Distracted by the sun reflecting through Ted’s curls, Daria? And later blushing when Ted calls her a wise woman? Be thee a tad smitten perhaps?

Yikes! Daria’s logic makes sense that poor ZadBeetle could end up as her third bug shell hat or someone’s dinner. Whew, somewhat of a respite as they learn the legit butchers gave Zad a pass.

It seems perhaps that Ted was waylaid and beetle-robbed by scammers instead of guards. That sounds more consistent with the facts.

Ted needs to learn that in Balmora, he really needs to listen to and follow the lead of Daria the wise woman.

Mm hmm like I said she's all about some lesser version of the Taunt and Intimidate buttons, plus a few others not found in the game. Trying to think of a word or two. She's not crass; she never directly insults someone. It's like she says things which sometimes go over other peoples' heads If they haven't got the Intelligence to catch on that she's making fun of them. In fact, you said it yourself...





If the kid's 'rubbish beetle' is based on something from the actual show, now I gotta see the show. Maybe for the Daria show, the beetle's being based on a mongrel dog or something.

I still remember the episode of Beavis & Butthead when they got a dog, but they got it from the pound, and it was MEAN! 🐕‍🦺

Ted speaks different from the others so far in this story. It's like he's more familiar with another language or dialect, so he's partially translating in his head before he says things.



Love that part. So true. Actually there are too many quotes I'm loving in this episode. I'm trying not to pull them all, for the sake of thread space. Another one is this...

"That's incredible. You turn hair into clothes!" Right, because they haven't got many mammals in that part of Vvardenfell. Only animal I can thnk of is rats. I'd imagine they turn cliff racer feathers into clothes, though. Or at least, decorations for clothes. And the one about Dar trying to share the things she'd read in books as a kid, only to get bored expressions in response. 📕

NO Ted! Don't do that!

Chapter 5

Quinn loved the Fashion Club; she truly did. But sometimes they disappointed her. Like today, when she'd only just found out that there were these crazy rumors about her sister being a wizard. Keeping up with gossip was an essential part of being fashionable!

"We thought you like… already… knew," Tiphannia said. "She's like… your… sister…"

"I'm so sorry I didn't say anything, Muthsera Morgendorffer," Satheri stammered.

"In our defense," Treads-on-Ferns added, "you weren't on campus when Agrippina started the rumor."

Quinn raised her hands. "Okay, that's fine! But from now on, whenever a rumor starts about a family member or boyfriend of a Fashion Club member, we have to inform that member like, right away."

"Agreed," the rest of them said.

"We have to do something about this because if everyone's asking Daria for favors, that means they won't be paying attention to us," Quinn exclaimed.

"Can your sister really cast spells?" Satheri asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Barely. She had this tutor in Charach, but she never got good at it."

"But if she got good, maybe she could make us prettier. I mean, not that you need to be prettier, muthsera, but you know, for me."

"Satheri, you're already gorgeous! Also, I call your attention to Fashion Club Bylaw #11: while there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the use of alteration and illusion magic for cosmetic purposes, doing so is discouraged since the use of magic surrenders fashion autonomy to the Mages Guild. And those guys are big-time geeks!"

"You are your mother's daughter," Treads-on-Ferns said.

"But way more fashionable!" Satheri added.

"So, what do we do… to like… stop these… rumors?" Tiphannia asked.

Quinin thought about it, and then smiled. "I have an idea!"

*********

The odor of rotting trash mixed with the smell of blood as Daria ran into the alley after Tedannupal. Its narrow space was drowned in the shadows cast by crumbling two-story adobe tenements on either side, and the air thrummed with the clicking and chittering of insect swarms.

Daria caught up to him. "Have you lost your mind?" she demanded. "Initiating violence is sure to get you arrested. If you seriously hurt the wrong person, which is a distinct possibility with that spear, they'll throw you in a labor camp."

Tedannupal raised a hand in a gesture to be quiet. A moment later, Daria heard voices past the bend in the alley. Together, they crept forward, bodies tensed for any sign of danger. Daria couldn't quite believe she was doing this, but she'd already gone this far. All they'd do, she reminded herself, was talk. She'd keep Tedannupal out of trouble.

She spotted Zadurannabit first, her metallic green shell a shock of color in the dusty alley. A leash had been tied around her thorax, held by a Dunmer in a grimy bonemold cuirass who talked to a trio of human beggars. Another, bigger Dunmer stood by the armored one. The second Dunmer didn't wear armor but had an ax tied to his belt.

"Look, I'm trying to get rid of this thing!" the scammer said.

"Yeah, well, if you want to get rid of it, just dump it!" one of the humans said.

"You don't give anything away for free around here, outlander. A lot of meat on this bug. Mm-mm." He rubbed his belly for emphasis.

"That beetle belongs to my family!" Tedannupal shouted, his voice squeaky but undimmed by fear.

"Huh?" The scammer turned to look at the pair.

The lead vagrant, an old Nord, gave a disgusted look to the scammer. "You stole this off some kid?"

"He's an Ashlander!" the scammer explained. "They don't have property anyway."

"Legally," Daria said, "it does belong to his family. There should be a mark on the shell."

"There sure is," one of the humans said.

"Oh, like that'll hold up," the scammer sneered.

"It will," Daria said. "Tedannupal, does your family have any other livestock with that mark?"

"Daria!" he exclaimed. "My father would never forgive me for negotiating with cattle thieves. When it comes to theft, they either give it back or they—"

Daria clamped her hand over Tedannupal's mouth and gave him a warning look. "Us city dwellers are a decadent bunch, so follow my lead."

Tedannupal narrowed his eyes and then nodded. Daria lowered her hand.

"Yes, we do brand all of our livestock," he said.

"That's some strong evidence right there," Daria said.

"Doesn't matter, outlander," the scammer said. "It's your word against ours. And we're guards."

The other Dunmer with him wasn't even armored.

She decided to make her play. "Hmm, well, if you're guards, you ought to know that I'm a good friend of Guard Captain Kavon Thanlen."

The two Dunmer looked at each other and broke into laughter. "Oh yeah? Well, we're his best buds from guard school."

"If that were true," Daria continued, "you'd know that Kavon isn't a captain and doesn't have a chance in hell of ever getting that rank."

"Dammit," the scammer cursed.

"Why don't you hand over the beetle, and we'll all move on—" Daria started.

The scammer with the ax unslung his weapon and charged. Tedannupal had darted in front of her, quick as mercury. He struck the axman's belly with the butt of his spear, and the axman fell to his knees.

"I know you said not to kill them, but I'm allowed to hurt them, right?" he asked.

"Uh, now that they started it, yeah," she said, her voice shaking.

Tether in hand, the armored scammer ran deeper into the alley. The vagrants had already disappeared into the trash and refuse.

"You will not steal my father's cattle!" Tedannupal shouted and ran after his beetle.

Daria hurried to him and jumped over the groaning axman. Tedannupal had already gotten to the armored scammer, who drew a chitin sword in a paltry last-minute defense. The young Ashlander struck the weapon out of his hands and seized Zadurannabit's tether. The scammer turned tail and ran.

"I got her!" Tedannupal said. Tying the tether around his wrist, he did something that puzzled Daria: he clambered on top of the beetle, his legs straddling the creature just behind its head.

"Uh, Tedannupal?" she asked, confused.

An enraged shout drew her attention to the axman, who'd recovered enough for a second attack.

"Here, get on!" Tedannupal shouted. "Hold on tight!"

He pulled her onto the beetle. "There's a guy attacking us!" she yelled, even as she grabbed Tedannupal's shoulders and pressed against him.

Tedannupal whispered something to Zadurannabit and pulled back on the tether.

Suddenly, the enormous shell parted and lifted from the rubbish beetle's back. Daria gasped as the two sets of membranous wings underneath revealed themselves, now free to fly. The entire beetle quivered as its loud drone filled the air and its six legs left the ground.

"This thing can fly?"

But Tedannupal said nothing, his eyes bright and his grin fierce as he gently pulled the leash to the left and the hovering beetle rotated to face the axman, who'd halted in his tracks with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Charge, girl!" Tedannupal shouted.

The beetle shot right toward the astonished thug. He ducked, but not before Tedannupal, in a feat worthy of the most skilled Breton jouster, struck the axman square in the chest with the flat end of his spear from atop the flying insect.

And with that, they soared into the air.

Musical Closer - Wings of Time, from the Chrono Trigger OST

OMG!

that just killed me ! I cna't even type!!!

Wow. They think Daria can make them prettier through magic. I'd assume that'd be Alteration if it can be done (Illusion is temporary). In fact, a person's looks are one of the rare things which I'd imagine can't be changed through magic. Not without mods, anyway.

Next sentence, Quinn mentions both Alteration and Ilusion (yup yup), and even compliments Satheri.

Nice. Teddy can fight with that spear. 🤺 And even knows how to keep fatal wounds from happening. Whoa, is the beetle about to fly?? 🪲

Cool, what an ending. That put me in a really good mood, dude!

Looks like some unexpected rumor control help from Quinn may be on the way. Looks like we’ll have to wait to hear more about that.

The encounter with the not-guard thugs was fabulous. No one was killed but Ted really showed his skill and the crowning glory was that his big bug of burden doubles as a flying jousting and/or getaway mount!

A rumor started without Quinn knowing? Aetherius forbid!

I love the Fashion Club's bylaws. Clearly, Quinn puts a lot of effort into looking her best.

As Acadian intimated, I suspect that Daria might be receiving some unexpected (and unintentional) assistance from her sister and the Fashionistas with putting the tales of Daria the Wizard to bed.

To be honest, I never liked the way Bethesda portrays the Mages Guild having this monopoly on the use of magic. Because they never really follow through on it. On one hand if you do the MG questlines in Morrowind and Oblivion, you are sent after "rogue" mages. To either get them to pay their dues, or force them to join the guild, or kill them. In Morrowind it felt a lot darker. In Oblivion the rogue mages were out killing people, so it did not feel like you were bullying and intimidating people who just want to be able to heal themselves after they get pinched by a mudcrab.

But on the other hand, the Mages Guild itself sells you spells and gives you training in the use of magical skills. Without you ever joining. They never hunt you down either, no matter how much magic you are doing in a very public way. Somehow you are never considered a rogue mage. So far as I know, NPCs like Edgar Vautrine and his Discount Spells or Calandil at the Mystic Emporium are not Guild Members either, and they are not being hunted down by the MG either. I am sure there are plenty of other magic users around in the games like them, who are also not guild members.

Bethesda can't seem to make up their mind on whether or not the Mages Guild really has this total monopoly on magic or not. Which makes it hard for me to take it seriously when we are in the Guild and these "rogue mage" quests come up. Oblivion I think handled it better, because there it felt more like the Guild is concerned that magic users doing outright evil makes all mages (and the Guild) look bad. So stepping in and stopping them is in their best interests. Also in a matter of pure speculation, the Guild's charter with the Empire might call on them to offer the Imperial authorities assistance in capturing or killing criminals who are magic users.

And switch to Ted on the warpath. But it looks like Daria the lawyer is stepping up to represent him in the court of public opinion (and Morrowind law). Maybe she can keep him out of prison for murder. Not that I think it won't come to Ted killing them. Just that she can get him off the hook with the real guards.

Awesome, they are riding the beetle! Yee-Haw! Hi-Yo Zadurannabit!

These bugs can fly! Next time lead with that Ted!

Chapter 6

Daria couldn't believe it.

Of all her moments in Morrowind—the good, the bad, the awkward—this one stood over all others. Her clutching Tedannupal's shoulders for dear life as Zadurannabit wheeled through the air like an emerald-green bolt, Balmora's sprawling grid spinning below and the wispy cirrus clouds turning above, the two of them, Ashlander and outlander, free of the world.

"This is amazing!" Daria shouted.

It was. For once, she had no snark or criticism, just unbridled joy.

"All beetles can fly," Tedannupal said, raising his voice to be heard over Zadurannabit's drone. "Sometimes they need a little urging first. It's something my father taught me."

Still turning his steed, Tedannupal guided Zadurannabit to the east. The last rooftops of Balmora sped by as they shot out over the wall and to the desolate countryside beyond.

Daria didn't want to stop. She wanted Tedannupal to fly on, past the Bitter Coast and over the Inner Sea, to scale the Velothi Mountains and zoom low through Skyrim's endless forests, and to keep going. There was so much he wanted to see, and she could explain it as they went. No school or networking, just them.

She wasn't sure her heart had ever beat so fast before in her life.

But Zadurannabit was already slowing down; the buzz in her wings no longer as vigorous. Slowly, they made a descent onto a hillside where a few scraggly trees clung to life in the dusty soil. An almost wrenching disappointment came over Daria when the beetle landed.

"Unfortunately, when they get to Zadurannabit's size, they can no longer fly particularly well. But as any Ashlander would know, they make an ideal vessel for quick escapes."

"Uh, right," Daria said.

"I don't mean to complain, but you are grabbing my shoulders awfully tightly," he said.

"Sorry."

She let go and slid off Zaudrannabit's side. The beetle stayed in place, her bulbous eyes unknowable.

"Is it okay if we rest for a bit? That was a lot to take in," Daria said.

"That should be fine. I actually bought the tools I needed before I found you. It was fortunate that Drenlyn was so close to the right market."

Daria nodded. She found a flat gray stone to sit on, its surface shaded by a tree. What had happened felt unreal—something from one of the cheesy storybooks that she usually mocked. But it didn't feel so ridiculous when it actually happened. Tedannupal took a seat next to her. Their position offered a good view of the city.

"So, what now?" Daria asked. They sat a mere inch apart.

Daria wanted Tedannupal to take her by the hand.

"I should probably return to my father. He won't be happy that I let those cattle thieves live. They could steal again, Daria."

"Tell him you killed them. I'll back you up."

"Daria!"

"Excuse me?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I can't lie to my father. You would never do such a thing, would you?"

"Uh…"

Oh gods, she'd screwed this one up.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I still don't understand your ways. It's one thing to lie to other tribes. But you can't lie to your own people."

"Right," she said. "Sorry, I let you down. I guess my city girl ways are too decadent."

He laughed, the sound giving her a bit of relief. "Perhaps you are, but I must admit the decadence is fascinating. Food and fabrics from all over the world in one place! And you still came out of all that."

She smiled. "Don't get too enthusiastic about a liar like me."

"I can see how in your context lying might be useful. When there are so many of your people, it might not be as important to be truthful to all of them." He laughed again. "But that's much too complicated for me."

"Me too, actually. To tell you the truth, I don't always understand my people. So I read books and try to pretend the people aren't there."

She'd never admitted it so plainly before.

"I think I can understand. My father hates most outsiders and wants me to stay on the farm forever. My mother was actually a House Dunmer. She died many years ago. But she left her books behind, and what's between those covers is my whole world. There are so many things I want to see. You wouldn't believe how hard I had to work to convince my father to let me go here."

"What did you say?" she asked.

"I told him that Balmora would test my purity and make me stronger. Much like how St. Veloth tested the Chimer when he led them away from Summerset. Little does he know that I actually like some of the decadence. And some of the people."

He looked right into her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Daria gulped and had no idea what to say.

"I am not accustomed to the way humans look," he said. "But I think you are very pretty."

Feeling like her cheeks were aflame she looked away, barely able to think coherently. "Uh, thanks. Even with these?" she said, pointing to her glasses.

"They make you look more distinct."

"Yeah. I guess they do."

She wanted to curl up and hide. Why was this so hard?

"But I should return to my father's home," he said. "He will be worried about me."

Daria nodded and raised her head, trying to regain her composure. "Right. I probably should, too. Uh, do you ever want to come back to the cesspool of iniquity called Balmora?"

He laughed. "Absolutely! But probably not for a while. My father will need all the help he can get. He's my kin, so I must help him." His voice grew softer. "There are so few of us Odaishannabab left. Most have forgotten the Ashlander ways. Which, I know from my mother's books, were not always as righteous as my father likes to think. But he doesn't have anything or anyone else."

"He, uh, must be a brave mer," Daria said.

"He is. I want to be as strong as him someday, though also more open-minded. Maybe I can make him more open-minded by telling him about you. You did help me, which makes you a clanfriend of the Odaishannabab. If you ever need shelter, my father's house will be open."

For a moment, Daria wished she were more like Jane: able to absolutely believe in something beautiful and commit herself to it. That, maybe, she could be happy on the slopes of a nameless West Gash hill for the rest of her life with Tedannupal.

But that wasn't how the real world worked. She didn't know the first thing about farm life, nor did she have the stamina to make herself useful in such an environment. She was a creature of books and cities. Sooner or later, the resentment would build.

It was a nice dream, though.

"Uh, thanks."

Tears filled her eyes, and she stood up. She took off her glasses and made as if she were simply massaging her eyes, wiping away the tears, though she wanted to let them flow.

"Well, Tedannupal, you're certainly one of the more interesting people I've met in Morrowind," she said, managing to keep her voice steady.

"You're the most interesting person I've ever met, Daria! And probably the most interesting I ever will meet."

She smiled. "Don't give up on the rest of the outsiders. Some of them are pretty interesting in their own right."

*********

Daria reached home wanting only to eat a quick dinner and then curl up in bed. It hurt to think of Tedannupal, but it was safer for Daria to keep her distance. Safety brought with it a certain bleak comfort. Not that she didn't have other problems. She had no idea how to solve the rumors about her being a mage. For that matter, she still didn't know magic well enough to defend herself. But she was too tired to worry much about it.

She walked up to her room to find Quinn writing something at her desk. Ignoring her sister, Daria stretched out on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, still thinking of that moment where she and Tedannupal flew over the city.

"Oh, Daria? About those rumors."

She lifted her head from the pillow. "Huh?"

"So, you know about them, right?"

Daria hesitated before answering. "The ones about me being a mage? I wish I didn't. I have no idea how they started."

Quinn gave her a suspicious look. "I wondered if maybe you started them."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, to make your life less boring or something! Anyway, if you didn't start them, then I have good news: I ended them."

"You did? How?"

"Easy. Do you remember that old guy back in Charach who used to pull coins out of kids' ears and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Exactly. As you might remember, he taught me a few sleight-of-hand tricks."

That was a surprise. "You still remember that? I thought you'd repressed all memories not directly related to fashion."

"Well, sleight-of-hand is totally for geeks. But sometimes, it's useful. Anyway, I did that trick to make it seem like parchment was floating over my hand, even though it really wasn't, and convinced everyone you were practicing that. They all think you're lame now, by the way."

"And thus, my dramatic rise and fall ends with me returning to comfortable obscurity." She fell back on her bed and exhaled. "Thanks, sis."

"Don't mention it," Quinn said.

But Daria was already dreaming of flight.

Musical Closer - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, by Neutral Milk Hotel

The End

The Good, the Bad, and the Awkward sounds like it would be a good Daria episode title.

One can certainly relate to Daria and her ache to fly free from the mundane realities of ordinary life and just zoom off to see the world. But Ted brings us back down to earth both literally and metaphorically by reminding us that just as beetles have their limits, so do people.

That is our Daria, and her decadent city girl ways.

Well, it was a nice dream for Daria to live out, for the time it lasted. For all that Daria is an ordinary person, she tends to get into plenty of adventures none the less. She's escaped from a Dwemer autobot in an ancient ruin, from street thugs, and street thugs again. Now she's flown off into the sunset with her Ashlander in shining Netch hide. Her life is becoming a lot more interesting than the books she is reading.

They all think you’re lame now, by the way.
So everything is back to normal! As I expected, Quinn comes to the rescue, in a completely unintentional way.

What a thought-provoking episode!

So Daria IS capable of flights of fancy and falling victim to such things as romance and happy endings. But not enough to actually pursue them. In fairness, Ted&Daria do present a mixed bag. They are both open to new ideas, see through shams, and are interested in seeing and learning new things. On the other hand, Daria is likely no more cut out for life on the farm than Eva Gabor from Green Acres, and Ted is honorbound enough to not bail out on his father. Also, there is the Mer/Human lifespan discrepancy thing – she didn’t mention that but as soon as it occurs to her, it would doubtless give her major pause. Yet still. . . part of me wishes she would take that leap of faith and go for the dream.

Quinn to the rumor rescue as she capably helps return Daria to the familiar comfort of lameness obscurity.

That is true. Daria's finally got nothing snarky to say!

But yeah, beetle's can't fly forever, they're too heavy, that's one thing I know about insects. 🪲 But still. Sounds like they're pretty far from Balmora by now. I wonder if Ted knows how to get back! -- Oh wait. Sounds like they can still see the city.

Man, this is getting good. I hope these two hook up.





Dangit. She's back home, Ted didn't make the move. MMmmm, I know the feeling! As a woman, nowadays it's okay to make the first move, this is something your generation is probably more comfortable with, Clavier. Most of us middle-aged gals are still like Daria, though. Unless we're talking Cougar-level females.



Oh my gosh!

That's really awesome; Quinn somehow solved the problem with Daria's magedom. I wonder how the heck she did this, though. How did she make something float in the air without magic, that is.

Episode 22: Wizards Off the Coast

Chapter 1

They called Sadrith Mora a city, but it looked more like a fungal nightmare that had erupted and grown until it covered half of the rocky island it claimed as its home. The monstrous sadrith spire of Tel Naga stood in the center of it all, resembling less a single mushroom and more a maddened cluster of fleshy pods held together in a tower of enormous tendrils that reached up to grasp the reddening sky. From this axis extended the dozens, or maybe hundreds, of smaller creepers that attached themselves to the hollowed-out growths that served as homes and shops. The city grew further in the fields of pallid flesh where budding new structures bunched together like loathsome grapes, soon to swell into a habitable state.

Cold ocean gusts carried the smell of salt, mixing it with the heavy, musky odor of growth and decay that pervaded the suspended marketplaces and shadowed walkways. Stranger still were the sounds: no seabirds cawed in Sadrith Mora. There was only the steady drone of fat insects buzzing over the water.

Daria wasn't sure she liked the place exactly. But it was certainly memorable. Outlanders like her weren't exactly rare in Sadrith Mora, but neither were they as common as in Balmora. She recalled the words of the Imperial soldier at Wolverine Hall.

"Remember, miss, the emperor's very far away from Sadrith Mora. So watch your step."

A particularly fierce wind battered her, and she tightened her coat. It was only early autumn but already felt like winter. She still wasn't sure she'd made a wise choice in coming here, but she'd already made her play and had to see it through to the end.

Most of Sadrith Mora's homes and shops clustered along a circular path winding around the city. Squat mushroom huts grew from the great tendrils arching overhead, each connected to the ground by smaller creepers to which people had nailed crude steps for access. The place buzzed with activity: traders hawked fish and mushrooms to the late afternoon crowd heading home from the docks. Everyone wore ragged, hardy clothes. The Empire's finery had no place here. The sun set behind Red Mountain to the west, the dying light and the volcanic glow turning the horizon bloody. It'd be dark soon, and the black storm clouds that had been drifting south all day had finally reached the city.

Sadrith Mora didn't have neighborhoods the way Balmora did. There was the wizard tower of Tel Naga and then everything else. Housepods grew wherever creepers extended, sometimes in bunches, sometimes alone. The city wasn't planned; it had just happened. Thus, she'd been wandering for hours, asking people if they knew where to find Johanna. The guards, with their weird cephalopod-shaped helmets, insulted her. Regular people shrugged.

"It's a big city," they'd always say. They weren't wrong.

Daria had hoped that Johanna's high station and enormous girth would have made her stand out. But if the woman still lived in Sadrith Mora, she apparently kept a low profile.

Another gust hit her, this one carrying a few cold flecks of rain. Thunder roared from somewhere not far away.

Johanna hadn't given Daria much to work with. One thing she'd said stuck in Daria's mind:

"The Telvanni respect talent and power!"

They certainly didn't respect etiquette, judging by how the day had gone so far. Looking at the hard-faced shopkeepers around her, she finally accepted that asking politely would not help her.

"Hey!" she shouted. "Where the hell's Johanna? I need to talk to her!"

Daria shouted as loudly as she could—not an easy task with the winds howling around her. She spread her arms and walked about, bellowing her question into the faces of merchants and stevedores.

"Where's Johanna!"

Gods, she felt stupid, and she was glad it was too dark for them to see how red her face was.

"Someone, tell me where she is!"

"Hey!" came a rough voice. "What are you shouting about?"

The speaker was an old Imperial with skin tanned almost to leather. He strode toward her with swift, angry steps.

"What, are you deaf?" Daria said. "I said Johanna. I need to find her!"

"That ain't our problem, so stop hassling us!"

"I'll stop if you tell me where Johanna is. Hey! I'm looking for Johanna!" She screamed in the face of a Bosmer basket merchant.

"How the hell should I know where Johanna is?" The basket-seller protested. "Hey, Novilus, do you know who Johanna is? The crazy chick's screaming about her," he complained to the fishhook seller in the stall next to him.

"Wait, Johanna?" the fishhook seller, a middle-aged Imperial woman, asked. She looked to Daria. "You mean the big Nord woman, right? Who works for Master Neloth?"

"That's right," Daria said. She hoped. Johanna hadn't mentioned anyone named Master Neloth.

The woman gave an exasperated sigh. "If I tell you, will you shut up?"

"It's the only way I'll shut up."

"Alright, fine. Johanna lives by the Gateway Inn, has a big old pod with a green lantern outside. She doesn't like visitors."

"Don't worry, she's expecting me. Thank you," Daria said.

She'd already hiked past the Gateway Inn a few times, so she walked clockwise on the road to get back there. The rain intensified as she did, big cold drops splashing on the stone with loud plops. She quickened her pace and tightened her coat, the last of the day's light little more than a sullen ember far to the west. It didn't take long to find the house the fishhook seller had described—a big shapeless mass with a lit green resin lantern hanging outside the door. The rain fell faster, soaking her clothes. She walked up the stairs and knocked on the big round door, its surface engraved with spiraling glyphs. Jagged lightning lit the black northern sky, and thunder pealed. Daria questioned herself: Was this worth it? Had that woman been telling the truth about this being Johanna's place? Or was this some trick to get rid of her?

Still nothing. Shrieking winds blew frigid rain into her face and hair, and she shivered uncontrollably beneath her coat. She knocked again. If this failed, she'd have to spend the night at the inn, which the people at Wolverine Hall had warned her not to do.

Footsteps sounded out on the other side—heavy ones. A latch turned and the door opened, revealing Johanna's massive form. Her dark, deep-set eyes peered suspiciously at Daria for a few moments before a slow smile spread across her craggy face.

Musical Closer - [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb0MC0jFv6M]Teardrop, by Massive Attack
[/url]

"Cephlapod-shaped helmets!"

I wonder what she's doing in Sadrith Mora. I've always felt this section of Morrowind was designed by somebody who was perhaps a fan of M.C. Escher or Andy Warhol, or some psychedelic-inspired artist. The dev(s) in charge of world design have definitely dosed, I think. More than once. Maybe while at work.

You do a really good job at describing weather, Clav. I notice some time has passed since it's now autumn.

Yeesh, Telvanni! They're the very strangest of the Houses, imo. Well if she's here for magical training, she's certainly come to one of the right places.

Wait... is Johanna the same woman Daria met before? The one who the Mages Guild sent her to spy on?

So many questions in this episode. How did Daria get to Sadrith Mora? Hmm. Maybe MG teleport. If this is true, then she'd be gone for only a few hours. Otherwise, her fam would get worried. Even Quinn!

Into a new adventure for Daria as she finds herself in the city of fungal nightmares. As Renee said, plenty of questions here. Based on the clues – while acutely aware of my poor sleuthing skills – I’m guessing Daria is still in pursuit of developing her magical skills with neither help nor interference from the guild of mages. Therefore, Johanna and the Telvanni make sense. I chuckled that she had more success finding Johanna by being loud and obnoxious than being polite.

Great job capturing both the hostile weather and exotic other worldly feel of Sadrith Mora.

So not Tactical Studies Rules off the Coast, but Wizards. This must be the 3rd Edition of Daria and Dragons then...

Daria is going to visit the Telvanni? Hopefully she will survive the experience.

You certainly encapsulate the grotesqueness that is Telvanni fungal architecture. I just keep waiting for it to gain sentience and become a blob of goo that sweeps across the land and devours everything in its path. Sort of like a Fungal Shoggoth.

I always imagine the Wolverine Hall is short, ill-tempered, fond of cigars, and is the best there is at what it does, and what it does is not very pretty...

Is Daria here to explore her options doing magic under the umbrella of the Telvanni? A risky move to be sure. But she does have an in, in the form of Johanna. It is nice to have a callback to her. I had forgotten all about her. We will see how the good turn Daria did her in the past works out in the present. Even if it is just Johanna warning Daria that this place is not for her.

Master Neloth? I wonder if this is the same Neloth we know from Skyrim/Dragonborn?

So yelling at people is the way to get things done. Sounds like Philadelphia. Maybe Daria should try throwing batteries at them next time.

And there she is herself! I can't wait to see how this works out.

Chapter 2

"You know, I wasn't rightly sure I'd ever see you again," Johanna said.

The interior of Johanna's house was drier than Daria expected a mushroom's insides to be. The two of them stood within a spacious, ovoid room of mottled fungal flesh. Strands of harder growth wound along the walls, holding up the structure's soft weight. Some had been shaped into rib-like protrusions that acted as stairs to a second floor. Amidst the strangeness were the signs of a more quotidian life: rugs, chairs, tables, and bookshelves. There was no hearth for a fire, and light came from lanterns of paper and resin hanging from the support strands. The air smelled of mushrooms, but was at least warm.

"That makes two of us," Daria replied.

"Make yourself at home," Johanna said, taking a seat in a big, upholstered chair. Daria sat down on a narrow stool next to the wooden counter.

Johanna continued. "I don't think much of where I came from, but this house still runs on good old-fashioned Skyrim hospitality." She barked out a harsh laugh. "As long as the guests behave themselves, that is. Link! Get down here!"

An Altmer boy of about thirteen years of age poked his head over the railing on the second floor. "On my way, ma'am," he said, in a voice that suggested he'd rather do anything else.

"Link's my apprentice," Johanna drawled. "Link! Daria here is our guest for a while. Make her feel at home, would you?"

Link nodded. "Kresh tea or lichen tea?"

"Lichen," Johanna ordered. "Best thing on a cold night like this."

"Wait, lichen?" Daria exclaimed.

Johanna made a dismissive wave. "It's better than it sounds. Link's not the sharpest apprentice a wizard ever had, but he's a fine tea-brewer."

Link nodded and reached behind a wooden counter and took out what looked like a smaller version of the water pump in the Morgendorffer home. Adjusting it in his hands, he drew it back and then thrust it into the wall. He grabbed a small metal pot and placed it under the pump, and then turned a wheel on the device. Water poured out of the pump's opening until he turned the wheel again and removed the contraption.

"What just happened?" Daria asked.

"I got water for your tea," Link said. He sighed, clearly frustrated by her question. "The sadrith mushroom absorbs seawater and desalinates it. To desalinate something is to—"

"Remove the salt," Daria finished.

"Okay, so you're not completely stupid. Good job." He faked a ghastly smile and gave her a thumbs-up.

Daria glared at the kid.

Johanna guffawed. Then she scowled. "Show our guest some respect, Link!"

He sighed again. "Yes, ma'am. We can tap into the water anytime we want. It's a good deal as long as you don't mind all your drinks tasting like mushrooms. But hey, what can you expect from Morrowind?"

With the cauldron now full, he hung it from a metal stand on top of the counter. His golden face took on a look of intense concentration, and he gestured beneath the vessel. White flame sprang to life where he pointed, floating above the counter's surface and burning bright without any fuel.

"Here in Sadrith Mora, you do everything by magic if you can," Johanna said. "Anyway, tell me about yourself, girl! You sail all the way here from Balmora?"

"No, that's far too much effort. A friend of mine in the Mage Guild owed me a favor, so I talked her into giving me a relay pass and used that to teleport here."

Said friend had been Amelia. The pass was good for two teleportation sessions, so she could still get back to Balmora via the guild office in Wolverine Hall, the lonely storm-lashed imperial outpost that claimed to keep an eye on Sadrith Mora.

"Huh, guess the guild is useful for that. Of course, when you get to my level, you don't need to rely on no relays. Plenty of other spells that'll take you where you need to go."

"Which brings me to why I'm here," Daria said. "Last year, I saved your life."

Link snorted. Johanna only nodded. "That you did. I haven't forgotten that I owe you for that."

"I've been training myself in magic, but it's pretty slow-going. I need you to teach me."

"Maybe," Link said, his eyes on the cauldron, "you should leave the magic to professionals."

"I'd never give the Mages Guild that level of satisfaction," Daria said.

Link laughed. "Guess you have a point there."

Johanna drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "Teach you, huh? Technically, I ain't supposed to teach non-Telvanni."

Daria crossed her arms. "Technically, I'm not supposed to be learning from a Telvanni."

It felt weird to talk that way to someone who could obliterate her without a further thought and almost certainly get away with doing so. But Daria knew Johanna didn't respect fear, so she had to be direct.

Johanna guffawed and slapped her knee. "That's why I like this girl, Link! She's got spirit! Okay, well, I ain't afraid of breaking the rules. But teaching magic is no small thing. It takes time."

"I only have a week," Daria said. "I told my parents I'd be attending the Young Citizens for a Better Empire meeting in Pelagiad this weekend, and talked another one of my friends into vouching for me."

Said friend being Jolda. Mom had been a little suspicious about Daria wanting to attend the YCBE, but she'd sold it to Mom as an excuse to get the hell out of the house for a while.

The sound of thunder rolled over the house, muffled by the thick layers of fungus around them. Daria could barely hear the patter of raindrops on the roof.

Johanna shook her head. "I'm a woman of my word, but there ain't no way I can teach you much in a week."

"I don't need a lot," Daria said. Steam rose from the cauldron, and the water started to bubble as Link muttered something and gestured. "I mostly want to sharpen my understanding of alteration. Also, to learn a bit of destruction."

"Girl's got a right to defend herself. Especially in a world like this one. Now, you understand I won't be able to make you some kind of master wizard in a week," Johanna said, her eyes intent.

"My goal is to cast spells more reliably. Once I do that, I can work on it myself."

"All right, Daria, that can be arranged. Now you understand that, since you're my student, you're going to have to help me out some, the way Link does?"

Daria recalled some of her mom's lawyerly advice. "First, tell me exactly what that entails. My understanding was that you owed me. Not the other way around."

She scowled, the lines on her face seeming to deepen. "I'm not some Hlaalu who'll trick with a fancy contract, girl! But simmer down; all I'm asking for is a little help around the house and around town. It'll be how you learn magic."

"Finally, I can fulfill my dreams of being Morrowind's premier sorcerer-custodian," Daria said.

"Sorcerer-custodian is basically my job," Link said, pouring the water into a pair of clay cups. "It sucks. But I don't want any competition."

"You always gotta start small, Daria," Johanna said.

"I still want to know exactly what you'll have me do before I agree to anything," Daria said and imagined her mother nodding proudly at her firmness.

"I mean chores! A rich gal like you has chores, right? Clean things, beat the spores out of the tapestries, and whatnot?"

Daria thought about it for a moment. "Fine. But if I'm asked to do anything dangerous or overly unethical, I'm walking. Of course, you won't have to teach me any further if that happens."

"That's fair."

Link brought the cups over, handing one to Johanna and another to Daria. Accepting it, she held it out so the steam didn't fog her glasses. Strands of glistening black lichen floated on the surface of the drink.

"Remember," Link said, speaking with an exaggerated slowness, "you have to let the lichen seep into the brew. Otherwise, you're just drinking hot water."

"What a useful clarification," Daria said. "For I have been living in a cave for the past eighteen years and have never before consumed tea."

"You've been living in a cave with nothing to do but practice, and your magic still sucks? Pathetic," Link replied.

"On the contrary, I've been quite busy being lazy."

Johanna laughed until she was red in the face. "Oh, this is going to be fun! It's been so boring here these past few months."

"That's because you never let me do anything," Link muttered.

"You mind yourself, Link!" Johanna snarled and then shook her head. "That's the trouble with Altmer apprentices. They always think they're smarter than you."

The whole setup was weird. Johanna seemed to want Link to rebel but slammed down on the boy whenever he did.

Daria took a cautious sniff, and the tea's earthy, oily scent wafted into her nostrils. She'd told Jane about her plan—and her earlier run-in with Great House Telvanni—and Jane said in no uncertain terms that going to Sadrith Mora was a stupid and dangerous idea. She was right.

But Daria suspected it'd be equally stupid and dangerous to stay defenseless in a place like Morrowind. Johanna, for all her faults, offered the best bet of changing that.

Musical Closer - Happy House, by Siouxsie and the Banshees

I remember Link. Hopefully he has a less crappy life in Morrowind than in Real Life. Though I sort of doubt it.

Water straight from the 'shroom it is then.

Daria is sneaking away for the week. To learn magic no less! Trust Daria to do a normal teenage thing, for purely academic reasons!

Beat the spores out of the tapestries? Yeech!

So it is time for Daria to learn to Wax On, Wax off.

You are in SoCal, nice. I lived in Torrance for about a year, way back in '92. I loved it. I missed the east coast's seasons, though.


Quotidian, wow, that's a real word! Hold on...

adjective

1. daily:
a quotidian report.
2. usual or customary; everyday:
3. quotidian needs.
4. ordinary; commonplace:

I'll have kresh tea, thanks. That natural water filtration system sounds awesome.

Mm, like I thought, she used the teleport. Phew.

"Young Citizens for a Better Empire!" Yicch, there's lichen strands in her tea. Well, I suppose if you live in a world where insects are regularly consumed maybe lichen strands aren't so bad. Maybe like tea leaves, but more spongey, or something.

The diatribe between Daria and Link is priceless fun to read. 📕


Siouxsie! An NPC inspired by Siouxsie is eventually going to show up in my noble gal's game.

“The sadrith mushroom absorbs seawater and desalinates it.”
- - Brilliant!

I see Renee was right that Daria got a little bit of Mages Guild on her and used their teleporter to get to Sadrith Mora. Safer than walking.

After Johanna named her price, I chuckled over SubRosa likening it to ‘Wax on, wax off’.

“What a useful clarification,” Daria said. “For I have been living in a cave for the past eighteen years and have never before consumed tea.”
“You’ve been living in a cave with nothing to do but practice and your magic still sucks? Pathetic,” Link replied.’
- - WooHoo! Someone who can keep up with Daria in the quick-witted insults department.

I do see a possible problem ahead for Daria. Even a skilled practitioner like Johanna was not welcome by the Mages Guild in Bal Mora. Without some sort of ‘understanding’ with the guild, using magic may still be problematic for her.

Chapter 3

"Rise and shine!"

Her eyes still gummy with sleep, Daria blinked a few times when she heard Johanna shout from somewhere above. She turned in her bedroll in time to see the sorceress, clad in a dark shirt and baggy pants, raise her heavy arms and float off the ground, going over the railing to make a slow, circular descent to the first floor. As light as a feather in spite of her size, she smiled as she surveyed her domain.

Link already tended to a pot filled with what smelled like fish stew. Daria had slept right through his preparations. No surprise, considering how tired she still was. She'd spent the night in the parlor.

Johanna took the first serving of the stew, declaring it excellent. Soon, they all sat around the counter to eat. Johanna used a spoon for her breakfast, while Daria and Link sipped from bowls made from some kind of mollusk shell. It did taste good, Daria had to admit: salty and savory with a hint of spice.

"Well," Johanna said, "this morning I'm headed over to pay Master Neloth a visit. I want this place spotless when I come back, you hear? So, Link?"

"Yes, ma'am?" He said, his voice flat.

"Show Daria how to do housekeeping."

"I know how to take care of a house," Daria said. "Like parents the world over, mine use me for cheap labor."

But Johanna laughed. "You know how to take care of some adobe house, sure, but not a living one. Do what Link tells you and you'll be fine."

Johanna left soon after breakfast. Bright sunlight and the smell of the sea poured in the moment she opened the big round door. Daria had lost all track of time in the dim, windowless housepod. She was about to follow Johanna out to get a breath of fresh air when the door slammed shut in her face. A little embarrassed, Daria stepped back to regain her composure.

"Get used to it," Link said.

"As a veteran of the Tamrielic educational system, or what passes for it, I already am."

Daria pondered her situation for a bit. Link wasn't friendly, but he seemed honest. "You clearly don't like Johanna," she asked. "So why do you work as her apprentice?"

Link put a lid on the stewpot, presumably saving its contents for lunch. "Let me ask you a question: why do you do the stuff you're told to do?"

"In the cases when I do, it's usually because it's not worth the effort to rebel."

Link nodded. "Exactly. I don't like Johanna, but she teaches me magic in exchange for grunt work. I have to put up with her crap if I'm ever going to get powerful enough to bend kings and nations to my will."

"It's always nice to see a young person set their sights so high," Daria said.

Link smirked. "That's what I like about Great House Telvanni. You go big or die. And if you die, you at least get to leave a magic-mangled corpse."

"Whatever it takes to entertain the local morticians," Daria said.

He chuckled, and suddenly she felt a bit more at ease with the kid.

Link then took out a big carving knife from behind the counter. "Okay," he said, "I have to show you how to take care of things here. Lift up that tapestry," he said, pointing to a purple one marked with abstract designs.

Daria grabbed the corner and pulled it up. A mass of yellow growth had accumulated like snot on the wall behind it, and she gagged at the sight.

"Yeah, you gotta scrape those off. Caring for a housepod is like caring for a pet, except it's not cute and doesn't give a crap about you."

"Got it. So more like dealing with a person."

Link made a so-so gesture with his left hand. "Kind of, but I'm pretty sure the housepod is smarter than most people."

Daria nodded. "The housepod hasn't yet asked me my opinion on what color gloves to wear to a noble's party, so it's already better than people in my book."

Under Link's supervision, Daria spent the morning shaving off the house's unwanted growths and then checking for leftover spores. It was slimy work, but ultimately not that much harder to adapt to than Morrowind's bug-based cuisine had been.

Johanna returned late in the afternoon and retreated to her second-story bedroom until Link finished preparing dinner, which turned out to be fried cod and boiled hackle-lo leaf. It reminded Daria of the kinds of meals Dad used to prepare back in Charach, which had often involved fish of some sort, but much better. Only after that did Johanna summon Daria for training, instructing her to cast shield. As usual, Daria fumbled on the first and second tries.

"Hold up. You're taking way too long to cast this spell. It oughtta be like that!" Johanna snapped for emphasis.

"Just don't ask me to time it to music," Daria said.

"What are you thinking when you're drawing the energies?"

"Uh, I imagine the Aetherius shining into Mundus and build it from there—"

"No, no, no," Johanna said, waving her hand. "You got it all wrong. What you have to do is put all that into a single thought."

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Come on! You're smart, ain't ya? When you think of the Empire, do you think about all its provinces and holds and clans and whatnot? No, you think 'Empire' and let that word do all the work! You gotta come up with something like that when casting spells."

Daria nodded. She had to admit Johanna had explained that pretty well. So how best to sum up the drawing of Aetherius and using it to implement change in the physical world? The complex arcane process had informed so much of the world's history and defied easy categorization.

"Screw it," Daria whispered.

In that utterance, the power surged around her hands and promptly fizzled out.

"Well," Daria said, "at least it looks like I can fail a lot faster than before."

*********

Johanna stayed in the next day but directed Daria and Link to go out and pick up some reagents from the marketplaces.

"It's a gorgeous morning, and you oughta be enjoying it outside. Spend too much time in these pods, and mushrooms start growing in your brain!"

"If that's the case," Daria said, "shouldn't you spend it outside as well?"

"Don't you backtalk me!"

It was, in fact, a beautiful day. A vast oceanic exhalation, cold and pure, blew away the fetid mushroom smell that hung over the entire city, and wispy puffball clouds drifted in the bright blue sky. From where she stood, Daria could see past the bulk of the Gateway Inn to the fleshy docks through which Tel Naga drank the sea.

"Okay, I know my way around here, so I'll handle things," Link said. "There's no reason for you to be on this trip, so you can go wherever."

"Is there a bookstore?" Daria asked. She knew Amelia had gone the extra mile to get the guild relay pass and wanted to buy something for her.

"No. Wizards own all the books here, and they only share with other wizards. Not like most of the clowns down here can read," he said, gesturing to some of the dockworkers.

"Yes, I hate it when people living on the brink of penury don't take the time to learn how to read."

"Maybe if they did, they wouldn't be poor," Link said.

Daria gave him a hard look, but he'd already gone ahead. She weighed the pros and cons of exploring the city on her own. It probably wouldn't be too hard to find her way back. The Gateway Inn made a convenient landmark. Instead, she followed the kid and wondered how he came to be here. His mannerisms suggested either a Cyrodiilic Altmer or at least someone who'd left Summerset at an early age. Link didn't sound like an Altmer name to her, but she had to admit she didn't know much about their naming conventions.

"Like I said, Daria," he called out, looking straight ahead, "I truly don't care if you go somewhere else."

By the tone of his voice, he'd probably prefer it.

"Don't mind me," Daria said. "I'm only tagging along until I find something interesting."

"In this city? Good luck. It's all crappy shops and beggars."

Quinn, Daria decided, would go stir-crazy in a place like Sadrith Mora. Or, possibly, bring it into the world of fashion and upend Telvanni society in so doing.

They reached a marketplace spread out beneath the shadow of a monstrous sadrith tendril coiled into a corkscrew, the trunk-like surface laden with brown-and-white polypores. The smell of fresh-cut herbs peppered the air, so that entering the place felt like walking into a gargantuan salad. Merchants occupied driftwood stalls beneath mats of woven reeds that had been nailed to the tendril, their counters laden with piles of salts, kresh fibers, flowers, and various lichens.

Link marched up to one of the stands and started negotiating with the vendor. Daria looked around, half-searching for something Amelia might like. She hadn't gone far when she came across the first of the slave pods. It hung like a gourd from the tendril's underside, not even big enough for a person to stand in, the entrance blocked by wooden bars. A Khajiit sat inside. Her amber fur had been combed and trimmed, but the tautness of her limbs and the wideness of her golden eyes announced her terror to the world.

As Daria looked further, she saw dozens and dozens of identical pods. Almost all held Khajiit and Argonians, but she saw a few humans and even a luckless Dunmer: all living people reduced to commodities, to be used by their Telvanni masters for brute labor or experimentation.

What was the point of the Empire if it didn't use its power to end this atrocity? She wanted to look away, blot it out and go back to Balmora. But she made herself look. It wasn't as if the Hlaalu didn't do the same thing behind closed doors. The Telvanni were simply more honest about it.

The slave market announcer showed off an Argonian prisoner to a young Breton woman in fine clothes. The corruption didn't stay with the Dunmer; slaves farmed the saltrice and mined the ebony that made its way all over the continent, and taxes funded the infrastructure that supported it.

Finally, she turned away. An overwhelming sense of bitterness washed over her. The market hadn't been a surprise, exactly. She'd always known Morrowind had slaves. Living in Balmora made it easy to forget. The city was a showcase to impress Imperials like herself, so the Hlaalu kept the darkest aspects of their rule out of sight.

Daria walked out of the marketplace's shade and toward the water's edge. It was early. The sun had not yet crested over the fungal mountain of Tel Naga, and the tower's shadow still chilled the western part of the city. She sat on a flat rock and watched the cold tide crash onto the stony beach, trying to lose herself in its steady rhythm. She stayed there until the sun peeked over the upper spires of Tel Naga. Feeling utterly useless, she stood up and walked back to the marketplace, wondering if Link had already gone back to Johanna's house.

"Where the hell have you been?" came Link's voice, his words strained.

She turned to see him seated on the ground, his back against the sadrith tendril, and blood streaming from his nose.

Musical Closer - [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKIli0WfISk]Do the Evolution, by Pearl Jam
[/url]

Yes, Torrance was great because it wasn't quite at the beach, it was maybe 15 minutes in from the coast, which meant the prices weren't as high. Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach were all a bicycle ride away. And then if we went south there was Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates. GORGEOUS houses, ALL of them unique. I used to love going for a drive up there in my beat up Nissan, pretending I was rich. I was actually more impressed with the houses up there than in Beverly.

Torrance had the biggest shopping mall in the world too, which was in the Guiness Book, I recall.

But before Torrance I lived in um... Lawndale, I think, or maybe the immediate town north. I lived with a creepy guy who I swear spied on me. I was there when the riots happened, too. That was scary. Where I live didn't get hit, but maybe the town just north of me is where that started. We actually drove up to the Palos Verdes hills when they happened. 🔥 I remember watching all the fires, wondering if the home I lived in with that creepy guy was getting ransacked.

Anyway. sounds like Johanna is using Levitation. So that's interesting because supposedly she isn't going to have enough time to teach Daria much, but here she is showing off one of the top Mysticsm spells there is. So I wonder if she's doing this because... we shall see?



Ha ha. Daria's quips are priceless again. Too many quotes I could pull. You get it though. I'm dying over here with laughter!

Honestly, it seems like the part when they're cleaning the house is based on some real-life experience?

Yeah, the whole slaves thing is really messed-up. It's an important aspect of Elder Scrolls III because it's so polarizing. Even though all they do is stand around (or wander a bit) the implication is there: they are SLAVES. And so what are we going to do about it? Because some gamers are all about freeing the shackled.

I'm a little afraid for Daria though. She's wandering around alone. Some slaver might see this obviously new-to-town, cultured gal wandering around. Next thing .... Uh oh, what happened to Link?

Love the continuing witty exchanges between Daria and Link.

Wow, cleaning those mushroom pods is nasty!

‘Screw it’ – sounds like a good magic mantra for Daria.

Not much progress on the magic learning front, but plenty on the chores and errands front.

Uh oh, Link ran into some trouble it seems.

Daria, as ever, knows about cheap labor.

Well Link definitely understands what being a member of House Telvanni means. Bend nations to your will, or become a mangled corpse.

Ewwww, carving house warts. Blech. I can see why Johanna wants apprentices to do this crap.

Well, least Daria is failing at an increased rate.

And there is that good old class snobbery that I have come to know and love so well. Its always poor people's fault that they are poor.

It is nice that Daria is thinking of buying something for Amelia. It is nice that she is simply thinking of someone else at all. She tends to be really insulated from others. I think Amelia has broken through that "people I tolerate" column and into the "actual friends, or close to it" part of the spreadsheet.

And there is the slavery. Every utopia is built on a dystopia of an exploited underclass.

Uh oh, Link got himself a fist to the face, methinks. I wonder what is afoot now?

Chapter 4

Daria jogged over to Link and knelt next to him. The flesh around his left eye was already swelling up, the bruise a bold black against his golden skin.

"Who did this to you?" Daria demanded.

"Uvarin, a Dunmer bastard who's the apprentice of Narvith, yet another Dunmer bastard."

"Here? In the marketplace? Those guards should have done something!" Even the laziest Hlaalu guards would step in for a marketplace brawl in Balmora.

Link snorted in contempt. "Because they don't care. Not for fistfights anyway. Anyway, I hid Johanna's herbs beneath a rock once I saw Uvarin coming, so he didn't steal anything important." He patted the pouch on his belt.

"I'll see what I can do to help, but my restoration magic isn't the best," Daria said.

"Doesn't matter."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," she said.

He scoffed. "What would you have done? You can't cast spells, and you weigh like ninety pounds soaking wet. It doesn't matter; I still got the herbs."

Gods, this kid had attitude. "What would Johanna have done to you if you'd lost them?"

Link shrugged and then winced. "Yelled at me."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Where do I go if I'm not? Back to Summerset? Yeah, right. Give me a few minutes, and we can get the hell out of this marketplace and go back inside. Johanna can take her fresh air and shove it for all I care."

Daria sat next to him. Altmer tended to be tall and willowy, the most graceful of an already graceful race. Link had the slenderness but was short, even for his age. Part of her wanted to reach out and put an arm over his shoulders to tell him it was okay. Except it wasn't okay, and saying it was wouldn't make it so.

"I've been beaten up before," Daria admitted. "It was another girl named Synda. She didn't hit me herself, but she hired a few thugs to do it."

Link nodded. "Did you get back at her?"

"Not exactly. I saved her life, actually."

"That was stupid."

"So I was told. I wasn't trying to save her. It was more of an accident."

"She'll probably try to hurt you again. Basic rule of life: if you get killed, it's your own damn fault for not protecting yourself."

"I see," Daria said. "So, by that logic, it's your own fault you got beaten up?"

"Yup," he said, without hesitation.

His casual acceptance sent a chill through Daria.

"Doesn't matter," he said. "Come on, we're wasting time."

He tried to push himself up from the rock but lost his balance. Daria caught him in time and was surprised by how much he weighed.

"I'm fine!" he yelled, so loud she almost let go in surprise. Instead, she held on and pulled up until sure he could stand under his own power. Then he pulled free. "I don't need your damn help!"

Daria drew back. "Okay. I'll let you faceplant next time. Since it's your fault anyway."

She regretted saying that almost immediately.

"Do that!"

He stormed away, his shoulders bunched up, and his hands balled into fists.

*********

Johanna was gone when Daria got back to the house. She heard Link muttering something on the second floor, where he had a small room that budded off Johanna's. She elected to leave him alone. Enough to know that he was safe.

Daria tried reading The Last Scabbard of Akrash, which she'd brought with her from Balmora, but her mind refused to settle. She wanted to talk to Jane. Sitting back in her chair, she tried to picture her friend.

"So, what's eating your soul today?" she imagined Jane asking.

"Oh, the usual: confronting the corruption of the world and my own complicity in the same, while also trying to learn from someone I don't trust."

"You know, the real me did tell you not to go to Sadrith Mora," Jane's voice pointed out.

"Don't ever tell the real you that I admitted this, but in some ways, you're a lot smarter than me."

"I'm imaginary; I can't tell Jane anything. What's the deal with this Link kid?"

"Hard to say. I'm perversely impressed to finally meet someone more alienated than me."

Then Daria sighed and put the book down on her lap. "Alienated? Oh, who am I kidding? I basically fit in at this point, considering all the friendships I leveraged to get to Sadrith Mora in the first place."

She imagined Jane wagging a finger. "Don't forget the friendly advice you ignored, Little Miss Popularity."

"Thirteen-year-old me would call me a sellout. I guess that's why Link gets to me. I was the same way his age: Already convinced the world hated me and figuring I might as well give them a good reason. But I had family to fall back on. And eventually, you."

Jane gave a florid bow in her mind's eye. "I do what I can. So what are you going to do with Link?"

"Beats me. Realistically, there's not any way I can help. I'll only be here three more days."

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Link demanded.

Daria flinched and then blushed. Imaginary conversations always tended to be vivid for her, to the point that she sometimes started whispering the lines. Link stared at her from over the railing.

"I'm practicing conjuration by chatting with all my Daedric pals," she said. "They say hi."

"Tell them I wish they didn't stink so much when Johanna summoned them."

"You guys need to focus more on trans-dimensional hygiene," she said to her imaginary audience. She glanced back up at Link, wanting to ask if he still hurt and if she could help him in any way. But he'd hate being reminded of it.

She knew this because she'd hate it too.

"Any idea when Johanna's coming back?" she asked.

"Beats me. I'm done with my chores, so I don't have crap to do."

Daria nodded. "If you want to read something, I brought a spare book."

"What is it?"

"The Axe Man. It's about a Morag Tong hitman."

Link looked like he was weighing his options for a bit. "Cool. I'll take a look."

Daria reached into her bag and removed the thin volume as he made his way down the stairs. She held the book out for him, and he took it, sitting on a cushion as he cracked open the grisly account. Soon, the house was silent except for the turning of pages.

*********

By Sundas evening, Daria could successfully cast her spells almost half the time. Successes and failures at least came a lot faster.

Daria wasn't sure how she felt about Johanna. No one who succeeded in Sadrith Mora could be entirely trustworthy, in her opinion. But the woman knew her stuff. She taught Daria how to better focus the energies. Imagination wasn't enough. To change the world, one had to know it, to precisely envision the change and its effects. Johanna taught her a few new spells, simple ones that made for easy practice.

This time, her itinerary included some basic spells of destruction. Daria almost yelped the first time she formed a burning spark in her hands, after a dozen failed attempts. Johanna only laughed.

"Hell of a thing, ain't it? To hold that kind of power."

"Considering the heat of that spark, it's probably best not to hold on for too long."

Johanna bellowed with laughter. "Fire's my favorite. But I got this rule about not teaching it indoors."

"It probably is a little soon to redecorate," Daria said. Link laughed from behind the counter, where he was preparing another one of his surprisingly tasty fish stews.

She gave him a quick smile. They'd reached an accord. Part of Daria hoped that she could do for him what Jane had done for her. But she knew she was fooling herself—she wouldn't be there long enough to have any kind of impact. In the end, it was probably nothing more than a selfish attempt to feel good about herself. To pretend to address a personal problem because the big social ones remained beyond her reach.

"The good news," Johanna announced, "is that the three of us have a field trip tomorrow."

"Do you always have to tell me this the day before? Is it that hard to give me a couple days' warning?" Link fumed. "Ma'am," he added.

"You mind your manners, boy! Anyway, Master Neloth gave me the job today, so I didn't know about it until this afternoon. There's a beached ship not far to the west, and Master Neloth's got word that it has some kind of amulet on board. He wants it, which means it's my job to get it."

"Great, another fetch quest," Link said with a sigh.

"Wait," Daria said. "Is this legal? Who owns the ship?"

Johanna scoffed. "This is Master Neloth's territory, ain't it? That means it's his wreck, and we'd be breaking local law by refusing his request."

"How is a request legally obliging?" Daria asked.

"You've got a lot to learn about Telvanni ways, Daria. Anyway, get a good night's rest, because we're setting off early tomorrow. If you're good, I'll teach you how to blast someone with lightning."

Musical Closer - Damien, by DMX

So one Dunmer bastard who works for another Dunmer bastard. If they were using martial arts instead of magic this would be the beginning of a Bruce Lee movie.

Yep, there is all that pent up rage and frustration and acting out that I remember from Link in the TV show. Sadrith Mora is as brutal and ugly a place as advertised. Or perhaps another way to put is that the Telvanni don't try to put an nice face on it, like the Empire and House Hlaalu do.

Little Miss Popularity is exactly what I expect Jane would say!

The Axe Man does sound like a good substitute for Sick Sad World.

Daria is getting there. A conjure woman who doubts, is a conjure woman who fails.

Oooh, blasting with lighting on a mysterious shipwreck!

”I’m perversely impressed to finally meet someone more alienated than me.”

I’m enjoying the interaction between Daria and Link. And, indeed, they just might reach an accord.

I also quite liked her imaginary conversation with Jane.

So, it’ll be off to a fetch quest on the morrow.

Oh yeah. Like I said, after living in So. Cali for that year I really began missing seasons. It finally rained on my birthday (Nov. 1st) after literally months of no wet weather at all. However, you all have some really THICK fog. There was one time I was on the beach with a friend and some fog was moving in from the ocean. "In about 10 minutes you won't be able to see 30 feet away" he said, and he was right!

That's right, Lawndale is the town in B&B too, if I'm not mistaken. But it's definitely not the subsidiary of Los Angeles I lived in.

Link is really obstinate. Blaming himself, and all that. Every time I see his name it makes me think of Link, the protagonist of the Zelda. Anyway, gosh, I bet it's really uncomfortable having to hang out with both Jo and Link now!

Ha, Daria's talking to herself out loud!



That's awesome. She's no kind of devious-wielding magic user, at least not yet.

Chapter 5

The day of the voyage dawned gray but calm. After a breakfast of cold cod, Daria followed Johanna and Link out onto the serpentine docks. Thick mists obscured the seas around the island, and Daria wondered how experienced a mariner Johanna was. The sorceress had told her not to worry, but she couldn't help it. Daria's childhood in Charach had been safe, but she remembered the bereaved left behind when ships set out on mornings like this one and never returned.

She'd assumed that Johanna had hired a ship and a crew for the trip. It turned out she'd only hired a stout rowboat that wouldn't have looked out of place in Cyrodiil. Johanna stared at the seat between the oars and raised her arms. Motes of yellow light swirled around her heavy hands, and a fountain of illumination erupted from the vessel. The glare soon cleared to reveal a brutish figure of carved ice sitting between the oars. Daria recognized it as an atronach, an elemental being of formidable power native to the planes of Oblivion. The kind of thing that'd easily freeze, fry, or zap a human, depending on its element.

In this case, it was doing labor at Johanna's bidding.

"Never hire help when you can summon it," Johanna said, stepping onto the boat with a surprisingly dainty motion and sitting down on the back seat. A strange and acrid odor emanated from the atronach, only partially mitigated by the open air. That must have been what Link meant when he complained about the smell of daedra.

"The bindings of conjuration are a lot tougher than some fancy Hlaalu contract," Johanna added.

"I'm not sure that the people who break those contracts would agree," Daria said.

"Yeah, well, if the contract was so tough, they wouldn't have broken it to begin with! Now get on board, both of you. Link, at the front, you'll be my eyes for this."

Link took position at the prow, and Daria crouched down behind him, shivering from the atronach's proximity. Its presence sucked the warmth out of the air, and she was glad she'd worn multiple layers.

The rope untied itself from the berth at Johanna's command, and Link pulled it into the boat before pushing off with the mightiest heave his spindly body could muster. The atronach's crystalline hands closed around the oar handles and began to row, frigid mist falling from its joints with each movement.

They coursed west beneath roiling gray clouds, the black sea still for miles around them. The morning mist thinned to reveal rocky islands jutting out from the waves in endless profusions to the north and south. Most were bare save for scraps of lichen clinging to the damp stone, but others were crowned by fungal thickets of lurid pinks and yellows, their creepers extending into the ocean as if to one day seize all the isles. Further west loomed the dour silhouette of Red Mountain and the vast pall of smoke above its caldera. Somewhere beyond that lay Balmora and all the comforts of home. But it might as well have been a million miles away, so far as Daria was concerned.

A cold rain soon fell from the dark skies. Johanna grunted and waved her hand. A dome of hazy violet force appeared above their heads to block the precipitation.

"I see the wreck," Link said, pointing forward.

Daria squinted to see through the veil of the rain. The remains of a merchantman lay ahead, stretched supine on the rocks of a small island, and with a gaping hole on its starboard side.

"Here we are!" Johanna announced. "Icy here will keep rowing around the island. It ain't a big one, so that shouldn't be a problem. Now, I'll take first look to see if there's anything too nasty for you two lurking in the wreck. Once I give the signal, you both follow me inside. You know what spells to use."

"What's the signal?" Daria asked.

But Johanna had already risen up from the boat, her immense form encapsulated by a shield as she sped off through the air toward the wreck.

Link relaxed.

"Well, it looks like I can add wrecking to my CV of dubiously legal activities," Daria said.

Link looked at her and then laughed. "All the more reason to move to Sadrith Mora. We don't worry about that junk here." He gestured over to the ruined vessel. "I came here in the hold of a ship like that."

"From Summerset?" Daria asked.

"Yeah. Got here… two years ago? Two years sounds right."

Daria processed the information. What the hell had happened to Link that'd drive him to go across Tamriel when he was a kid? She didn't know a whole lot about Summerset. It and Black Marsh were probably the only provinces shrouded in more mystery and misinformation than Morrowind. But she suspected he wouldn't want to answer questions.

"I'm from Charach, on the island of Stirk," Daria said. She'd lost sight of Johanna but figured the woman would make her signal obvious. "It's a sunny little island off of Cyrodiil's Gold Coast, a region known for good weather and people who are greedy, hypocritical, and superficial. Kind of like Morrowind, except for the good weather."

"Why'd you go here?"

"It wasn't up to me," Daria said. "My mom thought there'd be more opportunity for a lawyer in Balmora, so the rest of us had to follow along. Balmora is a more interesting place than Charach, at least."

Link's face darkened. "They kicked me out of Summerset because I'm deformed."

Daria wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. "Wait, what? You look fine to me."

He gave an exasperated sigh. "That's because you're Imperial. I'm Altmer. By Altmer standards, I'm deformed."

Daria was at a loss. Link looked like a perfectly normal Altmer kid. Physically normal, anyway.

Link kept going. "My mom and dad spent tons trying to make sure I look exactly like my dad," he fumed, an edge creeping into his voice. "'Cause Dad looked like his dad, and his dad before him, all the way to Aldmeris. But, oh, wait!" He gasped and feigned a look of shock. "My nose is too rounded! And my brow too low!"

He was shouting now, red creeping into his golden cheeks. "Can't have that! Can't have a hideous monster embarrassing you in front of all your friends! So better send him to the mainland, to the Imperials who slaughtered our ancestors! Maybe they'll slaughter me so I won't embarrass Mom and Dad anymore!"

Link slumped in his seat, breathing heavily. "That's why I'm in Sadrith Mora. Because here, no one cares how you look. They only care about your power. Someday, I'll have enough power to become a wizard lord. When that happens, I can do whatever I want. No one will be able to stop me."

Daria said nothing. Link heaved, his entire body quivering. Rain drummed on the faintly glowing hemisphere above them as the atronach kept rowing.

"I'm sorry—"

"That doesn't help!" Link shouted. Then he shook his head. "Don't ask me about this stuff, okay?"

"But you—"

"Shut up, there's Johanna's signal!" He made a wild gesture to the wreck, where a plume of flame had suddenly spouted above the cabin. "We have a job to do, so let's do it."

Link stood up and gestured at his feet. Violet light surged around his body, and he stepped out onto the waves as if they were solid ground. The boy wavered, took a cautious step, and marched forward.

Johanna had earlier taught Daria a walk on water spell. She breathed in, called the magic, and imagined the sea's surface being as firm as steel. Nerving herself, she put an exploratory foot outside of the boat's confines, pressing her booted toes on the water. It gave slightly but bounced back as her rewrite of reality affirmed itself.

So far, so good.

The atronach hadn't stopped rowing, so she'd have to jump in. Not giving herself time to doubt, she did. She landed on waves and currents made solid by her magic, but still very much in motion. Like having a rug pulled out from beneath her, the flowing surface wrenched her off balance and she tripped. Her glasses slipped and flew off her face.

She lunged as she fell. Metal and glass brushed against her palm, and she closed her fingers. Then she hit the water and lay prone atop the waves, the ocean moving beneath her like some immense beast. Rain poured down on her, soaking her clothes.

Daria breathed a sigh of relief upon feeling the slippery glasses still in her hand. She put them back on and lay on the churning waters for a few seconds to regain her composure. Only then did she stand up and make her way to the looming wreck.

*********

"It's somewhere here," Link muttered.

Daria and Link stood in the ship's ruined hull, ankle-deep in frigid seawater. Rain crashed down on the rotting deck above, rivulets of water pouring into the gutted hold and out again through the ragged wound in its side. Broken crates and ruptured grain sacks lay submerged, and all through the space echoed the clicks of dozens of tiny crabs. The magic light around Link's hand only seemed to accentuate the darkness pressing in on them.

"Remember!" Johanna called from above. "Think like a Telvanni!"

"In other words, try and figure out how I can twist this to my advantage?" Daria said.

"That's just plain-old thinking," Link replied. He'd calmed down from his outburst, perhaps distracted by the job at hand.

White light briefly flashed in the darkness as he cast a spell. "Think I zeroed in on it," Link said, pointing to a broken heap of crates precariously balanced toward the prow.

"Okay. I might be able to use telekinesis on this," Daria said. She had to be careful, though. It was a big heap, and not much kept it in place. Removing the wrong one would send it all crashing down on them.

"Start from the top—"

"I know!" Daria said. "I'm not much of a magician, but I do understand basic physics."

"Sure didn't look like it when you stepped off the boat," Link said.

Daria ignored him and focused on the spellcasting. The first attempt fizzled, but the next one worked. She imagined the junk at the top scooped together, and then lifted up.

And so it was.

Depositing it in the briny waters filling the aft, she again cast telekinesis to move some more. She was getting better at this. Link took the next batch. Working in turns from there, they cleared the obstacle.

A sailor's remains lay beneath. The slimy flesh clinging to the bones roiled with the motions of crabs and seaworms, their pale bodies gleaming in Link's arcane light. The amulet lay in the ruined hand.

"Gross!" Link exclaimed. "Dare you to pick it up."

Daria swallowed her gorge. "Is it safe? No curses or sorceries around that?"

"It's safe," Came Johanna's voice. She floated above the deck but sounded like she was right next to Daria. More magic at work, she suspected.

"Fine." She strode over to the body and tried not to look at the scavengers further reducing it. The wreck couldn't have been that old if some of the bodies still had flesh. Reaching down in one bold movement, she grabbed the amulet and held it aloft.

"Come and get it! Still has the piquant odor of rotting corpse! Perfect for friends and loved ones!" she announced.

Link doubled over laughing.

"Good work! Simple stuff, but useful for the likes of you," Johanna said. Still encapsulated in her shield and completely dry, she floated down into the hold with a thuggish smile on her face. She held out her hand, and Daria gave her the amulet.

They made their way out of the ship and onto the rocks. The rowboat was coming around again, the atronach's icy mist visible even at a distance. The rain slackened, the drops fewer and farther between. Daria noticed a few specks of mud (or worse) clinging to her lenses and took her glasses off to clean them as best she could with her soaked coat.

She realized her mistake as soon as she put them back on. The specks weren't mud, but two figures zooming over the choppy waters, floating the same way Johanna did. Wizards.

"Oh dear," Johanna said. "Looks like we have company. I'm betting it's my old friend Narvith here to pay us a visit. And take credit for my work."

"If Narvith's here, Uvarin must be with him," Link said. "I still owe him for that beating he gave me."

"Yes, you do," Johanna agreed.

"Is it too late to run away?" Daria asked.

Musical Closer - Wolfstack Lights, from The Sunless Sea, OST

Johanna summons an astronaut to row her boat. Those Daedra need to unionize, and seize the means of production.

I guess they will know the signal when they see/hear it. As usual.

Ah, so Link is an exile due to Altmer phrenology, that explains a lot of his misanthropy.

Water walking, I was guessing that might be on the menu to get to the boat. That or levitation. Hopefully this works better for Daria than her previous attempts at magic. Or she's going to be getting wet.

Oh noes, not the glasses! Phew, that was a close one. She might not be able to find yet another pair.

Now into the belly of the beast! I predict slaughterfish and barrels of saltrice.

Well that was simple enough. Uh oh, I spoke too soon. Lizards Wizards approach. Looks like they are not the only raiders of the lost wreck.

I was pleased to see Johanna use a summoned atronach for oar labor instead of her two young apprentices. The weather made the boat trip miserable enough.

Awesome how much Daria’s magic has grown as she manages a water walking spell (without losing her glasses) and several telekinesis ones as well.

I learned a new word! Curriculum Vitae, or CV. Sounds very daughter-of-a-lawyer-ish.

Link leaks some more of his background. Tough on a kid being told by your parents that you fail to measure up to the gold standard of Altmeri perfection and are, therefore, deformed. No wonder he harbors such bitterness.

Uh oh. Looks like some magey poachers. Icy may need to get promoted from oar duty to throwing snowballs.

There's also windy season, right? I remember the day I was leaving California, climbing up the BIG hill out of San Bernadino (I think) that's when the Santa Ana winds were blowing. This would've been some time in November, I remember Clinton just won the popular vote a few days' prior. Anyway, I'd heard of these winds all my life from somewhere. Was surprised to see them blowing about.

Yeesh, getting on a small boat with an ice atronach. The part when it says "Daria crouched down behind him, shivering from the atronach’s proximity" is exactly why. Even if the monster's not trying to pwn her, I'd imagine just being near it is uncomfortable enough. Unless it's the dog days of summer, of course.

Altmers have always been highbrow and pompous, but Link's family takes this snobbery to a whole new level. Poor kid. No wonder he's sort of messed-up.

Uh oh. Daria's going to try to walk on water? That brings back memories of when Joan had to water-walk while trying to find the lair on that tiny island. Since her Mysticsm isn't as developed, she was dealing with fizzles while walking over nothing but fathoms of sea, and that's when she actually remembered to cast the spell! I think by default that spell only lasted 20 seconds, too. -- Well, let's just say that by the time she'd reached that isle, Mysticsm had leveled upward a bunch of times.

That's a clever way to put it, too: "rewrite of reality".

Cripes. Here comes trouble. Johanna seems pretty capable though, as a magician. Maybe this'll be alright. Daria herself is starting to get better at it too, if she was able to move something with her mind after 2 tries.

Chapter 6

Narvith and Uvarin looked so similar to each other that Daria wondered if they might be related. Both of them were lean and cruel-looking Dunmer with heads of thick auburn hair. Narvith was middle-aged with a sharply cut beard, while Uvarin was maybe a bit younger than Daria, his face clean-shaven and marked by tattoos.

"What's this, Johanna? Gathered another apprentice?" Narvith asked, pointing to Daria. He and Uvarin still floated above the rocky surface. Link eyed them apprehensively.

Johanna chuckled. "Oh, no, she's just a friend visiting from Helnim."

Daria appreciated Johanna's lie—if this guy ever looked for her, he'd go to Helnim instead of Balmora.

"I'd worry about being outnumbered," Narvith said, "but given the quality of your apprentices, I'd say this is still stacked in my favor."

"It's not my apprentices you need to worry about, Narvith. I'm guessing you want to steal the amulet?"

"Yes. I heard about your mission. I have ears everywhere."

Daria stepped back. The Telvanni way ensured this would end in bloodshed of some kind. Her paltry magic had no place here. Link was only a kid, but he stared at Uvarin with all the boiling hatred born from a lifetime of injury.

She had no idea what to do. Nowhere to run. Hiding in the hull wouldn't keep her safe for long. Her life might well depend on how well Johanna and Link defended themselves. Which, she supposed, meant she had to help.

Daria had seen people die. But she'd never killed anyone.

Narvith struck first. A jagged bolt of lightning jumped from his palm and struck Johanna's shield with an ear-rending crack. Then Uvarin threw a sphere of flame down at Link. The young Altmer leapt out of the way as the sphere detonated on the slick rocks.

Daria focused on Uvarin. He floated six feet above the ground. Maybe if the shield was weak, Daria could dispel it, but she hadn't studied the right school for that. Nonetheless, she gathered her energies, hoping Uvarin wouldn't land on his head, but knowing that the apprentice posed a danger for as long as he lived…

Link beat her to the punch. A surge of white light engulfed his arm, and jumped to Uvarin's shield, shattering it. The Dunmer apprentice fell and hit the ground. He recovered in an instant, launching a blast of flame at Link.

A storm of lightning, fire, and frost raged above their heads as Johanna and Narvith unleashed their spells on each other. Daria focused on the fight occurring on the ground. Uvarin never let up. His hands shaped fire into burning spheres that he lobbed at his target, one after the other.

Somehow, Link kept dodging. The flicker of the shield around him reminded Daria to cast her own shield. It fizzled out when she tried. Another fireball flew. It hit Link and burst. Flames washed over his shield, and the magic broke. He fell.

Uvarin laughed. This time, Daria knew, he'd strike to kill.

She grabbed a wet rock at her feet and charged. She called magic as if on instinct. The spell quickened her speed so that she zoomed across the beach. She ran up close to the distracted Uvarin and slammed the rock into his side. Something snapped inside his chest, and he screamed in pain.

The combination of her speed and the wet stone beneath her feet made it impossible for Daria to stay balanced. She slipped and fell, pain shooting through her hip and left leg where they hit the ground. At least her glasses stayed on that time. Flashes of arcane lightning hued the sky a ghastly white.

Daria tried to right herself but lost her grip and fell again. Uvarin had dropped to one knee, clutching his side. She'd hurt him. Link stood on his feet again, apparently unharmed.

Narvith passed over her head. Bolts of electricity followed the mage as he fled. Johanna, still aloft in her bubble of force, pursued a little while before turning back around.

They'd won.

Uvarin wailed and cursed. He gestured at the approaching Johanna, but no spell came to his aid. She crooked her finger, and he stiffened in place, as if paralyzed.

Link ambled toward his rival, a grin on his face.

"Well, Link. I believe this boy's been causing you problems," Johanna said.

"Wait!" Daria cried. She tried to get up, but the pain in her hip brought her down. She'd fallen hard.

She tried again. "Wait! You already beat him! He's a kid—"

Link pointed at Uvarin. The lightning from his fingertip lit up the entire beach.

*********

Rain was pouring by the time Johanna's boat returned to Sadrith Mora in the mid-afternoon. She abjured the atronach once they reached the docks. They disembarked, Johanna with a look of satisfaction, while Link stayed stone-faced. Daria limped behind them, her leg still stiff from the fall.

"If it's all the same to you," Daria said, "I think I'll go back to Balmora today."

Johanna arched a skeptical eyebrow. "It's a long walk to Wolverine Hall. You're improving as a mage. Nothing compared to me. Not even much compared to Link. But better than before."

"Which means I got what I wanted. I need to go home."

Go home to where nobody knew that she'd been an accessory to a killing. She imagined her mother giving the defense.

"Narvith had initiated combat," she imagined Mom saying, "so by Tamrielic law, Daria was simply defending herself and her companions. Yes, killing Uvarin may have been in bad form, but the assaulted party is under no legal obligation to be merciful."

The thought made her sick.

Johanna didn't bother Daria as she gathered up her things. She simply watched with a knowing and faintly amused look in her eyes.

"I guess I owe you some thanks for the lesson," Daria said. "So, uh, thanks. Consider the favor repaid."

"Uh huh. You keep practicing, Daria. It's a mean world out there."

"Don't I know it."

Shouldering her backpack, she opened the door and set off on the fungus-draped main road around Sadrith Mora. If she walked quickly, she'd reach Wolverine Hall by late afternoon. The relay to Balmora—where it'd hopefully be sunny—would be instantaneous.

And then to Jane's. Daria couldn't come back to her mom and dad smelling of seawater and with a limp in her step. It wasn't a bad injury, but she needed some time to heal. Needed to tell someone what had happened. Jane wouldn't gloat about being right. Daria should have listened to her.

A door opened and shut behind Daria, followed by a patter of light footsteps.

"Hey!" Link caught up with her. "Are you mad at me?"

She heard the accusatory tone in his voice. "No," she said.

"Yes, you are. I saw your look when I fried Uvarin. You know that if we let him live, he'd have killed me, right?"

Daria stopped. Next to them, a Bosmer dockworker guided a guar-pulled wagon full of spiny urchins and blue crabs down the street to the shellbreaker's. She waited for the rumbling wagon to pass.

"I understand why you did it, Link. I'm not mad at you." She gestured at the awful, living city around them. "I'm mad that they put you in this position."

But he shook his head. "It's the only position there is, Daria. You think Summerset's any different? Or Balmora? It's the same there! They use fancy words and pretty pictures to hide it. Killing Uvarin felt good. I don't have to be scared of him anymore."

Daria nodded. "I believe you. And yeah, I know things aren't great anywhere. Maybe I just wish they were a little better."

Link shrugged. "If you want to change things, magic's a way to do that. You could stay here and get more powerful. You annoy me a lot less than most people."

"Thanks, but I can't see myself spending the rest of my life in a mushroom."

"You don't have to be in a sadrith. I don't think so, anyway. We can work something out. Change things up, like you want. Make the world better."

"Has any Telvanni lord made the world a better place?" Daria asked.

"Maybe. There's been a lot of Telvanni lords over the centuries. Don't know what all of them did. Look, most places have all these stupid customs and laws that make it impossible to do anything. Here in Telvanni lands, you only need to be strong."

"Do you remember how Narvith fled?" Daria asked. "He didn't do anything to help Uvarin. Do you think Johanna would help you in that situation?"

"Probably not. It'd be her decision. It's my job to be strong enough to not end up dead."

"But you almost did. I'm the one who helped save you."

He made an exasperated grunt. "What are you getting at? Yeah, I'll be stronger on the defense next time. Yeah, you helped me. Thanks! I mean it! But at the end of the day, if I get killed, well, it's my fault for being weak. That's true anywhere. The Telvanni just admit it, is all."

Daria saw what she was up against. "I don't think I'm cut out for a life that vicious."

"It's not that bad. I'll watch out for you, okay? I mean, as long as you're also practicing and all that. It gets…"

He looked down at the ground. "It's lonely without anyone to talk to."

"I'm sorry, Link. Sadrith Mora isn't the place for me."

Link narrowed his eyes and then spat on the ground. "Fine. Run away to Balmora. It's not any better there."

He turned around.

"Wait, Link!" She called.

The boy stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Stay safe, okay?" she said.

Link eyed her for a moment. Then he turned his head and marched away.

Cold and shivering, the pain in her hip worse than before, Daria stayed to watch him go back into Johanna's house. Once the door shut, she turned around and resumed the long hike to Wolverine Hall.

Musical Closer - Black, by Danger Mouse (featuring Norah Jones)

The End

What you (Clavier) and Renee were talking about with the Santa Ana winds reminds me of an episode of the old Magnum PI show, called The Kona Winds. It is named after the titular western winds that blow at the beginning of winter. It is one of the darker episode, both literally and metaphorically, with the spectre of the winds looming over it all.

Well, that got ugly quick. Here we go. Hopefully Johanna has the chops to take down this rival Telvanni wizard and his brood. If this was a martial arts movie, it would be Mr. Miyagi and Daniel facing down the Kobra Kai.

And Daria is there to save the day with a rock and some quick feet! And she saved her glasses while she was at it. All in all, a good save, for someone who still is clearly not an aficionado of magic.

I am guessing that Uvarin got what was coming to him. What is coming to every Telvanni sooner or later, as I doubt too many of them die quietly of old age.

I imagine that won't sit well with Daria though. She knew what the Telvanni were like going in. But that is what she had been told. Now she has both seen it, and been part of it firsthand. I suspect that her time in the Isles is done.

You annoy me a lot less than most people.
Now that is a sentence Daria is not used to hearing from others!

That is about what I expected from Daria's farewell with Link, on both sides. Nothing was going to change there, not Link, not Daria. But at least they both survived it.

Way to go, Daria! Once a mage’s shields have been weakened, smash them with a mace. Or a rock.

Very telling that Narvith ran away, leaving Uvarin to die.

“Yes, you are. I saw your look when I fried Uvarin. You know that if we let him live, he’d have killed me, right?”
- - I would have made the same call, Link. For the same reason.

I’m glad that Daria realized that Telvanni is not the way for her. Too bad about Link though. He is bitter enough to perhaps fully embrace Telvanni ways.

Daria has kind of limited her choices regarding magic in terms of learning new things as well as practicing. If the mages guild is too boneheaded/corrupt for her. . . are there druids in MW? Witches of the Wyrd? Ashlanders have skilled magic users (shamans) don’t they? Psijic Order perhaps?

Yessir I can imagine how creepy that'd be, those sort of desert winds. Lonely, too.

Absolutely (about magic taking practice). And the need to get it right for real-life applications, too. Speaking of....

DAMN this is making me nervous, this battle. Every spell getting cast...

... Link is dodging, good. I don't know how true to the game you're taking this, but after a while the newcomers will run out of magicka. That's one thing I've noticed about the vanilla game. A lot of gamers add magicka regen in so that they can keep casting spells. I never opted this. Reason being: it gets real interesting when NPCs run out of magic. Which they eventually do if we keep dodging them like Link!

OH [censored]. DAria's getting into it! -- Narvith flees?? Wow. Didn't seem to take much. Thing is, it seems like Daria's the one who turned the tides, here. Seems like Narvith only flees because his bud is down.

Gooood... end of the fight! It's the only way. You don't just defeat them, you let them know they LOST. Good job Link (sorry Daria). You gotta go all the way when it comes to battling.

Love the part when mom does her lawyer-speak in Dar's head! - Indeed, it was self-defense, your honor. 🔨

The ending is touching, too. Always tough to say goodbye, isn't it?

Norah Jones, nice. She is Ravi Shankar's daughter, you know who he is?

Episode 23: Big Mer on Campus

Chapter 1

Students came in and out of Drenlyn Academy all the time. The academy was as transactional as everything else in Hlaalu lands: An outlander family paid the entry fees, their bright-eyed child made some connections, and then both parties went their separate ways, never to meet again. A new student normally warranted no particular attention.

But this new one was an exception.

He was a Dunmer in Ondryn's class, which was a class specifically intended for outlanders clueless about Morrowind. Daria watched him take a seat on the middle bench one Middas morning. Had he stepped into the wrong room? Or was he another Cyrodiil-born Dunmer, like Jane? He certainly dressed like an Imperial, and a wealthy one at that, with his blue moth-silk frock coat and white cravat. Only the dots of raised flesh running beneath his hairline, artfully concealed by a few loose locks of dark hair, suggested an origin in Morrowind.

"Good morning, class!" Sera Ondryn said as he hurried up to his podium. "I have a special announcement to make!"

"Your retirement, hopefully," Daria whispered, wishing Jane still sat next to her, ready with a sharp comment of her own. But work kept Jane busy. It had been over a week since her last visit to campus.

"Drenlyn Academy—and this class—now has the honor of hosting Serjo Tomal Sloan of Great House Hlaalu! Let us all acknowledge this young man on whom so many of our hopes rest!"

He pointed at the new Dunmer, and the whole class turned to look, murmuring and bowing their heads.

"Uh, thank you, Sera Ondryn," Tomal said. "I was actually hoping to keep a low profile here, but I guess that ship already sailed."

Daria narrowed her eyes. Who did Tomal think he was kidding with the false modesty?

"The honor is ours, Serjo Sloan," Ondryn said, bowing again. "Class, Serjo Sloan isn't an outlander like the rest of you, but he has spent the last two years—"

"Five years," Tomal corrected.

"—in the Imperial City itself! I'm sure he has so many exciting stories to tell us."

Great, Daria thought. More Imperial City braggadocio. She'd heard too much breathless enthusiasm about the place to ever want to visit it.

"Well," Tomal said, "if you want something exciting, I could tell you about my dad's reaction when he got the bill for the arena seats."

That got him a few chuckles, and Daria scowled more deeply. Another noble kid so jaded that he couldn't even say anything interesting about the Imperial City.

Ondryn gave a faltering laugh. "When I found out Serjo Sloan was attending Drenlyn, I specifically requested that he attend this class, and am ever so thankful that he accepted."

"Of course."

"As Serjo Sloan is familiar with both Imperial and Dunmer culture, he can help the rest of you better acclimate yourselves to life in our province. Remember: Great House Hlaalu cares and has room for everyone."

"As long as they're wealthy," Daria muttered.

Tomal glanced over to her and raised his eyebrows in amused acknowledgement. Daria immediately switched her gaze to Ondryn. Stupid of her to openly mock a great house like that, but she wasn't used to sharing this class with Hlaalu members. She wouldn't get in big trouble for it.

Probably.

"Which," Ondryn continued, "actually brings us to your next project: the city of Balmora itself!"

He paused, as if waiting for a reaction. Not getting any, he cleared his throat. His smile got a bit more forced.

"Except for Serjo Sloan, you have all come from somewhere outside Morrowind. But Balmora has graciously accepted you in spite of that. Since we are all in this together, I decided that the next phase of your education will be to learn more about the city in which you live. What is your place in Balmora? What do you enjoy about it?"

Not that long ago, Daria might've said "nowhere" and "nothing". But Balmora sure beat Caldera and Sadrith Mora. And Charach, for that matter.

"I want you to dive deep into the history of this city," he urged.

"As deep as you can get with the twenty paltry years of it," she whispered. Commentary felt weird without Jane.

Tomal offered her a faint smile. He'd heard her again. Mer did have better hearing than humans. "Hey, you can fit a lot of treachery into a few decades," he said.

What the hell was she supposed to say? He was a noble. Didn't he get that?

"I have no idea how you want me to respond," Daria said.

Ondryn zeroed in on the noise and drew himself up, looking about as threatening as an offended gopher. "Daria! Do not distract Serjo Sloan!"

"It's my fault, Sera Ondryn," Tomal said. "I was asking her a question."

"I see," Ondryn said. Then he focused on Daria again. "Regardless, Daria, while I'm not trying to make you feel like you don't belong, you need to remember that, in Morrowind, students do not hold conversations during a teacher's lecture!" He let out an exasperated sigh.

Daria glared at Tomal, and he shrugged apologetically.

"Back to the instructions. You'll be working in pairs assigned to different areas of the city." He chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't make any of you go to Labor Town. I don't think any of you live there… hmm. Anyway, you and your partner will have the exciting opportunity to learn about your assigned area. When you're done, you'll use your talents in oratory to relay your findings to the class next Morndas so that we can all learn. All right, let's see, the pairings will be: Jolda and Julien, you'll get to learn about Guild Row. Daz'rir and Treads-on-Ferns, you get to uncover the fascinating history of the strider port!"

Daria dreaded her partner already. It'd most likely be whoever sat next to her. Which that day, meant either Jonus (and his incessant attempts to get her to set him up with Quinn) or Tiphannia (and her inability to understand basic concepts like finishing sentences in a timely manner).

"Let's see, middle row: Karl and Jonus, you two will learn about Silk-hawkers' Street!"

Odd. He'd skipped over Tomal. Maybe kids of Tomal's rank didn't have to complete assignments.

"Serjo Sloan, would you be willing to work with Daria so as to learn the history of the Hlaalu Council Manor?"

"Oh, certainly," Tomal said.

Dammit.

Musical Closer - Kiss Them For Me, by Siouxsie and the Banshees

A new chapter!

Tomal as a subject matter expert on bowing to the great houses and, thus, fitting in to Morrowind? Makes sense I guess. Doesn’t take long for Tomal and Daria to begin irritating each other though.

Uh-oh, as soon as Ondryn announced the next assignment would involve working in pairs, I was afraid Daria would get paired with Tomal – sure enough. This ought to be interesting. Perhaps Tomal will harbor a few surprises from what Daria expects as they delve into the history of the Hlaalu Council Manor.

The academy was as transactional as everything else in Hlaalu lands
Burn!

Uh oh, it's the return of Tom. This cannot bode well for Daria's relationship with Jane.

Oh my a local history lesson. I wonder how much treachery could be uncovered? Probably quite a bit, I imagine. Or House Hlaalu is slipping...

Well, at least they won't have to go to Labor Town! They might get something on them if they did...

Oooh, and Daria gets to team up with Tom to delve deeply into the Hlaalu history of treachery itself!

Ha ha she wants the teacher to retire! Daria's so priceless. This opening scene is already cracking me up. Every time you use an explanation point, like this: ! I'm laughing. Don't know why.

What is Jane busy doing? Is she painting? Well that's good then, right?

Oh my gosh... "I won't make you go to Labor Town, I don't think any of you live there..." what the heck, dude? Isn't that statement sort of highbrow?

Too bad Jane isn't there, maybe she'd be Daria's partner. Then again, I bet being with this Tomal fellow's going to turn interesting. Like, why is he the Big Mer on Campus?

Chapter 2

It was almost noon, and Ondryn's class cared only about getting out for lunch. A dozen small conversations filled the room, and Ondryn more or less admitted his irrelevance by busying himself with paperwork.

Daria did not like her situation. Nobles meant trouble. Tomal acted like it was no big deal, but it absolutely was for a commoner like her. She could talk to Ondryn about it. She could also talk to the wall for all the good it would do.

"Hi, Daria, right?"

It was Tomal. He sat down next to her with an ingratiating smile on his face.

"Serjo Sloan," she acknowledged.

"You can just call me Tomal. All my friends in the Imperial City did."

Her mind raced for a response. Why couldn't people be direct? "I'm sure your noble friends did. Forgive me. I wasn't sure—"

Daria's whole body roiled at having asked for forgiveness when she'd done nothing wrong. Had not, in fact, really done anything.

"Look, I can't stand all the phony titles either," Tomal said. "So please, call me Tomal. I didn't want Ondryn to announce who I was. Guess he didn't get the memo."

"If it's all the same with you, I'd prefer to continue referring to your title. That way, no one can accuse me of disrespect."

Tomal sighed. "If that makes you feel better. I wanted to apologize for getting you in trouble. It was crummy of Ondryn to blame you for all that. It was my fault, too."

"Which," Daria said, "is exactly why I prefer to keep calling you serjo. Because even if you want to act like your nobility doesn't matter, it does. And I'll be the one who pays for it."

"Right. Well, in that case, when do you want to do this assignment? I'm helping my father with a business deal tomorrow, and on Fredas I have to attend Serjo Uvath's birthday. I should be free on Loredas."

"Since my schedule clearly doesn't matter, why did you ask?"

"Trying to be polite?"

She usually got together with Jane on Loredas. But with how busy Jane had gotten, Daria didn't think that would happen. "Fortunately for us both," Daria said, "I'm an asocial shut-in who doesn't have any schedule beyond school and work."

"Uh, great?"

The bell's sorrowful clang sounded out in the courtyard, and the students fled the class. Tomal said goodbye, and Daria waited for him to leave the room before she marched up to Ondryn. She barely bothered with a bow.

"Sera Ondryn. May I have a moment of your time?"

His mouth tightened. "Of course, Daria." Then he smiled. "You needn't worry. I forgive you for your earlier interruption."

"If I'd come to ask forgiveness, I'd be thankful." Probably not the best lead, she realized, so she launched right into it before he had time to criticize her attitude. "Why have I been given the honor of working with Serjo Sloan? All of the other students were assigned to work with the person sitting next to them."

Ondryn's eyes moved from side to side, as if searching for an exit. Conversation from the outside drifted in through the narrow windows. "Oh, well, I suppose I wanted to liven things up. You know, we Dunmer know how to have fun, too!"

"Unfortunately, as a boring old Imperial, a slight alteration in the partner selection process is too much excitement for me to handle. Which is why I'm wondering if there was any other reason."

Ondryn was squishy. For all his stiff pride, it didn't take much for him to lose his nerve, even to an outlander. His sense of superiority only lasted up until an actual confrontation.

He gulped. "If you must know… first, I want to say that I absolutely believe you can fit into things here. But you are sometimes… well, a bit recalcitrant, heh."

Recalcitrant. Wasn't it enough that she did her schoolwork and did it better than everyone else (except maybe Jolda)? "I'm not sure what that has to do with Serjo Sloan."

"You see, Serjo Sloan is a role model. I'm a strong believer in role models for education. Think of some of the role models you Imperials have like…" His brow furrowed in thought. Then his eyes brightened. "Like the emperor!"

"Clearly, you're thoroughly informed as to the intricacies of our culture," Daria said.

"I try my best. Anyway, I think that Serjo Sloan's time in Cyrodiil means he's someone the students here can relate to. I daresay he's a pretty cool guy!"

"Your hope is that he'll be a good influence on me?"

"Exactly! I'm so glad you're finally taking a proactive approach to your education by realizing this. Is there anything else?" He sounded almost like he was begging for her to leave.

"Only the bitter acknowledgement that I have no choice but to obey the authorities."

"That's a very healthy attitude to take, Daria! I think you've grown a lot these past few years."

"Oh, I sure have," she remarked.

She waited until she went out the door before finishing her thought. "And none of it was from your class."

The beginnings of a headache manifested behind Daria's eyes. She took her glasses off and blinked like an owl in the bright autumn sun. The world returned to focus as she donned the lenses again. Middas was one of her busier days. She had a class with Dimartani in the afternoon, and a stretch of lunch before that. Not that long ago, she'd have spent lunch snarking away with Jane in some secluded corner. Lacking other options, she retreated into the library. The building's dark mustiness recalled the dark kitchen in Charach, where she'd spend days hiding between pages from the other kids.

"She's gotta be somewhere!" Quinn's voice came through the window. "Wait, she always goes wherever there's books!"

"Great," Daria muttered. "I'm predictable, too."

The door opened, and Quinn hurried inside. "Daria! Is it true—"

"Sorry, Quinn, but this library is a temple to literacy, which means you and your ilk are not permitted to cross the threshold."

Quinn made a dismissive wave. "Whatever! Tiphannia just told me that you're working with Serjo Tomal Sloan. The Sloans are like the richest people in Balmora! Do you know what this means?"

"That the Empire's skewed economic priorities allow certain families to accumulate more wealth than they deserve?"

"Ugh! Don't try to mix me up with all of your… things! Daria, making friends with the Sloans is a really big deal. They could open like, doors and stuff."

"I usually use my hands for that sort of thing."

"You know what I mean! Oh, I should have been the one to work with him. Don't screw this up, Daria. I mean it."

"And you're so sure Tomal's a great guy?" Daria questioned. "Don't you remember that whole episode with Turimar?"

"Yes, Daria, as a matter of fact, I do. But not all nobles are like that. Briltasi's a noble, and she's nice."

"I'm not getting involved with this. Hopefully, we'll get the assignment done and never see each other again."

"Get to know him at least. If he's not mean, or creepy, or anything, maybe introduce him to me, and then I can get our whole family ennobled through marriage. Then things would be great for us! Like, I could get the best dresses and go to the most fashionable parties all the time!"

"But what would I get out of it?" Daria asked.

Quinn rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "A life of aristocratic luxury where you could spend all day reading whatever you want, duh! Sometimes I think there's something wrong with your brain." She shook her head. "Look, ask me if you have any questions about how to be, like presentable, and stuff. Like it or not, there's a lot riding on you here."

Daria grunted.

"Anyway, I have to go back out. Poor Satheri's having another fashion crisis. She needs to stop picking pink as her color! Remember what I said!"

Quinn gave a little wave before stepping back out into the courtyard. Alone in the library, Daria had no choice but to admit that her sister had a point.

Musical Closer - Everything I Want to Be, by Save Ferris

Alright, let's see why this Tomal guy is the Big Mer, or try to see. o^0

Daria's right. She's always putting the social mores first, even though Tomal says it's not necessary to do so. Tomal is not used to seeing things from the "other" side.

Recalcitrant. Always loved that word. Nobody actually says recalcitrant in everyday speech, yet it hasn't completely disappeared from modern English yet, know what I mean? It's one of those words only used in stories. Or by teachers or lawyers, perhaps. 🖋

Right, normally she'd be working with Jane, which it's been awhile since they've spoken to each other (at least in this story). Speaking of Jane, didn't she meet some guy who swept her off her feet? Even her mean, sort of traditional Dunmer family was impressed, as I recall.

Dimartani. Is tthat the TEACHER who TALKS like THIS?

Anyway, that's pretty funny. It's like Quinn has no qualms about getting to know Tomal as meal ticket to greater things, not at all as a person. She immediately jumps to the "he can open doors" part. Which believe me, I've known a couple girls like that, so it's not too farfetched. It's comical how infatuated she is with climbing Society's ladders, though.

Those who've played TES3 generally seem to approve of how ESO treated Morrowind. And if one quests there, it does involve a fair amount of time in Balmora.

Interesting discussion with Tomal and equally so the followup with Ondryn.

“She’s gotta be somewhere!” came Quinn’s voice through the window. “Wait, she always goes wherever there’s books!”
“Great,” Daria muttered. “I’m predictable, too.”

”Daria, making friends with the Sloans is a really big deal. They could open like, doors and stuff.”
“I usually use my hands for that sort of thing.”

Quinn is a hoot here!

I agree, I really love the way they made Vivec so that it was under construction, Lots of NPCs wandering around building stuff. Zenimax got a lot correct, most of all the atmosphere. The only one complaint I had was a lack of a trader shop in Seyda Neen. My gosh. First character I rolled in ESO, Ana Khannda, really wanted a bow for instance. I was so used to heading over to the Tradehouse in the beginning of TES III, for just about any sort of starting equipment, that the lack of a shoppe to buy stuff to start the game with shocked me.

And I had just met Lopov's Argonian in-game too. Poor guy had to follow my Ana all the way to Vivec, while my gal searched all over for a bow. I was going nuts! But anyway yeah, they did a good job otherwise. And I'm off-topic.


Totally. She's lovable in a way, right?

I liked that Daria is quite aware of how Tomal's noble status sets him aside from people like herself. Especially that no matter how much he like to pretend that it does not exist, people of Daria's social status literally cannot.

How generous of Ondryn to forgive Daria for her interruption.

Yep, I kind of did see Ondryn's decision to partner up Tom with Daria coming. Like Ferris Bueller, Tom's a "righteous dude".

Back to the library. Hopefully it will not collapse on her this time...

Not even the barrier of literacy could stop the Fashion Club!

As ever, Daria's conversation with Quinn is filled with delightful puns and turns of phrase, doors and hands and all.

I could get the best dresses and go to the most fashionable parties all the time!”
As ever, Quinn has her priorities straight.

Chapter 3

Jane's expert eyes studied her latest work, a three-quarters portrait of a bald Redguard. She pursed her lips and dabbed the slightest touch of dark paint to his eyes. Then she turned to Daria.

"I get that it's scary," Jane said. "But from what you tell me, Tomal sounds a lot better than some of the other Hlaalu nobles I've heard about."

It was a cool Fredas afternoon, the sun above shining bright on a city still damp from the morning's rain. Daria sat on the adobe railing around Jane's balcony, venting her troubles as her friend worked on a commission.

"How do you know it's not an act?" Daria asked.

Jane shrugged. "You could ask the same question about anyone. Besides, this whole thing was Ondryn's idea, not Tomal's. And Quinn's smarter than you think."

"I'm aware that my sister hides her ferocious intelligence behind a veil of superficiality. Gods, I feel dirty saying that. Now I feel like my family's future depends on me sucking up to someone I hate."

"Does your mom know about this?"

Daria shook her head. "Quinn agreed not to tell her on the condition that I do my best to make a good impression. But I don't want to get that close to anyone in a great house. I definitely don't want my sister marrying into one."

Jane looked back at her painting, eyes narrowing at the neck. She leaned forward, then dipped her brush into the palette and added a bit more darkness beneath the man's chin.

"You're worrying too much. Young Tomal might already have a bride lined up for him. He's a Hlaalu, so he won't give up a family business deal for a human trophy wife."

"Everything about him irks me."

"So, how does that make him different from everyone else?"

Daria rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean: the unearned privilege, the way everything's handed to him, and how he tries to act like it's not a big deal because he's so used to the good life that he can't notice it any longer."

"It's all relative. But hey, if he turns out not to be a bad guy, maybe you could put in a good word for me? Getting a noble patron is an essential career step for us artists."

"Do you have a Plan B that doesn't involve me brown-nosing one of Hlaalu's spoiled scions?" Daria asked.

"Yup. Waiting for you to rise high enough through the ranks of the Empire's bureaucracy that you functionally become an aristocrat and hire little old me to beautify you in portraiture."

"At least you'll know I got there by being honest and incorruptible."

Jane sighed. "So much for Plan B."

"At least you're realistic."

Jane put the brush down. "Don't have much choice in my position. What kind of assignment is it, anyway? I can't wait to find out about all the school crap I don't have to worry about anymore."

"So you did quit?" The casual way Jane said it sent a little jolt right through Daria's heart. She'd be stuck in the library from now on. Once upon a time that'd have been paradise for her but not anymore.

"More like I just stopped going. Lli never noticed. No surprise there. I did tell Sera Defoe."

Daria still had another year at Drenlyn—its endless classes and awful students—and now without the one person who made it bearable. "Good to know that the pursuit of education won't get in the way of your quest for lucre," Daria said.

Jane's lips twisted in irritation. "Come on, Daria. Don't tell me you're going to pretend that Drenlyn offers a decent education."

"I'll admit it's not great. But you yourself said it was useful."

"I did get some clients there. But not close to enough. Drenlyn's tuition—even at the discount I got—costs a lot. The city keeps raising taxes on 'non-essentials,' too. Which, apparently, includes a lot of my art supplies. I'm stretched too thin, Daria, and Drenlyn doesn't help anymore. Back to Tomal," she said a bit loudly. "What kind of nonsense did Ondryn assign you? Please vindicate my departure with tales of Drenlyn's stupidity."

Sure, life was tougher for Jane. But to give up like that? Everything was business, business, business in this town. It wasn't much better in any other town, either.

"Ondryn wants us to learn about Balmora's history. What little of it there is."

Jane nodded. "The city's older than you might think. Except it wasn't a city for most of it."

"How do you mean?" Daria asked.

Jane pointed northwest to High Town. "The whole town used to be scrunched up in there. Bunch of little adobe homes behind a palisade—to protect us against Ashlander raids. Huh, wonder if any of your boyfriend's ancestors killed any of my ancestors."

Daria blushed. "Tedannupal's not my boyfriend, and I haven't seen him since that one time."

"Oh, but he's still in your heart," Jane cooed. "Someday you'll be the bride of Ashkhan Tedannupal of the Odaishannabab! One of his brides, anyway."

"I hate you."

Jane snickered. "So yeah, folks have been living on that hill since the early Second Era, at the very least."

"That is pretty old," Daria said, standing up for a look. Balmora's sprawl was new, but the town itself was not.

"Granted, we're talking about village history here. The kind of history that's more about who slept with whose wife or gave a bad deal in the marketplace than about conquests and kings."

"I'm not sure the difference between those is as pronounced as you think," Daria said. "What happened to your old house?"

"Mom and Dad left for the Imperial City, and they didn't leave me and Trent with enough to pay the Council Company's new property fees. We got kicked out, they tore it down, and built a very nice manor on top of where it used to be. Same thing happened to everyone else. Most moved out. A few of us tried to make it in Labor Town."

Jane stared at the great blocky mansions surrounded by equally blocky watchtowers and then turned her eyes back to her painting. She added some quick, jabbing strokes to the edge of the painting, her arm tense.

"Uh, sorry that happened to you. The Hlaalu suck."

"That they do."

Daria sat in silence as Jane focused on her work. Jane's concentration had a clarifying quality; the whole world and all its confusing mutability shrunk down to a single canvas over which she had total control.

"Do you want to get some drinks at the Lucky Lockup?" Daria finally asked. "I'll buy."

"I wish I could," Jane said. "I have another commission to work on right after this. One I'm barely getting paid for."

"In that case, I guess I'll leave you to it." Daria stood up.

"Sorry," Jane said. "It's tough right now."

"No need to apologize. Great House Hlaalu's the one to blame."

As Daria walked down the steps leading to the street, she wondered if there was some way to weave Jane's story into her report.

Musical Closer - Fire Escape in the Sea, by Sea Power

I have missed Jane. Her biting observations are always something I look forward to.

“At least you’ll know I got there by being honest and incorruptible.”

Jane sighed. “So much for Plan B.”

Case in point.

It's too bad Jane can't finish school. But that is just reality, and a subtle reminder that a real world does exist here, in which people are trapped by class and economic status. Unlike in the games, where you start out in a prison cell and end up in the palace, schlepping around a zillion gold pieces.

Jane has a nice recounting of local history, from the town on the hill beset by Ashlanders, to the inevitable gentrification. I bet Mr. O'Neill would love it if Daria included the latter in her report!

No wonder we haven’t heard from Jane. She’s having to paint her fingers off and drop out of Drenlyn to make ends meet. The hardship has also sharpened her wit a bit and she’s not shy about returning some of Daria’s biting sarcasm. Nice bit of local history on how she and Trent ended up in Labor Town.

Drenlyn doesn’t offer a painting scholarship by chance? Lol. And appearance-conscious Quinn doesn’t have the gold to commission Jane to immortalize the Fashion Club.

Jane’s take on Balmora’s history is likely to conflict somewhat (okay, a LOT) with whatever Tomal comes up with in his research. Maybe Tomal will surprise Daria though.

Tomal does come across as old money, ha! -- Sorta like he's out of touch. Oh good, Jane the painter is back.

?Whoa, she quit school?? Well at least she's got a working talent. She's already got both feet into it, too. I just hope she's able to survive.

I am glad Teddy gets mentioned. Tedannupal, that is. He's awesome.



Damn, that's damn-near poetry, Clavier. Crystals, man.

One thing I really like about this phase of the story is that Daria's now got some magical talent, yet she's sitting on it for now. Not going around casting spells all over, but maybe practicing in her room. It's just a little secret we're now all aware of. And I feel like it's going to play some part in a future storyline, perhaps.


Today's song is dreamy. Never heard this band before. Sea power. 🌊

Chapter 4

Daria hiked up the stairs to High Town not long after breakfast and walked straight to the big fountain plaza, where she and Tomal had agreed to meet. A patchwork of light clouds covered the sky, and a faint whiff of sulfur fouled the air. As Daria passed between the stately adobe manor houses, she tried to imagine the place as it might have looked decades ago: a small huddle of simple homes surrounded by miles of rocky desolation. That was the world Jane must have come to when she was a small child, fresh from the Imperial City.

And now, it appeared that the city had followed her. Hard to imagine standing on the hill and hearing only the wind.

The Hlaalu Council Manor was the closest thing Balmora had to a town hall. It didn't look much different from the buildings around it, standing out only by the banner displaying the tipped scales that served as Great House Hlaalu's sigil. Fat, metallic beetles buzzed in circles around the big fountain in front. Unlike the busy public spaces of the Commercial District and Labor Town, this one felt almost deserted. Only a few people, all of them Dunmer in imported Cyrodiilic clothes, walked through, never staying for long. A few cast suspicious glances at Daria as she passed by.

Their reaction to Tomal, when he arrived, was the complete opposite. As he walked onto the scene, hands in pockets and expression unassuming, the few people present practically ran over to greet him.

"Honor unto your family, young Serjo Sloan," one said.

"Under sun and sky, I greet you warmly, serjo!"

"Serjo Sloan: may ALMSIVI smile upon you and your kin."

Each greeting turned into a chat. Tomal exchanged pleasantries, his lips smiling and his eyes a million miles away. As always, the subject turned to business.

"If your father is still interested in raising money for his Cyrodiilic investments, I would be interested in purchasing some of his land in the Ascadian Isles. New fields for the netch, you see," one Dunmer said.

"Thank you for your offer, Muthsera Naravyn," Tomal said, "but I'm not authorized to make that sort of business decision."

"Serjo Sloan, my house is holding a celebration in honor of my third cousin this evening. There will be a fine dinner, and you and your family certainly have a place at the table," said another.

"I'm honored by the offer, Sera Demnevali. I will relay this to my father, but I believe he has his own obligations tonight."

"I hope our gifts were to your family's liking, Serjo Sloan," said a third.

"The wine was excellent, Muthsera Amnavas!" Tomal replied.

Amnavas shifted in place. "Ah, forgive me, serjo. I was referring to the slippers of imported leather. Made from cow hide! Cows are these great beasts that roam the fields of High Rock and Skyrim—"

"Oh, yes, the slippers! They're exquisite, and I was wearing them this morning."

"Excellent." Amnavas bowed.

Daria crossed her arms and leaned against the wall as she watched the shameless display of flattery. They reminded her of Quinn's suitors, but somehow worse. She'd feel sorry for Tomal if it weren't for the fact that each offering was something the Sloans could turn to their own benefit. True to form, he happily went along with the nonsense.

Tomal finished the meet-and-greets and resumed his walk, only to get sidetracked by a second mob of favor-seekers who'd noticed the first. Daria waited until Tomal handled the second crowd and finally reached the manor.

"Forgive me for interrupting your court with petty schoolwork, Serjo Sloan," Daria said, trying to sound like she meant it.

"Are you kidding me? Schoolwork sounds pretty great after dealing with all those dissemblers." He rolled his eyes.

"Can't you tell them to get lost?" Daria asked.

"I wish. No, doing that risks alienating important business contracts for my father. Look, Daria, maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm not sure what I did to make you dislike me so much, but whatever it is, I'm sorry."

Daria mulled it over. "May I have permission to offer some mud-spattered lowborn wisdom?"

"The muddier the better."

"You haven't done anything wrong, Serjo Sloan. But in case you haven't noticed, practically half of High Town was groveling at your feet just now, and every one of those people has more power than a lowborn foreigner like me. I have no sway and no protection in your world, and that makes me uncomfortable."

He nodded. "Daria, I promise that you have nothing to worry about from me. Say what's on your mind. The shock of blunt honesty is practically a mild high for me after all the flattery I have to deal with."

Daria shook her head. "You can say that, but you're still a noble, and I'm still not.

Tomal sighed, clearly disappointed. "I know about the power difference between us—"

"You know about it, but I'm not sure you understand it. I just interrupted you, didn't I," Daria said.

"You did." Tomal shrugged.

"Am I supposed to praise your magnanimity in not sending me off to the executioner's block?"

"Daria, the law wouldn't let me do that even if I wanted to," Tomal protested.

"Another thing you may have noticed is that I'm very bad at filtering my thoughts."

"I may have picked up on that, yes."

"Which is another reason I'm nervous working with you, despite your claims of being understanding. Look, let's get this over with. The Council Manor has all the town records, so we can look up the building's history and put together a report."

"Right. Getting them will be easy; I know the people in here."

"Because of course you do." She decided to test him a bit. "I did learn some interesting things from someone who used to live here in High Town. Before Balmora got big."

"I'm sure Sera Ondryn will appreciate an eyewitness account," Tomal said, opening the nearest door. "Come on."

She scowled at his back. "Of course, Serjo Sloan."

Daria followed Tomal into a vast adobe room supported by a central wooden column. Bushes and flowering plants surrounded the column and lined the walls, making the place feel a bit like a forest. A group of well-dressed Dunmer and a few outlanders seated around a table discussed business over cups of coffee and under a cloud of tanna smoke flowing from a bright blue hookah. Silk-screen panels sectioned off a handful of smaller offices. A bulky desk made of imported hardwood, probably from Elswyer, stood before the door front.

Synda sat at the desk. The perpetual sneer carved onto her face fell away the second Tomal entered, her eyes widening and lips parting. She stood up and bowed.

"Serjo Sloan! Truly, I am honored."

Then she actually smiled, her shoulders bunched up like a nervous child's.

"Muthsera Grilvayn, always a pleasure," Tomal said. He smiled back and sauntered closer to her, leaning forward a bit. "I trust the morning finds you well?"

"Far better now that you have graced me with your presence, serjo." There was something approaching actual warmth in the girl's eyes.

Synda's eyes swiveled to Daria and hardened. The look of familiar haughtiness almost came as a relief. "Excuse me, Daria, but in Morrowind, it is considered poor manners to dawdle in an open doorway," she said.

"Eh, I don't mind her letting in the fresh air. As fresh as it gets here in Vvardenfell, anyway," Tomal said.

Synda suddenly looked unsure as Daria stepped in, closing the door behind her.

"The ash in the air is a legacy of our heritage," Synda said, with a sniff.

"Not to mention a carcinogen," Daria said.

Tomal nodded. "It's all a big make-work project to benefit the healers. Our sick lungs are their payday."

Daria couldn't resist cracking a smile at his comment. Synda blanching from the same made it all the sweeter.

"Just joking around!" Tomal said. "Sorry. Uh, muthsera, we were wondering if we could get access to the records for this building? Sera Ondryn wants us to write a report."

Synda gulped and drew a deep breath. "Certainly. I will take you to—"

"Serjo Sloan!"

The call came from a Redguard in a bright orange coat. Tomal's eyes widened in recognition. "Muthsera Bando al-Ragath," he said.

Bando already walked toward Tomal, a bold grin on his face. "They told me your honored father was in town. Truly, fortuitous timing. My compatriots and I are actually here to discuss the investment in Cheydinhal."

"I could let my father know," Tomal said.

"Well, this involves your entire family, and we're all the more fortunate for it. Please join us," he said, gesturing to the table.

"I am..." Tomal looked around, his jaw clenched. "Uh, sorry about this, Daria, but this is actually kind of important."

"Shall I fetch records for serjo?" Daria asked.

"Don't worry," Synda said. "I'll make sure she doesn't get lost."

"On my way," Tomal said, striding over to the table, whose occupants stumbled over each other in the race to see who could flatter him first.

Synda watched him go and then turned her attention back to Daria.

"Come with me," she ordered.

Musical Closer - Sylvie, by Etienne

I like British Sea Power better! Disco Elysium's ringing a bell. That name is.

Wow, these Hlaalu are kissing some Tomal arse. ()() Jeez, stop it already!! Tomal must be used to it, I guess. But it's like they're so desperate for this guy's attention. Daria is his polar opposite in this regard. Nobody want's Daria's attention, except maybe three people.

Well, now I guess we see why he's the BIG Mer on Campus!

“Under sun and sky, I greet you warmly, serjo!” =---Hee hee, I always love this line.

Hmm, Tomal actually seems pretty genuine, when he apologizes and stuff. There are some rotten ppl in this story so far (like the guy who refused to pay Jane full price after she painted his ugly face) but Tomal's coming across as genuine.

Synda.... why do I know that name? Is that name coming from my story or yours? Hmm, I'm guessing yours! Edit: Never mind, I remember her now. My memory sucks. Need to get more brain-RAM.

I’m quite enjoying the interaction between Tomal and Daria – like two porcupines trying to dance.

I agree with Renee’s assessment of Tomal.

Uh oh. Synda, of thug-recruiting and glasses-smashing infamy. Don’t turn your back on her, Daria!