Oh, where to begin!

First off, Pappy is fast becoming one of my favorite characters in TF! And that's saying a lot, since TF is so full of great characters! :hubbahubba:

A nit:

Punctuation seems a little off. Maybe "Where have you been, kid?" might read better. :shrug:

Loved this response of Teresa's:

but I think your comma after old man ran away. :brokencomputer:

And this bit of banter made me laugh:
:hubbahubba:

And this really captures Pappy:
:twirl:

What a wonderful introduction to one of my favorite Bravil side-quests!

Great writing!

Oh boy, do I sympathize. Whiskey makes my entire body shudder violently after a shot :/ Can't blame her at all for spitting it out,

As punishment for your creative editing of my vapid comment from previously, I give you http://static1.firedoglake.com/29/files/2010/02/wembley1.jpg

Pappy certainly manages to up the heat (and the testosterone level). I really like this method of bringing Teresa into the side-quest. It shows that Bravil is a small place, and that there are interactions amongst the guilds (or at least the members). I always felt like the game should have expanded a little on the "telepathic guard" AI such that your character's actions would affect how people respond to her. People talk, especially about someone who has either done them a favor or a disservice. All the way back in Daggerfall, advancement in certain factions meant that other factions started to either like or dislike you- and react accordingly. With the Radiant AI, it does not seem that it would have been that hard to adjust the reactions of "major" NPCs based on your character's history.

It is also good to see Teresa reminded that she cannot be too self-indulgent if she hopes to find acceptance from the Fighters Guild.

As to the whiskey, there is a great plenty that should be spat out... (Of course, as an original E. Tennessean, I have a certain amount of experience with alcoholic beverages that- shall we say- never passed through a bonded retailer. Good stuff, too.)

Is there a 'and' missing in the middle here?


Teresa is hunting down a Bravil quest. Yippee

I really like how you've introduced this quest through the Fighter's Guild instead of through the rumor mill. I was always irritated that the Guild halls in most of the cities just sort of exist. Outside of the recommendation quests and a few side quests there isn't much to do in most of them. It makes perfect sense that, given her desperation, Kud-Ei would have discreetly consulted a contact at the Fighter's Guild.

*

She could not wait to try on the green velvet dress she had bought, she thought as she hastened down the corridor.

She always locked her doors when she had something valuable, she thought, like the ingredients she had left over from the day's potion making. Had she been robbed? she wondered as she carefully set down her things.

I'm not sure if this is intentional, but these sentences are problematic because they imply that, in her head, Teresa refers to herself in the third person.

Hey. Wow I've missed alot since the last time I was here. Man, I hate it when computers get viruses, don't you? Anyway great job on these last chapters. I have alot to say about them, but that's kind of old news, so I won't talk about that now.

As for corrections, the only mistake I saw was you missing an and when Pappy said a women a pair of shoes.

Anyway, very good job. Wait . . . would Nerussa be mad that Teresa is checking out and flirting with other women? 'Cause I noticed that there was alot of intrest shown by Teresa towards the "innocent" Altmer. :hubbahubba:

Very nice, how you have the two guilds interact. Makes sense in a small town like Bravil. :goodjob:

I can only imagine how horrible that shot must have tasted. You DO NOT cool Whisky.... EVER. The only reason for cooling spirits is to get rid of the alcoholic taste..... proper Whisky doesn't need that. Unlike some Northern American eeuhhmmm interpretations of the Water of Life.

Trivia: if you are referring to Whiskey, it's Irish. The Scottish is always Whisky, without the additional "e".

So when can we expect Volsinius to return? I was really looking forward "seeing" how he was going to handle new recruits.

Acadian: Thank you Acadian. A quest indeed. Finally!

A mix of confidence and doubt is exactly what I endeavor to portray with Teresa. I am glad it is working.

And thank you noticing that the forum ate one of my spaces.


haute e coyote: Thank you haute. I have been waiting a long time to use that "I like rules," line. It is one of the things from the tv show that always stood out to me.

Thank you for noting the goofs, fixed now.


Jacki Dice: I used to drink Jack Daniels when I was in my teens. I grew out of it as soon as I could drink it legally though...


treydog: Oh noes! Grumpy Bassetts! I could not resist, due to the width of my monitor, that line ended right at the end of the part I posted. It was fate!

One of the things I wanted to show was the cooperation between the Bravil MG and FG in this introduction. Both subcontract work out to one another on a fairly regular basis. Plus that is where people would go to get copies of documents made (I figure that has to be a simple alteration spell). There will be other examples later on.


Winter Wolf: Good eye on the 'and', as you can see, Pappy likes to break grammar rules as well...


Destri Melarg: Thank you Destri. This really was the only logical way I could see Teresa (or anyone really) becoming involved in this quest. All the people that Kud-Ei would know to ask for help, are people who would be in danger of having the same thing happen to them that happened to Henantier.

I will look at those two lines you noted and see what I can do with them when I get more time.


Broken-Scale: Welcome back Scale. I hope you have straightened out your comp now?

Thank you for catching that missing word.

Nerussa would hardly be jealous. Remember, she is the one who "has whomever she wants, whenever she wants". The relationship between her and Teresa, if you can even call it that, cannot be more open.


RemkoNL: Thank you Rem. Pappy's whiskey was not chilled. Nordic Whiskey is like that normally. I took a little creative license in it being as cold as it was though. Here is a snippet about it (I forget where it was from)



Vols will be back soon, either in chapter 15 or 16.


* * *

Chapter 14b - Through A Nightmare Darkly

Teresa stared up at the multi-story building in front of her. Well, this was it, she thought, the tenth building down the block, just as Pappy had said. She stepped up to the door as butterflies began to dance within her stomach. Before she could think of all the reasons she should just turn and walk away, she reached out and rapped on the doorframe.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare01.jpg

The door opened a few moments later, revealing an Argonian woman wearing a green silk skirt and a velvet top of the same color. Teresa was immediately struck by how similar both were to the outfit that she had just bought at Nilawen's, and wondered if the Argonian had also bought hers there.

"Yes?" the Argonian asked, speaking in the raspy, almost hissing tone that all Argonians possessed. Her face was a beautiful mix of green, rust, and brown scales, and her head sprouted numerous bone spikes that ran along each side of her skull.

Teresa could see that the Argonian was distressed. The way her horns drooped sideways and the line of her brow furrowed around her orange eyes spoke volumes. Most people thought that Argonians were emotionless, Teresa reflected. But years of living with Geen-Rana on the Waterfront had taught her the little nuances of understanding their moods. Once one knew what to look for, the serpent-folk were even easier to read than humans or elves, she thought. It was one of the reasons she liked being around them. That, and the soothing tone of their husky voices.

"Kud-Ei?" the forester asked, "my name is Teresa. Pappy - um Commander Vitellus - sent me."

"Thank the Nine!" the Argonian hissed, pulling Teresa into the house and shutting the door behind her. They stood in a small corridor that ran from right to left. To her left the wood elf saw a stair leading up, and to the other side the hallway went a few feet and seemed to open into a spacious living room that took up the rest of the ground floor. "I have been praying that he could find someone! Come with me, there is no time to waste!"

The Argonian darted up the staircase, and Teresa followed close behind. There was no wall to the right, allowing the wood elf to see into the entire living room as she ascended the steps. It was simply furnished, with a roaring fireplace, a few tables and cupboards, a wall-hanging of the Mages Guild eye symbol, and several paintings of the Great Forest that seemed so vivid that she half-expected the trees to sway in an imaginary breeze.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare02.jpg

The second floor was a single room. A simple sleeping area sat in the far corner, and in contrast to it the rest of the floor was taken up by an elaborate study and workshop. The latter seemed to be in disarray, as there were books, scrolls, and scraps of paper haphazardly strewn around the single desk and numerous tables.

Teresa's eyes widened at the sight of a full suit of ebony armor that was arranged on a stand amid the clutter. That must cost a fortune! she thought. Yet what really caught her eye was the glowing crystal she spotted on the desk. It was long and slender, tapering to points at both ends, and had an elegant metal latticework bound around its center. She instantly recognized it as a varla stone. It was one of the greatest Ayleid treasures one could find, she knew. If she remembered correctly, they had something to do with enchanting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare03.jpg

"This is Henantier's home," Kud-Ei explained as she swept past the mess to the single bed in the corner of the room. There Teresa saw a young high elf wearing a simple blue magister's robe. Around his neck was a golden chain, whose huge round pendant was inlaid with an equally large moonstone. He lay on the bed with his eyes closed, and as the wood elf approached she saw him twitch and roll over, as if he were having a nightmare. "I found him this way two days ago, and he has not woken since."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare04.jpg

"So what can I do?" Teresa asked, staring down at the high elf. His head shook from side to side, and he rolled onto his back again.

"Henantier is trapped in a nightmare of his own creation," Kud-Ei explained. "After going through his notes I learned what he did."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare05.jpg

"He did this to himself?" Teresa asked.

"Henantier is the most brilliant mage I have ever known." Kud-Ei stared down at the young elf, holding her arms across herself, as if she were clutching her own body for comfort. "We were study mates at the Arcane University. He entered at only ten, and graduated a full mage at the top of his class only four years later. That is half the normal time. He was such a prodigy that he surpassed the rest of us in everything without even trying. Now he is one of the preeminent enchanters in the guild. He only does custom work. Everyone in Cyrodiil comes to him to enchant their weapons and armor. The only reason he lives here in Bravil is that his parents are here."

Teresa looked back at the ebony armor. She knew that cost a fortune. Now she realized that it must be from one of Henantier's clients. That also explained the varla stone, she thought. Naturally an enchanter of his stature would have an artifact like that, if not several.

"Yet that very brilliance has ever been his downfall," Kud-Ei sighed, walking to the desk and picking up another necklace similar to that the high elf wore. "Even in school he was getting into trouble. Not picking fights, but reaching too far in his quest for knowledge."

Teresa cocked an eyebrow, wondering what that meant. Kud-Ei walked back to her and placed the necklace in her hands.

"Henantier quickly exhausted the conventional sources of learning. They only whetted his appetite for more. So he reached to the darkness for answers, first to Daedra-Princes, then to necromancy. Several students were nearly killed, myself among them."

The Argonian took Teresa by the arm, clutching at her with what felt like near desperation. "Please understand, Henantier is not an evil man. He never worshipped Daedra, nor had any desire to animate the dead. It was all just academic to him. He just wanted to understand the universe, and how everything worked. He was never satisfied with just being a brilliant magister."

"Henantier has been warned that if he does something again he will be expelled from the guild." Kud-Ei went on. "That is the reason for all this subterfuge. If it were to get out, even if he can be saved, his career will be finished. What happens here must not go further than these walls."

"I understand. Don't worry, I can keep a secret," Teresa nodded, thinking about how she had carried the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre. "He must be a good friend, for you to still be by his side after that."

"A true friend is there through the hard times as well as the easy ones," Kud-Ei said. "I might have never graduated if it were not for Henantier. He got me through Mysticism. I never forget who my friends are."

"I know exactly what you mean," Teresa breathed, thinking of Methredhel. They had been through a lot lately, she thought, but even after all of it the other Bosmer had stayed by her side. Even though they rarely had the chance to see one another anymore, she knew the other woman was someone she could always count on. Looking back to Henantier, she thought how lucky he was to have a similar friend in the Argonian.

"Henantier has created a dreamworld within his own mind, using this amulet he enchanted." Kud-Ei said, stepping over to the bed and pointing to the necklace around the Altmer's neck. "He designed it to be an exercise field, to test himself and improve not only his skills, but the very core of his psyche. When I looked through his notes I found he made a mistake in creating the symbol for the enchantment however. Instead of testing the different parts of his nature, I fear he has sundered them instead. I have enchanted a second amulet using his notes, so that someone can enter the same dreamworld and rescue him."

"Can't you just take the amulet off him?" the forester asked, "wouldn't that bring him out?"

"No," the mage shook her head. "He would come back as he is now, with his mind in ruins."

"So what can I do?" Teresa asked plainly. "Isn't this your area? I am not a real magician. I only know a few simple spells. I am an archer."

"If I enter his dreamworld I suspect the same thing will happen to me." Kud-Ei explained. "His subconscious is driving it. I believe it will seek to test anyone he recognizes. Only a total stranger - someone whom he has not only never met, but never even heard of - can escape the splintering of their mind when inside his dream."

"Okay, what do I do then?" Teresa said, raising the necklace over her head and settling it around her neck. It felt warm to the touch, and instantly she began to feel tired. "How do I put Lorkhan's pieces back together again?"

Kud-Ei smiled at the wood elf's stab at humor, and took the forester's hands in her own. "You are a brave girl," she said. "I can see Commander Vitellus sent the right person. Just lie down and go to sleep. You will enter Henantier's dream when you do. I do not know what you will find when you are there. Things may seem strange, perhaps even insane. Remember that it is a dream, so the normal laws of reality do not apply."

Teresa lay on the floor beside the high elf and closed her eyes. She could hear the voice of the Argonian booming above her.

"Find Henantier, and restore the broken fragments of his psyche. Only he can get you out again." The magician's voice began to fade away, as if she were moving down a long tunnel. "Be careful that you are not killed in the dreamworld, else you will never waken?"


* * *

Teresa opened her eyes to find herself in a room that was filled with red light. The air was hot and dry, like she imagined a desert might feel. After blinking for a moment, she realized it was the second floor of Henantier's home. Only it had become a dark reflection of what it was in the real world.

The paintings hung upside down, and the walls themselves had changed. To her right the wall was the rough stone of a cave, and directly ahead the dressed blocks of a fort. Only good, solid wood covered in daub lay to her left. Yet as she looked she could see the surface of that wall gently moving in and out, as if it were breathing.

Behind her she found the smooth, pale stone of an Ayleid ruin, complete with the typical square double-door entrance of the heartland high elves, and the circular handle to open it. Like the paintings however, it was upside down, with the steps leading to it emanating from the ceiling above her rather than the floor. The bed lay against the wall to her right, nearly upended by the rough stone growing under it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08b.jpg

Standing across the room was Henantier. He was wearing the same blue robe he did in the real world, and was enveloped in a soft green light. He cowered away from her gaze, crouching down in a vain attempt to hide behind a dresser. Teresa stepped closer to the high elf, and thought that he looked strange. That is when she realized that she could see through his body, as if he was a ghost.

A ghost of his former self, Teresa thought as she stood before him. She reached out to him and noticed that her arm was bare, when it should have been covered by the sleeve of her leather cuirass. Looking down at herself, she found that she was stark naked, except for the amulet that fell between her small, yet firm briasts. A green light rose from the moonstone set in the center of the amulet and suffused her entire body with its glow, just as with Henantier.

"What the?" Teresa reflexively jumped back and lowered a hand to cover her nether regions. She turned to the dresser beside her and tried to open the drawers, but they would not budge. Yanking even harder, the handle came off in her hand. That is when she noticed that the drawers were either fused into the frame of the dresser, or they were simply decorative. She also noticed that in spite of her nakedness, she did not feel cold. In fact, she was quite warm, thanks to the heat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare07.jpg

It isn't real, she thought. It's just a reflection from his mind. Looking back to the high elf, she saw he continued to squirm behind the end of the dresser. Well, she thought, he is certainly not a Peeping Tovas. The way he was reacting, she might as well be a Daedric Prince!

"Henantier." she said gently, stepping closer to him. Now that she could see him better, it seemed as if he were made of mist. She reached out to touch him, but then drew her hand back before she could. If he really was a vapor, she did not want to disperse any of him. Nocturnal! what a strange thought to have, she mused as she stared at the high elf.

He did not answer, even after several minutes of her quiet prodding. Worse, the closer she drew to him, the more he shirked away. He was clearly terrified of her, she thought, just what she needed. He was the one who was supposed to get them out of here!

She stepped away from him. No sense in frightening him more than she needed to, she reasoned. Thinking back on what Kud-Ei had said, this must be a byproduct of the dreamworld divorcing him from certain parts of his personality. Apparently his courage was one of those things. Perhaps his ability to perceive as well, as he plainly thought she was a threat.

She looked around the room. As well as the Ayleid door she now saw another exit set in the rough stone wall to her right. This one was of ramshackle wooden boards, like one she had seen at the entrance of a goblin cave on the Imperial Isle. To the left of it she saw the stairway leading downstairs. She stepped toward the stair, but that brought her closer to Henantier as well. She stopped and backed away as he tried to press himself into the wall beside him to escape.

She had better do whatever she could up here first, she resolved. Maybe that would help put him back together enough for her to go downstairs without him hurting himself from fright.

Turning to the Ayleid door behind her, she set her hand to the warm stone of its surface. Instantly she knew that it was the portal to the Test of Perception. She had no idea how she knew that. It was just there in her mind.

Just like in a dream, Teresa thought.

She focused on the symbol of her Flare spell and called the magicka up within her. Only for some reason the energy did not respond. She could usually feel it deep within her, yet now she felt nothing. It was as if she had expended all of her energy casting spells.

This must be by Henantier's design, the wood elf thought, so he could not just whip off a bunch of super-spells during his trials and finish them with no trouble. It was intended to be difficult after all, supposed to push him.

Swallowing hard, Teresa reached for the door again and took the circular handle in her trembling fingers. You can do this, she told herself, you have been through worse and come out alive. You can do this.

She pushed the doors aside and stepped through.

Very well done. :read: The rationale and details of many quests in the game are subject to improvement. You have filled some gaps in logic here to more fully support this quest, and help it come to life. As always, your story leads to logical opinions and conclusions. Your description and dialogue continue to sing.

I can only imagine and look forward to what Teresa will find and learn inside the dreamworld she has bravely entered. The quest has so much rich potential.



This is why I simply adore Kud-Ei. There is no more loyal and protective guild head in the entire guild of mages. :nod:

Ah, I see Teresa has quite the little figure.


Is there a missing word here perhaps?
"He would come back {as?} he is now, with his mind in ruins."

A beautiful observation. I know how you feel. I cannot ever seem to get my characters to leave the south of Cyrodiil. They love Argonians too much. :hugs:

Aaaah, sadly, I haven't got my computer fixed yet. I'm actually responding out of my Ipod right now. It's kinda awkward, but it works.

Anyway, as for the chapter, I havealways enjoyed this quest. It's different which is refreshing. I'm pleased with the way you described the whole situation, which is wierd and crazy in and of itself, like most dreams. Good job on conveying that.

Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see how you describe that rest of this crazy dreamworld.

Wait... that's the same Bosmer who thinks herself un-attractive??? with a figure like that? :lmao:

Anyway; this is one of my favourite quests in OB and I really like what you've done with it.
I wouldn't have minded some more explanation how Kud-Ei "tuned" the second dream-amulet to Henantier's sub-conscious though.

One of my favorite quests, with one of my favorite mages (Kud-Ei - love her for the same reasons Acadian does)!

I always do this one with all of my characters. It's cool to do it without your usual gear.

And who said Teresa was skinny and ungainly?? The leathers are not the most flattering gear in the game!

Great interpretation of the dreamworld. And I've always found Kud-Ei's explanation lacking in the, well, explanation department. Got to be the scientist in me - Nice work fleshing it out into something a little more satisfying for this inquiring mind!

Whoa Teresa! Now we can see why Ancondil was so interested! :hubbahubba:

As the others have said, you've done wonders fleshing out this quest. The thing that stood out to me was the background and personality that you gave the sleeping Henantier. We begin to see the reasons why Kud-Ei would risk her own standing in the Mages Guild (which can be unreasonably prickly it seems to me) to help out a close friend. I can't wait to see what you do with the trials.

You again take what is a "good" quest in the game and turn it into a brilliant bit of story-telling. And in the doing, you provide background for the characters involved and an explanation of why Teresa decides to go ahead with the mission. It starts as a favor to Pappy- with perhaps a slightly mercenary motivation...

But then the conversation with Kud-Ei, and a recognition of the meaning of true friendship... Henantier's test is only one of the many Teresa has faced and will face. And she shows once again that she truly is a hero.

One missing word, I think:

"Yet that very brilliance has ever been his downfall," Kud-Ei sighed, walking to the desk and picking up another necklace similar that the high elf wore.

"?similar to that?"

I hate this quest above all others. Severus was the first character to survive it. Then Sarrah. I've forbidden Angel to even enter there.

Acadian: Thank you Acadian Pretty much all of the game's quests are subject to improvement. It is difficult portraying a quest in fiction, because most are so implausible that they could only happen in a game, not to real people. Thankfully this is one of the more reasonable ones, so it was not too hard to make it work in a believable manner.

Kud-Ei is also one of my favorite mages. Not the least because she is an Argonian, but she also wears one of my favorite vanilla outfits.

Thank you for finding that "as", apparently when Henantier lost his marbles, he took some of my text with him as well...


Winter Wolf: Thank you Wolf. I always like the Argonian npcs as well, especially their voices.


Broken-Scale: Thank you Scale. Sorry to hear about your computer woes. I have always liked this one too, because it is mostly puzzles rather hacking at things.


RemkoNL: Keep in mind that every female in the game has that same body. From old hags like Simplicia to 13 year olds like Angel. It is not something I could change in the game.

About tuning the second amulet to Henantier's dream, I did not want to drag out Kud-Ei's explanations any longer. She is conveying a lot of information in her dialogue, and I was afraid of it coming across as an info dump. That is why I just left it as saying that she followed his notes, and made the mention that his subconscious was running the dream.


hauteecole rider: Thank you haute.

Willowy is how I usually describe Teresa. So slender and tall, not with an hourglass that is ticking like a clock. I never said she was ungainly though, except socially. Usually I use the term lithe. Although she is not practiced in walking seductively, heel-to-toe, swinging her hips, etc... either. Teresa was never meant to be a super-hottie like every leading lady in a movie is. I tried to point that out in Dibella's Dance, when Nerussa is watching her sleep. Her beauty is the kind that comes from within, and was precisely what Nerussa was attracted to. But not the thing that most people bother to notice. Although her hair is eye-catching (she is still a girl after all!) But as I said to Remko, the game does not allow you to change your character's body. Everyone woman in Tamriel has the dimensions of a barbie doll, whether they are nineteen or ninety.


Destri Melarg: Thank you Dest. I figured people would like the nvde pics. More coming this post, including full-frontal, so queue up the porm movie soundtrack...

I am planning to do more with Henantier in the future. So I wanted to give him a solid foundation in this chapter. Brilliant, but very flawed at the same time. Hopefully he will be someone that people can like by the end of the chapter, when you can see him for who he really is.


treydog: Thank you dog. I am glad you noticed that Teresa is not doing this for no other reason than being a nice person. Having the leaders of both the Fighters and Mages Guild chapters in Bravil owing you a favor cannot be a bad thing after all... Plus as a new person in town, it gave her a chance to prove herself. Granted, the final hook that got her was the friendship that you pointed out between Henantier and Kud-Ei. She could so easily see herself and Methredhel in the two of them, so how could she not help? As much as she is motivated by money (the entire reason she came to Bravil after all), Teresa's good nature always seems to override that.

Looks like Henantier's dreamworld took that "to" as well. Thank you for using that doggie nose to sniff it out for me.


bobg: Really? It has always been one of my favorites, for the reasons others pointed out. It is different from most of the quests in the game. The swimming part always got me in the past when I had my old monitor, because it was so dark I literally could not see a thing even with the brightness all the way up. But with my new monitor I never even need to use torches, or night eye, or light spells to make my way in even the darkest areas. So I do not even need the second water-breathing potion they give you. The minotaurs are actually easy to defeat as well if you take the staff. How will be revealed later in the chapter.


* * *

Chapter 14c - Through A Nightmare Darkly


She found herself standing in a void. A platform of stone blocks was beneath her, apparently floating within the inky darkness. To her left she saw another platform of floating stone in the distance, and hovering over it was what seemed to be a dark sphere, outlined by glowing blue-white energy. Leading away from that platform seemed to be a path of stone, traveling in a wide semi-circle to the right, eventually joining with the stones upon which she stood.

Floating amid the darkness between the platforms and the pathway were several glowing crystals, much like varla stones, only red in color rather than the cool blue-green of the Ayleid artifacts. Teresa looked back and saw that the door she had stepped through was gone. Instead there was nothing but empty blackness behind her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08c.jpg

The only way out is through, Teresa thought, walking forward to the corner of the platform that the path led away from. The stone blocks in front of her were shrouded in darkness, yet in the distance beyond she could see where they continued in the light. Reaching down with a cautious hand, she felt for solid purchase. She found nothing but emptiness.

A trap, she thought, meant to catch the unaware with a nasty fall. Backing up, she ran forward and leaped across the dark spot, landing in a heap on the far, lit side. Picking herself up, she made to brush the dust from her naked body only to find there was none. Nor was her soft skin bruised or scraqed by her fall upon the rough stone blocks under her feet.

It's all a dream, she thought. Just don't get killed.

Moving forward along the path of stone blocks, the clunking noise of machinery came to her ears. In the darkness before her she saw a circular ring of stone. Floating over it were several long bony objects like fingers. Hanging from them were rusty iron pendulums, much like she had seen in several Ayleid ruins.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08d.jpg

Stepping to the edge of the ring of stone, she watched as the pendulums swung back and forth. One swipe would cut her in half, she knew, or knock her off the platform and send her to her death in the emptiness below. Staring at the swinging blades, she noticed that they moved at different speeds. Yet each had a regular rhythm. Counting the time each took to complete a swing and then begin a new one, she found a brief window when the walkway was clear.

Waiting for the next chance, she breathed deeply and slowly. This was no different than the ruins she had been in, she told herself. She just did not have a healing spell or potion waiting if she was sloppy. She only had to concentrate, she thought, and she would not need them anyway.

So why was her heart running like a thoroughbred stallion, she thought, and her mouth drier than the Alik'r Desert?

She saw her next window of opportunity open and sprang forward without a second thought. Her feet moved nimbly on the stone beneath her feet, and a blade whooshed by just behind her head as she took her second step. Keep moving, she thought as she saw a second blade descending out of the corner of her eye. It fell behind her racing form as well, and with a quick dive she was beyond the third and final pendulum and onto the pathway beyond.

She paused to catch her breath. Staring down at her hands, she saw them begin to tremble. Stop it! she cursed herself. There was plenty of time to fall apart once the job was done, she thought. For now she had to remain strong. Strong for Henantier - who at least had an excuse for cowering - and strong for herself.

Looking ahead of her, she saw nothing but a wide square of stones, making a small platform like the one she had started from. That is when she noticed a faintly sweet smell in her nostrils. Sniffing the air around her, she recognized it as gas. Moving to her right, she found the smell became stronger. Moving to the left it lessened, but only for a few steps.

She moved ahead, sniffing as she went, and found a pathway between the invisible clouds of gas. She had to move slowly, taking her time and depending on her nose. When she finally reached the far side of the platform she felt dizzy, and had to pause to breathe clean air once more before pressing on.

The path curved to her left, where it eventually straightened out into what seemed like a corridor lit by the glowing crystals in the air. She could see long, rusty blades suspended from a stone ceiling hanging over the hall. Again, she had often see these traps in the ruins, she thought, she knew just how to get through them in one piece.

Moving forward, she studied the blades, and the gaps between them. She was thinking of how she would have to jump between one and another as they fell and rose, when the stones beneath her feet began to shift. Cacat! she silently cursed as she sprang forward. It was another trap, meant to catch her while she stared at the blades ahead!

The stones collapsed beneath her racing feet and fell into the inky void as she ran. Now the wood elf looked only at the rock directly ahead of her as she scrambled with all of the strength in her legs. With another leap she cleared the last falling block and was onto the edge of the blade corridor.

That was close, she thought. This test was all about perception, she mused, as the name said. She had to not only use all of her senses to navigate its traps, but also make sure she was paying attention to the right thing at the right time.

The blades were easy after that. As soon as she stepped forward they began falling and rising back up again to reset themselves. She simply had to take one at a time and move ahead as they rose and cleared enough distance for her to slip under them. Then pause and wait for the next one to drop, and do the same, until she was finally beyond them.

Next she found a circular room, whose stone walls were actually a series of curved pillars that rose all around, with wide spaces between each. Teresa stepped warily into the chamber, and she thought she heard a rumbling from above. Stepping back into the corridor, her heart leaped into her throat as an avalanche of boulders crashed into the room from above.

She waited for the rain of stones to halt, holding one hand to her bare chest to slow her thundering heart. When she was convinced that the rocks had stopped falling, she cautiously moved forward, glancing upward into the inky black of the ceiling in case she was wrong. Navigating her way through the massive boulders to the far side, she found another curved path of stone before her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08i.jpg

Many areas of the path were shrouded in darkness once more, and Teresa carefully felt her way along to be sure she was standing upon solid rock. This time nothing fell, or gave way beneath her. As she rounded the final turn she could see the final platform ahead of her, with its glowing sphere hovering in its center.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08k.jpg

She eagerly stepped forward, then stopped herself short. It was too easy, she thought, this place had tricked her before by making her think of what was far away when she should have been concentrating on what was right in front of her nose. Looking down carefully, she made out the slight rise of a pressure plate in the block of stone in front of her toes.

So this was it, she thought as crept forward around the trap. Taking her time, she found the rest of the pathway was littered with the same pressure plates. She had no idea what they might do when she stepped on one, but she had no desire to find out either.

Eventually she was clear of the pathway and standing on the far platform. Walking slowly to the broken stone pedestal in the center of the large square, she was wary for more snares. Yet nothing sprung or fell upon her, and she found herself standing before that strange ebony orb that she had seen when she had first entered the test. It floated in mid air, surrounded in a halo of blue white energy. Tiny sparks of light flew from it and meandered through the air around it, like motes of pollen on a spring day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare08n.jpg

This must be a symbol of one of the parts of Henantier's psyche, Teresa thought. Magic was all about symbols, she knew, projections of the unconscious mind. At least that was what the priestesses of Mara had told her when they taught her the healing spell she knew.

Well, this was it, she thought, time to get it and go. Swallowing hard again, Teresa bit her lower lip and reached out for the sphere. It began to make a low hum as her fingers came near. Pausing to look around to make sure another trap was not going off, the wood elf then continued and took the ball into her hands. Instantly, she knew that it was the Element of Perception.

Her sight flashed with coruscating blue light, and suddenly she was back in Henantier's room. While she tried to gather her wits, the glowing sphere pulled her forward, dragging her body behind it. She blinked, trying to hold it back, but she found that she was not strong enough. It was going wherever it wanted to, she realized.

She let go, and it flew across the room and struck Henantier, who was now standing. He did not flinch away, or make a sound as it struck him. He just stood there with an expectant look on his face as the ebony sphere crashed into him.

Rather than knocking him over, or tearing through him, the ball of energy sank into his body and disappeared. The same blue-white energy that had wreathed the ball lit around the high elf, only to likewise soak into his body. Afterward Teresa noted that his form now seemed more substantial, and when he gazed at her his eyes were no longer filled with confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice still trembling with fear. "What are you doing here?"

"My name is Teresa," she said in a soft voice, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal. "Kud-Ei sent me to rescue you."

"I don't know you!" he cried, shrinking away for a moment. Then he paused, squinting at her in the red light. "Where are your clothes?"

Teresa looked down at her naked body, and suddenly felt warmth blossom in her cheeks.

"I was wondering about that myself," she found herself almost laughing as she looked back up at the Altmer. This had to be the most ridiculous situation ever, she thought. How come things like this never happened in bard's tales? "This is your dream, how about you make me some?"

"I don't know how to do that?" he stammered. "This is all a nightmare, I cannot wake up from it!"

"This is your dreamworld Henantier," Teresa said softly stepping forward. He backed up, prompting Teresa to stop and raise her hands, open palms toward him to show that she meant no harm. This was bad, she thought. He does not even know where he is. There were clearly more parts of his mind she needed to collect, his reasoning, as well as his courage. "You made this place to test yourself, only you messed something up, and you broke yourself instead. Kud-Ei sent me to get you back. Do you understand?"

The Altmer shook his head, and still looked frightened as he stared at her.

She was not going to get anywhere talking to him, Teresa realized, at least not until she restored more of his psyche. "I need to go through that door over there," the wood elf said, pointing to the goblin door near Henantier. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need to walk past you to get there.

"Why?" the high elf asked, a look of suspicion clouding his features. "What is in there?"

"More of you," Teresa breathed as she walked forward slowly. The high elf backed away from her, and for her own part the forester did her best to keep as much distance from him as she could. Then she was standing in front of the door, and just as before, she suddenly knew it was the Test of Reason.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09b.jpg

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

Excellent description of the Test of Perception. I found that to be the hardest part - those swinging pendulums freak me out every time!


That was exactly how I felt that first time!


This is something the game ignores - the nudity. The other thing that I've wondered, going through this quest, is why am I naked and he's not??

Well done!

Wonderful!

Such a perfect blend of description, action and Teresa's internal dialogue.

It's been quite some time since I did that quest last, so the screenies were very welcome.

In your comments, you mentioned Teresa as willowy. Do you keep her height at the 1.0 'standard issue' for she-Bosmers?

You very effectively kept us feeling shrouded in the inky darkness that pervaded so much of everything just beyond Teresa. Very ominous and scary.



You got my heart going just like Teresa's here!



Very nice!

Your descriptions were vivid and brilliant. The dreamworld is so strange that accurately recording the experience can be a daunting task.

Teresa again demonstrates that she actually is quite heroic- she does what needs to be done:

One of the first things I get to notice just as soon as I come back is the nakedness!
Woo hoo!!

:rofl:

Thanks for that...what a way to return..

:lol:

Quite true but for some reason I figured you would have modded the body textures or something like that to give her less of an hour-glass figure.

hauteecole rider: Thanks haute.

I figure it is his dream, so his rules. Or perhaps it is because he does not know who the player is. So his subconscious does not know how to present them. I know that if it were my dream then everyone else would be naked and I would still be dressed too! Well, maybe not everyone else. There are a lot of people I would not want to see naked... oo:


Acadian: Thank you A. I did try using the console to change her scaling when I first started playing her. I was new to the game and it did not turn out very well. I believe I was in first person when I did it, so I wound up different there but the old height in third person. So I tried it there as well, and it just became a mess. In the end I reloaded a previous save and never thought of trying it again. On the other hand I did change the height of all he-Bosmers to 1.0, but that was using the construction set.


treydog: Thank you. The descriptions were difficult, because there is so much going on that is strange. I wanted to convey the weirdness, but not become bogged down in over-describing either. So I had to pick and choose what went in and what was left out.


D.Foxy: Welcome back, O' Viscount of Vulpinius. I am glad you are enjoying Teresa's brief sojurn as a centerfold.


RemkoNL: Unfortunately, my 3ds Max skillz are not up to creating new bodies. Not even after using it for two years when I was modding for another game. The only body mods out there are to give women Tyrannosaur-sized briasts and thimble-sized waists :blink:, so it was not like I could download anything either.


* * *

Chapter 14d - Through A Nightmare Darkly

She found herself standing upon a long platform of Ayleid construction, once again suspended in a featureless void. The slightly greenish stones under her feet were cut into gigantic blocks, each one long enough to fit a wagon and its horse and still have room to spare at either end. Directly in front of her was a low pedestal, upon which sat a metal container. It was hexagonal in shape, like many such small chests she had seen in Ayleid ruins.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09c.jpg

Stepping up to it with care, her eyes darted to and fro in case of another trap. Yet nothing fell upon her, shot at her, or collapsed under her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she twisted the lid and lifted it off the body of the chest. Within she found a scroll that appeared quite new when compared to the rusted container and the worn stone beneath her feet.

Unrolling it, she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. It contained three groups of runes. The first a small set of only four lines, and the next two groupings becoming progressively larger. She recognized the faint image that took up the background of the rolled sheet as belonging to the Mage star sign; a wizened man holding a staff, with several stars dotting his figure connected by lines.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/OB-scroll-Test_of_Patience.jpg

Great, now what was she going to do with this? she thought. The only language she knew was Cyrodiilic, the common tongue of the Empire. Whatever the scroll was written in, if it was even a language at all, she had no idea what it was. Maybe if she were a real magician it would all make sense? she thought. Maybe it was some magical code they were taught in the Arcane University?

Rolling the scroll back up, she was about to put it back in the container, when she thought better of it. It must have been placed here for a reason, she thought, so she had better keep it.

So gripping the scroll in one hand, she made her way forward along the length of the unwalled corridor. She came to a place where it widened out into a large square-shaped area. A vaulted ceiling loomed in the darkness high overhead, and four gigantic blocks of stone rose one after another along each side of the square. Each was taller than she was, and bristled with nozzles that she knew would spray darts if their triggers were set off. In the open path between them Teresa could plainly see that the floor was taken up by pressure plates.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09e.jpg

So how was she going to get across that? she wondered. It was too far to jump, and she could not go around. The entire breadth of the floor was taken up by the pressure plates, so there was no way to squeeze through between them either. Yet there had to be some way across. This was a test she thought, so there must be a way to succeed.

That is when she remembered the scroll. Drawing it out once more, she saw that the number of pressure plates equaled the number of runes in the first set of writings. Aha! she thought, so the runes were a key to crossing the plates. She just had to figure out how to decipher them.

With that in mind, she examined them more closely, and realized that some of the characters repeated themselves. Studying the instances of that single rune, she found that they were all adjacent to one another, creating a path across the maze of pressure plates.

Taking a deep breath, Teresa prayed to the Nine that she had guessed correctly, and that the runes did not mean something else altogether. She stepped onto the first pressure plate and braced herself for the worst. She heard the deep-throated rumble of stone grinding upon stone as the plate dropped beneath her feet. Yet there was no whoosing sound of flying darts, nor sharp biting impacts into her bare skin.

She realized that she had closed her eyes, and opening them once more, she stepped upon the next plate in the diagram. Once again it safely depressed into the floor beneath her feet. She smiled faintly, and followed the rest of the runes through the plates and to the corridor beyond.

Well, that was not too hard, she thought as she continued along the corridor to her left, and then turned once more in her original direction. She found the way ahead was blocked by more of the stone sentries, except for one gap between them. Stepping into it, her heart sank as she looked out at a sea of pressure plates. Easily double what there had been in the previous area.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09h.jpg

It is alright, she told herself as her heart began to race, she just had to find the correct rune and follow it through. Studying the second diagram on the scroll, she was disappointed to see that the first rune she had followed was not represented within it. The key rune must change every time, she thought. Spending long moments searching through the pattern of characters, eventually she came upon one that seemed to create a pathway.

Stepping out onto the first plate, she again gritted her teeth as it sank into floor beneath her. Once more no darts shot forth to strike her down, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Studying the scroll again, she carefully picked her way sideways along the pressure plates, then alternated between moving forward and to one side or the other, until finally she was across.

Phew! she thought, that was more difficult. Yet she had still managed to puzzle her way through. Continuing down the corridor to the next phase of the test, she once again found a row of stone blocks cordoning off her route, except for a single open space between them.

Stepping into the gap, she found an even more complicated test before her. Not only were there more of the pressure plates than the last two tests combined, there was an extra sentry right in the center of the maze. She imagined the route would be more complicated as well, and stared down at the scroll once more to figure her way through.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09k.jpg

Once more a different rune unlocked the riddle of the maze, and the wood elf stepped onto the first pressure plate with a growing sense of confidence. She chided herself not to get too bold when the traps did not go off, and forced herself to stop and study the scroll again before following the runes along the path they spelled out.

As she had first guessed, the route was more circuitous then before, leading her around one side of the central dart-shooter and another, even going forward and back again, before finally leading her out onto an open platform on the other side.

She could see another of the dark stones floating in the air down the platform ahead of her, and cautiously walked to it. Just because she had gone through all of the tests did not mean the dreamworld might not cheat and spring a final trap on her, she thought. She was relieved when she arrived at the stone without incident.

This time she saw it hovered over a ring of metal spines that rose up from what looked like a well. The sphere itself was black and featureless as the previous one had been, but crackled with a purplish energy. Once more a humming filled Teresa's ears as she reached out for it and took it in her hands. She knew that it was the Element of Reason, and then she was gone.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare09m.jpg

* * *

She found herself back in Henantier's combination study and bedroom once again. This time she did not try to hold onto the sphere of energy for even a moment. She simply let go as soon as she realized where she was again. It flew directly into him once more, and again she noted that he grew more substantial after he absorbed it into his body.

"Oh my stars!" the Altmer said with his eyes wide. "What's happened? I've trapped myself in my own dreamworld! I must have made a mistake somewhere in my design."

"Glad to see you've been paying attention," Teresa said dryly as she stared at the elf. He shrinked away at the sound of her voice once more, and the wood elf shook her head.

"You, Kud-Ei sent you did she not?" the high elf started once more. "Oh no, she has trapped you here as well! We will never escape this place!"

"Just calm down Henantier," Teresa said in a soothing tone. "I already finished two of the tests, I can do the rest. Do you know how many more there are?"

"There are two," the mage stammered, holding up two fingers on one hand. "But you will never complete them, no one can!"

"Two more?" Teresa asked. The forester tried not to let his panic affect her. It was hard enough to keep from falling apart herself. His agitation only made it worse. He had been a basket case since she had arrived, she thought, and hoped the test to regain his courage would be next. "Do you know what they will be like?"

"One is a test of bravery," Henantier said in a quivering voice. "The other is a test of faith. But they cannot be done, you will die if you try."

"Why?" Teresa asked. "Do you know what is in them?"

"No," the high elf responded, shying further away from the forester. "I just know they are impossible!"

One is a test of faith, Teresa thought, no wonder he had none in her abilities, just as he had no courage. Well, there was nothing to do but finish it, she thought, and turned to the stairway leading down.

"Where are your clothes!" the high elf exclaimed behind her. Looking back, Teresa saw that he had turned his head so he could not see her.

"I don't have any, thanks to your dreamworld," Teresa said plainly. "Can you make some?"

"Well of course, that is simple." The Altmer gestured at the dresser. Following his hand, Teresa found a small, neatly folded pile of clothing sitting atop it. Quickly she gathered up the dress and made her way into its labyrinth of folds, buttons, and loops. Fitting the dark shoes upon her feet, she wished she had a mirror to see herself.

Looking down at herself, she was stunned at what she saw. The elaborate black dress not only hugged her torso like a second layer of skin, it also created curves where she was certain she never had them before. While it had a high collar that nearly touched her chin, it was slit open from the top of her briastbone down to the bottom of her ribs, with only a pair of small cups that came out from either side covering the centers of her briasts.

The dress made a wide sweep out from her hips, like a bell, and the skirt had a scale design down the front. Along either side it was comprised of large silver plates that seemed form-fitted to her, and were somehow sewn together. Similar silver gloves covered her forearms from fingers to elbows, and were shaped like fish, even bearing spines growing from the back of her arms.

Finally, a row of spikes rose from along the back of her shoulders, curving down around the front of her body to meet below her briasts, creating a mane of giant thorns. The shoes on her feet were of similar black and silver design, their toes shaped like the mouths of fish.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare10a.jpg

Somehow, in spite of how elaborate the outfit was, Teresa found that she could move just as easily as she had when she was naked. Once more she was thankful that this was a dream, rather than reality. Looking at the outfit, she did find herself wondering what Henantier normally dreamed. Then casting her gaze at the warped version of his home, she realized it was no stranger than anything else here.

She opened her mouth to say something to the high elf, then shut it again. There would be no point until she finished the last two tests, she thought. Then hopefully she could get something out of him.

She turned and went down the stairs to the ground floor, making her way left at the bottom of the steps and walking to the front door. It was now at the end of a short corridor that led away from the rest of the building. The walls of the new hallway were of rough stone and dirt overlaid with wooden boards, as if she was in a mine. The door itself was a typical rickety affair one might find in a mineshaft as well.

This was the Test of Faith, Teresa realized as she stepped up to the door and set her hand upon it. Good, she thought, at least Henantier might start believing in her once she completed it. She pushed it open and stepped through.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v90/subrosa_florens/oblivion/Nightmare10b.jpg

Wonderful! What an odd place. Your descriptions and screenies transport the reader there perfectly. You're doing a great job with this whole quest!

I was so pleased to realize Teresa's caution.

I was even more pleased when I read this to realize Teresa was closing in on that sweet spot between confidence and cockiness.

You had me gritting my teeth and hoping against cringe the whole time Teresa was pressure plate hopping.

I was delighted, given the hazards, to count one faint smile in this story. ^_^


Nit?
She turned an {and?} went down the stairs to the ground floor,

Yet another great chapter, this time of the test of Reason. I hated this one, as well. I always crept through this one!

You had me biting my lip the whole time!

That dress almost resembles Syl's dress from Shivering Isles. Very different! Will it help her with the swimming?

I look forward to the Test of Faith!