Ah, I recognize Delphine Jend at the end of that story! - "young woman in a blue velvet dress who considered herself destined for greatness."

Very nice. :goodjob: Most of us can indeed relate to that experience.

Add me to your list of fans of Buffy. I think the stories are great. I have role played characters but have never immersed myself as deeply as you seem to have with Buffy. Keep up the excellent work.

P.S. Any chance of hearing how Buffy got her Grummite Bow? If she already hears voices in her head, I would love to know what she thought of Shivering Isles.

And again, keep up the great work.

http://www.tesnexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=8273

Just looking on wiki and that mod allows for horse combat just a thought maybe you want to add and include in your story acadian.

Edit:

Ignore above post the updated mod doesn't include horse fighting

Acadian;
You have found that deeper level of immersion that allows us to explore issues about life. More, you are exploring those issues that we rarely face (if ever) in real life. In this realm, there are no right or wrong answers, only the choices and what we do with them.

That earlier quote was, in a sense, a eulogy and I hesitated long before posting it in your thread lest I be seen as trying to co-opt the thread. I wanted you to know that I think I understand the relationship with Buffy; that we have no illusions about the game but rather we chose this experience as something we would otherwise not have in our lifetime.

The best part is, you are tremendously talented as a storytelling and in sharing that deeper immersion with us.

No story this post, although I am working hard on it. :nod:

Thanks to everyone who commented. I am so appreciative. There are so many wonderful questions and suggestions here, that I want to address them rather than waiting until the next story. After I address the comments, I want to explain a bit about where I am going with Buffy.

*

@SubRosa- I am delighted you found it worthy to catch up to us. I hope very much you will stay. I deeply appreciate your in-depth comments, and your insights really make me think. Now that Buffy has emerged from the swirling mush of adolescence, her views about killing are crystal clear and unlikely to change. 'If you are kind to me I will love you dearly; If you are mean to me I will likely kill you.' She is perfectly willing to kill anyone or anything that she believes would attack her. She is not above tracking them down in their lairs. She would never torture an animal or monster. Human animals, ranging from bandits to necromancers to vampires, etc are different. They have a free will and choose their path. This is when a cruel side of her nature emerges. Like most of us, she is not all good or all evil. Perhaps more good than evil though, as she makes for a wonderful friend. She also lives to hunt. Stripped of her bow, she would languish. And a bow is made to kill things?.

Regarding the lion, you are correct. A command creature spell was the proper choice. It could have imobilized the lion with no risk to the soldier. With no time to plan her actions, she defaulted to that which she knows. She is not the best at split second decisions. At range she tends to pull her bow; At melee distance she tends to panic and disappear with a flick of her wrist. Her decision did not surprise me. To have reflected and kicked herself later around the campfire for not using a command spell would have been a great addition. Quicker and more agile thinking could have perhaps saved that Legionnaire. Thank you for the wonderful suggestion!

Rewrites. I had intended to leave them as a lesson in humility, but I think now that I shall rewrite some of the earlier ones. Thank you for the encouragement.

Drafts. My battle rhythm is to make sure my concept fits my bigger plan, splatter my outline down, do any research I anticipate, then write my first draft. The first draft itself only takes a couple hours. I then require no less than about 100 edits over 2-3 days to become satisfied with it. I was moving several stories along at once until recently. Just one at a time now. I am a distance runner, and most of my ideas are born on the road.

Daedra Lords? Buffy's thinking is a bit confused here, but will nevertheless become clearer pretty soon.

*

@Bobg- Thank you for sharing your farewell with Sarrah. For those who do not realize, bobg plays 'dead is dead'. And he loved Sarrah (Angel's older sister) as much as I love Buffy.

@UnknownK- I am honored that you are still with us. Buffy completed Meridia's quest but we left the story once she had killed the last necromancer. My hope was that the reader would assume she returned to Meridia to report the task complete. I apologize if that was not clear. She does have the reward ring, but it is has no particular value to her. Begin to look for information on Angel during Buffy's next trip to Leyawiin, several stories from now.

@D'Emjii, slitherine and mcbeanie- Thank you so much for continuing to read. SubRosa has graciously provided info on what a grummite bow is. Buffy gets hers from the Fringe. She has not ventured beyond that point into SI. How she got her first grummite bow is explained in story #4, 'Homcoming'. She will not venture deeper into SI in this storyline. If your game does not support grummite bows, I suggest a permabound bow for mid levels instead.

@Digniity- I am so grateful for your steadfast support and encouragement. I am working hard to earn your continued readership.

@Wolf- Thanks mate! Yes! I need to work on descriptions and dialogue. And if it takes a bit more time editing, so be it. Thanks for the improvement tip.

@mALX- As always, I couldn't do this without your inspirational encouragement. Thank you so much my friend. I know you like the action stories? I hope you will bear with me for the next few, as Buffy's bow finger callouses begin to soften a bit.

* * *

:read: Where am I going with Buffy? It occurs to me that the reader of this format is at a distinct and unfair disadvantage to the reader of a book. I want to eliminate that disadvantage. You are about halfway through the book that tells this story. Despite several more side trips not directly related to the end, Buffy is progressing. For those who are looking for a story with a plot, it will emerge and come to a conclusion much as a conventional book would. I will also share with you, that after this 'book' is complete, there will be a second. Buffy's next 'book' will be random short stories that share Buffy's life in Cyrodiil. There are so many dungeons to crawl, potion recipes to share among mages, mysterious doors, castles, slumber parties, pirate caves, sunsets, trinkets to steal, waterfalls? well, you get the idea. Not to mention RPs she would like to join?. :dance:

Thanks everyone so much for reading! I shall return to writing her next story.

Wheres the post

Yes sir! Coming right up.

In my last post, I commented that a book format is in some ways superior to this one because it gives the reader some clues as to what to expect. During edits to this story, it occurred to me that this format allows for the advantage of receiving helpful comments between chapters. I suspect both Bobg and SubRosa will detect their influence in this next story - not to change the story mind you, simply to improve it.

25 ---------- Postgraduate Study ----------

The first clannfear runt fell at my feet, but that only cleared a path for the second one right behind him. Two scamps behind that were forming fireballs meant for me in their bony hands. How did I let this happen? The clannfear leapt. There was no time for arrow or spell. All I could see was beak, teeth and claws. I opened my mouth to scream?

"Buffy! Buffy, wake up!" The gentle but insistent voice of an Argonian woman evaporated the horror. "You were having a nightmare!"

I raised my head with a start. "Oh Tar-Meena! I'm sorry. I grabbed her hand, still on my shoulder. "Daedra. I didn't mean to disturb?."

"Well! I am not surprised. Look at these books you've been pouring over all night. You do realize it's morning?" Tar-Meena grabbed several of the dozen or so volumes spread around me. "I think you have every book in the Mystic Archives on daedra and Daedric Princes here. What in the name of Akatosh are you doing?" Her orange eyes blinked, waiting for an answer.

"I've just been fascinated by the daedra for quite some time now. I guess I need a break though? Here, let me put these away and I'll go get some air." I gathered up the books to return them to the stacks.

A few minutes later I was seated on a bench in front of the University's alchemical garden enjoying the fresh coolness. The morning sun provided for a brilliant blue sky overhead, but had not yet scaled the tall University walls to shine upon the garden. Why was I fascinated by things daedric? Why couldn't I just be satisfied collecting wine for a hobby? Seventeen Daedric Lords and sixteen planes of oblivion. I felt like a walking volume from the Archives myself. Fifteen Daedric Shrines; In fact, I had mapped out most of their locations.

I hadn't detailed them all in my journal, but I had completed several quests for these Daedra Lords. It wasn't for the artifacts. My spare chest on top of Daenlin's upstairs porch already contained the useless staves of Sheogorath and Vaermina. Oh, and Malacath's warhammer that I could barely lift. I carried Meridia's Ring of Khajiiti with me in case I needed something valuable to sell or trade. In fact, Azura's Star was the only Daedric artifact I used. Looking at the garden again, I watched the butterflies dancing from one flax plant to the next amidst the explosion of color.

"Acadian, I need you. You got me started with that Shrine to Azura, but now, every time I find out about one of those shrines, I have to investigate." I didn't have to close my eyes to know his answer. Something about testing my character and building experience. "Hah! Like that funny Sheogorath? He needed a head of lettuce! Make me fall in love with a cloud? Stealing cheese? Burning dogs from the sky? How silly had that been? Oh well, it was kind of fun and no one tried to kill me during that one. I guess I'll keep plodding along then. Maybe I am learning something. I've been jumped by vampires, necromancers, daedra and marauders doing those quests, and we're both still here."

"Acadian," I continued hesitantly. "You know there's another reason for my interest too, don't you? Uriel Septim said I must stand against the Prince of Destruction. That means Mehrunes Dagon. I'm sure he is responsible for that Oblivion gate in Kvatch. Ungarian said portals like that are held open by sigil stones - that means they can be closed! You know someday, I will have to deal with that.?" The reaction surprised me. "Why Acadian, was that a wince I felt from my paladin?" I closed my eyes as he requested.

A vision formed. It was a place like none I had seen. The land was dead, as was the sparse vegetation. Thunder rolled through the canyons and lightening streaked across the red sky. Lakes of fire split the rocky Deadlands. Stone bridges were broken and had been pushed up into useless angles by violent movements of the land. Twisted towers marked the horizon. Daedra roamed, hunting for mortals. Slowly, the translucent spirit of an adventuress emerged from one of the lakes of fire. At first, I thought Acadian was showing me my destiny. As I looked closer however, I could see it was a young Breton. I did not recognize her. The vision faded.

I was speechless for a long time. Finally I whispered. "By Mara, Acadian. If you were trying to frighten me, you did a good job. I shall have to think on this." A shudder ran from the back of my neck down to my toes. At least I now knew what the plane of Oblivion controlled by Mehrunes Dagon looked like. Deadlands. I?.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

My eyes shot open, my head snapped towards the voice and I jumped to my feet.

"Forgive me Buffy, I didn't mean to surprise you." It was Boderi Farano. As she saw my face, her red eyes opened wide. What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

"Boderi!" My smile was genuine; It just took a moment for me to bring it forth after the place Acadian had just taken me to. "Beautiful?"

"Yes, the alchemy garden this time of day. I often come to this very spot to think in the mornings." She opened her arms and we hugged. "It is so good to see you my Apprentice. Tell me of your travels."

I looked at the garden. Boderi was right. The sun had climbed above the University walls and now caused the morning dewdrops on the vibrant flowers to sparkle. It was lovely. "Sit with me Boderi."

The graceful Dunmer battlemage had been my advisor while I was training at the University, and was also a wonderful friend and mentor. She was one of the few who understood my passion for the bow.

I spent the next two hours with my journal open, recounting the adventures of Buffy the Bowgirl since I had last seen Boderi.

My advisor listened intently until I closed the journal. Her ability to capture nuances and remember details had always impressed me.

"Buffy, you have come a long way indeed. Based on the service you provided Azura by purging Gutted Mine, should we now call you 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'?"

Wrinkling my nose at Boderi, I giggled and pretended to rebuke her. "No no. Just Buffy is fine, or perhaps 'Buffy from Bravil' if I need a title."

"You have the physical skills and magic you need to be a potent mystic archer." Boderi then continued cryptically as she gently wagged a finger at me. "It is your mind that you must focus." There was always more to Boderi's meaning than her words conveyed.

"Explain, my mentor." I prompted her. "How can I better survive? You know my strengths and weaknesses."

"Alright Buffy. Pay attention." She began. "There is a reason you are uncomfortable with blades. Your forte is not the split second action and reaction required by strike and parry combat. You are at your best when you control the situation. Your strengths are your cunning and patience - you are an archer first, a mage second and a skirmisher not at all. Work with your strengths. When you entered Howling Cave and were confronted with numerous necromancers in close proximity, what did you do?"

"I disappeared, so I could have a moment to come up with a plan." I replied, tentatively.

"And you prevailed because you had a plan." She continued. "Now, why did you not do as well during your recent episode with that mountain lion and the Legion soldier in the meadow just south of here?"

I cringed as I remembered watching that lion kill the soldier over the tip of my arrow. "Because they were moving too fast for me to get a shot without risking the soldier?"

"No Buffy." She shook her head slowly. "Think. Pretend they are still fighting, frozen in time. Come up with a plan. Think it through."

I pretended there was no rush and thought. Suddenly it was so simple. "A command creature spell!" I said excitedly. "Even if I missed on the first cast, it wouldn't hurt the soldier. I could have immobilized that lion!"

"Perfect, young illusionist!" Boderi beamed. "Now, why didn't you do that?"

Learning from Boderi was always a circuitous adventure itself. "Because I didn't have time to come up with a plan." I shrugged my shoulders. "I can't freeze time!"

"You can't?" The battlemage raised one eyebrow sharply. "Let me ask you Buffy, if you encounter the same situation tomorrow, will you stand there helplessly with your bow?"

"No. Of course not Boderi. I would know to use a command creature spell instead." Then it hit me, and I added excitedly. "Because I froze time today!"

Boderi dropped her chin towards her chest for emphasis as she said the word. "Precisely." Then she looked me in the eyes and continued. "Your battles should be decided before they begin. You need to anticipate challenges and determine solutions to them before they actually occur. Very few of us can come up with an ideal solution in the span of a few heartbeats - and you are not one of those few. When you are fighting to protect someone or you have your horse nearby, you cannot disappear and think. The thinking must be done before the situation arises. If you can imagine a fight, you can determine how to win it before it ever occurs."

Boderi was brilliant as ever. "Thank you my wise advisor. As always, I owe you so much. I shall heed your words."

I put my journal away and we stood.

The Dunmer looked up at the sun, judging its angle. "Goodness, I have a class to teach." She hugged me again and walked away. After a few paces, she turned around briefly and smiled. "Buffy, I'm very proud of you."

My mind returned to the image of the Deadlands. "Acadian, you realize you have revealed that you are concerned for my safety. Might there be a heart somewhere inside that armor?" Rather than wait for an answer, I quickly continued. "We shall set out for? somewhere tomorrow. It would quite please me to find a blue mark on my map in the morning my friend."

Acadian...

This is your best post. EVER.

Why?

Because you have written in here the MIND of the successful warrior, how to plan ahead, how to 'see things BEFORE they happen'. This is what all warriors have done, since the dawn of history.

Even in the free-flow dogfighting of aerial combat of WW II, the greatest aces were those who had lain down on their bunk the evening before, closed their eyes, and thought through the various moves, maneuvers, and combinations and permutations IN THEIR MIND beforehand.

You have shown this, and not only have you instructed: you have made it flow smoothly and naturally into the story, and you have done it as a result of the intelligent critiques which other writers have given.

Acadian, you once said my threads should be posted. Let me return the compliment, and say THIS POST, the previous post, and the critiques preceding this post should be snipped out, and pasted to show ALL aspiring writers as a PERFECT example of how to

1. receive criticism gracefully
2. incorporate their criticism in their stories, but do it in a way that seems smooth, natural, and totally in tune with the flow of the plot
3. Advance the plot at the same time!
4. And...as always, capture the reader's interest.

EXCELLENT JOB!!! :thumbsup:

This is really good! I caught the edit on the "command creature" spell - brilliant thinking from SubRosa on that! (I would not have thought of that either)

What edit did you do to accomodate Bobg? (if you don't mind me asking). Anyway, I loved it as usual! You really bring out Buffy's personality in your writing!

As always you have done a great job with this post. Your writing is getting stronger with every post, and the story continues to develop in every post. I love how you have taken the advice of your readers and used it to improve your future post as well as using it to develop your main character. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to the next chapter.

Nicely done, once again. We are treated to the briefest peek behind Buffy's Daedra door.

Also very Sun Tzu there at the end. Battles are won before they are fought.

Edit:



So how long have you been waiting to write that?

D.Foxy said it all so well that the only thing I can think to add is "Thank you." I did indeed recognize that ghostly adventuress.

Ooohh...i'm starting to speculate about what's coming next, daedric princes, going one-by-one, oooh i hope what i'm thinking of is going to happen :vaultboy:

But back to the present, this is definitely your best work yet, your description of the deadlands was so vivid, you reminded me of my first gate, in Kvatch bliviongate: , excellent work :goodjob:

'Slowly, the translucent spirit of an adventuress emerged from one of the lakes of fire. At first, I thought Acadian was showing me my destiny. As I looked closer however, I could see it was a young Breton. I did not recognize her. The vision faded.'

That is the spirit of Sarrah

Fantastic reading once again Acadian!

What I like most about these stories is the freshness of Buffy's voice. You have managed to create a character who informs us about the world of TESIV and about herself in a readable, appealing way. In doing so, I think you have identified one of the reasons some (myself included) have trouble with becoming immersed in Oblivion. To wit, after a time, it is too easy to have every character become just like every other. The game system is open- it is up to the player to limit their creation to someone realistic and playable. And by doing that, you have also invented a wonderful protagonist. First person is perfect for Buffy- she is writing these notes for herself- trying to learn from her experiences and to avoid errors. Even the "bullet style" you were concerned with works- these are, after all, accounts from her journal. Most impressive.

Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, gaaaaaaaaah, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting.....

Add some more waitings... me too. Nice work Acadian.

Just as good as always cant wait for the next one

No story this post. Much in work though.

@D.Foxy - My friend, you have been such an incredible help to me. I am so humbled by your kind words. You have the heart of a warrior, the soul of a poet, and the talent to express both, in ways that few can hope to match.

@mALX - As ever, my inspiration for writing.

@Digniity - I am honored, and so appreciate hearing from you after each of Buffy's stories.

@SubRosa - How long have I waited for the opportunity to say 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'? Approximately 40,000 words. :lmao: Thank you so much for catching up. I hope so much you will stay with us now. I love your insights!

@Bobg- Subtly and gently, I look forward to referencing your girls again. The trust you have placed in me to mention them in Buffy's thread is a responsibility that both humbles and thrills me.

@Unknown- I love it when I get to say this: "If we can evoke a memory of your experience in Oblivion, then Buffy and I have hit a bullseye." :twirl:

@jaycar - The spirit of Sarrah indeed. Those of us who know the work of bobg are truly fortunate!

@treydog- What a great place the fanfic forum is. Upon seeing your wonderful comment, I scurried off to read some of your work. Wow! High praise indeed from a writer of your skill. You have a new fan on your thread, and I hope so much you will continue to deem mine worthy.

@Leydenne- Four stars and thousands of Oblivion hours ago, I asked you for help. You cheerfully and patiently answered my many newbie questions. I still routinely consult you for your awesome judgment and knowledge. Thank you so much for reading Buffy's story!

We see you over here in fanfic much too rarely! I submit that anyone who can dash off the following in a normal Oblivion thread should start her own fanfic thread:



:whisper: And if that does not convince you, may I remind you:



@mcbeanie- Thanks for staying with us. And thank you for sharing some helpful thoughts via PM.

This is my last entry on this thread. It is unlike any of my previous posts. I am sure it will be unlike any of my future posts. The first entry on Buffy's next thread will be a brief orientation for any new readers. The second post on her next thread however will be right back inside the head of Buffy as she makes her way in Cyrodiil.

But for this post?

Let me share some insights that few of us are ever privileged to experience. Open your mind for a moment, for this involves the blurring of numerous boundaries.

---------- Breaking Boundaries, Breaking Rules ----------

My name is Acadian. I have the honor or traveling with the young lady from Bravil. If you detect a sense of intensity in Buffy about her craft, it is not by chance. I identify with her in several ways. Three decades of my life were spent as a paladin serving the Noble Order of the Eagle Globe and Anchor. The Order trained me as a sky warrior. I know the feeling of invincibility while hiding in the sun, scanning for long range targets using detect life systems. I can identify with Buffy's exhilaration, deadly skill and voracious devotion to her craft. I know well her need for speed, satisfied by the majestic power and beauty of a steed called Superian - or Phantom in my case.

Buffy and I share nightmares as well. Nightmares of being charged - by an armored axe wielding Orc, or starring down the intakes of a hostile jet closing at the speed of sound, commencing a deadly aerial dance of death. Nightmares of being detected - whether by the stealth ellipse that turns bright, or the blood chilling warning tone of being locked up by an enemy missile system.

I found that Marine snipers, in their own way, seemed to share that same odd mentality of lethality and vulnerability. It seems Buffy lives there too. I attribute my survival not to quick reflexes, but to the philosophy that Boderi just shared with Buffy. It was easy to show Boderi how to teach the lesson, for I gave it many times to young Marine aviators.

I had the honor to hold the reins of many steeds for thousands of hours, but the Phantom holds a special place. She could not match the nimble maneuverability of her foes in a close range fight. Bringing her aboard the carrier required a precise anticipation of her response time. Although the beautifully sleek gray fuselage could be hidden in the sun, her characteristic twin trails of black smoke sometimes frustrated the effort. Her internal load of 25,000 pounds of JP-5 could last well over an hour, or be guzzled to flameout in a mere eight minutes of full afterburner. Yes, she was vulnerable.

But she was also lethal. Phantom was an interceptor, not a dogfighter. Her long range detection and weapon systems were deadly. She was at her best as a long range sniper. And by Mara, she was fast.

When asked, she would willingly accelerate to over twice the speed of sound, leaving behind fire, smoke and even the screaming thunder from her twin J-79s.

In the right hands, she could locate, run down and destroy any foe.

There came a time when my service to the Order was no longer required. I was free to fall in love with a cloud and touch the sun. If I could break the barrier of sound itself, could I not break the barriers between the dimensions of reality and fantasy, flesh and pixels, the simple mind of a man and the inscrutable mind of a woman? Could my Phantom carry me to Cyrodiil?

* * *

"Buffy, I'm so glad you stopped in." Nilawen smiled. "That new book you ordered arrived. You remember, the one with just blank pages."

My new journal! "Thank you Nilawen! I am so glad it finally came in. I ran out of blank pages in my old journal a few days ago. What do I owe you?"

"Well, if that's all you need, it'll be 15 gold." My good friend and fellow Bosmer said. "Well this new one should keep you going for quite some time."

"Yes, that's all I need today." I placed the gold on the counter and picked up my new journal.

"Are we ever going to get to read your old one Buffy?"

"No no silly. I can't believe anyone would be interested in my musings." I frowned. "Besides, they're private. I'd be mortified if anyone ever read them."

Nilawen smiled as she went about arranging the merchandise on her shelves. "Oh well, what are you going to do with your old journal now?"

I lowered my voice. "I'm having a special lock put on it so it will be safe. The lock is being made by a friend of mine named Leydenne."

"Leydenne?" Nilawen cocked her head trying to recall the name.

"Oh she's not from Bravil." Then I added. "If you saw her, I'm sure you'd remember. She has a beautiful cat and carries a powerfully enchanted weapon called 'banhammer'. "

The door to The Fair Deal opened and another customer came in. Nilawen smiled at the Dunmer. "Hi Tadrose. How's things at the Fighter's Guild? Your order of new hammers came in." She reached under her counter and produced a large box of repair hammers. That would be my excuse to leave for home and get to work writing.

With my new journal in my hands, I breezed out the door, trailing words behind me. "Ok then, I'm off. Bye Nilawen. Hi Tadrose."

I was excited! My old journal would soon be safely locked up. The fresh pages of my brand new one awaited. I must start writing about Namira right away while it's fresh in my mind?.

Well I will be looking for her, will she have the same title?

I wield other things besides a banhammer. Sometimes I carry the Key of Gentle Locking, or the dreadful Spatula of Spam Squishing. Occasionally the Saber of Snark too.

Keep up the good work Acadian, and also the other folks who write, encourage and otherwise make some of these threads a lot of fun and very interesting.
:thumbsup:

(Oh, and closed for post count...)