That's a great story, my favorite of Sarah so far. You did well with a peak into her past in Skyrim (in a familiar place) and then shift us back to present as the mystery around Sarah is about to begin to unveil.

Very neat stuff, Renee, as you incorporate both provinces into this story. I had to chuckle over the massive challenge I'm sure any humans would face trying to raise an orc child.

And Sarah - how eerie - her silence and obviously intimate comfort with fire. Very mysterious!

@Grits - thanks! Unfortunately Manuin wasn't free for a long time as it's evident below...

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“Twelve noon, and all’s well. Everything all right, sir?” the legionnaire riding a fine bay horse asked the Wood Elf, riding a fine white mare.

“Couldn’t be better, sir. Such a fine day and with you around, WE all feel safe. Say…any news about that infamous Gray Fox? You know, the supposed leader of some miscreant guild? Is he already rotting like scum in some prison?”

"He's that thief that the Imperial Watch are always going on about. He likes to steal from rich folk."

“So I’ve heard too. He must have something against nobility, blasted thief. And that Captain…what’s his name? Hieronymus Lex? He’s the one that’s trying to catch him, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve heard or him. Isn’t he a soldier or guardsman in the Imperial City?”

“Yeah and just between the two of us…he’s not very good at what he does. I heard that all he ever did with an attempt to capture the fox, was to personally place all wanted posters around the Imperial City.”

“Farewell.”

“Good day.”

It was a good day for Manuin indeed, he had no reason to be in a bad mood. Not at all. He’s been slowly riding from Bruma back to the Imperial City after delivering his first batch of stolen goodies to Ongar the World Weary, most of them rings and necklaces from the Red Diamond Jewelry, which Manuin emptied a few days ago. He was a freshman in the Thieves Guild and he wanted to prove his worth as soon as possible. Ongar had good news for him – apparently he fenced enough gold for Armand to be considered worthy a special assignment. He’s been out of jail only for a week but the career ahead looked as bright as the blue sky over Cyrodiil.

But…

…Manuin’s been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he completely forgot about riding a pearl white mare which he took without allowance from Chestnut Handy Stables when departing for Bruma. Although the theft has gone unnoticed at that moment, pearl white horses weren’t that common in Cyrodiil and word obviously got around about one of them being stolen from the Imperial City’s stables without paying. So when he climbed into its saddle after a refreshing watermelon snack at Aleswell, the village of invisibles, one of the town inhabitants, invisible of course, recognized the mare and decided to punish Manuin for his mischief. Wanting to avoid the fight, Manuin hastily rode west along the Red Ring Road, and as he was about to descend the hill above Fort Empire, two Imperial legionnaires spotted him and ran in his direction.

“Uh oh. They recognized me as well. I’m too damn popular!”

He tried to turn the mare around and ride back but the legionnaire was quicker, he grabbed the mare for its reins and boomingly said: “Break the law on my watch, will ya? I'll be confiscating your stolen goods. Oh, and no gold to pay your fine, hmm? It's off to the lockup then!"

The other legionnaire came running from behind and with a devious smile told Manuin that his bounty stands at exactly 7,700 septims. The Bosmer was astonished – he had no idea how guards came to such a bounty – from what other shadow friends told him, the bounty for horse theft was 2,000 septims. However, he was probably seen by many invisibles at Aleswell when mounting the stolen mare. But how did they add another 700 septims? As a bonus for returnees?

In any case, Manuin figured it’s better to dismount and surrender peacefully. The only stolen items in his possession were the key to the Imperial Palace, taken from Chancellor Ocato himself, and a bouquet of flowers, taken from the Gilded Carafe. And seventy-seven days in prison is still better than five months.



__

The unusually high bounty is probably an interaction of the Adjustable Bounty Mod and Kuertee's Horse Comamnds Mod but I don't exactly know how such a high value was gained.

As soon as you revealed Manuin was astride a ‘fine white mare’ I knew where this was going. It is a good thing that elves live for a long time, since Manuin seems to spending many of his days in jail! At least his guild seems impressed with him.

Renee, I enjoyed the eerie peek into Sarah's past. Standing IN the fire! Yikes.

Lopov, that's a long time in prison for just one free horse ride. Makes me feel worse for Manuin than for the person who's missing their pearl white mare. I found it somehow charming that he was carrying stolen flowers.

Conversation craking me up over here! Did you forget about the invisible residents of Aleswell? It seems like you genuinely forgot about them, and then he wound up getting seen stealing that horse.

The Journal of Ralyn Orethi

1st Entry; Anvil, 3E 433. 31 Last Seed.

The worst thing about mercenary is work is having to do things the client's way, because most of the time a client wouldn't know a battle if it took place in their own home. That's one of the reasons I've joined the Fighters Guild, at least they'll know what they're sending me into. Which means I'll know what they're sending me into.

Take the Mages Guild, for example. The Anvil branch is run by an Altmer woman named Carahil. Typical Altmer ice-queen. Beautiful, arrogant, and she'd freeze you solid if you tried to get close to her. Which is something of a shame really, since Altmer don't tend to show their age until at least their third century, and by that time they can be very experienced. From her I learnt that in order to get access to the services I want from the Mages Guild, I need to secure a recommendation from every guildhall in Cyrodiil. And what did it take to secure Carahil's recommendation?

A string of attacks on merchants had been carried out by a rogue mage, in the vicinity of the Brina Cross Inn. But I wasn't being sent to deal with the threat. I was the bait. I was sent to the Inn, gussied up in clothes that were provided for me(And that I was recommended to hang onto. The Mages Guild seem to be snobs for this sort of thing), to make contact with a Breton woman who was one of the two Battlemages who would, hopefully, be hauling my arse out of the fire. Though this rogue mage seemed to favour frost spells, so perhaps that's not the right term.

Two things immediately struck me about this: Firstly, that if the mage was only attacking merchants, then someone had to be tipping them off. And secondly, that the only place they could pick their victims out there was the Inn. So it was no surprise that someone overheard me talking to the innkeeper. I'd told him that I was a merchant, and I looked the part in those ridiculous clothes. What did take me by surprise was that it was an Altmer woman who asked me if I was concerned about the recent attacks. She sounded pretty scared, but didn't act it. This really alarmed me. If this rogue mage had an Altmer as a lackey, I thought to myself, then how powerful must they be?

But, I had a job to do. So after I'd spoken to my contact and had a decent meal, I turned in for the night, as ordered. I didn't sleep well. I've walked into ambushed before, sometimes I've even done so knowingly. But walking into one unarmed and unarmoured, with nothing between me and death but a pair of strangers, was unsettling. I know that the armour wouldn't have helped against a mage, but it still felt weird to leave it behind. And leaving my sword behind was even worse. I'd picked up a few spells in Anvil to replace some of
what I'd lost, but by no means were they enough to rely on. Fortunately this made me look the part even more; a merchant who'd spent the night worrying about being ambushed on the road.

In one crucial respect I'd been wrong, I learnt as I headed along the road. That Altmer woman wasn't the mage's lackey, she was the rogue mage. So I did the only thing I could do. I ran, jinking from side to side, balls of glittering frost wafting past me as I strained my ears for the sounds of armour clanking against itself. The Battlemages had had to hang back quite some distance, to avoid being heard, but once the saw me racing back towards them, they came rushing to my aid.

The rogue mage called a dremora to her side as the Battlemages closed in on her from opposite sides of the road, following it up with a powerful shield spell. The first swings from the Battlemages just glanced aside from her, and her spells left patches of ice on their armour, often melted by a blast of flame from the dremora. I watched, utterly outclassed, even had I been armed as the two Battlemages wore the rogue mage down. She grew ever more frantic as her efforts failed to bring the duo down, until one of them put a sword through her as her shield spell crumbled. The Battlemages waited until she'd bled out, then headed on their way with only a nod in my direction.

But at least I didn't walk away empty handed. The Battlemages hadn't bothered checking the body, so I helped myself to the powerful potions that the rogue mage had been carrying, which had somehow survived the battle. Two of them are healing potions, and if I'd had one of these back in Balmora my left arm would be fine. The other two are for restoring magicka, I'm not sure if I'll hang onto them for later, or just sell them.

Either way, I've gotten my recommendation. And no small amount of satisfaction at witnessing Carahil's reaction when I told her that the rogue mage had been an Altmer woman. She's even more attractive when she's angry, it seems to warm her up a little.

Awesome Rayln, that's some pretty intense writing there. Indeed, Carahil (along with a couple other female NPCs) seem more attractive when she's angry.

@Acadian - indeed, I slightly hinted at things going wrong by mentioning the fine white mare because Manuin is far from being able to afford a new horse, even less a white one.

@Grits - I'm glad you noticed the bouquet of flowers. He wanted to give them to Methredhel but oh well...he'll steal another.

@Renee - I forgot about them because I didn't see them.

@Callidus - good and thoughtful description of the Anvil's recommendation quest through Ralyn's eyes. I liked the reference to Balmora.

__

Hieronymus Lex was furious!

Enraged!

Mad!

He’s been humiliated yet again by the Thieves Guild! His superior Phillida might claim that no such thing as a guild of thieves exists, but Lex knew better. While sleeping, someone sneaked into his supposed-to-be-protected office, stole the list of tax records for Waterfront residents and the gold of course… but that wasn’t the worst part.

No, the worst part was that whoever did this, placed around Lex bottles of mead and ale, one was placed next to his cheek, the other one between his legs!, there were paint brushes all over his clothes which were now completely dirty, tomatoes were all over his pillow and of course he crushed them while turning in bed.

Merchants in the Imperial City were furious too, especially Calindil of the Mystic Emporium and Claudette Perrick of the Gilded Carafe. Their shops have been ransacked again in a very short time and the Imperial Legion as usual didn’t find any culprits. “The best what Lex did, was to blame everything on the Thieves Guild,” they said.

A few miles up north in Bruma, Manuin was sitting behind the desk at Olav’s Tap and Tack together with Ongar the World-Weary, drinking beer and “exchanging” goods – most of them belonged to Calindil and Claudette Perrick.

“And the last thing for today is this Cyrodiilic Brandy.” Manuin winked and pulled the bottle out of the sack.

“Taken from one fine alchemist down south who prefers to have drinks on shelves instead in cellars. And it’s all for you. No need to share it with anyone.”

I´m glad to see that someone is filling in for Lothran now that he´s left Bruma

Congrats to Rayln for completing the Anvil MG quest – that is not an easy one! Thank the Nine for those battlemages.

*

Lex’s bed trinketry clearly carries the signature of Manuin’s sense of humor.

Sleepy Ongar!

Oh my gosh, your thief has upstaged mine! Kahreem likes throwing stuff around as he loots, but he's never had an urge to place objects on people as they sleep!

Is that for real? That would make a funny pic .

Yes, you can see a pic in the screenshot thread.

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Voranil, the snobby High Elf from Cheydinhal, set eyes on his potential victim. A young dark-skinned treehugger wearing a shabby coarse linen shirt and untasteful laced leather pants. Yes, he would suit perfectly for Voranil to tell him that he should never, not ever get close to Riverview and never, not ever even try to attend his upper-class parties. He made sure to let all strangers know to stay away from his manor.

“Go on. I’m listening,” said Voranil, trying to act nice.

Manuin was confused - he had no idea what should he say. This man obviously wasn’t a beggar and Manuin was looking for one to tell him where the Bust of Countess Indarys was held. He had no use of this noble but he could pull a prank on him, why not.

“Say, are you a beggar?” curiously asked Manuin.

“I’M VORANIL! I'm guessing you're angling for an invitation to one of my super parties. Well, forget about it. Invitation only. And no invitation for you, stranger."

“Parties? I like parties. Where can I get an invitation?”

"You're not on my list. And that's all I have to say. If you were somebody, I'd know. But I don't, so you aren't."

Voranil smiled hypocritically, turned on his heels and began walking away. He was so proud of his little speech that he didn’t feel the Bosmer in shabby clothes swiftly taking the key to Riverview and a handful of septims from his fine silk pockets.

“Now I’m invited too. But I’ll be out before you arrive.”

Wow, Manuin is both clever and quick-thinking! I could clearly imagine Voranil sputtering after Manuin asked him if he was a beggar!

aww, funny cute story! Yea that Voranil is a [censored] isn't he? ... Manuin just wants to party.

Igodah Go*Pe crashed his stupid party long ago. I think she snuck in, and we were just trying to see if anybody would throw her out, and turns out, somebody did want her to leave. But then she got an idea to walk outside on that balcony, wait for an hour, and then sneak back in, staying invisible the entire time.

So that's what she did, she was invisible the entire party! I remember having many good laughs at all the conflicting conversations going on. NPC conversations which basically never end!

Morndas, Heartfire 17, 4th Era Year 5

Location: Skingrad, Two Sisters Lodge

The Dunmer known to his accomplices as 'Noz' awoke early this morning, scrounged up whatever meal he could find, and got a good start. Skingrad, where he was to go, was not far away. His mission was simple, and failure was not an option.

"You are to act as a scout only, you hear? No rough stuff. Just get in, get yourself a glimpse, and get back here. We need to know for sure if she's there."

Noz, of course, had no problem agreeing to this. And just who did his superior think he was, anyway? ... of course he wouldn't try any 'rough stuff'. Noz would be in the middle of town, the middle of ordinary citizens and guards and witnesses. There's no way he'd try anything funny.

"Your subject is a woman, red-haired. Said to be working at Two Sisters Lodge as a cook for one of the orcs who runs the place, are you familiar?"

"Yes yes, of course I am. Two Sisters, owned by two orc sisters. Mog gro-something or other owns the place."

"Very good. We can count on you, Noz, can't we?"

"Of course you can. You haven't time for fools."

"Ignore the orc. See if the cook-woman is there. Sarah's her name. She's got red hair, and reportedly knows very few people in town. You are to see if she's there, but do not speak to her. That will be Notta's job. Be seeing you."

This had upset Noz, of course. Why should Notta be the one who'd get to speak to her? ... But as it turns out, Noz would speak to Sarah Phimm, the new cook (and serving wench) of Two Sisters Lodge. As Sarah's job detail now included serving various customers who'd come into her place of employment, it was (in fact) SHE who'd wind up speaking to HIM

I´m struggling to see how Kahreem fits into all this...

Kahreem ... on a school night? What is this madness?!

Seriously though, Kahreem's next update will demand a bit of time, since he'll be meeting the Grey Fox again. Much better if we wait until the weekend for that.

Callidus, I enjoyed Ralyn’s rendition of the Anvil recommendation assignment. Particularly his speculations about Carahil. I like the way his history in the other thread worked in the loss of his spellbook and equipment.

Lopov, shame on Voranil for not appreciating the sight of Manuin in his laced leather pants! I love Manuin’s sense of humor.

Renee, poor Sarah is so eager to find out what comes next. I can imagine Noz palming his face when she asked if he was her contact. Kind of like saying, “Did you forget the secret handshake?”

@Acadian - it just felt so convenient for Manuin to pull a prank on Voranil when he addressed him. If the High Elf left the Wood Elf alone, he'd still have his fifty septims and one full bottle of fine wine.

@Renee - Manuin took the same approach - as soon as he entered, some Orc wanted him to leave but he ran upstairs on the balcony and when he returned inside, the Orc already went downstairs. Then he had his own soiree upstairs, listening to "intelligent" conversations from the ground floor.

Nice story with Noz Hayre, I didn't notice it until today. I wonder who sent him and who will send Notta, for that matter. There are a lot of mysteries in Sarah's story, and like I said so many times before, it's a nice touch that so far everything happened in Skingrad. It's the town that holds the most mysteries.

@Grits - indeed, Voranil shouldn't underestimate the treehugger in laced leather pants.

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Manuin’s “revenge” in Leyawiin went as planned. Though he didn’t think of it as a revenge in its purest form but as a prank instead - the satisfactory prank from the Bosmer swindler. Months ago he was arrested for trespassing in private quarters of his Lordship Marius Caro of Leyawiin, but now he returned, albeit not through the main door but through the secret passage. He came for Ahdarji’s ring, locked in Countess Alessia’s jewelry box but he strived for something more. Something like… gold.

Manuin figured that the Count and his lovely wife won’t miss around 250 gold coins which he snatched from their pockets while they were sleeping soundly - no they definitely won’t cry over gold, but they’ll be outraged that someone stole from them while they were sleeping in their own quarters, under protection of their personal bodyguards, which Manuin had no troubles evading because of his most useful ring, capable of detecting life. And that’s what He strived for - he’ll probably waste the gold in no time; he’ll give some to beggars, some to bribe occasional guard and he’ll spend some on lodging and drinks – but the victorious feeling that He was there, taking from them while they were asleep, will remain. And that’s what matters.

And though Manuin rarely had more than two hundred septims in his purse, he’s been stashing some gold a distance north of Bruma, where his former cellmate Jorundr kept his gold before being arrested. He had close to two thousand septims safely locked in a solid wooden chest, buried underground and covered with rocks. He was convinced that this hard-earned gold will come in handy in the future but he didn’t have any use of it for now.

Vampires weren't the only ones that went to sleep at dawn. As the Sun was slowly rising over misty Blackwood, Manuin checked in at the Five Claws Lodge.

9:53 pm. First Seed 15, 3rd Era 434

Active Quest: Turning a Blind Eye

Level: 8

Days Passed: 201
Days Jailed: 62
Bounty: 500


The opportunity presented itself.

Halfway up the massive mountain, on the road leading from Sercen to Bruma, Kahreem of Weet sees this opportunity, and immediately takes it.



The soldier's name had been Sucha Goodman, and he had been yet another Imperial who'd been lucky enough to spot the man all soldiers were eager to arrest, but unlucky enough to follow him. Sucha had had his horse stolen by this man, far downhill outside of Roxey Inn. He'd begun to follow this man (THE man), knowing instantly who he was. Though his name had changed at least a half-dozen times, accounts ranged from Vincent the Spice Merchant to Ozzgard the Trapper, Sucha Goodman knew who he was, and now he had an official reason to arrest him.

But that had been a bad choice. Though the Redguard on his hooved beast was now much faster than he, his diligence and training had paid off, for he'd caught up to him, halfway up the mountainside.

"I've got you, you worthless thief! Hurrr-a-gurr-ar-gurrrr!"

Unfortunately for him, the Redguard had some help by now, and after getting ravaged by a couple wolves and some other bandit, Sucha Goodman was no longer such a good man. Because of this, the Redguard now has a new plan, before entering Bruma.





12:30 am
Things don't always work as planned though.




"Uh ... twelve o' clock and all's well?"

"Well now, caught in the act and no gooold to pay your fine, hmm? It's OFF TO JAIL with ya!"

"Keep your sword sheathed and your shield readied, fellow soldier," Kahreem answers, realizing his latest disguise simply will not work. "Ahh, fokke it. You got me. Just please, don't put me back in that cell with that weird Nord guy, I'll take any other cell."

"Hope you rot, criminal scum."



Turdas, 6:36 pm, First Seed 21

"What do you want?"

"Leave me ALONE."

It is almost a week later until the Weet Bandit emerges back to surface. Because someone had mentioned that it's evening, he'll emerge to a night sky going to its slumber, shoots of gold crusting the world's rim, but this is not to be the case. It's a typical First Seed day in Bruma, which means grey skies, grey light, and grey faces below.

"Speaking of grey..."

He finds a spot to change and toss his jail clothes, then spends several minutes suiting into the dead soldier's armor, the soldier who'd fallen not far from Bruma. Finally, he finds the ring he'd found a couple weeks ago up at Temple of the Ancestor Moths, and places it on one of his fingers. This ring doesn't make him completely invisible, but it does blur his image. By now, all the guards in Bruma would know there's a Redguard (the Redguard) who'll be walking around in legion armor, so why make himself even easier to spot?

"All right then, I'm listening."

Truth is, he hopes he won't be spending too long here in Bruma, which is no-doubt his least favorite town. Within a minute or two, he's traipsing toward the house where the Grey Fox had been hiding. But which house was this?

"The Grey Fox is waiting for you!"

This house.

"Good for him. I cannot wait to see him either."

Once inside, he removes his magic ring, bringing him back fully to visible grey-skinned armor. He then looks into his nighsack, and grabs the Cheap Wine that's been waiting for him for nearly a week.



"I hear the monks were most .... hospitable," greets the man by the fire.

"Hospitable? Err... I guess you could say that. Those who knew I was there sure had their hands full."

The man by the fire, The Gray Fox apparently, says nothing.

"Hey you know, I've got this stone, and it's pretty and worth a lot of Septims I'm sure, but I'd really like to not be carrying it anymore."

"My sources tell me that Savilla's Stone has gone missing. Do you have it with you?"

"Yes I do. You want it? It'll cost ya. How about you take off that mask, and I'll--"

"CAPITAL! Now I can see past the palace defenses. It's a good thing the Emperor didn't know they had this stone. He would have had it destroyed or .. taken it from them and kept it under lock and key in the palace."

"I did good, eh? ... Mask? Off?"

"When I have learned what I need to know I will call for you again. Let us leave Helvius' house now. He has served me well and deserves his peace."

"Mask?" Kahreem asks. For once, even the payment of hundreds of gold cannot distract him. "C'mon, just between you and me, eh? I won't tell anyone."

"I don't answer questions about myself," the Imperial answers about himself. "Particularly when they come from a Shadowfoot."

"All right then. Well hey, like you said, I guess you'll call on me when you need me. Hey, like my new ring? It makes me all blurry, damn-near invisible."

"Shadow hide you."

See, Maniun is definitely better at this than Kahreem! Imagine having to write up a half-dozen or so updates Lopov, because your elf can't get it right!


Her story's going to get interesting. Her entire game is going to be a giant quest I'm writing, too! :dance:

Sounds like Manuin is becoming more accomplished at thieving. Hitting palaces takes some skill.

Wow, the Weetster gets bounced back in jail. He must be doing something right though, seeing as he’s working directly for the Gray Fox.

@Acadian - Manuin's getting very good at picking pockets, it's been a while since he got caught. And the ring of life detection is very hand in many places, even more so in castles.

@Renee - I think that impersonating a Legion's soldier is the least successful Kahreem's disguise, he was arrested even before he crowned himself with a new name. For a change Kahreem was more interested in seeing the face behind the mask instead of getting paid but he didn't forget to drink some wine.

Tirdas, 7:45 AM, Heartfire 18

The Dunmer left Two Sisters' Lodge, satisfied, and looking forward to the day to come. His superior would be pleased, which means he would be compensated. Hopefully well. Not only was he certain that the wench working at Two Sisters was indeed Sarah Phimm, he'd also gotten to speak to her, without raising suspicions. Oh sure, she had asked him if he was the 'messenger with the green hood' she's supposed to meet, she had basically asked about Notta, but Noz Hayre is not Notta. It had been pretty easy to shrug this awkward moment off.

He had just left Skingrad, and was lost in thought. He had been walking by the stables just outside the town's gate, when he had noticed a familiar figure.

"How goes it?" Notta had greeted.

"Not bad."

"Did you speak to her? The red-haired wench?"

"I did indeed. Sarah Phimm, the one everyone's making such a fuss about is located in Two Sisters Lodge, and so my job is done. And it's your job to make contact. Don't foul this up, Notta."

"'Don't foul this up', he says. I'm not saying you're dumb, Noz Hayre. You're just hard-headed."

"I'm through talking to you."

"Fine. Go away."

And that had been the end of it. Noz Hayre had continued walking to his destination, while Notta Wynner, the woman in the green hood, had continued walking toward hers.




A Quest update example

Noz Hayre places an order with Joan

... he plays dumb

Joanie appreciates Sarah's dutiful service

Love the story and the pics as you show us not only the quest update but Noz Hayre and even more - Joan of Arkay! I wonder what do necromancers want with her but looks like it's finally time for Sarah to leave Skingrad behind and depart.

Thanks man! You will see about the necromancers. Her story's going to get interesting. It will get pretty freekin' bizarre, too.

Fredas, 8:35 am, First Seed 22, 3rd Era 434: Kahreem of Weet leaves Bruma, after spending the previous night in the Tap 'n' Tack. Before Kahreem, another figure walks. This figure cuts a striking image, whose name is Amusei. Amusei, the Argonian whose tail Kahreem had saved from jail, had been the one to walk all the way from the Imperial City to Bruma, bearing news that Kahreem is wanted by the Grey Fox again, this time in Chorrol.

Wearing the full-plated armor of a soldier, and walking behind Amusei, Kahreem finally feels no need to bother stealing a horse, not from Bruma's stables, anyways. Everybody in Bruma may know who he is, but to the general population of travelers and outlaws, he'd be seen differently. He'd be seen with some authority. 'The only 'giveaways' here are (obviously) the fact that he's a Redguard, but also the fact that he's carrying a dwarven mace. No soldier in his right mind would carry anything other than silver.

9:05 am: a timber wolf runs right by the lizard, but attacks the grey-skinned Redguard. Which is no matter really. The animal is dead in just three blows, making Kahreem think 'why have I been carrying around that smelly old club all this time?'

A calm comes over him, as he descends down the hill toward The Orange Road. Soon, the air will warm, and the birds start singing, but right now, a grey blanket lies over everything.

9:55 am: another wolf, but this time it does attack Amusei, who immediately runs! Which is fine. Kahreem feels more than happy to take care of the ravaging beast.

10:10 am: Bare ground is replaced by grass, as a sudden climate shift occurs. The foggy, light snow also clears. Birds can be seen waking up, and diving for worms. Amusei continues down the Silver Road, while Kahreem takes the Orange road.

11:09 am: time for lunch. A slab of dried mutton and a bottle of the very cheapest of wines is consumed. O-ho-ho.

Lorndas, 9:18 am: He spent the night by a waterfall, making sure to wear his new Ring of Shadows. This kept him hidden, as he slept in a culvert. And now, he arrives to Chorrol, tired of wearing this fokkinge armor, and looking forward to whatever his master has planned.

Hehe, sounds like the Wet Weet Bandit took the same route from Bruma to Chorrol as Lothran did, stopping by the same waterfall

I wonder how he will tackle his next big project..?

How many wine did Kahreem drink if he saw birds diving for worms?

mirocu: Yes, and Renee Gade III also stopped by that same waterfall as well. And Buffy. And probably thousands of others over the years.

Lopov: Cripes, did I write diving for worms, wow what a typo! Digging. Digging for worms, I meant to say. :llol:

"Good afternoon."

"Pleased to meet you!"

"I don't know what all the fuss is about Sarah Phimm. Everyone seems to be talking about her lately."

"Sarah Phimm has become quite the rage. I do not understand what all the ramblings are about."

"They say that Sarah can dance within fire."

"Nonsense."

"They say that Tayka Byite has seen visions of our lordship, Molag Bol, explaining how Sarah could be an asset to us, here at Fort Istrius."

"Tayka Byyte is a good leader, with the ability to receive daily visions, they say. Maybe the things he knows about this lowly, red-haired wench are true."

"Be seeing you."

"Hail to the Dark One!"

Its probably the Infamy. If you have Knights of the Nine going, wayshrines won't work if you have infamy. If you don't have KOTN, then you can only use a shrine once per level. So you would have to level up to use it again.

Tayka Byyte

I hope it stops raining so she can finally head towards Fort Istirus.

On top of Noz Hayre and Notta Wynner now we have Tayka Byite.

SubRosa: Not Wayshrines. Sarah was in an ordinary chapel and tried to activate it for daily blessing. Didn't work. I'll have to go on UESP to research this. Not a huge deal though.

Lopov: The next Sarah update is mostly done, but for now....



Playtime: 215:10:30

Days Passed: 209


"I can eat for a day with a single coin."

"Well that's good to know. Have a coin, beggar." *clink*

"Thank you kind sir."

Kahreem of Weet enters Chorrol and meets Lazy Kaslowyn, a man whose name hints at somebody even lazier than most beggars. Kahreem speaks to Kaslowyn for a while, but it's obvious the man has no "ear to the ground" when it comes to Thieves Guild happenings, and seems to have no idea who Malintus Ancrus is. Which is fine. Nothing a little door-knocking can't take care of. And with the Redguard now donning the armor suit of an Imperial, and nobody in town who knows who he is, there shouldn't be any problems.

He spends the afternoon getting acquainted with this new town (new for him, anyway). Finds the goods store, and does some trading.

"Welcome to Northern Goods and Trades," greets this place's Argonian shop-owner. "I'm Seed-Neeus, proprietor. If you need anything to buy or sell."

"Pleased to meet you. My name is War Story. Well, that's not my real name, that's the name I've adopted over time. Although I've never fought in battle, people are always mentioning that I'm about to bother them with a war story. So uh... heck, why not?"

"I see."

"You do? .. I mean, you do. Good. I'm the first Reguard recruit into the legions, by the way. That's a barrier which took some breaking, believe me. But I finally did it."

"If I don't have what you need," Seed-Neeus replies, getting anxious, "you might try the other Chorrol merchants. Renoit's has books. Fire and Steel for your armor and weapons."

"Okay, relax. I'm not going anywhere."

"Let's do business."

Kahreem has a few items to sell. Firstly, Seed-Neeus begins eyeing Kahreem's new magical gold ring, and offers 600 gold for this item alone. But there's no way in Oblivion Kahreem would ever part with this. A ring which makes him blurry? That'll be on his person 'til the day he dies.

"You can call yourself back to Black Marsh with that measly offer."

He does sell a potion, a couple of magical tomes, a grand soul gem, and a pearl, netting just over 100 gold. He tries to hide his disappointment when he sees that she hasn't got any lockpicks, and comes up with a convoluted story when she inquires why would a member of the Imperial Legion need lockpicks?

"Thank you for your patronage."

And then, he meets her. The woman of his dreams, in a motherly sort of way. Her name is Rasheda --the smith-- and she works at Fire and Steel. A place where quality weapons and armor can be had, as well as repairs too. Which is good. Every piece of Kahreem's armor suit (not to mention his new dwarven mace) needs some sort of repairs done.

"Let me take a look at what you've got."

Which "War Story" is glad for. He spends hours in her shop, talking to this Redguard. It's nice to see a friendly face, in his usual world of insults and cat-calls.

"Bye."

After this, he returns to Seed-Neeus to buy some clothes. Walking around in an armor suit all day is not his idea of fun, after all. He rents a room in the Oak and Crosier, and meets a pretty Dunmer named Glistel, who just happens to be loitering in this tavern's dining area.

"I see you're a follower of the Grey Fox too!" she cries a little too enthusiastically.

"Um.. Yeah. I've been following him for years now. One of these days I'm going to catch up to that blasted thief."

"I'm Glistel, pleased to meet you."

"I'm War Story. As in "come to bother me with a war story, Redguard?' ... even though I've never been in war. That's what they always say to me though. Get it?"

"My housemate, Malintus Ancus, and I are well-known in cerain circles here. But, you don't travel in those circles, do you?"

"Absolutely not. I'm too busy patrolling, though you'll be seeing me more often, now that I've been re-assigned to the Black Road. Well hey, nice to meet you, Glistel. Time for me to go take my break."

"Shadow hide you."

"That works sometimes, although I'm much more of a 'jump in their face' kind of soldier," he says a little too loudly, making sure other patrons can hear his voice. "You know, it's hard to sneak around if I'm out on patrol in this metal suit."

Kahreem is pleased at the selection of food being served here, even downright charmed at the place's wine rack. Right off, he buys three of the ten bottles of Cheap Wine, as well as a meal of bread, meat, and cheese, with a side dish of corn. Oh yes, life is good. He spends the night in Oak an Crosier, and then spends the next day looking for this "Ancus" fellow.



Sundas, 10:52 am, First Seed 24

"Don't keep the Grey Fox waiting."

"Who are you?"

"The Grey Fox is waiting for you!" says the man. Kahreem assumes this man is Malintus. "Don't keep the Grey Fox waiting," he suggests. Kahreem takes this suggestion. He goes inside the wooden cabin with the words
'Malintus Ancrus' on its door.

"Welcome. Let's talk."

"You sure do enjoy hiding in plain sight. You know, there are all sorts of caves and caverns we could meet, so I don't have to fokkinge go around pretending to be somebody I'm not. What do you think? We could take over a bandit's lair somewhere? Wouldn't that be fun?"

"I have need of your services once more."

"Okay. You've got my ear, let's hear it."

"My work with Savilla's Stone has revealed that I need something special for my plans."

"Mm hmm, I'm not surprised."

"It is a small item in the possession of a powerful court wizard. Will you do this for me? I will pay you well."

"Will you? Well I do like gold. How can I help?"

"Capital!"

"What?"

"Bring me the Arrow of Extrication. It has a key-shaped head. Bravil's court wizard, Fathis Aren, recently acquired this unique item. You may kill Fathis if necessary, but NOT in the castle. My spy network will tell me when you have it. Return here with the arrow when you do."

"Capital!" the Redguard imitates.

"Now, we should get out of Malintus' house before we wear out our welcome."

"Capital! Yes, let's do that, Capital!

"Shadow hide you."

"For once, somebody says this who is actually hiding in shadow," Kahreem mutters.

Kahreem has never been to Chorrol before?


I do love when he meets people who recognizes him as a follower of the Grey Fox but he´s pretending to be a guard, not knowing what they´re talking about

I loved how 'War Story' Lexified the TG chatter with Glistel about following the Gray Fox into talk about catching him.

Capital!

"Hello Sarah Phimm. So nice to finally meet you."

Sarah emerges into the secret lair of Tayka Byite, devout follower of Molag Bol and the Dark One. As a precaution, Tayka prefers to stay within his own secret room, deep under the ground of Fort Istrius. Alone for hours, Tayka's ability to receive visions could indeed become intact, and the visions he'd begun seeing of a young, red-haired scullery maid miles away in Skyrim had become the main focus of his daily seeings. With special aid given from the specter inhabiting the walls of his room, Tayka had eventually come up with a plan to contact her. One letter at a time.

The necromancing followers who dwelt within Istrius would allow Tayka plenty of space alone, for he had gained a certain respect amongst the others, most of whom had spent varying amounts of time dabbling in magic, but not truly mastering it. They had therefore honored Tayka's word, when he'd begun describing the young lady he'd been seeing.

A lady who could withstand any sort of fire, yet looked just as ordinary as any other maid in the land.

Time had passed, and Sarah had been duped, just as Tayka had predicted. She'd shown up in Skingrad, had not managed to find her aunt, yet she also hadn't just left to go back north.

She'd managed to find a job, and seemed to be attempting to build some kind of life. Working hard, every day. Noz had seen her first. He'd also been the first to speak to her. Because he'd spoken to her before Notta had had a chance (despite specific instructions to avoid direct contact) and because of Noz's latent opinion that gaining Sarah's trust would be a waste of time, Noz Hayre had been punished. The ultimate punishment, matter of fact. Tayka had seen to this, for sure.

But in Noz's opinion, Sarah had been nothing more than an ordinary citizen. A toiler, a cook, and a servant. Nobody special, nothing more. Unfortunately, Noz's opinion had not been well-received within Istrius.

"Thank you for coming. And how was your journey?"

"I -- well I am so confused."

"Allow me to explain," says Tayka. "I am sure you have plenty of questions, and all shall be explained."

"Yes. Can you explain?"

"On behalf of all the necromancers of Fort Istrius, I do apologize for the circumstances which have befallen you. And now, to my point," he says, facing the woman who'd made it all the way here, leaving her homeland, leaving all that had been familiar. "You have come here to meet your aunt Matilde, and we are well aware of this. However...."

"Yes?"

"As fate would have it, Lady Petit could not, and will not, be here to meet you. Yes I know, circumstances are indeed strange. But all is not for loss. I am in contact with your aunt, believe me I am. When Matilde contacted me, she wanted to let you know the manor in which she once dwelt is now open."

"The manor? You mean Summitmist? ... But where is Matilde?"

"I have proof of contact. She wanted to give you this key," continues Tayka. "It is the key which fits Summitmist Manor."

"It .. a key to Summitmist? Are you sure?"

"Good question. Let me give you some history. Summitmist has been unoccupied for years. The place has been empty, yet as rumor has it, Summitmist is also haunted. Which is all untrue. All of it. Nobody is there, not Matilde, nor any citizens at all, and certainly not any ghosts. All false."

"Yes, I have heard from the townspeople of Skingrad these rumors. But no one ever seems to want to divulge any straight-forward sort of answers on the subject."

"Long ago," Tayka says, taking a bite out of an apple, "there was some sort of soiree which took place in Summitmist. A party, a gathering of townspeople."

"Go on."

"Your aunt was there, along with several others. Maybe five or seven in all. Accounts vary, you see. Well, something happened at that party. Rumor has it that somehow, the Dark Brotherhood got involved. Whatever happened, happened quickly. Everybody died that night. All the partygoers, were later found and removed. A big mystery. Nobody really knows what occurred."

"NO, Matilde has passed?!"

"Indeed she did. I am sorry to be the one to inform you. However, I am still in contact with her. Let's just say I've got a special sort of gift. I know all about her, and all about you. Trust me on that. Lady Petit has asked that you use Summitmist as your new home. However, she has also informed us that we are to place one condition."

"A condition? What of a sort?"

"We need something from you, Sarah. We need your service. In return for accepting Matilde's gift, we need you to become one of us."

"One of .... I --"

"Now, I am not saying you must go around wearing black robes with a black hood, nor must you learn to practice the Dark Arts .... you do not even have to live here at Istrius, though if you'd like, you can stay here with us any time you wish."

"I .. I do not know .. why me, sire? Why would you desire such position from me?"

"We know of your ... 'peculiar' quality, Sarah," Tayka says, gesturing with his fingers. "We know of your powers."

"Powers?"

"We know of your upbringing in Skyrim. We know most specifically of your ability to resist fire. Yes, fire."

At last, Sarah is silent. Gazing at the hooded man before here, with an almost guilty look upon her face. Nobody had known of this trait of hers, not for many years. She hadn't spoken of it since leaving Riften, and hadn't immersed herself at all within flames once she had relocated to Solitude. She had tried to become as ordinary as possible. And had succeeded, or so she'd thought.

"I can see the look in your eyes. How it fascinates you, how you can even bathe within its flames. Your immunity to fire, combined with your standard Breton heritage for magical resistance, both of these traits are what we need."

"I .. but I.."

"You do not have to decide whether you'd like to join us now, I will give you one week to decide. Until then, enjoy your new home. If you should join us, it would be to our advantage actually that you are living in Skingrad. That we have someone inside its perimeter."

"I see." A serious look upon her face.

"I bid you farewell now. Think carefully about our offer. I'm sure you will. We could use you, Sarah, and a grand portion of our riches will be yours if you decide to join Istrius. Farewell."

And with that, the hooded man who'd been able to fool Sarah Phimm for this long began looking forward to the days to come. The next segment of his plan had just begun, just as the specter who'd guided him in his ministrations had promised.


Approaching Istrius

Greeted by Notta Wynner -- Note: we can see Noz Hayre glowering in the background in this shot. By happenstance, the necros of Istrius quickly did him in just after Sarah arrived. These necros are added by the MMM mod, so I have no control over what they do. It's interesting that they left Notta alone though, just as the story says.

Door to Tayka Byite's Lair --Like I said, MMM necros are unpredictable. They can decide to kill any NPCs I add, or sometimes they'll just leave 'em alone. For this reason, I've found it best to protect certain NPCs by giving them their own room or dungeon!

Awesome! We finally meet the man who lured Sarah to Cyrodiil and find out some motives for his actions. I liked references to her past and resistance to fire, and how she wanted to be just some ordinary maid. I had a feeling there'll be some condition upon handing her the key of the Summitmist Manor. Looks like the next chapter is about to begin. I'm looking forward to it.

Nice pics, my favorite is Sarah walking to Istirus though the best part is Noz getting killed and Notta staying alive. You put up a good explanation why was he punished, it's interesting how mods sometimes handle things on their own and contribute to the story.



Typical Renee!

Fun stuff, Renee.

Hmm. . . false pretenses to lure her, living in hiding, black robes. . . I wonder if this fellow in black has good intentions. Be careful, Sarah.

Thank you. It's good to be back. Haven't gamed all week folks. Homework and soccer games. I have another Sarah written but I want to let it simmer for a few. You know how sometimes you write something, but you know it'll be even better if you let it stew for awhile? Yeah, that's what Sarah is like.

This guy, however ... I can just write his stories off-the-cuff.


Morndas, 3:22 pm, First Seed 25, 3rd Era 434

Location: Black Road, just north of Fort Nikel.

Days Passed: 211

Level: 9



Kahreem of Weet loots the bandit who'd tried to fight him underneath his horse, and finds a silver axe. This bandit, like many, had tried a misguided attack, and had died for his mistake.

"You dare fight the Imperial legion!" clank ... clank .... clank...

It hadn't taken long. Kahreem feels happy for combat in this new role of his, properly equipped with a rare-metal weapon to bash his opponents quickly and efficiently. His full-plated armor may not be as shiny as the set Hieronymus wears, but it is just as tough.

"What is it, citizen?"

He wants to protest I'm a guard just like you! but refrains.

The horse Kahreem had stolen back in Chorrol is a chestnut. The dark elf stablehand had caught him stealing this horse, and had called the guards. He'd resisted and fled. Rushed for awhile, then slowed. Passed through the ruins of Fort Ash. The guard who'd been chasing him must have gotten lost. Good. Time to relax, until that stupid bandit attacked, at least.

... clank ... clank .. clank

Good to be home.


8:35 PM

"I'm going to serve a writ upon any occupants living in this rotting establishment," he mutters to another guard, this one wearing shiny armor. At first the Redguard fears Hieronymus has returned, but the guy in shiny armor is definitely not Hieronymus. Kahreem is now on the Waterfront, trying to think of an excuse why an Imperial soldier would be walking inside the Marie Elena.

"State your business," says the guard in shiny armor.

"I'm going to serve a writ upon any occupants living in this rotting establishment, the Marie Elena," he says, avoiding eye contact.

"Carry on."

Good. In reality, Kahreem is too tired to deal with another confrontation. Doomed to fall into one of his home's many beds, though Kahreem preferred only one of these most of the time. This bed is in a small room, mid-deck and center. He has a bottle of wine, changes out of his barely-scratched military armor, and passes out. The next morning, he goes through one of the many sets of clothes he's got stashed in his ship, and chooses the blue and gold threads of a noble.



Tirdas, 10:33 AM

"Make it quick."

"Hey, I've never been in here before. Foaming Flask eh?"

The next morning he decides he'll have a day on the town, just like that. Bravil can wait. Matter of fact, maybe Bravil should wait. Any spies of the Grey Fox (or anybody else unseen) might be expecting him to walk straight to Bravil, and so why not make them wait? Why not make them doubt and ask questions? ... But now he is here, in this newly-discovered tavern, which stocks plenty of alcohol along with good food.

"I've got quality goods for sale here, what can I int--"

"Wine? Have you got any wine?"

"I got no beds here," answers the black-haired Breton who runs the place. "If you want a bed in the Imperial City, you got four choices. The King and Queens and Luther Broads are in the Gardens. The Tiber Septim Hotel is very nice, but very expensive."

"Uh huh, okay."

"There's the Bloated Float at the Waterfront. Sleep on a boat. And cheap, too."

"Sleep on a boat? How ludicrous. Who would want to do that?"

Kahreem is dismayed to find the Breton, whose name he learns is Ernest Manis, hasn't got any of his favorite. Only beer and ale and more expensive wines. Oh well. Can't have it all. Today will be a good day though, Kahreem can feel it. It's warm and sunny outside, and he feels his money's going to be lucky today. In fact, he feels today shall be a good one to throw some coin at the Yellow Team. Yes, the Yellow Team. He buys a meal of crabmeat and corn, then has a seat.

"Tell your friends about me."

"Really?"

"just go away."

Looks like Kahreem is getting comfortable in heavy legion armor. I guess it's still not too late to cross the line.

What a funny encounter with that shiny Legion fellow. Serve a writ indeed. And Shiny fell for it!

"Sleep on a boat? How ludicrous. Who would want to do that?" - -

clank.... clank...... clank.....



I just love wour style of writing, Renee



Seems like Kahreem is moving up in the world! His own private galleon (I think ) and clothes with gold threads! He´d better watch out for pickpockets now. You´d be surprised how many Waterfronters earn a good income that way

mirocu: Aw thanks so kind. My "style" of writing changes around a lot, depending which character I'm with. With Kahreem I always write as I'm gaming, right here at Chorrol, and it's almost like when I used to read to my child when she was younger, I'd also make silly sound-effects as I read. It's very loose and spontaneous. With other characters it's more rigid and there's lots more editing and whatnot.

Acadian & Lopov: Thanks! I am loving Thieves Guild. Have some cake while you're here.







Falanu is probably Sarah's best friend, yet she doesn't want to talk about Summitmist Manor, or what happened there.


Sarah sweet talks Falanu

Falanu tells what she knows ... (there's a LOT of dialog too, this is a Renee G quest after all!) Matilde Petit ... is dead (bla bla bla) There was some sort of party....


Summitmist Manor ... is it really mine?

Quest Update

... so dark and gloomy.

The cellar is locked? Why?

.... and the hearth is bare.

Ah this must be your mod in action, Renee. Summitmist usually isn´t filled with cobweb, is it?

A lovely diary page. I enjoy Sarah's tone and manner of writing. Almost a Rugdumphian style that I confound to deign quite disrobing.

And great shots of everyone's fave Dunmeri necrophiliac.

Nice entry, this time from Sarah's instead of Tayka Byite's perspective.

I love how you altered the Summitmist manor and included the DB quest as a background. The place looks really gloomy. I wonder what's in the cellar?

It's interesting to see quest updates and quest dialogue from Renee G at work.