah couldn't help but try to find some victims. But her stay within the city was short, and no victims were found. Fearing that her vampirism would advance to Stage 4, she finally downed both the bottles of maiden's blood given to her by Hassildor. These did not set her condition all the way back to Stage 1 (closest to being human), thankfully.

Before leaving the Imperial City, Sarah walked to the Goddess Store, where she cautiously bought a set of gold and red-colored armor: a finely-crafted elven piece up top, and an "Artemis" chain skirt down below. Sarah had never worn armor before, and was surprised to find that both these heavy pieces didn't feel so heavy once they were upon her person. To finish up her outfit, she also bought a pair of chrome-colored boots. This armor set cost just over a thousand gold, but it wasn't like Sarah was paying for it. She'd merely raided Farnacas's treasure coffin, once again. Sarah would need this armor to protect her obviously, but the fact that every piece she bought was made of some sort of metal meant that none of these pieces would burn up, assuming Fire Cave actually contained lots and lots of fire, and fire priests and beings.

Before leaving Goddess Store, Sarah Phimm casually dropped her cheap old barmaid's clothes right upon the floor.




Loredas Sun's Dusk 17, early evening

The Dunmer man who Sarah was supposed to meet found Sarah first, waking her from her rented bed in Newlands Lodge. "Are you Sarah," he asked. "You certainly look like the description of her."

The Dunmer's name was Jas, and he was all dressed up in expensive golden armor, just like Sarah. He also was carrying a very large weapon upon his back, which Sarah thought might be silver. Jas explained that he was not a vampire, but that he had waited until just after sundown to introduce himself to her, so that they could get going toward Fire Cave with due haste.

"Well I suppose we should just get this over with," Sarah told him.

"CAPITAL!" gloated the Dunmer.

"I should explain firstly to you though, that I have a couple of will o'wisps which followed me here from the West Weald. They are my friends, and shall help us as we invade this cave."

"Will o'wisps? How in Nirn did you get some of those to follow you here?"

Sarah explained as they left Newlands Lodge, and then Cheydinhal, how these magical beings had been allied to her somehow through the 'spirit world,' which Jas seemed to accept. The only issue between Sarah and Jas after that moment was the Dunmer kept hinting that he wasn't so happy with all the arrangements of their venture. Sarah could tell he was a bit abrasive as he spoke, and wondered if she should offer him some money. Turns out, money indeed would cheer him up. No problem. Sarah was only too glad to part with even more of Farnacas's gold. As long as she didn't have to do all of this on her own.

Since Jas had already scouted the cave's entrance, he was able to put a marker upon Sarah's map. The two of them walked together through a vast field of grass, getting attacked once by a lone orc marauder. While Jas fought the man with his large, silver axe (which Sarah noted had some sort of draining magic within it) Sarah was able to zap the orc with her Vampire's Touch, an ability which absorbed some of her enemy's health.

"Huahh! Argh!"

The orc was tough, but he didn't last more than a minute. After this, the pair walked east, until they found the worn path which would lead them eventually to Fire Cave.

When they finally found the place, Sarah was glad. She could sense that the sky above was starting to lighten just a tad. Running back to Cheydinhal was not an option at this point. The cave's entrance was cut right into a boulder, right at the foot of the mountain too.

... and once inside, Sarah and Jas found themselves dumbfounded. There's supposed to be fire in this cave? Well where is it? ....As they snuck in, neither of them could smell any smoke, or hear any flames. Matter of fact, the place seemed downright deserted.

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

Goddess Store

Golden Armor

Fly by Night

Fire Cave Companion guy

Ready to Roll

Thanks for the opening reminder of where Sarah is in her saga. Nice to see her getting properly equipped (with style) by the Goddess Store. When Sarah spoke of her wisps, two names came to mind for them: Willow and Whisper.

Great screenshots too!

The golden armor is a great fit for Sarah Phim. It is almost - dare I say it - Heavenly?

Now I have this song in my head as Sarah flies by night.

The golden armor suits her perfectly, there is indeed light emanating from it.

The shot of her flying above the Imperial City is great.

Acadian: Yes, that opening text is not only to let you folks know where Sarah is at (quest-wise) but also to remind ME of where she is at! ... That's awesome... Willow and Whisper.

Lopov: That light is from a light spell, added by the Vampire Power mod. This mod allows all sorts of cool features, and the light spell lasts for hours, meaning that as she's flying, it won't suddenly go out in the middle of her flight.

SubRosa: Yes, I was also thinking of Rush when I named that flying pic.

There will only be 3 or 4 more Sarah episodes before her story concludes, just so y'all know. But don't be sad. I think you all will dig what is to come.



Mid-Year 25, 3rd Era Year 434



Days Passed: 303

Level: 13


The Redguard thief who would have become a household name by now (if anybody ever managed to figure out his real name) now creeps along in the Imperial Palace's cellar. The air is cool, the space is dark. And surprisingly, a single guard patrols down here, circling endlessly around the entire perimeter. And why? ... Why is there a guard down here? The upper portion of White Gold Tower is already well-guarded, with a locked door leading down into the tower's cellar area. And that door had been secured with a rather complex lock, too.

"So why the guard?" Kahreem mutters. "As though they expect that if somebody breaks in, they've really got to staff the place heavily, night after night?"

It makes no sense. Kahreem begins to search the area, which is round and very spacious, with all sorts of crates and barrels and ... wine racks. He scuttles over to the first rack he sees, and smiles. It is packed with his very favorite beverage, to his surprise. Lots of it, too. He can't help but grab a couple of these bottles, and begins glugging one on the spot! And of course, just after he does so, the sound of clank clank CLANK begins from somewhere unseen. Next thing he knows, Kahreem is virtually bumped by one of the palace guards.

"Phew."

It is a close call. If he weren't wearing his special robe + hood + magical ring, he would have been caught for sure. Time to get to work. Unsure of where to begin, he begins by searching every nearby container. A barrel full of middle-class clothes. A sack full of rotted food. A cupboard with a couple carrots, a plate of rice, and yet another bottle of the cheap stuff. He can't help but filch this item, too.

On the far end of the room, the Redguard really gets shocked. "What the--?" There are several items over here, all of which are extremely LARGE. There is an hourglass for instance, but it's the LARGEST hourglass he'd ever seen! Even an ogre or a minotaur wouldn't be able to pick it up. He also sees a giant crystal ball, a huge club (just like the club he'd left the sewers with long ago), and a chair which is so big, the guard who walks by it would need a ladder just to sit upon its seat.

Kahreem approaches the hourglass first. Upon its base, he reads that this is the Glass of Time, referred to in those notes the Grey Fox had given him. He places both hands upon this gigantic object, and is surprised to see its glass change a reddish color.

Fokke!!! ... Now to find the Old Way, whatever that is.

He begins circling the cellar going back the way he came, freezing in place every time the guard comes near. There seems to be nothing which resembles any sort of 'Old Way.' He gets an idea though, to try equipping the Boots of Springheel Jak, and then jumping upon the giant chair. Maybe this is what his magical jumping boots are for? He makes it upon the chair with ease after putting these on. And that's when he sees it. A narrow opening ...

"STOP! YOU VIOLATED THE LAW!"

"Ah no. Not now?!?."

"Pay the court a find or serve your sentence...your stolen goods are now forfeit."

Kahreem cannot give up now. Not in the middle of a covert mission like this one. He shakes his head, hoping he'll still be able find out where to go next.

"THEN PAY WITH YOUR BLOOD!"

Turns out, the opening he sees goes nowhere. He tries jumping off the chair, across the hallway, and then tries to grab his way into the opening, but it's all an illusion, and there's nothing to grab onto. As the guard now clambers his way into position, Kahreem has no choice but to run. He runs around the entire cellar, with the guard chasing him all the while CLANK! CLANK! CLANK! ... he tries jumping upon the giant hourglass. Maybe he can find some other opening?

But this is not going to work. As the guard below catches up, and then begins to swing his silver sword, Kahreem bolts from the palace's cellar area. With any luck, he won't get clobbered to death as he makes his way back upstairs. An expert (by now) in how the rules and laws work, Kahreem knows his bounty can't be too high right how; he had merely been caught trespassing. Not in the act of stealing itself. That's 5 or 10 gold, tops.

As he makes his way back up the stairs, he realizes all he'll have to do is wait somewhere unseen, maybe until the guards' next shift change. "And then I'll be back!" he promises, as the guard behind him keeps swooshing his sword around, inches behind!

CLANK CLANK CLANK always makes me laugh.

This room with large items is so creepy, I only had two characters that went down there but there's something unsettling about that place.

Why should Kahreem return to the basement? IIRC he did there what had to be done.

STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!

Yikes, the wine-drinking Redguardian thief managed to get found out despite his nifty and magical attire.

Not surprised that, by now, Kahreem is a master of the Imperial criminal justice system and can not only calculate his own bounty but its 'cool down' as well.