Diary of Kiranyae, 3rd of Midyear, 4E201
Fleeing from Summerset

I can’t believe this is how my life has ended up. On the run from my own home, city, and country. And all because I chose to stand up for my ideals, and dared to disagree with the Thalmor and their ruthless methods. No more. I won’t be a part of their wrongdoings and misgivings. But, where to go? The Empire is not what it once was, and the Thalmor have their grimy fingers in just about everyone else’s sweet roll, too....

Whatever. I suppose I’ll head to Hammerfell and go from there. Nothing remains for me here in Firsthold. Those evil bastards saw to that, when they killed the only family I had left. Rest peacefully, brother, and know the cowards who ambushed you have seen their actions returned in kind. And I won’t stop there, either. Someone has to take the fight to these radicals, and when that time comes, I will be there to lend my talents in earnest.

Uh oh, well that's not good for Kiranyae. Dang.

Thanks. She will likely have quite the adventure ahead of her.

Diary of Kiranyae, 7th of Sun's Height, 4E201
My Paled Pass

That was a short lived hike. Apparently the mountainside shifted recently and an avalanche has engulfed the road through the Pale Pass. I'm not going anywhere for a while. The workers on the road said it will be at least a month before it's traversable again, and the Legion has the first rite of passage.

So, I guess I'm stuck here in Bruma. Looks like I'll be cozying up to the Nords for a while.... Maybe I can get some information on this little rebellion of theirs. I wouldn't be surprised of some of the residents came here to get away from the fighting.



Diary of Kiranyae, 29th of Sun's Height, 4E201
Layover in Helgen

The pass was clean and empty when I was finally allowed through. The workers finished up early than expected, and once the troops were through, they sent me on my way. I have to say, for being so anti-mer, the Nords of Bruma were a hospitable folk. Maybe it's just these Stormcloaks that will take issue with another Altmer in their land.

Helgen seems okay. Though, I suspect that's only because it's under control of the Empire still. Tomorrow, I'll head out to see the rest of Skyrim. Vilod told me of a little village where I might get more than one opinion on this war. A quaint little hamlet to the northwest named Riverwood.

I must say, this Juniper mead is quite pleasant. Not at all what I expected the Nords to drink.



Diary of Kiranyae, 21st of Last Seed, 4E201
The Sleeping Giant

Riverwood is indeed a nice little village, and the folks are nice enough here, too. I decided to stay here for a few days while I scout the area, and get a feel for the land. Tomorrow will be the time to get moving, though. I'll make for Whiterun, since they seem to play a prominent role in the conflict, and have managed remained neutral thus far.

But, the locals have asked me to clear out some bandits from a nearby mine. I guess a little practice never hurt anything.

Chapter I - A New Beginning

The village of Riverwood is a quaint little mill town, nestled on the bank of a small river, in the shadow of a monstrous mountain. I've never seen anything quite like of it, anywhere else in Tamriel. Embry, the town drunk, tells me the Nords call it 'The Throat of the World'....I wonder - is it what the Thalmor refer to as Snow Throat? It would have to be. Small wonder they are actively involved in Skyrim.

There isn't much mention of the war, though, and I can't seem to get people to talk about it either. Doubtless they think me a dirty elven spy. Not even Faendal, a Bosmer, seems to have an opinion on it as an outsider. He is happy to live his life working at the mill, and drinking at the inn every night. Maybe Whiterun will have more people who are willing to speak to an Altmer.

Finishing a sweet roll, I rose from my chair, bid goodbye to Embry and headed out into the day. The sun damn near blinded me as I stepped out into the chill morning air. The children were already out playing with their dog, and running up and down the street. I couldn't help but smile as they dashed passed me in their excitement, closely followed by the loyal Stump. A clang of hammer on iron shook me from my thoughts as I glanced over to see the smithy, Alvor, working amicably at his forge. He was a very capable smith from what I'd seen, but I have no use for anything more than an iron dagger and he didn't have any 'fancy elven stuff' as he called it.

Instead, I stepped inside Lucan's shop to sell some of the jewelry and gems I found in my travels. An argument was going back and forth inside, and the shop seemed to be in disarray. Lucan quickly hushed up his sister Camilla, and apologized that I had to hear that. I didn't care and stepped up to his counter, pulling out the small bag of valuables I had, "What will you give me for these?"

"Well, that depends. Do you want to sell them outright, or trade them for something else?"

I thought about it for a second. "Hm, I could do to learn a few new spells.... Do you have any spell tomes?"

His brow creased as he frowned in thought, "I may have a few dusty old tomes lying around here somewhere. If you want more, you'll have to go to the college in Winterhold."

Oakflesh and Raise Zombie were the only useful spells he had, so we haggled over the price until finally coming to a deal. I was about to leave, but my curiosity about what happened here came to the forefront, "Did something happen here?"

Lucan paled, but continued anyway, "Yes, we did have a bit of a... break-in. But we still have plenty to sell. Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw."

He looked at me hopefully, but I really did not want anything to do with chasing down bandits. They could be anywhere. "Sorry, I can't help you right now, Lucan." I left the shop in search a quiet place to sit and learn my new spells. Just across the outside of town, I found the perfect place. A small copse just outside the wall had a large stump that was perfect to sit against and take in tome. Sitting under the shade of the firs that enveloped the area brought a calm and peaceful serenity that I had scarcely found since leaving Alinor. Skyrim was truly a beautiful place that rivaled my homeland in it's own way. Staring out over the road and listening to the flowing water I found myself drifting off into a mid morning doze, before I roused myself.

"No, not right now. I've got to much to do," I said to no one in particular. Searching my pockets, I found the bounty flier that Orgnar handed me a few days ago. Embershard was a short walk down the road, and it would be the perfect place to practice my arcane skills, and also offered a foot in the door at Whiterun. I rose from my cozy spot and made my way west, following the cliff face, rather than the road. It was a pleasant walk under the looming trees, and before I knew it, I stumbled across a small cave opening up out of the rock. The map I had showed this to be very close to Embershard, so the chance of this being a back door was very high. I readied my spells, and headed into the darkness.

Torches lit the path ahead of me, and I could hear the crashing water of an underground stream from somewhere in the dark. I plucked a torch off the wall and slowly moved forward, coming out on a ledge overlooking a small grotto within the mountain. Several bandits toiled about amicably, and had yet to see me. A quick Fury spell soon had them fighting among each other, and the remaining scourge fell quickly to a gout of white hot flames. I grabbed what little of value I could find before heading deeper into the mine.

Just as I rounded a corner a loud shout rang out behind me, as a fur clad bandit charged out of the shadows "Skyrim belongs to the Nords!" I ducked under the swing of his heavy iron mace and hit him full in the back with my fire spell. That was too close, I though to myself. I need to be more careful. The dead bandit had a key I snagged for the locked gate he was guarding, netting me a small bit of gold and a new spell tome. Shortly on, I pulled the lever for a drawbridge and spotted to more bandits milling about ahead. This time, my fury spell once again put them at odds, before I mopped up the remaining lout. That seemed to be the last of them, so I headed up the mine slope towards the front entrance. Outside was a single remaining bandit that fell quickly before me.

It was now midday, as I stood basking in the warm sunlight. The sky was a clear azure, with few clouds dotting it from horizon to horizon. The path in front of me led right back down to the road, and as I stood where they converged, I saw a strange stone formation just up the hill to the west. When I approached the henge, I noticed they were intricately carved with silhouettes of star constellations. Thief, warrior, and mage. These must be the stones that I overheard Delphine talking about.

I knew without a doubt which one was calling to me, and as I knealt before the Mage Stone and prayed to Magnus, a brilliant beam of blue light burst up into the heavens.

Chapter II – The Cabin in the Woods

The blessing of magic rejuvenated my, so I decided to go for a stroll rather than head back to Riverwood. Lost in thought, I marveled at how much my life had changed in the span of a few months. It seems like only yesterday when brother and I were enjoying life back home in Skywatch. And now...here I am in Skyrim, walking through the dense southern forests, with no real idea on what to do next. Wondering up the road, I barely reacted in time to the wild man that came running towards me, brandishing his axe.

“Skyrim belongs to the Nords!”

I barely ducked out of the way in time, before unleashing a jet of fire at his bare back. Ignoring the acrid smell of burnt hair and flesh, I darted up the small dirt path to the camp where the rest of his buddies were and finished them off shortly. It was a cozy little encampment, tucked neatly under a grove of trees, but with easy view of the road and their prey. Nice little setup. Upon the tree stump between tents, I lay a small satchel that grabbed my attention, and to my surprise, it yielded some helpful alchemical ingredients. The real prize though, was the treasure map I found stuffed into a knapsack. And it led to nearby, too! Just across from the mill in Riverwood.

The sun was beginning to dip into the western sky as I headed back down the road towards the old standing stones I prayed at earlier. I’d noticed a path down to the river bank and another small camp this morning, so that is where I will start my journey back downstream. As I stood by the stones and looked across the river, I could just make out a small cabin resting up off the water. Curious about it, I asked the hunter who set up his camp overlooking the lake, in perfect view of the setting sun.

“I’ve been hunting and fishing in these parts for years.”

“That’s nice. Anything you can tell me about that cabin over there?”

His face paled, “Aye, you’d do well to avoid it. An old woman lives there. She claims ta just be a poor old soul, but I’ve seen strange lights and heard weird noises in the night from over yonder.”

“Why not report it to the guards?”

“Bah. Good luck trying ta get the Falkreath guards all the way out here. Useless louts never leave their village.”

“Hm. Perhaps I will check it out myself, then.”

And I will, too, especially if she is a practicing mage. I’m not a novice, but a wise man once told me never to turn down more knowledge. Knowledge is power in this world, and those with it can do anything. Just down from the hunter’s rest, I found a shallow fjord to cross, and soon I was standing right outside the cabin. Up close, it’s more of a shack. A ramshackle structure without a door, and a roof that looks about to fall in on it’s occupant. The old lady in question was sitting on a chair outside, apparently enjoying the sunny day.

“I’m just a poor old woman, dear. No need to trouble yourself with me.”

“Do you live out here by yourself, ma’am?”

“Yes, I do. It's so nice to have a visitor. I get so lonely out here. It's tough, just scraping by out here. But I make do.”

Something does seem suspicious here. I bid her goodbye, and headed back out into the forest, intent on returning at night. She was definitely hiding something, and I mean to find out what it is. But first, I think I’ll go look for this treasure stash. The map showed it being northwest of the Riverwood mill, so that’s where I headed. It was exactly hard to find either, once I spotted the large fallen tree nearby. A small pile of gold and a few gems later, I was nestled down against the stump, patiently awaiting nightfall. I found myself dozing off again, only this time I didn’t fight it.

After a dream-free nap, I awoke under the darkness of a night illuminated faintly by Masser and Secunda. All was quiet as I crept back near the cabin, and it appeared that Anise had turned in for the night. Creeping quietly forth, I snuck into her cabin and found her asleep in bed. A quick search of her belongings showed nothing out of the ordinary, and I had almost given it up before I spotted the hatch in the corner. A small trapdoor, partially buried in golden hay was just near her bed. Opening it quietly, I dropped down into the root cellar.

The poorly lit cellar was in a state of disarray. The floor was partially covered in water, with cobwebs and clutter lying in every nook and cranny. What stood out though, were the arcane enchanter and alchemy tables. So, she is up to something down here. A small note was lain amongst the ingredients on the sideboard against the wall. I picked it up, and it’s short message confirmed just what the hunter was wary of.

“Helgi, dear, why do you hesitate? You can feel the power coursing in your blood! You have only to reach out and grasp it! Renounce that boy of yours and come, come live with me in the forest. My sister will be here soon. Together, we can form a proper coven, and your training will truly begin.”
“Oh dear. This is worse than I thought. I need to get out of here...”

I climbed back up the ladder, and through the trap door. To my surprise (and brief horror), Anise was no longer asleep in bed. Slightly worried, I headed quietly back outside of the cabin. The witch stood a short ways away from me, waiting.

"Fool! None may know my secret!" And she dashed towards me, wielding the very fire spell that I was so adept at.

This is a great story on our new addition to the Femme Fatal of the Chorrol forums. Kiranyae! Exiled and on the run from the Thalmor, with no family and allies, seems to be able to hold her own out there.

I'm enjoying the entries on her journal! The Cabin In The Woods is just as ominious as it sounded. Suspicious indeed.

Those Nords really hate your elf, eh? Every time they remind him "Skyrim belongs to the Nords" I crack up.

Pretty cool how the story begins before Skyrim too. You included backstory in your story, that's something I never have done before.

One of my characters (also an old woman) wound up taking over Anise's Cabin. So I hope Kiranyae is meeting Anise, and not my Ice Witch! Kidding.

DE: Thanks! I'm curious myself as to how her story will unravel. So far, she is in the drivers seat!

Renee: They love saying that line. It's either that or "I'll mount your head on my wall!". Backstories aren't usually my forte, but this is my first story started with the help of mods. Much easier to craft a story when you don't have to explain the cart ride every time.

Chapter III - Upon a Lofty Hill


I stared thoughtfully at the sizzling remains of the mysterious witch. I guess she needed the allies of her coven for good reason. Looking around, there didn’t seem to be anyone nearby, so I dragged Anise’s body away from the cabin, and dumped it over a small ledge. Heading back to the shack, I began clearing out anything I didn’t need, and started making it my own. This will work nicely, until I can afford a real home. Not wanting to lie down in any filth for the night, I gave the bed a quick gout of arcane fire to singe off anything that would be lying on top, before sleeping in it.

Dawn broke with the brilliant light of Magnus’ rays beaming down through the tree tops of the great pines. Gathering what I needed for my journey, I headed out into the world bright and early. It wasn’t long before I noticed an unpleasant odor filling the air around me. “God’s I stink.” I couldn’t remember the last time I had bathed, so I quickly made my way down to the cold river for a short dip. As I jumped into the water, I immediately regretted the decision. The icy morning water quickly chilled me to the bone, as I felt the air rush out of my lungs. Deciding that quick dip was long enough, I swam back to shore as fast as I possibly could, and lit a small fire on the shoreline to warm up at.

Once I sufficiently thawed out, I started up my journey once again, this time determined to find Whiterun before the day ran out. It took me less time than I had anticipated, and I soon found myself winding down the road towards the Tundra of central Skyrim. Whiterun stood impressively upon a loft hill, jutting up out of the plains that stretched far and wide towards the western reaches of the cold province. At the peak, a massive, intimidating palace rose far above the city, offering an unbridled view of all the domain that it stood to protect.

Eager to see it up close, I resumed my trek in stride. A few farms surrounded the City’s exterior walls, and all seemed peaceful on this beautiful autumn day. I did not however expect to see three warrior’s in battle with a giant, just off of the main road. They had the beast felled long before I could approach them, so I headed onward without bothering to see what they were up to. A stable stood near the first gate, and I made note of the beautiful steed tethered inside it, I need to see how much the man wants for that horse. The main gate to the city was flanked by two guards in their hold armor, but neither of them said a word as I approached and headed into Whiterun. Plenty seem to be going on throughout the town, including a hefty business transaction just past the entrance.

I just caught the tail end of the Imperially dressed man’s conversation with the smithy, and when I made to walk past them without issue, he directly addressed me with a question I could not answer. "Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?"

Confused, I responded with a simple “What?”

"Got stones in your ears? I asked what side you're on, Gray-Mane or Battle-Born!"

I was getting irritated at this point, but I didn’t want to cause a scene my first time in the city, so I responded a little more tactfully, “I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.”

"New in town, huh? Whiterun's got two clans, both old and both respected. Difference is, the Gray-Manes turned their backs on the Empire and we Battle-Borns stayed loyal. So I'll ask again, Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?"

“I’m new to Skyrim and have not thrown myself in with either side, Battle-Born.”

He nodded curtly, "Sooner or later, we all have to choose a side."

And that sentiment proved to be a hot topic of discussion in Whiterun, for not five minutes later I happened upon the very same clan harassing a poor old woman in the market district. Not wanting to get sucked in again, I hung back until they’d all moved on, making a mental note to find out what was really going on there. They may have their differences, but they should still respect their elders. I have a feeling I may not like this place very much.

Liking it so far, especially the lack of cart ride.

But you'll have to watch the perspective. The first sentence is in a narrator's 'voice', and then the rest, even in the same sentence, is in Kiranyae's. That had me re-reading it several times, in case I'd misinterpreted something.

I'm getting the impression someone doesn't like to take sides, and you've already side-stepped world v dragons, so this has potential to be different.

So excited I don't have to cart rides every time, you have no idea.

Whoops, I missed that. Still trying to get back into the first person style - my last story was lengthy and told from a narrator's perspective.

Thanks!

Chapter IV - Under the Silence of the Masser and Secunda


Leaving behind the petty squabbles of the townfolk , I headed uphill towards the palace. Dragonsreach, as I have come to learn it is called, is an even more impressive structure up close. A stone staircase led up to it from a small garden area, with pools of water on each side. At the top, a small wooden bridge spanned a moat that fed the water pools below, and a set of massively hewn wooden doors led into the palace itself. The great hall inside was vast and impossibly tall, with the roof joists nearly lost in the darkness far above. A long wooden table laden with food and drink lay in the center, just at the base of the Jarl’s throne altar.

Not wanting to draw too much attention to myself, I headed into an antechamber where I spotted the court wizard hunched over an arcane enchanter. I didn’t have much gold, but I browsed his stock for a moment anyway, just to make some notes for future purchases. I could really use that Raise Zombie tome. I’ll check with the steward, and see if there’s any work available. Excusing myself from the mage, I made my way back out into them main hall, and glanced up at the Jarl and his court. The Dunmer in armor was definitely a bodyguard of some sort, which meant the sleazy looking man on the Jarl’s right must have been the steward. He was dressed in fine clothes with a dagger at his hip, and he gave off an air of pompousness that I figure will be hard to deal with politely.

"The Jarl is, as you can imagine, very busy. Perhaps I can assist you?"

“I’m looking for work. Do you have any leads?”

“Yes, actually. The Jarl has set a bounty on some bandits nearby. Here, take this note and return when the job is complete.”

I took the note, gave a short bow and headed back out to the city. Once I was back down in the garden area, I sat on a bench under the large, sickly looking tree and unfolded the bounty notice that Avenicci gave me, and read it in earnest.


By order of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater

To all able bodied men and women of Whiterun. The bandits located in Silent Moons Camp have been harassing, robbing, and attacking citizens and visitors. A reward will be offered to anyone who kills their leader.

Proventus Avenicci


More bandits? Is that all there is out there in the wild? I stood up with a sigh, and made my way towards the general store I’d passed by earlier. I have a few odds and ends to sell from my trip, and who knows �" the shopkeeper might have a tome to trade for.

He didn’t. And why does everyone in this town seem so sleazy? First Avenicci and his pompous attitude, and now Belethor with his trade practices. I feel like I need to bathe again, after dealing with these people. Back outside, the sun was beginning to fall below the western horizon, and an orange glow basked over Whiterun.

The city shone brightly under the effect of Magnus’ descent and it made the evening much more enjoyable, as I wondered about town, talking to the various people of the community. I’m glad I did too, because I met some truly wonderful people, when compared with my first few encounters. But, I have a job to do, and the night was quickly lowering its darkness over the Starry Heart of Nirn. I’d decided that the cover of night would give me an element of surprise over the bandits who would likely far outnumber me.

Outside of the gate, I lit one of the torches I’d nicked from the mine before heading out into the night. I cursed aloud as I looked up at the cloud-filled sky obscuring the bright light of the celestial bodies above. I was counting on the moonlight to illuminate the tundra while I dealt with the scum at Silent Moons Camp. Dealing with them in near total darkness will be almost impossible, which means I’ll have to tie up a hand with this torch. I knew I should have bought that candlelight spell.

The odd wolf here and there made for the only opposition as I made my way across the treeless plains, towards the northern mountain borders. A guard had told me that my destination was about a two hour trek to the northwest, and that the camp in question was more of a small ruin. Upon arrival, I realized that camp was indeed an understatement. A longstanding Nordic ruin marked the location, with an ancient stone staircase leading up to a dome like structure perched at its apex. To my surprise, fortune smiled down upon me as the clouds above parted to allow the light of Masser and Secunda to cast a faint light on the scene far below. With a new vigor, I quickly engaged the scourge surrounding Silent Moons Camp and dispatched them all rather quickly.

I grabbed an interesting book on enchanting lay on a table by the bandit’s forge inside the ruined dome. They had a unique enchantment that must be tied to this forge, so I stowed it away to read later. Heading back down the stairs, I noticed a chamber of the ruin jutting out from the hillside. A large door carved with ancient Nordic symbols led inside, and I realized this must be where the bandits keep their headquarters. There didn’t seem to be many left though, and before long I was climbing up a stepladder that led back outside.