Andy, Ake just continues to ring true. So does Kerik. You have a gift. I LOVE reading your Ake's story! (Oh, don't you think that line about Stennis should have been "three legs" instead of two? *Innocent grin*....)

RagingGhost - um, I'd really love to read the whole thing from the beginning, please-and-thank-you?

Eh.... I'm playing Veri up to where I left off with the RP. So it's a little time before I get another bit up - probably tomorrow evening, as we have to spend half the damn day in town with husband's g'daughter and her husband and FOUR KIDS *sigh*.... At least it's a meal at Olive Garden.... instead of having them HERE all day. *snarl*

Thank you Sere!

I've been considering writing a story I have in mind.. Originally, I was unsure whether it would actually take place in Skyrim or be more stand alone, but I've determined there may be two distinctly different versions in the end. Kinda depends on how it's received. the character is NOT DiD and you'll shortly understand why.

At any rate, this is the prelude:

Hell Hath Not Nearly Enough Fury

Bel recalled sitting in a chair in an open-air cafe drinking a cup of some liquid she could not recall the name of. It was a pleasant day, the sun warm but not overly hot, and the scent of flowers and the songs of birds drifted through from a small park across the way. Looking about, she could see that the chairs and tables were made of wrought iron worked with fancy curlicues. The chairs had colorful seats covered with vinyl that was printed with bright blue and pink flowers as were the tablecloths.


A tall (and handsome) waiter approached saying something in a language she no longer spoke or understood, and she placed unfamiliar coins in a tiny plate he extended toward her. As he walked away she decided she should have given him a little extra, and calling out to him, she rose to follow him through the door. He stopped, turned and smiled, and then...


The world was suddenly filled with blinding pain and she was wrapped in flame and smoke Bel felt herself flung high through the air only to land in that small park with her neck at an extreme angle. The pain was intense and excruciating, and she could see that her body had been penetrated by numerous small objects in perhaps hundreds of places, and her clothes were on fire.


Unable to move, she watched as the flames engulfed her, and she tried to scream as the pain became too intense to bear. In the tiny corner of her mind that retained its sanity, she thought that the pain should end relatively soon along with her life, but it seemed to go on and on for an apparent eternity.


Finally, a great smoky translucent blackness engulfed her, easing the pain as it did so. When the smoke finally covered her completely, she could feel her body beginning to heal and wellness permeated her being. When she seemed to be fully healed, the smoke dissipated, and she discovered she was sitting at a table just like the one at the cafe, and on a chair just like that as well. There was an empty chair across from her, but other than the table and two chairs there was nothing else present.


As she looked around, Bel could see that she was apparently seated in the center of a small area surrounded by a dome made of the translucent black smoke. In every direction, on the other side of the smoke were high flames that seemed to be reaching for her hungrily.


Bel was startled when she looked back and saw an old man seated in the chair across from her. In some far away place, Bel had learned that patience and silence were often the friend of one who did not understand their circumstances so she remained silent, while regarding the old man carefully.


The old man's wrinkled face was partially hidden behind a full gray beard, and bushy eyebrows covered very dark eyes that seemed to swallow the light. A little taller than the norm, he wore very blue robes that were open down the front. The "V" of the robes exposed a muscular but lightly haired chest, and she wondered briefly what the rest of his body might be like.


The old man had apparently been following her eyes, and he leaned forward with a chuckle. His eyes suddenly bore a previously unnoticed twinkle, and in a voice that hinted of deep power like grinding stone, he said "Welcome. I suppose you have questions?"


Bel chose to remain silent to see what information might be offered, and finally the Old Man spoke again.


"Bella, the first thing you need to know is that you are dead. You were killed many, many years ago, and this place in which you find yourself is hell. You felt the flames, yes? You should know that the pain that you have suffered to atone for your sins is scheduled to last for a very long time, and that I have the power to send you back to the flames at any time."


Still Bel chose not to speak, so after a moment the Old Man continued. "You are here with me now, because you have been offered... employment. I think that is the right word. You are here to hear the offer one greater than I has chosen to make for your consideration." With a wave of his hand, two glasses of some sort of what seemed to be red wine appeared in front of them. "You must be thirsty... after all this time."


"Have you heard of the Erinyes? Also known as the Furies?" Still Bel remained silent, and he continued. "Well, no matter. The Furies are the avengers of the angry, murdered dead... Once it seemed that three Furies were all that were needed, but it seems we have need of more to keep pace with current events." He took a sip of his wine and spoke again. You have the good fortune to have been chosen to take your place among the Furies of old, and to strike terror into the hearts of murderers in the name of the dead who now send you in their name as a curse. Know that, being already dead, you cannot be permanently killed in that place which is filled with violence. Death simply brings you back here, and you will be sent forth again."


Still Bel remained silent, and suddenly the Old Man's brow narrowed and it seemed that fire leaped from his dark eyes... He abruptly stood and swept the wine glasses from the table with an angry gesture, and then suddenly she was again engulfed in flame and unbearable agony. Her lips twisted into a scream, but... the flames were gone as suddenly as they had come. The scream died as a small whimper.


The Old Man spoke yet again. "There is need for you to now speak one word only. Either yes or no. If you say "no", you will finish your torment in the fires of hell with no further chance of redemption, or if "yes" you will be sent to a land where you will destroy those murderers who have been cursed and send them to hell to take your place in the flames... SPEAK NOW!"


Bella Donna looked the Old Man in the eye and spoke without hesitation a single word - "Yes".


Bel was suddenly disoriented in a whirling maelstrom of deep black that felt like cool water, and then as her eyes cleared, she heard a strong male voice. "So, you're finally awake eh?" Looking about she saw that she was in a wagon or cart with three men, all of them in binds.

End Prelude

Wow. VERY.... um.... wow. You know, I really love Dan Brown's books - not because he has "insights" (eh, give me a break) but because he writes EXCELLENT stories.

Maybe you're Dan and just haven told us? Oh, please.... MORE!!

neil, oh bravo, what a wonderful start!!

Eh, sorry, I don't even know who Dan Brown is. the more I write, the more I tend to shy away from reading other writers stories. Oh, not you guys here, but i don't want to find myself unintentionally plagiarizing others who might really take offense. Some time ago, in all innocence, I wrote a story which I called "The Demon Bob" and at first everybody thought it was some kind of take from another guy's stuff. Once they read mine of course, they realized there was no connection. I used "Bob" simply because my daughter for some reason cracked up every time she heard the name...

Anyway, more is planned to follow.

@ Andra: Thanks, you must have posted while I was writing my response to Serethil... I didn't see it earlier.

Okay, well, if you're not Dan Brown, you ARE a corking good story teller! I want to read more. That was a WONDERFUL start!

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brown]

Between yet another game and me feeling sick, this got delayed longer than it should have. Have more of my garbage. :U

Aza's storytelling adventure continues.

http://i.imgur.com/ve2CO8J.png

Neil... Awesome start!!! I really liked it.

Serethil... I absolutely love Dan Brown's books!

Monkeyemoness... I hope you are feeling better! And really nice update... See now Alois just grow's on one... That blasted Beacon is the one reason I really...really pay attention to what my characters are picking up...cause not all of them want her speaking in their heads.

Nice one monkeye, I don't think Meridia is all that bad, but I hate doing that quest. It was quite satisfying to read how handily she was managed in your story. LOL And the growing (though long-suffering) tolerance/affection for Alois? I like it. It was fun seeing the enthusiasm for killing the dragon!

Yeah, honestly Meridia probably wouldn't have many nice things to say to a Necromancer, so it really isn't a quest he should be doing. (Also there are other reasons coming)

Anyway, I think I'm all caught up now. One thing I have to agree with is that Dawnguard didn't really have much to catch my attention save for the Soul Cairn and the Snow Elf lore. I don't play vampires nor do I play insane vampire hunters. The Vale and the Temple of Auri-El was pretty great, though.

Unless I need a lot of gold, I don't do Meridia's thing any more. I just leave the Beacon in whatever chest it's in. The girls who need gold - for house, or real estate or whatever - well, there's a lot of it down there on the bodies.... easily a couple k. Since none of my characters are ever necromancers, that part at least isn't a problem. The problem is that even if one was, well, the game's not set up to have Meridia turn the character into a frog if you don't meet her "qualifications".

That was a heck of an update monkey! And I must say - you draw very well, I really enjoy your style!

Ake...#66

I like that a lot. I've done that quest quite a few times, though I often tend to avoid for some reason... anyway, you brought feeling and emotions in that I thought were exceptional, and it was a good read.

Thanks neil, I appreciate that!

Hell Hath not enough Fury Chapter 1


The cart had taken Bel and the other passengers to a place called Helgen, where in a strange confluence of events, she was for some reason sentenced to the headsman's block and then rescued (unintentionally perhaps) by a dragon.


She had learned two things out of the Helgen experience. First, that the Empire (which it seemed ruled Skyrim without actually ruling Skyrim) cared little for either justice or the lives of its subjects, and second that dragons are actually real. The first was not surprising, but the second certainly was.


After escaping Helgen, Bel had intended to go to a place called Riverwood with Hedvar (the Imperial soldier who had presided over her aborted execution) but they were separated after being attacked by a pack of wolves. Unfamiliar with the area, she became lost and simply followed the roads she came to thinking they surely led to some destination. There were occasional road signs, but the names on the signs were meaningless to her. At one point, she was just outside the city wall of what she thought was Helgen, but she dared not go inside for fear either the dragon or the Imperials who wanted her head were still there.


When darkness fell, she made a dry, fireless camp, created a bed from leaves and snow next to a log that offered shelter from the wind and tried to sleep. Her bed was far from comfortable, but she didn't believe that was the reason she slept fitfully. Her rest was filled with disturbing dreams and visions.


As she slept, she seemed to almost take on another identity, and through the eyes of another, in the blurred images of the vision or dream, she saw a man and two children in a small shack. The man was large and powerful, and the firelight gave him a demonic aspect as, seemingly in a rage, he berated the children for some offense. As she watched, she could feel her fear for the children rising until finally she confronted the man.


"Gian! Leave the children alone for Talos' sake! You're frightening them!" and with that she stepped between the man and the children. His face was contorted with impassioned rage as this hulking giant of a man stepped forward and swung, hitting her hard with his gloved fist. Flying backward, the back of her head struck with bone-shattering impact against the stone of the fireplace, and the dim shack was suddenly filled with a million stars. As she slumped to the ground with the life running out of her, she regretted ever giving him birth and cursed both Gian and the day he was born... then all went dim and faded to a deep darkness.


Later in the night, Bel had another dream... or vision perhaps? This time she could see the hulking form of that man she now knew as "Gian" sitting slumped against against a wall, huddled in darkness on a pile of dirty hay. The sound of rats skittering about never seemed to cease, and his eyes shone with suspicion and fear. He started and cringed at every unexpected sound as if expecting hell itself to descend upon him... and maybe his fears were well founded...


In the morning Bel knew she had to go East, and she began to make her way to Riften. It was a city name she had been given in her dreams, and she knew that was where the object of her quest sat waiting for her, terrified in rat infested darkness.

This thread is moving even quicker than the previous one. :rock:Good stories, guys and gals - those that I've read so far. I shall catch up on all tomorrow, it's a working Sunday for me but I shouldn't be that busy and some reading will help me pass the time quicker.

6

“The Forsworn Briarheart in charge of the Broken Tower Redoubt is looking for his head. Have you seen it perhaps? Hahahaha, excuse me Jarl, I’m just joking. But it’s true – he no longer has his head and I’m here for my reward,” said the Bloody Noble and crossed his arms, protected with fine gilded wrist guards.

“Ubarda, I’m not interested in details what happened to him or what is yet to happen to his remains but here are your coins, just as we agreed.” From the tone in Igmund’s voice it was noticeable that he doesn’t fancy the Bloody Noble’s humor yet he was satisfied that there is one Forsworn Briarheart less on the loose.

“Always a pleasure, Jarl. Now I shall spend the rest of the day training in my home. I’ll arrive tomorrow in the morning for a new assignment. ” As Ubarda left the Court of Markarth, Igmund addressed his steward: “So far, so good, right uncle?”

“Well…I admit that clearing out the Broken Tower Redoubt and Karthspire Camp single-handedly is quite an achievement. I don’t approve of what he does with his victims…”

“Neither do I, uncle, but that’s his way of making Forsworn scared of him.”

“Or even more angry? More vengeful?”

“Definitely but once he clears more of their camps, word will get around and they’ll become afraid AND vengeful. That’s what he aims for and that’s what I hope for. Sooner or later his actions will gain attention of Forsworn leaders and they’ll be interested in his head, they might even come to take it by themselves. If we succeed and manage to remove these leaders, or even if http://postimg.org/image/n7ek5i4kp/ removes them by himself, we’ve won an important battle, uncle.”

“That’s right…that’s right. But for some reason I can’t get rid of some bad feeling....like something bad is going to happen. Something bloody. And that you will dearly regret that you ever hired the Bloody Noble. Just look at how he behaves himself in our court.”

“So far he didn’t give us any reason to be suspicious about his actions. My informants confirmed that camps which he claimed to clear, were cleared indeed. His behavior…well, it’s certainly not something we’re used to. ”

“He can be soapy if he wants but he can also talk like a beast. When I see him, I have a feeling that he has two faces. Neither of them is good but one is wilder than the other. Don’t trust him when he pretends to be kind. Maybe I’m just an old nagger but most of the time my premonitions turned out to be true. You know, even when I advised your father, he listened to me when I felt my sixth sense telling me something.”

“And what is your sixth sense telling you now?” sighed Igmund.

“That we should thank him for his assistance and send him back to Cyrodiil with our best regards.”

“Oh please…he only just arrived and so far everything’s going according to plans. Let the Forsworn feel some fear and if the plan we talked about earlier, works out as we hope to, then we’ll no longer need him in our hold. Then I’ll send him back home. Do you agree?”

“I don’t have any choice, do I?”

Raerek didn’t sleep well that night. He was having nightmares which he forgot when waking up. All except one – in that nightmare he was walking to the Court of Markarth like he did every morning. As he came to the stairs leading to the Jarl’s throne, he noticed something placed above the throne. At first he didn’t know what it was but as he was coming closer, he saw his own head mounted on the wall. Its mouth were wide open, its eye sockets empty, blood slowly running out of them. But as he screamed, the voice didn’t come from him but from his withered head.

Then he woke up.

neil, oh, this Gian, he deserves what it seems he will get...but what will it do to Bel? I already worry if she will ever be freed from her situation. Very good read, thank you!

Lopov, oh your Bloody Noble, he's getting very scary, yes indeed. I have a feeling, that old Raerik could be proven right! Thanks for the creepiness!

Oh gosh, guys! What a lot of good reading material, though I must say Lopov, the Bloody Noble is almost too true to his moniker! Neil, that's a very interesting setup - can't wait to see where it's going. Andy.... that was a sadder quest the way you wrote it - and it was sad enough to begin with.... I'm with Ake about Falkreath - it's beautiful there, but *shudder*. I have one girl who's built Fellkreath Cottage - which is lovely! But she NEVER goes into Falkreath, instead riding a lot farther to Riverwood or Whiterun.... And the one who has Lakeview ditto.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter who was Jarl either. I detest Siddy, but the uncle/former jarl isn't any better.... though I'd probably do a quest to put him back as Jarl and boot Siddy's rear-end to Riften....

Thanks!! I too would prefer old Dengeir, but I'm afraid his elevator doesn't go all the way to the top!

Yeah, I'm not a fan of Falkreath city. Lakeview, pretty as it is, has that city as the nearest for business, Pinewatch next door, a necromancer practically in the back yard, and another bandit camp just up the road! Pretty can be a pita!

Yep. I did see mods to get rid of the bandit camp and the necromancer the other day.

What I find unkind about Lakeview, is when bandits spawn inside the walls of the manor. They can't get out, and you can't get in without using the console, and you have to listen to them all the time. until they go away.

Anyway, I know this story is moving kinda fast, but I'm trying to get caught up to where the character is.

***

Hell hath Not Enough Fury Chapter 2


It was after dark when a frustrated and disheveled Bel arrived at the gates of Riften. During the trip, she had discovered that long vacations in hell do nothing to improve combat skills, and indeed, most of her skills had faded to the point of being rudimentary. She'd almost been killed by a single wolf, and had been forced to flee from a bear.


Once, she could have dispatched both of them without raising a sweat, but now... She had only one combat spell, and her skill with bow, mace, and shield were all but non-existent. After the initial escape from Helgen, Hedvar had asked her about her skills, and when she'd described them he wrinkled his nose and said "Nightblade, eh?" like it was something he'd stepped in. Some small part of her wondered if their separation by wolves had really been an accident, or if he'd just decided he wanted nothing more to do with her.


Running from the bear(s) and what became wolves, Bel had again become disoriented, and eventually found herself at a large fort. It seemed lightly manned by two or three bandits, so she'd decided to see if she could extract some needed supplies from the interior. The bandits patrolling the fort were easily avoided, and she found herself in a large interior area where there was a fire, a lute, and some other odd items. She took the lute, because she actually knew a little about playing one, but thought she might sell it if she lived to reach Riften.


It was very odd, there was nobody at all inside this large fortified area. Like a shadow, Bel moved through the damp stone corridors and halls, but she encountered no one. She found some food and a few supplies that hadn't gone moldy but the prize was a black mage's robe on a body that was locked inside a cage. She had no lockpicks, but was able to take the robe off the body without actually having to open the door.


Trying it on, she knew she had found what to her was a real treasure, and Bel could feel the magic of it running through her.


On leaving the fort, she had unfortunately stepped outside to find herself face to face with a bandit who was armed with a bow. As the bandit raised her bow with a curse, Bel hit her with a shield bash, followed it with a blow from her mace, and then another shield bash. It seemed the poison Bel had smeared on her mace did the trick, and the bandit slumped to the ground.


Ever so quickly, Bel stripped anything of value from the bandit, and then ended up leaping from the wall as two more bandits who had apparently heard the scuffle approached at a run. It was a hard and painful landing but not fatal, and laughing, Bel had run into the falling darkness with arrows whizzing past her head.


Now, here she was at the Riften gate, and this sorry excuse for a city guard was trying to extort money from her to let her in. Bel understood and appreciated private enterprise, but the sad truth was that she simply had only a tiny amount of coin, and was not about to share it with this oaf.


Her voice rising, Bel gave the unfortunate guard a tiny piece of what was on her mind. "This is damnable scam, and you are a thief, and I'm not paying you a damned thing! Not one coin, and I'm going to be having a conversation with your superiors, that neither they nor you are going to like very much!"


As she yelled these words at the top of her lungs, the guard was somewhat taken aback because this small woman was walking him back into the closed gate by virtue of poking his chest with one finger. When he noticed that tiny flames were flickering from the tip of that finger and that they were scorching his tunic, he was suddenly more than happy to open the gate.


Once inside, it was hard to see much in the dark but she did manage to find an Inn and parted with a precious 10 gold coins for a bed. As she drifted into sleep, she couldn't help but wonder how the Old Man expected her to accomplish anything without coin, weapons, or usable magical skills in a world that was both violent and strange...


***

It occurred to me that an occasional status update might lend some perspective, so I'll mention that at this point Bel was only level 3.

Ah, nice one, Neil! Gutsy broads, gotta love 'em. I especially like the flames flickering from her fingertip, nice touch! Um. Pun not intended.... I haven't had that ever happen at Lakeview, and I've used it numerous times. Lucky me!

Veri's Tale:

The woman's demented - demented I say! I rode back to Riverwood, and sauntered into the inn, prepared for Delphine to give me some song and dance about how we'd have to ambush a Thalmor patrol or so. I wouldn't mind - they're damned arrogant, and look down their noses while sniffing, as if you stink....

But no. The damned woman wants me - ME! - to "infiltrate" the Thalmor Embassy! I don't - I'm not.... stealth isn't really my way. I'm finally decent with a bow, but sneaking.... it's not how I do things.... I sighed. I knew she wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. And she insisted she couldn't do it because the Thalmor know about her - even though she's been hiding out here for who knows how long, and they'd recognize her on sight.

So. Here's the deal she handed me. She has a "contact", a Bosmer who'd be waiting at the Winking Skeever in Solitude. I hoped the bar was nicer than its name might indicate. Once I met up with him, he'd "take care of" my gear for me.... because Delphine's plan is that I will be invited to a party the Thalmor Ambassador, Elenwen, would be giving. So I'd have to go in fine clothing, and unarmed. Malborn would be bartending at the party. I'd have to figure out some way to create a diversion, then slip away with him to get my armor and weapons. And then, I'd have to sneak around the Embassy to find whatever I could find about the dragons....

I didn't like the sound of any of this. I could come up with at least two hands' count of ways this could go wrong, with me on the losing end of all of them. But I was right. The witch wasn't taking "no" for an answer. I growled a lot under my breath while I rode back to Whiterun. Black's ears kept flipping backward - apparently the amount of venom and vitriol in my voice was enough to alarm him. Sorry horse.

I stomped into the inn, bought another night, and apparently I looked evil enough that no one said much. I got a mug of ale and some of Saadia's pheasant pie, ate without tasting a thing, finished the ale, and went to bed. Several days to Solitude.... I'd just take the carriage. And leave Black with Skulvar - that way, he'd have a decent home if I didn't get back....

neil, I've never had them spawn inside the house, thankfully!! That would make me irate!

I loved this, especially how she handled the Riften guard!! LOL, I can just see his face the way you described the scene! Wonderful! hehe take that you pos! Nice way you handled her lack of skills at this point too.

Edit: Sere, that was great, listening to Veri be angry enough to chew nails, I can just hear the vitriol in her voice! Poor Black!

I'm trying to break my mod addiction, or at least put it on hold for a while....LOL

A good read Serethil, and entertaining. I have to say, I've had some similar thoughts about Delphine myself now and again. I really dislike her, eh?.

Y'know, just between us, the last character I had that fought Salohknir(spl) first fought a dragon in Kynesgrove itself, and then Salohknir, and Delphine never showed up until after Salohknir was dead... and then she's all like "I'm the last of the Blades, and I'm so bad..."

Andra, I'm not sure I explained that very well... See, they aren't inside the house if you go through the door, but they're trapped inside the external mesh...